Nighthawk M5 (MR5200) used as Internet Failover Device In My Home

[craiglpalmer]

I just recieved my Nighthawk M5 (MR5200).  I'd like to use this device as internet failover device in my home when I'm not using it as a mobile hotspot.  To do this I'd need to have it connected via it's ethernet connector to my home gateway/router which has the intelligence to failover to another port if my comcast internet goes down.  I'd also need to turn wifi off on the M5.  I know I can do the latter but am not sure if the M5 can provide internet to devices connected via the network connector or whether this connection can only be used to offload devices connected via wifi to minimize cellular data load.  Any know if my use case is supported?

PS. I realized I didn't post this in the mobile router, hotspots and modems section so am reposting this here. 

[plemans · Accepted solution]

The Mr5200 is supposed to support ip passthrough. So provided your ubiquiti setup properly it should work fine. 

You could use it in ip passthrough mode when wired into the home network and disable that mode and use it as a moble router when traveling. 

not sure if your ubiquiti supports wan failover of if it tries to load balance when in dual wan situations. Might be worth checking into if you're on a limited data plan. 

[plemans]

I'm not sure where to start. A couple issues. 

If you're using it as a mobile hotspot/router, its wifi function is a little dependant on it acting as a router. If its connected as a failover device, its routing functions are still running and it causes a double nat. and turning off the wifi doesn't disabling its routing fuctions, just the wifi. 

You'd want it in passthrough mode if connected as a failover devices. Are you planning on putting it in passthrough mode when its connected to the device that supports failover? 

what device is it that supports dual wan/failover? those devices tend to be a bit more rare 🙂

[craiglpalmer]

It would be connected to an ubiquity uxg gateway/router that supports failover. Are you saying if put though pass through mode it would function properly in this use case providing internet via cellular through the lab connector connected to the uxg?? 

[plemans · Accepted solution]

The Mr5200 is supposed to support ip passthrough. So provided your ubiquiti setup properly it should work fine. 

You could use it in ip passthrough mode when wired into the home network and disable that mode and use it as a moble router when traveling. 

not sure if your ubiquiti supports wan failover of if it tries to load balance when in dual wan situations. Might be worth checking into if you're on a limited data plan. 

[craiglpalmer]

Thanks for the help.  IP passthrough works fine.  My Ubiquity gateway/router supports either load balancing or failover so I have it configured for failover and the M5 seems to be up and working fine setup in this way. Thanks for the help.  As a side note I also asked netgear technical support via chat whether this use case was supported on the M5 (before I got feedback here) and they said I couldn't use it in this fashion and it wouldn't work.....:)

[plemans]

they probably misunderstood or misunderstood your setup. 

The MR5200 doesn't support failover. But your router does. So it acting as a modem only device, allows it to be a failover or load balancing device. But its all on your equipment and the passthrough. 

Glad you got it working though!