With the advent of virtual operators and the stratospheric increase in the GB included in mobile tariff plans, many Italians have decided to opt for the SIM + “bar of soap” combo.
Therefore, no fixed connection but only a hotspot that allows you to stay connected using the 60-70-80 GB available.
If choosing the offer is easy – after all, it is enough now to opt for the one that costs the least and works best in your area -, finding the right hardware is a bit more complex.
And it is also for those who are looking for a hotspot to use on the move. Think, for example, of campers and campers.
Or, again, to those who have a second home and have no intention of activating a fixed line which they would then use 2 or 3 months a year.
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G con Wi-Fi 6E it is the answer to the needs of all these people.
A premium answer, mind you.
It is not a “bar of soap” for a few euros but a product that costs 999,99 €. Which no, they are not few. Let’s try to understand together what it offers.
The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G review
An important clarification: there are two Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G that you find on the market today, the version with Wi-Fi 6, i.e. the MR5200, and the one with Wi-Fi 6E, the MR6450. The difference between the two is around €130 and there is a reason: the MR6450 with Wi-Fi 6E, i.e. the model we tested, can count on more recent technology and an additional band, the 6 GHz. This translates to faster speeds and lower latency but only on short ranges: the higher the frequency, in fact, the lower the range. That’s why we don’t give up on the good old 2.4 GHz band: it goes further.
Is it worth spending a little more money on the version with Wi-Fi 6E?
It depends on the use you intend to make of it, on your needs. Wi-Fi 6E is the latest standard so, in the long run, you will have more and more devices that can take advantage of this bandwidth and therefore navigate faster, but what you do on the net does not necessarily require all this additional speed.
It is a very subjective evaluation that we invite you to make.
Ready to use
The last time we got our hands on a hotspot – or mobile router – like the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G we spent a shameful amount of time setting it up.
However, with this product you don’t run this risk: we inserted the SIM, positioned the battery and pressed the power button that you find on one of the sides. The M6 Pro turns on within a few seconds, asks you which language you want to use, guides you through the initial settings and then it configures itself by choosing the APN. In a couple of minutes it is ready to use, with the main screen that tells you how many GB you have consumed and how many days are left until the renewal of the offer; here you will also find the battery percentage, the connection status and the time
This quick and painless setup makes it suitable for everyone. You don’t need additional knowledge, you don’t need strange data, you don’t have to fiddle around in the settings to find the magic combo that will make your hotspot go.
Childproof.
Minimalism can also be found in design. Square form, 2.4 inch touchscreen front display – rather reactive, and it is not obvious -, door USB-C – useful both for recharging and if you want to transform it into a power bank – and port Ethernet for cable connection. Also available two TS-9 RF inputs to connect any external antennas. That’s all.
Under the body instead we find the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X62 with 5G support but only in Sub-6 frequencies. For the less technical among you, 5G uses two types of frequencies: Sub-6 frequencies, therefore below 6 GHz, and mmWave frequencies, above 24 GHz. The latter are faster than Sub-6, which means that with the M6 Pro you will benefit from a higher speed than 4G but you will not reach those staggering numbers typical of 5G and associated with mmWave networks instead.
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G review: how does it perform?
We took it with us to Barcelona, used it in Milan, on a trip to Brianza and even to the lake.
It has never given us any problems. Speed is greatcomparable to what is achieved with a smartphone hotspot, e the range pretty good. Even if you move away a few meters, you can continue to navigate without any difficulty.
Do you want to listen to music? You can.
Watch a video? You can.
Play online? You can do this too but keep in mind that the ping is a little higher than a fixed connection – ADSL or fiber – at home.
However, nothing prevents you from turning the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G into yours home routers or to set it as secondary source of connection, with the M6 only activating when the landline drops.
Are you worried about the battery? At your disposal you have 3 power modes:
- Balancedwhich optimizes battery life;
- performance, to get the best performance while running on battery;
- Best Performance and Rangewhich offers the best possible performance when used as a home router and therefore kept connected to the power supply.
Yes, but how long does the battery last? You cover us approximately 8 hours of use with multiple devices connected. Really not bad.
How do I check it?
The touchscreen, together with the two side soft touch buttons, allows you to do everything you need: view the password or any QR code to connect, decide the operating mode, check the connected devices, specify the power mode and access the settings ranging from airplane mode to security via brightness and screen timeout. There are also a number of advanced options which include enabling and disabling the Ethernet port.
You can also access the settings via browser. Beware that the password to access is behind the battery so write it down before you have to turn off the hotspot, remove the battery, copy/photograph it and then restart the M6 Pro.
Know that web access allows you to have some additional settings available, such as access control, website filtering, scheduling, Wi-Fi band selection and port forwarding. All things that will delight slightly more advanced users.
The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G review: conclusions
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G was born to help you stay online a little in all situations: you feed him a nanoSIM and he gives you the Wi-Fi connection with the 6E standard. The signal is strong, stable, it can cover several meters and the battery holds up for a day’s work even if you are in the middle of your favorite campsite. Or if, simply, you are in a hotel but prefer a private connection.
At home it can be a valid alternative if you opt for a mobile connection instead of a fixed one. And if you have problems there are inputs for antennas so you can amplify the signal.
The cost, 999,99 €it is certainly challenging but you take home an extremely reliable and performing product.