Are you a heavy phone hotspot user? Get this mobile hotspot router instead
Are you a heavy phone hotspot user? Get this mobile hotspot router instead
‘ZDNET Recommends’: What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET’s editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Are you a heavy phone hotspot user? Get this mobile hotspot router instead
Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
No matter whether you use an Android smartphone or an iPhone, chances are that it has a built-in hotspot feature that allows you to share your internet connection with other devices.
It’s a great feature, but if this is something that you’re using a lot, then what you really need is a dedicated mobile hotspot router.
Also: How to convert your home’s old TV cable into powerful Ethernet lines
ZDNET Recommends
I’ve been using Netgear mobile hotspot routers for many years, and they’ve become a part of the gear I carry when I’m out and about.
I’ve just received the new Nighthawk M6 Pro for testing, and I’ve been putting it through its paces, and it’s the best mobile hotspot router I’ve used.
Note that in the US the Nighthawk M6 Pro is currently an AT&T exclusive, but if you want an unlocked version, then you can get the slightly lower-specced Nighthawk M6, which is still a fantastic mobile hotspot router.
So why do I use a mobile hotspot router when I have a smartphone with a hotspot with me 24/7/365?
It’s because the mobile hotspot routers such as the Nighthawk M6 Pro are packed with cool features and are a lot more versatile.
First off, my phone is used for a lot of different things throughout the day, and I don’t necessarily want it tied up supplying internet to devices all the time. It’s inconvenient, and it also hits the battery hard.
Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you
A mobile hotspot router has one job – deliver internet to devices.
The Nighthawk M6 and M6 Pro can use available 5G & 4G LTE networks to fill up to 2,000 sq. ft. of space with high-speed Wi-Fi for up to 13 hours using the built-in battery, giving up to 32 devices access to the internet.
13 hours not enough? Connect it to an available USB power adapter or power bank.
Mobile hotspot routers also help you control your internet usage, something that’s vitally important if you don’t have an unlimited data plan on your smartphone. I’ve heard horror stories of people using their smartphone’s hotspot feature to burn through all their data in a few hours and racking up massive over usage bills.
Want to connect an Ethernet device to the internet? No problem! These mobile hotspot routers have built-in Ethernet ports.
Also: How to set up a VPN on your router
I’m also impressed how good the Nighthawk M6 and M6 Pro pro are at capturing cellular signals. In tests I’ve carried out these mobile routers get a better, stronger signal than my iPhone 14 Pro Max, making them a great choice in areas where signal is weak.
Cellular signal not good enough where you are? You can attach an external antenna to the TS-9 ports on the mobile router.
Need to still be connected to the internet if your main home or office internet goes down? It’s simple with a mobile hotspot routers like the Nighthawk M6 or the M6 Pro because you can connect it to your network, and have it switch over to cellular if your main internet connection goes down.
Netgear mobile hotspot routers are packed with advanced features
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Need to set up wireless internet connection on a campsite, building site, an emergency scene, or in your car or RV? It’s quick and easy with a mobile hotspot router.
Sharing your internet connection with devices is also a snap — the built-in display gives easy access to the network names and passwords. You can even get a handy QR code that just needs scanning with a smartphone’s camera to get online.
Also: How to easily scan a QR code in Android 13
Want to change your Wi-Fi passwords or network name? It’s easy with a mobile hotspot router. The Netgear routers allow you to do this on the device, using an app on your smartphone, or by connecting to the web portal.
Good mobile hotspot routers are not cheap — the Nighthawk M6 is itself the price of a decent smartphone — but nothing beats them when you need to create for yourself (and family, friends, or coworkers) a bubble of internet wherever you happen to be.
Once you use one, you’ll find it hard — if not impossible — to go back to using your smartphone’s hotspot feature.
Featured reviews
About The Author
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.