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Experts recommend Netgear CM500 more than Netgear Nighthawk C7000
As of 2 Apr 2024, experts prefer Netgear CM500 over Netgear Nighthawk C7000, but both Modems have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Netgear CM500 received 4 recommendations: from Lifewire (26 Feb 2024), Networks Hardware (2 Jul 2022) Tom's Guide (26 Mar 2024) and 1 other. By contrast, Netgear Nighthawk C7000 received only 1 recommendation from Networks Hardware (2 Jul 2022).
| Rank | Change | Price | Modem | Popular Mechanics  | Wirecutter  | Lifewire  | approvedmodems.org  | HighSpeedInternet  | BestReviews  | Networks Hardware  | Tom's Guide  | PC Guide  | The Strategist  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | -3 | $50 |  Netgear CM500 The Netgear CM500 modem offers high-speed internet access, easy setup and management, parental controls, and compatibility with major cable internet service providers, but its reliability has received mixed reviews and users should consider purchasing an extended warranty. | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | 6 |
| 33 | N/A | $200 |  Netgear Nighthawk C7000 The Netgear Nighthawk C7000 router is a reliable and high-performing option for medium-sized homes or offices with up to 30 devices, offering parental controls, double firewall protection, and a guest network feature for added security. | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Modems ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 2 Jul 2022 Networks Hardware ranked Netgear CM500 as #3 and Netgear Nighthawk C7000 as #9
Rank Modem Comment ... ... ... #3 out of 9 Netgear CM500 Best Budget-Friendly... ... ... #9 out of 9 Netgear Nighthawk C7000 Runner UpSource: networkshardware.com - On 26 Feb 2024 Lifewire ranked Netgear CM500 as #6
Rank Modem Comment ... ... ... #6 out of 6 Netgear CM500 Basic OptionSource: www.lifewire.com - On 26 Mar 2024 Tom's Guide ranked Netgear CM500 as #3
Rank Modem Comment ... ... ... #3 out of 5 Netgear CM500 Best value cable modem... ... ... Source: www.tomsguide.com - On 18 Feb 2021 The Strategist ranked Netgear CM500 as #6
Rank Modem Comment ... ... ... #6 out of 9 Netgear CM500 Best cable modem for streaming video on multiple devices... ... ... Source: nymag.com
After counting and adding up the 60 expert endorsements of the April rankings, Netgear CM500 outranks Netgear Nighthawk C7000. This is not to say that Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is a bad option. Like Netgear CM500, it is recommended by experts, but less.
Netgear CM500 
Netgear Nighthawk C7000 Customers like Netgear Nighthawk C7000 noticeably more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
Netgear Nighthawk C7000
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Netgear Nighthawk C7000, the pricier option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Netgear CM500.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling modem receives a consumer score of 7.4 (good). Both Netgear CM500 and Netgear Nighthawk C7000 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
| Netgear CM500 | |
| Netgear Nighthawk C7000 |
In comparison:
Netgear Nighthawk C7000 ranks #5 out of 97. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 8.7 Great
|
| Median best-selling Modem |
Netgear CM500 is more popular than Netgear Nighthawk C7000
It's fairly safe to say that Netgear CM500 is a more popular modem than Netgear Nighthawk C7000, based on its 10,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
| Table: Top compared alternatives for Netgear CM500 and Nighthawk C7000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Motorola MB7220-10 | $55 |
In comparison:
8.3 Great
| No expert recommendations | |
 | Motorola Surfboard SB5101U | $49 | No expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
 | Motorola MB7420 | $68 |
In comparison:
8.3 Great
| No expert recommendations | |
 | Arris Surfboard S33 | $180 |
In comparison:
8.3 Great
| 6 expert recommendations | |
| Rank | Change | Price | Modem | Popular Mechanics | Wirecutter | Lifewire | approvedmodems.org | HighSpeedInternet | BestReviews | Networks Hardware | Tom's Guide
| PC Guide | The Strategist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 | $180 |  Arris Surfboard S33 The Arris Surfboard S33 is a high-speed cable modem with combined download speeds up to 3.5 Gbps, 32 downstream x 8 upstream DOCSIS 3.0 bonded channels, and two Ethernet ports, making it ideal for users who require fast and reliable internet connectivity for gaming, streaming, and other data-intensive activities. | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 4 | - |
| 2 | -1 | $300 |  Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 The Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 is a high-speed cable modem that is compatible with all major cable internet providers, featuring DOCSIS 3.1 technology, 32x8 channel bonding, a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core Broadcom BCM3390 processor, and a 2.5 Gbps ethernet port, making it ideal for online gaming, streaming, and other high-bandwidth activities. | 5 | - | 2 | - | 3 | - | 2 | - | 1 | - |
| 3 | +1 | $129 |  Arris SURFboard SB8200 The Arris SURFboard SB8200 is a high-performance cable modem that delivers fast and stable internet speeds of up to 2 Gbps, making it ideal for activities such as online gaming, streaming 4K video, or downloading large files, but requires a separate wireless router for Wi-Fi capability. | - | - | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | - | - | 9 |
| 4 | +1 | $167 |  Netgear CM1000 The Netgear CM1000 modem is a high-performance device that supports fast and reliable internet connectivity for multiple users and is compatible with major cable internet providers. | - | - | - | 5 | - | 4 | - | - | 3 | 1 |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [8]
- with a score: 4
- without a score: 4
| Highest score by Approved Modems | 90 |
| Average score based on 8 reviews | 80 |
| Lowest score by approvedmodems.org | 62 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
Expert reviews [13]
- with a score: 5
- without a score: 8
| Highest score by notontop.com | 100 |
| Average score based on 13 reviews | 90 |
| Lowest score by approvedmodems.org | 80 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
- Save monthly rental fees: Model CM500 replaces your cable modem, saving you up to $168/yr in equipment rental fees.
- Speeds by carrier: Spectrum (up to 400Mbps), Xfinity (up to 200Mbps), Cox (up to 150Mbps).
- Read more
- Save monthly rental fees: Model C7000 replaces your cable modem and Wi-Fi router, saving you up to 168 dollars/year in equipment rental fees.
- Speeds by carrier: Xfinity (up to 800Mbps), Cox (up to 500Mbps), Spectrum (up to 400Mbps).
- Read more
Netgear CM500 is a very popular option at the bottom of the price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling modems and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Motorola Surfboard SB5101U or Arris Touchstone DG1670A .
Netgear CM500 is $50 cheaper than the average modem ($99.99).
Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is a very popular and one of the most expensive options. It's in the top 3 bestselling modems and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Motorola B12 or Arris Touchstone TG1672G .
Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is $100 more expensive than an average modem ($99.99).
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