Netgear CM1000 VS CM1100 – Which Netgear modem is more reliable?

Netgear is known to manufacture excellent modems for homes and small businesses. The Netgear CM100 and CM1100 are some of the best picks in the market. The following is a comparison guide on the two to see which one suits you most.

When it comes to high speed modems for home or office use, Netgear has always got something for you. The Netgear CM series features some of the fastest gigabit modems such as the CM1000 and CM1100. They are both DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 compatible to enable the high gigabit speeds the modems can reach. Netgear CM1000 was released first around 2017 and a year later, the CM1100 was released as a new and improved model of the previous. Today, they are the bestselling Netgear cable modems. the table below highlights their main differences and features.

What are the differences between Netgear CM1000 and CM1100?

Model	Netgear CM1000	Netgear CM1100 (Winner)
DOCSIS supported	3.1 and 3.0	3.1 and 3.0
Speed	1 Gbps	2 Gbps
Gigabit Ethernet Ports	1	2
Processor Chipset	Broadcom BCM3390	Broadcom BCM3390
Channels	32 Down 8 Up	32 Down 8 Up
RAM	256 MB	256 MB
Cable internet service providers supported	Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Mediacom Cable and others	Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum
Availability	Check price	Check price

Netgear CM1000vsNetgear CM1100- How do they compare?

Design

Netgear’s CM1000 and CM1100 are quite similar in their exterior design. First, both modems come in a black deep color with a meshed plastic body. The mesh design ensures the modem does not overheat as the device continues to work all day. In addition, they both feature a tower design meaning, they are placed vertically rather than horizontally. Always consider this when you have limited space to work with. There is only one major difference when it comes to the physical design of these two: the number of gigabit ports. The CM1100 has two Ethernet ports. CM1000 has just one port.

Speed and performance

The speed is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a modem. Theoretically, the CM1000 and CM1100 provide speeds of up to 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps respectively. Netgear CM1100 takes the win here, and this is mainly due to the link aggregation feature that we’ll look at below. Speeds in a real world setup were found to be 200 Mbps and 350 Mbps respectively. But even with this difference, both modems are considered high speed and perform well for heavy users such as gamers.

Internet service provider compatibility

When you buy a cable modem, it acts as the bridge between the internet service provider’s signal and your router. The modems therefore have to be compatible with your service provider’s plan. Here, Netgear’s CM1100 performs better than its predecessor, the CM1000. And this is because, the CM1100 supports more cables from internet service providers. The CM1100 is compatible with the following: Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Mediacom Cable and others. On the other hand, CM1000 supports: Comcast Xfinity, Cox and Spectrum. The CM1100 is definitely a better choice because it offers more versatility. An important factor to note is that neither of these modems support fiber connections.

Ports and Link aggregation

Cable modems rely only on wired connections for communication. Because of this, they usually have at least one Ethernet port for connection. The CM1100 is a better choice as it features two modems compared to CM1000’s singular Ethernet port. Link aggregation on the other hand refers to the ability of modems to connect both Ethernet ports as a bundle to achieve higher speeds, usually up to 2 Gbps. The CM1000 does not support link aggregation as it only has one port. This feature however may not be important since there are very few internet service providers that support it.

Netgear CM1000 vs Netgear CM1100 – A comparison review

Netgear CM1000

This cable modem is one of Netgear’s top selling modem and there are a number of reasons for this. The modem was first released in 2017 as the first Netgear offering supporting DOCSIS 3.1 and 3.0. This huge step ensured that the modem provided very high theoretical and real world speeds. When you buy the unit, you will see it is rated at up to 1 Gbps which is rather high. This translates to about 300 Mbps on the real world with a number of factors limiting such as your internet service provider’s speed. In addition, the Netgear CM1000 is built to be compatible with the major internet service providers such as Comcast, Xfinity, Spectrum and Fox. It is however not compatible with the following providers: Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink, DSL or fiber providers.

One of the major reasons this modem stands out is because of its value for money. With other routers offering such high speeds, the price tag is usually overstated. CM1000 is fairly and additionally saves you the monthly fees you pay to hire your ISP’s modem. It can be easily considered the best modem under $100. Here are its pros and cons

Pros

• CM1000 offers great value for money
• The modem offers high speeds for small to medium sized homes
• It supports both DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 for fast connectivity
• Superb modern design that compliments your interior décor

Cons

• It only has one Ethernet port
• The modem does not support link aggregation
• You need a router to use it with your wireless devices

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Netgear CM1100

The Netgear CM1100 was released a year later after the CM1000 and features lots of improvements in speed and performance. To begin with, the modem featured 32 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels which really aided in the overall speed of the modem. The modem is rated as a 2 Gbps modem since it comes with two 1 Gbps Ethernet ports. Furthermore, it is fitted with a feature known as link aggregation that combines the two ports to provide a single line of a speed of 2 Gbps. The fact, however, is that this speed is purely theoretical under unachievable ideal conditions. Real world tests revealed that the speed was about 300 Mbps. A performance like this makes it an excellent choice for pro gamers that stream in high resolutions. With that, the modem is slightly more expensive than its predecessor although quite fair considering what you’re getting. Like the CM1000, it is compatible with DOCSIS 3.1 and 3.0. The following are the benefits and downsides of this modem

Pros

• It features high speeds of up to 300 Mbps
• Netgear CM1100 has a solid build for durability
• With link aggregation, the performance is highly improved making it a great choice for gamers
• It has two gigabit Ethernet ports
• The modem is compatible with all major ISPs from Comcast, Spectrum and more

Cons

• There is no built in router so you also have to buy a router

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Conclusion

Selecting the most suitable modem for you depends on your top considerations. For high performance, the CM1100 is the better choice. But if you want to save your bucks while still getting great speeds, consider going for the CM1000

Final Verdict -So which is better, Netgear CM1000 or Netgear CM1100?

Netgear’s CM1100 is the better modem for one main reason. It features two gigabit Ethernet ports making it faster than the CM1000. In addition, it is fairly priced and offers better value for money.

FAQs

1. Does the CM1100 overheat?

No. The modem has serrated sides for breathability and cooling

2. Do both modems feature link aggregation?

No, only the CM1100 supports this feature. This is because it has two gigabit Ethernet ports.