A vast majority of the games today are focused heavily on the multiplayer feature to give a real-time experience for the gamers and make it more immersive. MMORPGs are also on the rise for many years and all this requires proper high-speed and stable internet connection. Having a decent gaming modem in 2020 is a must for every gamer and for that it’s necessary to select the best device.
The most important factor before buying anything is to know all about what you’re buying. Without proper research, you may end up with a product that can’t provide you with the performance or features that you actually needed.
Secondly, modems and routers are different. A modem connects your home network to the Internet and a router is a device which broadcasts this network to all of your wired and wireless devices so that they all can use the internet connection. A router also enables these devices to communicate with each other without actually being connected to the internet.
Without a doubt, the most important aspects of gaming modems are download and upload speed. The advertised values on such devices and even on the broadband plans are always the download speed and not the upload. If the modem specs state 500Mbps, then it means that’s you can download from your ISP with that speed. Upload speeds are never mentioned as they are too low as compared with the download speed. So always make sure about the upload speeds the modem can provide you with.
The below list of best gaming modems will include the ones with DOCSIS 3.0 and the latest DOCSIS 3.1 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification). This includes the latest digital communication technologies such as LDPC encoding, very high modulation orders (4096 QAM), 1GHz and higher usable spectrum, better QoS and very low latencies.
One thing to keep in mind is that if your service provider is providing you with a speed of 1Gbps then go for DOCSIS 3.1. If your ISP is providing you with a speed of less than 1Gbps then DOCSIS 3.0 is the way to go.
NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo (C7800) – $349.98
The most powerful device on this top 5 gaming modems list, and is compatible with cable internet providers like Xfinity, COX. Spectrum, Verizon, CenturyLink, Verizon, DirecTV, DSL providers, DISH and any of the bundled voice services are not compatible with this modem.
Transfer speeds up to 2Gbps are supported and is one of the best gaming modems for ISPs that provide this much speed. For the Ethernet, 4 Gbps ports and 2 fast USB 3.0 ports provide very fast wired connections for your gaming computer, gaming consoles and many other devices. You can also save up to $150/year in rental fees for the cable modem and WiFi router as the C7800 can easily be the best replacement for the above two.
The C7800 provides up to 3000 square feet of wireless coverage and the total number of devices that can be connected is 45 with AC3200 speeds reaching up to 3200 Mbps. The modem technology comprises of the latest DOCSIS 3.1 and 32×8 channel bonding, along with parental controls and support for WEP and WPA/WPA2 wireless protocols.
NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem CM1200 – $199.99
The Model CM1200 can be a great replacement for the cable modem which can save your $168/year that users have to pay for the rental fees of equipment. CM1200 is compatible with all big cable internet providers which include by Xfinity by Comcast, Spectrum, and COX. Verizon, CenturyLink, AT&T, DSL providers, DISH, DirecTV and any bundled voice service are not supported.
This modem also features a Multi-gig Ethernet system in which the Link aggregation combines two 1G ports into one 2G port which further increases the Ethernet speed. Along with this, it supports DOCSIS 3.1, OFDM 2X2, IPv6 internet standard, ability to support multiple IP addresses, and is engineered with 32×8 channel bonding.
With maximum transfer speeds of 2Gbps, this modem is one of the best choices if your ISP provides the same speed. For the Ethernet port, it supports transfer speed of up to 4 Gbps, it provides a fast wired connection to your gaming computer, additional WiFi routers, gaming consoles, printer, and other connectable devices. Any of the WiFi routers can also be connected to the Ethernet port to provide a connection to all the wireless devices.
Motorola MG7550 16×4 Cable Modem – $159.99
Third on this list is the Motorola MG7550. It doesn’t support DOCSIS 3.1 and is a 16×4 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem. For the users whose ISP provide speeds of up to 375 Mbps, this cable model with a Dual-Band AC1900 WiFi Gigabit router supports 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Along with this, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, Power Boost, a firewall DFS feature and more are provided.
The modem also includes security against DOS attacks along with exceptional WiFi performance even under the presence of many other WiFi networks nearby. Compatible cable service providers include Comcast Xfinity and Xfinity X1, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Charter Spectrum, WOW!, Suddenlink, CableOne and more. Since it is a modem plus router, so users can save the equipment rental fees by up to $156 per year by using this modem as a replacement. Cable modems are not compatible with fibre optic, DSL and also with any of the Verizon satellite services, AT&T and more.
Unlike most of the routers, the MG7550 works on WiFi DFS frequencies and along with the AnyBeam technology, it can easily focus the signal to the connected clients without taking a hit on the performance and range due to WiFi interference from surrounding networks.
With this modem, users can enjoy high-speed internet access for their WiFi devices which include smartphones, notebooks, gaming consoles, gaming computers, HDTVs, Chromecast, Amazon Echo, Roku, Google Home, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.
For the Ethernet supported devices like HDTVs, gaming consoles, gaming computers, streaming TV devices and more can easily receive wired connections with the Four 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports.
NETGEAR Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo C6250 – $149.99
The NETGEAR C6250 provides compatibility to all of the major cable internet providers which include Xfinity by Comcast, Spectrum, and COX. Verizon, CenturyLink, AT&T, DirecTV, DSL providers, DISH and any of the bundled voice services are not compatible.
For the users of C6250, saving up to $168 per year from monthly modem and router rental fees is easily an option as the C6250 can replace your cable modem and WiFi router.
Since this model supports speeds reaching up to 300 Mbps, it is ideal for the users whose ISPs provide with this much data speed. Along with this, the wireless coverage it provides is 1500 square feet and the total number of devices which can connect simultaneously is 25 (AC1600 speed with speeds up to 1600 Mbps)
The C6250 is engineered with a channel bonding of 16×4 and technology used is DOCSIS 3.0. Also, the modem has 1 USB port and 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide fast wired connections to all the ethernet supported devices which might include your gaming computer, gaming consoles, HDTVs and many other devices. Lastly, this modem has parental controls along with the latest WEP, WPA/WPA2 wireless security protocols.
NETGEAR C3700 WiFi Cable Modem Router – $79.99
Even at a very low price tag, this C3700 modem supports the DOCSIS 3.0 technology and can easily provide 8x download speeds reaching up to 340 Mbps, and is compatible with Cable Internet Providers like XFINITY from Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, and more. Just like most other modems, it is not compatible with cable bundled voice services.
Paired with an 8×4 channel bonding technology, Gigabit Ethernet Ports for high speed wired connections to ethernet supported devices, a USB port to share hard drive wirelessly, and a double level firewall protection which includes SPI and NAT firewall, this modem comes with a lot of features perfect for your gaming needs at a very low price. The XFINITY customers also get fast self-activation of the device without having to make any service calls.
