Netgear LB1110 4G LTE Modem Review

At IFA 2016, Netgear had presented the two LTE modems LB1110 and LB1111, and the LB1110 is finally arrived to the test around the end of December. The LB1110 is an external LTE modem with Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 connection, but other functions such as battery operation, WLAN or a telephone interface are deliberately omitted. The Netgear LB1110 requires an external power supply, the sister model LB1111 additionally has Power over Ethernet (PoE), ie the power can be supplied directly via the Ethernet cable. In this review, you can read more about the performance from Netgear LB1110 modem.

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Appearance

The Netgear LB1110 modem is packed in a small cardboard box. Besides the device, there is also a short LAN cable as well as the power supply (with adapter for Europe and British plug format). Furthermore, there is a brief guide, which should help for operation.

 

The Netgear LB1110 is completely made of plastic and offers some green LEDs on the front for signal reception, network status and LAN connection. At first glance the modem looks solidly processed and it makes a good impression. With dimensions of 120 x 99 x 31 mm (W x D x H), it is quite compact and can also be attached to the wall if required.

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Hardware & Speed

The Netgear LB1110 modem has a single RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet port on the back. Here, a single computer can be connected directly, or the connection to a router or switch can be established. Furthermore, you will find the connection for the power supply (DC, 12V, 1A), a reset button and a power button on the back.

 

The Netgear LB1110 modem allows speeds of up to 150 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 Mbps in the uplink via LTE Category 4. In addition to the FDD LTE frequency bands around 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz currently in use in Europe, FDD LTE is also supported on 900 MHz and TDD LTE on 2300 MHz. UMTS is supported with the data accelerator DC-HSPA+, the theoretically maximum possible speed is 42.2 Mbps in the downlink and 5.76 Mbps in the uplink. Here, the bands are supported by 900 and 2100 MHz. As a fallback, the LB1110 modem can also use Quadband GSM.

Netgear LB1111 LB1111-100EUS

In the test, the Netgear LB1110 modem with SIM cards from O2 and Telekom was used; the tariffs had no limitation of the speed. With a good UMTS reception in the network from the Telekom, about 26 MBit/s in the Downlink were possible, with O2 it reached up to 21 MBit/s. LTE was considerably slower at O2 despite a good reception with only around 7 MBit/s – here the network was certainly overloaded. The ping times were 25 milliseconds on the LTE network and 40 milliseconds on UMTS. In the Telecom LTE network at 1800 MHz, some 130 MBit/s were possible. Depending on the location, reception and network load, these values ​​vary widely, this is completely normal.

 

The reception via the internal antennas is good and is clearly superior to that of most smartphones. Nevertheless, it may be useful to connect an external mobile radio antenna at some locations. The LB1110 has two TS-9 connectors on the rear panel. Netgear itself provides as a passive antenna, which is also suitable for mobile use.

 

Software & Operation

The Netgear LB1110 can be operated from any browser. The web interface is encrypted with a password and the PIN code for the SIM card must be entered after switching on for the first time. On request, the router remembers the PIN, so you do not have to re-enter it every time. By the way, the SIM card is inserted in a small compartment on the back of the LB1110, a MicroSIM is required, but a Nano SIM with adapter is also OK.

Netgear LB1111 LB1111-100EUS

 

The web interface is available in several languages, looks modern, tidy and functional. The start screen displays the most important information, such as the reception strength and the data volume consumed. On request, a tariff can also be stored and thus the data volume can be limited, if necessary, the router even sends a warning SMS as soon as the volume has been used up. The settings can be used to configure various functions, for example, it is possible to set the router so that only the UMTS network or the LTE network is used. Also, it is possible in the settings to disable the LEDs on the router when they are not needed.

 

LB1111 Power over Ethernet

With LB1110, there is the sister model Netgear LB1111. Compared to the LB1110, it looks identical and offers the same functions, but it also has Power over Ethernet (PoE, ie power supply over Ethernet cable). With a PoE-capable router or switch, it is possible to operate the LB1111 modem completely without an external power supply. This is especially interesting in buildings, where there is no socket near the modem.  With an ideal placement of the modem and the power supply via PoE, one could dispense an external LTE antenna in many cases.

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Conclusion: Netgear LB1110

The Netgear LB1110 modem is convincing by good reception, good speeds and easy operation thanks to modern software. The connection is stable and the status LEDs are very easy to read. If you are looking for a good LTE modem with RJ-45 LAN connection and do not want further technology such as telephone and WLAN, the LB1110 is in any case well advised.

 

The only fault: even if the maximum LTE speed of 150 MBit/s in the downlink and 50 MBit/s in the uplink would be absolutely enough, Netgear would have to face the competition from other similar faster modem such as Huawei E5771 and E5770, ZTE MF903. The similar models have inserted large battery and can work on the go. The only slightly more expensive models Netgear AirCard 790 and AirCard 810 hotspots are more powerful and support higher LTE networks.

 

Netgear LB1111-100EUS 4G LTE Modem Review

At the IFA 2016, the Californian network specialist Netgear showed a new LTE modem – the LB1111 for the home use. The device has been available since September 2016 in two different versions(model LB1110 and LB1111). The user has a more economical choice without PoE or a more expensive version with PoE. The Netgear LB1111 modem can establish a connection up to LTE Category 4.

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Features and characteristics of Netgear LB1111-100EUS
Manufacturer and type: Netgear LB1111-100EUS
Chipset: unknown
LTE category: CAT4
Download rate up to 150 Mbit/s
Upload rate up to 50 Mbps
Supported LTE bands: B3, B7, B8, B20, B40
Downwards compatible with: UMTS DC-HSPA+ (up to 42 Mbps)
Support of LTE-Advanced: No
MIMO Support: Yes
Connection for external antenna: Dual TS-9 for 4G/3G(Buy Netgear LB1111 External antenna)
Network | LAN & WLAN
LAN Ports: 1x 1-Gbit WAN
WLAN Standards: no WLAN
5 GHz WLAN Support: No
Encryption: No
WLAN Hotspot Function: No
Others
Battery pack: No battery integrated
Dimension: 120 x 99 x 31 mm at 150 g
USB: No
Memory Card Expansion: No
Release: 05.09.16
available at: www.4gltemall.com
User guide
Installation instructions: ” Download from here(PDF, 3.5 MB)
Detailed manual: »  Download from here(PDF, 3.5 MB)

 

Netgear LB1111

Power over Ethernet, or PoE for short, is the magic word that counteracts the cable dialect. The technology makes it possible to transfer power via a LAN connection in addition to the network signal. This allows the LB1111 to be operated without a connection to a commercial outlet. If you want, you can optionally access the included power supply. The 4G network is connected by means of a micro- SIM card and can provide bandwidths up to LTE Category 4. There is also an appropriate tariff required – up to 150 Mbit/s downstream and up to 50 Mbit/s in upload implemented. In addition, all essential in Europe are frequencies (800 MHz, 1,800 MHz and 2,600 MHz) supplied. If no LTE connection is available, the modem can also access 3G (HSPA+) with up to 42Mbps. In an emergency, GPRS is used. If the signal is bad at certain location, the two connectors for external antenna are available to improve the signal.

Netgear LB1111 LB1111-100EUS

 

Suitable for networking a server farm

Netgear itself underlines the business factor of the LB1111 and lists the model as suitable for the networking of server racks. Even in an office or for demonstration purposes, the device is well suited. As compatible operating systems, the manufacturer lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Vista and XP as well as Mac OS from version 10.6.8. Furthermore, the Netgear LB1111 modem can be connected to a router or a switch, if required. This allows the LTE connection to be routed wirelessly to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Practical: The Netgear LB1111 informs via an incoming SMS about an available update.

Netgear LB1111 LB1111-100EUS

Further features of Netgear LB1111

The LTE signal quality is visualized by a five-digit LED. To highlight the reception, the luminaries were made in different sizes. An active current supply and a LAN connection are also signaled by means of an LED. The only physical control element is a reset button. A network cable, a user manual and a power supply are included with the modem. If you like the Netgear LB1111 LTE Modem, welcome to buy it from www.4gltemall.com.

 

We also provide other Netgear 4G Aircards such Aircard 790s and Aircard 810s, if you like them, welcome to check more details here: http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-wireless-router/netgear-4g-lte-router.html