Huawei E5730 – 42Mbps MiFi Router with LAN Connector

If you had read our blogs about introducing the Huawei E5730, you may get to know some features of Huawei E5730. The new Huawei E5730 MiFi router is not an ordinary mobile hotspot: the device has a LAN port and a 5200 mAh battery besides mobile hotspots. On one hand, the E5730s hotspot can thus be used for devices that do not have Wi-Fi feature, on the other hand users have also a mobile battery (“Power Bank”) the same time. Then users can charge the smartphones, tablets when the power is around off.  However, the small pocket router Huawei E5730 is not perfect, because it can’t support the LTE frequency bands.

 

 

DC-HSPA+ up to 42 Mbit/s
Inside the Huawei E5730, a Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon modem is inserted, which allows speeds of up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the downlink and 5.76 Mbit/s in the uplink. However, these are gross data rates, the real values can’t reach this speeds. Under a little congested UMTS cell, the top speed may achieve about 30Mbit/s. Another important feature of Huawei E5730 is that a maximum of 10 wireless devices to the router can be connected simultaneously.
Since UMTS is supported only on the frequency bands around 900 and 2100 megahertz, you’d better to use the Huawei E5730 in Europe, even though it can use in other areas, but usually limited in America. What’s more, the slow quad-band GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) is supported. Unfortunately, unlike the predecessors Huawei E587 and E5756, there is no connector for an external antenna in Huawei E5730, so the transmission power cannot be improved if the signal is weak.

A special feature of the Huawei E5730 provides a LAN and a USB port.

Easy charging other devices
Another special feature is the full-size USB port on the side of the Huawei E5730 next to the LAN port. This allows easy charging of other devices such as smart phones via the integrated 5200 mAh battery in the E5730.The output is 5V/2A, so that almost all mobile companions should be easily charged. Of course you can use hotspot runtime for much longer time based on the strong battery in Huawei E5730, because with a fully charged, Huawei E5730s can provides an operating time of at least 16 hours according to the manufacturer!

 

The operation of Huawei E5730 is via a web interface in the browser, which is connected to the router. Alternatively, an administration via Huawei Mobile WiFi app is also possible; this program is available for all devices with Apple iOS or Google Android operating system. The Huawei E5730 is now available in the color white and gold commercially without SIM lock on www.4gltemall.com . If you feel interested in this new mobile pocket router, welcome to check more details of it.

 

Vodafone K5150 4G Cat4 USB Stick

Since Vodafone had introduced the LTE-A technology, there must be wireless terminals to support the new technology. The new Vodafone K5150 Cat4 Surfstick is one of the LTE terminals. Vodafone K5150 can fully exploit its strengths in the new Vodafone category 4 networks. The Vodafone Surf Stick is a 4G LTE Cat4 150 Mbit/s USB key with the latest technology. The official name is Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB Stick K5150 or K5150H (H stands for Huawei).

 

Following the classic design, Vodafone K5150 USB Stick is in red and white color. The body of K5150 is looks like a bottle which is full of good wine. The K5150 is with hilink system, no installation is needed after it’s pluged to PC. Vodafone K5150 would automatically connect to wireless network through the SIM card. Vodafone K5150 is the ideal stick for people who travel a lot around the world.

 

Specifications of Vodafone K5150 / K5150H:

 

* Manufacturer: Huawei

* Category 4 LTE modem with HiSilicon Balong 710 / chip Hi6920

* 4G Network: Supported LTE FDD frequencies 800/1800/2100/2600 MHz

* Maximum download up to 150 Mbit/s

* Maximum upload up to 50 Mbit/s

* 3G network: UMTS 900/2100MHz, Backwards compatible to 3G and 2G

* Maximum Download with DC-HSPA+ 42 Mbit/s

* Maximum upload with DC-HSPA+ 5.76 Mbit/s

* Supported GSM bands 850/900 /1800/ 1900 MHz

* Integrated LTE antenna, 2x TS-9 sockets for connection of LTE external antennas(Buy Vodafone K5150 Antenna)

* MicroSD memory card slot for cards up to 32 GB

* USB 2.0 High Speed connection

* Dimensions: 92mm x 32mm x 14mm

* Supported operating systems:

– Microsoft ® Windows 8, Windows 7 ( SP1 ), Windows Vista ™ (SP2 ), Windows XP ( SP3)

– Apple Mac Mac OS X 10.5 (Intel), 10.6, 10.7 or 10.8

– Linux Ubuntu 11.10/10.10/10.04

– openSUSE 11.4 / 11.3, Fedora 16/14 , Debian 6.0/5.0 , Mandriva 2010.2 , Red Flag 7.0.

How to use the Vodafone K5150 / K5150H 4G LTE Stick:

 

1. First, pull the cover of the surf sticks and insert the SIM card

2. Important: If you have an older version of the Vodafone Mobile Broadband software onto your computer, then this software must be uninstalled. Then the computer must be rebooted.

3. The Vodafone Surf Stick plugs into the USB port of the computer. The VMB software will now install automatically. The VMB software starts automatically after installation. If a PIN is required, a window appears where you can enter it.

4. The LED of the Surfstick change from flashing to steady lighting. The Internet connection has been made.

 

Lighting of the LED indicates the status of the wireless connection:

* LED flashes green: A GPRS network has been found, an Internet connection can be established

* LED is green: The Surf Stick is connected via GPRS to the Internet.

* LED flashes blue: A 3G network is found; an Internet connection can be established

* Lights up in blue: The Surf Stick is connected to the 3G network.

* LED lights light blue: The surf stick is connected to the Internet via 3G Broadband.

* LED is purple: A 4G LTE network has been found. The Vodafone dashboard software reports when connected to the 4G LTE network is present.

 

Conclusion:

 

With the Vodafone K5150 USB Stick you surf Vodafone 4G Cat4 network in the multiple cities with up to 150 Mbit/s Germany. Here now we can offer Unlocked Vodafone K5150, which would work with in almost all the European and Asia countries.

Vodafone K5150 LTE stick is also backwards compatible with 3G network and 2G network.

O2 Surfstick LTE 4G – ZTE MF821D

With the O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE you can surf with any standard notebook rapidly in LTE Network. The O2 Surfstick 4G LTE is a new 4G USB Stick from ZTE and model number is ZTE MF821D. The body is bigger than the O2 MF823. The O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE is characterized by the following properties:

* Simple Surf Stick installation

* plug and play

* Supports all German LTE standards and is backward compatible with 3G ( UMTS) and 2G ( GSM) standards.

* SIM card unlocked for all the network provides in Europe

 

And below the features are also important for users:

* Installation software is integrated into the surf stick

* With MicroSD memory card up to 32 GB is the o2 Surf Stick 4G LTE is Surfstick

* ZTE MF821D can also be used as a USB data stick

* Mobile access for the notebook to e-mail and Internet

* Usable by rotating USB connector

* SMS support and Phone book function

 

Requirements for operating an o2 Surf Stick 4G LTE :

* LTE network Available

* LTE tariff

 

 

O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE Specifications:

 

* LTE category 3 USB Dongle

* Manufacturer: ZTE

* Manufacturer description: ZTE Surfstick LTE 4G MF821D

* Processor: Qualcomm MDM9200

* Surfing LTE with download up to 100Mbit/s

* Surfing DC-HSPA+ with download up to 42.2 Mbit/s

* Supports the following networks:

– GSM: 900/1800 MHz

– GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

– UMTS/HSUPA/HSDPA: 900/2100MHz

– LTE : 800/1800/2600 MHz

* Modern and compact design with rotating in 2 axis USB connector

* Auto Install Connection Manager (plug & play)

* HSUPA, HSDPA and UMTS for use in all 2100 MHz networks

* Quad-band EDGE and GPRS for use in all 850/900/1800/1900 MHz networks

* HSUPA connections with download up to 7.2 Mbit/s and upload up to 5.76 Mbit/s

* HSDPA connections with download up to 3.6 Mbit/s and upload up to 384 kbit/s

* EDGE connections up to 247 kbit/s downstream and up to 120 kbit/s in the uplink.

* SMS Support

* SIM card Size: Mini-SIM (Normal)

* VPN Layer 3 protocol (including GRE & IPSEC)

* Phonebook

* External antenna: Yes, 2 connectors (TS-9)

* Operating temp. -10 To +45 ° C

* Storage temp. -40 To +80 ° C

* Max. Power consumption: 3.5W

 

We found there are two 4g external antenna connectors in the O2 Surfstick 4G LTE, the connectors are TS-9 and you can buy the antenna from 4gltemall.com , below is the image of the antenna for reference.

Huawei E3272 – New LTE Category 4 USB Stick

USB surfsticks are increasingly displaced by mobile hotspots with battery, but Huawei brings an LTE stick E3272 again recently on the market. The Huawei E3272 is held in the “stick form factor”, the USB port is so rigid and not like the previous model Huawei E3276 swiveling (“rotator form factor”). The maximum speed is 150 Mbit/s downlink and 50 Mbit/s in the uplink, which corresponds to LTE category 4 like previous LTE surf sticks Huawei E3272. With dimensions of 93.3 mm x 30 mm x 13.3 mm and weighing 35 grams, Huawei E3272 is much easier to take in pocket or bag.


Somebody say Huawei E3272 is on the HiLink function, which allows the operation of the surfsticks with no software. When you first plugged into the PC, only some drivers are installed, we found the mobile partner is still available in this stick. In most cased, no more setup is needed before connection, Huawei promises a connection in just a few seconds after plugging in the modem.

Good technical equipment
Like most other data devices in use, Huawei E3272 is also with a HiSilicon modem chipset. This allows not only LTE Category 4, UMTS with DC-HSPA+ (up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the downlink), but also GSM & EDGE data transmission. The supported frequency bands are common deployed worldwide, so we are glad to note that Huawei E3272 can use worldwide:

  • LTE: 800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
  • UMTS: 900/2100 MHz
  • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

The USB port is protected by a cap, unfortunately this is not secured with a ribbon on the stick as you would know from the Vodafone K5150 LTE Stick. Two connectors for external antennas (2 × 2 MIMO) are located on the sides of E3272 body, as well as a slot for MicroSD memory cards is available, so you can use the Huawei E3272 LTE stick as a storage media. The system requirements are relatively low, so you can E3272 with Windows system from XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista (Service Pack 1), to Windows 7 or Windows 8, alternatively you can of course also use with MAC OS, here must be at least OS X to be installed in version 10.6 or higher.

Availability
The Huawei E3272 LTE stick is available in stores 4gltemall.com now, without a contract. With a slim body and good functions, we recommend Huawei E3272 if you want to enjoy the LTE Download link speed to 150Mbps.

 

Huawei E5330 – New Cheap 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot

As a new mobile WiFi hotspot (‘MiFi router “) on the market, Huawei E5330 is available since a few weeks ago. With a retail price of around 90USD, the E5330 is one of the best devices in this type. As the successor to Huawei E5220, Huawei E5330 can offer better performance. The Huawei E5330 is available in black and white colors and offers up to 10 wireless devices easy access to the mobile Internet. The maximum speed is 21.6 Mbit/s. During use on the HSPA+/UMTS network, the real speed would be possibly achieved up to 16 Mbit/s. In the following, we present you more detail about the new budget pocket WiFi Huawei E5330.

Small dimensions and replaceable battery
Comparing with the predecessor, the Huawei E5330 is quite small with size of 92.8 x 60 x 14.4 millimeters, making it one of the most compact UMTS mobile hotspots. On the front, you will find 5 LEDs that light up in green and display the operating status of wireless, network strength and battery. It also indicates whether a new message has arrived and of course whether the Huawei E5330 is enabled. If you would expect a display like more expensive hotspots such as the Huawei E5372, it’s a picty that E5330 don’t have this feature. This also makes E5330 in low production cost and good sale price.


With the 1500 mAh large battery, Huawei E5330 hotspot is intended to create an operating time of about 6 hours. The standby time is 300 hours. The battery is easily replaceable for the user, so you also can take more battery when no charger is available on longer trips.

The back of the Huawei E5330 can be changed and removed the battery.

HSPA+ with up to 21.6 Mbit/s
Here now you can see the good price on 4gltemall.com , it’s SIM unlocked without any contract. The Huawei E5330 is very convenient; however, it does not support the latest mobile technologies, such as LTE, DC-HSPA+. Thus, a maximum of 21.6 Mbit/s could be reached via HSPA+, while some customer required the double speed of 42mbps, even more 100mbps on LTE networks. The connection to the E5330 terminals via Wi-Fi, the integrated radio module in the Huawei E5330 transmits in the 2.4 GHz band (Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n) and achieved gross data rates of up to 72 Mbit/s. Since only the frequency bands around 900 and 2100 MHz are supported in UMTS mode, the Huawei E5330 is suitable for use mainly in Europe and Asia.

If you need the comfort features such as a connector for an external antenna for improved reception, or a MicroSD slot to share files, you have to forget the Huawei E5330. Huawei E5330 has no antenna connector and SD slot. The establishment and operation, either directly on the browser via the web interface or via the Huawei Mobile WiFi app, which is available for Android and iOS. The Huawei E5330 is available now  without a contract and without lock in the trade, next to the router there is a USB charger, a USB cable and a Quick Start Guide included.

 

Vodafone B4000 LTE Advanced Router Specifications

Vodafone has introduced its first LTE Advanced Router to the public router at Cebit in Hanover. It is the Vodafone B4000 router. Vodafone stays true to the name. The Vodafone B4000 comes from factory model Huawei E5186 LTE cat6 Router. There were already the Vodafone router B1000, B2000, B3000 and now the latest router model the B4000 comes out.

 

The new Vodafone router is the first CAT6 LTE Advanced router with a maximum possible download speed of up to 300 Mbit/s. Category 6 LTE is the same as LTE -Advanced. The Vodafone B4000 router is of course again manufactured by Huawei and is identical with the Huawei E5186s-22.

 

Vodafone B4000 Specifications:

 

* The B4000 is similar to the Huawei E5186s-22

* The LTE modem is Category 6 of HiSilicon

 

4G: LTE bands 1/3/7/8/20/38

* LTE800 / LTE900 / LTE1800 / LTE2100 / LTE2600 with FDD LTE as well as LTE 2600 MHz for TD-LTE

* LTE FDD A speed: 300 Mbit/s download

* LTE FDD A speed: 50 Mbit/s upload

* LTE TDD A speed: 20 Mbit/s upload

 

3G: UMTS bands: 900 and 2100 MHz

* DC -HSPA+ Speed: 42 Mbit/s download upload speed 5.7 Mbit/s

* HSPA+ Speed: 21 Mbit/s download upload speed 5.7 Mbit/s

* In the upload also 11 MB / s are possible with HSUPA soon

 

2G: GSM, EDGE bands 850 /900/ 1800/1900 MHz

 

Wi-Fi

* Up to 64 wireless devices simultaneously connectable

* Fast WLAN 802.11b/g/n and Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz

 

Router security

* Built-in firewall, ICMP support, DNS relay support, NAT, encryption, watchdog, ARP support

 

Antennas

* 2 × 2 MIMO internal antennas LTE

 

Network

* 4 x 1000 Megabit Ethernet (RJ 45)

* 2 X Analog telephone ports (RJ11) for analog phones, but they are available only via VoIP

* 1 X USB port for printer and mass storage

 

Others

* DLNA, IPv6, Print, VPN, fax

* The router color is white

* Dimensions: 194 x 177 x 64 mm

* Weight: 450g

 

Software

Windows 7, Windows XP, Vista, Windows 8 , Mac OS

 

Interfaces

* 2 x SMA connectors for external antennas LTE

* 2 x USB port

* 1 x SIM slot for standard 2FF SIM

* 2 x RJ11 analog phone lines

* 4 x RJ45 network port

 

Conclusion

 

If you want a fast LTE access, the Vodafone B4000 should be necessary to buy. However, one has to be patient until the summer of 2014, then the B4000 will be available.

Vodafone LTE Carstick W5101 Features

Recently, we have presented the Vodafone LTE Carstick. And at CeBIT, we had the opportunity to look at the device in more details. The name “Carstick” is just the marketing name, the full name is “Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi W5101” and of course the stick is again manufactured by Huawei. Apparently it is a customized version of the Huawei E8278 Hotspot stick.

LTE Cat 4 to 150 Mbit/s
The Carstick W5101 allows downloads at speeds of up to 150 megabits per second in the LTE network from Vodafone. These speeds are available but initially only in cities and in places with high traffic available; since the 150 Mbit/s can be realized only in the frequency band around 2600 MHz (Vodafone deployed this band in central areas). In much further developed LTE800 network, speeds up to about 70 Mbit/s are possible, realistic more than 50 Mbit/s should be expected.

Wi-Fi only limited
The Vodafone Carstick is a so-called hot spot stick, so you have the ability to connect multiple devices via Wi-Fi with the stick. Therefore, the Carstick W5101 is well suited for use in the car and the marketing with this application is quite reasonable. The full rate of 150 Mbit/s is available but only via the USB connection, since the performance of the WLAN module is limited. Since most users are probably not going to use such high speeds anyway, this limitation should have few notice.

 

First impression & Fittings
Both the W5101 Stick and the included USB adapter for the car make a good impression. Fortunately, the USB port is also provided with this stick, so that the unit can be placed as inconspicuously as possible in the car. On the side two connectors for external antennas are installed, which are protected by flaps. Under the cover you can insert on request, a memory card next to the SIM card, the data is then available to all registered users on the stick, provided that an appropriate share of the access is done.

From the spring of 2014 in the commercial
The Vodafone LTE Carstick W5101 will be available in a few weeks in the color black on 4gltemall.com . A price has not yet been released Vodafone at CeBIT.

HTC One (M8) 4G Smartphone

The HTC one (M8) is the 2014 flagship Smartphone from HTC and available since a few days in the trade. It is a direct competitor of the Samsung Galaxy S5, which also comes in these days on the market. HTC One (M8) continue to focus on camera and sound, but also the housing sets standards and is absolutely unique in the Android area. I was already able to test the device, though I have not only tried the heavily advertised multimedia features, but tested the device on the basic functions such as calling and receiving power back.

High Quality Aluminum Body
The HTC one (M8) is packed in a narrow box, with the Smartphone there is still a power adapter (Output: 5V, 1.5 A), a USB to microUSB cable and an in-ear headset. A special feature is the also supplied rubber sleeve, which makes the Smartphone a very classy look and protects the device against scratches and damage. For most users, the shell should be quite sufficient, so that the usual purchase eliminates a separate bag. Furthermore, there is of course a quick start guide and a warranty Note, also a small needle is included, with which you can detach the slide for the sim card type 4 FF (nano-SIM) from the device.

 

 

 

If you hold the HTC one (M8) for the first time in hand, you will be surprised directly from the extremely high-quality body. HTC has managed to improve the body materials again significantly compared to its predecessors; the device is now completely out of metal, only the speaker covers and cutouts for the antennas are still made of plastic. The HTC one (M8) is narrower at the sides and is clearly rounded, so the enormous dimensions is still quite good in the hand. One-hand operation is a problem in the Apple iPhone 5s, but in the One (M8) it’s possible under any circumstances. The display with 5 inch (12.7 cm) on the diagonal and is significantly larger than the iPhone, which offers advantages especially in multimedia features. HTC offers the One (M8) in the colors of metallic gray, silver and gold, the silver and gold have a matte case while metal gray offers brushed steel.

 

On the front you will find no keys on the HTC One (M8). These are shown on the display if they are needed. Above and below the display is one loudspeaker. There is also 5 megapixel LED front camera, which can also record 1080p Full HD videos. User might complain the LED that it flashes a maximum of 5 minutes, if there is a way to set this function it would be useful.

 


On the right side, HTC has the volume rocker attached, which is also made of metal and has a good pressure point. Above this is the slot for the microSD memory card, 16 GB of internal memory can be extended on request by up to 128 GB. On the left side there are no buttons, only the SIM slot is located. Bottom of the device is the 3.5 mm jack and the microUSB connector.
On the back center, we can see the HTC logo with the main camera of a resolution of 4 megapixels (Ultra pixel camera, as HTC calls it). The real peculiarity is to be found on the main camera: a second lens (“duo-camera”) measures the distance to the objects and allows you to change the focus in the image again in the supplement. For shooting in the dark, a dual-LED flash is built in, where a yellow LED is next to a white LED, just like Apple iPhone 5S, so the colors look more natural in the photo.

 

Display, camera and speakers
The display was again increased larger compared to its predecessor HTC One (M7) and now measures 5 inches in diagonal. The high resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD), provides a very sharp display, colors look very natural. The brightness of the display is sufficient to use the device well in the sun can. A special feature is the so-called “Motion Launch gestures”. They allow unlocking the HTC One (M8) even when the display is off. It sweeps around from bottom to top, so you end up immediately on the home screen. With a double-tap to get to the lock screen and can see missed calls or messages. Since the power button is placed on top of the device and with one hand is difficult to achieve, the gestures are a really convenient feature after you get the phone in hand.

The buttons are now displayed in the display.

The camera was able to convince only partially in the test. To see the photos in good light and sunshine really excellent, but the low resolution of only 4 megapixels (16:9) hardly allows subsequent “zoom” in the image. When shooting at dusk or in the dark the HTC one (M8) can also satisfying: here are many details in the pictures visible, the photos look quite natural. Something is not good on the macro mode: compared to other smart phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 , the feature cannot go particularly close to you, as well as many of the details are presented not as sharp as usual from other cameras. Overall, the camera in the HTC One (M8) is thus indeed not bad; on the contrary, they can meet the high expectations in my opinion. The large-advertised “UFocus” function with the second camera lens is actually quite hidden and selecting “Edit” from the menu only to find. The focus can be reset if you wish, which also works quite well.

The HTC speaker is also very good to offer not only a decent volume, but also a rich sound for a smartphone. But do not just listen to music is a pleasure, even hear phone calls as the hands-free function is very well.

Software
The HTC One (M8) Android comes in version 4.4.2. As a user interface, HTC Sense 6.0 is pre-installed. With 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, HTC M8 works extremely fast and reliable, in the test we were unable to find any negative points.

Reception & Battery
The modem in the HTC One M8 supports GSM/EDGE (up to 384 kbit/s), UMTS with DC-HSPA+ (up to 42.2 Mbit/s) and LTE (Category 4, up to 150 Mbps/s). It can also works with LTE frequency bands 800/900/1800/2600 megahertz, so all the bands that are used in Europe are supported. In addition, the wireless technologies Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and GPS / GLONASS are available.
The reception quality of HTC One M8 from Germany Telekom is very good. In area of WLAN, the HTC one (M8) is impressive: it offers good reception and transmits data often much further away from the base station, than comparable devices.

 

Overall, one can say that the engineers have done an excellent job on the HTC One (M8) and in the test consistently good reception values were achieved. The data rates were correspondingly good. Regarding the call quality, the smart phone also plays with the very top, at least when the phone call with HD voice is conducted.

In the HTC One (M8), 2600 mAh battery is built-in. Since the device supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology, fast charging is possible with a matching power supply. Unfortunately, the included power supply but does not support the technology. The battery life is about one day in heavy use, for normal use it should also be feasible two days. However, if the camera is often used and the integrated step counter function is enabled, then you should recharge the HTC one (M8) every day.

Conclusion
HTC One (M8) is a very good smartphone on the market. The case studied in its same, the details of how the gesture control a lot of fun and the basics such as reception and voice quality are also right for Android segment. Only the camera cannot keep quite what HTC promises. The HTC one (M8) is now available with or without a contract in the site www.4gltemall.com . The retail price is without a contract and buy it now have special gift for the orders.

 

Vodafone B3000 LTE Router Test

From the beginning of 2014, Vodafone has launched a new LTE Router Vodafone B3000 on the market, the successor to the B2000 LTE router, which had been tested last year. The biggest new feature is the improved speed of 150 megabits per second (LTE Category 4), which function is not available in the Vodafone B2000. I could look at the Vodafone B3000 router at CeBIT 2014 in more detail; you will find some photos of the B3000 in this article. The experience regarding reception quality and data rates based on the Huawei B593 4G Router, as the two devices are almost identical.

Scope of supply and technical data
The Vodafone B3000 LTE router is manufactured by Huawei and the corresponding model is B593s-22. As already talking about, extensive branding is used on the Vodafone B2000 and Vodafone B1000, which could be also clearly recognized on the B3000 as Vodafone device. For the user that has really no disadvantages, the functions are more or less unchanged. The Vodafone B3000 comes in a fancy box in the new Vodafone-design and the router can be found with a power cable and a short Ethernet cable. In addition, of course, there is still a quick-start guide and a safety instruction included.

 

On the back of Vodafone B3000 you will find various connections: there are 4 LAN ports, each operating at a maximum of 100 Mbit/s. In addition, there are two RJ-11 ports for analog phones and a USB 2.0 port. On the right side, a separate power switch is still attached to the left two buttons for WLAN / WPS circuit. The two telephone connections are available but only for VoIP telephone; telephone support through the mobile network (CS or VoLTE) is not available in the B3000 LTE Router.
Vodafone B3000’s internal WLAN module only works on 2.4 GHz and supports 802.11 b/g/n. The speed is depending on the distance to the router at about 90 Mbit/s, so that the full speed of LTE cannot be achieved here as well. The range of the wireless network is certainly absolutely sufficient for most users, on request, up to four separate SSIDs (network name) will be awarded.

 

Reception and data rates
With support for LTE Category 4, data rates up to 150 Mbit/s downlink and 50 Mbit/s in the uplink are theoretically possible with the Vodafone B3000. However, Vodafone is providing these data rates over LTE2600 currently available only in cities and at sites with very high data volumes, on widespread LTE800, Vodafone has so far only about 50 – 60 MBit/s in downlink. In general, the B3000 can also achieve these data rates, and allows quick and easy browsing, but a little “design flaw”. Unfortunately, there is neither over the WLAN module nor the LAN ports, the maximum speed of 150 Mbit/s is available. Of course, this is hardly relevant to a user.

 

The reception quality is good when measured. Even in regions with weak reception, good data rates are possible. Since the Vodafone B3000 router supported (LTE800, LTE1800 and LTE2600) all frequency bands used in Germany, the device is also quite future proof. Upon request, the receiving means of external antenna can be improved. For this purpose, two SMA connectors are located under a cover on the back of the router.

 

Conclusion
The Vodafone B3000 LTE is undoubtedly a good router, with which most users are likely very satisfied. However, there are also some weaknesses: the LAN ports only work with a maximum of 100 Mbit/s and the internet is not very fast. The consequence: it is impossible, the theoretical maximum speed of 150 Mbit/s to use them. If only for this reason, it is difficult to understand why Vodafone has brought the B3000 LTE Router at all on the market, while the Vodafone B4000 is already a much more powerful successor waiting in the wings. If you appreciate Gigabit LAN and WLAN radio technology, future-proof, should wait a little longer for the sequel, we will see Vodafone B4000 Later. .

 

Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV Review

Named the Speed Stick LTE IV, the German Telekom has brought their fourth LTE stick at the end of 2013. Since the first LTE Speed Stick was able to score above all with excellent reception and great features (and therefore still is very popular), so Speed Stick II LTE was thought rather unspectacular and not as known as entry-level model. The Speed Stick LTE III arrived in May 2013 on the market and represents the current top model, which is as good as the first Speed Stick LTE, this model is made by Huawei.
When Speed Stick LTE IV is again a device from the manufacturer TCT Mobile now like Speedstick LTE II, better known under the brand name Alcatel. The modem of the Speed Stick LTE IV is with a special feature which highlights this surf stick from the other three models on an integrated WLAN module which provides up to 10 devices connected wireless to the Internet. How well this works in practice and how to beat the rest of the functions with extended use, you can read in this review.

Package and setup


The Telecom Speed Stick LTE IV comes in a small cardboard box in a typical telecom style. In addition to the surf stick itself (it is a branded Alcatel One Touch W800Z stick by TCT Mobile), you can still find a quick start guide and a Y-USB cable for power supply in case the computer cannot supply sufficient USB port. Generally you could use the Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV without computer, a simple power supply with USB port just fine. Unfortunately, no AC adapter is included, but any commercially available power supply of smartphones (with USB port) is working properly as an energy supplier.
At first glance, the Speed Stick LTE IV makes a good impression: the white-silver plastic case is well made, the USB port is turned by 180 degrees and the lid that covers the slots for SIM and MicroSD card is firmly seated. Two LEDs on the front indicate the operating condition, the wireless status and the connection status. Unfortunately there is no external antenna connector in this Alcatel W800Z, so there is no way to improve the reception performance if working in low signal area.

 

 

The usage of the Alcatel W800 is very easy. Either one connects via Wi-Fi with the Speed Stick LTE IV (the password is required for this purpose in the cover over the SIM slot), or you plug your surf stick into a computer, whereupon the driver and a link to install the Web Interface. Unlike in most other surf sticks, separate software is not required; the operation is done completely via a web interface. This is accessible from any web browser under “speedstick.lte”.

 

Software and settings
The operation runs almost automatically, in the normal case, the user must make any other settings, except possibly enter the PIN code after purchasing. If you want the wireless password, the wireless SSID or change the access to the web interface, so a wizard helps you through the configuration. The whole web interface is extremely fast and reliable. On request, detailed statistics on data consumption are available, as well as the receiving and sending of SMS messages is possible.
Further settings are possible via the tab “Connection” where you can, for example, create a new connection profile, unless the configuration is not based on the SIM card and has already been made independently. Also, the network mode is selectable, so you can choose a specific network technology, for example “LTE only” or “3G only”.

In the settings, you can also configure the WLAN module as you wish. For example, the number of wireless devices limit (1 to 10 wireless clients are possible) or select the wireless channel. If you want to update the Speed Stick IV LTE to a new firmware version, so this must also be on the “Settings” tab to be made.

 

Speed and reception


We tested the Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV for a week under the Germany Telekom network. These reception and speed tests were carried out in the UMTS network 2100 megahertz, and in the LTE network of 800 and 1800 megahertz, with both wireless and via the USB port. Compared with the Huawei E398 (Speedstick LTE I)and Huawei E3276 (Speedstick LTE III), the Speed Stick LTE IV is definitely something back. The situation is that the two models mentioned could find a LTE network and data rates of 8-10 Mbit/s achieved in the download, in contrast, the Speed Stick LTE IV could not find a LTE network despite a long web search. In such situations it is of course particularly unfortunate that the stick does not have connectors for external antennas.

Once reception is available, the Speed Stick LTE IV can also score with good data rates. So in the Telecom LTE network at 1800 megahertz, data rates could reach up to 85 megabits/s in the downlink and ping times of sometimes less than 20 milliseconds. This is not better than other competing Internet sticks, but also not worse. The main feature is the Wi-Fi usage: the wireless connection allows no more than 20 megabits per second, although the top downstream 85 Mbit/s were measured in the same place with the stick via USB connection. The various positioning of the Speed Stick LTE IV helps to optimize the Wi-Fi reception, but no improvements in data rates. On the latency, the type of connection are not altered, they are consistently good.

When using the stick in the train, Speed Stick LTE IV was able to score with a good stability. If a car with a repeater is available, you will often benefit from LTE, as the 1800 MHz signal is amplified by repeaters. Crashes or reboots, which happened by many LTE modems, did not occur in our test.

Test Results of the Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV:
The Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV Telekom has launched the first LTE Stick with integrated WLAN to Germany. On the whole, the Speed Stick LTE IV makes a good figure; most users will come along very well with the stick. The reliability is good and the functionality for normal use IS absolutely sufficient. The LTE Category 4 (“LTE Plus” at Telekom) is not supported and the speed over wireless is far from the advertised 100 Mbit/s. In addition, we missed connections for an external antenna.