Category: 4G Technology

TP-Link M7450 LTE Advanced Mobile WiFi Review

As one of the telecommunication equipment suppliers from China, TP-link is well-known for its 4G WiFi router for home. Even though TP-link also presented a series of mobile WiFi hotspot routers, they are not well-known as the competitor Huawei Mobile WiFi routers. TP-link M7450 is a new 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and many people may don’t its specs and features. Today we will have a review of TP-link M7450 and see what we can benefit from it.

TP-link M7450 Appearance and Package

 

Like other TP-link 4g lte pocket WiFi hotspot, the TP-link M7450 mobile WiFi is very small and can be easily put in hand or pocket. On the front in the middle, there is a small 1.44-inch TFT display with a limited color palette, but it is readable even in the strong sun. The plastic used at the front is slightly reflective, but fortunately, it only occupies part of the surface of the device. The rest is pleasant to the touch, like a slight rubber, and yet smooth material. Besides the display, two buttons (power and home buttons) are located. The battery is removable and has a capacity of 3000 mAh. Under the battery, there are slots for a microSIM card and microSD card.

 

TP-Link M7450 Technical Specs and Feature

 

TP-Link M7450 is primarily a device for global use. It has a built-in LTE cat.6 modem with theoretical speeds of 300 Mbps for download and 50 Mbps for upload. We used the term “theoretical” because everything still depends on the operator’s mobile networks. TP-Link M7450 mobile WiFi supports multi-mode networks, include FDD-LTE (B1/B3/B7/B8/B20), TDD-LTE (B38/B40/B41), as well as DC-HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS and even EDGE/GPRS/GSM with frequencies: 850/900/1800/1900MHz.

 

Naturally, TP-link M7450 has a WiFi access point operating in the 802.11a / b/g/n/ac standards. Thus, it is able to handle up to 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. The manufacturer declares the coverage of 20 dB for the 2.4 GHz band and 23 dB for 5 GHz. As an access point, it allows you to connect up to 32 devices, provided you use the 5 GHz band. Unfortunately, we did not have the possibility to check if the device really could connect with the number of devices connected to it. We had 6 devices (3 laptops, smartwatch, 2 telephones) and all were connected without a problem at the same time.

 

TP-link M7450 Configuration

 

The basic configuration of the TP-Link M7450 is very simple and the setup will guide you to basic settings. You can also rely completely on the manufacturer’s settings, which are enough to operate. If you want to enter more detailed settings, you will do it in the same way as in most routers, ie by entering its IP address on the local network. The panel available is transparent and resembles those known from other TP-Link routers.

 

After installing the SIM card, it is independently detected by the M7450 hotspot and connects easily to the operator station. There is also no problem with the domestic roaming used by other network providers. TP-Link M7450 also has a micro USB port through which you can not only charge its battery but also you can connect the device to a computer. The installation does not cause the slightest difficulty. On Windows 10 it is immediately detected and no drivers need to be tightened.

TP-link M7450 Battery

The manufacturer declares that the TP-link M7450 is able to work on a 3000 mAh battery for 15 hours at full load. However, in real use, it depends on the network activity. What TP-Link gives is the result of a constant maximum load. And nobody will keep it working for 15 hours without any stop. In “normal” use, we tested it in writing texts in WordPress, browsing favorite websites or uploading photos, the result is clearly good. In this way, we used the device for three days, leaving it in standby mode for the night. It was only the third day of use that killed the battery in a small router. On the first day, he worked about 7 hours, the second about 11 hours, the third before he gave up his last electric breath, about 3.5 hours. So if you would take a business trip with TP-link M7450, you can actually forget about the charger.

 

TP-link M7450 Software

The manufacturer recommends TP-Link MiFi application for easier operation through a smartphone. This one is available for download from the Google Play store. If you do not want to look for it, you can scan the QR code on your device. The application itself is quite simple and friendly to use.

 

With its help, you gain access to information about the status of the device, the number of connected users, transfer statistics or shared microSD memory cards. With M7450, you can share the content of the memory card between users of the local network.

 

Summary

The TP-link M7450 is good 4G portable WiFi router for daily use. It can provide fast internet speed and could share WiFi for up to 32 wireless devices. The battery could last for a long time working and it could be a good partner for a business trip. However, the TP-link M7450 price fluctuates in different stores. If you want to buy TP-link M7450 mobile WiFi, you can click here: https://www.4gltemall.com/tp-link-m7450-lte-cat-6-mobile-wifi.html

Netgear Nighthawk M1 VS Huawei B618

More and more LTE advanced Pro devices are available in the market because most of the LTE-A pro devices are new, when the users try to buy one LTE advanced Pro gadgets for personal use, they may feel confused because they may not be familiar with the specs of the LTE devices. Netgear Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 are two latest new LTE Advanced Pro routers. Somebody may ask: what’s the difference between Huawei B618 and Nighthawk M1 LTE router? Which one is better to buy? We will take a comparison between the two LTE-A pro routers to find the answers for potential users.

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Appearance

If you are familiar with Netgear 4G Mobile WiFi routers, you may get to know Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot router. As the upgraded model from Netgear AC810S mobile router, the Nighthawk LTE mobile hotspot router adopted a new design different from the predecessors in Aircard series. On the front, there is a 2.4-inch screen in round shape with two LED indicators to show the battery and signal status. It looks cool in black color and can be handed in one hand, but it’s thicker than a normal 4G pocket WiFi router. It’s a mobile WiFi router which can be taken outdoor and work on the go.

 

If you had used Huawei E5180 LTE Cube, you will not feel strange about the Huawei B618 Router design. Unlike a traditional 4G WiFi router, the Huawei B618 is in a shape of a cube and in white color. When it stands at your home, you may though it’s a kind of fashion furniture actually its function is a WiFi router with Ethernet port. The body of Huawei B618 is much larger than Nighthawk M1 but it’s stationary router without battery. It has to work with power adapter.

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Interfaces

As a mobile WiFi router, the Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot router could be used at home or for outdoor activities. In the display, it would show the connection status. The power button is on the top edge side while on the opposite side locates the USB ports and Ethernet port. It’s the world’s first LTE Advanced pro mobile hotspot with Ethernet port. The back cover could be opened and the battery is removable for exchange or inserting the SIM card. The SIM Card in Micro SIM size could be used.

 

Unlike the Nighthawk M1 router, the Huawei B618 has no display, on the front, there are few indicators for Signal strength, power, status, LAN, WiFi and mode. The WPS button is below the signal indicators. On the back, two connectors for external antennas are covered by a small cap and the power button is below the antenna connectors. Below the power button, there is one USB port and two Ethernet port & one Telephone port available. One of Ethernet ports is for LAN and the other is for both LAN & WAN. And the power plug is available for an adapter. Like the Huawei B525 modem, the SIM card slot is at the bottom with the reset button.

Netgear Nighthawk M1 VS Huawei B618 Specs Comparison

From the appearance, we can see the Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 router are both LTE WiFi routers with Ethernet port and SIM card slot. The Nighthawk M1 is portable for outdoor use while the Huawei B618 CPE is mainly for indoor use. Then let’s have a comparison of Nighthawk M1 Specs and Huawei B618 Router Specs:

 

Model Netgear Nighthawk M1 Huawei B618
Product type LTE Mobile WiFi Hotspot with Ethernet port LTE WiFi Router with Ethernet Port
Category LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9x50 HiSilicon Balong 750
Data rates DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands – Telstra Nighthawk M1: Band 1/3/7/8/28
– AT&T Nighthawk M1: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66
– Hong Kong Nighthawk M1: LTE Band 1/3/8/20/29/30/38/40/41		 Huawei B618s-22d: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38
Huawei B618s-65d: 1/3/5/7/8/28/40
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 20 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna Huawei B618 Antenna
App management Netgear Aircard APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 5040 mAh NO
Dimensions 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm 95 × 95 × 208mm
Interfaces * On port for LAN port(RJ-45)

* 1 x USB 2.0 port

* 1 x USB 3.0 port

 * 1 x LAN port(RJ45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet Huawei B618 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual Huawei B618 User Manual
Other features 4 band CA, JumpBoost DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack
Firmware download Nighthawk M1 Firmware Huawei B618 firmware
Driver Nighthawk M1 Driver Huawei B618 driver
Reviews Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review Huawei B618s-22d Review
Price/USD 459.00USD 449.00USD

 

Huawei B618 VS Nighthawk M1 Speed Test

Summary

From the specs table, we can see that Netgear Nighthawk M1 Router is more advanced with the support of LTE Category 16, which could achieve downloads speed up to 1Gigibit/s. The Huawei B618 download speed is also very aggressive for up to 600Mbps with the support of LTE Cat.11. They both have two variant models for different network providers. The ATT Nighthawk M1 is mainly for North American areas while the Telstra Nighthawk M1 could be used in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, but may work only on 3G if travel to North Americans. The Huawei B618s-22d and B618s-65d cover the same areas as Telstra Nighthawk M1, but the different LTE bands are especially for some network providers.

 

Regarding the applications, the Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot router has a removable battery which could let M1 work on the go and the large battery could provide the JumpBoost function to charge other devices like a mobile power bank. The Huawei B618 is mainly for indoor use at home or in office due to the limit of the power supply. And the size of Huawei B618 is inconvenient to take outside. As a stationary router, the Huawei B618 provides more practical functions for users. Many functions can’t be found in Nighthawk M1. Anyhow they both can be managed through the APP from a smartphone. It’s cool and user-friendly.

 

Regarding the price, the price of Nighthawk M1 and Huawei B618 are both at the high range now since they are latest new. As time goes, the price would be down but not expect too much. If you want to buy a Huawei B618 router or Nighthawk M1 mobile hotspot, consider your applications and the functions, and then make your decision. You will never get disappointed by the two LTE-A pro devices.

TP-Link M7650 LTE Advanced Portable 4G Router Highlights

You may not know the TP-Link M7650 because it’s not well-known as the Netgear Aircard 810s mobile hotspot. However, the same level LTE Advanced Pro devices, the TP-LINK M7650 is at the forefront of 4G connection sharing, integrating a 4G LTE modem, you can generate a Wi-Fi Hotspot instantly by inserting a SIM card linked to a 4G subscription in the device.  With up to 600Mbps download and 50Mbps upload, the M7650 is able to share a 4G Wifi signal to nearly 32 users simultaneously. Its pocket size and powerful 3000mAh battery make it ideal as a travel companion, allowing users to play or work hours. In addition to its Innovative display, users have an intuitive view of the product’s status such as signal strength, network type (2G/3G/4G), Wi-Fi status, messages, battery level and control indicator.

With the tpMiFi App, you can access and manage the M7650 from your iOS or Android device. The tpMiFi application allows you to set data limits, control devices that can access your Wi-Fi network, send messages and share multimedia files to/from a Micro SD card. With the TP-Link M7650’s intuitive display, it’s easy to keep track of your data rates and avoid connection overflows.

This compact device works perfectly with all connected Wi-Fi products. Like other TP-Link 4G Mobile WiFi Hotspots, TP-link M7650 can easily share a 4G/3G connection, and it can support maximum of up to 32 Wi-Fi devices like tablets, laptops and mobile phones at the same time.

With its powerful 3000mAh battery, the TP-link M7650 can provide up to more than 15 hours of Wi-Fi connectivity, making it the perfect companion for business trips, outdoor activities, and more.

 

TP-link M7650 Highlights:

  • Support of 4G LTE-A Cat.11 up to 600Mbps download and 50Mbps upload
  • Supports up to 32 users simultaneously
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi N 2.4GHz or 5GHz
  • Powerful 3000mAh battery ideal for hours of outdoor use
  • Micro USB port for easy charging of the battery
  • 44 ” TFT display provides Intuitive Product Status
  • Equipped with a slot for Micro SD cards offering optional up to 32GB of storage.

 

 

What will you benefit from TP-Link M7650 LTE-A Pro Hotspot?

 

Fastest Mobile Connection up to 600Mbps

TP-Link M7650 supporting the 4G LTE network LTE-A Cat.11, which Carrier Aggregation is used. This advanced technology merges the fragmented LTE band into a “virtual” wider band to increase the data rate, with the 256-QAM, to provide fast 4G speeds of up to 600Mbps.

Do more with a Fast Connection

With the fastest 4G speed of up to 600Mbps, you can enjoy HD movies without interruption, downloading files in seconds, and smooth online gaming. It could provide truly fastest, smoothest, most efficient data transmission.

 

 

Your Perfect Daily Wi-Fi Partner

TP-link M7650 provides selectable dual-band Wi-Fi, 867Mbps at 5GHz or 300Mbps at 2.4GHz. With this convenient companion, you can share your Wi-Fi with your friends everywhere.

 

Advanced Screen & Menu for Easy Using

The intuitive screen display of M7650 makes it easy to stay within your data budget and avoids going over the monthly data cap. The screen also displays other much more information of battery life, signal strength, Wi-Fi status, connected users and more.

 

Internet Access for up to 32 Devices Simultaneously

TP-link M7650 mobile WiFi can easily share a 4G/3G connection with up to 32 wireless devices like tablets, laptops, and mobile phones at the same time. It can also provide internet access for desktop computers via the integrated USB port.

 

Power to Keep Working All-day-long

TP-link M7650 is equipped with a powerful 3000mAh battery. On its own, it can work effortlessly up to 15 hours at full capacity and standby for over 900 hours. TP-link M7650 can be recharged via a micro USB cable connected to a laptop, portable charger or adapter for endless hours of 4G sharing.

 

Spread Your Wings with an Elegant Wi-Fi Companion

The smooth curves and elegant, compact design make the lightweight TP-link M7650 perfect for personal travel, business trips, outdoor activities, and everywhere else life takes you.

 

 

Wireless Media Sharing from Micro SD Card

It’s now easier than ever to share photos, music, videos and more in your mobile network from a micro SD Storage – supports optional storage of up to 32G.

 

Easy Management with tpMiFi App

With the tpMiFi App, you can easily access and manage the M7650 from your connected iOS/Android devices. The tpMiFi app allows you to establish data limits, control which devices can access your Wi-Fi, send messages, and share media files to/from a removable Micro SD card.

 

Netgear AC810s VS TP-Link M7650

More and more network providers worldwide are upgrading their LTE or LTE advanced networks to LTE Advanced Pro. Comparing with LTE and LTE Advanced, the LTE Advanced Pro adopts more advanced LTE technologies such as 256QAM, carrier aggregation, massive MIMO etc…To fulfill the high speeds for LTE-A PRO, many network equipment vendors presented their LTE advanced Pro devices to the end-users. Netgear Aircard 810s was the world’s first LTE advanced Pro mobile WiFi hotspot, and the Chinese manufacturer TP-link also released its LTE-A Pro MiFi M7650. If you want to change your current mobile WiFi to one of the two LTE-A Pro mobile hotspots, you may ask: What’s the difference between Netgear AC810 and TP-Link M7650? Which one is better to buy? We will review the specs and features of the two LTE-A Hotspot 4G for a comparison to find the answers.

Netgear AC810S VS TP-Link M7650 Appearance and Interfaces

Netgear AC810S had been available in many countries for a couple of years. So many people may be familiar with the Netgear Aircard 810s. On the front, a 2.4 inch touchscreen is available with two buttons available at the side of the display: Home and Back. Like other Netgear 4G WiFi routers, the power button is on the top edge side and the opposite side locates the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external LTE antenna. The back cover and battery of Aircard 810s could be removed. The Micro SIM card slot is below the battery.

TP-Link M7650 is not as well-known as Netgear Aircard 810s. On the front, there is a 1.44-inch screen but not a touchscreen. The screen would show the signal strength, network mode, data consumed, connected users, SMS, battery status, data rates, monthly data limit etc…The power and home button are on the two sides of the screen. The USB port is on the edge side. But we can’t find the connector for external antennas. Like other TP-link 4G mobile WiFi, the back cover of M7650 could be removed and the battery is also removable. After removing the battery, the Micro SIM card slot and SD card storage slots are there.

 

 

TP-Link M7650 VS Netgear AC810 Specs and features

From the appearance, we can see the two mobile hotspots are very different. Then let’s have a comparison of TP-link M7650 Specs and Netgear AC810S Specs.

 

Model Netgear Aircard 810s TP-Link M7650
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.11 LTE Cat.11
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 Qualcomm MDM9240
Data rates DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B1, B3, B7, B8, B28 B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40, B41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 15 users 32 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks No
Buy Antenna Netgear Aircard 810s External Antenna No
App management Netgear Aircard APP tpMiFi APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 2930 mAh Removable, 3000 mAh
Dimensions 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm 112.5 x 66.5 x 16mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download Netgear AC810S Datasheet TP-link M7650 Datasheet
User Manual Netgear AC810S Manual TP-link M7650 User Manual
Other features 3 band CA 3 band CA
Firmware download Aircard 810s Firmware TP-link M7650 Firmware
Drivers Aircard 810s driver TP-link M7650 driver
Reviews Netgear Aircard 810s review TP-link M7650 review
Price 249.00USD 469.00USD

Summary

From the specs, we can see the Netgear Aircard 810s and TP-Link M7650 are both LTE-Advanced Pro mobile WiFi hotspot at the same level. They both support LTE Category 11 and could achieve download speed to 600Mbps. However, the Netgear Aircard 810s is more user-friendly based on the color touchscreen and two connectors for external LTE antennas. They both have the removable battery with almost same battery capacity. The TP-Link M7650 supports more wireless users to 32 devices and it covers more LTE frequency bands on both TD-LTE and FDD-LTE networks. Since Netgear AC810S is an old model now, the Aircard 810s mobile hotspot price is much lower than TP-link M7650 price. If Netgear 810s and TP-Link M7650 both could work with your SIM card, we think the Aircard 810s would be better to buy, but if you want the mobile WiFi to support more wireless users, the TP-link M7650 would be the right one to buy.

 

Huawei E5885Ls-93a VS Netgear AC800s

As one of the top networking equipment vendor, Netgear had presented many 4G WiFi routers to the public such as the well-known Nighthawk M1, Aircard 810s, Aircard 815s(also known as AT&T Unite Explore) and now a new mobile WiFi router Aircard 800s is available for Australian network provider Optus and it got a new name Optus 4G WiFi modem 800S. The aggressive Chinese competitor Huawei also follows the steps to present new wireless router even though it has many 4G pocket WiFi router available for various network providers such as Huawei E5788, E5787, E5786, E5770, etc…Now the Huawei E5885 is available. Somebody may have the question: What’s the difference between the Netgear Aircard 800s and Huawei E5885? Which one is better to buy for global travel? You may find the answers in this article.

Aircard 800s VS Huawei E5885 Appearance and Interface

If you are familiar with other Netgear mobile hotspot routers, you may know the Netgear 4G mobile hotspots are in very similar design, so as the Netgear Aircard 800s. There is a touchscreen on the front, at the side of the display, there are a Home button and Back button for operation. The Optus logo is also at the side of the screen. The power button is on the top edge side while on the opposite side, there is the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external LTE antennas. The connector type is TS-9 and covered by two small caps. The back cover could be opened and the battery is removable for exchange and inserting the SIM card.

 

Unlike most of other Huawei Mobile WiFi 4G, the Huawei E5885 has different features. On the front, there is a small LED screen to show the internet connection status, but it’s not a touchscreen. The Huawei logo is below the screen. The power button and WPS button are on the top edge side. Between the two buttons, there is a small cap, open it, you will see the Ethernet port(RJ45) and two USB ports(Input and output). There is no connector for an external antenna. The back cover could be opened, but the battery is built-in and non-removable. The SIM card slot and Micro SD storage card slot are available. And Huawei E5885 is thicker than Aircard 800s.

 

Huawei E5885 VS Netgear AC800S Specs and Features

 

From the appearance and interfaces, we can see the Netgear AC800S is a traditional 4G pocket WiFi router while the Huawei E5885 is a mobile hotspot with an Ethernet port. Then let’s have a comparison of the specs of Huawei E5885 and Netgear Aircard 800s:

Model Huawei E5885Ls-93a Netgear AC800S
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot with Ethernet port LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.9
Chipset Hisilicon LTE Cat6 chipset Qualcomm MDM9240
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41		 B1, B3, B7, B28, B40
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 32 users 15 users
MIMO 2 X 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna No connector Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna N/A Netgear AC800s External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP 3.0 Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Non-removable, 6400mAh Removable, 2930 mAh
Dimensions  112.00 x 69.20 x 23.00mm 110 x 68 x 16.1 mm
Ethernet Port On port for WAN/LAN port(RJ-45) No
Datasheet download Huawei E5885 Datasheet Netgear AC800S Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5885 Manual Optus 4G modem 800S Manual
Other features Power bank, CA, NFC 3 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5885 Firmware Netgear AC800S Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5885 driver Netgear AC800S driver
Reviews Huawei E5885 Review Netgear AC800s review
Price 279.00USD 199.00USD

 

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the Netgear Aircard 800s(Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s) is more advanced technology, it supports LTE cat.9 and can achieve download speed up to 450Mbps while the Huawei E5885Ls-93s supports LTE Cat.6 and achieve download speed up to 300mbps. They are configured with a different chipset. The Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s supports less LTE frequency bands than that of Huawei E5885LS-93a, so Huawei E5885ls-93 would support more LTE network providers worldwide. Huawei Mobile WiFi E5885 supports 32 wireless users while Netgear AC800S supports only 15 users. However, there is no external antenna connector in Huawei E5885, which is not good for users who will go the areas with weak signal.

 

The Huawei E5885 large battery pack is really good, the capacity of 6400mAh makes it work like a mobile power bank to charge other devices. And the RJ45 Ethernet port is for both LAN and WAN, which is very useful for travel. From the specs comparison, we can conclude that the Optus 800s would provide faster surfing speed with advanced technology. However, the Huawei E5885 powerful and practical functions are also attractive and friendly for users. If you just need to get faster speed, the Netgear 800 is recommended and the price is attractive. But if you want a powerful pocket WiFi with multi-functions, the Huawei E5885 would be no doubt better to consider.

 

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF980

As the two important networking equipment vendors from China, Huawei and ZTE are always competing with each in the global market, so as their wireless products. Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF980 are two latest new 4G LTE pocket WiFi in 2017. Some users may feel interested in the two mobile WiFi hotspots, but somebody may be unfamiliar with the two portable 4G router and have questions: What’s the difference between Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF970? Which one is better to buy? We will review the specs and features of the two mobile routers to get the answers.

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF980 UFi Appearance and Interfaces

 

ZTE MF980 UFi was available earlier than Huawei E5787, it’s launched to Europe market. Like its predecessor ZTE MF970, it has a 1.44 TFT screen on the front and the ZTE and UFi are at the two side of the screen. On the top side, there is the Power and FUNC button to operate the settings. A small hole is at the side of the power button for Reset. Like other ZTE LTE UFi, On the opposite edge side, there are two connectors for an external LTE antenna, the connectors are located together covered by a small cap. The USB 3.0 port is in the middle, and the Micro SIM card slot is at the side of the USB port. The battery of ZTE MF980 is built-in, and the back cover can’t be opened.

Unlike the ZTE MF980, Huawei E5787 provides the better user experience. First, it has a 2.4 inch touchscreen to display internet connection status and a user can do settings through the screen like operating a smartphone. There is an only home button on the top edge side while the opposite side located the USB port and two connectors for antennas. The back cover of Huawei E5787 could be removed and different from its predecessor Huawei E5786, the battery could be removed for exchange. The SIM card slot is below the battery.

ZTE MF980 UFi VS Huawei E5787 Specs and Features

From the appearance, we can see the two mobile wifi have much difference in design. Then let’s have a look at the Huawei E5787 specs and ZTE MF980 Specs for a comparison:

 

Model Huawei E5787 ZTE MF980 Ufi
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.9
Chipset  HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset (Cortex A9 Processor) Qualcomm Cortex-A7 1.2GHz
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * Huawei E5787s-33a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/20
* Huawei E5787Ph-67a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/28		 * FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5(26)/B7/B8/B20/B28/B32* TDD-LTE: B40(or B38 or B41)
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 10 users 32 users
MIMO 2 X 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei E5787 Antenna ZTE MF980 External antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP ZTELINK APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery 3000mAh 2200mAh
Dimensions 109.00 x 58.00 x 7.50mm  122 * 65 * 10.6mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download Huawei E5787 Datasheet ZTE MF980 Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5787 Manual ZTE MF980 User Manual
Other features 2 band CA 2 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5787 Firmware ZTE MF980 Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5787 drivers ZTE MF980 Driver
Reviews Huawei E5787s-33a Review ZTE MF980 Review
Price 269.00USD 199.00USD
Buy Huawei E5787 Buy ZTE MF980 Buy

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the ZTE MF980 is technically more advanced which could support LTE download speed up to 450Mbps on LTE Cat.9. The Huawei E5787 supports LTE download speed to 300Mbps on LTE Cat.6. However, the newer model Huawei E5787 is more user-friendly, it has the touchscreen for settings and the removable battery is a very good feature for users. And Huawei E5787 has a large battery capacity which provides longer working time. They both have two connectors for two TS-9 external antennas, so users can use the same antenna as the two mobile routers. Like other Huawei Mobile WiFi, Huawei E5787 has two variant models, which covers different LTE band combination and could be used in more areas with the unlocked E5787.

In our opinion, the Huawei E5787 is recommended 4G LTE pocket WiFi with the good features for users. However, ZTE MF980 is also a good traditional mobile WiFi router. And the ZTE MF980 price is attractive now. If you care about the price, ZTE MF980 is a good budget one to buy.

AT&T Unite Pro VS MiFi Liberate

AT&T had presented many 4G mobile hotspots to the public for its data plan. The AT&T Unite Pro and AT&T MiFi Liberate are two hot models. However, for those who are unfamiliar with AT&T products, they may don’t know the two mobile hotspots. If they want to buy a 4G mobile router from the two routers from AT&T, they may ask: What’s the difference between AT&T Unite Pro and Liberate? Which one is better to buy? We will review the specs of the two LTE routers to find the answers.

AT&T Unite Pro
AT&T Unite Pro

AT&T Unite Pro VS Liberate Appearance

Made by Novatel Wireless, the MiFi Liberate is probably the most interesting-looking hotspot, whose shape is sort of like a folded paperback book—it’s basically a flat rectangle with a big circular bump on the back. The AT&T Liberate is constructed from faintly patterned matte black plastic, along with shiny black plastic around the 2.8-inch display. There’s a Power button on the top left, a microSD card slot on the bottom, and a SIM card slot on the back that’s accessible when you remove the battery. The capacitive 2.8-inch color TFT LCD features 400-by-240-pixel resolution.

AT&T Unite Pro
AT&T Unite Pro

The AT&T Unite Pro was available much later than MiFi Liberate, and Unite Pro comes from Netgear model Aircard 781s. Like other Netgear 4G LTE Routers, the Unite Pro has a touchscreen with a data usage meter, and the Home and back buttons are at the side of the screen. The power buttons are on the top edge side while the opposite side located the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external antennas. The back cover can be opened to insert the SIM card and the battery is removable for batter exchange.

ATT MiFi Liberate
ATT MiFi Liberate

AT&T MiFi Liberate VS Unite Pro Specs

Model AT&T Unite Pro 781S AT&T MiFi Liberate
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.4 LTE Cat.3
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9225 Qualcomm
Data rates DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 100Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B2, B4, B5, B17 B2, B4, B5, B17
WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz
Max support users 15 users 10 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks NO
Buy Antenna AT&T Unite Pro External Antenna NO
App management Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Standard SIM
Battery Removable, 4020 mAh Removable, 2600 mAh
Dimensions 112 x 68 x 19mm 4.1 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download AT&T Unite Pro Datasheet AT&T MiFi Liberate Datasheet
User Manual AT&T Unite Pro User manual AT&T MiFi Liberate User manual
Firmware download ATT Unite Pro Firmware AT&T MiFi Liberate Firmware
Drivers ATT Unite Pro drivers AT&T MiFi Liberate drivers
Reviews AT&T Unite Pro review AT&T MiFi Liberate review
Price 269.00USD 129.00USD

 

 

Conclusion

From the specs table, we can see the Netgear Aircard 781s(AT&T Unite Pro) is more advanced than the MiFi Liberate. The AT&T Unite Pro support LTE cat.4 and it could achieve download speed up to 150mbps. The WLAN feature is more advanced. The battery of Unite Pro is more powerful and there are two connectors for an external antenna. When the AT&T MiFi Liberate was presented the first time, it may be the most advanced, but now it’s an old model and some technical features can’t meet the requirements from end-users and the upgrading LTE networks. However, as a basic LTE mobile pocket WiFi, its price is very attractive now. If you just need a decent LTE hotspot, it could be considerable, but if you concern the LTE surfing speed and want more powerful features from a mobile hotspot, the AT&T Unite Pro should be considered.

LTE, LTE-A and LTE-A Pro Evolution

LTE is a standard for wireless communication and LTE Advanced / LTE Advanced Pro (Cat 6 to Cat 19) is a high-speed version of LTE, sometimes marketed as LTE+, 4G+, 4GX,4.5G or 4G LTE Ultra. LTE support varies from country to country, and the speed may vary depending on user location and how fast they’re traveling.

 

LTE (Cat 1~5)

  • LTE has been introduced in 2012 in order to provide high data rate mobile broadband connection.
  • It has been introduced to provide 10 times faster data rate compared to 3G.
  • LTE provides 100 Mbps.
  • LTE has been specified in 3GPP Rel.8.
  • LTE supports carrier bandwidth of 20 MHz.

LTE Advanced (Cat 6~16)

  • LTE Advanced is an enhancement to LTE with data rate increase to the factor of 10.
  • It supports carrier aggregation and higher order MIMO techniques.
  • It supports the data rate of 1 Gbps in downlink (From eNB to UE) and 500 Mbps in uplink direction (From UE to eNB).

LTE Advanced Pro (Cat 17~19)

  • It is enhanced version of LTE Advanced to support higher data rate beyond 3 Gbps.
  • It supports increased Bandwidth, increased efficiency and improved latency.
  • It makes use of both licensed (400 MHz to 3.8 GHz) and unlicensed (5GHz) spectrum to support up to 32 carriers of 20MHz each.
  • It is backward compatible with existing LTE and LTE Advanced devices.
  • It makes use of spectrum more efficiently by increasing number of antenna paths as well as multi beam approach. It serves single radio cell with 16 to 64 antenna paths.
  • It grows network capacity to about 200% without any additional spectrum or base stations.
  • Increased battery life about 10 times than LTE.

Five Best Buy WiFi Router in 2018

Since information is more and more important in our daily lives, most people can’t live without the internet. So to have a WiFi router would be very important for internet access. Now that the LTE technologies evolve to LTE advanced Pro, we will recommend five best buy WiFi router in 2018. They are with the latest LTE technologies and can provide fast internet speed for users.

 

We recommend the five best buy WiFi routers mainly based on the below the concerns:

  1. Network frequency bands compatibility: the WiFi hotspot best buy must be compatible with the popular LTE frequency bands for global use. The more frequency bands supported by the WiFi router, the more network carriers the WiFi router could work with.
  2. Fast Internet connection speeds: the best buy MiFi must have the ability to provide fast wireless internet speed at last up to download speed up to 300mbps with carrier aggregation technology.
  3. Large battery pack for long-time use: the best buy mobile hotspot must have a large battery, which would provide long working time, it would be much better if the LTE WiFi routers could charge other devices such as smartphones, Pads or other terminals.
  4. Easy management for settings and data consumption: the WiFi router best buy must provide a user-friendly experience for networking settings and data consumption.
  5. Better to have Ethernet for WAN or LAN: sometimes, when the user travels to other countries and 4G SIM is not available, or the terminal doesn’t have the ability to connect via WiFi, the Ethernet port may be a good alternative for internet connection.

 

Below are the five best buy WiFi routers to recommend for 2018:

 

Model Huawei E5788u-96a Specs Netgear Nighthawk M1 Specs Huawei E5885Ls-93a Specs Netgear Aircard 810s Specs AT&T Unite Explore 815S Specs
Product type 4G Mobile WiFi 4G Mobile Hotspot with Ethernet port 4G Mobile Hotspot with Ethernet port 4G Mobile WiFi 4G Mobile WiFi
Product Image
Category LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.16 LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.11 LTE Cat.9
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9250 Qualcomm MDM9x50 Hisilicon LTE Cat6 chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 Qualcomm MDM9240
Data rates DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 450Mbps/UL 100Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands * FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42		 — Telstra Nighthawk: Band 1/3/7/8/28
— AT&T Nighthawk:  Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66		 * FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28
* TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42		 B1, B3, B7, B8, B28 B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B29, B30
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 32 users 20 users 32 users 15 users 15 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 X 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna No connector Two, TS-9 jacks No connector Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna N/A Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna N/A Aircard 810s External Antenna AT&T Unite Explore External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Netgear Aircard APP Huawei Hilink APP 3.0 Netgear Aircard APP Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Non-removable, 3000mAh Removable, 5040 mAh Non-removable, 6400mAh Removable, 2930 mAh Removable, 4340 mAh
Dimensions 129 x 65 x 13.5mm 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm  112.00 x 69.20 x 23.00mm 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm
Ethernet Port No On port for LAN port(RJ-45) On port for WAN/LAN port(RJ-45) No No
Datasheet download Huawei E5788 Datasheet Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet Huawei E5885 Datasheet Netgear AC810S Datasheet AT&T Unite Explore 815s Datasheet
User Manual Huawei E5788 Manual Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual Huawei E5885 Manual Telstra 4GX Advanced III Manual AT&T Unite Explore Manual
Other features 4CC CA 4 band CA, JumpBoost Power bank, CA, NFC 3 band CA 3 band CA
Firmware download Huawei E5788 Firmware Nighthawk M1 Firmware Huawei E5885 Firmware Aircard 810s Firmware ATT Unite Explore Firmware
Drivers Huawei E5788 Driver Nighthawk M1 Driver Huawei E5885 driver Aircard 810s driver ATT Unite Explore drivers
Reviews Huawei E5788 Review Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review Huawei E5885 Review Netgear Aircard 810s review AT&T unite explore review
Price 499.00USD 459.00USD 279.00USD 249.00USD 349.00USD
To Buy Buy Huawei E5788u-96a Netgear Nighthawk M1 Unlocked Buy Huawei E5885Ls-93a Buy Netgear AC810S Buy ATT Unite Explore Unlocked Buy

These WiFi router best buy are recommended for 2018. The Huawei E5788u-96a and Netgear Nighthawk M1 are the most advanced WiFi router for a pocket. The Nighthawk M1 has one Ethernet port for LAN. The Netgear AirCard 815S is in the rugged design for outdoor activities. Huawei E5885Ls-93a has an Ethernet port and has the large battery to charge other devices. For more details of each WiFi router, click the reviews for them. They are all best buy MiFi for 2018.

 

AT&T Unite Pro VS Unite Explore

As the most important network carrier in the USA, AT&T has a large range of wireless devices for 4G LTE networks, including the wireless mobile hotspot. AT&T had presented a series of 4G mobile WiFi hotspots in the name of Unite. The AT&T Unite Pro and Unite Explore are the two popular 4G LTE WiFi routers. For those people who are unfamiliar with AT&T Unite series product, they may ask: What’s the difference between AT&T Unite Pro and Unite Explore? Which one is more advanced and better? Read this blog and you may find the answers.

AT&T Unite Pro VS Unite Explore Appearance

The AT&T Unite Pro comes from the Netgear Aircard 781s and is customized to be AT&T Unite Pro. On the front of the screen, the AT&T Logo is available. Like other Netgear 4G mobile hotspot, the Unite Pro has a touchscreen with data usage meter, and the Home and back buttons are at the side of the screen. The power buttons are on the top edge side while the opposite side located the USB 3.0 port and two connectors for external antennas. The back cover can be opened to insert the SIM card and the battery is removable for batter exchange.

 

Following the Netgear AC781S design, the AT&T Unite Explore also has the same screen feature, the buttons, antenna connectors and USB ports are almost the same as that in Unite Pro 781s. The AT&T Unite Explore comes from Netgear Aircard 815s. The main difference from the appearance is the Unite Explore AC815S is in the rugged design, which is water and dust proof for outdoor activities.

AT&T Unite Pro VS Unite Explore Specifications

The appearance of the AT&T Unite Pro and Unite Explore are very similar except the Aircard 815s rugged design. Then let’s compare the AT&T Unite Pro Specs and Unite Explore Specs. The table below shows the two AT&T mobile hotspots specs and features:

Model AT&T Unite Explore 815S AT&T Unite Pro 781S
Product type LTE Mobile Hotspot LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category LTE Cat.9 LTE Cat.4
Chipset Qualcomm MDM9240 Qualcomm MDM9225
Data rates DL 450Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B29, B30 B2, B4, B5, B17
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 15 users 10 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna AT&T Unite Explore Antenna AT&T Unite Pro Antenna
App management Netgear Aircard APP Netgear Aircard APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery Removable, 4340 mAh Removable, 4020 mAh
Dimensions 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm 112 x 68 x 19mm
Ethernet Port No No
Datasheet download AT&T Unite Explore 815s Datasheet AT&T Unite Pro Datasheet
User Manual AT&T Unite Explore Manual AT&T Unite Pro User manual
Other features 3 band CA
Firmware download ATT Unite Explore Firmware ATT Unite Pro Firmware
Drivers ATT Unite Explore drivers ATT Unite Pro drivers
Reviews AT&T unite explore review AT&T Unite Pro review
Price 349.00USD 269.00USD

 

Summary

From the spec table above, we can see the AT&T Unite Explore (Netgear AC815S) is more advanced than AT&T Unite Pro (Netgear AC781S). With LTE advanced technologies on LTE Cat.9, Unite Explore could achieve download speed up to 450Mbps, which is almost three times faster than that of Unite Pro. The ATT Unite Explore covers more LTE frequency bands than that of Unite Pro. The WiFi 802.11ac is available in Unite Explore but Unite Pro doesn’t have this feature. Both ATT Unite Explore and Unite Pro support up to 15 wireless users and has two TS-9 connectors for an external antenna. Except that, the AT&T Unite explore is better than Unite Pro in almost all the aspects. If you would buy one mobile hotspot from the two, it’s no doubt that AT&T Unite Explore is better to buy.

 

However, with the advanced features, the AT&T Unite Explore price is a little bit higher than Unite Pro price. So if you are sensitive to the price, the budget one Unite Pro may also be good for daily life.