Nighthawk mr5100 vs Ethernet

Question

ATT says I can connect Desktop to Nighthawk via a ethernet cable. Netgear says no. Who do I believe and why.

Here is ATT version:

How to connect your device to the internet via Ethernet.

Connect an ethernet cable from the ethernet port on your computer to the LAN port on the back of the Netgear Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot Pro.

Any help from referees?

FURRYe38 · Answer

What happens if you connect your PC to the ethernet port of the MR router?&nbsp;

schumaku · Answer

Where does Netgear says you can't, please?
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https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/MR5100/MR5100_MR5200_UM_EN.pdf is very clear. Some exceptions apply when Always-On WiFi is enabled, and the Ethernet port is used as an additional WAN port.
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Fun fact? Netgear has started offering the Netgear Nighthawk USB-C to Ethernet Adapter, allowing to connect an additional Ethernet device to Mobile Routers already coming with an Ethernet port (like your ATT MR5100), or for some less expensive models without an Ethernet port.&nbsp;

houch_nighthawk · Answer

Thanks, Schumaku.But working with Howly for many hours and same for ATT and also Linksys none have been able to establish an ethernet connection between my mr5100 and (at first my newly purchased Linksys MX5500) but then less convoluted a direct connection to my desktop (win 11) and lastly with my DV7 Pavilion Win7 laptop. Again I say ATT publishes yes a direct ethernet connection from desktop to the Mr5100 is possible. I checked my ATT hotspot plan and there is no restrictions on my separate line with hotspot. VERY frustrating. There are several setting on the mr5100 and tried them all i.e. tethering, wifi always on (off) , setting wifi off. Therefore I'm a very much doubter of any ethernet functionality within the mr5100. Thank you for your participation in my saga of the ethernet. This all started after many years using the mr5100 here at home (on our 80 acres) using WIFI. Here we don't have any landlines for internet and rely on the mr5100 for all internet. We used an older version of Linksys for our home networking and security system. So now we wanted to install the Linksys mx5503) (mx5500) and required hotspot e-cable to the internet port on the primary (mother) tower and to Mr5100. Then another e-cable&nbsp; from my desktop (win11) to a ethernet port on same mother tower. We couldn't get the Linksys mother tower to successfully boot. Linksys tried many hours to no avail and decided the mr5100 wasn't working at the point of the e-cable on the mr5100.

plemans · Answer

Did you ever try the MR5100 in passthrough mode? Both the linksys and the MR5100 have router modes and it puts you in a double nat.&nbsp;

houch_nighthawk · Answer

Thanks for your input, plemans, but I believe my issue is way before I start the interface with the Linksys. The original attempt to set up the Linksys started the possible inability to have the hotspot communicate with the with the ethernet cable plugged into the hotspot. There was no communication between the hotspot and linksys. So the next step was to isolate the possible comm error between the hotspot's ethernet port and any other device. That is when I tried a very simple and basic connection between a device (my desktop w/ win 11) and my mr5100 hotspot. That is where we are now with the inability of the desktop to communicate with the hotspot. I just got off an NetGear AI chat and after a lot of wagging and weaving the possible result was to use a USB tethering technique. Which doesn't at all solve my configuration requirements. But thank for you help.

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Nighthawk mr5100 vs Ethernet

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