Netgear’s LM1200: A 4G LTE modem, modestly funded

It may not support the latest-and-greatest cellular data tech. But in a pinch, it’ll cost-effectively still do the Internet-access trick.

In one of last month’s posts, covering cellular hotspots for maintaining broadband connectivity when premises power goes down, as well as when you’re on the road, I wrote:

Last January I’d purchased on sale from Amazon two NETGEAR LM1200 cellular broadband modems, one for teardown-to-come and the other for precisely the scenario—premises power-loss connectivity backup—that I experienced in mid-December. They aren’t as-is usable [unless you only need to have one wired-connected device online, that is], requiring tether to a router. But I have plenty of those in inventory. And had we stuck around the home more than one night I probably would have pressed the modem-plus-router combo into service, fueled by a portable power unit. But another limitation, bandwidth, was the same one that already soured me on the Surface Pro X’s integrated modem (along in the ones in my Intel-based Surface Pros, for that matter). The LM1200 “only” supports 4G LTE, which is likely why I bought them (on closeout, I suspect) for only $19.99 each a year-plus back, versus the original $49.99 MSRP.

Today, I’ll be actualizing my year-plus back teardown aspiration, as usual beginning with some outer box shots…as usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes:

Flip up the top flap:

and the first things you’ll see are our patient, underneath two slips of paper (also found here in PDF form, along with a fuller user manual). Below them:

are two cables, one for power and the other for data connectivity, along with a power adapter:

Last things first; the AC-to-DC adapter, with a USB-A output (with only notable sides shown):

and the two cables:

Now for our patient:

TS-9 connectors (plus other interesting things, such as the nano SIM slot) ‘round back, the same as with the high-end NETGEAR MR6110 cellular hotspot I showcased a month back:

and as before intended for tethering the cellular modem to an optional external antenna:

Onward:

Note the passive ventilation abundance underneath; a curious choice, given that heat rises, not sinks (and don’t get me started on the confusion inherent to the term “heatsink”), but better than nothing, I guess:

A closeup of the label reveals, among other things, the all-important FCC ID (PY320300503):

60 FCC certification record entry results. That’s a new record, at least for me!

Rubberized feet tend to hide (albeit not always, mind you) screw heads, providing pathways inside:

The typical presence pans out once again in this instance:

And we’re in. The top and bottom chassis pieces both detach:

leaving behind the PCB, along with chassis remnants around the periphery:

which also separate straightaway, this time with no additional screws to mess with:

Let’s start with the top of the PCB:

Dominating the landscape is a Quectel EC25-AF PCIe LTE Cat 4 module, rotated 180° in this photo so you can discern the topside printing right-side-up:

Below it are the four status LEDs whose illumination ends up shining out the holes at the top of the device. And above it are two Youth Electronics GS12401C LAN transformers, one each for the cellular modem’s LAN and WAN ports.

Next, those two long-and-skinny shiny metal pieces, one on each side of the PCB:

They’re, you’ve probably already guessed, the 4G cellular antennae.

Now for the other (bottom) side of the PCB:

Faraday Cages. Regular readers already know what comes next:

Nothing terribly exciting here, that is unless you’re an RF engineer:

How about the larger one?

Another 4R7 (4.7 microhenry) inductor. Plus, a Qualcomm Atheros QCA8334 four-port Gbit Ethernet switch IC, only two ports’ worth of resources which are presumably in use (for the aforementioned LAN and WAN backside ports). And scattered about the remainder of this PCB side’s real estate are clusters of test points, passives, discretes and other diminutive doodads.

And there we are! After this writeup is published and I answer any lingering reader questions, I’ll pop the Faraday Cage tops back on, reassemble the surrounding chassis and see if it still works. And speaking of questions, please do sound off with your thoughts in the comments!

—Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN Magazine.

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The post Netgear’s LM1200: A 4G LTE modem, modestly funded appeared first on EDN.

Netgear’s LM1200: A 4G LTE modem, modestly funded

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