Netgear Nighthawk M3 review: a strong mobile hotspot router for a specific niche
Table of Contents
When you’re on the road often, or living in a place without a broadband connection, a mobile router is what you might be after. Netgear routers cover quite a substantial range of options, including some of the market’s best travel routers. One of which is the Nighthawk M3, a WiFi 6 router that uses the 5G mobile network to provide connectivity to plenty of wireless devices on the go.
Packing in a rechargeable battery claiming up to 13 hours of battery life, it’s a rather compact and convenient way to get wireless networking out and about – as long as you’re in range of the phone network and you own a secondary SIM to use in the router. Overall, the router isn’t cheap either, with the portable solution running close to $300-400, depending on which retailer you decide to use. That said, its MSRP is lower than the M6 Pro that we tested previously.
Either way, we put it to the test to find what it was capable of. With just wireless connectivity, I checked just how good the 2.4 and 5GHz connections were via the mobile network. So here are the results.
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- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency Bands: 2.4 and 5GHz
- Max Speed: 3.6Gbps
- LAN Ports: None
- WAN/LAN: None
- CPU: Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF
- USB: USB Type-C 5Gbps
- Dimensions: 105 x 105 x 21.5mm (4.14 x 4.14 x 0.85in)
- Weight: 256 g (0.56 lb) with battery
The Netgear Nighthawk M3 is a capable mobile router that provides a reliable alternative to relying solely on mobile networks or public WiFi. It offers strong connectivity options and an added layer of security compared to open networks. However, its premium price point combined with the absence of certain features found in competing models places the M3 in a more specialized category, best suited for users with specific mobility and security needs.
- Great network management features
- Easy to set up and connect
- Strong option for multiple device connections
- Option for running on battery life
- Could benefit from including an antenna
- An additional thing to carry requires a SIM plan to use
- Rather expensive for what it offers
Design
At first glance, the router didn’t make much of an impression. Its compact packaging reflects its overall size, making it one of the smallest routers I’ve reviewed. In terms of form factor, it’s comparable to GL.iNet’s lineup, which is well-regarded for delivering capable performance in a compact design. Well, the M3 comes in at just 105 x 105 x 21.5mm; it’s a rather small box that minimizes on some features a normal router would provide.
Netgear Nighthawk M3 bottom connectors, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 box contents, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 box, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 button, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 control, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 logo, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 screen boot, Image by PC Guide
There isn’t much inside the box, with just the router itself, a USB-C cable, the battery, and some leaflets; it doesn’t even offer a power adapter to plug it in, much like modern phones these days, you’ll need a place to plug it in to charge.
Aesthetically, there isn’t too much going on with the router. On top, there is a 2.4-inch LCD panel, lacking touchscreen functionality; the interface is controlled via a singular button on the router that can be found on the top edge that cycles through the menus.
On the bottom edge, it has a Type C port for the cable, and on either flank, there are two TS-9 ports for the optional antenna you can install to improve the signal. Unfortunately, those aren’t included and can limit the performance, as can be seen in the tests later on.
Underneath, there is an easily removable plate cover, giving you access to the battery dock and SIM card port. That sits right at the bottom, close to the screen, so you want to install that before the battery itself.
Lacking any other ports than just the USB, you can’t utilize WAN or LAN (apart from one device via USB) for the times you can make the most of it. Instead, you have 2.4 and 5GHz networks to utilize separately while also offering a guest network option on the lower frequency that can be useful for security and IoT devices that could hog the traffic.
Netgear Nighthawk M3 TS-9 ports, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 network status, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 installed battery, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 battery compartment, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 battery and cover, Image by PC Guide
Other features
Setting up the router is rather quick and easy, as once you turn it on, you get prompted to scan the QR code to connect and change the settings on it. Offering you the option to change the passwords and network options, it is rather easy to do, but then these new passwords are shown on screen when you go through them, limiting the security of your network and providing anyone with access to it by just looking at it.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon SDX62 5G, it claims to be able to reach speeds up to 2.5Gbps. Adding an additional backup for your main networks, or some security and privacy by offering a mobile network over public WiFi options. Plus, with support in over 125 countries, it’s easy to swap out SIMs and have it work on different networks.
In the controls, you do have access to change the power plan for it, too. If you don’t need as much range or speed, you can prolong your battery life instead. Or on the web, the user interface accesses the message your SIM has received without having to have it installed on your phone. While also being able to check for any important software updates.
Netgear Nighthawk M3 internet setup, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 setup language, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 settings, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 settings 2, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 router paswsword setup, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 guest network, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 network map, Image by PC Guide
Netgear Nighthawk M3 WiFi setting, Image by PC Guide
Pricing
The Nighthawk M3 has a retail price of £449, surprisingly a lot for a router that comes with so little and is really just a wireless mobile router, as we’ve certainly reviewed options that are capable of similar things without the high cost, such as the Acer Connect X6E, which comes in at around £300 instead. That one is also WiFi 6E and has much more connectivity, if not compromising on the size a bit.
Alternatively, even using a GL.iNet Slate and then utilizing a USB with tethering comes in a lot cheaper while still having a lot of security, more connectivity, and speed built in. But Netgear does make some high-quality options, and it might just be what you’re after, so here’s how it performed in our tests.
Performance
Putting it through the testing lab, I could check just what it was capable of. Putting in my SIM and using the Vodafone network for a 5G connection, I then used my Pixel 9 Pro with WiFiMan and SpeedTest to check the performance of the router at various distances and at the two frequencies.
Netgear router test download speed 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test upload speed 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test PHY upload 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test PHY download 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test download speed 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test PHY upload 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test upload speed 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test signal strength 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test signal strength 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test PHY download 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test latency 5GHz, Image by PC Guide
Netgear router test latency 2.4GHz, Image by PC Guide
Signal strength
Firstly, looking at signal strength, it shows how well the phone and router are connected to each other, and if the connection is good enough to transfer over. Measured at four distances, 10ft/3m, 30ft/9m, 60ft/18m with a room in between, and then 90ft/27m with two rooms in the way. It is given in negative dBm, so the closer to zero, the stronger the connection.
In the case of the M3, the signal isn’t particularly strong, the 2.4GHz does offer a decent start, and at a close range, it connects up well, but it quickly diminishes and then falls off completely by the third point I test at. At 5GHz, it already starts off weak, but does manage to hold on to the third point and complete a connection at that range.
Here’s a closer look at how it did and how it compares to the other mobile router we’ve tested.
| Distance (ft) | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5GHz | Acer Connect X6E 2.4GHz | Acer Connect X6E 5GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 2.4GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 5GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 5GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | -50 | -58 | -46 | -58 | -46 | -56 | -54 | -66 |
| 30 | -56 | -64 | -46 | -65 | -52 | -63 | -66 | -74 |
| 60 | -69 | -80 | -67 | -75 | -66 | -76 | -88 |
Speed
Next up, I tested the speed of the router at the various distances. First, the physical connection (PHY), the theoretical maximum speed possible, and then the actual internet speed achieved by it. For comparison, my phone achieved speeds of 115Mbps down and 28.9Mbps up with the SIM inside.
In the case of the M3, the 2.4GHz connection was a bit on the lower end of the PHY speeds, but it still manages to get a good speed out of the network in comparison to the others tested. At 5GHz, it manages to hold up better, offering some faster speeds, although it does fall off in strength and speed at some distance.
| Distance (ft) | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5GHz | Acer Connect X6E 2.4GHz | Acer Connect X6E 5GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 2.4GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 5GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 5GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 258/206 | 864/864 | 229/286 | 960/1200 | 258/154 | 1200/1200 | 130/68 | 1134/648 |
| 30 | 206/229 | 576/432 | 149/229 | 864/864 | 146/129 | 612/864 | 130/34 | 1134/216 |
| 60 | 74/103 | 108/144 | 51/114 | 216/288 | 162/137 | 216/360 | 1134/36 |
| Distance (ft) | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5GHz | Acer Connect X6E 2.4GHz | Acer Connect X6E 5GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 2.4GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 5GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 5GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 11.0/8.0 | 159.5/17.5 | 95.8/37.4 | 232/46 | 35.5/23.3 | 34.8/31.3 | 24.9/23.5 | 210/24.7 |
| 30 | 7.7/11.2 | 155.0/16.2 | 129/46.9 | 189/39.6 | 25.8/24.9 | 28.8/32.1 | 7.2/13.1 | 109/20.6 |
| 60 | 8.0/13.5 | 52.1/14.1 | 41/16.1 | 123/38.9 | 21.4/6.99 | 29.5/30.7 | 8.65/1.58 |
Latency
Lastly, I also noted the latency between the phone and the router. Once again, the 2.4GHz frequency has a rather high level, which means it takes some time for the two to communicate. However, at 5GHz, it achieves a lower latency, which makes it a worthy choice.
| Distance (ft) | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro 5GHz | Acer Connect X6E 2.4GHz | Acer Connect X6E 5GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 2.4GHz | Acer Predator Connect X7 5GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 2.4GHz | Netgear Nighthawk M3 5GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 24 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 30 | 9 |
| 30 | 28 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 6 | 45 | 9 |
| 60 | 35 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 26 |
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency Bands: 2.4 and 5GHz
- Max Speed: 3.6Gbps
- LAN Ports: None
- WAN/LAN: None
- CPU: Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF
- USB: USB Type-C 5Gbps
- Dimensions: 105 x 105 x 21.5mm (4.14 x 4.14 x 0.85in)
- Weight: 256 g (0.56 lb) with battery
Conclusion
Overall, the Nighthawk M3 is a strong travel router on a mobile network. It is a decent option for connecting multiple wireless devices to it, and with a layer of safety and battery conservation for not using your phone as a hotspot. That said, it is an expensive way to do it that also drops some security by leaving the passwords on the screen, while also lacking some connection options. But there is certainly a niche of users who might find this rather beneficial.
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