NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Q8cracker
Jul 29, 2017Guide
Netgear M1 reboot issue Resolved!
Netgear M1 reboot issue Resolved! i found the real problem that relates to router reboot "randomly reboot" was from your country network band , Tut: 1- go to admin page 2- sign in 3- go to set...
UK-based
Dec 13, 2017Luminary
This might not apply to everyone with the reboot issues, but it may help some of you.
I'm using my M1 as my main home router but having the flexibility to disconnect it from my network when I want internet access on my travels. For use at home I wanted to remove the battery and power it solely from the supplied 2A mains charger.I have an Ethernet connection from the M1 to an unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet switch, to which I have 2 access points attached for extending my Wi-Fi coverage throughout the house (the Wi-Fi coverage from the M1 isn't very extensive). I also have an external Poynting XPOL-A0001 omni 2x2 antenna attached to the M1 via a couple of short SMA to TS-9 pigtail adapter leads, in order to achieve a strong (5 bar) signal into the M1.
However, the M1 constantly rebooted, and the reboots were often triggered by some activity like starting a file download. If I put the battery back in and kept the charger connected, it didn't reboot, but this wasn't ideal because it meant removing the charger when the battery was 100% charged and then replacing it before the battery got too low!
I read other threads suggesting replacing the mains charger with a more powerful one, so I purchased a good quality charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology - this is backwards compatible with the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 enabled chip in the M1 and is able to supply 2.4A. I also replaced the charging cable with a high quality one from the same manufacturer. Since doing this, the M1 interface reports that the session has only been disconnected once in 5 days, and this might be the mobile network provider that caused the session to be disconnected rather than the M1.
When I check the M1 browser interface Settings > Diagnostics under the Device heading I can see that the "Battery Charge Status" is indicated as "QuickCharge", so it has clearly recognised this technology in the charger. Obviously, supplying the higher amperage of 2.4A does raise the temperature of the unit, which can also be seen in the Settings > Diagnostics: Device section. My M1 was reaching 41degC when performing heavy downloads, dropping to around 36degC when idle. In order to reduce this, I removed the battery compartment cover and raised the M1 off the surface a few centimeters to allow a flow of air into the battery compartment. I also placed a old CPU heat sink on the top of the unit (with a bit of cling film between to avoid damaging the screen). The heat sink is probably "overkill" but I managed to drop the temperature range by about 5degC (31-36degC), which I guess should be acceptable.
So if you too are using the M1 as a static router in your home, this might be a solution for you. However, please be aware that you will be doing this at your own risk. I've no idea how using a different charger from the one suplied would affect warranty, or for that matter the lifespan of the M1. There are many poor quality mains chargers on the market that can damage equipment. It's up to you to do the research to make sure you have a reliable brand.
Good luck!
winger13
Mar 10, 2018Guide
Hope this helps someone.
Basically, the issue is that the 2.0A rated charging block that came with my US-based AT&T Nighthawk MR1100 does not provide sufficient power to a battery-less device.
===============================
I ran several tests, with one channel running (2.4 ghz radio turned on, 5ghz radio turned off). Once I stream a video (like Youtube) onto just one connected device, the Nighthawk does not play more than 6 seconds before rebooting (often in less time). If the Nighthawk does not reboot in within the 6 seconds while streaming, I simply turn on the device's LCD screen (set to 50% brightness) to trip the Nighthawk reboot.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 OEM 2.0A "Adaptive Quick Charge" charging block (model Samsung EP-TA20JWE) sitting around - which works with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Technology.
When using this Samsung OEM charging block to power the Nighthawk in the same setup as above, I have not experienced any Nighthawk reboots in about 30 minutes of testing. For good measure, during the video streaming, I added the following (all concurrent):
- turn on the Nighthawk's LCD screen on in full brightness
- powered on both the 5ghz AND 2.4ghz radios (one device connected on 2.4ghz, two devices connected on 5ghz)
- ran speed tests
Notes:
When logged in, under the Settings|Diagnostics page, I see that the:
o charging is detected as "QuickCharge"
o the temperature shoots from about 33 degrees Celcius (when Nighthawk is realively idle) to 50 degrees Celcius during my testing
One question I do have is how does this Samsung 2.0A charger differ from the NIghthawk's included 2.0A charger ? An amp is an amp is an amp, so why does using the Netgear-provided 2.0A charger result in the reboots but using the Samsung OEM 2.0A charger work perfectly?
- mdgm-ntgrMar 11, 2018NETGEAR Employee Retired
Runnning without a battery requires a charger compatible with Quick Charge 2.0 and that provides 2.4A of output. The charger included with the hotspot doesn't meet those requirements.
- UK-basedMar 11, 2018Luminary
Here's why the Samsung 2A mains charger may be overcoming M1 reboots...
In various threads on this forum, including this one, I've explained that my M1 was continuously rebooting when I ran it without a battery. I solved the problem by buying this charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, which is backwards compatible with the Quick Charge 2.0 technology used in the M1. I thought that the additional amperage provided by this charger (2.4A instead of the 2A charger included with the M1) was the reason for the booting resolution. However, after having read this very informative article, I have a better understanding.
winger13- you wrote that your Samsung EP-TA20JWE mains charger "works with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Technology". It seems that the Samsung Adaptive Quick Charge is similar to Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 but it's not identical. From what I understand, Samsung have designed some of their phones and other devices to work with both their own Adaptive Quick Charge technology and also Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology. But the chargers themselves differ slightly. Some Samsung phones have apparently incorporated Qualcomm Quick Charge chips but in doing so they have to pay a licence fee to use the Qualcomm technology.
USB-C (3.1) is very different from the earlier USB 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 versions. The USB-C standard allows chargers to output higher voltages than the earlier 5V restriction: USB-C supports voltages between 5V-20V and currents up to 5A (USB 3.0 was restricted to 0.9A). Both the Samsung Adaptive Quick Charge and Qualcomm Quick Charge technologies make use of voltages higher than 5V to speed up the charging process. The standard 2A charger currently supplied with the M1 only outputs 5V, so this equates to 10 watts (2 x 5) but there will be cabling and other system losses, reducing this power output. However, the Samsung EP-TA20JWE mains charger can output up to 2A at 9V when operating in adaptive quick charge mode, equating to 18 watts. It's this extra 8 watts of power that is probably preventing your M1 from rebooting when running without a battery, and there are lower power losses at higher voltages.
Although the Anker charger I linked above, with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology is rated at 2.4A, the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 standard only supports a maximum current of 2A and it doesn't support the wide range of voltages specified by the USB-C standard, which would allow the full 2.4A (or higher) to be used. Quick Charge 2.0 supports fixed voltages of 5V, 9V, and 12V at amperages of 1.67A and 2A, and a maximum wattage of 18W. The Samsung Adaptive Quick Charge technology doesn't appear to support the higher 12V level but the amperages are the same.
The Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology (not supported by the current M1) goes one step further, allowing variable voltages (instead of the QC 2.0 fixed voltages) between 3.6V and 20V and amperages up to 4.6A. However, the maximum wattage is still restricted to 18W, so the full 2.4A of the above linked Anker charger can only be used at a maximum voltage of 7.5V (2.4 x 7.5 = 18).
When a quick charge compatible device is connected to a quick charger, there is some data communication between the device and the charger to establish the appropriate voltage and current at different stages of the charging process. The fact that your Samsung charger stops the M1 rebooting must mean that the necessary communication between M1 and charger is taking place.
N.B. The above stated voltages and currents are from the linked article. However, I've seen that on other sites the specifications are quoted differently, so please bear this in mind.
- Chien35Mar 12, 2018Tutor
For reducing the heat I believe mini fan can do better than heatsink by open the battery cover and blow it to the battery and this will reducing the heat of the device as well.
- winger13Mar 12, 2018Guide
Thanks guys, for the responses and the details, and and had a couple of reads already, but I will need to re-read in details a few more times before things sink in. And UK-based, thanks for the reference document - I skimmed it and that will need more time as well LOL.
In the meantime, absent any Netgear technical specifications that I can find which specifies acceptable levels of USB input voltage and power, is there any chance using the Samsung EP-TA20JWE block charger will damage the Nighthawk ?
My concern is that using my Samsung charger (2A at 9V, 18 watts) ) means the Blackhawk will receive 80% more voltage (4 volts) and 80% more power (8 watts) over the included Netgear charger (2A at 5 volts, 10 watts) - this seems a bit excessive. Note this is just my opinion based on a gut feel because I am not an engineer by any means, also I am willing to purchase a correct charging block, if necessary.
Also, with only the battery in the device, will the Nighthawk be drawing 18 watts from the battery at peak ?
If yes, something seems way off - specifically on reported run times. I saw a review somewhere recently that a Nighthawk ran a little over 19 hours streaming videos (Youtube?) most of the time with a few breaks. The W-10A battery is rated at 19.78Wh. If this device is drawing 18 watts, this means the battery will only last: 19.78Wh / 18watts = 1.1 hours. What is wrong with my thinking here?