NETGEAR N450-100NAS (8x4) WiFi DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem Router (N450) Certified for Xfinity from Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, Cablevision & More

I read all of the reviews, talked to my very techy son, and decided to get this modem/router despite all the problems posted by others regarding Comcast. I read everything that came with the unit, and then downloaded the user manual (you can get it off the web by searching for CG3000Dv2 user manual or going to the Netgear site). I'm not particularly tech-savvy, and found the user manual to be somewhat less than user friendly since they wrote it as if you knew what they were talking about. In the end, I found that you really only need it to change your passwords (both to the gateway and for your wifi) to something a bit more memorable and provide a network name (SSIP) so you can identify it easily when trying to connect wireless devices (neither of these are mandatory changes, but I like my own network name and passwords). I'm sure others who are more techy than I am will find the user manual helpful for other things, too. Having read everything I thought I could reasonably understand, I decided to go ahead and try to get it up and running. I really didn't want to call Comcast because of what many other reviewers complained about. One reviewer noted I could just get it activated using the internet, so I figured I'd do it that way. I followed the instructions in the quick installation guide, connected all the wires/cables, and turned it on. I had no problems connecting to the gateway as instructed, I then named my network and changed the password. Then came the time to get it activated so I could use the internet. Great idea to do that via the internet, but I had no internet connection on my computer because the modem/router wasn't activated yet (backwards logic here, I suppose). Went out on the net on my 4G device to the Comcast activation site. I put in my account number and then tried to put in my phone number so they could locate/verify my account, but the screen would freeze up every time and I'd eventually get an error page that said to call Comcast. This happened 3 times, at which point I decided to bite the bullet and call them. When the rep answered, I said I needed a new modem/router provisioned. She verified my account information, and asked me for the MAC address. For those who are non-techy like me, that's the CM MAC number on the unit (not the cable MAC address or device MAC address that you see on the modem status screen when you log into the gateway). I gave that to her and the she asked how many lights were lit on the unit. I thought that was an odd question, but I told her there were 6 lights on and then she did what she needed to do. She never asked me for a make or model - just the MAC address. It took a couple minutes, with the lights on the unit giving the impression that it was rebooting, but it eventually took. About 2 minutes after it went thru the provisioning process, I had internet access and was able to connect wifi devices easily. As far as performance, the unit appears to be working quite nicely. The range covers my entire (~2000 sq.ft.) condo. The speed is VERY FAST. There is a noticeable improvement in the amount of time it takes web pages load and I am able connect to VPN networks for work very quickly. I tested it on our smart TV and had no problems with buffering or pauses when streaming TV shows/movies (buffering/pausing and lost wifi signals were definitely problems we experienced quite frequently with the Comcast modem/router). If I had one wish, it would be that it would be nice to take it off the built-in stand and put it in a less conspicuous space/position (e.g., to lay it flat). Otherwise, no complaints. Good router/modem that wasn't too painful to install. Even better, I won't have to pay rental fees to Comcast for their less-than-wonderful equipment.

So far, I've dropped Comcast phone and TV service. Unfortunately, they are the only game in town for internet service. Have been paying $8/mo to rent their modem for years. Just got rid of their modem. Boy, that felt good! Not too long ago, I got a wireless router. Life was good. That is until Comcast boosted everybody's speed. That's a good thing, right? They just neglected to tell me my relic modem was too old to be compatible. Many web sites wouldn't even load. Being technically challenged, I didn't know where my problem was. Spent $100+ to have a computer guy tell me my computer was fine. Next, I tried using my Smartphone Wi-Fi connection to get internet service with my computer. Like magic, the computer performed like a champ. The only thing is, I couldn't tell if the problem was with the wireless Wi-Fi or the modem. Since the router wasn't all that old, I took the modem back to Comcast. The counter guy there exclaimed "Wow! I haven't seen one of these puppies in years!" I brought home a new (so he said) modem. Don't know for sure, but I believe it was a refurbished one. Things worked great for a short while, 3 or 4 weeks, when I started having connection problems again. While looking around Amazon, I discovered there was now Wi-Fi-modem combination products available. Told ya I was technically challenged. I bought the NetGear N450 Cable Modem Router. Hooked it up myself, utilizing some of the information gleaned from other posters here. Everything in the house that uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet worked great. Computer, Smartphone, Kindle and DirecTV's YouTube and Pandora functions. Everything but my ROKU. I got hold of ROKU's online support service. Great people! But we couldn't fix the problem in that first session, so next day I tried NetGear's support. NetGear doesn't use a "Chat Support". They required me to submit my problem in a detailed email which they would ponder then get back to me. I did all that. Went back to the ROKU chat support, gave them my case number so we didn't have to start all over, and quicker than you can say "What have I gotten myself into", we fixed it. The next day, I hadn't received a response from NetGear as yet, so I sent another email telling them the problem got resolved. That opened up another case. Since this review is for the N450, I've awarded 5 stars. It'll pay for itself in less that a year with the Comcast savings. It works great and I couldn't be happier. Their support service, ehhh... not so much.