NETGEAR Nighthawk M5 User manual

User Manual
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router
Models MR5100 and MR5200
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria DriveFebruary 2021
San Jose, CA 95134, USA202-12061-01

Support and Community
Visit netgear.com/support to get your questions answered and access the latest
downloads.
You can also check out our NETGEAR Community for helpful advice at
community.netgear.com.
Trademarks
©NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
Regulatory and Legal
Si ce produit est vendu au Canada, vous pouvez accéder à ce document en français
canadien à https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.
(If this product is sold in Canada, you can access this document in Canadian French at
https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.)
For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit
https://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
For NETGEAR’s Privacy Policy, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/privacy-policy.
By using this device, you are agreeing to NETGEAR’s Terms and Conditions at
https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions. If you do not agree, return the
device to your place of purchase within your return period.
2
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

Contents
Chapter 1 Get Started
Meet Your Mobile Router....................................................................8
Set Up Your Mobile Router..................................................................9
Recharge the Battery............................................................................9
Connect to the Internet......................................................................10
Replace a SIM Card............................................................................10
Home Screen.......................................................................................12
Powering Off/Resetting the Device..................................................13
Security Credentials...........................................................................13
Connect to the Mobile Router With Tethering...............................14
Customize the Mobile Router Settings............................................14
Log in to Your Mobile Router Web Page.........................................15
Chapter 2 Use Your Mobile Router
View Estimated Data Usage on the Mobile Router........................17
View Data Usage on the Mobile Router Web Page.......................17
View Messages From the Mobile Router.........................................17
Send SMS Messages From the Mobile Router...............................18
View Messages From the Mobile Router Web Page......................20
Send SMS Messages From the Mobile Router Web Page............21
Delete a Message From the Mobile Router....................................21
Delete a Message From the Mobile Router Web Page.................22
View Alerts From the Mobile Router................................................23
View Alerts From the Mobile Router Web Page.............................23
Turn On Dual-Band WiFi From the Mobile Router Web Page......24
Turn On Dual-Band WiFi From the Mobile Router.........................25
Manage Your Broadband Network Connection.............................26
View Mobile Broadband Network Status From the Mobile
Router..............................................................................................27
View Mobile Broadband Network Status From the Mobile Router
Web Page........................................................................................28
Turn Domestic Data On and Off From the Mobile Router.......29
Turn Domestic Data Off From the Mobile Router Web Page...29
Turn International Roaming On and Off From the Mobile
Router..............................................................................................31
3

Turn International Roaming On and Off From the Mobile Router
Web Page........................................................................................32
Connect to WiFi..................................................................................32
Manage WiFi.......................................................................................33
Turn On 5 GHz WiFi From the Mobile Router............................33
Turn On 5 GHz WiFi From the Mobile Router Web Page.........34
Specify WiFi Settings From the Mobile Router..........................35
Change WiFi Settings From the Mobile Router Web Page......36
Manage WiFi Security........................................................................36
Change WiFi Network Name and Password From the Mobile
Router..............................................................................................36
Change WiFi Network Names and Passwords From the Mobile
Router Web Page...........................................................................37
Change WiFi Encryption Settings................................................38
Chapter 3 Manage Security
Change the Mobile Router Web Page Login Settings...................41
Activate SIM Security..........................................................................41
Chapter 4 Maintain Your Mobile Router
Extend Battery Life..............................................................................44
Adjust WiFi Settings to Optimize Battery Life............................44
Set the Display to Increase Battery Life From the Mobile
Router..............................................................................................44
Set the Display to Increase Battery Life From the Mobile Router
Web Page........................................................................................45
View Details About Your Device From the Mobile Router............47
View Details About Your Device From the Mobile Router Web
Page......................................................................................................48
Add and Select Access Point Names (APN)....................................48
Add an APN for Another Network...............................................48
Select an APN to Use.....................................................................50
Remove an APN Entry...................................................................50
Enable DMZ.........................................................................................51
Update Mobile Router Software and Firmware..............................52
Update Mobile Router Software and Firmware in Response to an
Update Available Alert..................................................................52
Chapter 5 Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Connecting and Disconnecting Devices and
Accessing the Internet.......................................................................54
What do I do if I can’t connect a device to the mobile router?.54
What do I do if I can’t access the Internet?.................................54
How do I disconnect from the mobile broadband network?....55
4
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

How do I find out how many devices are connected to my mobile
router’s WiFi networks?.................................................................55
What do I do if the No Signal icon displays?..............................55
Why can’t my device access the mobile router web page when
connected to a VPN?.....................................................................55
What do I do if my mobile router doesn’t connect to my service
provider’s network?.......................................................................55
Questions About the Mobile Router Web Page.............................56
How do I go back to the mobile router web page?..................56
What do I do if I forget my admin login password?..................57
General Questions..............................................................................57
Why isn’t my battery charging?....................................................57
Why is the Signal Strength indicator always low?......................57
Why is the download or upload speed slow?............................58
The LCD screen is not lit. How do I know if the mobile router is
still powered on?............................................................................58
How do I find my computer’s IP address?..................................58
Find the IP address on a Windows 7 or Windows 10 device.58
Find the IP address on a Windows 8 device..........................58
Find the IP address on a Mac OS X device............................59
Find the IP address on devices running other operating
systems.......................................................................................59
How do I find a device’s MAC address?......................................59
Find the MAC address on a Windows 7 or Windows 10
device..........................................................................................59
Find the MAC address on a Windows 8 device....................60
Find the MAC address on a Mac OS X device.......................60
What do I do if the WiFi network name doesn’t appear in the list
of networks?....................................................................................60
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting
View Alerts...........................................................................................62
SIM Not Installed............................................................................62
SIM Error — Check SIM...................................................................62
SIM Locked.....................................................................................62
Temperature-Related Alerts.........................................................62
Reset the Mobile Router....................................................................63
Reset the Mobile Router From the Mobile Router.....................63
Reset the Mobile Router From the Mobile Router Web Page...64
Appendix A Specifications
Battery Specifications.........................................................................67
Display Specifications........................................................................68
Mechanical Specifications.................................................................69
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Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

Mobile Band Specifications...............................................................69
Package Contents...............................................................................69
Port Specifications..............................................................................70
Security Specifications.......................................................................70
WiFi Specifications.............................................................................71
Environmental Specifications............................................................71
6
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

1
Get Started
This product regularly checks for new firmware and downloads any that is appropriate,
or you can check for and download new firmware manually. If the features or behavior
of your product does not match what is described in this manual, you might need to
update your firmware.
This chapter provides an overview of mobile router features, and instructions for how
to set up your mobile router and connect to the Internet. The chapter covers the following
topics:
• Meet Your Mobile Router
• Set Up Your Mobile Router
• Recharge the Battery
• Connect to the Internet
• Replace a SIM Card
• Home Screen
• Powering Off/Resetting the Device
• Security Credentials
• Connect to the Mobile Router With Tethering
• Customize the Mobile Router Settings
• Log in to Your Mobile Router Web Page
7

Meet Your Mobile Router
Before you connect your mobile router, familiarize yourself with its LCD screen, icons,
buttons, and connectors.
Home
Touch screen
Touch to
navigate Back
Power button
Figure 1. Mobile router LCD and buttons
The mobile router comes with a USB-C charging cable.
The connectors include a USB Type-C connector, an RJ45 ethernet port, and two TS-9
external antenna connectors.
RJ45 ethernet port
TS-9 external antenna
connector
USB Type-C connector
TS-9 external antenna
connector
Figure 2. Mobile router connectors
User Manual8Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

Set Up Your Mobile Router
To set up your mobile router:
1. Insert the battery.
2. Install the back cover.
3. Firmly close the back cover.
4. Tap Power to power on the mobile router.
Recharge the Battery
Your battery comes partially charged.
User Manual9Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

To recharge your battery:
1. Connect the USB-C charging cable to your mobile router.
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the USB port on your computer or to the USB
charger.
Connect to the Internet
When you turn on your mobile router, it automatically connects to the network in your
area. Connect your device to the mobile router WiFi network to access the Internet.
To connect to the Internet:
1. Tap Power to turn on the mobile router.
The device powers up and the Power Off/Restart menu appears.
2. On your laptop or WiFi device, open your WiFi network connection manager.
3. Connect your device to the router with the WiFi name and password.
Replace a SIM Card
In some circumstances you might need to replace the SIM card.
User Manual10Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

To replace a SIM card:
1. Remove the back cover by lifting the corners.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Slide out the SIM card.
4. Insert the replacement SIM card.
User Manual11Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

5. Insert the battery.
6. Install the back cover.
Home Screen
You can use the home screen to view the mobile router’s status, configure WiFi settings,
view data usage details, and view system alerts.
WiFi name and password
Tap for more
Signal strength
Data usage
Network indicator
Additional options,
change settings
Change passwords,
view connected
devices, guest WiFi
options and more
Send and view messages
Figure 3. LCD screen display
Note: Deletion of message must be done on the mobile router Web UI.
User Manual12Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

Table 1. Icons
DescriptionIcons
This indicates the strength of the mobile broadband network signal.
Your 5G wireless device displays the following network indicator to let you know you are connected to
the 5G network.
This indicates the amount of charge in the battery.
Powering Off/Resetting the Device
To power off or reset the device:
1. Hold down the Power button for 5 seconds.
The Power Off/Reset menu appears and you are prompted to power off or reset the
device.
2. Tap Power Off to power off the device, or choose reset to reset the device.
Security Credentials
Three passwords are associated with the mobile router:
•WiFi password. Use this to connect your computer or WiFi device to your mobile
router network. This character string is unique to your device. It displays on the main
mobile router touch screen. If the screen is blank (a power-saving feature), press
and quickly release the Power button. The default WiFi password is also printed on
a label under the battery.
For information about changing WiFi passwords, see Change WiFi Encryption Settings
on page 38.
•Web admin login password. Use this to log in to the mobile router web page as
an administrator. You must log in as an administrator to use certain features and to
make changes to your mobile router settings. The default login password is printed
on a label under the battery. The password should be changed after installation by
the user, and can be 5–31 characters in length.
User Manual13Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

Connect to the Mobile Router With Tethering
You can connect a computer to the mobile router using the USB-C cable instead of
connecting with WiFi. This kind of cable connection is called tethering.
Note: The computer's operating system detects the Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile
Router the first time you use the USB-C cable to connect the computer to the mobile
router.
To install drivers on computers running Windows:
1. Ensure that the mobile router is powered off.
2. Connect the mobile router to your computer using the USB cable.
The mobile router automatically powers on.
Note: Make sure that your computer has access to Internet when you first use the
tethering feature because your computer might need to access the Internet in order
to download the required software driver.
After the driver is installed, you can visit the mobile router web page to customize
your mobile router’s advanced settings. This is an optional step.
Customize the Mobile Router Settings
You can personalize the mobile router and change its settings on the web page.
To log in to your mobile router web page:
1. From a computer or WiFi device that is connected to the mobile router, launch a
web browser.
2. Enter http://192.168.1.1.
User Manual14Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

The mobile router web page displays.
3. Enter the administrator login password.
The default password is printed on the product label. The password is case-sensitive.
Log in to Your Mobile Router Web Page
Your mobile router comes configured and ready to use as is. You can use the mobile
router web page to manage advanced settings.
To log in to your mobile router web page:
1. From the computer or WiFi device that is connected to the mobile router, launch a
web browser.
2. Enter http://192.168.1.1.
The mobile router web page displays.
3. Enter the administrator login password.
The default password is printed on the product label. The password is case-sensitive.
User Manual15Get Started
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

2
Use Your Mobile Router
This chapter explains how to use your mobile router. The chapter covers the following
topics:
• View Estimated Data Usage on the Mobile Router
• View Data Usage on the Mobile Router Web Page
• View Messages From the Mobile Router
• Send SMS Messages From the Mobile Router
• View Messages From the Mobile Router Web Page
• Send SMS Messages From the Mobile Router Web Page
• Delete a Message From the Mobile Router
• Delete a Message From the Mobile Router Web Page
• View Alerts From the Mobile Router
• View Alerts From the Mobile Router Web Page
• Turn On Dual-Band WiFi From the Mobile Router Web Page
• Turn On Dual-Band WiFi From the Mobile Router
• Manage Your Broadband Network Connection
• Connect to WiFi
• Manage WiFi
• Manage WiFi Security
16

View Estimated Data Usage on the Mobile
Router
To view estimated data usage on the mobile router:
To wake the device, press the Power button.
The LCD screen shows the estimated data usage for the current billing cycle. Tapping
in the data usage area provides more detailed information and options for configuring
usage limit warnings.
View Data Usage on the Mobile Router Web
Page
To view data usage information on the mobile router web page:
1. From a computer or WiFi device that is connected to the mobile router, launch a
web browser.
2. Enter http://192.168.1.1.
The mobile router web page displays.
3. Enter the administrator login password.
The default password is printed on the product label. The password is case-sensitive.
The mobile router web page displays the data usage for the current billing cycle
and for the current broadband session.
View Messages From the Mobile Router
You can tell from your mobile router display if you have unviewed messages, and you
can view them directly from there.
User Manual17Use Your Mobile Router
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

This router display indicates you have an unread message.
Note: Although you can view messages directly on the mobile router, use the mobile
router's web page to delete them.
To view messages from the mobile router display:
1. Tap Power to wake the mobile router.
2. Tap Messages.
The Messages screen displays.
3. Tap the message to read the full text.
Note: If you are logged in as an administrator, the Messages option on the side
menu indicates unread network messages. You can view SMS messages from your
network service provider on the mobile router web page.
Send SMS Messages From the Mobile Router
You can send SMS messages from the mobile router.
To send SMS messages from the mobile router:
1. Tap Power to wake the mobile router.
2. Tap Messages.
The Messages screen displays and indicates if there are any SMS messages.
3. Tap Compose.
A numeric keypad for for entering the phone number displays.
User Manual18Use Your Mobile Router
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

4. Use the keypad to type the phone number to which the message will be sent.
As you enter digits, the phone number appears in the To: field.
5. Tap Next.
A keypad for entering the message appears.
6. Type a message and tap Send.
The Message Sent message appears and indicates that the message was sent.
User Manual19Use Your Mobile Router
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router

View Messages From the Mobile Router Web
Page
To view messages from the mobile router web page:
1. From a computer or WiFi device that is connected to the mobile router, launch a
web browser.
2. Enter http://192.168.1.1.
The mobile router web page displays.
3. Enter the administrator login password.
The default password is printed on the product label. The password is case-sensitive.
The home page displays.
4. Select Messages.
A list of messages displays, showing the first portion of the text.
5. Click a message to read the full text.
User Manual20Use Your Mobile Router
Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router