Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 Gigabit LTE Router

Netgear now also offers the world’s fastest mobile LTE hotspot – Netgear Nighthawk M2 with the model number MR2100. The Nighthawk M2 MR2100 allows downlink speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second. This makes it twice as fast as its predecessor Netgear Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) in 2018.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem

Responsible for the high speeds is the most modern and powerful LTE modem that Qualcomm currently offers: the Snapdragon X24. In addition to 2 Gbit/s in the downlink (LTE Cat20), up to 150 Mbit/s in the uplink (LTE Cat13) are supported.

The speeds are made possible by the combination of different mobile technologies. For example, up to 5 frequency bands in the downlink and up to 2 in the uplink can be bundled (carrier aggregation). The support of 256QAM modulation as well as support of 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology also contributes to the speed increase.

How fast the Netgear Nighthawk M2 is in the mobile networks, however, also depends on other factors such as network expansion and network utilization. Some network providers already offer some sites with 4 × 4 MIMO, 256QAM and multiple carrier aggregation, so that in certain situations, the modem performance can be used in any case.

Gigabit at LAN and WLAN

The Netgear Nighthawk M2 is a high-end 4G LTE router, so the price of Nighthawk M2 is higher than current 4G mobile routers. And the other technical features are also good. On the front there is a touch screen for operation; further settings can also be made via web interface.

Gigabit WLAN is available at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for connection to end devices and up to 20 devices can be connected simultaneously via WLAN. There is also a RJ45 Gigabit LAN port. If required, this can also be used as a WAN connection and thus replace the mobile radio modem.

Other connections: a USB type C port for charging the battery and for connecting to a computer and a USB type A port for charging other devices (power bank function) as well as for NAS functions.

On the side of the Netgear Nighthawk M2 are two TS-9 ports ready for an external UMTS or LTE external antenna. (If you need the 4G External antenna for Netgear Nighthawk M2, welcome to click: https://www.4gltemall.com/netgear-nighthawk-m2-external-antenna.html ). This can be very helpful in poor reception areas to improve connection quality. These features follow the predecessor Nighthawk M1 but very practical and helpful.

For world travel only partially suitable

With dimensions of 105 x 105 x 20 millimeters and a weight of around 240 grams, the Netgear LTE Hotspot is well suited for mobile use. The replaceable 5040 mAh strong battery allows a long operating time away from the power outlet.

For worldwide use of the Nighthawk M2, however, is only partially suitable, as a look at the supported frequency ranges shows. The Nighthawk M2 cannot use important LTE bands for the North American market, and the band 32 (1500 MHz), which is available in many European countries, is not supported.

Price and availability

The Netgear Nighthawk M2 is available in many online stores without a contract and without a SIM lock. The device can be ordered online from various electronics distributors such as 4gltemall.com or via the local mobile phone retailer. Here now only very few network providers such as Telstra in Australia had offered this new mobile hotspot.

 

Netgear Nighthawk M1 Mobile Router Overview

Netgear has introduced the Nighthawk M1, a mobile LTE router with Ethernet port that can supply up to 20 devices with up to 1 GBit/s download speed at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona (MWC). Many smartphones now offer hotspot capabilities, making it a mobile Wi-Fi access point for other smart devices. But if you want something more stable, faster and, above all, variable, you will not miss a dedicated mobile LTE router. The Nighthawk M1 from Netgear is top one of them. The Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) can provide up to 20 devices with mobile Internet access at a fast speed that is beyond the speed from a 4G smartphone.

The small pocket router Netgear M1 can forward up to 1 GBit/s. Connection can be obtained via the dual-band WLAN function or via a LAN output. Qualcomm provides the heart of the mobile router and contributes its share of the Nighthawk M1 with the MDM9x50. It supports nine LTE bands and makes uploading up to 150 Mbit/s possible.

Specifications of the NETGEAR Nighthawk M1:

  • Max. 1 Gbps download and 150 Mbps upload speeds
  • LTE Cat 16, 4-band CA and 4×4 MIMO: 1, 3, 7
  • Up to 4x carrier aggregation and support for LA in future firmware upgrades
  • LTE bands: 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41
  • WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8
  • Chipset: Qualcomm MDM9x50
  • Dual-band / dual-concurrent WLAN
  • WLAN 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz; WLAN 802.11 a/n/ac 5 Ghz
  • Large battery of 5040mAh

Netgear Nighthawk Router M1 at the MWC 2018

At the MWC in Barcelona, ​​the Nighthawk router M1 is not showed up for first. Actually, it was available in Australia and USA since 2017. Even though, the Nighthawk M1 in Europe comes with travel-friendly dimensions and a comfortable weight of 240 grams. The 2.4-inch LCD screen was easy to read even in the ungrateful exhibition hall light and showed the most important information. If the reception of the LTE network is not quite as stable as one would like it to be – for example in buildings, a 4G external antenna can help. Those who has surfed his smartphone power empty can use the small Netgear 4G router as a power bank. However, the large battery of 5040mAh can make Netgear Nighthawk router continuous working at 24 hours on average.

The first review quickly gives you confidence in the power of the Nighthawk M1. So you trust him quickly to survive even in the more robust travel assignment. With the powerful function, you should not expect at the very low price.

Price and availability

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) is now available at retail store www.4gltemall.com with price of just of 459.00USD with free 4G MIMO antenna of dual TS-9 connector. The unlocked Nighthawk M1 is in Telstra version, and it could be widely used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, you can also use the unlocked Nighthawk router in Asia and Middle East areas. If you would travel to USA, you’d better use the unlocked ATT Nighthawk M1. With the Nighthawk M1 router, a removable lithium-ion battery (Li-Ion), a charger with USB-C cable and installation instructions are included.

Huawei E5788 Gigabit LTE Hotspot Available in Europe

The Huawei E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot is now available for some network providers in Europe. The mobile WLAN router is currently the fastest mobile hotspot in Europe with speeds of up to 1 GBit/s. The modem chipset comes from HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei. Also on board are a large color display and a WLAN extender function, the device is charged via USB type C interface.

Huawei E5788 E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot

Gigabit LTE modem

The Huawei E5788’s modem supports LTE Cat16 (Category 16) at speeds of up to 1Gbps downlink and up to 100Mbps uplink, as long as the mobile network is able to handle those speeds as well. In addition to LTE, UMTS with up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the download (DC-HSPA+) and up to 5.76 Mbit/s in the uplink and GSM/EDGE are of course supported.

 

WLAN with offload function (extender)

The WLAN module in the Huawei E5788 operates in the frequency ranges around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The WLAN Extender function is also available, so you can use an existing wireless network as Internet access and saves data volume from the mobile data plan. Once configured, the E5788 automatically connects to a known WLAN within range.

Huawei E5788 E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot

Disadvantages of Huawei E5788

Even if the Huawei E5788 offers an extremely fast modem – some disadvantages are already apparent without a detailed test on the data sheet. So the battery is not changeable and there are no connections for an external LTE antenna. Also missing is a RJ45 Ethernet LAN port, which could easily pass on the extremely high speeds of the modem to other devices. Last but not least, of course, the high price of currently over 300 € is also a big disadvantage – similarly equipped devices with a slightly weaker modem, there are already for about half of the price.

Huawei E5788 E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot

Alternatives to the Huawei E5788

If you really want a Gigabit LTE modem with LTE Cat16 or better, you only have one alternative to the Huawei E5788: the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100. The router is about the same price and offers a LTE Cat16 Gigabit modem from Qualcomm, in contrast to the Huawei E5788, the Nighthawk M1 has a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface, a removable battery and connections for an external antenna. If you want to know more different between the two mobile 4G routers, Click here: Huawei E5788 vs netgear M1

Huawei E5788 E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot

If you are also satisfied with a 600 Mbps LTE modem, you should definitely take a closer look at the Netgear AirCard 810 hotspot. This also offers a touch screen, but also has a removable battery and the ability to connect external mobile antennas. If even 300 Mbit/s or LTE Cat6 is sufficient, there are many more choices available. For example, you could look at the Huawei E5885 hotspot, which comes with a huge 6,400 mAh battery and also has a special RJ45 Ethernet LAN port integrated.