I tested the Netgear Nighthawk M7 on 5G and Wi-Fi 7 - and it’s brilliant as long as your network is strong

Netgear Nighthawk M7: 30-second review

The Nighthawk M7 is the lightweight version of the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro released last year, and essentially strips down the features, so there's no network, antenna ports, or touchscreen interface.

However, it does boost other features, including an integrated battery and a headline eSIM. This enables you to get local data network SIMs directly through the Netgear app marketplace.

Getting started with the Nighthawk M7 is easy, and after a full charge via the USB-C port at the base of the unit, you’re ready to install the SIM or purchase an eSIM to get you online. Before you do you also need to download the Netgear App and make sure that you connect to the M7.

Installing a SIM involves the same process as most mobile phones and is the simplest route, otherwise you can purchase the eSIM which is then transfered and activated from the mobile App to the device. Once done you’re ready to connect your devises through WiFi in the same way that you would through any wifi router.

Whilst Wi-Fi 7 is included as standard, at present most of the Wi-Fi devices I trialled during the test were only Wi-Fi 6; still, connection speeds were extremely good, ranging from a lowly 4Mb per second in areas with minimal network connectivity to almost 150Mb per second in the strongest 5G locations.

You also get the ability to utilise Wi-Fi offloading, which means that if you're in the office or at home then you can utilise this 5G router as a Wi-Fi hub which, in many situations, especially when you're travelling, can be useful, meaning you just need to connect the router to the Wi-Fi and then all of your other devices can remain connected to the M7.

For the most part, using a Vodafone SIM day-to-day was straightforward, and the performance in 5G areas was exceptional, providing a fast network for up to four devices or for simultaneous browsing, watching YouTube videos, and streaming video.

One of the big features of this 5G router is its support for eSIM data plans, and the first thing I noticed was just how quick and easy they are to set up.

Essentially, using the Netgear app you can purchase an eSIM from the Netgear marketplace, and this enables you to buy a local SIM for your location, so here in the UK I was just able to connect and purchase an $11 European eSIM. Whereas if I was in Asia or the United States, again I could buy a similar eSIM for various occasions, not needing to contact my mobile phone provider and update anything, just a quick and easy process.

One thing to note is that this convenience does come at a price: $11 for 3GB of data lasting just 7 days is rather expensive, and at the top tier, you still only get 20GB of data for $46, which I feel is a little overpriced. I'd recommend exploring our best eSIM guide to find the right option for you.

However, this is meant purely as a temporary SIM, and the maximum duration you can purchase is 30 days. Otherwise, there is a standard slot on the side of the device, and during this test, I utilised a Vodafone unlimited data contract on it.

Activating the physical SIM over the eSIM is handled through the comprehensive app. You can really tell that Netgear has a long history of providing network-connected devices, and here the app is easy to navigate and use and fully comprehensive.

Whilst the Netgear Nighthawk M7 is a pared version of the M7 Pro, for most users it certainly makes a lot of sense, and if you travel across the globe and require your own Wi-Fi network hotspot, then the eSIM really does come into its own.

Whilst I did find a few glitches along the way after the eSIM was activated, once everything had settled down, it was an extremely simple process and will obviously give you that peace of mind of using your own private network rather than having to rely on unknown public Wi-Fi.

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $499 / £529
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Netgear and online retailers

The Netgear Nighthawk M7 is widely available for $499.99 / £529.99. It is currently available directly from the Netgear website. But you can also find it from most major online retailers, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

• Value: 4 / 5

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Specs

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon SDX72
Left Ports: USB-C
Right Ports: SIM slot
Connectivity: 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi 7
Size: 83.6 x 145 x 16.9mm
Weight: 240g
OS Installed: Netgear
Accessories: USB-C cable

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Design

As a mobile 5G router, the Nighthawk M7 has been designed to be as compact and portable as possible, measuring 83.6 x 145 x 16.9mm and weighing 240g, including the battery and SIM card, making it one of the most portable 5G routers out there. If you were to compare it against the larger square in shape Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro I reviewed, the M7’s more rectangular and phone-like design makes it far easier to pocket in most pockets.

Checking over the design, you can see the simplicity of the design. For starters, the battery is integrated into the device, so unlike the M7 Pro, where you can pop off the back and replace the battery, here, if the battery runs down, it will require a recharge; however, the battery is designed to give a good 8 to 10 hours of use.

Likewise, on the front, the small screen is just that. There's no touchscreen, and to go from one of those screens to the next, you need to single-push the power button on the side of the device. This operates on a carousel-style system; whilst you can view the information for each section, you can't actually interact with it, all interaction is through the Netgear app.

Whilst the big feature of the M7 is the ability to use eSIMs, these are designed as temporary data solutions with contracts of up to 1 month and are more expensive than standard SIMs. They just offer more convenience when you're travelling. You can quickly log in to the app, select your location, and instantly buy an eSIM that will work. If you want to use a 3rd party eSIM then depending on compatibility that’s also possible.

For day-to-day use, it accepts a standard SIM on the side and, like any mobile phone, there's a SIM card tray that can be ejected, the data SIM placed in, and, using the app, you can switch from the eSIM to the standard SIM for use.

The design and build of the M7 is very robust, with a smoother ergonomic design. There is no doubt, from the build quality, that it has been designed for everyday use and for carrying with you wherever you go.

It's also been designed as more than just a temporary solution and used as the main source of data on a day-to-day basis. It is more than capable of keeping up with data demands, and whilst the casing warms slightly, it never exceeds a slight warm touch and always operates completely silently.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Features

The Netgear Nighthawk M7 is a 5G-powered Wi-Fi 7 router with broad compatibility, so it will work perfectly on 4G as well as with Wi-Fi devices. The big feature here is that it supports either an eSIM, which you can purchase at any location around the globe, or a physical SIM, which you can switch between in the Netgear app.

In absolutely ideal situations, using 5G and Wi-Fi 7, your devices will receive data transfer rates of 3.6GB/second, incredibly fast for a network-connected device. What this also means is that in these fast internet locations, you can connect several devices to this one hotspot router, so multiple people, or multiple of your own devices, can all connect and receive fast data speeds at the same time.

That eSIM compatibility is the first rollout of the technology for these Netgear Nighthawk devices and is set to roll out across the M7 Pro and future products at a later date. As it is, out of the box, the M7 is able to get instant coverage with the eSIM in over 140 countries using either the 5G or 4G network and all without contracts, essentially buying the eSIM directly through the Netgear marketplace, all adding to the simplicity of its use. However, you don't have to rely solely on the eSIM to provide that network connection; it also supports SIM cards and eSIMs from major 5G and 4G network operators.

Again, the physical SIM can be popped into a standard SIM card slot on the side, and the eSIM from another provider can be loaded via the app.

When it comes to support for other devices, during the test, I selected 5. If you really want to push the device's capabilities, it is rated to support up to 32 Wi-Fi-connected devices simultaneously.

What I also like is the fact that it has Wi-Fi offloading, so if you have five devices that are all connected to the M7 and you arrive at your hotel, then rather than reconnecting all of those devices to the hotel Wi-Fi, you can simply connect your M7 to the hotel Wi-Fi. All other devices will still connect to the M7, which will utilise the hotel Wi-Fi rather than the data SIM, and will save you time having to configure each of your devices each time you stay at a different location.

Unlike some other mobile routers, the M7's battery is internal and should provide a good 10 hours of use between charges.

The Netgear Nighthawk M7 offers several levels of protection, primarily the fact that you have your own personal Wi-Fi hotspot, so you're not having to use public Wi-Fi, but also if you are utilising Wi-Fi pass-through then there are several built-in security protocols, including firewall, WPA3 encryption and automatic firmware updates so that you always keep up to date with the latest software.

As we've seen with the M7 Pro, you can connect directly via USB-C, or, if you have an Ethernet connector separately, you can also utilise it. This just gives you the added security of a business, especially when there are lots of Wi-Fi signals bouncing around.

• Features: 4 / 5

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Performance

The Netgear Nighthawk M7 didn't fail to impress, and utilised with a Vodafone physical SIM card, the set-up process was straightforward, requiring quick access into the Netgear app, connecting the Netgear app to the M7, then swapping from the eSIM to the physical SIM, and then the data connection was almost instantaneous.

Used in Salisbury city centre, where 5G potential was instantly apparent, this provided fast transfer rates to all devices, which included a MacBook Pro M1 Max, an Asus ExpertBook and two mobile phones along with my iPhone. Five devices connected easily to the router, and I was online with each within a few seconds.

The one thing to point out here is that before connecting any device to the M7, after that initial set-up process, you do need to wake it up by just pushing the button on the side; this essentially starts up the Wi-Fi hotspot connection, at which point the Wi-Fi hotspot will appear, and you can connect your device. If you don't wake it up, then the device will stay asleep preserving battery.

Using the physical SIM with connection speeds above 40-80Mb per second, the device seemed to connect easily and, whilst I wasn't pushing the use of those devices too much, just browsing the internet, ordering food, making a video call and watching a video, the system was able to keep up, with the average transfer rate being between 40 and 80Mb per second.

As the test progressed, moving from the city centre of Salisbury to a small town on the edge of the New Forest where internet connection is unreliable, my mobile phone's internet speed was sub-10 Mbps on the Vodafone network. Likewise, checking the physical SIM and the Netgear Nighthawk while moving around the town, I finally found around 15 Mbps; however, aside from being able to slowly browse a couple of websites and send a couple of emails, the robustness of that connection was lacking, more through the network rather than through the devices abilities.

I then decided to switch over to the eSIM and give it a go to see if I can find the best possible network connection for my location. Whilst this works on a country rather than localised area, it first of all selected the EE network and my connection speed suddenly boosted from less than 10 Mbps per second to over 100Mbps; the boost was significant and I was once again able to utilise more than one device online with no noticeable slowdown compared with my home wireless network.

However, after the initial test and switching back to my Wi-Fi network on my device, then back to the eSIM, I found a few glitches with the process, and these seemed to have switched on the eSIM from EE to O2. Whilst the performance was still okay, it had dropped considerably, and more worryingly, the eSIM showed I was out of data despite the screen showing I still had most of my data available.

I then left the device for some time and came back to it an hour or so later to find that the eSIM seemed to have settled down into the O2 network, and I could once again connect with relative ease. Whilst the connection speeds were far lower than I've experienced on the EE network, they were still far more usable on the O2 network than on Vodafone, with O2 showing about 20Mb per second and Vodafone around 4Mb per second.

This really started to highlight that the network selection for your area is the main driver for your connection speed, and here, with the Nighthawk M7, the fact that I could switch from the Vodafone contract, which was unusable in the area at that time, over to O2, which was just usable, was definitely a huge advantage.

Travelling back up to Salisbury again, the Vodafone network comes back into its own, offering fast, extremely reliable connections. The M7 once again proved fast and robust, with several other people connected to the device. Throughout the day, I had to upload several video tutorials and presentations; I was able to do this without too much effort, utilising the mobile hotspot.

This is something that, had I used my mobile phone, would've worn the battery down in less than an hour. Here, I was able to still use the mobile router throughout the day without any issues. It's also worth pointing out that whilst the small box does get a little warm, it isn't overly hot. At no point is there any noise from the small box, as there are no internal fans, and it seems to have exceptional heat management.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Netgear Nighthawk M7: Final verdict

I switched to using a Wi-Fi hotspot rather than my mobile phone to tether to my laptop and other devices a good year ago. The potential advantages were obvious especially when it came to preserving my mobiles battery life and it ‘s now rare for me not to travel without my Nighthawk M7 Pro.

However, there is still the issue that when I travel abroad, I need to either buy a local SIM or contact Vodafone to have my SIM updated for use abroad, which can be expensive and is always just a little bit of a headache to sort out.

What I appreciate about the Netgear Nighthawk M7 is that for most day-to-day use it offers similar potential as the M7 Pro, with some slower speeds admittedly, but for the most part most users will see much the same performance as a straight forward 5G router.

Having a 5G router means that if you're travelling for work then just having the ability to have your own Wi-Fi hotspot without draining the power of your mobile phone very quickly becomes essential, and the fact is that when you're with colleagues who also need to connect to Wi-Fi then you can offer them access as well.

While the M7 Pro is the more premium option, the M7 offers the new eSIM support. Whilst I had a few teething issues, it's easy to see just how useful it is, and the ability to go onto the Netgear marketplace and quickly purchase and download it to the device, ready for use, makes it exceptionally useful if you are a global traveller. Whilst this is useful, those eSIMs do come at a high cost, far more than your contract, but then you are paying for the convenience, and they are short-term rather than long-term contract.

There are a few things that I would've liked to see on the M7 that are unfortunately not available, such as an interchangeable battery. Whilst 10 hours, or more like 6 to 8 hours of use, is significant, and you can always give a quick charge to a power bank, the ability to quickly swap out the battery when needed with many other mobile routers is handy.

However, I found the charge on the M7 to be more than adequate for day-to-day use, and as long as you remember to charge it overnight, it will give you many days’ use without too many issues. In my bag, I managed to go five days with it just sitting there with occasional use in between charges, which, to be honest, is how I think most people will probably use it.

In areas with strong 5G coverage, transfer rates are exceptionally good, and during testing, I was able to connect up to 5 devices without any issues. However, depending on network coverage, the number of devices you can connect successfully decreases.

In areas with exceptionally high connection speeds, there's no doubt how useful this device was. Whether using the eSIM or a physical SIM, switching between them in the app was very straightforward. It does take a little bit of getting used to the fact that you do need to use an app to interact with the device rather than on-device controls, but the level of interaction possible through that app interface does make sense.

One point about using a physical SIM that was slightly irritating, was that messages are sent to your data SIM from your mobile network provider, and there's no way to properly review or delete them. It just says SIM card messaging is full, so hopefully this is one small area that will be updated soon.

As a very easy-to-use, solid 5G router, the Nighthawk M7 is a good choice, and the eSIM, as it becomes available, whilst expensive, is a great option for anyone who travels regularly.

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