Netgear is one of the major manufacturers of home broadband routers. Typically, these routers are intended for wired residential connections and lack many of the usual features we look for in a mobile-capable router for RVers and boaters.
However, Netgear has come out with a few models that include cellular modems and other features of interest to mobile users. While often not ideal solutions, these options may be worth considering for some.
Currently, Netgear offers three LTE-capable routers of interest to our audience:
- The Orbi 4G LTE Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi Router
- The Orbi 5G Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi Router with Satellite
- The Nighthawk AX4 4G LTE Modem WiFi 6 Router
Details of each are in the tabs below.
Product Variations
Netgear Orbi 4G
The Orbi 4G LTE Tri-band Wi-Fi Router by Netgear is a cellular and Wi-Fi enabled router supporting AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
It's primarily designed for homes and is part of the Orbi ecosystem, which means it can be paired with other Orbi products to create a mesh network.
The router was released in August 2020.
Specifications
- Model: LBR20
- Router Specs:
- # of Connected Devices: 25
- Wi-Fi Router:
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) - Simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, Tri-band
- Radio 1: 400Mbps @ 2.4GHz: Supports 256-QAM
- Radio 2: 866Mbps @ 5GHz: Supports 256-QAM
- Radio 3: 866Mbps @ 5GHz: Supports 256-QAM
- Wi-Fi Notes: Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 - MU-MIMO
- Max Theoretical Wi-Fi Speed: TBD
- Wi-Fi Antennas: Internal only
- Wi-Fi as WAN: No
- Claimed Wi-Fi Range: Not specified
- Guest Wi-Fi Network: Not specified
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) - Simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, Tri-band
- Default Control Panel Address and Password:
Control Panel: 192.168.1.1 or orbilogin.com or routerlogin.net
Default Password: "password" - USB Tethering Support: No
- Ethernet Ports: 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports - 1x WAN/LAN & 1x LAN
- Cellular Modem Specs:
- Cellular Modem: Single 4G
- Supported Networks and Bands: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 66, 71
- 3G Bands: 1, 4, 5
- MIMO Support: Yes - 4x4 Internal
- LTE Performance Category: Category 18 (Max Theoretical Speed: 1.2 Gbps Down / 150 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 5x Download, 3x Upload
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA
- SIM Slots: 1x Nano SIM
- Other Ports: None
- Special Features: App control, voice control, Failover, Mesh compatible, Circle Parental Control
- Power Source: 12V/2.5A (includes AC power adapter)
- Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.1 x 8.9in / 1.75lbs
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Retail Price: $399.99
Netgear Orbi 5G
The Netgear Orbi 5G mesh system consists of a router and a second satellite unit that is sold as a kit.
It is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile. Support for Verizon is "coming soon."
Specifications
- Model: NBR750 (NBK752 for the kit which includes an RBS750 satellite)
- Router Specs:
- # of Connected Devices: 40+
- Wi-Fi Router:
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHZ, Tri-band
- Radio 1: 802.11b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz –1024QAM support
- Radio 2: 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz –1024QAM support
- Radio 3: 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz –1024QAM support
- Max Theoretical Wi-Fi Speed: TBD
- Wi-Fi Antennas: Internal only
- Wi-Fi as WAN: No
- Claimed Wi-Fi Range: Not specified
- Guest Wi-Fi Network: Not specified
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHZ, Tri-band
- Default Control Panel Address and Password:
Control Panel: 192.168.1.1 or orbilogin.com or routerlogin.net
Default Password: "password" - USB Tethering Support: No
- Ethernet Ports: 3x Gigabit Ethernet ports - 2x LAN, 1x WAN
- Cellular Modem Specs:
- Cellular Modem: Single 5G
- Modem Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 (Quectel RM502Q-AE)
- Supported Networks and Bands: AT&T, T-Mobile
- 5G Sub-6 Bands: n2, n5, n25, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77
- 4G/LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 71
- 3G Bands: Not Specified
- MIMO Support: 4x4 Internal, 2x2 External
- Max Theoretical 5G Performance:
- LTE Performance Category: Category 20 (Max Theoretical Speed: 2 Gbps Down / 316 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: At least 5x Download, 3x Upload
- 5G Carrier Aggregation: TBD
- Cellular Antenna Ports: 2x
- SIM Slots: 1x Nano SIM
- Other Ports: None
- Special Features: App control, voice control, Failover, Mesh compatible, Circle Parental Control
- Power Source: Router: 12V/3.5A; Satellite: 12V/2.5A. AC power adapters provided for both.
- Dimensions: Router: 9.7 x 7.7 x 3.4 in / 2.75 lbs; Satellite: 9.1 x 7.2 x 2.8 in / 1.9 lbs
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Retail Price: $1099.99 for the kit which includes a satellite mesh unit.
Nighthawk AX4
The Nighthawk AX4 4G LTE Modem WiFi 6 Router by Netgear is a cellular and Wi-Fi enabled router supporting AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
It's primarily designed as a wired broadband router, with the LTE modem intended as a fallback or failover option.
The router was released in March 2021.
Specifications
- Model: LAX20
- Router Specs:
- # of Connected Devices: Unspecified
- Wi-Fi Router:
- Wi-Fi Standard: WiFi 6 (802.11ax) - Simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
- Max Theoretical Wi-Fi Speed: TBD
- Wi-Fi Antennas: 2x External
- Wi-Fi as WAN: No
- Claimed Wi-Fi Range: Not specified
- Default Control Panel Address and Password:
Control Panel: 192.168.0.1 or routerlogin.net
Default Password: "password"
- USB Tethering Support: No
- Ethernet Ports: 5x Gigabit Ethernet ports - 1x WAN & 4x LAN
- Cellular Modem Specs:
- Cellular Modem: Single 4G
- Supported Networks and Bands: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint
- LTE Bands: b2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 25, 26, 29, 30, 66
- 3G Bands: 2, 4, 5
- MIMO Support: Yes
- LTE Performance Category: Category 6 (Max Theoretical Speed: 300Mbps Down / 50Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 2x Download
- Cellular Antennas: 2x TS-9
- SIM Slots: 1x Nano SIM
- Other Ports: USB 2.0 for storage drives
- Special Features: App control, voice control, Failover
- Power Source: 12V/2.5A (includes AC power adapter)
- Dimensions: 11.64 x 8.11 x 2.25 inches / 1.27lbs
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Retail Price: $199.99
News, Video & Status
We purchased an Orbi unit at full retail price from Netgear and tested it for performance and usability. Our review is available to members in the member section below.
We have not tested the Nighthawk AX4.
Video Overview:
Related News Stories & Updates:
Alternatives to Consider
For other popular mobile routers on the market we are tracking - here are our featured options:
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- Netgear: Orbi 4G | Nighthawk AX4 | Orbi 5G
- Amazon: Orbi 4G | Nighthawk AX4
The guides below have been hand-picked to help further your education about selecting Wi-Fi extending gear - and even if this option makes sense for you.
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