Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro – Review

By Steve Crabtree, September 2025

It’s 2025. And whatever we do these days, it seems that we need connection. Whether I’m watching a film, listening to music, setting the heating or washing machine, opening the garage door, or just messing about on social media. Oh – and there’s work…whether I’m working too (that’s important!)

So, when there’s me and the rest of the family taking for granted that we’re running multiple devices at once, that connection can be the difference between speed and flakiness. And we don’t want the latter.

That’s why I’ve been so impressed with the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro. A serious bit of kit, and one of the first mobile routers to support WiFi 7, with dual-band support, a chunky 2.8” touch display, and enough muscle to handle multiple connections without flinching. I’ve been using it across two different environments – home and office – and it hasn’t skipped a beat…

What’s in the box

• Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro mobile router
• Removable rechargeable battery
• USB-C charging cable
• Quick start guide
• Wall adapter (with international plug heads)

Setup and first impressions

First thing to say – the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro isn’t your average portable hotspot. It’s more like a hybrid between a traditional router and a travel-ready device. It’s unlocked, so it works with any UK SIM, and setup is straightforward. Pop in the SIM, fit the battery, hold the power button – and away you go. Within minutes there’s a fast, stable WiFi 7 network ready to go.

The onboard touchscreen is a real win. At 2.8″, it’s big enough to navigate without squinting, and makes the whole setup feel premium. It shows all your vital stats – signal strength, connected devices, data usage and battery level – and is really responsive too. If you’re used to little LED lights and mystery buttons on cheaper units, this is next level.

Putting it to work at home

At home, I hooked the M7 Pro up to a 5G SIM and connected three laptops, three phones and a tablet to kick off with. No buffering, no complaints – just solid performance. Streaming YouTube, video calls, uploading media, running heavy files in Adobe – everything was just slick. I tried to out master it by running some cloud-based video editing on one of the laptops, but zero lag. I was really liking this router!

WiFi 7 might sound like the latest buzzword, but you really do feel the difference. Lower latency and quicker handovers between devices. Speeds were consistently high and stable across the house, and the signal didn’t dip even when I moved upstairs or into the garden (where we’ve got a smart bird feeder connected…another device!)

Stress-testing it at the office

Things got interesting when I took it into the office. Purely for testing purposes, I connected nine laptops and three phones – all in active use, with a couple of colleagues pushing it hard via Zoom, web apps, and media-heavy tasks. Honestly, I expected some stuttering or overheating, or at least some sort of negative…but the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro didn’t flinch.

It ran so well for a couple of hours during testing. No restarts, no dropped connections, and no frustrated colleagues! For a device this compact, it’s impressive and battery life also surprised me. It can run for most of the day without needing a top-up. (The included USB-C cable makes charging easy, and you can also run it directly off mains if needed.)

Technical know-how:

WiFi 7 really is a game-changer here. Combined with a solid 5G SIM, the M7 Pro gives you the sort of speeds you’d expect from a home broadband package, but in a portable form. Websites load instantly, videos stream in 4K, and there’s no noticeable delay when switching between devices or tasks.

It also supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously, so you can split devices accordingly if you want to manage load more efficiently. You can even plug in via Ethernet thanks to the onboard port – handy if you’re hooking up a desktop machine or a smart TV while travelling.

Built to last – and to travel

I won’t pretend that I’m a fully fledged member of the IT crowd, but this is one of the most solid mobile routers I’ve handled. It’s a serious piece of kit without being bulky, and it’s small enough to slip into a laptop bag or rucksack. The battery is removable, so you can carry spares if you’re off-grid for long periods. I haven’t needed to yet – battery life is excellent, and I’ve run it for hours on end without issue.

Netgear also give you remote management options via their app, and advanced settings if you want to get into the weeds with port forwarding or device control – but for most people, the plug-and-play simplicity will be enough.

What Netgear Say:

“The Nighthawk M7 Pro is NETGEAR’s first mobile router with WiFi 7 and 5G support, delivering up to 5.8Gbps over WiFi and 6Gbps over 5G. Designed for work, travel, or home backup, it supports up to 64 devices, covers 1,000 sq. ft., and offers up to 13 hours of battery life. With a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, touchscreen display, and advanced security features, it’s a high-performance connectivity solution – wherever you are.”

The verdict

After using the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro in both home and office environments, I love the router and I’m sure it’s one of the best mobile routers currently available. A brilliant piece of tech. Reliable, fast, and handles multiple devices effortlessly – so if you’re working remotely, streaming on the go, or just need a bulletproof backup to your home broadband, this is a device that delivers.

The Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro is available from netgear.com – RRP: £899.99

Steve Crabtree( Writer )

Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.

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