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Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

I just happened upon this article from Cellular insights dated 20-Mar-2017.  Here they bencharked an AUS revision M1 on Telstra's network more than 18 months ago.

 

http://cellularinsights.com/telstras-gigabit-class-lte-network-the-work-of-art/

 

Obviously Telstra's network is nearly an order of magnitude better than what we can get in the United States.  But if you read the article and look at the images, you will see the following technologies at work:

 

1) Multi-band Carrier Aggregation

2) 4x4 MIMO

3) 256 DL and 64 UL QAM

4) User band selection

 

Essentially everything that Qualcomm promised us with the X16.  _SUSTAINED_ DL performance exceeding 500Mbit.  _SUSTAINED_ UL performance exceeding 50Mbit (even reaching 100Mbit which is unimaginable in the US -- like 3x-10x faster than we typically see).  I assume these were all over Ethernet.

 

So now that I have my XSmax, and Apple and Intel are finally starting to work the kinks out of the software/baseband firmware.  I can routinely see DL's rates exceeding 110-150Mbit, and sometimes briefly peaking at 200-300Mbit (on select cell towers).

 

But not on the M1.  Still getting 50-90 Mbit, maybe 110 on a good day with perfect conditions.  Uploads are maybe 10-20 Mbit.  Now, granted, this is over a 5.8Ghz Wifi connection at 40Mhz -- but there should be plenty of headroom -- 5.8ac, 40, 2x2, is a 400Mbit wide connection.  Increasing to 80mhz (866Mbit wide connection) has no effect other than reducing the Wifi range and increasing the likelihood of interference.

 

The European version seems to be equally or almost as good, from the reviews and posts I've read.  While here in the US, we're all waiting for the promise of the fictitious 5G coming to one square block not near you anytime soon.

 

What gives?  According to the FCC documentation the US version of the M1 only supports up to QAM16 ?!?!?!

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 1 of 13
Blanca_O
NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi JSchnee21

 

May I please know the current firmware version of the M1? 

 

Regards, 
Blanca 
Community Team

Message 2 of 13
JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi Blanca,

 

My USA Gen1 MR1100 has the latest firmware which is:

NTG9X50C_12.05.05.00

2018/07/25, AT&T Wi-Fi

PRI 03.12

MR1100-1A1NAS_04.01.70.02

 

Today, in Lansdale PA, my iPhone XS Max was getting 160-240 Mbit on AT&T Cellular using the Fast.com App.

 

When I connected this same phone, with the same app, to the MR1100 via 5.8Ghz 40Mhz Wifi.  I only got 80-110 Mbit from the MR1100.

 

5.8Ghz 802.11ac w/40Mhz wide band, and 2x2 Wifi MIMO should be able to pass up to 300-400 Mbit.

 

I did not take the time to check which band the MR1100 was on versus my phone.  But I've yet to see over 110Mbit from the MR1100 in the nearly one year that I've owned it.

 

Nor have any I seen anyone on this board or Howard Forums getting more than this either -- in the United States.

 

-Jonathan

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 3 of 13
JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Sorry, I meant to imply that assuming the wifi connection was working correctly, this should not have been a bottleneck for the underlying cellular performance.  That is to say, if the MR1100 was using QAM256 and 4x4 MINO for cellular -- as my iPhone was -- that I should have seen equal speeds on the MR1100 as I was getting on my iPhone.  ASSUMING that the AT&T carrier settings had them parked on the same cellular band.

 

But, instead, I consistently see that the MR1100 gets about half of the speed of my iPhone under good signal conditions.  The MR1100 does have a bit better antenna sensitivity than my iPhone so in lower signal conditions the MR1100 usually does as well or slightly better.

 

Based on all of the FCC filings I've seen to date for the MR1100 it appears that the MR1100 is not approved for using modern LTE-A settings (e.g. QAM 64,128,256) in the USA.

 

It's also not clear if the MR1100 is using 2x or higher Carrier Aggregation as this information is not reported in the web interface or on the Mobile App.

 

-Jonathan

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 4 of 13
BobAu
Tutor

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

I have two MR1100 devices. One is AU version (Telstra) and the other is EU version (EE UK). Both are unlocked.

 

I have to say M1 doesn't perform so much better as you imagine. The MR1100 works well if you are at a perfect position with perfect signal reception. It has some issue to work with external antennas if you want to get better signal.

 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Mobile-Routers-Hotspots-Modems/Nighthawk-M1-B40-2300MHz-and-B7-2600...

 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Mobile-Routers-Hotspots-Modems/MR1100-LTE-antenna-not-recognized/m-...

 

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US), MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AU)
Message 5 of 13
Mexoh1To7k
Apprentice

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi,

 

Are you sure that the M1 connects to the same cell tower, that it uses the same bands and that the MiMO status is the same?

 

Unfortunately the M1's web interface doesn't show too much details, you have to connect the M1 via USB and telnet to port 5510.

Message 6 of 13
JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi @Mexoh1To7k,

 

You are correct, I did not confirm that both devices were on the same band(s) and had the same CA carriers. And you are absolutely correct, this would be essential for a true head to head comparison.

 

But, in the year that I've owned it, I've never gotten above ~110-120 Mbit from the MR1100.  And I've never seen a post from anyone in the USA here on this board or on Howard Forums that has either.  Granted my experience is over 5.8GHz 802.11ac w/40Mhz channel -- but this should have a Wifi air link rate of 400Mhz for a 2x2 connection and should easily pass at least 200mbit of real data for a speed test (Fast.com)

 

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005725/network-and-i-o/wireless-networki...

 

With my new iPhone XS Max, which had a number of cellular modem and iOS issues at launch, I now routinely get 110-240 Mbit during my ~90min hour commute to work (slower in NJ 30-100Mbit; faster in PA 90-240Mbit).  But from these same cell towers the MR1100 is usualy about half the speed of my iPhone, and peaks at the same ~90-110Mbit.

 

You're absolutely correct -- it could be carrier settings, band selection, CA preference / capability, broken MIMO (Wifi or Cellular), lack of support for high levels of QAM, etc.

 

I'm hopeful the new "5G" puck will have better LTE (-:  I could care less about 5G. Similarly, I could are less about LAA.  It's of no use to me anyway due to the limited geographic capability and the fact that I'd have to disable 5.8GHz Wifi on my MR1100

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 7 of 13
shawnwager
Aspirant

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

You're actually hurting your LTE performance when connecting to the Nighthawk via WiFi. Disable it's WiFi and connect via USB or Ethernet. Now the Nighthawk will benefit from LAA if supported and at the very least - have better signal quality.
Message 8 of 13
JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi @shawnwager ,

 

Unfortunately, LAA is nearly as big of a farse as 5G.  Very little LAA is deployed throughout the United States.  Where it does exist is only in a dozen or so urban cores.

 

While I agree that USB connectivity (USB3 to a USB3 computer) may give better performance than Wifi.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of my clients (phones, tablets, streaming devices, etc.) don't support USB connectivity.  Fortunately the MR1100 has Ethernet though this is not really helpful in a mobility sense.  The new M5 Fusion does not.

 

There's no reason 5GHz 802.11ac @ 40MHz or 80MHz with 2x2 Wifi Streams shouldn't support at least 200-400Mbit sustained -- assuming the embedded CPU on the MR1100 is able to push that much data.

 

But, given the inability of the MR1100 to keep pace with my iPhone (barely matching my old 6s and getting smoked by the XSM) there's seriously something amiss with the MR1100.  I suspect the limited FCC approvals for QAM and MIMO combined with restrictions from AT&T's network is hobbling it.

 

Unfortunately, the M5 is looking like a dud so far.  Fortunately (sarcasm) AT&T just re-introduced the Mobley (-:

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 9 of 13
RichardZ
Aspirant

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Can you please confirm whether the Nighthawk MR1100 AU verison sold in Austrralia does actually work in US ?

 

If so whih US carrier did you use.  Thanks  

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AU)
Message 10 of 13
JSchnee21
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi @RichardZ ,

 

Sorry if I was unclear.  I'm not sure if anyone has ever tested the AUS version here in the USA.  Nor have I seen any data for the EUS version here in the USA.  Given that most US carrier require different mid band frequencies and carrier aggregation combinations for higher speed LTE/LTE-A connections, I'm not sure that either the AUS or EUS versions would work very well here in the USA.

 

There might be some coverage on some of the lower bands -- 700MHz for example (e.g bands 2, 5, 12), but probably not enough to exceed 40-50Mbit.  

 

Do you live in AUS?  Do you know what bands this unit supports?  I would expect you'd potentially get the "best" coverage on AT&T but the speeds, if it connects, would only be mediocre.

 

What are you actually trying to accomplish?  Coming on holiday?  If you live in the USA, then I would buy the AT&T version.  It's still the "best" hotspot offered in the USA unless you have Verizon.  Then get their new Jetpack 8800L.

Model: MR1100|Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (US)
Message 11 of 13
TeeJay74
Virtuoso

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Hi @JSchnee21 

 

When you experience too low LTE speeds with Nighthawk M1 US-version, have you tried replacing that sim card with new one ? It might help....I am having this kind of issue with Nighthawk M1's and one sim card which I suspect faulty.

Message 12 of 13
RichardZ
Aspirant

Re: Why is the Nighthawk M1 So Much Better in Australia?

Thanks .. sorry my mistake I thought you had the AU version.  I'm based in Australia and was thinking of buying this one as I suspect it may work in US.  I will be there for only a few weeks but need access.   The specs for Aus verison are givene as;

 

• Max 1 Gbps download speeds, and 150 Mbps upload speeds

• LTE CAT 16, 4-band CA and 4x4 MIMO

• Up to 4X Carrier Aggregation

• LTE/4GX 700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz

• 3G 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

 

I just need to be able to connect ... I don't need the best speed for this trip.

 

Thanks

Message 13 of 13
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