I have Both M1 4G and M5 5G devices and as a Traveler( truck driver) they only work if your in a good signal Area ..if not they Both are not fast.. so it really depends on the area you are currently in
Absolutely Chris! If signal strength is poor, no matter how fast the chipset is or how good the antennae are, the data stream will be rubbish! (That's a technical term!) Distance from cell, the number of other users in the area, interference from other radio signals all play a part...especially ultra high frequency 5G where signals can even be disrupted by the leaves on trees. 'Beam forming' between device and tower can help, but it won't help with the tyranny of distance. and those of us in wide lands like Australia, the US or Canada, we really notice those 'dead spots'. That's where choice of carrier comes in. Thanks for comment, mate.
Im a truck driver as well and im looking into this but I have a question…can I put a UNLIMITED data plan into this hotspot every carrier I go to tells me there is no unlimited plans available for a hotspot,,, meaning I get a certain amount of gigs a month and after I use that up it gets slower ,,,Is that how it supposed to be ?
@@pabloray2562 how much data are you planning to use? What will you be doing on the internet? There are many options for unlimited data depending on that
@@tobytravanner love the reviews on the new mobile networking tech. Would be cool to see videos and reviews on products used to run a business on the road?
Hmm interesting,you should have done the tests for what it was designed for wireless? What I’d like to know is could you take 1 of these out of the country,would you need a simcard for the country your travelling to for it to work?
Hi @Sneekerstatto! I wanted to only test the 5G (and 4G) capabilities so I removed the variable of the wifi component. I normally use it just in my bag, or sitting on the table via wifi. Being 'Wi-Fi 6' (802.11ax), its theoretical speed is ridiculous at 9.6Gbps but it's highly unlikely that we'll ever see that as there will be many more slower links in the chain. What it's really useful for is allowing more devices to attach to it than Wi-Fi 5. Regarding using the M5 in another country, unless you have international roaming turned on, you'll need a local country SIM. Also, international roaming can be veeeeerrrry expensive in data fees depending on your carrier. Thanks for your comment and question!
Thanks @BinLi. Looks like you're on an Ethernet over nbn connection at work (gigabit) and that you're lucky enough to have FTTP at home as most plans are still only 100mbps may DL to consumer premises. Good stuff!!!
Currently no unlimited plans available for it in US. Only some grandfathered plans with questionable 5g support. It's pretty much useless without changing imei, which is currently impossible.
Hi James. No unlimited plans here in Australia by the looks of things right now either. I have enough devices linked in to one business account that I end up with 720GB shared...which is more than enough for what we do. Thanks for your comment! I think we'll see carriers moving away from terrestrial connections over time.
Yes, I know Juan. It felt like a real rookie error! The 4G Speedtests on the M5 were similar to the M2. Good, but not good enough! Thanks for commenting! :-)
Hi Toby, first of all outstanding review mate! Very detailed and professional. I plan to get one myself soon but just have a question on my mind before I do. 1. As you know, telstra is abit more expensive than other carriers, so I was planning on maybe just grabbing the cheapest sim plan and swapping it out with my telstra prepaid or with my Optus sim plan. Would this work? Hopefully you can help me out. Thanks again mate!
It will work, but it won't work as well. The M5 is optimised for Telstra's networks (especially 5G, but also 4 and 3G frequencies). That may change, of course, but right now, the experience won't quite be as good...the question is, do you really need 300+Mbps for what you do? The other carriers may be an option. Try and borrow unit first and see how it goes. As far as pre-paid is concerned, I'm not sure. In 'theory', you'd think it would be fine...as long as your pre-paid has 5G access! (note my glitch in the video!)
Awesome video, very informative, i was wondering, im a OTR truck driver and im all over America, i was wondering will the nighthawk M2 work for when your mobile or should I just buy the M1 which i heard many good reviews on, im welcomed to any suggestions
Hey Bry from Hawaii! Thanks for the feedback. I think any of the three would work fo you, the M1, M2 or the M5. They'll all be well and truly fast enough for what you'll probably need it for, and you can keep it powered up by a USB socket or the 12V socket in your truck. Given that you're driving all over the US, I'd be spending more time on which carrier has the best coverage overall. We're luck in Australia, as our largest carrier (Telstra) has great coverage on most of the main routes across the country....certainly in pretty well all towns along the way. M y understanding is that Verizon might be your best bet for most coverage, but I'm not sure about their plans for value. AT&T is meant to be pretty good as well. But whatever you buy, it's not going to be useful unless you have a signal! Best of luck!
What the hell I'm in America and we do not get ANYWHERE near that on 4G LTE I can't speak for 5G but what they heck I'm really mad at American cell tower service
We love it here in the land 'down under'! I've seen a 4G test, albeit in controlled conditions using a Nighthawk M2 with carrier aggregation, hit close to 1Gbps! (High 900s). The rollout here has been very good from all carriers, but Telstra, in particular has invested a lot on 3/4/5G, especially given how expansive the country is geographically.
Hi Toby, I'm considering one of these for international use only. I'm thinking of going with the MR5200 since it's unlocked and will have it off in my home in the US and then when I travel for work overseas (all over) I'd purchase a local country SIM card and use while there (a few weeks-a month). I'm thinking of the MR5200 opposed to the M1 or M2 because some of the countries I'd travel to have (what appears to be) 5G. And those that don't, I'd still get the 4G/LTE speeds even so. Do you think the MR5200 is the best hotspot for this situation? Or recommend others instead? Thanks for the awesome video and answering all of the comments!!
Hi @Jeffro I've been really pleased with the M5 and it's probably worth getting, and the 'unlocked' MR5200 would be the right version. A couple of things to think about: * 5G speeds in Europe may not be as fast as what I've been experiencing in Australia. TIM seems to be the fastest carrier over there with speeds ranging up to 400Mbps. www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3829678/tim-ranked-fastest-5g-network-in-europe * Normal product lifecycles probably means there'll be a new device due mid this year. Having said that, it may include the ability to access mmWave, but given the slow rollout of mmWave from the carriers, it may not be worth it. See this article: www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/verizons-5g-mmwave-network-has-a-tree-problem/2021/12/?campaign_uuid=e9d3eb15-7015-49c7-bbfa-58e5ae71241a&member_uuid=7d0ca64a-2be3-457d-896d-29a2f936c728&newsletter_event=pageview& The M5 does an admirable job accessing 4G/LTE with a cat22 chipset and carrier aggregation, which should be plenty. Enjoy your travels and stay safe!
Hi Toby, Awesome video mate. I'm in Nth Qld where 5G is all myth and stories and 4G is only in certain areas. Wondering with the 5G device, would it still be able to use the 3G network where it can't connect to the faster networks?
Hey @Chowwi! Thanks heaps for your comment and question. Here's a long answer! This device will automatically slip over onto a 4G connection when 5G is not available. Telstra 5G is now up to about 75% of the population, but being a former West Australian, I know that regional areas will often be very much last to have new technology turned on. I am pretty sure that the M5 will cut over onto 3G if a faster network is not available. It'll handle Bands 1, 3, 5 and 8 from memory, so definitely the 'local' 3G frequencies of 1800MHz and 2100MHz and the long-throw regional frequencies of 850 and 900MHz. There's a bit of 5G available around Cairns, Innisfail and Tully, as well as quite an extensive network around Townsville (Telstra has a support office up there). 3G coverage is now around 2.7M Km2, but that still doesn't help if you're off the beaten track (go satellite!)
Hi Mario, sorry I've just seen this question. You can use a 4G-enabled SIM, but that will mean you'll only get 4G on the device (as I found out while making the video). It's not actually the physical SIM either...it's how the SIM is treated by your carrier. If that particular SIM is only on a 4G plan, that's all you'll get. Check details with your chosen carrier, they'll help you sort it out.
Yes it did @Roderick Smith! It's actually not the router, but the 4G/LTE implementation here in Australia vs the 5G implementation which is still very much more focused on download speed. I found the M5 with a 4G Sim in it (my bad, as you would have seen in the video), had higher upload speeds via the 4G network in Australia than the test on 5G. Carrier aggregation across multiple 4G frequencies and the Cat22 chipset from Snapdragon all play a part. Great pickup!!!!
I’m debating getting this for when I move to Puerto Rico as internet service is very poor there due to the hurricane from years ago. I wonder how well this would work out there.
Excellent question MultiBobix! I was testing the M5 on Telstra's 5G network which went StandAlone in May 2020 using Ericsson's cloud native core, I believe. I think this SA network is the first in Australia and possibly one of the BETTER implementations globally as I think most carriers are still operating in Non-StandAlone mode.
Just ordered it but gotta cancel the regular one I ordered first thing in the morning before the regular one ships and then I'll be good to go as just waiting for the pro to arrive 😇
@@tobytravanner dang dumb at&t ordered the wrong one now I can't even find the card I used now gotta go through a bunch of changes to be able to get the m5😑
Hi CD!. The MR5200 is already listed but you're right, it may not be available yet in all markets. I tested the MR5100-1TLAUS, basically an MR5100 optimised for Telstra's Network in Australia. The MR5100 is the device optimised for the AT&T network in the US. The MR5200 seems like an 'internationalised' version for other markets. From what I can see, the MR5200 supports more frequency bands used globally.
Hi Jeremy, a lot of whom we call 'Grey Nomad' in Australia us this sort of device. It's a perfect use case as it allows you to connect all of your devices via Wifi (as long as you don't have more than 32!) wherever you are. You'll just need to make sure you have a signal from your carrier where you are. Happy Motorhoming!
Hey mate I'm on an older 200GB SIM only plan for this device, but along with all my other SIMs on my account for phones and tablets etc, I get a total in excess of 700GB...which is plenty. I see they have a special at the moment for SIM only at $75 for 400GB. (Upfront Data Plan Large). Just be careful, the smaller plans only give 4G access (as you would have seen in the video!)
Hey mate! I got close to 900Mbps the other day. when your M5 arrives, check to make sure you have a 5G SIM and a good signal. Speed really is a combination of the device's chipset, the carrier and their network, the number of devices on the cell at the time and of course, the distance from the cell and signal strength. If you signal strength isn't good, try putting your M5 on a folded piece of al-foil or a baking tray. it acts like a ground plane and you'll boost the signal by a bar or so. I hope it all goes well!
My favourite questions!!! So the M5 connects to the 'internet' via the 5G or 4G cellular signal. You would then normally connect your devices to it via wifi. I just wanted to ensure I was testing the 5G signal in it's purest form, and not be affecting it by the speed of the wifi connection. That's why I connected nay computer via the ethernet cable to remove that variable. Thanks JC!
Hey mate. Where are you located? Since you mention AT&T, you might be in the US. You're best to chat to the carriers which generally sell the M5. Netgear often works with particular carriers to ensure that the device is optimised for a carrier's network frequencies. For example, in Australia, the M5 is optimised for Telstra's network. You can still put a Vodafone SIM into it, but it be as fast. It also depends on the 'deals' that are being offered so that you can get the most data and best speeds for your bucks.
Does the M1, M2.and M5 have the ability to create a access point from a existing internet connection for those individuals who are traveling and not wanting to trust.these public internet connections?
Hi Albert, I've tried both the M2 and the M5 without a battery inserted, just a USB-C cable plugged into power and they both fire up fine. It's certainly one way to not overcharge the battery and to keep the recharge cycles down. Hope that helps. Good luck!
I've got a ZTE MF-90 connected to a D-Link Archer 2100 via USB and it works a treat. I'm going to connected it to a Asus 68U then via cat to the D-Link. My Xmas present it going to be a 5G unit, so thanks for the review. Did you buy it unlocked. These are the future as the NBN sucks and can't get near these speeds for the buck. 😁
Hi L G. Depends on the carrier and the amount of bandwidth, but yes, we're pretty lucky here. And this particular carrier has invested a ton of budget in both infrastructure and spectrum. I'm looking forward to breaking the 1Gbps barrier!!!!
Well done John! I see that the naming is a little different where you are. US? In Australia, it's just called the Nighthawk M5. I Do like the 'Pro' addition!
Is this good for streaming in general by that i mean not just shows like netflix series. But also cloud computing? like game cloud gaming streaming I am considering to getting one.
Hi Jaquan. I'm in Australia and using the Telstra Network. Although they are not as cheap as the other carriers, their 4 and 5G implementation has significantly more coverage and their 5G is set up as a StandAlone network meaning you're more likely to get full capabilities. They're likely to move to millimetre wave over the next few years. Where are you located?
Hey @Speedbooster, I'm sorry I've only just seen this question embedded in this thread. The answer is...it depends. Carrier network implementation, the amount of bandwidth spectra they have, proximity to cell, number of users, interference from other radio signals, and physical barriers like concrete walls etc all play a part in final speed. From what I've heard though, many users are at least getting in the low hundreds of Megabits per second...which is pretty good for day-to-day use.
I’m looking to get one of these for gaming and I love the speeds your getting! Also is there a data cap? How and where would I get a no cap high speed plan?
Hey TwkdFZ, it all depends on the carrier that you connect with? So it's not about the device, it's about the plan you get it with. Where are you in the world?
Sorry if i sound dumb but im incredibly new to this kind of stuff but if i buy this ill get wifi right? i dont need to set it up with the wifi i already have?
Hey Miguel...not a dumb question at all. The M5 acts as a 5G cellular connection in one direction and (as in to the internet) and then acts as a wifi hotspot in the other direction (as in to you and your devices). So it can stand alone... However, you can also connect it as an alternative internet connection (rather than a wired connection) to an existing wifi router, especially if your current wifi router is quite powerful and works well in your home/office. That may be a little more than just "plug it in" depending on what router you have. It may do so, or you might need a small data switch in between, using standard cat 5 cables (the standard 'blue' data cables). Best you just try it as is, and see how you go. The wifi function on the M5 is pretty good and it will handle a lot of devices. It just depends on how many walls etc you have. Thanks for your comment! Appreciate any likes or subscribes.
Hey Divyansh, in addition to my other reply... I will ask the Netgear guys, but I personally wouldn't buy the lower level of tech when there's a better option. A couple of points: the 797 runs with a Cat13 chipset, meaning it'll pretty well max out at 400Mbps DL and around 100Mbps UL, even with a fantastic 4G signal from your carrier. It may be cheaper to buy, but I personally would prefer a device with a bit more 'future-proof' capabilities in the design. The M5 runs a Cat22 4G LTE SnapDragon chipset. For a start, that means it will run comfortably on a 4g network. It also means, again depending on your network, that it's theoretically capable of Gigabit speeds if your carrier had enough bandwidth. (I think the theoretical maximum is in excess of 2Gpbs). Plus, it has the 5G capability. Sub6 right now. Look out for new models offering mmWave in the future. If I did a test, it'd be pretty simple. The M5 would seriously outperform the 797 as long as the carrier was up to it. Also, wifi performance on the M5 should be better as well, being wifi 6. Where are you located? Carriers often optimise devices t suit their network, so that may be worth considering as well. All the best!
Hi Fernando. From what I can tell, Verizon has the fasted speeds (But that's because it used mmWave which the M5 is not yet supporting). Next fasted infrastructure may be from Sprint. I think you should also look at coverage...it doesn't matter how fast it is, if you can't connect! (And Verizon doesnt currently have a lot of 5G Masts) I think the only issue may be that the Nighthawk M5 M 5100 might be an exclusive to AT&T. The 'unlocked' version, the M5200 should be available soon, if it isn't already. Have a look at this article to give you a better picture. www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2020/05/28/5g-these-are-the-fastest-and-most-widely-available-5g-networks/?sh=5a8691cc1c29
Im a truck driver as well and im looking into this but I have a question…can I put a UNLIMITED data plan into this hotspot every carrier I go to tells me there is no unlimited plans available for a hotspot,,, meaning I get a certain amount of gigs a month and after I use that up it gets slower ,,,Is that how it supposed to be ?
Hey Kiana. I have my smart TV connected to it one of my locations. It just acts as a wifi router, so as long as your device can recognise it, you should be fine. Just be careful to have lots of data included in your plan. :-) TT
Would there be any point in getting the M5 when u are in a 4G area (without getting any 5G soon because too far from tower also)?? .. But take u didn't get faster speed than M2? .. and wow 5g crazy speed lol darn 😅
Her @René. The M2 is an excellent unit that actually does very well in a 4G area. If you're not travelling around into 5G zones then the 4G-only M2 has an excellent chipset for 4G speeds. If you're quite a distance from the tower, then you might consider an external 6dB antenna or a direction antenna pointing at the nearest cell tower. I've used that set up before and was very happy with the result.
@@tobytravanner yes for sure need an antenna outdoor one... We've mostly been looking into the Poynting Xpol-2 5g as example... but also now a bit a Yagi one.. all directional ... but really don't know what is best.. She only has one tower she will be connected to
Hey 'The Grind'. Yes, that should be possible. It's called IP Passthrough Mode and it can be found in the WebUI under Mobile Router Setup. Best of luck!
Hey @projektz, the Nighthawk M2 has a chipset which doesnot support 5G. It supports many frequencies across the 3G and 4G spectra. If you want 5G, you'll have to go to an M5. Mind you, I was very happy with the M2 while I was using it.
@@tobytravanner ah thank you for your fast reply toby, I will keep that in mind i bought the m2 thinking it was 5g lol, ah well I guess I'll just buy a 5g router from my carrier store be abit cheaper, I can use the m2 for my travels :) thanks again mate great vid btw
Hi Spartan, sadly, and much to the total dismay of my 13y.o son, we don't have a PS4 in the house. However, as the M5 acts as a wifi hot spot, it's the device's speed that should actually be the same. it's be dependent on wether you hardwire a PS4 or use wifi to connect to the M5. And I have to say the wifi6 on the M5 is pretty good.
Hi Arjan, in the location I did the testing, I was regularly getting 180Mbps down and 30+ up on my Cat 16 iPhone XS on 4G LTE. I'll have to test my iPhone 12 when I'm next in the same spot.
It'll be interesting, Arjan. Most of the time, it will be dependent on the Qualcomm chipset in the device v the phone. Both the iPhone 12 and the Nighthawk M5 use the same Snapdragon X55 modem. Sounds like a new test coming up!!! I'd personally stick to two devices as using your phone as a 'modem' will drain the battery pretty quickly and you saw in the video how big the battery is in the M5. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Luis Try one of these. Device Label (remove back cover and battery) TouchUI - Tap Settings>More>Device Information. WebUI - Settings>Nighthawk M2 Status>Account. TT :-)
hello I have 2 questions: 1 is it possible to turn it on without battery only with the cable and power supply? 2 how long does the battery last more than 1 day? Thank you
Hey Dave! Good questions! I didn't know the answer to the first, I've just tried it. Pulled the battery out, plugged in the power cord...and all good! As for the second question, for normal use I've managed to have it run a good 12 hours. It's less if I'm really hammering it though with a lot of up and downloads, but you could probably bank on a working day with normal use without having to recharge it.
Hi Again, same question, so same answer. You have to get a SIM card from your local carrier. That's the whole idea, to have this as a portable device. You can plug it into an ethernet port of an already hard-line-connected router, but it seems redundant. Try out your local carriers to see which has the best cellular data plans, but balance up their coverage and network speeds. Cheap often means not-as-good.
Hi ITaBS-Auckland! The M5 should do 'carrier aggregation' per se, automatically. As in 7x Carrier Aggregation based on the Qualcomm Cat 22 Chipset. Your username sounds pretty tech, so I sorry if you're aware of this already, but it will only grab available spectrum from one single carrier...who uses multiple available frequencies (depending on what the Telco has licensed). The Telcos in Australia are only using Sub-6 for 5G at the moment (3.6GHz) but at much higher capacities and therefore lower requirements to aggregate. mmWave is on the roadmap for the future. Carrier aggregation becomes more important when there's not a lot of available bandwidth, especially within the 4H spectra...so for example, take a 20MHz chunk from the 700MHz spectrum and then aggregate it with 10MHz from 2100MHz and 10 from 2600Mhz and you get 40MHz of available bandwidth, which should be good for a theoretical 200+Mbps in 4G. Let me know if you think a video on this stuff (and a higher level of nerdiness) would be useful.
Hi Marked Nephew5!. As long as the SIM is data-enabled, you should be fine. But check to make sure that your carrier has it set for 5G, otherwise you'll end up having the sms problem I did! See 12:12 in this video.
Can the ethernet port be used to supply internet from for example a hotel? (and maybe fallback to 5g). Just so I dont have to purchase 1000 gb when I am on holiday
Hi Thomas, I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you mean you you want to connect the M5 via a cat5 cable to a hotel's internet (via the (RJ45) port in your room), then all you're doing is using it as a wifi router/switch...you'll still be paying for hotel internet use as that's how your connecting to the internet. If you use the M5 to connect to a local carrier, then you'll be using cellular data. This will be either by a local SIM you purchase in the country you're visiting (and you might be able to get a good deal), or international roaming using your current SIM and your carrier back at home, which more than likely will be extremely expensive. In summary, there's no work around to paying for your data, unless you use free services in the hotel lobby or cafes. Sorry I cant give your better news. Anyone else have a workaround, other than hacking an unprotected wifi hotspot?
Do you think this router could support gaming systems, phones and a laptop? I live in a hotel right now and their wifi is trash so I’m looking for something to help with our wifi needs.
Hey Taste the Rainbow, I think it could, depending on how many devices and how much bandwidth they're using. The M5 will do up 32 devices via wifi 6 but hotel walls can be pretty thick so positioning the hotspot so that it gets good cellular signal (probably near the window) but allows everyone to access it easily (probably towards the middle of the space), may be a juggle. The main concern will be your carrier...how strong the 5G signal is where you are, and how many channels they have available and therefore how much bandwidth, but that'll be the same for a cable or fibre connection at a permanent dwelling too. I use one of these in my apartment... ua-cam.com/video/HvjC02RT2HA/v-deo.html The Orbi is a mesh network wifi so it has a main unit (which I have connected via a 4G SIM) and a 'satellite' box. This doesn't mean it connects to the internet by a satellite feed, but is an extension to the main unit. Basically spreads the range of your wifi throughout your dwelling. I'd recommend you do a Speedtest first, using your phones (both 4G and 5G is you can to see what bandwidth youre capable of getting. Know that the M5 has a chipset that will be at the faster end of the scale so unless you're using a brand new iPhone13 or the latest Samsung, it's likely to be faster than what you get on your phone.If you don't already have it, download the 'Speedtest by Ookla' app and use that. I hope it goes well!
Hey BeeSteadtyProductions. It's a great unit, as a piece of technology. I use it as a primary streaming device at the moment as my fixed line connection isn't as reliable as it needs to be. However, what's really important is the connection to the cellular network...distance from cell, number of other users, any interference etc. Plus the quality of the carrier's implementation. That said, if all of that is ok, then in my opinion, this unit will give you a good chance of having reliable live stream. Plus it has MIMO, has the option for external antennae, and depending on how many you have in your crew, can handle many devices simultaneously. The wifi component (wifi 6) is very strong as well. Battery life is also good. Since you use an ATEM mini pro, I'd connect it via an ethernet cable and a switch, which you look like you already have. I use my M5 in a similar manner, and it's been excellent. Mind you, I'm in a very good coverage area with little congestion. I've been getting 800-900Mbps down and 80-90Mbps up, here in Queensland in Australia. On another note, I'm interested to know how you stream and record simultaneously. I'm assuming g another unit?
@@tobytravanner hi Toby, the atem mini pro had hardware encoding to a rtmp address via ethernet and records to disc simultaneously. I have now upgraded to using both the mini extreme and mini pro in conjunction with one another
Not directly from the unit as far as I've been able to do. Once that USB port picks up either the streaming protocol or recording, its one or the other right? Can't split it. But I'm interested in how you do it now. Am I right in understanding that you stream via the USB into a computer, and then take the ethernet feed into another computer and record it from there?
Hey @TommySotommayor's Momma! Port forwarding is 'off' by default. Maybe what you're seeing in the WebUI menu "PORT FORWARDING Enable ⬜" but the empty ⬜ means it is unselected. Hope this helps. TT
Hello sir, I’ve watched your amazing video and I’m wondering how do you let your M2’s lock screen show data usage info? (3:33) Is that exclusive to Telstra SIM card users or can be set in the settings? Thanks
G’day! The test was done with the unit ‘as is’. So no external antenna connected. Mind you, I had great signal coverage anyway so no need. I set up an external antenna for a friend who’s coverage was marginal without it and it made a huge difference.
It all depends on your situation, plus we're now going out of my direct area of knowledge. The situation for my friend (ex-wife actually!), was her place was right on the transition point between great 3G coverage and poor 4G coverage. So we ended up putting up a 9dBi directional antenna on a pole on the roof, pointing towards a nearby cell tower. So how many 'bars' of coverage do you get on your device right now?
@@abdulrahmanalsharrad4954 Got it. Coverage is ok but not brilliant. Is that 5G? Try these ideas first: * make sure you don’t have any metallic blinds around. These can form a ‘Faraday Cage’ and impact your signal. * try putting some folded aluminium foil or a metal baking tray under your device. These form a ground plane and can reflect radio waves back into your device. * stand your device up. Are you using a nighthawk or something else? * the closer you are to a window, the better it’ll be. Short radio waves don’t pass through walls and glass all that well. In fact, very high frequency 5G signals can even be affected by leaves on trees. That’s why most carrier antennas use beam forming to intensify signals. If one of those ideas doesn’t help, then a small 3-6dBi MIMO antenna may help ( one for each port). Much better to have a MIMO antenna on a pole on your roof if you’re looking to really get a signal boost.
Hey @ThexBorg. Yes, I've tried it without the battery in and it works...as longs as it has power via a USB cable (obviously). It's a good idea if you have the device connected to power all the time and don't want to overload the battery over a period of time.
Hi Evan. I do have a 5G phone. But rather than bluetooth-connect to that and drain the battery, I use the M5 which has a cat22 chipset (faster), is a dedicated device (able to handle many connected devices which I sometimes need), and a large battery which, which a good signal, lasts be well over 10 hours. But yes, for some reason I don't have the M5 in my briefcase, then I'll use my phone (if I can't leach off a local wifi, which could be very slow anyway). Thanks for your question. It just shows there's a solution for all of our particular needs. :-)
hi my son is a huge gamer we jus moved out of city ny to poconos pa were internet huge speed is limited and in some cases not covered in my area do u think he can get away with using a net gear on a PC he had optimum w 300 mbs pls advice
Hey Annie. It all depends on how fast the local cellular coverage is. Do you know what kind of connection your able to get... 4G or 5G? Then, bluetooth your phone to a pc, and go to www.speedtest.net Hit the 'GO' button and see what the speed is. You can also download the Ookla Speedtest app to your phone and do the test from your phone. Once you've done that, you'll get an idea if a Nighthawk will be useful or not. It should be a little faster than your phone, but let's test the speed first. Let me know how you go!
Hey Stan, you'll see at 7:55 in the video, I pop the cover on. It's basically the opposite of that. Slip a fingernail under one of the corners and then another and then it should just pop off.
This may be a little off base but I really need your help. I am currently using a 4 g cell phone from visible as my ISP, its working fine with the exception that I can only use 1 device at a time. Do you know of a router that I can connect wireless to the phones hot spot and then connect my other devices (tv, pc & ipad) to the router? Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Hey Jerry, I don't know of any that will work that way. I think what you're asking is if you can connect your phone (and its cellular connection) to a router, and then have multiple devices connect to that router. Phones are generally set up to 'hot-spot' a single device. Even a USB 'dongle'-style device that plugs directly into your computer isn't going to do it. Sorry mate, you'll probably need to get yourself a dedicated cellular router like the ones in this video. All the best!
And yes it is possible. If you get a 5G capable SIM, use that so if 5G is available it'll switch to it. However, if you're in a non-5G area, the M5 will automatically switch to 4G or even 3G if that's all is available. However, you can use the menu to disable 5G if you want to. The M5 is pretty good at switching to the best signal. If you want to see 4G speeds on the M5, use the M2 test (3:47 in the video) as a guide. Best of luck!
@@tobytravanner ty very much for your answers, and you video !! there isn’t that much vidéos on this subject, but yours truly is the more precise one. did you try using antennas ?
I've used an external antenna on another device (a 4G netgear), in a location which was right on a border or a 4G-3G transition zone. Using a directional external antenna, pointed towards the local cell tower, kept the 4G signal constant as well as lifting it from 1-2 bars up to a constant 4-5 bars. If you're in a marginal area, I'd recommend talking to a local radio/antenna specialist to help you out.
I'm looking to get this for my home internet. What process or company can I go through to use this device and get fast 5g home internet? I cannot get it through tmobile or Verizon. Don't want satellite
Hey Dakota. You can get the M5 unlocked now...model number MR5200, so many tech suppliers should have them. I'm guessing you're in the US, so you may still be able to get one from AT&T. Wherever you buy it from, you'll need a SIM and the right plan for you. It may not be the most suitable device as a home internet if your place is large or has a lot of walls. It's going to have some coverage limitations inside as it's not designed specifically as a home internet router. The option there is to go with something like an Orbi which is designed to be used at home and still connects to the web by cellular, in this case 4G only, but it performs better in wifi for home use in my opinion. A review for the Orbi is here: ua-cam.com/video/HvjC02RT2HA/v-deo.html All the best TT
Hey AKD. Same network, same location, same SIM...for the first two device tests. Had to put in a 5G SIM to get the full capacity from the M5. Check out 12min12sec in the video to see what happened.
Hey Tobi, do you know any international carriers that can provide this sort of speed? Pricing should not be an issue as this would be for business purposes.
Hey @Gonzalo Szechter. I haven't heard back from the Netgear guys yet (and I haven't had time in the right time-zone to remind them), but I thought this info would be useful for you. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_5G_NR_networks What's interesting is the amount of bandwidth in each spectrum. eg, in Australia, we see 30-100MHz which is one of the reasons for the speed. Argentina has 10-20MHz shareable so your max speed will likely be in the 100-200Mbps range, as a guess. For Europe, there's a significant range of networks from different carriers, but I hear TIM has a very strong implementation of 5G, and here's an article backing that up. www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3829678/tim-ranked-fastest-5g-network-in-europe Seems slower than what we have in Australia however, but the listed bandwidth would show they should be capable of higher speeds. If I hear anything more, I'll pop it in this thread. As far as mmWave is concerned, the so called next generation of 5G, the jury is still out about the real world application of the infrastructure. www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/verizons-5g-mmwave-network-has-a-tree-problem/2021/12/?campaign_uuid=e9d3eb15-7015-49c7-bbfa-58e5ae71241a&member_uuid=7d0ca64a-2be3-457d-896d-29a2f936c728&newsletter_event=pageview& (Please tell your friends about what I do if they're interested, I have a bet with the Netgear guys that I'll hit 65,000 views on this video by end of March and gain more subscribers in the process.)
Hey @Drunk Merc Being in Australia, I'm not personally sure how the US carriers are stacking up at the moment. I hear that Verizon and T-Mobile have been faster in the past...however, all carriers seem to have much slower speeds than what we're getting down here. (as in around the 70-90Mbps range versus 250+Mbps regularly down here....I recently hit 917Mbps). My suggestion would be to grab a 5G device or a phone and do a speed's (Ookla) and see how you go. Other factors like distance from cell, physical and radio interference and how many others are on the channel will make a huge difference, so it'd be wise to test your personal conditions before buying an M5. Best of luck!
So @Omega1andonly, being in Australia, I haven't personally experienced the 5G speed variations in the US. But here are some factors to look out for. When the carriers mention the following, it means this: * 'Ultra capacity' or 'Ultra wideband' or something like it will likely mean they are using millimetre wave = very fast but quite susceptible to interference, which means you'll need a good strong signal. * Sub6, meaning sub 6GHz, meaning slower but less prone to interference. My last speed test here in Australia managed 921 Mbps on sub-6 so it's still pretty damn fast * 4GLTE will still be very good. * Avoid a carrier which only has 2/3G coverage in any area you're interested in. (eg, around the corner of the NJTPK and Cooper st on T-Mobile) AT+T has impressive Sub-6 5G coverage but nothing in the 5G+ (ultra) in your area yet. www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html?source=ECAuAT10600aff12A&wtExtndSource=100048248&CI=CJ_AFFILIATE&RI=CJ1&RD=37922269&tfn=aff&cjevent=d54604dd264311ec8020ddda0a1c0e11 T-Mobile looks pretty good www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map Verizon seems to be ok www.verizon.com/coverage-map/ So, Have a look at the coverage maps for exactly where you live and where you'll be using the M5, and then compare their data plans to make a decision. If you were in Australia, I'd be much more direct, but I'm sure you'll find the right balance between speed, data alliance and price. All the best!
Hey there Rj A. It all depends on where you are and what plan you buy it on from your carrier. Check your local Netgear page in your country for an outright purchase cost, or see if one of your carriers have a 'bundle' deal when you pay a monthly fee for data and pay off the device over 12 or 24 months. What country do you live in?
Hey Anthony, Yes, I put in a 5G SIM card...as you might have seen at 12:12 in the video. It needs to have a 5G activated SIM, otherwise, all you'll get is 3 or 4G. Check with your carrier to make sure yours is 5G enabled.
I haven't tried with an external antenna as it doesn't seem to need it where I am. I've used a 6dB antenna in a marginal location on a previous Nighthawk M1, and it took signal strength from 2 bars to 4. So a big difference.
@@tobytravanner The antenna should be used to improve the signal characteristics , I do not know how 5g works , there is no such thing in Russia yet , but 4g should be used to pull out a stable signal, and QAM 256 should be stabilized , for a faster and more stable Internet.
Very good points @SKYFF! We use data and radio antennae on cars down in Australia. Like Russia, I'd imagine, we have very large areas of 'not-a-lot' outside of the cities, and because the terrain is relatively flat, not that many cellular base stations.
Geezus my ATT M1 has gotten a max of 71.6 megs being close to an ATT tower. I'm not running any torrents and it's 3:00pm and im getting 6 megs. Shit I just want 100 megs. So jealous of your massive speeds.
We are very lucky here in Australia ! Verizon seems to have the best speeds in the US, but problem is, they don't seem to have many 5G towers. Doesn't matter how fast it is if you can't even get a signal!
Hi! I'm assuming you're currently connected by a physical connection like cable. If you're currently using a cellular connection, then just check your signal strength as if that's poor, moving to an Orbi or an M5 may not help. If the signal is strong (and things like metal blinds on windows can affect signal as well), then it depends on what sort of experience you're looking for. I use both. I like the Orbi as it has a mesh 'satellite' unit which means the wifi side of things is really strong and fast throughout my apartment. Have a look at this video if you haven't already. ua-cam.com/video/3bQ6Wvlqvf4/v-deo.html I use the M5 when I need ultimate speed or as my primary unit if I'm running a program via live-stream. The good thing about the M5 is that I can carry it around to other locations easily. I'm sure T-Mobile have some good plans. Bets of luck! I hope it goes well.
@@tobytravanner thank u...for fast response , i currently have nothing in my apartment as for regular internet, but my signal inside the apartment is not good at all but i need some sort of home internet...the home internet is not a option in my area
How is the signal strength next to the window? If that's better, then either the M5 or the Orbi will be fine. Depends on how far away from the unit you wish to use your wifi (which is how you'll connect to the orb or M5). If the signal strength is still poor, consider an external antenna too. Both units have antenna ports. Pop the antenna at the point of strongest signal...near the window, on the balcony if you have one. And if your area doesn't have 5G, you might also consider an M2, really good 4G connection and should be a lot cheaper.
Hi Matthew, at the moment, in Australia, the M5 seems to be exclusive to Telstra. But the word on the street is that exclusivity will run out sometime soon. I haven't tried sticking another carrier's SIM in it, so I'm not sure if they'll work.....as yet. I can ask the guys at Netgear.
Quick update. It's not locked to Telstra, although it is optimised for Telstra's network spectrums (spectra?). So it'll work on an Optus SIM but may not give you the same experience.
Sorry I missed this earlier. The US version of the M5 is optimised for AT&T but it should also work on the others. I hear Verizon has good 5G coverage and speeds.
Hi, just sharing my experience: I tried using iinet sim card in the M5 and it works, just different speed rate. Here are the results when i run the speedtest: Telstra sim card in M5: Download 664mbps Upload 102mbps iinet sim card in M5: Download 74mbps Upload 60mbps iinet sim card in my iphone: Download 92mbps Upload 52mbps Cheers
Hey @airfrank3000 It should work fine as long as the M5 you have is not locked or optimised for the AT&T network. Might be a good idea to check with your carrier just to make sure. Best of luck!!!
Toby Travanner Yea I keep getting this message that says “mobile broadband is disconnected”. I’ve contacted my provider and they confirmed the SIM card was activated. I have no clue what to do now :(
Let me ask one of the Netgear guys I know on Monday. In the meantime, have you done all the usual stuff? * Make sure the M5 is not locked to AT&T. (Where did you buy it from?) * Switch off * taken the battery out * checked the SIM in a phone (just in case) * Re-insert the SIM (check orientation) * Power up * see if, at least, the wifi component is working. I'll let you know what I discover TT
Toby Travanner Yup I did all of those. I forgot to mention I also have an AT&T 5g SIM card for data as well, and it doesn’t work either. As for the WiFi component it works just fine too. Let me know what your friend say. Thanks!
Someone from Netgear will be commenting soon. Where did you buy the unit from? When chatting to my local Netgear contact, we initially throught it was a 'locked AT&T device, but your comment mentioning you also tried an AT&T SIM which also didnt work. It may need to have the APN 'pointing in the right direction' but let's see what the Netgear guys mention. Stand by...
Nice gadget, but silly extreme expensive with around 850€/£ 900$... I hope noone buys until price is reasonable. For this money you get highclass 5g smartphones and repeater as accesspoint.
Wow Pandabaer...that's expensive over in the UK! $699 Australian dollars outright from one of the carriers here. Works out around GBP390. Less than half price. You can use a 5G phone, but it'll drain your battery pretty quickly. The other useful thing about this type of hotspot is you can have a bunch of users on it if need be, if you're using is as a temporary office, or worksite router without the repeater. But, yeah, the business case would need to be pretty good to pay GBP900.
@@tobytravanner ... the people misunderstand something.... 99% where you use internet as in hotels cars and caravans, electricity is available (12 or 230 (120usa)volt) so who cares if the hotspot uses energy... ...just connect. And i think normally noone uses long time internet in the wild without external energy. A pure mobile or tablet is more comfortable.
Seems like you guys don't work in Cafes as much as we do here! Granted, it's up to personal preference, and you version seems to work best for you. I get somewhere between 8 and 12 hours on the M5...if I'm out with clients all day (no lockdowns here right now), in different offices, or in cafes etc, I'll just leave it in my briefcase and I'm connected as soon as I open my laptop, without having to worry about looking for a power outlet. It's just convenience for me. It's true what they say about today's hierarchy of needs. Power, then wifi, then the rest of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs! Thanks for your comments :-)
@@tobytravanner i dont know how it is in the us , but here ( i speak for germany and greece) cafes mostly offer free energy ( at least if you ask) I never had problems .
Ah, here in the backwoods of Australia, power is free in cafes as well. (LoL) It's all about trying to find an outlet when you're basking in the sunshine at an alfresco table enjoying the perfectly made macchiato. Frankly, I just can't be bothered looking to find a table next to a power outlet if I don't have to. ;-)
NETGEAR HAS FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS. LTE CAT20 IS NOT WORKING. IT CAN'T EVEN HANDLE TWO LTE BANDS AT THE SAME TIME. I JUST WASTED MONEY ON THIS USELESS DEVICE.
Where are you based Alejandro? Before I give you some ideas, the M5 is Cat22 (not Cat 20), and I've had enough aggregation (so at least 2 bands simultaneously) to create the speeds you see in the video. I've had extremely positive results in Australia, both on 4G LTE as well as 5G. It may actually be your carrier perhaps? Grab a 5G (or even a 4G) phone, and do a field test with it. Using an iPhone, type in *3001**#12345**#* (and start a call) and see what comes up. On a Samsung, use *#0011#. You're looking for Serving Cell Info and then Band Info. Two items to look for the Band itself and then the amount of bandwidth. Bands: 3 = 1800Mhz 28 = 700Mhz 5 = 850Mhz 1 = 2100Mhz 7 = 2600Mhz I've had best results when it's carrier aggregation with Band 3 as the primary carrier. Re: bandwidth...anything less that 20Mhz will mean a slower experience. So it may not be the device. At least if you've just bought it, you can return it, but in my experience the device is fine...it's probably something else. (or you may just have a dud unit, so take it back). And mate, no need to 'shout' in capitals, it's the holiday season. Feliz Navidad!
In what way, Alex? I don't work for Netgear, and they were actual Speedtest results. Trying to work out where you're coming from. I've had it for over a year now, in fact I'm connected using it now, and couldn't be happier. (Remember, the choice of carrier makes a huge difference as well).
I have Both M1 4G and M5 5G devices and as a Traveler( truck driver) they only work if your in a good signal Area ..if not they Both are not fast.. so it really depends on the area you are currently in
Absolutely Chris! If signal strength is poor, no matter how fast the chipset is or how good the antennae are, the data stream will be rubbish! (That's a technical term!)
Distance from cell, the number of other users in the area, interference from other radio signals all play a part...especially ultra high frequency 5G where signals can even be disrupted by the leaves on trees. 'Beam forming' between device and tower can help, but it won't help with the tyranny of distance. and those of us in wide lands like Australia, the US or Canada, we really notice those 'dead spots'. That's where choice of carrier comes in.
Thanks for comment, mate.
well ya dont say
Im a truck driver as well and im looking into this but I have a question…can I put a UNLIMITED data plan into this hotspot every carrier I go to tells me there is no unlimited plans available for a hotspot,,, meaning I get a certain amount of gigs a month and after I use that up it gets slower ,,,Is that how it supposed to be ?
@@pabloray2562 u try T-Mobile ?
@@pabloray2562 how much data are you planning to use? What will you be doing on the internet? There are many options for unlimited data depending on that
After years of watching work training modules with Toby, I find he is a UA-camr too!
Hahahah. By necessity to help our our partners, but now perhaps by choice! I'll have to do some more videos soon. Any requests??
@@tobytravanner love the reviews on the new mobile networking tech. Would be cool to see videos and reviews on products used to run a business on the road?
Thanks mate. Much appreciated.
the best nighthawk 5g video out there!
Thanks!!!
Good review. Do they sell the m5 in the USA?
Hey Boogie2001 ! The M5 model MR5100 is available from AT&T. I think the unlocked MR5200 will be available very soon, if not already. Have fun!
Great unboxing video! I did have a little chuckle at the 13 minute mark
Thanks mate. You know the backstory!!!!
Hmm interesting,you should have done the tests for what it was designed for wireless? What I’d like to know is could you take 1 of these out of the country,would you need a simcard for the country your travelling to for it to work?
Hi @Sneekerstatto! I wanted to only test the 5G (and 4G) capabilities so I removed the variable of the wifi component. I normally use it just in my bag, or sitting on the table via wifi. Being 'Wi-Fi 6' (802.11ax), its theoretical speed is ridiculous at 9.6Gbps but it's highly unlikely that we'll ever see that as there will be many more slower links in the chain. What it's really useful for is allowing more devices to attach to it than Wi-Fi 5.
Regarding using the M5 in another country, unless you have international roaming turned on, you'll need a local country SIM. Also, international roaming can be veeeeerrrry expensive in data fees depending on your carrier.
Thanks for your comment and question!
Very interesting thank you. My NBN at home is around 800 download and 45 upload.... At the office it's 900 download and 400 upload.
Thanks @BinLi. Looks like you're on an Ethernet over nbn connection at work (gigabit) and that you're lucky enough to have FTTP at home as most plans are still only 100mbps may DL to consumer premises. Good stuff!!!
Currently no unlimited plans available for it in US. Only some grandfathered plans with questionable 5g support. It's pretty much useless without changing imei, which is currently impossible.
Hi James. No unlimited plans here in Australia by the looks of things right now either. I have enough devices linked in to one business account that I end up with 720GB shared...which is more than enough for what we do. Thanks for your comment! I think we'll see carriers moving away from terrestrial connections over time.
A very good and honest review. Fun to watch too!
Thanks heaps Dean. It was a lot of fun doing it as well.
wow, haha, i was like "oh no" when you first put the card in and it only came up as 4G
Yes, I know Juan. It felt like a real rookie error! The 4G Speedtests on the M5 were similar to the M2. Good, but not good enough! Thanks for commenting! :-)
Hi Toby, first of all outstanding review mate! Very detailed and professional.
I plan to get one myself soon but just have a question on my mind before I do.
1. As you know, telstra is abit more expensive than other carriers, so I was planning on maybe just grabbing the cheapest sim plan and swapping it out with my telstra prepaid or with my Optus sim plan. Would this work?
Hopefully you can help me out. Thanks again mate!
It will work, but it won't work as well. The M5 is optimised for Telstra's networks (especially 5G, but also 4 and 3G frequencies). That may change, of course, but right now, the experience won't quite be as good...the question is, do you really need 300+Mbps for what you do? The other carriers may be an option. Try and borrow unit first and see how it goes. As far as pre-paid is concerned, I'm not sure. In 'theory', you'd think it would be fine...as long as your pre-paid has 5G access! (note my glitch in the video!)
Awesome video, very informative, i was wondering, im a OTR truck driver and im all over America, i was wondering will the nighthawk M2 work for when your mobile or should I just buy the M1 which i heard many good reviews on, im welcomed to any suggestions
Hey Bry from Hawaii! Thanks for the feedback. I think any of the three would work fo you, the M1, M2 or the M5. They'll all be well and truly fast enough for what you'll probably need it for, and you can keep it powered up by a USB socket or the 12V socket in your truck.
Given that you're driving all over the US, I'd be spending more time on which carrier has the best coverage overall. We're luck in Australia, as our largest carrier (Telstra) has great coverage on most of the main routes across the country....certainly in pretty well all towns along the way.
M y understanding is that Verizon might be your best bet for most coverage, but I'm not sure about their plans for value. AT&T is meant to be pretty good as well. But whatever you buy, it's not going to be useful unless you have a signal!
Best of luck!
Does it support 5G?
Yes...again. ;-)
What the hell I'm in America and we do not get ANYWHERE near that on 4G LTE I can't speak for 5G but what they heck I'm really mad at American cell tower service
We love it here in the land 'down under'! I've seen a 4G test, albeit in controlled conditions using a Nighthawk M2 with carrier aggregation, hit close to 1Gbps! (High 900s). The rollout here has been very good from all carriers, but Telstra, in particular has invested a lot on 3/4/5G, especially given how expansive the country is geographically.
@Lillia Houtkooper 🙄 seriously
Thanks for the eye roll @any4003
I've ditched the other comments but I wanted to recognise you first for keeping the spammers in check.
Hi Toby, I'm considering one of these for international use only. I'm thinking of going with the MR5200 since it's unlocked and will have it off in my home in the US and then when I travel for work overseas (all over) I'd purchase a local country SIM card and use while there (a few weeks-a month). I'm thinking of the MR5200 opposed to the M1 or M2 because some of the countries I'd travel to have (what appears to be) 5G. And those that don't, I'd still get the 4G/LTE speeds even so. Do you think the MR5200 is the best hotspot for this situation? Or recommend others instead? Thanks for the awesome video and answering all of the comments!!
Hi @Jeffro
I've been really pleased with the M5 and it's probably worth getting, and the 'unlocked' MR5200 would be the right version. A couple of things to think about:
* 5G speeds in Europe may not be as fast as what I've been experiencing in Australia. TIM seems to be the fastest carrier over there with speeds ranging up to 400Mbps.
www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3829678/tim-ranked-fastest-5g-network-in-europe
* Normal product lifecycles probably means there'll be a new device due mid this year. Having said that, it may include the ability to access mmWave, but given the slow rollout of mmWave from the carriers, it may not be worth it. See this article:
www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/verizons-5g-mmwave-network-has-a-tree-problem/2021/12/?campaign_uuid=e9d3eb15-7015-49c7-bbfa-58e5ae71241a&member_uuid=7d0ca64a-2be3-457d-896d-29a2f936c728&newsletter_event=pageview&
The M5 does an admirable job accessing 4G/LTE with a cat22 chipset and carrier aggregation, which should be plenty.
Enjoy your travels and stay safe!
Hi Toby, Awesome video mate. I'm in Nth Qld where 5G is all myth and stories and 4G is only in certain areas. Wondering with the 5G device, would it still be able to use the 3G network where it can't connect to the faster networks?
Hey @Chowwi! Thanks heaps for your comment and question. Here's a long answer!
This device will automatically slip over onto a 4G connection when 5G is not available. Telstra 5G is now up to about 75% of the population, but being a former West Australian, I know that regional areas will often be very much last to have new technology turned on. I am pretty sure that the M5 will cut over onto 3G if a faster network is not available. It'll handle Bands 1, 3, 5 and 8 from memory, so definitely the 'local' 3G frequencies of 1800MHz and 2100MHz and the long-throw regional frequencies of 850 and 900MHz.
There's a bit of 5G available around Cairns, Innisfail and Tully, as well as quite an extensive network around Townsville (Telstra has a support office up there).
3G coverage is now around 2.7M Km2, but that still doesn't help if you're off the beaten track (go satellite!)
@@tobytravanner so do you need to have a 5g enabled som to be able to use the M5? Or can it just be a 4g enabled sim which is what I currently have.
Hi Mario, sorry I've just seen this question. You can use a 4G-enabled SIM, but that will mean you'll only get 4G on the device (as I found out while making the video). It's not actually the physical SIM either...it's how the SIM is treated by your carrier. If that particular SIM is only on a 4G plan, that's all you'll get. Check details with your chosen carrier, they'll help you sort it out.
Hey @Mario, you'll need to check with your carrier if your SIM card is 5G enabled and also on a plan offering 5G.
@@tobytravanner thank you for the helpful advice I'll look into it
The old router out performed the 5G in terms of upload speed 108 to 86
Yes it did @Roderick Smith! It's actually not the router, but the 4G/LTE implementation here in Australia vs the 5G implementation which is still very much more focused on download speed. I found the M5 with a 4G Sim in it (my bad, as you would have seen in the video), had higher upload speeds via the 4G network in Australia than the test on 5G. Carrier aggregation across multiple 4G frequencies and the Cat22 chipset from Snapdragon all play a part.
Great pickup!!!!
I’m debating getting this for when I move to Puerto Rico as internet service is very poor there due to the hurricane from years ago. I wonder how well this would work out there.
Is that SA 5G or NSA?
Excellent question MultiBobix! I was testing the M5 on Telstra's 5G network which went StandAlone in May 2020 using Ericsson's cloud native core, I believe. I think this SA network is the first in Australia and possibly one of the BETTER implementations globally as I think most carriers are still operating in Non-StandAlone mode.
Just ordered it but gotta cancel the regular one I ordered first thing in the morning before the regular one ships and then I'll be good to go as just waiting for the pro to arrive 😇
Awesome! The M5 is worth it....until something faster arrives, of course. :-)
@@tobytravanner 😇😇 cost 500$ but I don't mind as long as I get something cool😁😁
@@tobytravanner dang dumb at&t ordered the wrong one now I can't even find the card I used now gotta go through a bunch of changes to be able to get the m5😑
Aaaarrrgghhh. Best of luck! (mind you, the M2 is still very good, excellent chipset, but is only 4Gx)
Does it contain SIM card? If not what device could connect it with Ethernet with the lowest price?
Nice job Toby 👏 👍 😎
Cheers Mate!!
I hear a Nighthawk MR5200 is coming out soon.
Hi CD!. The MR5200 is already listed but you're right, it may not be available yet in all markets.
I tested the MR5100-1TLAUS, basically an MR5100 optimised for Telstra's Network in Australia. The MR5100 is the device optimised for the AT&T network in the US. The MR5200 seems like an 'internationalised' version for other markets. From what I can see, the MR5200 supports more frequency bands used globally.
@@tobytravanner Just saw your reply, I guess since for now I will only be traveling the
us I am better off with the MR5100.. Thank you!
Thinking might be good for RV Motorhome? Thoughts ?
Hi Jeremy, a lot of whom we call 'Grey Nomad' in Australia us this sort of device. It's a perfect use case as it allows you to connect all of your devices via Wifi (as long as you don't have more than 32!) wherever you are. You'll just need to make sure you have a signal from your carrier where you are. Happy Motorhoming!
Hi Toby, I am at Brisbane as well. Just wondering what type of plans and sim you were getting from Telstra
Hey mate
I'm on an older 200GB SIM only plan for this device, but along with all my other SIMs on my account for phones and tablets etc, I get a total in excess of 700GB...which is plenty. I see they have a special at the moment for SIM only at $75 for 400GB. (Upfront Data Plan Large).
Just be careful, the smaller plans only give 4G access (as you would have seen in the video!)
Wow.. 800mbps... Here I am excited that we might get around 20-30mbps when our 5100 arrives.. LOL
Hey mate! I got close to 900Mbps the other day. when your M5 arrives, check to make sure you have a 5G SIM and a good signal. Speed really is a combination of the device's chipset, the carrier and their network, the number of devices on the cell at the time and of course, the distance from the cell and signal strength.
If you signal strength isn't good, try putting your M5 on a folded piece of al-foil or a baking tray. it acts like a ground plane and you'll boost the signal by a bar or so.
I hope it all goes well!
thanks for the review, is the M5 made in Taiwan or China?
Dumb question. What are you connecting at the other end of the Ethernet cable? How is the m5 connected to the Internet. ~Durrr.
My favourite questions!!! So the M5 connects to the 'internet' via the 5G or 4G cellular signal. You would then normally connect your devices to it via wifi. I just wanted to ensure I was testing the 5G signal in it's purest form, and not be affecting it by the speed of the wifi connection. That's why I connected nay computer via the ethernet cable to remove that variable. Thanks JC!
Hello my question is how do I get the sims card and can I call any carrier like boost mobile or do it have to be at&t to activate it.
Hey mate. Where are you located? Since you mention AT&T, you might be in the US.
You're best to chat to the carriers which generally sell the M5. Netgear often works with particular carriers to ensure that the device is optimised for a carrier's network frequencies. For example, in Australia, the M5 is optimised for Telstra's network. You can still put a Vodafone SIM into it, but it be as fast.
It also depends on the 'deals' that are being offered so that you can get the most data and best speeds for your bucks.
Does the M1, M2.and M5 have the ability to create a access point from a existing internet connection for those individuals who are traveling and not wanting to trust.these public internet connections?
Can the Nighthawk M2 work without an inserted battery and as a fixed router? In other words, operate connected only to the power supply.
Thank you.
Hi Albert,
I've tried both the M2 and the M5 without a battery inserted, just a USB-C cable plugged into power and they both fire up fine. It's certainly one way to not overcharge the battery and to keep the recharge cycles down.
Hope that helps. Good luck!
@@tobytravanner Thank you very much!
@@asolepascual I also have both the M1 and M2, can confirm that they run just fine without the battery in.
good point, i intend to use it as a fixed device as well
I've got a ZTE MF-90 connected to a D-Link Archer 2100 via USB and it works a treat. I'm going to connected it to a Asus 68U then via cat to the D-Link.
My Xmas present it going to be a 5G unit, so thanks for the review.
Did you buy it unlocked.
These are the future as the NBN sucks and can't get near these speeds for the buck. 😁
Bloody hell you Aussies do well for 4g+ and 5g speeds.
Hi L G. Depends on the carrier and the amount of bandwidth, but yes, we're pretty lucky here. And this particular carrier has invested a ton of budget in both infrastructure and spectrum. I'm looking forward to breaking the 1Gbps barrier!!!!
Was finally able to get the nighthawk pro should be here probably within 2 days I think😁
Well done John! I see that the naming is a little different where you are. US? In Australia, it's just called the Nighthawk M5. I Do like the 'Pro' addition!
@@tobytravanner yep in us I tested the speed on my ps5 with 5ghz it hit 106mbps and with dualband 85 to 100
@@johnmcfirstley6234 what service provider can you use for it?
@@brandonjones8223 at&t is ok if u live in a 5g area
@@brandonjones8223 I bought mine from them Verizon is probably ok i think not sure about tmobile tho
Is this good for streaming in general by that i mean not just shows like netflix series. But also cloud computing? like game cloud gaming streaming I am considering to getting one.
Wilk getting the M5 improve signal strength over the m1?
What plan or company you use for your sim card that internet fast
Hi Jaquan. I'm in Australia and using the Telstra Network. Although they are not as cheap as the other carriers, their 4 and 5G implementation has significantly more coverage and their 5G is set up as a StandAlone network meaning you're more likely to get full capabilities. They're likely to move to millimetre wave over the next few years.
Where are you located?
@@tobytravanner I'm in the United States would I get that speed?
Hey @Speedbooster, I'm sorry I've only just seen this question embedded in this thread.
The answer is...it depends. Carrier network implementation, the amount of bandwidth spectra they have, proximity to cell, number of users, interference from other radio signals, and physical barriers like concrete walls etc all play a part in final speed. From what I've heard though, many users are at least getting in the low hundreds of Megabits per second...which is pretty good for day-to-day use.
My MR5100 is only getting 50 down and 10 up with 5 bars of 5g): idk why. Can you help me fix this?
Hey Gibby, If it's showing 5G on the unit, then it may be a carrier limitation. Where are you located and which carrier are you with?
I’m looking to get one of these for gaming and I love the speeds your getting! Also is there a data cap? How and where would I get a no cap high speed plan?
Hey TwkdFZ, it all depends on the carrier that you connect with? So it's not about the device, it's about the plan you get it with. Where are you in the world?
Does it support 5G?
Yes it does...with a 5G-enabled SIM. (I've seen you ask this question in other places, so I'll answer them all just in case!)
@@tobytravanner I’m located in the U.S. sorry for the very late reply!
@@tobytravanner Thanks m8 too late I’ve bought a new one 😂❤️❤️
Sorry if i sound dumb but im incredibly new to this kind of stuff but if i buy this ill get wifi right? i dont need to set it up with the wifi i already have?
Hey Miguel...not a dumb question at all. The M5 acts as a 5G cellular connection in one direction and (as in to the internet) and then acts as a wifi hotspot in the other direction (as in to you and your devices). So it can stand alone...
However, you can also connect it as an alternative internet connection (rather than a wired connection) to an existing wifi router, especially if your current wifi router is quite powerful and works well in your home/office. That may be a little more than just "plug it in" depending on what router you have. It may do so, or you might need a small data switch in between, using standard cat 5 cables (the standard 'blue' data cables).
Best you just try it as is, and see how you go. The wifi function on the M5 is pretty good and it will handle a lot of devices. It just depends on how many walls etc you have.
Thanks for your comment! Appreciate any likes or subscribes.
Hi Toby , pls make video on netgear aircard 797 vs netgear nighthawk m5. And pls tell we can use 4g net in m5.
Hey Divyansh, in addition to my other reply...
I will ask the Netgear guys, but I personally wouldn't buy the lower level of tech when there's a better option.
A couple of points: the 797 runs with a Cat13 chipset, meaning it'll pretty well max out at 400Mbps DL and around 100Mbps UL, even with a fantastic 4G signal from your carrier. It may be cheaper to buy, but I personally would prefer a device with a bit more 'future-proof' capabilities in the design. The M5 runs a Cat22 4G LTE SnapDragon chipset. For a start, that means it will run comfortably on a 4g network. It also means, again depending on your network, that it's theoretically capable of Gigabit speeds if your carrier had enough bandwidth. (I think the theoretical maximum is in excess of 2Gpbs). Plus, it has the 5G capability. Sub6 right now. Look out for new models offering mmWave in the future.
If I did a test, it'd be pretty simple. The M5 would seriously outperform the 797 as long as the carrier was up to it.
Also, wifi performance on the M5 should be better as well, being wifi 6.
Where are you located? Carriers often optimise devices t suit their network, so that may be worth considering as well.
All the best!
Hello Today, i have a question. Is the device unlocked to all network? Wanted to buy so just want to confirm. Im from fiji. Thanks
I'm in the United States, which company should I use to have that speed?
Hi Fernando. From what I can tell, Verizon has the fasted speeds (But that's because it used mmWave which the M5 is not yet supporting).
Next fasted infrastructure may be from Sprint. I think you should also look at coverage...it doesn't matter how fast it is, if you can't connect! (And Verizon doesnt currently have a lot of 5G Masts)
I think the only issue may be that the Nighthawk M5 M 5100 might be an exclusive to AT&T. The 'unlocked' version, the M5200 should be available soon, if it isn't already.
Have a look at this article to give you a better picture.
www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2020/05/28/5g-these-are-the-fastest-and-most-widely-available-5g-networks/?sh=5a8691cc1c29
Im a truck driver as well and im looking into this but I have a question…can I put a UNLIMITED data plan into this hotspot every carrier I go to tells me there is no unlimited plans available for a hotspot,,, meaning I get a certain amount of gigs a month and after I use that up it gets slower ,,,Is that how it supposed to be ?
I have 5g where I am but it performs way worse than the 4g in ping and jitter can you force 4g on this router?
Hi Ryan. Yes you can force to 4G. Tap on Settings>Broadband>Band Region>LTE Only to force it. Best of luck.
Does this work for smart TVs? And do I need a modern or router to connect it to?
Hey Kiana. I have my smart TV connected to it one of my locations. It just acts as a wifi router, so as long as your device can recognise it, you should be fine. Just be careful to have lots of data included in your plan. :-)
TT
Would there be any point in getting the M5 when u are in a 4G area (without getting any 5G soon because too far from tower also)?? .. But take u didn't get faster speed than M2? .. and wow 5g crazy speed lol darn 😅
Her @René. The M2 is an excellent unit that actually does very well in a 4G area. If you're not travelling around into 5G zones then the 4G-only M2 has an excellent chipset for 4G speeds. If you're quite a distance from the tower, then you might consider an external 6dB antenna or a direction antenna pointing at the nearest cell tower. I've used that set up before and was very happy with the result.
@@tobytravanner yes for sure need an antenna outdoor one... We've mostly been looking into the Poynting Xpol-2 5g as example... but also now a bit a Yagi one.. all directional ... but really don't know what is best.. She only has one tower she will be connected to
Mine was a Yagi. I was very happy with it.
Is the M5 capable of bridge / modem mode? I.E can I use it supply 5G internet to another router eg a UDM pro?
Hey 'The Grind'. Yes, that should be possible. It's called IP Passthrough Mode and it can be found in the WebUI under Mobile Router Setup. Best of luck!
How did you go trying IP Passthrough mode?
I am looking at getting one of these, as NBN solution in my street is woeful....
hey i just wanted to ask if the netgear nighthawk m2 supports 5g
Hey @projektz, the Nighthawk M2 has a chipset which doesnot support 5G. It supports many frequencies across the 3G and 4G spectra. If you want 5G, you'll have to go to an M5. Mind you, I was very happy with the M2 while I was using it.
@@tobytravanner ah thank you for your fast reply toby, I will keep that in mind i bought the m2 thinking it was 5g lol, ah well I guess I'll just buy a 5g router from my carrier store be abit cheaper, I can use the m2 for my travels :) thanks again mate great vid btw
i would be really greatful if you could test it on a ps4
Hi Spartan, sadly, and much to the total dismay of my 13y.o son, we don't have a PS4 in the house. However, as the M5 acts as a wifi hot spot, it's the device's speed that should actually be the same. it's be dependent on wether you hardwire a PS4 or use wifi to connect to the M5. And I have to say the wifi6 on the M5 is pretty good.
@@tobytravanner thanks mate your a legend
what speeds would you get without the routers(just on your phone, 4G signal)?
Hi Arjan, in the location I did the testing, I was regularly getting 180Mbps down and 30+ up on my Cat 16 iPhone XS on 4G LTE. I'll have to test my iPhone 12 when I'm next in the same spot.
I might also do a XS v 12 where I am at the moment, just to see how much difference there is between 4Gx and 5G here in Australia.
Nice, I was just wondering how much better signal you could get from a dedicated router than your phone
It'll be interesting, Arjan. Most of the time, it will be dependent on the Qualcomm chipset in the device v the phone. Both the iPhone 12 and the Nighthawk M5 use the same Snapdragon X55 modem. Sounds like a new test coming up!!! I'd personally stick to two devices as using your phone as a 'modem' will drain the battery pretty quickly and you saw in the video how big the battery is in the M5. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@tobytravanner so how does this work? Do u have to get a carrier or it comes ready to go?
Is there a way to check the IMEI of the Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100?
Hi Luis
Try one of these.
Device Label (remove back cover and battery)
TouchUI - Tap Settings>More>Device Information.
WebUI - Settings>Nighthawk M2 Status>Account.
TT :-)
hello I have 2 questions:
1 is it possible to turn it on without battery only with the cable and power supply?
2 how long does the battery last more than 1 day?
Thank you
Hey Dave! Good questions! I didn't know the answer to the first, I've just tried it. Pulled the battery out, plugged in the power cord...and all good!
As for the second question, for normal use I've managed to have it run a good 12 hours. It's less if I'm really hammering it though with a lot of up and downloads, but you could probably bank on a working day with normal use without having to recharge it.
Does it contain SIM card? If not what device could connect it with Ethernet with the lowest price?
Hi Again, same question, so same answer.
You have to get a SIM card from your local carrier. That's the whole idea, to have this as a portable device. You can plug it into an ethernet port of an already hard-line-connected router, but it seems redundant. Try out your local carriers to see which has the best cellular data plans, but balance up their coverage and network speeds. Cheap often means not-as-good.
Do you know how to do a carrier aggregation on the M5?
Hi ITaBS-Auckland! The M5 should do 'carrier aggregation' per se, automatically. As in 7x Carrier Aggregation based on the Qualcomm Cat 22 Chipset. Your username sounds pretty tech, so I sorry if you're aware of this already, but it will only grab available spectrum from one single carrier...who uses multiple available frequencies (depending on what the Telco has licensed).
The Telcos in Australia are only using Sub-6 for 5G at the moment (3.6GHz) but at much higher capacities and therefore lower requirements to aggregate. mmWave is on the roadmap for the future.
Carrier aggregation becomes more important when there's not a lot of available bandwidth, especially within the 4H spectra...so for example, take a 20MHz chunk from the 700MHz spectrum and then aggregate it with 10MHz from 2100MHz and 10 from 2600Mhz and you get 40MHz of available bandwidth, which should be good for a theoretical 200+Mbps in 4G.
Let me know if you think a video on this stuff (and a higher level of nerdiness) would be useful.
Can I use any SIM card?
Hi Marked Nephew5!. As long as the SIM is data-enabled, you should be fine. But check to make sure that your carrier has it set for 5G, otherwise you'll end up having the sms problem I did! See 12:12 in this video.
IS THIS A UNLIMITED DATA HOTSPOT IF YOU HAVE A SIM CARD ? Meaning can I use however much data I want throughout the month for the same price?
The device itself is completely irrelevant to your data usage and costs. That's up to you carrier and data plan too give out your data limits and cost
How many db down are you?
Can the ethernet port be used to supply internet from for example a hotel? (and maybe fallback to 5g).
Just so I dont have to purchase 1000 gb when I am on holiday
Hi Thomas, I'm not quite sure what you mean.
If you mean you you want to connect the M5 via a cat5 cable to a hotel's internet (via the (RJ45) port in your room), then all you're doing is using it as a wifi router/switch...you'll still be paying for hotel internet use as that's how your connecting to the internet.
If you use the M5 to connect to a local carrier, then you'll be using cellular data. This will be either by a local SIM you purchase in the country you're visiting (and you might be able to get a good deal), or international roaming using your current SIM and your carrier back at home, which more than likely will be extremely expensive.
In summary, there's no work around to paying for your data, unless you use free services in the hotel lobby or cafes. Sorry I cant give your better news.
Anyone else have a workaround, other than hacking an unprotected wifi hotspot?
Do you think this router could support gaming systems, phones and a laptop? I live in a hotel right now and their wifi is trash so I’m looking for something to help with our wifi needs.
Hey Taste the Rainbow, I think it could, depending on how many devices and how much bandwidth they're using. The M5 will do up 32 devices via wifi 6 but hotel walls can be pretty thick so positioning the hotspot so that it gets good cellular signal (probably near the window) but allows everyone to access it easily (probably towards the middle of the space), may be a juggle.
The main concern will be your carrier...how strong the 5G signal is where you are, and how many channels they have available and therefore how much bandwidth, but that'll be the same for a cable or fibre connection at a permanent dwelling too.
I use one of these in my apartment...
ua-cam.com/video/HvjC02RT2HA/v-deo.html
The Orbi is a mesh network wifi so it has a main unit (which I have connected via a 4G SIM) and a 'satellite' box. This doesn't mean it connects to the internet by a satellite feed, but is an extension to the main unit. Basically spreads the range of your wifi throughout your dwelling.
I'd recommend you do a Speedtest first, using your phones (both 4G and 5G is you can to see what bandwidth youre capable of getting. Know that the M5 has a chipset that will be at the faster end of the scale so unless you're using a brand new iPhone13 or the latest Samsung, it's likely to be faster than what you get on your phone.If you don't already have it, download the 'Speedtest by Ookla' app and use that.
I hope it goes well!
Planning on getting this for remote, mobile live streams. Would it be a good option?
Hey BeeSteadtyProductions. It's a great unit, as a piece of technology. I use it as a primary streaming device at the moment as my fixed line connection isn't as reliable as it needs to be. However, what's really important is the connection to the cellular network...distance from cell, number of other users, any interference etc. Plus the quality of the carrier's implementation. That said, if all of that is ok, then in my opinion, this unit will give you a good chance of having reliable live stream. Plus it has MIMO, has the option for external antennae, and depending on how many you have in your crew, can handle many devices simultaneously. The wifi component (wifi 6) is very strong as well. Battery life is also good.
Since you use an ATEM mini pro, I'd connect it via an ethernet cable and a switch, which you look like you already have. I use my M5 in a similar manner, and it's been excellent. Mind you, I'm in a very good coverage area with little congestion. I've been getting 800-900Mbps down and 80-90Mbps up, here in Queensland in Australia.
On another note, I'm interested to know how you stream and record simultaneously. I'm assuming g another unit?
@@tobytravanner hi Toby, the atem mini pro had hardware encoding to a rtmp address via ethernet and records to disc simultaneously. I have now upgraded to using both the mini extreme and mini pro in conjunction with one another
Yes, the 'Extreme' is on my list for the next purchase, making it easy to record and stream simultaneously.
@@tobytravanner atem mini pro can do that already 👍🏽
Not directly from the unit as far as I've been able to do. Once that USB port picks up either the streaming protocol or recording, its one or the other right? Can't split it. But I'm interested in how you do it now. Am I right in understanding that you stream via the USB into a computer, and then take the ethernet feed into another computer and record it from there?
Can I disable port forwarding
Hey @TommySotommayor's Momma!
Port forwarding is 'off' by default.
Maybe what you're seeing in the WebUI menu "PORT FORWARDING Enable ⬜" but the empty ⬜ means it is unselected.
Hope this helps. TT
Hello sir, I’ve watched your amazing video and I’m wondering how do you let your M2’s lock screen show data usage info? (3:33)
Is that exclusive to Telstra SIM card users or can be set in the settings? Thanks
Hi 楊宗錡 . The data usage info is specific to the Telstra SIM. I think it's a great feature. Thanks for your question! :-)
@@tobytravanner Ok, I get it. Thanks for your response. Too sad it’s exclusive to Telstra SIM
MMWave compatible?
Hi KM. Hmmm, I don't think so at the moment. I'll get one of the Netgear guys here to make a comment.
Hi KM Wong,
The MR5100 is Sub6 only
Do u use a outdoor antenna or just indoor?
G’day! The test was done with the unit ‘as is’. So no external antenna connected. Mind you, I had great signal coverage anyway so no need. I set up an external antenna for a friend who’s coverage was marginal without it and it made a huge difference.
@@tobytravanner1468 what indoor antenna do u recommend for it mate?
It all depends on your situation, plus we're now going out of my direct area of knowledge. The situation for my friend (ex-wife actually!), was her place was right on the transition point between great 3G coverage and poor 4G coverage. So we ended up putting up a 9dBi directional antenna on a pole on the roof, pointing towards a nearby cell tower.
So how many 'bars' of coverage do you get on your device right now?
@@tobytravanner 2
@@abdulrahmanalsharrad4954 Got it. Coverage is ok but not brilliant. Is that 5G?
Try these ideas first:
* make sure you don’t have any metallic blinds around. These can form a ‘Faraday Cage’ and impact your signal.
* try putting some folded aluminium foil or a metal baking tray under your device. These form a ground plane and can reflect radio waves back into your device.
* stand your device up. Are you using a nighthawk or something else?
* the closer you are to a window, the better it’ll be. Short radio waves don’t pass through walls and glass all that well. In fact, very high frequency 5G signals can even be affected by leaves on trees. That’s why most carrier antennas use beam forming to intensify signals.
If one of those ideas doesn’t help, then a small 3-6dBi MIMO antenna may help ( one for each port). Much better to have a MIMO antenna on a pole on your roof if you’re looking to really get a signal boost.
Toby r u there? This modem, can it be used without putting the battery in?
Hey @ThexBorg. Yes, I've tried it without the battery in and it works...as longs as it has power via a USB cable (obviously). It's a good idea if you have the device connected to power all the time and don't want to overload the battery over a period of time.
Out of curiousity sir, we do have 5g phone now a days. What is this for?
Hi Evan. I do have a 5G phone. But rather than bluetooth-connect to that and drain the battery, I use the M5 which has a cat22 chipset (faster), is a dedicated device (able to handle many connected devices which I sometimes need), and a large battery which, which a good signal, lasts be well over 10 hours. But yes, for some reason I don't have the M5 in my briefcase, then I'll use my phone (if I can't leach off a local wifi, which could be very slow anyway).
Thanks for your question. It just shows there's a solution for all of our particular needs. :-)
hi my son is a huge gamer we jus moved out of city ny to poconos pa were internet huge speed is limited and in some cases not covered in my area do u think he can get away with using a net gear on a PC he had optimum w 300 mbs pls advice
Hey Annie. It all depends on how fast the local cellular coverage is. Do you know what kind of connection your able to get... 4G or 5G?
Then, bluetooth your phone to a pc, and go to www.speedtest.net
Hit the 'GO' button and see what the speed is. You can also download the Ookla Speedtest app to your phone and do the test from your phone.
Once you've done that, you'll get an idea if a Nighthawk will be useful or not. It should be a little faster than your phone, but let's test the speed first.
Let me know how you go!
How do you open the back panel to insert the SIM card please? Any ideas?? Thanks!
Hey Stan, you'll see at 7:55 in the video, I pop the cover on. It's basically the opposite of that. Slip a fingernail under one of the corners and then another and then it should just pop off.
This may be a little off base but I really need your help. I am
currently using a 4 g cell phone from visible as my ISP, its working
fine with the exception that I can only use 1 device at a time. Do you
know of a router that I can connect wireless to the phones hot spot and
then connect my other devices (tv, pc & ipad) to the router? Your
help will be greatly appreciated.
Hey Jerry, I don't know of any that will work that way. I think what you're asking is if you can connect your phone (and its cellular connection) to a router, and then have multiple devices connect to that router. Phones are generally set up to 'hot-spot' a single device. Even a USB 'dongle'-style device that plugs directly into your computer isn't going to do it.
Sorry mate, you'll probably need to get yourself a dedicated cellular router like the ones in this video. All the best!
no antenna port i believe, is it a big concern in a pretty isolated zone ?
is it possible to disactivate 5g to benchmark 4g vs 5g, I'm not sure if 5g is available where I live
Hi Linkenparis. Two antenna ports on the bottom, hidden under silicon tabs. (see around 8:40 to see the ports).
And yes it is possible. If you get a 5G capable SIM, use that so if 5G is available it'll switch to it. However, if you're in a non-5G area, the M5 will automatically switch to 4G or even 3G if that's all is available. However, you can use the menu to disable 5G if you want to. The M5 is pretty good at switching to the best signal. If you want to see 4G speeds on the M5, use the M2 test (3:47 in the video) as a guide.
Best of luck!
@@tobytravanner ty very much for your answers, and you video !! there isn’t that much vidéos on this subject, but yours truly is the more precise one. did you try using antennas ?
I've used an external antenna on another device (a 4G netgear), in a location which was right on a border or a 4G-3G transition zone. Using a directional external antenna, pointed towards the local cell tower, kept the 4G signal constant as well as lifting it from 1-2 bars up to a constant 4-5 bars. If you're in a marginal area, I'd recommend talking to a local radio/antenna specialist to help you out.
I'm looking to get this for my home internet. What process or company can I go through to use this device and get fast 5g home internet? I cannot get it through tmobile or Verizon. Don't want satellite
Hey Dakota.
You can get the M5 unlocked now...model number MR5200, so many tech suppliers should have them. I'm guessing you're in the US, so you may still be able to get one from AT&T. Wherever you buy it from, you'll need a SIM and the right plan for you.
It may not be the most suitable device as a home internet if your place is large or has a lot of walls. It's going to have some coverage limitations inside as it's not designed specifically as a home internet router. The option there is to go with something like an Orbi which is designed to be used at home and still connects to the web by cellular, in this case 4G only, but it performs better in wifi for home use in my opinion.
A review for the Orbi is here:
ua-cam.com/video/HvjC02RT2HA/v-deo.html
All the best
TT
All these results are with same network sim ?
Hey AKD. Same network, same location, same SIM...for the first two device tests. Had to put in a 5G SIM to get the full capacity from the M5. Check out 12min12sec in the video to see what happened.
Hey Tobi, do you know any international carriers that can provide this sort of speed? Pricing should not be an issue as this would be for business purposes.
Hey Gonzalo, where are you located? (Country?) It all depends on how the carriers have implemented 5G.
@@tobytravanner I'm currently in Argentina but I'm thinking of traveling around Europe at some point
I've popped the question to the Netgear tech guys to see what carriers they come up with.
@@tobytravanner Thank you Toby, that's really appreciated 🙏
Hey @Gonzalo Szechter. I haven't heard back from the Netgear guys yet (and I haven't had time in the right time-zone to remind them), but I thought this info would be useful for you.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_5G_NR_networks
What's interesting is the amount of bandwidth in each spectrum. eg, in Australia, we see 30-100MHz which is one of the reasons for the speed. Argentina has 10-20MHz shareable so your max speed will likely be in the 100-200Mbps range, as a guess.
For Europe, there's a significant range of networks from different carriers, but I hear TIM has a very strong implementation of 5G, and here's an article backing that up.
www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3829678/tim-ranked-fastest-5g-network-in-europe
Seems slower than what we have in Australia however, but the listed bandwidth would show they should be capable of higher speeds.
If I hear anything more, I'll pop it in this thread.
As far as mmWave is concerned, the so called next generation of 5G, the jury is still out about the real world application of the infrastructure.
www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/verizons-5g-mmwave-network-has-a-tree-problem/2021/12/?campaign_uuid=e9d3eb15-7015-49c7-bbfa-58e5ae71241a&member_uuid=7d0ca64a-2be3-457d-896d-29a2f936c728&newsletter_event=pageview&
(Please tell your friends about what I do if they're interested, I have a bet with the Netgear guys that I'll hit 65,000 views on this video by end of March and gain more subscribers in the process.)
Hi I'm in the US my provider is AT&T what am I looking at in regards to speed towards gaming
Hey @Drunk Merc
Being in Australia, I'm not personally sure how the US carriers are stacking up at the moment. I hear that Verizon and T-Mobile have been faster in the past...however, all carriers seem to have much slower speeds than what we're getting down here. (as in around the 70-90Mbps range versus 250+Mbps regularly down here....I recently hit 917Mbps).
My suggestion would be to grab a 5G device or a phone and do a speed's (Ookla) and see how you go. Other factors like distance from cell, physical and radio interference and how many others are on the channel will make a huge difference, so it'd be wise to test your personal conditions before buying an M5.
Best of luck!
@@tobytravanner Thanks also should have mentioned that the city I'm in has more AT&T towers than verizon or t-mobile
That's good news. More towers generally mens less contention and channel congestion. See how you go with Speedtest.
Hi Toby, could you tell Me what Carrier's Sim should I be using to get 5G with this? I just purchased an unlocked one
Where are you located Omega1andonly? TT
@@tobytravanner Along the border of South New Jersey & Philadelphia PA
So @Omega1andonly, being in Australia, I haven't personally experienced the 5G speed variations in the US.
But here are some factors to look out for.
When the carriers mention the following, it means this:
* 'Ultra capacity' or 'Ultra wideband' or something like it will likely mean they are using millimetre wave = very fast but quite susceptible to interference, which means you'll need a good strong signal.
* Sub6, meaning sub 6GHz, meaning slower but less prone to interference. My last speed test here in Australia managed 921 Mbps on sub-6 so it's still pretty damn fast
* 4GLTE will still be very good.
* Avoid a carrier which only has 2/3G coverage in any area you're interested in. (eg, around the corner of the NJTPK and Cooper st on T-Mobile)
AT+T has impressive Sub-6 5G coverage but nothing in the 5G+ (ultra) in your area yet.
www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html?source=ECAuAT10600aff12A&wtExtndSource=100048248&CI=CJ_AFFILIATE&RI=CJ1&RD=37922269&tfn=aff&cjevent=d54604dd264311ec8020ddda0a1c0e11
T-Mobile looks pretty good
www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map
Verizon seems to be ok
www.verizon.com/coverage-map/
So, Have a look at the coverage maps for exactly where you live and where you'll be using the M5, and then compare their data plans to make a decision. If you were in Australia, I'd be much more direct, but I'm sure you'll find the right balance between speed, data alliance and price.
All the best!
How much cost....
Hey there Rj A. It all depends on where you are and what plan you buy it on from your carrier. Check your local Netgear page in your country for an outright purchase cost, or see if one of your carriers have a 'bundle' deal when you pay a monthly fee for data and pay off the device over 12 or 24 months. What country do you live in?
Do you have a 5G sim,
Hey Anthony, Yes, I put in a 5G SIM card...as you might have seen at 12:12 in the video. It needs to have a 5G activated SIM, otherwise, all you'll get is 3 or 4G. Check with your carrier to make sure yours is 5G enabled.
Connect the antenna
I haven't tried with an external antenna as it doesn't seem to need it where I am. I've used a 6dB antenna in a marginal location on a previous Nighthawk M1, and it took signal strength from 2 bars to 4. So a big difference.
@@tobytravanner The antenna should be used to improve the signal characteristics , I do not know how 5g works , there is no such thing in Russia yet , but 4g should be used to pull out a stable signal, and QAM 256 should be stabilized , for a faster and more stable Internet.
Very good points @SKYFF! We use data and radio antennae on cars down in Australia. Like Russia, I'd imagine, we have very large areas of 'not-a-lot' outside of the cities, and because the terrain is relatively flat, not that many cellular base stations.
Geezus my ATT M1 has gotten a max of 71.6 megs being close to an ATT tower. I'm not running any torrents and it's 3:00pm and im getting 6 megs. Shit I just want 100 megs. So jealous of your massive speeds.
We are very lucky here in Australia ! Verizon seems to have the best speeds in the US, but problem is, they don't seem to have many 5G towers. Doesn't matter how fast it is if you can't even get a signal!
question..i get horrible speeds in my apartment... i have t mobile , im looking at the M5 or the Orbi 4g lte to buy 🤷🏾♂️?
Hi!
I'm assuming you're currently connected by a physical connection like cable. If you're currently using a cellular connection, then just check your signal strength as if that's poor, moving to an Orbi or an M5 may not help. If the signal is strong (and things like metal blinds on windows can affect signal as well), then it depends on what sort of experience you're looking for.
I use both. I like the Orbi as it has a mesh 'satellite' unit which means the wifi side of things is really strong and fast throughout my apartment. Have a look at this video if you haven't already.
ua-cam.com/video/3bQ6Wvlqvf4/v-deo.html
I use the M5 when I need ultimate speed or as my primary unit if I'm running a program via live-stream. The good thing about the M5 is that I can carry it around to other locations easily.
I'm sure T-Mobile have some good plans. Bets of luck! I hope it goes well.
@@tobytravanner thank u...for fast response , i currently have nothing in my apartment as for regular internet, but my signal inside the apartment is not good at all but i need some sort of home internet...the home internet is not a option in my area
How is the signal strength next to the window? If that's better, then either the M5 or the Orbi will be fine. Depends on how far away from the unit you wish to use your wifi (which is how you'll connect to the orb or M5).
If the signal strength is still poor, consider an external antenna too. Both units have antenna ports. Pop the antenna at the point of strongest signal...near the window, on the balcony if you have one.
And if your area doesn't have 5G, you might also consider an M2, really good 4G connection and should be a lot cheaper.
@@tobytravanner man u the best ...i definitely subbed🙏🏾
@@tobytravanner im definitely sending back my cudy 1200 4g lte sim router , and buying one of these instead
Can I use Optus as the carrier or does it have to be Telstra?
Hi Matthew, at the moment, in Australia, the M5 seems to be exclusive to Telstra. But the word on the street is that exclusivity will run out sometime soon. I haven't tried sticking another carrier's SIM in it, so I'm not sure if they'll work.....as yet. I can ask the guys at Netgear.
Quick update. It's not locked to Telstra, although it is optimised for Telstra's network spectrums (spectra?). So it'll work on an Optus SIM but may not give you the same experience.
@@tobytravanner what carriers can you use for in USA for the M5?
Sorry I missed this earlier. The US version of the M5 is optimised for AT&T but it should also work on the others. I hear Verizon has good 5G coverage and speeds.
Hi, just sharing my experience:
I tried using iinet sim card in the M5 and it works, just different speed rate. Here are the results when i run the speedtest:
Telstra sim card in M5:
Download 664mbps
Upload 102mbps
iinet sim card in M5:
Download 74mbps
Upload 60mbps
iinet sim card in my iphone:
Download 92mbps
Upload 52mbps
Cheers
Does this work with T Mobile Sim Cards?
Hey @airfrank3000
It should work fine as long as the M5 you have is not locked or optimised for the AT&T network. Might be a good idea to check with your carrier just to make sure.
Best of luck!!!
Toby Travanner Yea I keep getting this message that says “mobile broadband is disconnected”. I’ve contacted my provider and they confirmed the SIM card was activated. I have no clue what to do now :(
Let me ask one of the Netgear guys I know on Monday.
In the meantime, have you done all the usual stuff?
* Make sure the M5 is not locked to AT&T. (Where did you buy it from?)
* Switch off
* taken the battery out
* checked the SIM in a phone (just in case)
* Re-insert the SIM (check orientation)
* Power up
* see if, at least, the wifi component is working.
I'll let you know what I discover
TT
Toby Travanner Yup I did all of those. I forgot to mention I also have an AT&T 5g SIM card for data as well, and it doesn’t work either. As for the WiFi component it works just fine too. Let me know what your friend say. Thanks!
Someone from Netgear will be commenting soon. Where did you buy the unit from? When chatting to my local Netgear contact, we initially throught it was a 'locked AT&T device, but your comment mentioning you also tried an AT&T SIM which also didnt work. It may need to have the APN 'pointing in the right direction' but let's see what the Netgear guys mention. Stand by...
My 2yo eats 100MB for breakfast🥱
100MB? or 100Mbps? Sounds like your 2yo is going to keep you on your toes. (Like all of them...wait until they hit 14!!!)
Nice gadget, but silly extreme expensive with around 850€/£ 900$...
I hope noone buys until price is reasonable.
For this money you get highclass 5g smartphones and repeater as accesspoint.
Wow Pandabaer...that's expensive over in the UK! $699 Australian dollars outright from one of the carriers here. Works out around GBP390. Less than half price.
You can use a 5G phone, but it'll drain your battery pretty quickly. The other useful thing about this type of hotspot is you can have a bunch of users on it if need be, if you're using is as a temporary office, or worksite router without the repeater. But, yeah, the business case would need to be pretty good to pay GBP900.
@@tobytravanner ... the people misunderstand something.... 99% where you use internet as in hotels cars and caravans, electricity is available (12 or 230 (120usa)volt) so who cares if the hotspot uses energy...
...just connect.
And i think normally noone uses long time internet in the wild without external energy. A pure mobile or tablet is more comfortable.
Seems like you guys don't work in Cafes as much as we do here! Granted, it's up to personal preference, and you version seems to work best for you.
I get somewhere between 8 and 12 hours on the M5...if I'm out with clients all day (no lockdowns here right now), in different offices, or in cafes etc, I'll just leave it in my briefcase and I'm connected as soon as I open my laptop, without having to worry about looking for a power outlet. It's just convenience for me.
It's true what they say about today's hierarchy of needs. Power, then wifi, then the rest of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs!
Thanks for your comments :-)
@@tobytravanner i dont know how it is in the us , but here ( i speak for germany and greece) cafes mostly offer free energy ( at least if you ask)
I never had problems .
Ah, here in the backwoods of Australia, power is free in cafes as well. (LoL) It's all about trying to find an outlet when you're basking in the sunshine at an alfresco table enjoying the perfectly made macchiato.
Frankly, I just can't be bothered looking to find a table next to a power outlet if I don't have to. ;-)
NETGEAR HAS FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS. LTE CAT20 IS NOT WORKING. IT CAN'T EVEN HANDLE TWO LTE BANDS AT THE SAME TIME. I JUST WASTED MONEY ON THIS USELESS DEVICE.
Where are you based Alejandro?
Before I give you some ideas, the M5 is Cat22 (not Cat 20), and I've had enough aggregation (so at least 2 bands simultaneously) to create the speeds you see in the video.
I've had extremely positive results in Australia, both on 4G LTE as well as 5G. It may actually be your carrier perhaps? Grab a 5G (or even a 4G) phone, and do a field test with it.
Using an iPhone, type in *3001**#12345**#* (and start a call) and see what comes up. On a Samsung, use *#0011#.
You're looking for Serving Cell Info and then Band Info.
Two items to look for the Band itself and then the amount of bandwidth.
Bands:
3 = 1800Mhz
28 = 700Mhz
5 = 850Mhz
1 = 2100Mhz
7 = 2600Mhz
I've had best results when it's carrier aggregation with Band 3 as the primary carrier.
Re: bandwidth...anything less that 20Mhz will mean a slower experience.
So it may not be the device. At least if you've just bought it, you can return it, but in my experience the device is fine...it's probably something else. (or you may just have a dud unit, so take it back).
And mate, no need to 'shout' in capitals, it's the holiday season. Feliz Navidad!
Fake advertising
In what way, Alex? I don't work for Netgear, and they were actual Speedtest results. Trying to work out where you're coming from. I've had it for over a year now, in fact I'm connected using it now, and couldn't be happier. (Remember, the choice of carrier makes a huge difference as well).