NETGEAR - Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot - Black (AT&T)
- General
- Product Name: Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot
- Brand: NETGEAR
- Device Manufacturer: Netgear
- Model Number: MR5100
- Color: Black
- Color Category: Black
- Network
- Carrier: AT&T
- Power
- Battery Capacity: 5040 milliampere hours (The amount of energy stored in the battery.)
- Charging Interface(s): Micro-USB (The connection for transmitting power to charge the device.)
- Features
- Screen Size: 2.4 inches (Size of the screen, measured diagonally from corner to corner.)
- Dimensions
- Product Width: 4.14 inches (The out of box width of the item. Width is measured as the horizontal distance from one side of the item to the other as it would be primarily used or placed.)
- Warranty
- Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts: 1 year
- Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor: 1 year
- Other
- UPC: 606449145847
The NETGEAR Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot Pro will bring 5G speeds to your Wi-Fi devices. The whole family can enjoy fast surfing, downloading, and streaming using the Wi-Fi 6 technology. Share connection with up to 32 Wi-Fi devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops for a connection you can count on. Power through your day and night with the long-lasting, powerful 5040 mAh rechargeable battery.
- Designed for hotspot data plans from AT&T*: Provides 5G Internet access using your provider's SIM card.
- 5GNR technology: Supports mmWave and Sub 6 bands for blazing-fast mobile broadband Internet, delivering fast speeds up to 7 Gbps.
- Always-on Wi-Fi: Provide a reliable backup Internet connection if fiber, DSL, or cable Internet is interrupted or unavailable.
- Secure and reliable network: Avoid the risks of public Wi-Fi with VPN pass-through support and password protection.
- 5G speed: Delivers ultrafast data transfer rates.
- Gigabit Ethernet port: Simply connect your 5G mobile router to your existing home router, and bring 5G speeds into your home network and all your devices.
- NETGEAR mobile app: Control your hotspot, and manage service plans through one easy smartphone app on your iOS or Android device.
- Securely connect up to 32 devices: Provides encrypted data connection for Wi-Fi enabled devices.
- Two-way power: Have the option of plugging into a power outlet at home for a 24/7 operation with battery removed.
- Embedded 5040 mAh power bank: Power up another device using the built-in USB Type-C port.
- Intuitive touch color display: Provides monitoring of data use, mobile signal strength, and network management information.
- Parental/access controls: Peace of mind for your family's time online - manage, access, and filter content.
- 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) wireless standard: Allows more devices to connect and stream simultaneously, without impacting speed or reliability.
- Compatible with most Wi-Fi enabled devices: Including laptops, digital cameras, game consoles and more.
Whats Included
- NETGEAR Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot
- Quick wall charger
- USB-C cable
- Removable lithium ion battery
- Owner's manual
Q: Do you have to have a phone plan with AT&T to use this device?
A: You can buy it outright without an AT&T plan. Get it unlocked for any service provider. I can verify it works on T-Mobile 5G with a couple of setting changes and a T-Mobile HOT SPOT plan.
A: I had the previous version to this model, which is LTE based, and I had inquired about this. I was told that I absolutely could use the SIM, however.... This device would not have access to the real 5G network. Only the enhanced 5Gish capabilities of the LTE network. I moved the SIM and it did work. I did not get the performance that I used to get with the older device. It varies up and down in speed all the time. We never had that problem with the previous model. We use an external antenna and find that reception can be had even in a lot of remote spots. It may mean we have to spend some time walking around with the antenna to see where it will get reception. It might be only one place, but if we can get two bars, that is usually enough to email, browse the web and probably even watch TV (one) at the same time. I love the device. I would buy it again. I think the carriers are doing a little bait and switch with plans, trying to make some (well a lot) money off of the new tech. So, the simple answer is yes. It is just that it doesn't get you the full monte. Why don't I just change my plan to the 5G? Well, I actually have one of those plans that is unlimited and it only costs me $10 a month for this device to be on it. If I switch to the 5G, I have to allow them to upgrade my plan and then the fake unlimited will be imposed and it will cost over $100 for just that device. By fake unlimited, I mean, they say unlimited but it only gets you maybe 15 or 20 gig a month, unrestricted. We are full time RVers. We use this for our content streaming. It is not unusual for us to use as much as 500g or more a month. Hope this helps.
Q: can this work on Verizon as well if it's unlocked?
A: I have unlocked mine and it actually works great with Verizon. It was the fastest carrier of the three I was able to test.
A: The best plan I’m aware of for this unit is under the AT&T prepaid program and does not need to be tied to any other AT&T programs. My current plan is $55/mo for 100GB of data and supports 5G networks where they exist, otherwise you’ll see 4G LTE speeds. Once you receive the unit, you can activate it online at the AT&T Prepaid site and use it wherever you travel. Of course performance will depend on network coverage, but so far I’ve found better throughput with this unit than using an iPhone 12 as a hotspot in the same location, especially if you invest in some external antennas for the unit.
Q: Can you use this device to livestream video?
A: By livestream video, I'm assuming you mean using Zoom, Facebook, Facetime or some similar two-way or multipoint video chat/conferencing application. If you're in an area with good 5G or 4G LTE coverage with 3 or more bars, you should absolutely be OK for HD resolution up and down. To do 4K origination, you'd need to be in a true 5G cell with good signal and not be on an overly congested cell tower. I live in somewhat of a fringe area and rarely see above 2 bars with typically 15-30Mbs download and 1.5-4Mbs upload...this is with a pair of "Paddle" external antennas added to the external antenna ports, which though very cheap, did provide a more consistent upload speed. If I use the unit in a true 5G cell on a mobile basis (in my truck or RV), I will see very high speeds up and down, of 100Mbs or more. Much depends on your location and where you position the hotspot. When I have mine setup at home, it's in my attic or near a window on the side of the house towards the active cell tower. Hope that helps!
A: If you search youtube for "netgear nighthawk m5 or 5g" there are some pretty good recaps on specs, unboxing, and data plans
Q: Is it good for gaming and streaming?
A: Depends on what system you’re playing on. The settings on a PS4 set the NAT Type to Strict (NAT Type 3), so it throttles my speeds to ~90/4 hard-lined, whereas my PC gets ~125/25 over WiFi (I’m only connected to 4G LTE, not 5G. Unsure if the speeds on 5G would be faster, or if it would still throttle to the 90/4ish because of the NAT Type 3). You can port forward and get around that though if you are willing to take the security risks. Unsure if any other console has the same issue. If you’re PC gaming, should be just fine. That being said, I’m not a hardcore gamer, so the speeds I get are good enough for me. Moral of the story, if you’re on PC, good to go. If you’re on PS4, and a hardcore gamer, you’ll need to port forward and change a few settings to get the great speeds. If you’re on another console system, I have no info. And also, I don’t know how being on 5G would affect my speeds. Obviously 5G is faster, unless the NAT Type would still restrict me to the 90/4.
Q: Can this be unlocked to be used with a different carrier like t-mobile?
A: Yes. I have done it. You have to tweak a couple of network settings after it is unlocked. You have to have a T-Mobile HOT SPOT plan.
