At a time when you can set up cheap local e-SIM cards on your phone, is there still a point in buying a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot gadget, like the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro, for your travels? Well, yes, in a way, but this gadget is a lot more than that.
Unlike other low-cost mobile Wi-Fi gadgets, this is a really fast one, thanks mostly to its 5G cellular link, plus zippy Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gbps Ethernet connections.
So, yes, with download speeds that promise to be close to what you get on a fixed broadband line, you can use the Nighthawk M6 Pro to connect up more than a phone or tablet on your travels.
With that kind of bandwidth, it can also be a vital link at, say, worksites that do not yet have fibre broadband connected. Or it can be deployed at temporary offices, hooking up multiple users via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
I was surprised, to be honest, when I popped in my Singtel 5G SIM card. With the Netgear Wi-Fi kit plugged into a wall power socket, it reached speeds above 500Mbps. Uploads were lower at only about 40Mbps, though these are within Singtel’s “typical” 5G speeds.
Interestingly, when I popped back the Singtel 5G SIM card into my Samsung Galaxy A54 phone and ran the same tests, it got slightly faster downloads at past 600Mbps, but uploads were strangely low at under 10Mbps (this could be my phone).
What these tests do show is that the Nighthawk M6 Pro does admirably well with a speedy Wi-Fi 6 link and could be even faster with Wi-Fi 6E. So, newer devices will connect much more quickly with the Netgear mobile router.
To see if I could replicate the results, I popped in a Zero1 SIM card into the Nighthawk M6 Pro and did a quick speed test with my Samsung phone.
Once again, downloads reached past 500Mbps, though uploads remained at about 50Mbps. Note that Zero1, a Singapore virtual mobile operator, uses the asymmetrical Non-StandAlone (NSA) version of 5G from a Singtel network.
On a slower, older Dell PC that connected only at Wi-Fi 5 speeds, the downloads were limited to under 200Mbps, which to be honest, still aren’t shabby for everyday office work.
For comparison, my home Wi-Fi 5 access point, linked to a 1Gbps fibre broadband line, offers about the same download speeds, though uploads on fibre are much faster.
In other words, if you have relatively new devices from the past couple of years, the Netgear portable gadget should connect fast.
The squarish-looking device itself isn’t flashy. A simple slot at the side lets you pop open a cover to slot in a SIM card and install the battery. Then a power switch is all you need to get started.
The touchscreen, as with earlier Netgear portable Wi-Fi hotspots, is nothing spectacular but I guess doing away with a bright, vibrant screen saves on battery power.
The screen also shows useful information, such as battery power left, connection status and mobile data usage. Also handy is the ability to display SMSes, say, from your telco, which may be useful in setting up SIM cards in some cases.
Helpfully, the Netgear device is not heavy to carry out. Weighing 256g with a battery, it can be easily placed in a bag or in a pocket, if you have a large one. It doesn’t get that hot when hooking up a couple of devices.
However, do take note of the battery use. The 5040mAh power pack onboard can run up to 13 hours, according to Netgear, but that really depends on how many devices you have hooked up.
From my experience, I won’t want to depend on the gadget for more than a few hours on the road, if I’m downloading a lot of files or surfing the Web non-stop. Well, at least not without a power bank on standby.
Costing S$1,499, the Nighthawk M6 Pro isn’t for everyone. Certainly, if you’re travelling and want a quick alternative to roaming, you might do better with getting a local SIM card.
However, the Netgear gadget does a lot more than that. With a speedy 5G link, as well as downstream Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gbps Ethernet, it can link up many users at worksites or offices where a fibre broadband connection may be not up.
Notably, it also supports 5G mmWave networks, or small 5G networks set up, say, at factories or refineries to provide local wireless connectivity.
For those working from home, the Netgear device can act as a backup link. If your fibre broadband goes down, as happens at times, then the Nighthawk M6 Pro could be a lifeline to get on the call with a client or your boss.
To sweeten the deal, Netgear Singapore is throwing in a set of MIMO antenna that promises to connect up more devices, for free. Handy, if you need a second link at home or for your new office.
Note that there’s also the cheaper Nighthawk M6, which links up to Wi-Fi 6 instead of 6E, doesn’t support 5G mmWave and only has a 1Gbps wired link. It goes for a more affordable, though still costly, S$999, but should be more appealing to consumers.
There’s also a newer Wi-Fi 7-enabled M7 Pro out in the United States last month, though it’s not here in Singapore yet.
