NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 VDSL/ADSL Modem Router Certified with CenturyLink - Non-bonded, DSL Internet Only (D7000)

The NETGEAR AC1600 D6400 Modem / Router is touted as a high performance, high powered piece of equipment targeted at power users, and in this respect, I have to say that NETGEAR delivers. It also features a futuristic design, very angular and minimalist, that conjures memories of the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It looks very attractive from the front, and the LED is a great touch. As you see, it ships with a protective plastic sheet adhered to the front, with a sticker that tells you the factory set password and ID, making setup that much easier. The LED status indicators are easy to read in the dark, but in daylight, the amber status can easily be confused with green, which isn't ideal. The stand is all plastic, and doesn't seem the most sturdy, but it wasn't designed to be taking much abuse.It features 2 USB slots which can be used to provide network access to USB memory. A nice feature, but not one I need, so I haven't tested its functionality. Two buttons along the side allow you to turn the wireless broadcast on or off, and allow for WPS setup.***Wi-Fi Performance***The range on this is fairly strong. A massive upgrade from the Actiontec that Verizon set me up with initially. It covers my entire apartment, which isn't that big (~650 ft.2). I can connect to it from my parking space using my phone, from about 150 feet. All my devices display full bars as far as reception, the exception being my Acer Chromebook, but I don't trust its indicator that much. Needless to say, the AC1600 provides coverage that will surpass most any wireless router your ISP provides you with.The router broadcasts simultaneously at both 2.4Ghz and 5GHz. Each gets its own ID, and its usually set as some iteration of "NETGEAR## -5G". You'll be able to see which one is which, although your device will probably connect to the better connection automatically. You can also turn off the broadcast of either one, should you want to.The router also has a ton of security you can configure easily using the included genie. If you know what you're doing, you can make this router pretty darn secure, but I wouldn't say its the most secure option out there. This is targeted more towards people who game or stream media, so I don't think much thought went into security. However, there is plenty on board here to satisfy 95%+ of users.***DSL*** (Works with Verizon: CONFIRMED)I tested this modem using Verizon as a ISP (5mb/s rated service; non- FiOS), so yes, I can confirm that this does work with Verizon, as is advertised on the box.The first great benefit to this model is that if you have DSL service, you do not need any additional equipment, as this has an integrated modem set up for VDSL2 and ADSL2+. The RJ11 jack is the gray one pictured, labeled "DSL". Using the AC1600, I regularly experienced speeds at the maximum of the service I was rated for, 5mbps. See the included speed test screencap, 5.09Mbps. I was getting around 3.5Mbps with the included equipment from Verizon, an Actiontec GT784WNV.***Cable Internet Service*** (Works with Comcast: CONFIRMED)I tested the AC1600 with Cable internet service from Comcast, rated at 200Mbps. I connected the router to a NETGEAR CM1000 DOCSIS 3.1 Ultra-High Speed Cable Modem and I am regularly experiencing speed in the upper ranges and slightly higher on occasion. Again, see the screencap for the Cable results, 195.11Mbps.PROS:+ Can be used with DSL or Cable+ Strong Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz and 5GHz+ Easy to set up+ Fast wired connection (Gigabit wired)+ Looks cool+ 2 USB slots (can share USB hard drives, etc)CONS:- Expensive- Stand is a bit flimsyConclusion: BUY. This is an A+ Modem / Router combo. A great idea as an upgrade to ISP provided equipment, if you have the money.

This review is being written 11/5/2015 for the NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi VDSL/ADSL Modem Router (D7000-100NAS), advertised and sold on the Amazon website.Update 7/27/2016The device failed, and a second unit also failed the next day after one day's usage. Returned and chose another vendor's devices.Problem #1 was intermittent failure of the router to handle DNS requests properly. This resulted in the appearance of "no Internet access" when trying to access web pages by name (Internet access via IP addresses continued to work fine). By default, the router acts as the DNS relay to forward domain name info to the DNS service provider, and relay the resulting IP address back to the user. This problem could be worked around by manually setting each client to use fixed DNS server addresses (different vendors provide such free service). This problem would not clear by changing the router to use those same fixed DNS server IP addresses, vs. the default of getting the DNS server IP's dynamically from the ISP.A second unit was purchased to replace the first.Problem #2 with this unit after 1/2 day of operation was failure to hand out IP addresses (DHCP function) to clients over WiFi or hard-wired LAN connections. This was true with multiple client devices and OS's. In the case of WiFi, the signal was strong and devices would connect, but the router would not offer any IP address. A router reboot would solve the issue. Note that this issue is strictly a router function and not dependent on any DSL connectivity.Unit #2 was returned due to this problem.Although the increased range of WiFi was a big plus with this unit, I can no longer recommend it based upon the observed failure.---------------I bought this for increased wireless range using traditional ADSL service offered by DSLextreme over AT&T phone lines.Range increased to whole house from 1/2 house (modem is positioned in one corner of the house). This is using the 2.4 Ghz range (one cannot expect the 5 gHz range to penetrate as far).This is a full-featured combination device which can be used as a ADSL modem, VDSL modem (although not with AT&T Uverse VDSL) or as a standalone router connected to a cable modem. Only one of these modes can be used at a time.Configuration is performed using a web browser interface (no client software needs to be downloaded to a PC). Configuration is aided for ADSL connections by selecting the service provider from a drop-down menu which pre-populates some parameters (I chose AT&T as DSLextreme uses AT&T's configuration). Setup took 15 minutes.Compared to my previous combination modem/router, this unit is much bigger and takes up considerable table space.Update 4/2/2016The device continues to work well overall, with the extended wireless range continuing to be consistent and solid.I've had one occurrence of the WiFi turning itself off (power cycle of the device would not restore service). The WiFi indicator light on the unit was off and the button to turn WiFi on again was pushed to restore service. This button was not pushed by accident and was not even in the same room as the computer user when the outage occurred. Subsequent test power cycles are OK. WiFi remains enabled.I miss one feature that would be handy. Some DSL modems have a diagnostic menu that will show you the DSL low-level statistics including the current rate and maximum attainable rate. The former is an indication of the service level currently on your line, and the latter is an indication of the local loop quality. This can be very useful in case of slow Internet speeds, or to check if the ISP has indeed enabled the correct speed level on your account.