Review on 📶 Renewed NETGEAR CM500V Cable Modem with Voice - Compatible with Comcast Xfinity Internet & Voice, Supports 300 Mbps Cable Plans, 2 Phone Lines, DOCSIS 3.0 by Mike West

So I decided to replace the Xfinity gateway with a router and wireless mesh solution to avoid the monthly gateway rental. I did some research and settled on the Netgear CM500V. I have never bought anything refurbished or refurbished but I took a chance because the refurbished would arrive sooner. The first one couldn't contact xfinity no matter what anyone tried. I spent hours on the phone with xfinity and was visited by one of their technicians. At least 10 hours of my life have passed. We finally settled on a three-way call between Netgear support and xfinity, during which we found that while I gave xfinity the correct MAC address for the router, it wasn't directly encrypted, and the xfinity system, which uses a data source to "fix" incorrect MAC addresses by constantly changing the last number. Therefore, xfinity will never be able to encrypt the correct ID to communicate with the router. Netgear offered to return the router for a full refund and order a replacement. I then had to ask xfinity to reactivate my gateway so I could get internet back for two working adults and a child who is in a virtual school. I ordered a refurbished replacement CM500v (again with much hesitation) and it arrived a few days later. The coax connection is bad right out of the box. There's no way I can unscrew the connector from the coaxial cable coming out of my wall. This is not my connector which connects perfectly with the xfinity gateway and the first CM500v. Doesn't checking the coax connection seem like something you should do as part of a basic quality check? I don't know what they do before putting a "Certified Refurbished" sticker on one of them, but apparently it's not that much. . I will not buy another refurbished CM500v and if I can find another that works with xfinity I certainly will not buy Netgear.