📱 2022-09-05 14:00:00 – Paris/France.
Since leaving my home in Athens, Georgia, in 2017 and in an RV (and later on a rural farm), I've relied exclusively on mobile broadband for my connectivity. I started with a Verizon MiFi hotspot, but quickly realized that wasn't enough. I bought an MVNO plan with unlimited data on AT&T, then added a similar plan, but with data caps, on T-Mobile.
With the exception of the Verizon device, all of the MVNO plans I've used require you to bring your own device. (MVNOs, or Mobile Virtual Network Operators, are carriers that don't have their own wireless networks.) You can technically use your phone for this. I have, and still use Google Fi, but my internet experience improved when I got the Netgear Nighthawk M1 router. With an Ethernet port and MIMO antenna ports to improve reception via a third-party antenna, I was able to take more advantage of the limited network speeds you get in rural America.
I still use the M1. In fact, I'm going to upload this story using the M1. But after dropping it and cracking the case, I can't use the ethernet port anymore. And while I love the Gl.inet Spitz (7/10, WIRED Recommends) that I always have on hand, it lacks a built-in battery, which comes in handy when traveling.
Enter the Nighthawk M5, the latest model in Netgear's line of 4/5G routers. It's basically the M1 but with a touchscreen and 5G support. Unfortunately, it's also getting a price increase — it's now $800. Still, if you depend on mobile broadband for internet, it may be worth the investment.
Rural broadband needs a hotspot
If you have a good cable, DSL, or fiber internet connection at your home, there's no reason to get a mobile hotspot. But if you live in a rural area where mobile broadband is the only option, a mobile hotspot like the Nighthawk M5 gives you much better wireless range around your home (or RV), lasting much longer battery life and allows more devices on the network than using your phone. You do not have needs a mobile hotspot, but that's certainly nice to have.
As with all things mobile, we suggest buying the Netgear Nighthawk M5 unlocked so you can use it on the networks you prefer. Most of the listings I've seen for the M5 are unlocked, but I expect AT&T to eventually offer a locked version. (It has done this with all previous Nighthawk M-series routers.) I tested the M5 using an AT&T chip provided by Netgear and a T-Mobile chip that I pay for; the M5 is certified to work with AT&T, but it also supports T-Mobile.
The best feature of the Nighthawk M5 is that it supports 5G C-band which gives you better 5G reception (if your carrier supports C-band). What you don't get is mmWave 5G. This will be an inconvenience for anyone wishing to use the M5 in a city where mmWave is supported. But for rural areas, I think the lack of mmWave support is a good thing. To use it, the M5 would have to support different radio frequencies, which would mean there would be no MIMO antenna support. Since mmWave is almost non-existent outside of cities, I'm happy to trade it in for better antenna support for the frequencies actually available in my area.
The M5 in the wild
The Nighthawk M5 is about the size of a slice of American cheese and an inch thick. It's slightly taller and thicker than the M1, but not enough for you to notice unless they're side by side. Like its predecessors, the M5 is a square black plastic hockey puck with an Ethernet port, a USB 3.1 Gen-2 port for charging and connectivity, and TS-9 antenna ports on the back of the device. device.
Above the M5 is a small 2,5-inch touchscreen that provides control over most of the settings you'll use regularly, including setting up your network and controlling connected devices. For advanced settings, you can log in to the Netgear control panel in your browser.
Setting up the M5 via the touchscreen was incredibly easy, and I had no problem logging in and customizing my network information. Once it was set up, I had no problems connecting devices. I turned to the web interface for more complicated tasks like changing the IP range of devices or using a custom DHCP server. There are also mobile apps for iOS and Android.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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