FRITZ!Box 6850 5G Home Router Released

FRITZ!Box 6850 is a latest 5G wireless router from the Germany telecommunication manufacturer AVM. According to the AVM sayings, the FRITZ!Box 6850 5G router is the world’s first all-in-one router for next generation mobile communication. The new FRITZ!Box for 5G supports 5G bands in the Sub-6 GHz range and current LTE bands in Europe. Equipped with a 5G/LTE connection, it offers users high-performance equipment with fast dual-band wireless LAN, telephone system and a variety of connection options for wired networking. Four gigabit LAN ports and a fast USB port are included. With a DECT base station and connection for analog telephones, the FRITZ!Box 6850 5G provides the user with a central exchange for a Smart Home system and cordless telephone.

Thanks to FRITZ!Box 6850 5G, the well-known home networking convenience of a FRITZ!Box as Mesh Master is available to the user in wireless LAN, telephone, Smart Home and 5G networks. In addition, the many functions such as firewall, parental control, wireless guest access and remote access can be used via the 5G/LTE port. The intelligent positioning aid in the FRITZ!Box 6850 5G helps users to find the best location for the router and ideal orientation for mobile communications antennas. The new wireless standard provides high bandwidth of more than 2 GBit/s and reduced latency. That makes the FRITZ!Box 6850 5G, in elegant and compact housing, especially attractive for use with real-time applications such as virtual reality and gaming.

 

The FRITZ!Box 6850 5G router is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2020. At the market launch, the price will be known first.

 

FRITZ!Box 6850 5G Technical specifications:

  • 5G router with 4 x 4 MIMO with Qualcomm SD X55 chipset
  • 5G band support: sub-6 GHz
  • LTE (4G) for band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32
  • Also supports UMTS (3G)
  • Dual Band WLAN AC + N with up to 1266 MBit/s
  • Two SMA connectors for attaching external antennas
  • Four Gigabit LAN ports and 1 USB 3.0 port
  • Telephone system and DECT base for up to six telephones and smart home applications
  • Connection for analogue telephone or fax
  • FRITZ! OS: with mesh, parental control, media server, FRITZ! NAS, WLAN guest access and MyFRITZ!

 

 

The manufacturer AVM has announced that it will have additional products at this year’s IFA. In addition to the 5G-capable router model, the FRITZ! Box 5550 and the FRITZ! Box 5530 will be available with two models for all common fiber optic connections. We will follow this when there is news here.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 – Fastest LTE Router Test

Earlier this year, Netgear introduced the Nighthawk M2, a new mobile hotspot that transforms UMTS or LTE-based Internet access into a Wi-Fi hotspot to provide wireless network for multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops. The successor of the Nighthawk M1 supports LTE Cat. 20 and in theory allows data transfer rates of up to 2 Gbit/s downstream and 150 Mbit/s upstream.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 LCD Screen

In practice, there are hardly any 4G networks supporting such high data transfer rates. Is still worth the purchase of the mobile hotspot, which is not a bargain with a purchase? We had the opportunity to put the heavy square device to a thorough test.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 back cover

The Netgear Nighthawk M2 mobile router comes in a convenient package. In addition to the router itself, there is the battery and a quick start guide with the power supply and connecting cable. The supplied battery has a capacity of 5040 mAh. The WLAN standards 802.11a, b and g are supported. The 4G mobile hotspot is working on 2.4 and 5 GHz. The Netgear M2 has a USB-A and USB-C as well as an Ethernet interface. There are also connection options for external antennas (Buy Netgear Nighthawk M2 External Antenna). The LAN port can be used to use a wired Internet access instead of the mobile modem and to redistribute it via WLAN.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 interfaces

 

Good workmanship and shiny surface

The processing of the Netgear 4G mobile router is impeccable. You can argue about the shiny surface. Here you can see very clear fingerprints very quickly, especially since the Nighthawk M2 has a touch screen, so it regularly gets into the embarrassment of touching the display. The complete initial setup can also be made via the touch-sensitive screen. A separate app or the web-based access to the M2 pocket WiFi router menu is possible, but not mandatory.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 external antenna connectors

We have set up the router right on the touchscreen made, which was not easy. For one thing, the virtual keyboard is quite small due to the display size. So you always catch the wrong letter when typing. In addition, the screen does not respond as well to inputs as used by higher quality smartphones. If the setup of a network identifier (SSID) and the associated password worked quite well, then setting a (somewhat complicated) administrator password was not possible on the second attempt, so we skipped this step and later have made on the configuration via the Netgear Mobile App.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 side

 

After the initial setup, the Netgear Nighthawk M2 mobile hotspot was immediately ready for use. The configuration for SIM cards is made automatically. As soon as the MiFi was set up, the availability of a firmware update was already displayed. We have installed this over the existing LTE data connection. In the process, around 160 MB of data was transferred. What changes the update brings is unknown. The internet connection via the Netgear Nighthawk M2 was very stable in the test for several hours. It did not matter if we used an Apple iPhone XS Max, a Samsung Galaxy S10+ or an Apple MacBook Pro.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 SIM card slot

 

The display of the router shows the current data consumption, the ID of the SIM card provider and the network technology used. There is also a small S-meter, which provides information about the quality of mobile reception. The battery level is also displayed. By default, you can also find the names of the Wi-Fi hotspot and the password via the touchscreen. This display can be deactivated if desired.

 

Numerous settings are possible via the touchscreen menu. First, there is a WPS function. Then the user can limit the hotspot to one of the two WLAN frequency ranges (2.4 or 5 GHz). The connected devices can be displayed and, for example, you can specify whether the hotspot is put into standby mode after a period of non-use to save battery capacity.

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 data used

Other features

Other possibilities are the restriction of Wi-Fi hotspots to a smaller reception area in order to save battery capacity or the automatic WLAN detach when USB tethering is used. The brightness of the display can be adjusted and the user can decide whether he wants to use the Internet access only in the home network or in international roaming.

 

SMS messages can be sent and received via the Netgear Nighthawk M2. As we have already mentioned regarding the initial setup: The touch screen does not always respond reliably to inputs and the virtual keyboard is quite small. Apart from that, the menu is functional and intuitive to use.

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 settings options

 

Good performance even in mobile operation

With a SIM card from Vodafone, we have achieved data transfer rates of up to 110 Mbps in the downstream and 61 Mbps in the upstream. This is far from the peak speeds that the Netgear Nighthawk M2 allows, but is more or less equivalent to what the mobile telecom Internet access does with the smartphone. Even in mobile mode, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot in the car, the router performed well in the test. At speed 120Mbps on the highway, the performance of Internet access was still fine. Compared to a WLAN adapter such as the Huawei E8377 CarFi, the Netgear device earns more scores by the possibility to connect an outdoor LTE antenna. In regions with bad LTE coverage, a magnetic base antenna on the car roof provides a significant improvement in reception, which also affects the performance of Internet access.

 

 

Conclusion: Good hotspot with slight weaknesses

Although Netgear Nighthawk M2 is well-made and provides stable Internet access for up to 20 devices, flaws such as the only moderately good touchscreen provides bad experience for users. For almost half of the purchase price, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is available, which supports data transfer rates of up to 1 GBit/s via LTE, more than what the nets usually give out, so this model offers the much better price/performance ratio.

 

Vodafone GigaCube 5G – Vodafone First 5G Router

Two months ago, Vodafone released its first wireless router that is compatible with the new mobile communications standard 5G. The new 5G wireless router converts the mobile Internet access into a WLAN hotspot, so that several smartphones, tablets and notebooks can connect with an Internet access. Like the predecessors Vodafone GigaCube and Gigacube Cat19, the manufacturer of the 5G router is also Huawei. The model is officially called Huawei 5G CPE Pro but for Vodafone under the name Vodafone GigaCube 5G.

 

According to Vodafone official sayings, data transmission rates of up to 2Gbps could be achieved in the 5G mobile network. This concerns the LTE access, over which most customers will initially be predominantly online, especially as 5G availability is still severely limited. The network operator does not reveal how fast users can surf via 5G. A footnote simply states that you can “surf faster” in the first 5G radio cells. Within the home network scores the bolide by using the WiFi-6 technology. This achieves data transfer rates of up to 4.8 GBit/s.

 

At the heart of the Vodafone GigaCube 5G is the Balong 5000 chipset, which is also used in the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G as a multi-mode modem. If the 5G network is not available, customers can also use the LTE, UMTS and GSM network for Internet access with the Vodafone 5G router.

Vodafone offers the 5G router along with the well-known GigaCube tariffs. “With speeds reaching up to 1Gbps,” said Vodafone at launch, “customers are able to access super-fast speeds and reliable Wi-Fi quickly. GigaCube is ideal for those waiting for their home or business broadband, who need a connection for a second home or who have a home office.”

 

It added: “The GigaCube can connect up to 64 devices at any one time and has a wifi range of 90 meters. Thanks to the low latency of 5G, this solution is perfect for small businesses who have multiple employees streaming or downloading at the same time. It is also particularly useful for businesses that don’t have a fixed location, or students and house shares.”

 

Here you can see the general Vodafone 5G GigaCube Specs:

 

  • Network:5G/LTE
  • Chipset: HiSilicon Balong 5000
  • Wi-Fi:11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax; 802.11 n22*2 MIMO for 2.4GHz and 02.11ax4*4MIMO for 5GHz
  • Ethernet Ports:2 x GE LAN (inc. 1 LAN/WAN)
  • Memory:4GB NANDFlash/8GB DDR4
  • External antenna port:2 x Ext. antenna ports (TS-9)(Buy Vodafone GigaCube 5G External Antenna)
  • SIM port:1 x NANO USIM card slot
  • Device model:Huawei 5G CPE Pro (H112-370)
  • Dimensions:99mm x 107mm x 215mm

 

You can also check the Vodafone GigaCube 5G Router Review here: https://www.4gltemall.com/blog/vodafone-gigacube-5g-router-h112-370-review/

Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G Smartphone Review

The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, bring his new 5G smartphones to the customer: Mi 9 Pro 5G. Comparing with the predecessor Xiaomi Mi 9, the new smartphone supports the new 5G mobile communications standard and also brings some interesting functions with it.

New 5G smartphone

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is not the first 5G cell phone from Xiaomi. The first 5G cell phone is Xiaomi Mix 3 5G. Of course, the device also works in older mobile standards such as LTE and 3G. As introduced, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G is to sport 30W Super Fast Wireless Charging technology. The device has already received TENAA certification which revealed some key specifications. The Mi Pro 5G cell phone will have a 6.39-inch display while running on Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC. The phone will feature up to 12GB RAM with up to 512GB internal storage along with a 4,000mAh battery.

 

Super Charge 30W Wireless Technology

 

Especially interesting is the charging function. The new Xiaomi 5G phone is the first smartphone that can be charged with 30 watts. The highlight of this event was Xiaomi’s Mi Charge Turbo technology, of course. Xiaomi claims that Mi Charge Turbo is the world’s first 30W wireless charging solution. With this, users can wirelessly charge a 4,000mAh battery phone from 0% to 50% in just 25 minutes, and up to 100% in just 70 minutes. This pitches the wireless charging solution to be higher than a lot of current generation wired charging solutions. The specifics of the working of this technology are not very clear at this stage since the presentation and source are in Chinese. Thus, the device is expected to be one of the fastest charged smartphones in the market despite large 4,000 mAh battery. In addition to wirelessly charging the smartphone, it can also charge other devices.

 

So far, it was only possible to buy the smartphones and other devices of the bustling manufacturer on gray imports or Chinese online shops. But the company wants to change that soon. Because it has announced that it intends to distribute its smartphones on many other markets officially.

 

Mi 9 Pro 5G Availability and Price

 

Xiaomi has not shared any launch and available details about the Mi Pro 5G. But a recent leak indicates that the company is pretty close to launching the smartphone. And the Xiaomi Mi 9 pro 5G price is not yet known, but considering Xiaomi style, it’s expected to be better than Huawei 5G smartphone Mate 20 X 5G and ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G.

 

Vodafone GigaCube 5G Router H112-370 Review

Vodafone is the first operator in Germany to provide 5G service. To help users enjoy 5G service, Vodafone also presented the 5G data tariff with a compatible 5G router, which is named “Gigacube 5G”. We show what the super router can do, what advantages and weaknesses there are in this blog. Of course there is also a comparison to the previous model (Huawei B818 = Vodafone GigaCube Cat19) and saving tips for interested parties.

 

Vodafone Gigacube 5G Specs and Features
Manufacturer and device name Huawei CPE 5G Pro (H112-370) = Gigacube 5G
Supported mobile standards 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
5G network modes Non standalone & stand alone
chipset Huawei Balong 5000
Maximum 5G data rate 2.8 GBit/s Down & 150 MBit/s Up according to Vodafone
5G frequencies 5G band n78
mmWave frequencies no, only the H112-372 still supported n41 / n77 / n79(more about difference between Huawei H112-370 and H112-372)
LTE frequencies 700, 800, 900, 1500, 1800, 2100,  2600, 3500 MHz
External 5G antenna can be connected yes, 2 x TS9 ports(Buy Vodafone Gigacube 5G External Antenna)
WLAN Features (LAN & WiFi)
WLAN standards 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and ax(up to Wifi 6)
Maximum gross data rate with WLAN 5100 Mbps
Supported WLAN bands 2.4 and 5 GHz, 6 Wifi antennas
WLAN guest access can be installed Yes
WLAN encryption standards WPA, WPA2, WPS
Gigabit LAN yes, 2 ports
WAN port No
Telephone
Telephone Support No
Other features
IPv6 support; Dual stack Yes / Yes
NAS capable No
SIM form factor Nano SIM
Power consumption approx. <24 watts
Suitable for IPTV Yes
Can be used as a media server no, no USB
USB ports on the back No
Battery for self-sufficient operation No
Dimension and weight 99 mm x 107 mm x 215 mm and 765 grams
Files to download
Datasheet for download (PDF) not yet available online
Manual for download (PDF) not yet available online
Available »https://www.4gltemall.com/

 

 

First 5G router in Germany

The Gigacube 5G was the first 5G Router widely available in Germany, although shortly before another network provider in Germany Telekom presented a 5G gateway named HTC 5G Hub.

 

From a purely visual point of view, it looks similar to the predecessor model called “Gigacube CAT19” at first glance. Instead of the Vodafone logo emblazoned on the front now, the Huawei logo, which is actually atypical for the routers from Vodafone. In addition, the striking big “5G” was stamped on the top. Also, the number of LEDs in the front has been greatly reduced from 8 to 3 pieces.

 

Data rate, models and 5G SoC

The Vodafone 5G Router is actually the “H112-370” model from Huawei. There is, of course, another version called “H112-372“, which differs in terms of Wifi and 5G/LTE equipment. At the heart of the Gigacube 5G is the Balong 5000 chipset, which was introduced in January 2019, The SoC in itself dominated some features, such as 5G in the mmwave area, but which were obviously disabled in part in the firmware. There are also various specifications for the maximum possible data rate. While Huawei speaks of a 5G transmission rate of 2.33 GBit/s in the download and 1.25 GBit/s in the upload, Vodafone gives 2.8 GBit/s (down) and 150 MBit/s (up).

 

Frequencies for 4G & 5G

The newest version controls all nationally and internationally relevant bands. Vodafone GigaCube 5G supports LTE FDD Band 700/800/900/1500/1800/2100 and 2600 MHz. In addition, the TDD band 3500 MHz is supported. At 5G, unfortunately, only one band is supported, the so-called n78 band which includes frequencies from 3.3 to 3.8 GHz. So it could be problematic if other bands are released in the future. If you want to use the 5G router supporting more 5G frequency bands, you may check the Huawei CPE 5G PRO H112-372 which supports additional 5G at n41, n77 and n79.

Connections & WLAN

On the back there are two Gigabit LAN ports, as well as a telephone connection. It describes how to connect a telephone anyway. It is also negative that the 5G model no longer has a USB port. The use as a media server is therefore not possible.

 

The Wifi module, on the other hand, is state of the art and comes with Wifi 6. This refers to the standard 802.11ax, which again promises significantly more data rate than the best ever ac standard. This means a maximum gross data rate of 11 GBit/s. In total, up to 32 users can be supplied with WLAN.

Heavier than the previous models

Conspicuously, the newest router has again increased significantly in weight. While the first model of 2017 still came with a slim 366 grams, the Gigacube CAT19 from the beginning of 2019 already weighed 620 grams. The Gigacube 5G brings it now to stately 765 grams on the scales and has thus more than doubled to the first version.

 

Antenna connections for better reception

Fortunately, Huawei has continued to build two TS-9 ports in the router 5G Huawei, which can be connected to two antennas to improve reception if required for both LTE and 5G reception optimization. Although the internal antennas already do excellent work, but especially in remote regions or in difficult conditions, additional antennas are often absolutely necessary.

 

Other features and innovations

By the way, the 5G router only holds Nano-SIM cards. The predecessors were all still designed for micro SIMs. By the way, Vodafone has by default disabled the PIN on SIM cards. Optionally, this can be set on the router again. The Gigacube 5G also supports Huawei VPN tunnel/VPN penetration, IP penetration, IPv6 and IPv6 dual stack and multi-APN.

 

 

Differences to the predecessor Huawei B818

The following table summarizes again the most important differences to the predecessor model Vodafone GigaCube Cat19.

 

Router comparison Gigacube 5G GigaCube CAT19 (2019)
Factory Model Huawei H112-370 Huawei B818-260
5G support Yes no, defies “5G ready” label
Download Speed 2.8 GBit/s 1.6 GBit/s
Upload Speed 150 Mbps 150 Mbps
LTE Category not spec. but at least CAT19 cat19
Supported LTE Bands 700, 800, 900, 1500, 1800, 2100 and 2600MHz; 3500 TDD MHz 700, 800, 900, 1500, 1800,  2100, 2600, 3500 MHz
supported bands 5G n78 none
External antenna connectors yes, TS-9 yes, TS-9
Telephone no (only via VOIP) no (only via VOIP)
LAN ports 2 x GBit 2 x GBit
Wireless Internet Access to WLAN ax (Wifi 6) to WLAN ac (Wifi 5)
Battery pack No No
Price in USD 1299.00 799.00

 

 

HTC 5G Hub Review

HTC was one of the first manufacturers to introduce a 5G hub at MWC 2019, which was launched in the second quarter of 2019. It uses the new 5G mobile communication standard for fast data transmission and is primarily suitable for home use, but can also be used on the go. One of the main features on the front of the device is a large display. In addition, the HTC 5G hub will later support a cloud VR mode, in which a local player can be omitted.

HTC 5G Hub Specs and Features
Manufacturer and device name HTC 5G hub
Supported mobile standards 4G, 5G
5G network modes Non standalone(NSA)
chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Octa-Core with Snapdragon X50 5G modem
Maximum 5G data rate 2.63Gbps Down & 287Mbps Up
LTE frequencies Bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 25, 26, 66, 71
mmWave frequencies between 26 and 28 GHz
Sub 6 GHz frequencies Yes, 5G bands n41, n78
5G external antenna can be connected No

Network Feature (LAN & WiFi)
WLAN standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Maximum gross data rate with WLAN HTC did not provide any information
Supported WLAN bands 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 60 GHz
WLAN guest access can be installed ?
WLAN encryption standards WPA, WPA2, WPS
Gigabit LAN yes, 1 port Gigabit Ethernet
WAN port No

Telephone
Telephone function No

Display
Size & resolution 5 inches, HD (720 x 1280 pixels)
Touch capable Yes

Other features
IPv6 support; Dual stack ??
suitable for IPTV Yes
Can be used as a media server yes (microSD up to 512 GB)
USB ports on the back No
Battery for self-sufficient operation yes (7,660 mAh)
Dimension and weight 129mm x 100mm x 43mm at 340g

More information
Datasheet for download (PDF) ” not yet available
Manual for download (PDF) » Available at HTC official site
Available at » https://www.4gltemall.com/

 

 

High data transfer rates

Inside the HTC 5G Hub is a Snapdragon 855 Octa-core chipset, a CPU with Octa-core, which is installed in the latest 5G smartphones like the ZTE Axon 10 PRO 5G phone. With the Snapdragon X50 5G modem, the HTC 5G router supports maximum data transfer rates of 2.63 Gbps in the download and up to 287 Mbps in the upload. If no 5G connection prevails, the device can also switch to and work on 4G network. A fallback to older technology such as 3G or 2G can’t be done in the HTC 5G Hub.

 

Nevertheless, a mobile application is possible. In addition to power from a power outlet, the HTC 5G Hub also has a built-in battery. The capacity of 7,260 mAh should provide enough energy for a whole day. The battery is charged either with the enclosed power supply, via USB Power Delivery on the 9 Volt rail or with Quick Charge 3.0 via USB.

WLAN for up to 20 devices

If the HTC 5G Hub has established a connection to the 5G network, it distributes the signal via WLAN in its environment. Not only the usual IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards are used, but also 802.11ax (WiFi 6). This means that the HTC 5G Hub can span not only the familiar 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies but also a 60 GHz WLAN. However, only a few devices support this new standard so far. Wifi at 60 GHz has very high data transfer rates between the 5G WLAN router and the terminal, provided that there are no obstacles such as walls in the way.

 

However, the number of maximum connector users is limited. A maximum of 20 clients can connect to the HTC 5G Hub via Wi-Fi. There are four high-speed connections via 802.11ax. This limit can be quickly exceeded today in a household with various technical devices. Other Wifi access points usually support more connections, ie 32 to 64.

 

Integrated display and speakers

Visually, the HTC 5G Hub is more like a Google smart home hub rather than a traditional router. This is mainly due to the integrated touchscreen on the front of the device. This measures 5 inches and displays the contents in HD resolution with 720 x 1,280 pixels. In addition, two speakers for stereo sound and a microphone that pays constant attention to voice commands, are integrated.

 

The HTC 5G Hub is in the dimensions of 12.9 x 10 x 4.3 cm and weights 340 g and provides 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory. If the internal memory space is insufficient, it can be expanded via microSD card. What exciting are the possibilities that the HTC 5G Hub can stream content to other devices such as a TV and the use of Cloud VR is also planned. A local player can then be omitted in the presentation of VR content. Instead, the data is streamed via cloud computing. This is made possible by the potentially low latencies of 5G. This requires a compatible 5G network that allows mobile edge computing.

Price and availability

The HTC 5G Hub is available for many network providers over the world. Together with the Tariff, you may get cheaper price. If you only get the single HTC 5G Hub, the price would be much higher.

 

Huawei 5G CPE PRO H112-372 VS H112-370

Huawei 5G CPE Pro Router is now available in many countries and is very popular based on the fantastic performance for internet connection. Actually, Huawei 5G CPE Pro has two variant models now. The two models numbers are H112-372 and H112-370. Somebody may ask what the difference is between the Huawei H112-372 and H112-370 5G CPE. Please check the table below the Huawei H112-372 and H112-370 Specs comparison:

 

Huawei 5G CPE Pro Models
Model Huawei H112-372 Huawei H112-370
Chipset Balong 5000 multi-mode chip, GigaHome dual-band Wi-Fi chip Balong 5000 multi-mode chipset
Type 5G LTE Router 5G LTE Router
Network Mode NSA / SA NSA / SA
5G Speeds DL 2.33Gbps /UL 1.25Gbps DL 2.33Gbps /UL 1.25Gbps
4G/LTE Speeds DL 1.6Gbps /UL 150Mbps DL 1.6Gbps /UL 150Mbps
5G Frequency Bands n41 / n77 / n78 / n79 n78
WLAN 802.11ac/a/n 2 x 2 MIMO, and 802.11b/g/n 2 x 2 MIMO 802.11ax/ac/a/n 4 x 4 MIMO, and 802.11b/g/n 2 x 2 MIMO
WiFi Speed DBDC, 1167 Mbps DBDC, 5100 Mbps
WiFi band 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, dual-band auto-selection 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, dual-band auto-selection
Antenna Type Dual-band Wi-Fi antenna with four signal amplifiers Dual-band Wi-Fi antenna with six signal amplifiers
Ports One Wan / Lan GE port, one Lan GE port, one SIM card slot (Nano-SIM) One Wan / Lan GE port, one Lan GE port, one TEL port, one SIM card slot (Nano-SIM)
APP HUAWEI SmartHome App HUAWEI SmartHome App
Dimensions 99 mm x 107 mm x 215 mm 99 mm x 107 mm x 215 mm
Weight About 700 g About 700 g

 

From the table, we can see the difference between the two Huawei 5G CPE variant models.

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 VS M1 MR1100

To meet the requirements from 5G network, Netgear presented a new mobile WiFi hotspot Nighthawk M2 for the Australian network provider Telstra and carriers in Europe. Netgear Nighthawk M2 is an ultra-fast portable WiFi router with next-generation Gigabit 4G LTE connectivity with a download speed of up to 2 Gbps. The Netgear Nighthawk M2 5G router is upgraded from the predecessor Nighthawk M1, so you may ask what’s the difference between Netgear Nighthawk M2 and M1?

In the table below, you will see the details specs of Netgear Nighthawk M2 unlocked and Nighthawk M1 unlocked for your reference:

Model Netgear Nighthawk M2 Netgear Nighthawk M1
Product type 5G Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.20 LTE Cat.16
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 Qualcomm MDM9x50
Data rates DL 2Gbps/UL 150Mbps DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands — Telstra Nighthawk M2 MR2100-1TLAUS: Band 1/3/7/8/28
— Nighthawk M2 MR2100-100EUS: Band 1/3/7/8/20/28/38/40/41
— Hong Kong Nighthawk M2: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41		 — Telstra Nighthawk M1: Band 1/3/7/8/28
— AT&T Nighthawk M1:  Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66
— Hong Kong Nighthawk M1: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 20 users 20 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna Netgear Nighthawk M2 Antenna Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna
App management Netgear Aircard APP Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 5040 mAh Removable, 5040 mAh
Dimensions 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm
Ethernet Port * One port for LAN port(RJ-45)
* One port of USB-A
* One port of USB-C		 * One port for LAN port(RJ-45)
* One port for USB 2.0
Datasheet download Netgear Nighthawk M2 Datasheet Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear Nighthawk M2 Manual Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual
Other features 3GPP, Rel. 14, 5 band CA, 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL, JumpBoost 3GPP, Rel. 12, 4 band CA, 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL,  JumpBoost
Firmware download Nighthawk M2 Firmware Nighthawk M1 Firmware
Drivers Nighthawk M2 Driver Nighthawk M1 Driver
Reviews Netgear Nighthawk M2 Review Netgear Nighthawk M1 Review
Price 999.00USD 459.00USD

 

Here you can check the general comparison of Nighthawk M2 and M1:

 

Nighthawk M2 Mobile Router (MR2100):

 

– LTE CAT 20, DL support up to 2Gbps speeds

– 3GPP, Rel. 14

– 5CA with 20 simultaneous Downlink layers

– 4×4 MIMO

– 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL CA 3C, 7C

– 11ac Dual band dual concurrent

 

 

 

Nighthawk M1 Mobile Router (MR1100):

 

– LTE CAT 16, DL support up to 1Gbps speeds

– 3GPP, Rel. 12

– 4CA with 10 simultaneous Downlink layers

– 4×4 MIMO

– 256QAM DL / 64QAM UL CA 3C, 7C

– 11ac Dual band dual concurrent

 

We can see that, based on the technology improvement, Netgear Nighthawk M2 is more advanced than M1, M2 can achieve download speed up to 2Gbps while M1 only half of it. And the Nighthawk M2 has larger touch screen to 2.4 inches. Other features are very similar.

 

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 Review

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 Mobile Hotspot is a latest LTE pocket WiFi router which not only can connect more devices than regular Wi-Fi router, but also has enough power to operate all day, and can be connected to a power outlet for a long time. The Netgear Nighthawk LTE mobile hotspot has a LAN, which can make it connect with an Ethernet cable to provide WiFi network coverage, and the USB port, which can let it charge other electronic devices.

Netgear M2 is the fastest 4G LTE mobile hotspot and equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE Modem, it supports 5CA carrier aggregation technology, up to 2Gbps download / 150Mbps upload speed.

Up to 20 devices can be connected with the Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 at the same time, and WiFi high-speed Internet access is available at any time, whether traveling for a large group of people, or for meetings and venues.

The body of the Netgear 4G mobile router comes with a LAN socket, and you can change into a Wi-Fi transmitter when connecting with an Ethernet cable at hotel. Even if the hotel does not have free Wi-Fi, it can provide wireless Internet access only if you had a valid SIM card. It also supports VPN function to make it easier to travel.

 

Here now the Netgear Nighthawk M2 router is available in Australia and Europe and it has two variant models: MR2100-1TLAUS and MR2100-100EUS. They support different LTE frequency bands as below:

– MR2100-100EUS: LTE 700/800/900/1800/2100/2300/2500/2600 MHz

– MR2100-1TLAUS: LTE/4GX 700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz

Netgear Nighthawk M2 Highlight Features:

  • Fastest LTE mobile WiFi hotspot
  • 5CA carrier aggregation technology, up to 2Gbps Download
  • High-speed AC WiFi 2.4/5GHz synchronous dual-band
  • High-speed Internet access for up to 20 devices
  • Easier to use LCD touch screen
  • Up to 16 hours of battery life
  • Removable battery connection indoor power supply fixed point operation
  • 1*Gigabit LAN/WAN socket
  • 1* USB-C / 1* USB-A socket
  • JumpBoost function can provide charging for mobile phones or other devices

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 Specifications:

  • LTE Modem: Qualcomm Snapdragon X24
  • LTE network speed

– support 5CA carrier aggregation

– 2Gbps down

– up to 150Mbps

  • Operation screen: 4 inch LCD touch screen
  • Connection socket

– 1*Gigabit LAN/WAN socket

– 1*USB-C / 1*USB-A socket

– 2*TS-9 external 3G/4G antenna socket

  • Battery: 5040mAh replaceable lithium battery
  • Body size: 105.5 (L) x 105.5 (W) x 20.35 (H) mm
  • Weight: 240g (with battery)