Nighthawk 4G Modem Router MR1100

OK so this was second attempt with a Netgear Nighthawk MiFi router. Initially I got the more advanced (and expensive) M2 version but I was unable to get that to work. So it was a toss-up get another M2, M1 or something else entirely, in the end went with the cheaper M1 version. Completely different experience to previous M2. Insert SIM, battery & charge for couple of hours. Use iPhone to connect to it's WiFi network and all was good, iPhone connected and connected onwards to internet straight away with no further intervention. It picked up the APN settings automatically something the M2 failed to do. I was going to deducted a star because I was unable to get the Netgear App designed to manage the device to connect to it. However this isn't essential as once set up you can log into the router through a web browser and manage it there. Just put it's IP address (192.168.1.1) into your browsers address (URL) bar and hit enter. Once into the user interface I finished the set up there. So on balance the App probably doesn't add much anyway... I actually got this for my elderly Dad who's in a care home that dosent provide residents with internet access so this device is to give him internet access on his devices principally Netflix. Pleased to report that it's doing this well and he says there's now no buffering and the picture quality is much improved over previous device. I suspect the provision of a single ethernet port on the device which I used to connect to his TV helps here. In fact the ethernet port was one of the reasons I picked the Netgear Nighthawk M1. Only been in use for a couple of hours but at this point working well, I'll edit this review if anything changes my view on this product. On balance I think the M2 version I ordered first and returned was just a bad copy, unusual but stuff happened and nothing is perfect 100% of the time.

I work in IT remotely in the Scottish Highlands with local BT broadband delivering insufficient speeds for both download and (increasingly important for zoom/teams calls) upload. Hence the need for a 4G router. This unit, in conjunction with a Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0002 directional antenna is making the most of the two bar signal from the nearest mast on the EE network. Typical download speed is 70 mbs but I’ve seen 123 recently! Upload is consistent at about 10mbs. My work colleagues in different cities/towns in the UK can’t believe it when I screenshare the results of a speedtest (and neither can I). Like some other reviewers it did seem to take a lot more fiddling (and frustration) to setup than I’d expect. It really ought to just be a case of popping in the SIM and away you go, but for some reason it wasn’t straightforward. My top tip, if you’ve just got yourself a new SIM is to put it in your phone and do the initial activation & top up there FIRST to ensure the SIM is fully working. Only once you’re 100% sure that the SIM is working should you then proceed to use that SIM in this device. It’s only a hunch but I think that may have been the cause of some of my initial setup trauma. The unit itself feels really solid & well made. Being battery powered means it will keep working for a number of hours (I think the claim is 7?) without mains power- handy if used at home with possible power cuts. The app that comes with it (or the website used for config) has all of the features you’d expect. I use the unit as effectively our full time home router and have it plugged into the mains at all times, without the battery in place. (The battery is fully charged and just left to one side in case of power cuts - pop it in and within a couple of minutes the router is back up again). Batteries are not meant to have power flowing through them constantly and some users have reported the battery getting too hot (causing the device to shut down) and even becoming misshapen/leaking under prolonged constant charging. So if you’re planning on leaving it on all the time, I’d strongly suggest leaving out the battery. It’s important to realise that the supplied USB charger does NOT provide sufficient power to charge the unit if it is also under heavy active use at the same time. This can lead to the device powering off randomly and I suspect is the cause of some of the dissatisfaction from some users. Simply purchase a decent charger (for about £15) to solve that problem. I bought a “Quick Charge 3.0, Anker 18W 3Amp USB Wall Charger (Quick Charge 2.0 Compatible) Powerport+ 1” device from Amazon. So, ensure you use a SIM that’s already setup, buy a decent charger, and don’t leave the battery in (if you’re leaving it on constantly as a home router) and my experience has been that it’s a cracking little device and worth the extra money over cheaper devices.