Nighthawk M2 feedback - not happy

[Loghl]

I moved to this device for home internet access when my cable was discontinued after the local rollout of NBN (I'm renting so did not want to pay the installation costs to the property). I have actually done a ticket with Telstra now as I want to give it back. I'm not happy with it at all. I realise that it can be tricky sorting out what is supply issue and what is device issue, but here are my observations:

1. I was told by Telstra not to leave it plugged in all the time or it would wreck the battery, so I am constantly checking battery status. Plug it in, unplug it. If I forget to check for a while, and the battery drains, I lose all internet "oh no, I haven't checked the battery!". This is a real pain. I will just have to leave it plugged in all the time and deal with the battery issue (must check price of replacement battery).

2. The speed is really variable. I use Ookla and have done multiple checks under different circumstances, on different devices.

Yes, this could be supply issue, but I get much faster speeds using the ethernet cable. Example: (ping/download/upload):

WiFi - 46/12/1.86; connected ethernet cable --> 33/50/17.2.

Now you may say that this is telling me that there is a wifi issue in my home, and I should get an extender, but it wasn't a problem with my previous system (Netgear CM450/ Smart Modem) where the router was connected to cable then relayed connectivity by wifi to the rest of the flat; I am only in a fairly small place, not a McMansion. I now use ethernet connection for work, but can't use it for everything. For set top box, and other devices, wifi is often so slow that it says "no internet". I have been using my phone a lot of the time to be able to stream /use other devices.

3. For some reason, I have had multiple cases of "SIM error". This has usually been resolved by multiple device resets (up to 6). This is fine if you have battery power, but if the battery is too low, and you get a SIM error, you can't reset from web because it can't connect to a device with no SIM available. You have to wait for the battery to charge up a bit, then do the multiple resets from device. (I can't help thinking that the SIM errors are related to the power management issues.) My previous device ZTE MF910 was "old fashioned" and had physical buttons on the device, including a reset button, but the M2 is completely electronic and can only be operated via the device UI or the app/web. This is really frustrating when you are having problems.

4. It is not picking up the device names for many of my devices, so you see the MAC or other electronic identifier. I have checked affected devices that there is a device name, and removed spaces etc that might make the name invalid, but still no good. There appears no way to give a device nickname or similar. This is not very user-friendly. I have checked the Netgear Community and there are several entries on this topic.

Is anyone else seeing these issues?

[Loghl · Accepted solution]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I assure you I have been consulting the manual regularly, and yes, finding the most appropriate board in Community was a challenge that I apparently failed.

The conclusion that I have come to is that the device was not suitable for prolonged use as the constant charging & draining of the battery causes instability, and was resulting in the SIM errors. 

Ironically, I read the manual cover-to-cover today, rather than sampling from searches, and I found a sentence: "If you connect your mobile router to a power adapter that supports Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0, you can remove the battery. We recommend operating without the battery in applications where the mobile router is used for extended periods. "

Well, if the salesperson had been familiar with the products he could have advised on appropriate devices and their implementation, and saved me all this aggravation.

Anyway, Telstra have agreed to take the device back without penalty. 

[Loghl]

oh I have a 5:

5. Sometimes the device UI won't display. I can try multiple times, varying the length and pressure of the tap, but nothing works. Maybe the battery is low ... no (turn on computer & log into netgear site: battery 45%). Honestly, this device is so frustrating I often feel like throwing it out the window. 

[michaelkenward]

You have posted your message in the section of this community given over to Nighthawk WiFi Routers. (This is easily done, given Netgear's impenetrable community structure.)

You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers about your hardware, in the appropriate section for your device. That's probably here:

Mobile Routers, Hotspots & Modems

Forgive me if I don't plough through that long and complicated saga. (You could help by narrowing to down to the key points.) But if you haven't tried it already you might find it helpful to consult the manual:

Visit the support pages:

Support | NETGEAR

Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware.
I suggest that because, at a quick skim, it isn't clear to me that you have done that and because people often have a hard time finding that information.

[Loghl · Accepted solution]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I assure you I have been consulting the manual regularly, and yes, finding the most appropriate board in Community was a challenge that I apparently failed.

The conclusion that I have come to is that the device was not suitable for prolonged use as the constant charging & draining of the battery causes instability, and was resulting in the SIM errors. 

Ironically, I read the manual cover-to-cover today, rather than sampling from searches, and I found a sentence: "If you connect your mobile router to a power adapter that supports Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0, you can remove the battery. We recommend operating without the battery in applications where the mobile router is used for extended periods. "

Well, if the salesperson had been familiar with the products he could have advised on appropriate devices and their implementation, and saved me all this aggravation.

Anyway, Telstra have agreed to take the device back without penalty.