10 reviews for ANetgear Nighthawk MR1100 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AT&T GSM Unlocked)(Steel Gray) (Renewed): Computers & Accessories
5.0out of 5
★★★★★
★★★★★
10
★★★★★
0
★★★★★
0
★★★★★
0
★★★★★
0
Write a review
Show allMost HelpfulHighest RatingLowest Rating
★★★★★
Daniel F Reilly –
After six visits to the AT&T store and many phone calls its now working. I was going to run a pre-paid data only plan on this. I was not an existing AT&T customer. I was not getting a phone. The first AT&T store was a franchise store. They knew nothing about pre-paid plans or this router setup. Lesson one: Go to an AT&T corporate store. I called customer support. They have different groups for pre-paid and post paid. Unfortunately the number for pre-paid is automated and only works if you already have an AT&T account. Eventually I found a manager at an AT&T corporate store who fit the unit with the correct sim card, I had a copy of the plan I was looking for, she got it setup. The unit works well. It was not an easy process because so many AT&T people in the loop, from the franchise store, to the corporate store, to the customer service to the automated pre-paid line are no real help. Mostly the system is setup for phones and post paid accounts. It was another adventure trying to look at my account once I got it active. Thats another story.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Colorist –
I bought the Nighthawk as a replacement unit for one that tanked after a couple of years of hard, lengthy use and abuse being mobile.This has got to be the Rolls Royce of cellular modems. It ticks all the boxes. In 5G I’m running at 867 mhz – with an upgraded netcard in my laptop. Beware – the Nighthawk is for ATT networks; they will unlock the cellular modem. I have an unlimited data, no throttling sim card from T Mobile with no problems.I spend alot of time traveling and I almost always have a solid connection. FYI – you can remove battery and plug in unit into 110 circuit. I bought 2 extra batteries, rotate charging them so when i hit the road I have a good power supply on hand. I also have a 26,000 ma battery bank so I can go about 1 week before I go dead.In hot weather battery life drops off so I put Nighthawk on one of those synthetic frozen ice cubes with microfiber towel for protection: Shazam! No overheating issues when charging, and the batteries last longer.You willing to spend the dough for a cellular modem? Buy this one, it’s worth it – and buy the extended warranty if you treat them rough.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Michael R –
This is an awesome broadband cellular modem & router that allows you to connect your home or auto internet service using only the cellular network. Perfect for those of us who live in remote locations without decent phone (DSL) and / or no cable. It is portable and battery operated so that you can take it with you in your vehicle, camping, etc.You will need to be within 5 miles / 8km of the cell tower and purchase a SIM and data plan for the vendor, AT&T, Verizon or T-mobile. If you try, you can still find unlimited data plans, but the recent $35/month prepaid unlimited plan from AT&T is no longer available. There are numerous vendors and eBay companies that offer unlimited data, but prices are higher and going up right now. I was lucky and had already purchased the AT&T 22GB “priority data” plan which is unlimited right now because of the Covid-19 mess. “Your mileage WILL vary” as always.If you are still using satellite internet from eXede (Viasat) or Hughesnet you can finally arrive in the 22st century with this device. You will need an unlock key to use anything other than AT&T.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Arlo –
The Nighthawk mobile hotspot arrived quickly, is working well, and looks like new. So, I’m feeling pretty good about saving some money by getting a renewed unit rather than a new one. I activated it with a Cricket Mobile SIM card, which is AT&T, so I did not have to use the unlock code that is printed on the box label. The label states that the Nighthawk is locked, so I presume that with a network other than AT&T I would have been prompted for the unlock code. Thus, I can’t address the success of the unlock code process or the hotspot’s longevity since I’ve only had the Nighthawk for about a week. All in all, a good transaction given my experience so far. I will update this review if my opinion changes.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Justin W. –
I bought this unit with pretty low expectations, as at&t service isn’t too reliable in most cases in my area. My previous router was supplied by a cellular network internet provider, but never gave me more than… 10mbs at best, during off hours. Since I switched over to this router, it has provided me with much, much better speeds, as high as 40, but averaging between 16-23 mbs during peak hours. I would heartily suggest this if you don’t have a good option for a direct hookup like me, and want a reliable router that isn’t just a piece of plastic casing and a cheap, substandard circutboard. Do watch the battery though, it only holds about 80% of it’s max charge and will heat up, thankfully the unit will stop charging it if it detects heating. If you plan on using that feature, you might want to find a new battery or two, as it’s charge will not last overnight. 9/10 would recommend this router.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Cody M. –
I live in the middle of nowhere. I have had to purchase signal boosters just to be able to complete phone calls. I have SB in my house, office, and all of my close families homes just so cell phones will work. Where I live AT&T or Verizon both barely get a single bar outside. I can’t stress this enough our service is terrible here. Our only option for internet service was satellite and all of my neighbors hate it so we have limped along with our cell phones and assorted mifi boxes. I received this unit in the mail yesterday. Other than not being in original packaging it looks brand new. I removed the packaging installed my extra sim and plugged it up. I was so shocked at the speed that I began running tests to validate what I was seeing. iPhone XS personal hotspot .34 Mbps Upload/.04 Download, Verizon Jetpack 8800L 7.48Up/3.88Down (This has been the absolute best we could get before now.) Netgear Nighthawk 15.94Up/4.96Down. I ran these test using the M-Lab test. I realize that this is terrible if you live in town but if you live out like us this is the ticket for internet. I can’t speak for how long this unit will last but its performance is off the charts. This is the first in depth review i’ve ever written. This thing deserves it. It’s like it makes its own cell service or something.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Precision –
Followed the unlock instructions and popped a tmobile sim in.Works flawlessly.Had cable, charger and cable, new battery, back cover, unlock code in bright yellow.I’m super excited to continue buying from these guys after my last several attempts on ebay.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Preston –
Works just like new, comes in a generic box, other than that, 2 months of steady use so far, so good!
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Kindle Customer –
First Impression:Got this to replace a broken WE826 with a Quectel EP06 modem. I am using this as a primary ISP device for rural internet access(best you can get is DSL at the property). This device does not have near the features and settings that the WE826 has, which uses OpenWRT firmware, but I do not need TTL, QoS, VPN, or any of the other advanced features. If I do need any of those features then I can use the M1 as a passthrough modem and hook up a router with DDWRT or OpenWRT. With the same external antenna and cable as the WE826 was using, I am getting about a 25-50% increase in speeds with the M1, even though the RSSI signal is showing about 10 dB higher than the WE826 was. I do not know if the device is actually unlocked as I am using it with a 3rd party seller of AT&T SIMs. It did come with an unlock code sticker on the box though. The device I received is model MR1100-2A1NAS, which is definitely one of the AT&T versions.My Setup:The M1 modem is acting as the modem and router, however I am not using the built in wifi because I have a wifi mesh setup. So I have plugged the M1’s ethernet port into one of the Mesh APs which provides wifi to end devices and extended coverage to additional mesh repeaters.Cellular Equipment:-Nomad Internet Blue SIM, 3rd party seller of ATT Unlimited Data plan(no throttling or data limit from what I’ve experienced so far)-Netgear Nighthawk M1 (MR1100-2A1NAS )-TS9 to SMA adapter cable-2x 30ft 5D-FB cables for MIMO antenna connection-Proxicast 4G / LTE Cross-Polarized (MIMO) 7-10 dBi High-Gain Fixed-Mount Panel AntennaI am about 5 miles from the cell tower without a clear line of site(mostly trees in the way). The antenna is mounted ~20 ft in the air on the side of a home.Advantages:-Easy setup-The iOS app is really useful-Ethernet connection advertised as 500Mbps (WE826 limited to 100Mbps)-Has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi built in (WE826 has 2.4GHz only)-Has battery to use as hotspot on the go-Built in Screen is a nice touchDisadvantages:-If plugged in charging while under heavy load, the battery heats up to the point where this device is notorious for bulging batteries and can overheat the device itself even. Since I am using this for a primary ISP at home, I just took the battery out and leave it plugged in. I changed out the adapter it came with(5v, 1A) for a larger one(5V, 2.5A) since the device won’t be able to pull from the battery for heavy peak loads.-No advanced features like those that come with OpenWRT based routers. So no TTL, QoS, VPN, LTE band locking out of the box. Although you can use telnet to enable LTE band locking.-TS9 connectors are not ideal for external antenna connections. I get that they went with this type due to the smaller size, but still not ideal.Overall, if you don’t need the features of a OpentWRT router, this thing is solid.
Daniel F Reilly –
After six visits to the AT&T store and many phone calls its now working. I was going to run a pre-paid data only plan on this. I was not an existing AT&T customer. I was not getting a phone. The first AT&T store was a franchise store. They knew nothing about pre-paid plans or this router setup. Lesson one: Go to an AT&T corporate store. I called customer support. They have different groups for pre-paid and post paid. Unfortunately the number for pre-paid is automated and only works if you already have an AT&T account. Eventually I found a manager at an AT&T corporate store who fit the unit with the correct sim card, I had a copy of the plan I was looking for, she got it setup. The unit works well. It was not an easy process because so many AT&T people in the loop, from the franchise store, to the corporate store, to the customer service to the automated pre-paid line are no real help. Mostly the system is setup for phones and post paid accounts. It was another adventure trying to look at my account once I got it active. Thats another story.
Colorist –
I bought the Nighthawk as a replacement unit for one that tanked after a couple of years of hard, lengthy use and abuse being mobile.This has got to be the Rolls Royce of cellular modems. It ticks all the boxes. In 5G I’m running at 867 mhz – with an upgraded netcard in my laptop. Beware – the Nighthawk is for ATT networks; they will unlock the cellular modem. I have an unlimited data, no throttling sim card from T Mobile with no problems.I spend alot of time traveling and I almost always have a solid connection. FYI – you can remove battery and plug in unit into 110 circuit. I bought 2 extra batteries, rotate charging them so when i hit the road I have a good power supply on hand. I also have a 26,000 ma battery bank so I can go about 1 week before I go dead.In hot weather battery life drops off so I put Nighthawk on one of those synthetic frozen ice cubes with microfiber towel for protection: Shazam! No overheating issues when charging, and the batteries last longer.You willing to spend the dough for a cellular modem? Buy this one, it’s worth it – and buy the extended warranty if you treat them rough.
Michael R –
This is an awesome broadband cellular modem & router that allows you to connect your home or auto internet service using only the cellular network. Perfect for those of us who live in remote locations without decent phone (DSL) and / or no cable. It is portable and battery operated so that you can take it with you in your vehicle, camping, etc.You will need to be within 5 miles / 8km of the cell tower and purchase a SIM and data plan for the vendor, AT&T, Verizon or T-mobile. If you try, you can still find unlimited data plans, but the recent $35/month prepaid unlimited plan from AT&T is no longer available. There are numerous vendors and eBay companies that offer unlimited data, but prices are higher and going up right now. I was lucky and had already purchased the AT&T 22GB “priority data” plan which is unlimited right now because of the Covid-19 mess. “Your mileage WILL vary” as always.If you are still using satellite internet from eXede (Viasat) or Hughesnet you can finally arrive in the 22st century with this device. You will need an unlock key to use anything other than AT&T.
Arlo –
The Nighthawk mobile hotspot arrived quickly, is working well, and looks like new. So, I’m feeling pretty good about saving some money by getting a renewed unit rather than a new one. I activated it with a Cricket Mobile SIM card, which is AT&T, so I did not have to use the unlock code that is printed on the box label. The label states that the Nighthawk is locked, so I presume that with a network other than AT&T I would have been prompted for the unlock code. Thus, I can’t address the success of the unlock code process or the hotspot’s longevity since I’ve only had the Nighthawk for about a week. All in all, a good transaction given my experience so far. I will update this review if my opinion changes.
Justin W. –
I bought this unit with pretty low expectations, as at&t service isn’t too reliable in most cases in my area. My previous router was supplied by a cellular network internet provider, but never gave me more than… 10mbs at best, during off hours. Since I switched over to this router, it has provided me with much, much better speeds, as high as 40, but averaging between 16-23 mbs during peak hours. I would heartily suggest this if you don’t have a good option for a direct hookup like me, and want a reliable router that isn’t just a piece of plastic casing and a cheap, substandard circutboard. Do watch the battery though, it only holds about 80% of it’s max charge and will heat up, thankfully the unit will stop charging it if it detects heating. If you plan on using that feature, you might want to find a new battery or two, as it’s charge will not last overnight. 9/10 would recommend this router.
Cody M. –
I live in the middle of nowhere. I have had to purchase signal boosters just to be able to complete phone calls. I have SB in my house, office, and all of my close families homes just so cell phones will work. Where I live AT&T or Verizon both barely get a single bar outside. I can’t stress this enough our service is terrible here. Our only option for internet service was satellite and all of my neighbors hate it so we have limped along with our cell phones and assorted mifi boxes. I received this unit in the mail yesterday. Other than not being in original packaging it looks brand new. I removed the packaging installed my extra sim and plugged it up. I was so shocked at the speed that I began running tests to validate what I was seeing. iPhone XS personal hotspot .34 Mbps Upload/.04 Download, Verizon Jetpack 8800L 7.48Up/3.88Down (This has been the absolute best we could get before now.) Netgear Nighthawk 15.94Up/4.96Down. I ran these test using the M-Lab test. I realize that this is terrible if you live in town but if you live out like us this is the ticket for internet. I can’t speak for how long this unit will last but its performance is off the charts. This is the first in depth review i’ve ever written. This thing deserves it. It’s like it makes its own cell service or something.
Precision –
Followed the unlock instructions and popped a tmobile sim in.Works flawlessly.Had cable, charger and cable, new battery, back cover, unlock code in bright yellow.I’m super excited to continue buying from these guys after my last several attempts on ebay.
Preston –
Works just like new, comes in a generic box, other than that, 2 months of steady use so far, so good!
Kindle Customer –
First Impression:Got this to replace a broken WE826 with a Quectel EP06 modem. I am using this as a primary ISP device for rural internet access(best you can get is DSL at the property). This device does not have near the features and settings that the WE826 has, which uses OpenWRT firmware, but I do not need TTL, QoS, VPN, or any of the other advanced features. If I do need any of those features then I can use the M1 as a passthrough modem and hook up a router with DDWRT or OpenWRT. With the same external antenna and cable as the WE826 was using, I am getting about a 25-50% increase in speeds with the M1, even though the RSSI signal is showing about 10 dB higher than the WE826 was. I do not know if the device is actually unlocked as I am using it with a 3rd party seller of AT&T SIMs. It did come with an unlock code sticker on the box though. The device I received is model MR1100-2A1NAS, which is definitely one of the AT&T versions.My Setup:The M1 modem is acting as the modem and router, however I am not using the built in wifi because I have a wifi mesh setup. So I have plugged the M1’s ethernet port into one of the Mesh APs which provides wifi to end devices and extended coverage to additional mesh repeaters.Cellular Equipment:-Nomad Internet Blue SIM, 3rd party seller of ATT Unlimited Data plan(no throttling or data limit from what I’ve experienced so far)-Netgear Nighthawk M1 (MR1100-2A1NAS )-TS9 to SMA adapter cable-2x 30ft 5D-FB cables for MIMO antenna connection-Proxicast 4G / LTE Cross-Polarized (MIMO) 7-10 dBi High-Gain Fixed-Mount Panel AntennaI am about 5 miles from the cell tower without a clear line of site(mostly trees in the way). The antenna is mounted ~20 ft in the air on the side of a home.Advantages:-Easy setup-The iOS app is really useful-Ethernet connection advertised as 500Mbps (WE826 limited to 100Mbps)-Has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi built in (WE826 has 2.4GHz only)-Has battery to use as hotspot on the go-Built in Screen is a nice touchDisadvantages:-If plugged in charging while under heavy load, the battery heats up to the point where this device is notorious for bulging batteries and can overheat the device itself even. Since I am using this for a primary ISP at home, I just took the battery out and leave it plugged in. I changed out the adapter it came with(5v, 1A) for a larger one(5V, 2.5A) since the device won’t be able to pull from the battery for heavy peak loads.-No advanced features like those that come with OpenWRT based routers. So no TTL, QoS, VPN, LTE band locking out of the box. Although you can use telnet to enable LTE band locking.-TS9 connectors are not ideal for external antenna connections. I get that they went with this type due to the smaller size, but still not ideal.Overall, if you don’t need the features of a OpentWRT router, this thing is solid.
Bill Martin –
Works Fine