Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 Gigabit LTE Router

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

Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem

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

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

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

Gigabit at LAN and WLAN

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

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

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

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

For world travel only partially suitable

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

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

Price and availability

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

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 – Fastest LTE Router Test

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 LCD Screen

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 back cover

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 interfaces

 

Good workmanship and shiny surface

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 external antenna connectors

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 side

 

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 SIM card slot

 

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

 

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

 

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 data used

Other features

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

 

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

Netgear Nighthawk M2 MR2100 settings options

 

Good performance even in mobile operation

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

 

 

Conclusion: Good hotspot with slight weaknesses

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

 

Huawei E5885 VS Netgear Aircard 790s

We had introduced the Huawei Cat6 Pocket WiFi one month ago. As a new 4G+ Cat6 MiFi, Huawei E5885Ls-93a was added to the Cat6 router list. However, there are many similar 4G LTE pocket WiFi in the market. Netgear Aircard 790s is one of the LTE Cat6 MiFi routers. Somebody had asked what the difference is between the Huawei E5885Ls-93a and Netgear AC790S and which one is better to buy. Today we will take a comparison of the two mobile router and find the answers.

Huawei E5885Ls-93a VS Netgear AC790S Appearance

If you had read our blog about Netgear mobile hotspot, you may know the Netgear Aircard 790s is in a typical design of a Netgear mobile hotspot. It has a touchscreen and it’s the first 4G LTE Pocket WiFi router with a touchscreen. Users can do simple settings from the display. There are a power button and two connectors for high gain LTE antenna. The back cover could be moved to insert SIM card and change the battery.

 

Unlike Netgear AC790S, Huawei E5885Ls-93a has only a small display to show the connection status. Users cannot do the settings through the display. Different from other Huawei 4G portable router, Huawei E5885Ls-93a is very thick, perhaps because of the large built-in battery packs. The battery of Huawei E5885Ls-93a could not be removed but the back cover could be removed to insert SIM card and SD storage card. Huawei E5885Ls-93a has also an Ethernet port, USB input and output ports, a WPS button and Power button.

Netgear AC790S VS Huawei E5885Ls-93a Specifications

From the appearance, we can see the Huawei E5885 and Aircard 790s are very different. Then let’s have a comparison of Huawei E5885Ls-93a Specs and Netgear AC790S Specs:

Model Huawei E5885Ls-93a Netgear Aircard 790s
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot with Ethernet port LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.6
Chipset Hisilicon LTE Cat6 chipset Qualcomm MDM9230
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41
B1, B3, B7, B8, B28
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 32 users 15 users
MIMO 2 X 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna No connector Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna N/A Netgear AC790s External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP 3.0 Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Non-removable, 6400mAh Removable, 2930 mAh
Dimensions  112.00 x 69.20 x 23.00mm 110 x 68 x 15 mm
Ethernet Port On port for WAN/LAN port(RJ-45) No
Datasheet download Huawei E5885 Datasheet Netgear AC790S Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5885 Manual Netgear Aircard 790s manual
Other features Power bank, CA, NFC 2 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5885 Firmware Netgear AC790S Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5885 driver Netgear AC790S driver
Reviews Huawei E5885 Review Netgear Aircard 790s review
Price 279.00USD 179.00USD

 

Summary

The two Cat6 pocket WiFi routers both could support peak download speed up to 300Mbps. Huawei E5885Ls-93a seems more powerful on other points:

  1. Supports more LTE frequency bands including the bands in North American areas
  2. Support up to 32 wireless devices which are double of the qty from Aircard 790s
  3. Larger battery up to 6400mAh, and it can charge other devices
  4. The Ethernet port supports LAN/WAN and very useful
  5. NFC functions for easy WiFi connection

 

However, Huawei E5885Ls-93a doesn’t have the connectors for external antennas, which Netgear Aircard 790s has. Since Huawei E5885 is a new model with powerful and practical functions, the price is more expensive than Netgear Aircard 790s price. So if you just need a decent pocket WiFi for daily use, the Netgear AC790S is enough. But if you want the pocket WiFi has more function to meet your requirements, Huawei E5885Ls-93a is worth buying.

TP-Link M7650 VS Netgear Nighthawk M1

More and more network providers are upgrading their LTE networks to LTE advanced or LTE-A pro. So many users are demand high-level LTE mobile hotspots to get as fast speeds as possible from the LTE-A or LTE-A pro networks. TP-Link M7650 and Netgear Nighthawk M1 are the most advanced 4G Portable WiFi routers from TP-link and Netgear. If you are in trouble to buy one from the two, you may check below details about the difference between Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 and TP-link M7650.

 

Netgear Nighthawk M1 VS Huawei M7650 Appearance and Interfaces

As portable 4G routers, Netgear Nighthawk M1 and TP-link M7650 are both in small size, which could be easily taken in a hand or a pocket. The Netgear Nighthawk is a little bit thicker than that of M7650. Unlike its predecessor mobile hotspots from Netgear 4G LTE modem, the Nighthawk MR1100 doesn’t have a touchscreen. The round display will show the important information for the connection. A user can switch the information by pressing the power button on the top edge side. There is also a USB port and an Ethernet port available with two connectors for 4G LTE MIMO Antenna. The back cover could be opened to remove the battery and insert the SIM card.

 

Following the design of TP-link 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, the TP-link M7650 has a small display which is also not a touchscreen. It can show the connection status and other parameters. Users can switch the menu by pressing the two buttons(Power and Menu buttons) at the two side of the display. The back cover of TP-link M7650 could also be opened and the battery could be removed. The SIM card and SD card slots are located together. The

 

 

TP-Link M7650 VS Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 Specs and Features

It’s disappointing that both the two LTE-A pro mobile hotspots don’t have touchscreen. And the top mobile hotspot TP-Link M7650 4G doesn’t have connectors for external LTE antennas. Then let’s have a comparison of the Netgear Nighthawk M1 Specs and TP-link M7650 Specs:

 

Model Netgear Nighthawk M1 TP-Link M7650
Product type 4G hotspot with Ethernet Port LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.11
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9x50 Qualcomm MDM9240
Data rates DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands Telstra Nighthawk M1: Band 1/3/7/8/28
AT&T Nighthawk M1:  Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66
Hong Kong Nighthawk M1: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41
B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40, B41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 20 users 32 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks No
Buy Antenna Netgear Nighthawk M1 External Antenna No
App management Netgear Aircard APP tpMiFi APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 5040 mAh Removable, 3000 mAh
Dimensions 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm 112.5 x 66.5 x 16mm
Ethernet Port On port for LAN port(RJ-45) No
Datasheet download Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet TP-link M7650 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual TP-link M7650 User Manual
Other features 4 band CA, JumpBoost 3 band CA
Firmware download Nighthawk M1 Firmware TP-link M7650 Firmware
Drivers Nighthawk M1 Driver TP-link M7650 driver
Reviews Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review TP-link M7650 review
Price 459.00USD 469.00USD

 

 

Summary

It’s obvious that the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is better than TP-link M7650. Nighthawk M1 could support peak download speed up to 1Gigabit/s while TP-link M7650 supports peak download speed up to 600Mbps. Netgear Nighthawk M1 had presented three variant models to different countries. They support more LTE network frequency bands, so the Netgear Nighthawk M1 Unlocked could be used with more network carriers. With the larger capacity of the battery, Netgear Nighthawk M1 could not only support longer working time but also could charge other devices like a mobile power bank. In addition to the Ethernet port, Netgear MR1100 also has two connectors for external antenna, which would be very useful to improve network signal if it’s used in weak signal areas. The only advantage of TP-link M7650 is that it could support maximum users up to 32 devices, which is more than supported users from Netgear Nighthawk M1. And the TP-link M7650 price is higher than the Netgear M1 price. In our opinion, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is highly recommended rather than TP-link M7650.

Huawei E5788 VS Netgear AC815s

AT&T Unite Explore was an old 4G LTE Pocket WiFi router coming from Netgear AC815S and it had been a popular pocket WiFi router when it’s available in the market with AT&T contract. Here it has a new competitor from Huawei – E5788u-96a. Huawei E5788u-96a was available around the end of 2017 and it becomes the hot model when it’s firstly presented to the public. Somebody may ask: what’s the difference between Huawei E5788u-96a and Netgear AC815S? Which one is better to buy in the two LTE hotspot 4G? We will compare the two portable 4G routers in this article to find the answers.

Huawei E5788 VS Netgear AC815S Appearance and Interfaces

The Netgear AC815S follows the design of the Netgear LTE mobile hotspot router, as it’s introduced to AT&T data plan, there is an AT&T logo on the front with the screen. The touchscreen could be used to check the data, network connection status, WiFi users, and battery status and do some simple setting by clicking home and back buttons at the side of the display. Like its brother model Netgear AC810S unlocked, the back cover of AT&T Unite Explore could be opened and the battery could be removed to insert the SIM card. There is a USB port with two connectors for external LTE antennas.

The Huawei E5788 LTE Router also has a display to show the connection status, WiFi status, battery status and other information about data usage, network provider, and signal etc… There is a button at the side of the display. The user could operate the touchscreen like doing on a smartphone. This feature is very user-friendly. There is an only power button on the top edge side while the opposite locate the SIM card slot. The back cover of Huawei E5788 could not be removed. And it doesn’t have the connector for high gain LTE antennas.

 

AT&T Unite Explore VS Huawei E5788u-96a Specs and Features

From the appearance, we can see the two mobile WiFi hotspots are different. Then let’s have a comparison of the Huawei E5788u-96a specs and Netgear Aircard 815s specs:

 

Model AT&T Unite Explore 815S Huawei E5788u-96a
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.9 LTE Cat.16
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9240 Qualcomm MDM9250
Data rates DL 450Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B29, B30 * FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 15 users 32 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks No connector
Buy Antenna AT&T Unite Explore External Antenna N/A
App management Netgear Aircard APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 4340 mAh Non-removable, 3000mAh
Dimensions 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm 129 x 65 x 13.5mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download AT&T Unite Explore 815s Datasheet Huawei E5788 Datasheet
User Manual AT&T Unite Explore Manual Huawei E5788 Manual
Other features 3 band CA 4CC CA
Firmware download ATT Unite Explore Firmware Huawei E5788 Firmware
Drivers ATT Unite Explore drivers Huawei E5788 Driver
Reviews AT&T unite explore review Huawei E5788 Review
Price 349.00USD 499.00USD

 

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the Huawei E5788u-96a is more advanced than Netgear AC815S Unlocked. As an LTE-A pro mobile hotspot, Huawei E5788u-96a could support peak download speed up to 1Gigabit/s, which is more than double of the Netgear AC815S peak download speed. Netgear AC815S is more suitable to use in American areas because the supported LTE frequency bands are widely available in American areas. If you use the AT&T Unite Explore in the area out of AT&T service, you must make sure the ATT Unite Explore is SIM unlocked. The Huawei E5788u-96a is also powerful to support the network providers in American, Aisa, Europe and the Middle East. With the support of 4 x 4 MIMO and WiFi users to 32 devices, Huawei E5788u-96a is the best 4G mobile WiFi router in the market.

 

Even though the Huawei E5788 is best 4G MiFi, Netgear AC815 still has some highlighted features that we have to mention. Firstly, it’s in rugged design which is water and dust proof. This feature makes it perfect to the user in outdoor activities. The two connectors for external LTE antennas is also useful if you use it in areas of weak signal. What’s more, the large battery pack of Netgear 815S could work like a power bank to charge other devices if necessary. So if you would buy one from the two routers. You may consider your demand. The Netgear AC815S is more practical for daily use but Huawei E5788u-96a is future-proof with a higher price.

Huawei E5788 VS Netgear AC810s

Many people may have known the Netgear Aircard 810s 4G mobile WiFi hotspot because it has been available for years in many countries. Huawei E5788 is a new 4G LTE Modem available recently; so many people may don’t know this new pocket WiFi router. Here also comes a new question: what’s the difference between the Huawei E5788 and Netgear AC810S? And which one is better to buy in the two MiFi router 4G? Today, we will compare the Huawei E5788 and Netgear Aircard 810s to find the answers.

 

Huawei E5788 VS Netgear AC810S Appearance and Interfaces

If you are familiar with Netgear LTE modem, you may know the Netgear aircard series have very similar feature. On the front of Netgear Aircard 810s, there is a LED touchscreen with a home and back button at the side of the screen. The power button is on the top side while the opposite side locates the USB port for charging and two connectors for external 4G LTE antennas. The back cover could be removed to change the battery and insert the SIM card.

 

The latest Huawei E5788 is thinner than Netgear AC810S. It also has a touch screen to do settings and show the connection status. The power button is on the top side while the SIM card slot and USB port at the opposite side. But there is no connector for external antennas. Unlike the Aircard 810s, the Huawei E5788 battery is non-removable like the predecessor Huawei E5786.

 

Netgear AC810S VS Huawei E5788 Specs and Features

From the appearance, we can see the Huawei E5788 and Netgear AC810S are very different. Then let’s have a check the Huawei E5788 specs and Netgear AC810S specs for a comparison:

 

Model Huawei E5788u-96a Netgear Aircard AC810s
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.11
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9250 Qualcomm Snapdragon X12
Data rates DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42
B1, B3, B7, B8, B28
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 32 users 15 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna No connector Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna N/A Aircard 810s External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Non-removable, 3000mAh Removable, 2930 mAh
Dimensions 129 x 65 x 13.5mm 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download Huawei E5788 Datasheet Netgear AC810S Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5788 Manual Telstra 4GX Advanced III Manual
Other features 4CC CA 3 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5788 Firmware Aircard 810s Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5788 Driver Aircard 810s driver
Reviews Huawei E5788 Review Netgear Aircard 810s review
Price 499.00USD 249.00USD

 

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the Huawei E5788 is more advanced than Netgear AC810S. The Huawei E5788u-96a could support peak download speed up to 1Gbit/s while Netgear AC810S supports peak speed to 600Mbps. They both have only one variant model now. Huawei E5788 could support more LTE frequency bands than that of Netgear Aircard 810s. Huawei E5788 supports the maximum of up to 32 users with 4 x 4 MIMO while Netgear AC810S supports the maximum of up to 15 users with 2 x 2 MIMO. However, Huawei E5788 doesn’t have the connectors for an external antenna. The Netgear Aircard 810s has two TS-9 connectors for external LTE antennas.

From the specs, there is no doubt that Huawei E5788 is better to buy than Aircard 810s. However, the Huawei E5788 price is much higher than Netgear AC810S price. Considering the decent good specs of Aircard 810s, we think Netgear AC810S is a budget mobile router with comparably good specs for daily use. So if the Huawei E5788 price is out of your budget, Netgear AC810S is good to buy.

TP-Link M7450 VS Netgear Aircard 790s

We had introduced the Best Buy LTE Cat.6 Portable 4G Routers, but more LTE Cat.6 routers are available in the market now. TP-link M7450 is the new Cat.6 router for pocket use. Many people may know the world’s first LTE Cat.6 mobile router Netgear Aircard 790s, but may not know the features of the new TP-link M7450. Somebody may ask: what’s the difference between Netgear AC790S and TP-link M7450? Which one is better to buy? We will compare the two mobile WiFi hotspots to conclude answers for you.

TP-Link M7450 VS Netgear AC790S Appearance and Interfaces

As the world’s first 4G LTE Mobile WiFi hotspot with LTE Cat.6, the Netgear AC790S is also the world’s first LTE Pocket WiFi with a touchscreen. Users can see the connection status and do some basic settings through the screen. Like other Netgear LTE mobile hotspot router, Aircard 790s has two connectors for external antennas. The USB port is in the middle of the two antenna connector. The power button is at the opposite side. Like the latest ATT Nighthawk Hotspot, the back cover of Netgear 790s could be removable and the battery is also removable for changing or inserting the SIM card.

The latest TP-link M7450 doesn’t have a touchscreen, there is a home button and power button at the two sides of the screen. Users can do the settings through the two buttons. Frankly speaking, the feature is not as good as Netgear Aircard 790s touchscreen. Like other TP-link 4G mobile WiFi, there is one USB port at the edge side but no connector for external antennas, which is not good for users who are located at areas with weak signals. The back cover of TP-link Pocket WiFi M7450 could be removed, so as the battery.

 

Netgear Aircard 790s VS TP-Link M7450 Specifications and Features

From the appearance, we can see the Netgear AC790S is more user-friendly, the touchscreen and the connectors for external antennas are highlighted. Then let’s have a comparison of Netgear AC790S specs and TP-link M7450 Specs:

 

Model Netgear Aircard 790s TP-Link M7450
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.6
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9230 Qualcomm
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B1, B3, B7, B8, B28 B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40, B41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 15 users 32 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks No
Buy Antenna Netgear AC790s External Antenna No
App management Netgear Aircard APP tpMiFi APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 2930 mAh Removable, 3000 mAh
Dimensions 110 x 68 x 15 mm 112.5 x 66.5 x 16mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download Netgear AC790S Datasheet TP-link M7450 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear Aircard 790s manual TP-link M7450 User Manual
Other features 2 band CA 2 band CA
Firmware download Netgear AC790S Firmware TP-link M7450 Firmware
Drivers Netgear AC790S driver TP-link M7450 driver
Reviews Netgear AC790s review TP-link M7450 review
Price 179.00USD 289.00USD

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the TP-link Pocket WiFi M7450 and Netgear AC790S are both LTE Cat.6 router with Qualcomm chipset. They can both support download speed up to 300mbps. Netgear Aircard 790s is more user-friendly with the touch screen but they both could be managed through the APP. TP-link M7450 supports more WiFi users up to 32 while Aircard 790s supports only 15 users. TP-Link M7450 supports more LTE frequency bands which makes it work with more network providers’ SIM card. Other features of TP-link M7450 and Netgear 790S are very similar: similar size, similar battery feature. However, the TP-link M7450 price is very high compared with similar 4G LTE Cat.6 Mobile WiFi routers such as  Huawei E5786 and ZTE MF970, perhaps because it’s a new model. The old model Netgear AC790s price is almost only the half of M7450 price. So the Netgear AC790S mobile hotspot is highly recommended considering the performance, user experience and price.

Netgear Nighthawk M1 VS Huawei B618

More and more LTE advanced Pro devices are available in the market because most of the LTE-A pro devices are new, when the users try to buy one LTE advanced Pro gadgets for personal use, they may feel confused because they may not be familiar with the specs of the LTE devices. Netgear Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 are two latest new LTE Advanced Pro routers. Somebody may ask: what’s the difference between Huawei B618 and Nighthawk M1 LTE router? Which one is better to buy? We will take a comparison between the two LTE-A pro routers to find the answers for potential users.

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Appearance

If you are familiar with Netgear 4G Mobile WiFi routers, you may get to know Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot router. As the upgraded model from Netgear AC810S mobile router, the Nighthawk LTE mobile hotspot router adopted a new design different from the predecessors in Aircard series. On the front, there is a 2.4-inch screen in round shape with two LED indicators to show the battery and signal status. It looks cool in black color and can be handed in one hand, but it’s thicker than a normal 4G pocket WiFi router. It’s a mobile WiFi router which can be taken outdoor and work on the go.

 

If you had used Huawei E5180 LTE Cube, you will not feel strange about the Huawei B618 Router design. Unlike a traditional 4G WiFi router, the Huawei B618 is in a shape of a cube and in white color. When it stands at your home, you may though it’s a kind of fashion furniture actually its function is a WiFi router with Ethernet port. The body of Huawei B618 is much larger than Nighthawk M1 but it’s stationary router without battery. It has to work with power adapter.

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Interfaces

As a mobile WiFi router, the Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot router could be used at home or for outdoor activities. In the display, it would show the connection status. The power button is on the top edge side while on the opposite side locates the USB ports and Ethernet port. It’s the world’s first LTE Advanced pro mobile hotspot with Ethernet port. The back cover could be opened and the battery is removable for exchange or inserting the SIM card. The SIM Card in Micro SIM size could be used.

 

Unlike the Nighthawk M1 router, the Huawei B618 has no display, on the front, there are few indicators for Signal strength, power, status, LAN, WiFi and mode. The WPS button is below the signal indicators. On the back, two connectors for external antennas are covered by a small cap and the power button is below the antenna connectors. Below the power button, there is one USB port and two Ethernet port & one Telephone port available. One of Ethernet ports is for LAN and the other is for both LAN & WAN. And the power plug is available for an adapter. Like the Huawei B525 modem, the SIM card slot is at the bottom with the reset button.

Netgear Nighthawk M1 VS Huawei B618 Specs Comparison

From the appearance, we can see the Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 router are both LTE WiFi routers with Ethernet port and SIM card slot. The Nighthawk M1 is portable for outdoor use while the Huawei B618 CPE is mainly for indoor use. Then let’s have a comparison of Nighthawk M1 Specs and Huawei B618 Router Specs:

 

Model Netgear Nighthawk M1 Huawei B618
Product type LTE Mobile WiFi Hotspot with Ethernet port LTE WiFi Router with Ethernet Port
Category LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9x50 HiSilicon Balong 750
Data rates DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands Telstra Nighthawk M1: Band 1/3/7/8/28
AT&T Nighthawk M1: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66
Hong Kong Nighthawk M1: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41
Huawei B618s-22d: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38
Huawei B618s-65d: 1/3/5/7/8/28/40
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 20 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna Huawei B618 Antenna
App management Netgear Aircard APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 5040 mAh NO
Dimensions 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm 95 × 95 × 208mm
Interfaces * On port for LAN port(RJ-45)

* 1 x USB 2.0 port

* 1 x USB 3.0 port

* 1 x LAN port(RJ45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet Huawei B618 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual Huawei B618 User Manual
Other features 4 band CA, JumpBoost DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack
Firmware download Nighthawk M1 Firmware Huawei B618 firmware
Driver Nighthawk M1 Driver Huawei B618 driver
Reviews Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review Huawei B618s-22d Review
Price/USD 459.00USD 449.00USD

 

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Speed Test

Summary

From the specs table, we can see that Netgear Nighthawk M1 Router is more advanced with the support of LTE Category 16, which could achieve downloads speed up to 1Gigibit/s. The Huawei B618 download speed is also very aggressive for up to 600Mbps with the support of LTE Cat.11. They both have two variant models for different network providers. The ATT Nighthawk M1 is mainly for North American areas while the Telstra Nighthawk M1 could be used in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, but may work only on 3G if travel to North Americans. The Huawei B618s-22d and B618s-65d cover the same areas as Telstra Nighthawk M1, but the different LTE bands are especially for some network providers.

 

Regarding the applications, the Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot router has a removable battery which could let M1 work on the go and the large battery could provide the JumpBoost function to charge other devices like a mobile power bank. The Huawei B618 is mainly for indoor use at home or in office due to the limit of the power supply. And the size of Huawei B618 is inconvenient to take outside. As a stationary router, the Huawei B618 provides more practical functions for users. Many functions can’t be found in Nighthawk M1. Anyhow they both can be managed through the APP from a smartphone. It’s cool and user-friendly.

 

Regarding the price, the price of Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 are both at the high range now since they are latest new. As time goes, the price would be down but not expect too much. If you want to buy a Huawei B618 router or Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot, consider your applications and the functions, and then make your decision. You will never get disappointed by the two LTE-A pro devices.

Huawei E5885Ls-93a VS Netgear AC800s

As one of the top networking equipment vendor, Netgear had presented many 4G WiFi routers to the public such as the well-known Nighthawk M1, Aircard 810s, Aircard 815s(also known as AT&T Unite Explore) and now a new mobile WiFi router Aircard 800s is available for Australian network provider Optus and it got a new name Optus 4G WiFi modem 800S. The aggressive Chinese competitor Huawei also follows the steps to present new wireless router even though it has many 4G pocket WiFi router available for various network providers such as Huawei E5788, E5787, E5786, E5770, etc…Now the Huawei E5885 is available. Somebody may have the question: What’s the difference between the Netgear Aircard 800s and Huawei E5885? Which one is better to buy for global travel? You may find the answers in this article.

Aircard 800s VS Huawei E5885 Appearance and Interface

If you are familiar with other Netgear mobile hotspot routers, you may know the Netgear 4G mobile hotspots are in very similar design, so as the Netgear Aircard 800s. There is a touchscreen on the front, at the side of the display, there are a Home button and Back button for operation. The Optus logo is also at the side of the screen. The power button is on the top edge side while on the opposite side, there is the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external LTE antennas. The connector type is TS-9 and covered by two small caps. The back cover could be opened and the battery is removable for exchange and inserting the SIM card.

 

Unlike most of other Huawei Mobile WiFi 4G, the Huawei E5885 has different features. On the front, there is a small LED screen to show the internet connection status, but it’s not a touchscreen. The Huawei logo is below the screen. The power button and WPS button are on the top edge side. Between the two buttons, there is a small cap, open it, you will see the Ethernet port(RJ45) and two USB ports(Input and output). There is no connector for an external antenna. The back cover could be opened, but the battery is built-in and non-removable. The SIM card slot and Micro SD storage card slot are available. And Huawei E5885 is thicker than Aircard 800s.

 

Huawei E5885 VS Netgear AC800S Specs and Features

 

From the appearance and interfaces, we can see the Netgear AC800S is a traditional 4G pocket WiFi router while the Huawei E5885 is a mobile hotspot with an Ethernet port. Then let’s have a comparison of the specs of Huawei E5885 and Netgear Aircard 800s:

Model Huawei E5885Ls-93a Netgear AC800S
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot with Ethernet port LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.9
Chipset Hisilicon LTE Cat6 chipset Qualcomm MDM9240
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41
B1, B3, B7, B28, B40
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 32 users 15 users
MIMO 2 X 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna No connector Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna N/A Netgear AC800s External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP 3.0 Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Non-removable, 6400mAh Removable, 2930 mAh
Dimensions  112.00 x 69.20 x 23.00mm 110 x 68 x 16.1 mm
Ethernet Port On port for WAN/LAN port(RJ-45) No
Datasheet download Huawei E5885 Datasheet Netgear AC800S Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5885 Manual Optus 4G modem 800S Manual
Other features Power bank, CA, NFC 3 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5885 Firmware Netgear AC800S Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5885 driver Netgear AC800S driver
Reviews Huawei E5885 Review Netgear AC800s review
Price 279.00USD 199.00USD

 

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the Netgear Aircard 800s(Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s) is more advanced technology, it supports LTE cat.9 and can achieve download speed up to 450Mbps while the Huawei E5885Ls-93s supports LTE Cat.6 and achieve download speed up to 300mbps. They are configured with a different chipset. The Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s supports less LTE frequency bands than that of Huawei E5885LS-93a, so Huawei E5885ls-93 would support more LTE network providers worldwide. Huawei Mobile WiFi E5885 supports 32 wireless users while Netgear AC800S supports only 15 users. However, there is no external antenna connector in Huawei E5885, which is not good for users who will go the areas with weak signal.

 

The Huawei E5885 large battery pack is really good, the capacity of 6400mAh makes it work like a mobile power bank to charge other devices. And the RJ45 Ethernet port is for both LAN and WAN, which is very useful for travel. From the specs comparison, we can conclude that the Optus 800s would provide faster surfing speed with advanced technology. However, the Huawei E5885 powerful and practical functions are also attractive and friendly for users. If you just need to get faster speed, the Netgear 800 is recommended and the price is attractive. But if you want a powerful pocket WiFi with multi-functions, the Huawei E5885 would be no doubt better to consider.

 

AT&T Unite Pro VS MiFi Liberate

AT&T had presented many 4G mobile hotspots to the public for its data plan. The AT&T Unite Pro and AT&T MiFi Liberate are two hot models. However, for those who are unfamiliar with AT&T products, they may don’t know the two mobile hotspots. If they want to buy a 4G mobile router from the two routers from AT&T, they may ask: What’s the difference between AT&T Unite Pro and Liberate? Which one is better to buy? We will review the specs of the two LTE routers to find the answers.

AT&T Unite Pro
AT&T Unite Pro

AT&T Unite Pro VS Liberate Appearance

Made by Novatel Wireless, the MiFi Liberate is probably the most interesting-looking hotspot, whose shape is sort of like a folded paperback book—it’s basically a flat rectangle with a big circular bump on the back. The AT&T Liberate is constructed from faintly patterned matte black plastic, along with shiny black plastic around the 2.8-inch display. There’s a Power button on the top left, a microSD card slot on the bottom, and a SIM card slot on the back that’s accessible when you remove the battery. The capacitive 2.8-inch color TFT LCD features 400-by-240-pixel resolution.

AT&T Unite Pro
AT&T Unite Pro

The AT&T Unite Pro was available much later than MiFi Liberate, and Unite Pro comes from Netgear model Aircard 781s. Like other Netgear 4G LTE Routers, the Unite Pro has a touchscreen with a data usage meter, and the Home and back buttons are at the side of the screen. The power buttons are on the top edge side while the opposite side located the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external antennas. The back cover can be opened to insert the SIM card and the battery is removable for batter exchange.

ATT MiFi Liberate
ATT MiFi Liberate

AT&T MiFi Liberate VS Unite Pro Specs

Model AT&T Unite Pro 781S AT&T MiFi Liberate
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.4 LTE Cat.3
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9225 Qualcomm
Data rates DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 100Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B2, B4, B5, B17 B2, B4, B5, B17
WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz
Max support users 15 users 10 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks NO
Buy Antenna AT&T Unite Pro External Antenna NO
App management Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Standard SIM
Battery Removable, 4020 mAh Removable, 2600 mAh
Dimensions 112 x 68 x 19mm 4.1 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download AT&T Unite Pro Datasheet AT&T MiFi Liberate Datasheet
User Manual AT&T Unite Pro User manual AT&T MiFi Liberate User manual
Firmware download ATT Unite Pro Firmware AT&T MiFi Liberate Firmware
Drivers ATT Unite Pro drivers AT&T MiFi Liberate drivers
Reviews AT&T Unite Pro review AT&T MiFi Liberate review
Price 269.00USD 129.00USD

 

 

Conclusion

From the specs table, we can see the Netgear Aircard 781s(AT&T Unite Pro) is more advanced than the MiFi Liberate. The AT&T Unite Pro support LTE cat.4 and it could achieve download speed up to 150mbps. The WLAN feature is more advanced. The battery of Unite Pro is more powerful and there are two connectors for an external antenna. When the AT&T MiFi Liberate was presented the first time, it may be the most advanced, but now it’s an old model and some technical features can’t meet the requirements from end-users and the upgrading LTE networks. However, as a basic LTE mobile pocket WiFi, its price is very attractive now. If you just need a decent LTE hotspot, it could be considerable, but if you concern the LTE surfing speed and want more powerful features from a mobile hotspot, the AT&T Unite Pro should be considered.