At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Sturdy, portable design
- Supports SIM, eSIM and wi-fi connections
- Easy-to-use app
- Works in 140 countries
Cons
- Expensive
- A bit bulky
- Requires Ethernet adaptor for wired networks
Our Verdict
The Nighthawk 5G M7 is one of the more affordable mobile hotspots currently available, so it’s a good option for anyone that needs secure Internet access when they’re travelling. Its versatile connectivity features include support for SIM, eSIM or public wi-fi, and you can share your Internet connection with upto 32 devices.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
$499.99
Best Prices Today: Netgear Nighthawk 5G M7 (MH7150)
$499.99
- 5G + 4G SIM and eSIM support
- Wi-Fi 7, up to 3.6Gbps
- Up to 32 connected devices
- Around 10 hours battery life
Mobile hotspots are portable routers that let you create a secure Wi-Fi network when you’re away from home or the office. They’re typically expensive and aimed at business users, but Netgear’s Nighthawk 5G M7 is designed to be a slightly more affordable option for frequent travellers and mobile workers.
Netgear’s Nighthawk range includes a number of mobile hotspots, but its latest release is the 5G M7 (model number MH7150), which is designed to provide a slightly more affordable option in comparison with rival 5G hotpots. It’s still not exactly cheap – particularly in the UK, where it costs £529.99 compared to $499.99 in the US – but Netgear hopes that it will appeal to a wider range of users, including people who travel a lot with family and friends, as well as mobile workers who don’t trust insecure public Wi-Fi networks.
The compact design of the 5G M7 makes it easy to carry when you’re travelling.
The 5G M7 is relatively large for a mobile hotspot, looking rather like a chunky black iPhone. It stands 145mm high, 84mm wide and 17mm thick, and weighs 240g, but you can still slip it into a jacket pocket, backpack or briefcase without any trouble.
It packs in a lot of features too, including a slot for a 4G or 5G SIM card as well as a built-in eSIM. Netgear states that it will work with mobile networks in 140 different countries around the world, providing a maximum speed of 4Gbps when connected to a 5G network (subject, of course, to the local 5G speeds and coverage in your region). You can also connect it to an existing Wi-Fi network, which will save you from using up your expensive mobile data.
There’s a USB-C port on the base of the device for charging the internal battery – with USB-C cable included. The 5G M7 should last for around 10 hours when fully charged, which should be more than enough for quickly checking your email or a spot of web browsing when you’re on the move.
There’s no mains power adaptor included, though, so you’ll need to provide that yourself if you want to run it off mains power. Netgear is also planning to launch its own charging dock for the 5G M7, and an Ethernet adaptor for connecting to a wired network as well, although these weren’t available at the time of this review.
Once you’ve connected the 5G M7 to the Internet, it can then create its own password-protected wi-fi network, with support for dual-band Wi-Fi 7 and a top speed of 3.6Gbps. You can connect up to 32 different devices to its wi-fi network, making it easy to share your connection with family, friends or colleagues. If you need even faster Wi-Fi then there’s also an M7 Pro model available for business users, which provides a speed of 5Gbps, although that’s around $300/£300 more expensive.
The USB-C port on the 5G M7 can be used for charging the internal battery, or providing a wired connection to a laptop or other device
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There’s a 2.4-inch LCD screen on the front panel of the 5G M7, which provides basic information, such as the battery power and your current Internet connection, but you’ll need to download the Netgear app in order to connect to the Internet first.
Somewhat annoyingly, the app starts by forcing you to provide your email address in order to create a Netgear account, but once that’s done you can simply scan a QR code on the screen in order to connect to the 5G M7. The app then allows you to select a method for connecting to the Internet – either a physical SIM card for your mobile broadband, or by entering the details for an eSIM.
The app also has a built-in marketplace that allows you to quickly buy an eSIM from a wide range of mobile networks all around the world. Alternatively, the app also allows you to ‘offload’ your Internet connection by connecting to a nearby Wi-Fi network rather than using your own mobile data plan. Of course, public Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t very secure, but the separate Wi-Fi network created by the 5G M7 has its own firewall and password protection to help keep your devices and data secure even if you’re using a not-very-secure public Wi-Fi network.
The performance you get from the 5G M7 will obviously depend on the speed of your Internet connection – using either 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi – and the 5G coverage in the area around our offices isn’t particularly good. However, the 5G M7 had no trouble keeping up with the 200Mbps speed of our office wi-fi network so it should be more than fast enough to keep you connected when you’re away from home or the office.
Should You Buy The Netgear Nighthawk 5G M7?
The 5G M7 will appeal to anyone that travels a lot and needs a secure and reliable internet connection that can be shared with multiple devices when you’re on the road. Ideal for families and mobile workers who need faster Wi-Fi and better security than public hotspots offer.
It’s fairly expensive, but is one of the more affordable mobile hotspots currently available, and its versatile connectivity features and support for Wi-Fi 7 will earn their keep when you’re travelling.
