Netgear Nighthawk C7000 Cable Modem (Open Box)

Although over the years I have depended on hundreds of reviews, I have written only one other review which was for an excellent washing machine that I once purchased, I feel compelled to give a five star rating for this NetGear Modem Router Combo C7000. For those who may not be interested in the back story, I will explain that I purchased this unit from Amazon on January 18, 2025 for $99.99 as a renewed (refurbished) item and have had zero problems with it. I don’t know how to explain it, but it appears to be a brand new unit, including the packaging, but that is not all. The unit has four Ethernet ports which allow me to connect directly with my VOIP phone as well as with my security cameras. BACK STORY: Early in January of 2015 I purchased my first NetGear Modem Router Combo. It lasted ten years with zero problems. Earlier this month (January) I received a notice from my internet service provider that they were going to do a service upgrade and that there would be an outage from midnight until about 6:00 a.m. As of 12:00 noon I still did not have service, so, I I called Spectrum. The fellow told me that they had resumed service and that he would send someone out later in the afternoon. After checking he apologized saying that he would not be able to do so until late the next day. When the service worker came out, the first thing that he said even before coming into the house was “Your modem is fried.” I asked what the upgrade was all about. He said that they increased the power. I then asked if that could have caused my modem to fail. He said “no.” I still suspicioned that there was a connection; however, I knew that there was no alternative. I also knew that a modem is furnished with the Internet subscription, but not a router. That was going to be $10 per month. I didn’t say anything more to him, but I immediately researched Amazon for NetGear modem router combos. I then purchased a new NetGear C6230 for $133.00, which was advertised as being compatible with Spectrum. (Now being sold for $116.00.) After changing the cable and registering it with my WiFi settings, I called Spectrum to have them make the necessary changes and communicated with a very nice and patient fellow. After about fifteen minutes, much of it being on hold, he apologized for the delay and told me that that modem was not on the approved list of modem routers for Spectrum. He then directed me to an approved list of about (only) five or six approved modem routers. This list was on a submenu of a submenu of a submenu. And I believe I know why. I immediately returned the modem router combo to Amazon and they credited my bank account on the same day. I then purchased the C7000. When I returned the (large bulky) modem and the (large bulky) router to Spectrum, I cannot say that they were overjoyed. I was delayed approximately thirty minutes in completing the paperwork for returning their equipment. By having my own router, I have saved hundreds of dollars over the past ten years and at today’s rate, if I am able to go ten years with this modem router combo I will save myself at least $1,200,… probably more because their rates — like everything else in the marketplace — are constantly increasing. One final note. Over the years when I would turn on or turn off my WiFi service, I would notice that more than half of the modems appearing in my list had been given “cutesy” names like Bulldog, FBI, Mexican Mafia, etc. Now, all but two have names including the word Spectrum. For example: SpectrumSetup-23. Something tells me that I wasn’t the only person who had a “fried” modem.