Nighthawk MR2100 behaving badly

[ccriddle]

Hi All,

I had posted this earlier but it seems it was in the incorrect location.  So to repost this in the correct location, I am hoping that someone can help me to resolve this query.

to start let me put some details of the unit that I am having difficulty with:

Model: mr2100

Firmware: NTGX24_10.19.03.00

Firmware build date: 2021/09/01

hardware version : 1.0

Modem version: SDX24_10.25.02.03

Ok, now lets start with a bit of history.  We have a Huwai router that is wireless only and connects really well to the internet.  It is fast, reliable and consistently delivering good results from streaming through to standard internet activities.  We needed to introduce ethernet capability for monitoring our solar system (Regional Australia) and decided to upgrade our router / modem to one that had Ethernet capability.  Enter the Nighthawk.

The NightHawk MR2100, by comparison to the previous equipment (Huwai), performs very badly - so much so that we have reverted back to the Huwai unit for our internet usage.  The Nighthawk unit is consistently slow, unreliable and delivering bad results.  Accessing the internet is slow and streaming is not possible.

I have tried turning off the wifi (which is really inconvenient for phones and tablets) and only work with the ethernet - this does not seem to make any noticeable difference. 

I have tried turning the unit from Automatic to LTE which also does not appear to make any noticeable difference.  

I would like a resolution to this if possible. 

It seems that this particular unit is less than suitable for even domestic use. 

If someone has any ideas I would be most appreciative?

I thought I would have one last try before relegating this piece of equipment to landfill.

I might say, I am very disappointed in the performance of this unit and at this point in time would not recommend it to anyone.

[Transfluxor]

Hi ccriddle, it often happens that the low speed is due to the fact that the signal level at the installation site is very low or the signal-to-noise ratio is poor. The easiest way to look at the SINR parameter should be from ~ 10 and, better, ~ 20-25 to get good speeds.
There is a second option for low speed - when the router is connected to a strong signal of a slow Band 8.
On the previous firmware, it was possible to set a separate router menu item to enable only fast Band 3 and Band 7 through the AT! BAND command, but in the latest firmware for autumn 2021 this command is no longer available to ordinary users, unfortunately. Netgear, as always, knows how to disappoint.

[ccriddle]

@Transfluxor, Many thanks for your response - interesting.

What does confuse me (and maybe I am looking at this a little simplisticly) is that a Huwai 4gx seems to perform well out of the box.  

I know that the signal is not super strong (we are only 8kms away from a tower) but I would have thought that if it were a signal strength issue, it would have a similar impact on both units considering that the signal is an external influence.  Both units reside in the same location and are at the same height so it would not be subject to geography.

I hear you saying why don't you just use the Huwai unit - truth be known I would if it had an ethernet port.

[Transfluxor]

When the speed is low, look in the Netgear settings item "broadband" -> "status" -> which band is active most of the time, and what other bands are sometimes there.