Netgear c3000 vs c7000. Which one best suits your home network needs?
Nowadays, having a wireless router in your home has become an important part of living and a wireless modem is an instant solution to providing internet to your home network. The Netgear c3000 and c7000 are great solutions for providing the two devices in one unit which is convenient and you get to save money and space.
Most internet service providers will provide you with the convenience of renting a modem or router for a monthly fee. I opted to get a modem router combo to save money, space, and have less clutter to deal with in my home. The Netgear c3000 and c7000 are excellent units with fast internet speeds and while the c3000 is a single-band router, the c7000 is a dual-band router. However, if your internet service plan is less than 300 mbps, both routers can be a great investment.
Table of Contents
What is the difference between Netgear c3000 and c7000?
Netgear modem router |
C3000 |
C7000 (Winner) |
Router standards |
Single-band wireless N router |
Dual-band AC router |
Modem speeds |
Downloading speeds- 340 Mbps |
Downloading speeds-960 Mbps |
Wifi speeds |
2.4 GHz- 300 Mbps |
2.4 GHz-600 Mbps
5 GHz- 1300 Mbps |
Ethernet ports |
2 |
4 |
Channel bonding and Docsis 3.0 |
8×4 |
24×8 |
Netgear c3000 vs c7000. How do they differ?
Design
The Netgear c3000 and c7000 are products from the same brand but they have very different designs. The c3000 is a small device that only weighs 0.78 pounds and only about 8 inches tall. It’s encased in a black plastic casing and a wide base to keep the device stable vertically. At the front are some LED lights that show the status of your network and buttons for WPS and wifi while at the back are 2 gigabit Ethernet ports for your wired connections, a USB 2.0 port for your external hard drive, and a coaxial cable connector. On the other hand, the c7000 has a sleek and compact design with a durable black plastic casing that will blend in well with your house décor. At the edge of the unit are LED lights to show the status and performance of the device. At the back are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port, a power cable port, and a coaxial cable port. Both devices have internal antennas which give them a more organized and minimalistic look.
The c7000 has a better design that looks good enough to be displayed and will fit in very well with your modern furniture.
Router standards
The c7000 is an ac1900 dual-band wifi router that can deliver 600 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on its 5GHz band. With these kinds of wireless speeds and the amplified antennas that use range boosting beamforming+, you can enjoy strong and reliable wifi coverage throughout your home for smooth and lag-free HD streaming and online gaming. It also has 4 gigabit Ethernet ports that allow you to connect more wired devices to your network. On the other hand, the c3000 is an N single-band wireless device that only uses the 2.4 GHz band to deliver 300 Mbps that is still fast for streaming and gaming. It has 2 gigabit Ethernet ports which limit the number of wired devices you can connect to your router.
The c7000 is a better wifi router with faster wifi speeds that can cover your entire home and can handle more devices.
Speed and performance
The c3000 is an 8×4 Docsis 3.0 cable modem which means it has 8 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels that are capable of delivering downloadingspeeds of up to 340 Mbps. By using the Docsis 3.0 platform, you can enjoy fast and reliable internet speeds in all your devices with great wifi range and performance for smooth HD streaming and uninterrupted online gaming. As for the c7000, it’s a 24×8 Docsis 3.0 modem that has 24 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels that can handle downloading speeds of up to 960 Mbps. It can support cable internet plans of up to 400 Mbps so you can expect super fast and reliable internet speeds for lag-free, smooth, and uninterrupted streaming, gaming, and surfing for all your devices in your home.
The c7000 has faster speeds and is a better performer than c3000. It can provide super-fast speeds throughout your home.
Netgear c3000 vs c7000 – A comparison review
Netgear c3000
- Compatible with Xfinity from Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, CableONE & more; Double firewall protection (SPI and...
- Three in one DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem + N300 WiFi Router+ 2 Gigabit Wired Switch. ELIMINTE MONTHLY CABLE...
Netgear c3000 is a wireless N300 modem router that uses 8×4 channel bonding and Docsis 3.0 to deliver fast and reliable internet and wifi speeds with excellent range and performance to all your connected devices. It has 8 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels that can handle a downloading speed of 340 Mbps which is fast enough to allow you smooth streaming and gaming. It has a good range which is ideal for medium-sized homes. The 2 gigabit Ethernet ports will help you achieve fast wired connections while the USB 2.0 ports allow you to share wirelessly content from your hard drive. The Netgear genie software allows you to easily install, monitor, and control your home network from your PC or phone. To keep your network secure and ensure the safety and privacy of your family while online, c3000 uses the WPA/WPA2 the highest wireless security standards. You can also keep your kids safe online using the parental controls to block or limit certain websites and the guest network to provide internet access but limit access to your data and network. It’s compatible with most of the major cable providers including Comcast, Cox, Spectrum, CableOne, and more.
Pros
- Fast and reliable speeds
- Has a nice design
- The wifi range is good for medium-sized homes
- The interface is very easy to navigate
Cons
- Only has 2 gigabit Ethernet ports
- The connection might drop constantly
Netgear c7000
- Save monthly rental fees: Model C7000 replaces your cable modem and Wi-Fi router, saving you up to 168...
- Speeds by carrier: Xfinity (up to 800Mbps), Cox (up to 500Mbps), Spectrum (up to 400Mbps).
Netgear c7000 is a reliable and impressive modem router with fast cable and wifi speeds with a modern sleek design. It’s designed with 28×4 channel bonding and Docsis 3.0 which means it has 24 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels that can handle download speeds of up to 960 Mbps and a cable provider plan of up to 400 Mbps. On the router’s side, it’s a dual-band router with fast wifi speeds of 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. With the help of beamforming+ technology and amplified antennas, you can receive strong and reliable wifi coverage. The superior wifi range, fast internet speeds, and performance ensure that you stream, game, and do much more without having to worry about your internet connection dropping or dealing with dead zones. The router can intelligently allocate the best bandwidth for the connected devices to reduce interference, congestion, and maximize speed.
Pros
- Super fast and reliable speeds and range
- Easy to set up and install
- Great overall performance
- Light with a sleek modern design
Cons
- It’s a bit expensive
- Doesn’t have lots of extra features
Conclusion
The Netgear c3000 and c7000 are great modem router combos that you can use for your home or small office network. They can deliver fast downloading speeds and range and are packaged in nice-looking casings that will blend well with your décor.
So which one is better Netgear c3000 or c7000?
Netgear c7000 is better because it’s an ac1900 dual-band router with 28×4 channel bonding and Docsis 3.0 modem that can handle super fast internet speeds with great coverage.
FAQ
Does Netgear c3000 support 5 GHz?
Apart from being a cable mode, c3000 is also a single-band wifi router that only supports the 2.4 GHz band and doesn’t have the 5 GHz band.
Does Netgear c7000 have the QoS feature?
The c7000 is fast and effective even without the QoS and MU-MIMO capabilities.