What can I do with my NETGEAR Nighthawk M6 Pro (MR6450)?

[Xop0]

Let me start with the fact that this is my second purchase of NetGear. Fortunately, I managed to return the 5th version within a month; it turned off within minutes. This device was purchased on June 29, 2023, and has not been used much since then due to the fact that it simply does not function as it should.

My problem:
I want to return this device. It doesn’t suit me at all; it doesn’t work, the functionality is removed, and it’s not worth the money. The return period has already passed because I was stupid and ordered it in advance for a test by another person, and the problems did not immediately appear.

A list of my problems:

1) If you use a device with a battery, then after two hours of using 5G with two connected phones, the device overheats and loses the network. To reconnect, you have to reboot and wait, which is extremely critical in my case—I conduct IRL streams. The device is inoperative.
2) If you use it from the network, then at the beginning it will reboot to enable the enhanced performance mode (this cannot be disabled), and after three hours of operation it will heat up again and the connection will become without access to the Internet (the network is not lost and still says 5G).
3) Not a single antenna (especially from NETGEAR) works with the device without affecting the signal quality in any way, and considering that this €1000 router catches the network not much better than a smartphone, this is critical.
4) Overheating: constant overheating in any case of use All you need from the router is to continuously and uninterruptedly distribute the Internet to your phone for lifestreaming with a bitrate of 6000 kb/s, which is not surprising; neither the device form factor nor the cooling system change from version to version.
5) Software updates have not been released for a long time; the device is simply left without support, although there are enough software and hardware problems.
6) The battery lasts for 4 hours of active use (5G–2–3 connected devices with Wi-Fi at 2.4 hertz; I lower the settings otherwise it overheats); it is impossible to recharge because, with the original adapter or with the power bank, everything overheats and does not charge during operation. If you insert the cable and remove the battery, the device will reboot, ruining the live broadcast.
7) In the new version, the function of sending SMS has simply been removed; they cannot be sent either from the device itself, from the application, or from the web interface. It was in version 5, but not anymore.
😎 Design, build quality, screen, cover, and battery that have not changed since the old version—nothing here is worth €1000.
9) Complete lack of technical support They do not answer either directly or in messages on the forum, as you can see by reading the section.

So what should we do? Try to return this device to NETGEAR based on the 12-month warranty to get the same one but less non-functional, and then try to exchange it too?
Exchange and try to resell to someone? Trade and just give up?

[ramMuthana]

Hi

the latest FW has few improvements to fix the heating issue. the heating of battery was responsible for battery not being charged fully as well and it is also currently fixed.

can you please update the FW and check if you have a better experience..

thanks, Best Regards

Ram

[hotellonely]

What about the firmware update for Australia/Telstra version?

[ramMuthana]

Hi @hotellonely 

can you please help with FW currently running in your device and share your IMEI. 

Thanks, Regards

Ram Muthana

[hotellonely]

My firmware is on 

NTGX65_12.01.41.00 with Firmware Build Date of: 2023/09/23

Don't have the hotspot on my hand right now so don't have the IMEI. 

[Xop0]

I'm sorry, I didn't look at the answers and can't check this. The router was completely unsuitable for me because of this overheating and the fact that it was impossible to send SMS from it (even through the web version), all previous models could send SMS, do you know what this is connected with? Will this feature be available in the new version of M7?

This solution from reddit helped my buyer:

Hi everyone,

Over a month ago I posted an issue I am having with the Nighthawk M6 pro overheating, freezing up, and stopping all internet connections. This is just an update I got from Netgear in the event that anyone else is having this issue.

This is the response I received from John Peng with Netgear yesterday in regards to the issue:

“After checking with the internal team, I can confirm that the issue is related to using the device without battery. We have a fix for this already. We are going to submit the release to AT&T get their approval before releasing it.”

The current work around at this time is to use the device with the battery. Setting the device screen to never going to sleep has seemed to improve reliability as well.

I personally have still had overheating issues when using the device with the battery, but it has improved significantly. The last three days for me have actually been relatively stable with the device only overheating a couple times.

I hope this helps until the fix gets approved!

[helix919]

Of course this is only relevant if you can get your MR6500 Pro to actually download a software update, which I have never been able to do from the first day of taking it out of the box over a year ago.  

I'm thinking we need to look in to a class-action suite on this.  Netgear obviously knows the overheating issue is real and exists but they have not replaced peoples device, nor have they really provided a fix for everybody having this issue.  It seems to me that they are taking this very gingerly and are not concerned if people purchased a working unit or not.

[JohnPeng]

---

@hotellonely wrote:

My firmware is on 

NTGX65_12.01.41.00 with Firmware Build Date of: 2023/09/23

Don't have the hotspot on my hand right now so don't have the IMEI. 

---

We are working on a new MR for Telstra M6. Hope we can complete the Telstra approval and release it sometime in April.

Thanks

[ch3wbucca]

Appreciate the update, but can we please get this expedited? We still have to pay our monthly subscriber fees to Telstra without being able to use the hardware to access the network.

Telstra and Netgear need to work together on this, and not simply say one party is waiting for another party to do something.

As others have pointed out, this is a premium product.

Please advise.

Thank you.

[ch3wbucca]

Also, mine isn't even a month old and it's been hot enough for the SIM card to curl up on either end!

[schumaku]

Undoubted, a hot device, with temperatures able to melt the PVC (or whatever alternate chlorine-free materials) SIM card carrier 8-/ 

[ramMuthana]

Hi @ch3wbucca @schumaku 

can you please help understand your setup, operating with battery or as fixed wireless without battery and FW.

the latest FW has few fixes and most people are happy that the device is not as hot as earlier.

you can please share your model.json in a private message to help us debug and serve you better

Thanks, Best Regards

Ram

[ch3wbucca]

Running without battery. I'm not sure people would be happy with running hot enough to deform the SIM.