LTE Cat6 Router Archives – Page 6 of 9

Huawei B612 LTE Router Features and Specs

Huawei offers a new wireless LTE CPE B612 with powerful LTE modem recently. The B612 CPE supports LTE Advanced Cat6 with up to 300 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 MBit/s in the uplink, which is similar to the predecessor Huawei E5186 and B525 technically. A special feature compared to the predecessor model is the support for 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology. The router also offers a telephone function and connections for external LTE antennas, which are common specs for the Huawei LTE routers. Here now in some countries, the Huawei B612 LTE CPE is already available.

Huawei B612: design and comparison

The Huawei B612 looks like a classic router, there is no special design or visual highlights. The case is held in matt white plastic. On the front several LEDs show the operating status, on the back you will find the connections.

But where can you roughly classify the Huawei B612 compared to other Huawei LTE router models? One thing is clear: the Huawei B618 with 600 MBit/s and 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology has a much more powerful modem, but puts the focus much more on the body design and has fewer connections. The Huawei B715 LTE router can also use much higher speeds than the B612 at 450 MBit/s, but does not use 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology. The B715 also has the most connections in the comparison with B612 and B618.

Huawei B612: Specifications

As we know, Huawei had presented two sub-models for Huawei B612. We suppose there will be more models available in near future, just like the Huawei B593 LTE CPE. The Huawei B612 offers a LTE Cat6 modem for up to 300 MBit/s in the downlink. In addition to 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology, 2CC CA (dual channel bundling) is also supported. In addition to FDD LTE, TDD LTE is supported, so the router is very universal. The following LTE frequency bands are supported in detail as below:

Huawei B612s-25d support:

* LTE: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B38/B40/B41(2545~2655MHz)/B42/B43

* DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/HSPA/WCDMA: B1/B8

* EDGE/GPRS/GSM: B2/B3/B5/B8

* 4*4 MIMO：B3/B7/B20/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43

Huawei B612s-51d support:

* LTE: B2/B4/B5/B7/B41(2545~2655MHz)

* DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/HSPA/WCDMA: B1/B2/B5

* EDGE/GPRS/GSM: B2/B3/B5/B8

The WLAN module of the Huawei B612 operates both in the frequency range around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and supports the 802.11ac standard. For connection to computer and game console, there are also four RJ45 Ethernet LAN ports on the back of the router. If you want, you can also use one of the four LAN ports as a WAN connection, ie an external modem can be connected there. The internal mobile modem is then disabled and you can use the router as a normal wireless access point.

On the back you will find other connections besides the RJ45 LAN ports. On the one hand, there is the RJ11 connection for an analogue telephone, because the B612 supports telephone connections. On the other hand there are two SMA connections for an external LTE MIMO antenna, the connections are well protected under a cover.

Huawei B612: availability

Here now the Huawei B612 is only available for few network provider in Poland and Chile, and the online retailers don’t have this new LTE CPE available. We suppose it would be available soon around the beginning of 2018, just like the predecessor huawei LTE router. We will take further test on this router once we get it. And we would also inform the availability if we have news from 4gltemall.com.

Huawei B529s-23a HomeNet Box Test

In mid September, T-Mobile unveiled its new LTE home internet service. The internet service comes with a new upgraded offer. With the new offer, the network has introduced a new “fixed” router Huawei B529s-23a Cube(T-mobile named it HomeNet Box), and we are now focusing on this device.

The Huawei B529s-23a is a new LTE router that is exclusively available on T-Mobile networks. The router is easy to use and does not require any additional installation. The user will get it with a SIM card inserted without a PIN code and the whole thing will be ready to use when you return home. Let’s start with Huawei B529s-23a router specification:

Dimensions: 120 × 120 × 127 mm, weight: 672g
Frequency bands EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 2/3/5/8 (1900/1800/850/900 MHz)
3G / HSPA / DC-HSPA+ frequency bands: 1/8 (2100/900 MHz)
LTE frequency bands: 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 (FDD: 2100/1800/2600/900/800/1500 MHz, TDD: 2600 MHz)
Speeds: DC-HSPA+: 42 / 5.76 Mbps, LTE cat.6: 300/50 Mbps
WLAN: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (Dual Band 2.4/5 GHz)
External Antenna Connections: Two TS-9 ports
LAN / WAN connection (RJ45)
Slot for microSIM card
Built-in lithium-ion battery: 3000 mAh
Dedicated power supply: DC 12V / 2A
Support: DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, along with security services
The router supports up to 64 devices

The appearance of the Huawei B529s-23a router is pleasing to the eye. Cube-shaped body with rounded edges, made of black plastic with a matte surface. It looks like the predecessor router Huawei E5170 LTE Cube. The accent is horizontal, through the middle of the belt in magenta. As it turns out, it is a glowing item, but luckily the backlight can be turned off with a button. In addition to the button mentioned above, the front panel and the four status LEDs, mode, LAN, Wi-Fi, power, are also included on the front panel. On the rear panel is a power connector, LAN/WAN port, antenna connectors, and WPS button (for automatically configuring Wi-Fi connections). The bottom of the “box” is the SIM card connector and the reset button. In addition, there is a label with predefined Wi-Fi network names and passwords.

As I mentioned, after being removed from the cardboard, the HomeNet Box B529 should be ready for operation. All accustomed to chargers with microUSB connector may be surprised, because there is a power adapter with a different connector, giving the output of 12V and 2A. It was probably easier and cheaper, especially since it was rather stationary. But as if you were going to take him away from home, it’s the first of the popular chargers you will not use.

When connected to the power and start up, the user can use the provided password to connect to the wireless network and use the Internet. There will be two networks: one in the 2.4 GHz band and the other in the 5 GHz band. The name scheme is:
WLAN1-JYABAG
WLAN1-5G-JYABAG
And that “-5G-” means a 5 GHz band, which is currently less used and less disturbed. Therefore, it is worth choosing.

We join and enjoy the benefits of the Internet and for many users it is enough to get the best possible coverage of a fast LTE network. In addition, the router provides the possibility to connect two external antennas. If you use the Huawei B529 Router at the location with weak signal, you can use LTE external antenna to get better surfing experience.

The Huawei B529s-23a is a device that offers far more capabilities than simple LTE modems. The first function is that the RJ45 port can works in both LAN and WAN mode, which means users can connect an Ethernet cable to the router and get wireless network from network provider. There is one SIM card slot in the Huawei B529s-23 router, user can insert a valid SIM card with data plan into the router and get wireless internet from the mobile network carriers. The two connection option makes users choose the data plan which suit best.

What’s more, the built-in battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh can provides about 1 hour of working time. This is not too much, but it is a protection against momentary power shortages and is a continuation of our backup communications. And user can take it outdoor and keep it working on the go.

User can connect to the Huawei B529 router via the Huawei HiLink application, which gives you access to basic information. After logging in, you can check your connection status, the number of transferred data in the set billing period, and the connected devices. What is important for many people is to read and send text messages. You can also change settings for operator selection and preferred network type, eg “4G only”.

However, access to the settings will only be possible after you log in to the administration panel. To get there, connect to a web browser with 192.168.8.1. To log in, users nee to use the standard login and password: admin / admin (we recommend to change immediately). When logged in to the panel, you will see basic connection information and device status. The next three menu items, Statistics, SMS and Update are also in the application. On the Settings tab, the most important options are grouped into eight items in the side menu. I will discuss them briefly in turn.

Quick Setup

Allows you to change the wireless network ID and password and to enable automatic updating of the device.

Connection settings

In this menu, you can set new APN access point profiles (default is already defined), select cellular mode (auto, only 2G, 3G only, LTE only) or network search mode (automatic / manual). We will also be able to disable data transfer or enable roaming data. However, there is no separate option for domestic roaming.

Ethernet

This is a menu in which, apart from the connection status, the RJ45 network interface mode can be set. Here we will determine whether the port works as a LAN or WAN, with additional parameters. In addition, there is also a MAC clone option – the hardware address of the network adapter.

VPN

VPN is a private network based on public links. Properly configured ensures confidentiality and communication security. Options built into the router allow you to establish a connection using the L2TP protocol. This menu will be used by more advanced users.

WLAN

Unlike the previous position, this should be used by almost every user. Wireless networks can operate both in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and for each band you can select the channel and bandwidth (defaults to automatic mode). Interestingly, for each band you can run two SSIDs, which gives you four visible networks. However, we will not find any additional options for separating users connecting to the router. Additional options are available for MAC address filtering and WPS settings to help you connect new devices to your wireless network.

How do networks work in practice? Very good. The received network signal is stronger than the one that is offered by me, eg Horizon router from UPC. It is also slightly better compared to my second Asus RT-N16 router, which the manufacturer has armed with 3 external antennas.

DHCP

DHCP is a protocol for assigning network settings (including IP address) to the device connected to the router.

Security

It’s extremely powerful option that allows you to make changes to the default firewall settings. You can also block and filter devices, filter domains, and run port forwarding. DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name) is also available, but profiles are available for only three defined service providers. Interestingly, this group also includes the option to enable or disable the PIN code on the SIM card.

System

In this position you can check the status of the device, perform network diagnostics, change system settings and password, or restore factory settings. At this point you will need to make changes when you connect the external antenna to the router.

Summary

The Huawei B529s-23a router proved to be very solid and well equipped gateway for home users. Good performance, connectivity, good hardware and a decent enough (for such hardware) software functionality is the most important of its advantages. And the stability and strength of the wireless network proves to be good. The built-in rechargeable battery make the device can also be used as a mobile WiFi router.

Huawei B529s-23a 4G LTE Cat.6 Router Presented

Huawei had presented a new 4G LTE Category 6 router for network provider T-mobile Austria and named the router “HomeNet Box”. The HomeNet Box is the factory model Huawei B529s-23a.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The appearance of HomeNet Box looks cool in black color, just like its predecessor Huawei E5180 Cube and E5170 cube. The design and functions are very similar to Huawei E5170, but the HomeNet Box is with high specifications. The Huawei E5170 can be divided to two parts but Huawei B529s-23a HomeNet Box is a whole part and can’t be divided.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The Huawei B529s-23a router is equipped with an RJ45 port for connection via a traditional LAN cable. The built-in battery of 3000mAh can make the Huawei B529 router work as as a mobile internet center for multiple devices at the same time. What’s more, there are two connectors for external antennas available in the body. The connectors are at the back of the device and above the Ethernet port. A small cap just covers the two connectors. The connector type is TS-9. To ensure the fastest possible data transfer, just open the cap and connect an external LTE antenna to the Huawei B529s-23a. We had tested one 4G LTE Indoor antenna for Huawei B529s-23a for users who lives at the areas of weak signal:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-ts-9-connector.html

4G LTE Indoor Antenna (2 x TS-9 Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Modems/dongles/mobile hotspots

The great advantage of the router is its appearance, which makes it suitable for modern interiors. LED illumination informs the user of the connection status. There are four indicators to tell the Mode, LAN, WiFi and Power status. Power button is just below the indicators. Like other Huawei LTE Routers, you can control all of your device functions with Huawei HiLink, available from the Google Play store. And you can also log into the web interface to configure the router per your preference such as DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, along with security services.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The Huawei B529s-23a router supports 4G LTE frequency bands B1/3/7/8/20/32/38. In addition, it is also backward with 3G UMTS and 2G GSM networks. With the support of LTE Cat.6, the Huawei B529s-23a delivers up to 300Mbit/s data rates and up to 50Mbit/s data rates. At the same time, up to 32 devices can connect with the B529s-23 router for surfing. The HomeNet Box uses Micro SIM card, if you get a NANO SIM, you’d better use it with an adapter. The latest WiFi standard 802.11 ac is available in the Huawei HomeNet Box on dual-band(2.4GHz and 5GHz).

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

In conclusion, the Huawei B529s-23a is a cool router with powerful functions including the support of LTE Cat.6, built-in battery and latest WiFi features. Actually, with the development of LTE technology, more and more network providers upgraded their networks and of course to provide new devices to support higher networks. Here now, the Huawei B525 and Huawei B618 are latest routers with similar or higher specifications. If you want to know more LTE devices, you may follow us.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

Huawei E5186s-22a 4G LTE Cat6 WiFi Router

The Huawei E5186s-22a router is a 4G LTE category 6 router available from Huawei, replacing the popular predecessor LTE CPE B593s-22. As a large Chinese company that offers high quality network equipment, Huawei wireless routers has gain great reputation worldwide, and they also supply smartphones in very good quality too.

The Huawei E5186 4G wireless router was really the top model for making a broadband connection at home at least last year. Firstly, it has the latest 4G standard with the support of the frequencies in Europe (LTE FDD 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz TDD 2300/2600Mhz) and especially the 4G+ LTE CAT6. This means you can use the Huawei E5186s-22a with any network providers in all the European countries. Of course, if the network is compatible, you can also use the Huawei E5186s-22a in most of the Asian and African countries, including Middle East areas.

You can also attach an external 4G antenna to the Huawei E5186s-22a router because it has 2 SMA jacks. We had tested two external antennas (Indoor & Outdoor) for Huawei E5186 router to recommend for users who may need them:

Huawei E5186S-22a Indoor LTE antenna:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-sma-connector.html

4G LTE Indoor Antenna (2 x SMA Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Routers/Gateway/LTE CPE

Huawei E5186S-22a Outdoor LTE antenna:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-lte-outdoor-antenna-2-x-sma-connectors.html

4G LTE Outdoor Antenna (2 x SMA Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Routers/Gateway/LTE CPE

This E5186 router also allows you to have the latest WIFI standard, and in particular to be compatible dual band 2.4GHz and 5Ghz, the latest 802 ac is also supported.

It allows you to use an analog phone to make and receive calls from the inserted SIM card. This is crucial because operators are reluctant to use the SIM card only as a modem! It has a multilingual interface that you manage from your computer to configure your network quickly and easily (DHCP, VOIP, Firewall, consumption management etc), and it is also compatible with the mobile application Huawei Mobile WiFi for a configuration via smartphone.

You can share your 2G/3G/4G/4G+ connection in WiFi (WiFi support maximum up to 32 devices) or Ethernet (4 RJ45 sockets). In the package, there is an Ethernet cable, a user manual and an electrical adapter.

Huawei E5186 router has an on/off button which is easy to turn it off when you do not use it. Likewise, a WPS button (to connect wifi easily) is to enable/disable WiFi.

With the LTE advanced technologies, this Huawei E5186s-22a is currently not at high price comparing with the latest Huawei B618S-22d LTE router, which supports more advanced LTE technologies. Huawei E5186 4G Router is now in a really budget price, which will have good price and higher performance for faster surfing speed at home or office.

Huawei E5885 Mobile WiFi Pro2 Test

As a successor of the popular Huawei E5770 LTE hotspot, the Huawei E5885 Mobile WiFi Pro2 is now presented to market. The Huawei E5885 comes with a fast LTE Cat6 modem for speeds up to 300 Mbps in the downlink and up to 50 Mbps in the uplink. Compared to its predecessor, the battery has been increased again, it now offers a capacity of 6,400 mAh. Compared to other mobile hotspots, the integrated RJ45 Ethernet port is certainly the most important unique selling proposition. This review will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the Huawei E5885 Mobile WiFi Pro2 for and pinpoint whether it is worth buying.

Before we take a close look at the technical data, we can see the model of the device: black Huawei E5885Ls-93a (this is the exact model name for the European version). Connected to the hotspot is a small hand strap, which is also a USB to micro USB cable. Furthermore, it comes with a power supply with an output of 5V/2A and the corresponding USB to Micro-USB cable to charge the device.

In addition, Huawei E5885 comes with a small adapter from Micro-USB to USB Type C, so that even modern smartphones can easily charge with the power bank function of the Huawei E5885. Finally, you will find in the packaging a printed warranty notice and a multilingual quick start guide.

Huawei E5885: technology

In my test, I used the Huawei E5885 in black color, the material on the front and on the back is reminiscent of synthetic leather and feels quite high quality. The back of the Huawei E5885 can be removed for insertion of the SIM card and optionally a MicroSD memory card. You need a MicroSIM card, but if you use it carefully, you can also use Nano-SIM cards with an adapter on MicroSIM.

Manufacturer & Model:	Huawei E5885Ls-93a
Technologies:	LTE / 4G (Cat6) \| UMTS / 3G \| GSM / 2G
Frequency ranges:	* GSM: B2 / B3 / B8 / B5 * UMTS: B1 / B2 / B4 / B5 / B6 / B8 / B19 * LTE TDD: B38 / B40 / B41 * LTE FDD: B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B19
Maximum speeds:	* LTE: 300 Mbit/s download, 50Mbit/s upload * UMTS: 42.2 Mbps down, 5.76 Mbps up (using DC-HSPA+) * GSM: 236 kbps (when using EDGE)
Wireless Standard	802.11a/b/g/n/ac \| 2 × 2 MIMO \| 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz
Software in the test:	Firmware version: 21.236.05.00.1217
Others:	Monochrome display \| NFC \| Battery 6,400 mAh, Powerbank function \|MicroUSB and full-size USB port

The battery is not changeable. On the back are important information about the device, including the WLAN name and various passwords. All ports are hidden under a cover on the side of the Huawei E5885. There you will find a micro-USB port for charging the device, a full-size USB port for using the Powerbank function and a RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection.

On the front there is a small monochrome display, which shows the most important information about the Internet connection and the device itself, such as the signal strength, the battery level and the number of connected WLAN devices. If you press the power button, which is located on the side of the E5885, you can display the WLAN password in plain text. There is also a WPS button on the side of the hotspot and an NFC antenna on the front for easy Wi-Fi connection without the hassle of entering the password.

Compared to other mobile LTE hotspots like the Huawei E5787 or the Netgear AirCard 810, the Huawei E5885’s display is very small. In addition, the information displayed is often difficult to read due to strong reflections of the cover.

The configuration of the Huawei Mobile WiFi Pro2 E5885 must be done either via the browser Web Interface or the Huawei HiLink App, which is available for iOS and Android. Both the smartphone app and the web interface are easy to use and available in various languages. Much more detailed setting options are available via the web interface clearly, but the app is completely sufficient for everyday use; the most important functions such as SMS, memory card access or configuration of the WLAN extender are also available via the app.

Huawei E5885: Details about the WLAN

The maximum of 32 devices can be supplied with an internet connection at the same time. Both the frequency range around 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz is supported, the maximum speed on my Apple MacBook Pro was just below 600 Mbit/s. That’s enough to use the maximum modem speed of theoretically 300 MBit/s on the laptop. Of course, the WLAN range depends on various factors, in my test I was able to receive the WLAN signal in the 2.4 GHz band but also over 10m distance and through two walls and surf the Internet fluently. For some users certainly a negative point: there is no way to completely disable the WLAN. Even if only USB or LAN is used for Internet access, the WLAN is active.

Huawei E5885: wireless extender

The WLAN Extender feature has become very important to many users. This feature allows you to use an existing Wi-Fi network as Internet access. This can save data volume on the SIM card. Fortunately, the Huawei E5885 also has a WLAN extender function, which tested perfectly and was very easy to set up. The maximum number of possible WLAN devices is reduced to 31 when using the Extender function. It was noticeable that the speed was limited to about 15 megabits per second – even if the original wireless has made much higher speeds possible. For daily use, the speed of 15 Mbit/s is probably sufficient for most of the users.

Huawei E5885: No Gigabit Ethernet

The RJ45 Ethernet LAN port on the Huawei E5885 side can be used to provide Internet access to a wired device such as a desktop PC. In the test, this worked fine. There is also the option of using the LAN port as an Internet access instead of the cellular modem. This also worked perfectly smoothly in the test, the LAN connection was recognized immediately and the Internet access was established. Unfortunately, the RJ45 Ethernet port supports only 100Mbps connections – Gigabit LAN is not supported. This is annoying, because thus the full modem speed over LAN is not usable.

Huawei E5885: LTE Speedtest

In the test, Huawei Mobile WiFi Pro2 E5885 used SIM card from Vodafone. The reception was quite good at LTE band 3 and 20. Positive: even in regions with a very weak LTE signal, you could still surf fluently, even if downloads lasted much longer. Compared to a Netgear AirCard 810 hotspot, it was noticeable that the uplink speeds were often slightly slower than those of the competing device – but all in all, the data rates of the E5885 were good.

Theoretically, the modem allows speeds of up to 300 MBit/s in the downlink and 50 MBit/s in the uplink via LTE, in the test at least about 200/45 Mbit/s were measurable. In most cases, the speed is well below the maximum possible, since the LTE radio cells are now well utilized. Of course, the Huawei E5885 also supports 3G and 2G as a backup and if desired, you can also specify the network technology in the web interface manually (4G only, 3G only, etc.).

Unfortunately, the Huawei E5885 has no external antenna connections, which is quite unusual, because most other mobile hotspots have these connections. If you want to use the Huawei E5885 abroad, you should pay attention to the supported frequency bands. The Huawei E5885Ls-93a (European version) is perfectly suited for use in Europe, partly also in North America and Asia is possible. For non-European travel, however, it is best to first clarify which frequency bands are relevant in the destination country.

Huawei E5885: battery and power bank function

The battery of the Huawei E5885 has a capacity of 6,400 mAh. That should be the largest battery of a mobile LTE hotspot currently. In my review, I was able to achieve a useful life of about 20 hours with continuous use of the hotspot feature. Of course, it takes a long time to charge the battery – the device had to charge about 5 hours with the included 5V / 2A power supply. The Power Bank function to charge other devices worked perfectly in the test. Pleasing is the high output power of 5V/2A, so that current smartphones can be charged quite quickly.

Huawei E5885: test conclusion

After about two weeks of testing, I can recommend the Huawei E5885 to anyone looking for a hotspot with a fast LTE modem, a strong battery, and an Ethernet LAN port. The device worked perfectly in the test and provided a stable and fast internet connection at all times. Another positive feature was the fast and easy-to-use web interface and the WLAN Extender function. The powerbank function is also helpful and is very well complemented by the included accessories.

However, the Huawei Mobile Wi-Fi Pro2 E5885 hotspot also has weak points, as the test has shown. There are no connections for an external LTE antenna and even when using the Ethernet connection there is no possibility to completely switch off the WLAN module. With the 100 MBit/s connections, it is incomprehensible why Huawei has not installed a Gigabit Ethernet connection, only about one third of the maximum LTE modem speed can be used over LAN. Even the very small display is quite a weak point.

Despite the mentioned weaknesses, the Huawei E5885 is a very good device, the bottom line is the price-performance ratio. Of course, there are alternatives: if you do not need a LTE Cat6 or 5 GHz WLAN, you can confidently use the predecessor Huawei E5770.

Huawei B618S-22D 4G LTE Cat11 WiFi Router

A brand new Huawei LTE router has been launched in Europe and is now available for purchase on www.4gltemall.com . This is Huawei B618s-22d. It is a rather remarkable product in LTE category 11! Yes, you may have read, it allows to reach 600Mbit/s for download and 50Mbit/s for upload theoretically. Of course, you will not be able to reach such bit rates immediately, but this augurs well for the importance that 4G (and later 5G) reception will take by the various wired networks in areas badly covered.

Huawei B618 B618s-22d 4G Router

The Huawei B618s-22d router is in compact design and it resembles its predecessor Huawei E5180 LTE CPE. The dimensions are 9.5cm long, 20.8cm high and 9.5cm thick. Its weight is 700 grams. It supports the 4G+ category 11 on the bands: 1/3/7/8/20/38 (FDD 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz). It is therefore almost entirely compatible with all frequencies in Europe and other areas in Asia. But it’s a pity that it does not support the frequency 700MHz(B28).

Huawei B618 B618s-22d 4G Router

The proposed WIFI is a/b/g/n/ac on 2 bands (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz) and supports up to 64 connected devices. (Attention, theoretical data in laboratory, strongly dependent on wall thickness and other parameters.) At the LAN ports, there are 2 RJ45 gigabits and 1 LAN/WAN port. It is possible to connect an external antenna through the 2 TS9 ports. If you want to buy the external 4G/LTE antenna for Huawei B618, we had tested two external antennas for indoor and outdoor use:

Huawei B618 4G Router LTE Indoor External Antenna:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-ts-9-connector.html

4G LTE Indoor Antenna (2 x TS-9 Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Modems/dongles/mobile hotspots

Huawei B618 4G Router LTE Outdoor External Antenna:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-lte-outdoor-antenna-2-x-ts-9-connectors.html

4G LTE Outdoor Antenna (2 x TS-9 Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Dongles/aircards/modems/mobile hotspots

An RJ11 port allows you to connect a phone on it to make calls via the inserted SIM card (Provided you do not force the router only on the 4G so that it can switch to the other frequencies (3G) and your plan not only in data). The VOIP/SIP is available and configured in the web interface. A USB 2.0 port connects a hard drive or printer.

Huawei B618 B618s-22d 4G Router

More advanced settings are available as integrated DDNS, integrated VPN client, SMS sending/receiving … The SIM card must be in the MICRO SIM format. It has a multilingual interface that you manage from your computer to configure your network quickly and easily (DHCP, VOIP, FIREWALL, etc.) but is also compatible with the mobile application “Huawei Mobile WiFi” for a configuration via smartphone.

It has an on/off button which is handy to turn it off when you do not use it. Also, a WPS button (to connect wifi easily) and 8 LEDs will let you know the intensity of your 4G reception, WIFI activity, LAN activity, power, etc.

Huawei B618 B618s-22d bottom label

This Huawei B618s-22d is one of Huawei’s latest flagship router. Equipped with the latest technological innovations and in particular the 4G+ (category 11) 600Mbits/s, it will be suitable for those wishing to benefit from the current top LTE network. If you think the price is high, you may get satisfied with the lower level router Huawei B525s-23a or a Huawei B315s-22a that do their job right with almost half the price.

Huawei E5186s-22a 4G LTE Router for Home Use

Whether you had read our blog post, reports from some webistes, or other news, but you’ve surely noticed the incredible progress which has been made in mobile technology. Not long ago, 3G was the peak of the peaks, compared to 4G networks now, 5G is on the road to dominate.

Huawei E5186s-22a 4G LTE wireless router has been available in many countries for long time. As a pure 4G LTE router, it may not be cool like Netgear Nighthawk series router, but it do good job as expected for a 4G router.

In terms of Huawei CPE’s goals, it is no different from the similar wireless terminals used at home. Its job is to share the internet between different devices, supplementing them with a few extra amenities. Huawei E5186s-22a has more than usual gadgets that can accommodate a SIM card.

The E5186 router itself has a sleek design, much more beautiful than the predecessor 3G routers such as Huawei B683 and B970b Router. At the front, you can find a few white and mainly blue LEDs, including the power, mode, WiFi, Voice and signal indicators. The indicators tell users the current working status of the router.

The start-up goes exactly like a common device. Under power button, insert a SIM card, find your Huawei WiFi with your computer, enter the WiFi key on the sticker on the back of the gadget, open a browser window and enter 192.168.8.1. Here is an interface that will make you ready to complete all the security, administration, and other settings that people have on a router.

And that’s all we are and the internet connection would automatically be done. Of course, no matter what location you use, there is exactly the kind of network coverage or other environmental factors (walls, mountains, etc). The most important is that Huawei CPE E5186s-22a also supports the most advanced Cat6 LTE networks.

So far, I was pretty happy with my home provider and after running a speed test, it turned out that the download speed is far from the official saying about download speed of 300mbps. And the uploading can be done (33.57 Mbps / 16.20 Mbps / 20 ms ping), which is not quite exciting.

Actually, there is an alternative to provide better solutions to get a higher level LTE router such as Huawei B618S-22d. However, when ordering a new net, it is worth thinking if we are not going to do better with the 4G. Perhaps it’s not the problem of the Huawei E5186 CPE, what if the problem comes from the network environment fators?

Anyhow, the Huawei E5186s-22a could meet current home use for internet surfing. Even though 5G is coming, I think there is a long way to go to make the 5G devices budget and practical for common use. So let’s get E5186s-22a in white boxes, especially with a Huawei logo and a valid SIM card in them to enjoy the LTE surfing!

Huawei B525s-23a 4G LTE Cat6 Router Review

The manufacturer HUAWEI has launched the router B525-23a in 2017, and now the latest 4G router B525 is already available for some network providers in Europe, Middle East and Asia, which is to replace the same excellent predecessor router Huawei E5186s-22a.

Huawei B525 B525s-23a

The dimensions of Huawei B525 router are 22.6cm long, 16.3cm high and 5.3cm thick. Its weight is 370 grams. These features mean it’s not a portable pocket WiFi router. It supports the 4G+ LTE category 6 on the bands: 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 (800/900/1500/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz). No 700MHz(Band 28), so check first whether this router is right for your areas before you pick up, i.e. your network providers broadcasts on the above bands, which will make sure you can use this new router normally without any problem.

Huawei B525 B525s-23a

The proposed WIFI is a/b/g/n/ac on dual bands 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and supports up to 64 devices connected over 250m range. (Warning: these are the data of the manufacturer in optimal conditions; the range of the wifi depends on the thickness of the walls and other parameters.) At the back of the wireless router, there are 4 ports for LAN, of which 1 port is for LAN/WAN. An external 4G/LTE antenna can be connected via the 2 SMA ports. We recommend below two antennas for Huawei B525 for indoor and outdoor use:

Huawei B525 B525s-23a interfaces

An RJ11 port allows you to connect a phone on it to make calls via the inserted SIM card. (Provided you do not force the router only on the 4G so that it can switch to other voice frequencies and that your SIM package is not only in data) A USB 2.0 port connects a hard drive or printer. The SIM card must be in the MICRO SIM format.

It has a multilingual interface that you manage from your computer to configure your network quickly and easily (DHCP, VOIP, FIREWALL, consumption management etc) but is also compatible with the mobile application Huawei Mobile WiFi for a configuration via smartphones or Pads.

Huawei B525 B525s-23a label

The Huawei B525s-23a Router 4G has an on/off button which is to turn it off when you do not use it. Likewise, a WPS button (to connect wifi easily) and 5 LEDs will allow you to know the intensity of your 4G reception. This HUAWEI B525s-23a is the latest flagship of the brand’s 4G routing modems. At a relatively affordable price (compared to smatphones for example), you will be able to get rid of a deficient ADSL network and multiply your connection speed.

Regarding what’s the real difference between Huawei B525 router and Huawei E5186 router, we will check later. Actually, they are too similar technically, we don’t know why the new B525 is presented when the Huawei E5186s-22a is good enough for current LTE cat6 networks.

Difference between Huawei E5786 and E5885

It has been months since the Huawei Mobile WiFi Pro 2 was released to market and we had introduced this new 4G router in details. If you had used the Huawei first LTE cat6 mobile router, you may know the Huawei E5786 4G hotspot. Today, we will have a look at what’s the difference between the Huawei E5885 and E5786.

Appearance

As we introduced before, the Huawei E5885(available model called E5885Ls-93a) follows the design of the Huawei E5770 Mobile WiFi Pro. On the front upper side, there is only a small screen to show connection information. The upper side is made of plastic but looks cool, the below part is made of high quality leather, which makes it feels very good in hand. Huawei logo is on the leather. The whole body of Huawei E5786 is made of plastic, but it also feels good and slippery. The Huawei logo and power button are located at each side of the screen of E5786.

On the back of Huawei E5786, there is Huawei logo with “mobile WiFi”. The Huawei E5885 back has Huawei logo and words “CAT6/6400mAh/23Wh” which indicates the mobile router is a LTE Category 6 mobile hotspot with 6400mAh battery for 23 hours working time.

HUAWEI E5885Ls-93a Mobile WiFi Pro 2 back logo

The Huawei E5885 power and WPS button are located at the top edge. Between them, the Output and input USB ports, and the Ethernet port are covered by a small cap. The Huawei E5786 has a menu button on the top edge and USB port is at the opposite side.

Huawei E5786 back logo

The back cover of Huawei E5885 and E5786 can be opened. In the Huawei E5885, we can see the SIM card slot and Micro SD card slot are located, where there is a reset button in red. Below is a label with the model number, IMEI number, SSID, WiFi key, IP address, user name and password. One QR code is also included so as to scan and connect. The Huawei E5786 also has the SIM card and MicroSD card slot lying together. What’s more, two TS-9 connectors for external antennas are covered by a cap. However, there is no antenna connector in Huawei E5885.

HUAWEI E5885Ls-93a Mobile WiFi Pro 2 sim card slot and sd card slot

Technical Specifications

The Huawei E5885 and E5786 are both LTE cat6 mobile hotspot which could support LTE download speed up to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. They both provide variants for different carriers and various LTE frequency bands. The WLAN standard supports latest 802.11ac with dual band. Huawei E5786 could support up to 10 wireless devices to access internet through WiFi while the latest Huawei E5885 supports maximum up to 32 users. They both use the Micro SIM card. The Huawei E5885 provides one more connection by Ethernet cable while Huawei E5786 can only keep connected with SIM card.

Huawei E5786 antenna connectors

Battery

The back cover of the Huawei E5786 and E5885 can be opened, but the battery of them can’t be removed for change. The battery of Huawei E5786 is 3000mAh, which can keep working for 10 hours. While the Huawei E5885 has larger battery of 6400mAh, which would provide 23 hours working time. They both can charge other electric devices as a mobile power bank. However, the Huawei E5786 needs an accessory call AF18 adapter to make this function true. The Huawei E5885 can directly charge other devices without any problem.

What’s more, the Huawei E5885 has a special USB cable with the device. The USB cable can be used as a lifting rope, which is really a smart and practical design. The Huawei E5786 uses the normal USB 2.0 cable for charging.

HUAWEI E5885Ls-93a Mobile WiFi Pro 2 USB Cable

From the comparison, we think there is no doubt that the latest Huawei E5885 is much better than the E5786, ont only on the design but also the practical functions. So if you are looking for a wonderful mobile hotspot, we think Huawei E5885 is good to recommend.

ZTE UFi MF980 VS UFi MF970

With the upgrade of LTE network to LTE Advanced or Advanced PRO, the vendors are also trying to upgrade their wireless gadgets so as to meet the market demand. As we introduced the ZTE MF970 UFi last year, ZTE presented a new 4G LTE Router ZTE UFi MF980 as a successor. In this article, we will see what has been improved on the new ZTE MF980 UFi comparing to ZTE MF970.

Appearance

As we showed the images, ZTE MF970 UFi is in white color and the screen is on the middle of front with “ZTE” and “UFi” listed at each side of the 1.44 inch screen. Following this design, ZTE MF980 UFi also has a 1.44 inch screen and the same two words ZTE and UFi, but MF980 is in black color. But ZTE MF980 is thinner than MF970 and has long body.

ZTE MF980 has power and func button on the top edge, which is same to ZTE MF970, but the SIM card slot is also with the two buttons in MF970, while the SIM card slot is at the opposite edge in ZTE MF980. The two connectors for external antenna for ZTE MF980 are located together while the MF970 has two connectors located at each side of the USB 2.0 port, where ZTE UFi MF980 has USB3.0 port. On the back, UFi MF980 has ZTE logo on while the MF970 shows some information about certificate for CE, WiFi and RoHS.

Technical Specifications

As we introduced before, the ZTE UFi MF970 is a LTE Category 6 mobile router which could support peak download speed to 300mbps and upload speed to 50mbps. In real product, it may be the Vodafone R226 or R226Z model. As the upgraded model for LTE advanced network, ZTE MF980 UFi supports LTE category 9 technologies and peak download speed to 450Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. They both support the common LTE FDD & TDD networks with 3G UMTS and 2G GSM networks backward. On this point, there is no doubt that ZTE MF980 UFi is more powerful than ZTE MF970 if working on LTE-A networks.

ZTE UFi MF970 could support up 14 wireless terminals to access internet when working with a valid SIM card, while the new MF980 UFi can support almost double of the qty to 32 WiFi-enabled devices. They both provide the WLAN standard to latest 802.11 ac with dual-band.

Battery

Like Huawei E5786 4G Mobile Hotspot, the ZTE MF970 and MF980 are both with the built-in battery, which can’t be removed for change. One question that we don’t understand is that the newer model ZTE UFi MF980 has battery capacity to 2200mAh when the predecessor MF970 has larger battery to 2300mAh. Many of the current 4G mobile router with same level are with 3000mAh battery or even more. What frustrating is the battery can’t be removed for backup battery. So if you would keep them working for long time, you’d better to take a bank power with large capacity. On this point, the latest Huawei E5885Ls-93a seems more powerful with LTE-A support and built-in large battery.

Summary

There is no doubt that the ZTE MF980 UFi is powerful on technical features, especially working on LTE advanced Pro networks for multiple users with group activities. But the decent battery would limit its long term performance. ZTE MF970 UFi is also good if you don’t quite need the LTE advanced pro network and just need a budget mobile pocket router. After reviewing the two ZTE LTE UFi, which one will you buy?