I just purchased a new MAX-BR1-MINI-5GN-T-PRM and it is a HW2 hardware revision.
I am wondering what the difference is between HW2 and HW3?
Is the difference between the two revisions enough for me to try and exchange the unit for a HW3 model?
Thanks in advance.
Hi, @Mark_G
I am not a Peplink employee.
So…
Looking at the firmware download…
both hw1, hw2 and hw3 have same firmware file.
also…
Looking at the Release Notes of the new BETA version 8.6.0…
There is nothing about hw1, hw2 and hw3 for mini5g.
Hello @Mark_G,
Like @MarceloBarros, I’m also not a Peplink employee, though our business and I live and breathe the Peplink ecosystem.
The Hardware revisions from Peplink represent a substantial change in the internal components, warranting a new Hardware revision. In this case, we believe that the Hardware revision primarily relates to the Cellular Chipset versions used.
Globally (including in our Australasian region), there is limited stock of the HW2 version with the 5GN chipset, and we are advising customers to look at acquiring the HW3 version with the 5GK chipset. There is a noticeable price difference between the two, with the 5GK chipset version currently more expensive than the 5GN, so if you are going to return it to your point of purchase, you may have to pay a price gap.
What you really should consider is the application/purpose for which you will use your new Peplink BR1 Pro 5G. We have many customers on the HW1 and HW2 versions, and we will retain them on the existing hardware, as the equipment is fit for purpose.
Your new purchase will still have all the same Peplink PrimeCare inclusions, and you are most likely not missing out on any benefits of the new 5GK chipset.
If you have any additional concerns, you can reach out to your point of purchase or your local Peplink Certified Partner (https://www.peplink.com/buy/peplink-certified-partners/) for assistance.
Have a good weekend,
Marcus 
Hi Marcus, thanks for the detailed response. This is exactly the information that I was after.
A couple of questions if you have time please.
I’m planning on using the Mini as a 5G failover WAN in a residential environment with fairly average 5G reception.
If I’m going to purchase this kind of thing, which was quite expensive for me, I would like to be getting the latest hardware revision, however that being said, I’m pretty sure HW2 will probably be fine as well. For my use case, this was at the upper end of what I wanted to pay.
Mark, what country are you in?
Regarding your questions:
The 5GK is an x65 chipset and has a few smaller improvements on the radio side, specifically downlink CA capabilities and some signaling stuff. In day to day operations, you wouldn’t see a difference. The BIG difference is that the 5GK radio is not made in China whereas the 5GN radio is. To be extremely clear, Peplink is not made in China, but the 5GN radios were (at the time, they were the only truly global 5G radio chipset available and have extensive capabilities).
You need to talk to a Peplink reseller about this. I did some spot checking in our inventory and the the no wifi versions return HW3 while the wifi versions return HW2. However, BOTH had the 5GN radios in them (I haven’t seen a 5GK radio version in the US yet, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist).
If you’re in the US, feel free to DM me (I’m a US-based Pepink partner/reseller) to discuss pricing.
Hi Christopher, thanks for your response as well.
I’m in Australia. My reseller only lists the 5GN version. Maybe that’s all that is available in Australia? I wasn’t offered a 5GK version. Is the 5GK a truely global chipset?
I’ll give the reseller a call on Monday and see what the story is.
For what it is worth, the 5GN modem seems to work well enough on my speed limited plan.
Hello @Mark_G,
I will PM you with our team’s contact details, and we can explore your concerns further on Monday.
Have a good weekend,
Marcus
For Everyone’s information, here are additional details based on information received from the Peplink team on Monday, 02 June 2026.
As an example, shown here are two SKUs listed covering different models and are at different latest hardware revisions, which is what the current stock ships as from Peplink:
Difference between the hardware revisions:
| HW Rev | Wi-Fi | SIM Injector (RemoteSIM) / FusionSIM | Current model at this revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| HW1 | No | No | Superseded |
| HW2 | Yes | Yes | MAX-BR1-MINI-5GN-T-PRM (with Wi-Fi) |
| HW3 | No | Yes | MAX-BR1-MINI-5GN-T-M-PRM (no Wi-Fi) |
Both current models (HW2 and HW3) support SIM Injector (RemoteSIM) and FusionSIM, so the main choice is whether your application/project needs the onboard Wi-Fi (HW2) or not (HW3).
Have a good week,
Marcus
i was opening a ticket on this until I saw your reply, thanks!!
