Netgear Nighthawk M3

Back in 2023, we reviewed Netgear's portable 5G router, the Nighthawk M6 Pro, which used their gaming sub-brand to make it clear to the consumer that extra focus had been placed on squeezing all the performance out of both the shape and the available 5G networks. But it also cost over hundreds of pounds, which in many cases is simply too exclusionary for even the most passionate user.

Netgear had seen this one coming, as they are now trying again with a much more budget-friendly version of the same core concept, the M3, which still utilises 5G networks to act as a router on the go.

And at first glance, it's not much of a sacrifice. It's roughly the same dimensions, the same small panel that gives you access to a number of key settings without having to connect a smartphone or similar in partnership with an app, and many of the same features.

Of course there are differences, there have to be. This is WI-FI 6, not WI-FI 6E, but there are actually TS-9 ports, which therefore makes it possible to amplify the directional signal with RFI antennas. The theoretical bandwidth is a bit less. But that's about it.

What you get is the same construction, design, display, and battery life, which is 13 hours. That's pretty decent. The router itself is a dual-band AX3600 WI-FI 6 design with a speed of 2.5 Gbps and room for 32 connected devices.

Is it a real alternative to a fixed home network? It's very hard to say, but Netgear itself doesn't seem to be positioning it as a replacement, instead promoting the M3 as an alternative for risky public connections, or back-up if the broadband goes down for your house.

To that end, it's pretty easy to get excited here. Qualcomm's Snapdragon SDX62 chipset is the same as in the M6 Pro, so it's both efficient and responsive in use. The 2.4" LCD display gives access to nice quick settings and there are quite a few security features built in, such as built-in VPN.

The results are also reliable. We tested with a data SIM from Three and were generally satisfied with the coverage and speed. Netgear promises 90 square metres, which is on the high end if you're testing at the outer extremes, but for the average apartment, rural cottage, or on the go, the coverage is actually fine, and the penetration on walls is also solid.

We didn't see speeds similar to the 1Gbps connection on 5G and 455 Mbps on 4G as on the M6 Pro, but there are a number of factors in 5G testing in particular that make it difficult to create real, comparable results in a meticulous way. We saw 5G tests of 752 Mbps, so it's clear that if the connection is solid, you'll experience pretty fast speeds, but it depends on many factors.

What we can say is that the M3 still feels a bit expensive, £450 is not to be sneered at. But you'll save about £300 if you choose that over the M6 Pro, and the sacrifices are very small. So if you're someone who can really use a 5G router and are into stable, fast connections, it's hard to point the finger at the hardware or functionality.