NETGEAR CM500 User manual

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
February 2015
202-11477-03
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.

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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 Internet Service . . . . . . . . 9
Perform a Speed Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Router After Installation and Activation . . . 11
Chapter 2 Manage and Monitor
Log In to the Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
View Cable Modem Initialization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
View Cable Modem Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
View and Clear Event Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Change the admin Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Reboot the Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Reset the Cable Modem to Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Use the Reset Button on the Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Use the Factory Reset Software Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Change the Cable Connection Starting Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
Use LEDs to Troubleshoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cannot Log In to the Cable Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Troubleshoot the Cable Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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.1The 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
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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
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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
LED Icon Description
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 23.
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 figure.
Power adapter input
LAN Gigabit Ethernet port
Coaxial cable connector
Reset button
Figure 3. Cable modem back panel

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Product Label
The product label on the bottom of the cable modem displays the serial number 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 provider’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
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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 cable port on the
cable modem to a cable wall outlet or a line splitter. Make sure that the cable is tightly
connected.
Note: IfCharterisyourcableInternetprovider,Charterrecommendsconnecting
your cable modem directly to a cable wall outlet. If you must use a splitter,
use a splitter that is rated at 3.5 dBmv.
Note: If Comcast Xfinity is your cable Internet provider, Comcast Xfinity
recommends connecting your cable modem directly to a cable wall outlet.
2. Turn 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 Ethernet port on the
cable modem to an Ethernet port on the computer.
4. Turn 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. Wait for the cable modem to come online.
It takes at least 10 minutes for the cable modem to come online on the network. 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 .

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Even though an Internet connection is established, Internet service is available 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 Internet Service on page 9.
Contact Your Cable Internet Provider and Set Up Internet
Service
You must contact your cable Internet provider and tell them that you are using a new cable
modem.
Note: If Comcast Xfinity is your cable Internet provider, do the following:
Close all web browsers and then 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 the following website:
http://www.comcast.com/activate
You must provide your Xfinity credentials during the activation process.
If you are unable to self-activate your cable modem, call Comcast
Xfinity customer service at 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489).
To set up your Internet connection:
1. Contact your cable Internet provider and inform them that you are installing a new cable
modem that you bought from a retail store.
Provide your cable Internet provider with the cable modem’s model number, which is
CM500.
Note: The cable modem is certified by all major cable Internet providers.
You can also visit your cable Internet provider’s website and follow the onscreen
instructions to set up your Internet service.
Cable Internet Provider Contact Information
Bright House Networks 1-866-898-9101
http://support.brighthouse.com
Cablevision http://www.cablevision.com
https://www.optimum.net/support/contact-us
Note: When you attempt to contact Cablevision online, you are directed to the
Optimum web page. Optimum is a brand name of Cablevision.
Charter 1-888-438-2427
https://install.charter.com

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Note: The contact information listed 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, which are on the
product label.
For more information about the product label, see Product Label on page 7.
3. Wait for your cable Internet provider to confirm that your cable modem is active.
4. If you do not get an Internet connection with the cable modem, ask your cable Internet
provider to look for your cable modem online, and do one of the following depending on
what your cable Internet provider tells you about your cable modem:
•If the cable modem is not visible, your cable Internet provider 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 Internet provider, reboot the computer,
laptop, router, or WiFi router that is connected to the cable modem. Try checking your
online status again.
Perform a Speed Test
To determine the accurate Internet speed, visit the speed test website of your cable Internet
provider and perform a speed test.
If your actual speed is lower than your subscribed speed, contact your cable Internet
provider.
Comcast 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489)
http://www.comcast.com/activate
Cox 1-877-891-2899
http://www.cox.com
Optimum http://play.optimum.net
https://www.optimum.net/support/phone-list
Note: Optimum is a brand name of Cablevision.
Time Warner Cable 1-800-892-2253
http://www.timewarnercable.com
Cable Internet Provider Contact Information

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Connect Your Cable Modem to a Router After Installation
and Activation
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.
Router
Cable modem
Coaxial cable to
Ethernet cable
Power adapter
Computer connected
to the router over
WiFi or Ethernet
cable outlet
Figure 6. Connect the cable modem to a router
To connect your cable modem to a router after installation and activation:
1. Reboot the cable modem by unplugging the power cable from the cable modem and
plugging it back in.
Note: Do not disconnect the cable modem from the cable outlet.
When the startup procedure is completed, the Power LED lights green .
Wait for the Internet LED to stop blinking and light solid green .
2. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet port on the cable modem to the WAN or
Internet port on the router.
3. Power on the router.
Wait until the router is ready.
4. Connect a computer to the router over a WiFi connection or through an Ethernet cable to a
LAN port on the router.

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2. Manage and Monitor
After you set up the cable modem, you do not need to log in to the cable modem for normal
operation. However, you can log in to the cable modem to change a very limited number of
settings and monitor the cable modem. In the unlikely situation that you experience problems
with the cable connection and cannot get an Internet connection, technical support might ask
you to log in to the router.
This chapter contains the following sections:
•Log In to the Cable Modem
•View Cable Modem Initialization
•View Cable Modem Status
•View and Clear Event Logs
•Change the admin Password
•Reboot the Cable Modem
•Reset the Cable Modem to Factory Default Settings
•Change the Cable Connection Starting Frequency

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
Log In to the Cable Modem
After you set up the cable modem, you do not need to log in to the cable modem for normal
operation.
To log in to the cable modem, you must use a web browser such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 or later, Firefox Mozilla 2.0 or later, Safari 1.4 or later, or Google Chrome 11.0 or
later.
To log in to the cable modem:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
View Cable Modem Initialization
You can track the initialization procedure of the cable modem and get details about the
downstream and upstream cable channel. The time is displayed after the cable modem is
initialized.
The cable modem automatically goes through the following steps in the provisioning process:
1. Scans and locks the downstream frequency and then ranges the upstream channels.
2. Obtains a WAN IP address for the cable modem.
3. Connects to the Internet.
To view the status of the cable modem initialization:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
4. Select Cable Connection.
The Startup Procedure section displays the initialization progress.
The Downstream Bonded Channels section displays the status of each channel.
5. To see the Upstream Bonded Channels section and system time, scroll down.
View Cable Modem Status
You can view some basic information about the cable modem.
To view cable modem status:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
The Cable Information screen displays the following:
•Hardware Version. The version of the cable modem model.
•Firmware Version. The version of the cable modem firmware.
•Cable Modem Serial Number. The serial number of the cable modem.
•CM Certificate. The status of the cable modem certificate. If Not installed displays as
the status, contact your cable Internet provider.
•CM MAC. The MAC address of the cable modem.
For information about using the Reboot button, see Reboot the Cable Modem on page 17.
For information about using the Factory reset button, see Reset the Cable Modem to
Factory Default Settings on page 18.
View and Clear Event Logs
Event logs capture important cable modem events.
To view and clear the event logs:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Event Log.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
The Event Log screen shows the following information:
•Time. The time the event log entry was recorded.
The correct time displays only after the cable modem successfully connects to the
cable Internet provider’s network.
•Priority. The severity for the event log entry.
•Description. A description of the event log entry.
5. To refresh the log screen, click the Refresh button.
6. To clear the log entries, click the Clear Log button.
Change the admin Password
You can change the default password that is used to log in to the cable modem with the user
name admin.
To change the password for the user name admin:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Set Password.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
5. Type the old password.
6. Type the new password in the Set Password field.
7. Type the new password in the Repeat New Password field.
8. Click the Apply button.
Your change takes effect.
Reboot the Cable Modem
Rebooting the cable modem disconnects all computers from the cable modem’s local area
network (LAN). After the cable modem is finished booting and reestablishes a connection
with the cable Internet provider’s network, the devices reconnect to the cable modem’s LAN.
To reboot the cable modem:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
5. Click the Reboot button.
A confirmation message displays.
6. Click the OK button.
The cable modem reboots.
Reset the Cable Modem to Factory Default Settings
To reset the cable modem to factory default settings, you can use either the Reset button on
the back panel of the cable modem or the Factory reset software button. However, if you
changed the default password to access the cable modem and lost the password, you must
use the Reset button on the back panel.
After you reset the cable modem to factory default settings, the user name is admin, the
password is password. The LAN IP address is always 192.168.100.1. You cannot change
this LAN IP address.
Use the Reset Button on the Back Panel
CAUTION:
This process erases all settings that you configured in the cable modem.
To reset the cable modem to factory default settings:
1. Power on the cable modem.
2. On the back of the cable modem, locate the Reset button.
Reset button

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
3. Using a straightened paper clip, press and hold the Reset button for about seven seconds
until all LEDs blink.
4. Release the Reset button.
The configuration is reset to factory default settings. When the reset is complete, the
cable modem reboots. This process takes about one minute.
WARNING:
To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the
reset. For example, if you are connected to the web management
interface, do not close the browser, click a link, or load a new page.
Do not turn off the cable modem.
Use the Factory Reset Software Button
CAUTION:
This process erases all settings that you configured in the cable modem.
To erase the settings:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED.
5. Click the Factory reset button.

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CM500 High Speed Cable Modem
A confirmation message displays.
6. Click the OK button.
The configuration is reset to factory default settings. When the reset is complete, the
cable modem reboots. This process takes about one minute.
WARNING:
To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the
reset. For example, do not close the browser, click a link, or load a
new page. Do not turn off the cable modem.
Change the Cable Connection Starting Frequency
The starting frequency for the cable connection is automatically generated. For most Internet
connections, you do not need to change this information.
WARNING:
Do not change the starting frequency unless your cable Internet
provider instructs you to do so. Changing the starting frequency
incorrectly causes serious connection and Internet problems.
To change the starting frequency:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer that is attached over an Ethernet cable to the
cable modem or from a computer that is connected to a WiFi router that is attached over an
Ethernet cable to the cable modem.
2. Type http://192.168.100.1.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the cable modem user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select Cable Connection.