Netgear C7800 Review: Is It Worth Picking Up?

Do you seek a fancy modem-router combo that is adequately powerful? If so, you might want to consider the Netgear Nighthawk C7800. It combines a DOCSIS 3.1 modem with 32 x 8 channels and a Wi-Fi 5 router with an aggregated speed of 3200 Mbps in dual-band.

With a powerful hardware setup, it seems a great combination on paper, especially for gigabit internet. But do you want to know how it results in real-time use? Well, I used this Netgear Nighthawk cable modem WiFi router combo for three weeks pairing it with Cox Gigablast to get into the nooks and crannies of the same.

I tested it across various aspects that include speeds, coverage, device capacity, security, ease of setup, management, and more. Keep reading this Netgear C7800 review to understand if it’s worth investing around $350 in this networking device.

Netgear C7800 Specs

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Technology	DOCSIS 3.1
Backward Compatibility	Yes
Channel Bonding	32 x 8
Ports	4 x Gig Ethernet + 2 x USB 3.0
Phone Jack(s)	No
Modem Router Combo	Yes
Built-in Router Speed	AC3200 (3200 Mbps)
Wireless Standard	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
WiFi Range	Up to 3,000 Sq Ft
No. of Devices Supported	Up to 45 Devices
Suitable Internet Plan	Up to 1 Gbps
Compatible ISPs	Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, Mediacom, Midco, and WOW Internet.
Processor	1.5GHz Dual-Core Broadcom BCM3390
RAM	256MB
NAND Storage	128MB

Netgear C7800 Review: The Most Powerful Modem-Router Combo?

Unlike Motorola MT7711, C7800-200NAS is not a regular budget modem-router combo. Instead, it is powered to the teeth just to ensure that you can churn out the best possible wired & wireless speeds. But I wouldn’t want you to draw conjectures just yet. Go through this detailed review of the Netgear C7800 to understand it better.

Speeds & WiFi Coverage

When testing the Netgear C7800 modem with a Gigabit plan from Cox Internet, the speeds were good enough — both wired and wireless. As you can see in the speed test result above, I could witness close to 505 Mbps in download and 36 Mbps in upload.

The wired speeds on the other hand were even more impressive, clocking 900 Mbps in downloads and over 100 Mbps in uploads. My gaming console was running without any lag or latency. Besides, I also connected a printer and it was working just fine.

As for the WiFi coverage, the Nighthawk C7800 claims to cover large homes of up to 3,000 Sq Ft. I installed it in my 2,700 Sq Ft test centre, and it didn’t disappoint me. I was getting consistent signals in every corner no matter how far I take my devices.

However, note that it was a test centre and it didn’t have many objects or thick walls. So, the actual WiFi coverage may vary based on the wall size and the structure of your place. Also, Netgear C7800 is one of the few modem-router combos to support up to 45 devices at once.

Ports & Connectivity

Moving further in the Netgear Nighthawk C7800 review, there are 4 high-speed Ethernet ports, making it one of the more promising modem-router combos on the market. You can use each Gig ethernet port to establish wired connections with multiple devices.

Plus, there are 2 high-speed USB 3.0 ports located on the side of the device, allowing you to share data across the LAN and WAN networks.

Wireless connectivity doesn’t take a backseat with Netgear including OFDM/OFDMA, Beamforming, and Signal focus. Plus, you have regular 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands catering to your bandwidth requirements.

Compatibility with ISPs

This Netgear modem/router combo is compatible with the following ISPs:

• Xfinity by Comcast
• Cox
• Charter Spectrum
• Mediacom
• Midco
• WOW Internet

Security Features

In terms of security, Netgear allows you to set parental controls, guest network, and manage the network remotely via the NETGEAR Nighthawk App. Other relevant specs include DLNA support, ReadyShare support for USB connections, and enhanced security, courtesy of the WPA/WPA2 functionality.

Design & Looks

Well, unlike Netgear C7000 and combo devices from other brands that I’ve reviewed so far, the Nighthawk C7800 is a tad heavier at 3.15 pounds. However, it assumes a different design altogether, with Netgear introducing the much-anticipated horizontal form factor.

And as usual, C7800 also boasts a series of Netgear router lights to show the status of the internet connection/connected device. But the position of router symbols is a bit different at the left top of the C7800.

As far as the dimensions are concerned, the device measures 12.4 x 10.4 x 7.5 inches. Despite the heft, the Netgear C7800 looks way sleeker than some of its peers. But that’s not what separates it from the rest.

Hardware Configuration

As for the Netgear C7800 specs and internals, a lot is going right for this AC3200 WiFi cable modem router.

Firstly, it comes equipped with a 1.5GHz Broadcom BCM3390 dual-core chipset, working in tandem with 512MB RAM. Complementing the same is the DOCSIS 3.1 support with 32 x 8 channels to work with. Also, there is 128MB of flash memory for your firmware updates and internal specifications.

Pros & Cons of Netgear C7800

So far, this segment-wise review of Netgear C7800 has taken care of every aspect relevant to the modem/router combo. Still, if you are pressed for time, here are the hits and misses that you should be aware of before taking the plunge:

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

Netgear Nighthawk AC3200 modem router is replete with features. As a cable combo device, it lets you experience the best of both worlds by ensuring excellent throughput, consistent wired and wireless speeds, and the ability to keep the latency and lags to a minimum.

Therefore, if you can overlook the Wi-Fi 5 standard, this sleek, aesthetic, and futuristic networking device is worth the investment.