Netgear Cm500 High Speed Cable Modem Docsis 3 0 User Manual

							350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 
USAMay 2015
202-11534-01
CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
User Manual 
						

							 
2 CM500 High Speed Cable Modem 
Support
Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products. 
After installing your device, locate the serial number on the label of your product and use it to register your product at https://my.netgear.com. You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR telephone support. NETGEAR recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR website. 
For product updates and web support, visit http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR.
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at http://support.netgear.com/general/contact/default.aspx.
Compliance
For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc., NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are 
used for reference purposes only. 
						

							3
Contents
Chapter 1 Hardware and Internet Setup
Unpack Your Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Back Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Product Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Install and Activate Your Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Contact Your Cable Internet Provider and Set Up Your Internet Service . . . .  9
Set Up Your Internet Service with Comcast Xfinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
Perform a Speed Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Router After Installation and Activation  . . .  11
Chapter 2 Manage and Monitor
Log In to the Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
View Cable Modem Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
View Cable Modem Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
View and Clear Event Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
Change the admin Password  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
Reboot the Cable Modem  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  18
Reset the Cable Modem to Factory Default Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
Use the Reset Button on the Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
Use the Factory Reset Software Button  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
Change the Cable Connection Starting Frequency  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
Use LEDs to Troubleshoot  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
Cannot Log In to the Cable Modem  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
Troubleshoot the Cable Internet Connection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
Appendix A Technical Specifications 
						

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1
1.   Hardware and Internet Setup
The NETGEAR CM500 High Speed Cable Modem provides a connection to high-speed cable 
Internet with speeds up to 680 Mbps.1 The cable modem is certified by all major cable Internet 
providers. A Gigabit Ethernet port provides fast access and downloads. The cable modem 
supports the assignment of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses by cable Internet providers.
This chapter covers the following topics:
•Unpack Your Cable Modem
•Front Panel
•Back Panel
•Product Label
•Install and Activate Your Cable Modem
•Connect Your Cable Modem to a Router After Installation and Activation
Note:For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the 
support website at http://support.netgear.com.
1. Maximum rate is derived from DOCSIS 3.0 specifications and actual throughput varies depending on your Internet subscription with your provider. 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 5
 CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Unpack Your Cable Modem
Your package contains the following items.
Ethernet cable
Power adapter
Cable modem
Figure 1. Package contents
Front Panel
The  cable modem  provides status LEDs on the front.
Power LED
Downstream LED
Upstream LED
Internet LED
Ethernet LED
Figure 2. Cable modem front view 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 6
CM500 High Speed Cable Modem 
You can use the LEDs to verify status and connections. The following table lists and 
describes each LED on the front panel of the cable modem.
Table 1.  LED descriptions  
LEDIconDescription
Power
•  Green. Power is supplied to the cable modem.
•  Off. No power is supplied to the cable modem.
•  Red. 
The cable modem is too warm and might overheat. For more information 
about this condition, see  Use LEDs to Troubleshoot on page  24.
Downstream
•  Solid amber . One downstream channel is locked.
•  Blinking amber . The 
 cable modem is scanning for a downstream channel.
•  Solid green . More than one downstream channel is locked.
•  Off. No downstream channel is locked. 
Upstream
•  Solid amber . One upstream channel is locked.
•  Blinking amber . 
 The cable modem is scanning for an upstream channel.
•  Solid green . More than one upstream channel is locked.
•  Off. No upstream channel is locked. 
Internet
•  Solid green . The cable modem is online.
•  Blinking green . 
 The cable modem is synchronizing with the cable Internet 
provider’s cable modem termination system (CMTS).
•  Off. The 
 cable modem is offline.
Ethernet
•  Green. A powered-on device is connected to the Ethernet port at 1000 Mbps.
•  Amber . 
 A powered-on device is connected to the Ethernet port at 10/100 Mbps.
•  Blinking green or amber . The 
 Ethernet port is processing traffic.
•  Off. No device is connected to the Ethernet port.
Back Panel
The back panel provides the connections and button shown the following f\
igure.
Power adapter input
LAN Gigabit Ethernet portCoaxial cable connector
Reset button
Figure 3. Cable modem back panel 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 7
 CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Product Label
The product label on the bottom of the cable modem displays the serial n\
umber and MAC 
address of the cable modem and login information, including the default \
IP address, default 
user name, and default password.
MAC address
Serial number
Figure 4. Product label
Install and Activate Your Cable Modem
The cable modem provides a connection between your cable Internet provid\
er’s network and your computer, router, or WiFi router. 
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Computer
During the installation and activation, you must connect the cable modem\
 directly to a 
computer. After installation and activation, you can connect the cable modem to a \
router (see 
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Router After Installation and Activation  on page
  11).
Computer 
Cable modem
Coaxial cable to cable outlet Ethernet
cable
Power adapter
Figure 5. Connect the cable modem directly to a computer 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 8
CM500 High Speed Cable Modem 
Note:
Before you connect your cable modem and contact your cable Internet 
provider, collect your cable account number, account phone number, 
and login information (your email address or user name and password).
To connect your cable modem directly to a computer:
1. Connect a coaxial cable.
Use the coaxial cable that your cable company provided to connect the ca\
ble port on the 
cable 
 modem to a cable wall outlet or a line splitter. Make sure that the cable is tightly 
connected.
Note: If Comcast Xfinity is your cable Internet provider, Comcast Xfinity 
recommends connecting your  cable modem directly to a cable wall outlet.
2.  T
urn off the computer to which you intend to connect the cable modem.
3.  Use the Ethernet cable provided in the package to connect the Gigabit Et\
hernet port on the 
cable modem to an Ethernet port on the computer

.
4.  T
urn on the computer.
5.  Connect the power adapter provided in the package to the cable modem and\
 plug the power 
adapter into an electrical outlet.
When the startup procedure is completed, the Power LED lights green 
.
6.  W
ait for the cable modem to come online.
It takes at least 10 minutes for the cable modem to come online on the n\
etwork. During 
this time, the LED behavior is as follows:
•The Downstream LED lights amber 
 when one downstream channel is locked.
• The Downstream LED lights green 
 when more than one downstream channel is 
locked.
• The Upstream LED lights amber 
 when one upstream channel is locked.
• The Upstream LED lights green 
 when more than one upstream channel is locked.
• After the  cable modem  registers with your cable Internet provider
 , the Internet LED 
lights green 
. 
Even though an Internet connection is established, Internet service is a\
vailable only after you 
set it up with your cable Internet provider
 .
For information about how to set up your Internet service, see Contact Your Cable Internet 
Provider and Set Up Your Internet Service  on page
  9. 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 9
 CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Contact Your Cable Internet Provider and Set Up Your Internet 
Service
You must contact your Internet service provider (ISP) and tell them tha\
t you are using the 
cable modem.
To set up your Internet connection:
1.  Contact your cable Internet provider
 .
a. Check with your cable Internet provider to confirm that this cable modem\
 is allowed 
on your cable network.
This cable modem might not be compatible with certain cable networks.
b.  If this cable modem is allowed on your cable network, inform your cable \
Internet 
provider that you are installing a new cable modem that you bought from \
a retail 
store.
c.  Provide your cable Internet provider with the cable modem’
 s model number, which is 
CM500.
You can also visit your cable ISP’s website and follow the onscreen instructions to set up  your Internet service.
Cable Internet ProviderContact Information
Cablevision Telephone number depends on your region.
http://www.cablevision.com
https://install.optimum.com/JointInstall/
Comcast Xfinity 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489)
http://www.comcast.com/activate
For information about Xfinity, see  Set Up Your Internet Service 
with Comcast Xfinity on page  10.
Mediacom 1-844-2SIMPLE (1-844-274-6753)
https://maestro.mediacomcc.com/walledgarden/page/login.jsp
Time Warner Cable 1-800-892-2253
https://elb02.activatemymodem.com/authentication
Note:Your cable Internet provider’s contact information might change. You 
can also find the contact number in your monthly Internet service 
billing statement.
2.  When asked, provide the cable modem’
 s serial number and MAC address on the product 
label.
3.  W
ait for your cable ISP to confirm that your cable modem is active. 
						

							Hardware and Internet Setup 
10 CM500 High Speed Cable Modem 
4. If you do not have an Internet connection with the cable modem, ask your cable ISP to look 
for your cable modem online, and do one of the following depending on what your cable ISP 
tells you about your cable modem:
•If the cable modem is not visible, your cable ISP can give you instructions to verify 
why the cable modem does not connect with your high-speed Internet service.
•If the cable modem is visible to your cable ISP, reboot the computer, laptop, or home 
gateway that is connected to the cable modem. Try checking your online status again.
Set Up Your Internet Service with Comcast Xfinity
If Comcast Xfinity is your cable Internet provider, set up Internet service by using Comcast 
Xfinity’s self-activation process. If you are unable to self-activate your modem router, call 
Comcast Xfinity customer service. After you complete the setup, perform a speed test.
Use the Self-Activation Process to Set Up Your Internet Connection
Before you start the self-activation process, make sure that your account number, account 
phone number, and login information (your email address or user name and password) are 
nearby.
To set up your Internet connection with Comcast Xfinity’s self-activation process:
1. Close all web browsers.
2. Launch a web browser.
You are redirected to the Xfinity self-activation page. If you are not redirected to the 
Xfinity self-activation page, visit 
www.comcast.com/activate.
3. Provide your Xfinity credentials and complete the self-activation process.
This process might take up to 15 minutes, during which the modem router reboots a 
couple times.
Call Comcast Xfinity to Set Up Your Internet Connection
If you are unable to self-activate your cable modem, call Comcast Xfinity customer service.