Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot MR1100 is thermally unstable

dkreimer · ‎2020-12-06

Hardware Version 1.0, PRI Version 04.06, Firmware Version NTG9X50C_12.05.05.14, Bootloader Version NTG9X50C_12.05.05.14, GUI Version MR1100-1A1NAS_04.01.70.06, Firmware Build Date 2020/01/04

I am using AT&T LTE Wireless Internet, and AT&T sold me a Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot MR1100. I work from home, so the stability of my internet connection is mission-critical for me. I immediately began having issues with the device showing a message that the battery charging had stopped charging due to overheating. This would also cause the AT&T 4G LTE internet connection to go down. I removed the back cover to allow better airflow to the battery, but this did not solve the problem. I read that this could be due to poor LTE signal strength, and I do live at the edge of town with poor mobile phone signal, so I purchased a Netgear 6000450 MIMO antenna and connected it to the MR1100. This did not solve the battery overheating issue, so I removed the battery. I read online that the charging cube that comes with the MR1100 is not sufficient to power the unit when the battery is removed (causing instability), so I procured a QC 3.0 / 5 V 2.4A charging cube and connected it to the MR1100. At this point, when testing using the AT&T Speed Test as well as the Fusion Speakeasy Speed Test, I was seeing download speeds of up to 5 Mbps, and an upload speed of an abysmal 0.1 Mbps. Also, the internet connection was not stable and would intermittently stop working altogether. I installed the LTE Discovery App on my android phone, and walked around the exterior of my house, and discovered that the best signal strength I could find was -101 dBm. So, I purchased the high-end Wilson WeBoost kit that includes an outdoor Yagi reception antenna, and indoor radiator antenna, and a high gain amplifier, along with professional installation. The specs claim that it provides 72 db of gain. After installation, I positioned the Netgear 6000450 MIMO antenna that is connected to the MR1100 hotspot to maximize the signal strength shown on the MR1100 unit's diagnostics tab, which now shows -68 dBm of signal strength. The good news is my download speed now ranges between 12 and 48 Mbps, and my upload speed ranges between 4 and 12 Mbps, depending on time of day. I believe the speed depends on the load that the 4g network is experiencing, as I get maximum speeds at times when the cell network is lightly loaded (in the wee hours of the morning). The bad news is that the connection to the AT&T network was still unstable, and would intermittently cut out. I contacted AT&T and got a replacement unit, thinking that my first MR1100 was defective, but this did not solve the problem. The diagnostics tab also shows the current device temperature, and I noticed that the temperature when the internet connection would cut out was in the high 40s / low 50s C. So, I began turning off features in the setup of the MR1100 unit. With each feature I turned off, the quiescent temperature of the unit dropped, and the maximum temperature during speed tests also dropped. Eventually I turned off both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WI-FI networks, reduced the screen brightness to the minimum setting, and connected my PCs to the MR1100 via Gigabit Ethernet wired connections. I also have the MR1100 unit standing on its edge, so the top and bottom surfaces are exposed to the air, and I have removed the battery and battery cover to maximize airflow. I have the MR1100 connected to the same UPS as my computers, to bulletproof against power outages. With this configuration, the diagnostics tab shows the internal temperature of the MR1100 at 31 degrees C (with ambient room temperature at 20.5 C), and rises as high as 39 C during heavy use. At last I am no longer experiencing intermittent internet outages.

These are my questions:

For many years I have depended on Netgear to produce reliable, durable products. Why has Netgear chosen to release the MR1100, which is so obviously thermally unstable? I should not have to disable the WI-FI features, remove the battery and the battery cover, stand the unit on its end to maximize airflow , provision a more powerful power cube, and connect the unit to an outboard UPS, in order to have a stable internet connection.
Are there plans to improve the thermal stability of the M1 MR1100?
Does the M2 unit have better thermal stability, and can it function using 4G LTE?
Given that Netgear claims to warrant the unit against defects in materials and workmanship, I would say that the design flaw of thermal instability is a workmanship defect. If the M2 unit is thermally stable, will Netgear provide a free upgrade to the M2 unit to fulfill its warranty commitment?