TP-Link M7650 Mobile WiFi Hotspot Test

TP-Link M7650 was available around half a year and many people got to know this new LTE WiFi router, but regarding the performance for internet access and connection stability, many people want to know more even they may get some information from TP-Link M7650 Review. It’s better to take a test for the internet connection and find the answers. Today, we would take a test for TP-Link M7650 and see how it performs for users.

TP-link M7650 Display

TP-Link M7650 Specifications

 

TP-Link M7650 is a portable LTE-A Category 11 hotspot allowing data download at speeds up to 600 Mb/s. With a 3000 mAh battery, the device can work up to 15 hours and can handle up to 32 devices. Thanks to the built-in screen with dedicated buttons, we can display current information about the router’s status and control data consumption, battery status and cellular network coverage. The manufacturer has equipped the solution with the 802.11ac standard, thanks to which the devices can communicate with the speed of 867 Mb/s.

 

TP-link M7650 USB Port

TP-Link M7650 is not the first TP-Link 4G LTE mobile WiFi hotspot. The manufacturer has been presenting interesting “MiFi” solutions for years. The TP-Link MiFi series includes the M5350, whose successor is the LTE version TP-Link M7200. And the TP-Link M5360 3G hotspot with 5200 mAh power bank function is also in this series.

 

TP-link M7650 side

The most interesting are the M7310, M7350 and M7450 mobile WiFi hotspots, which clearly show how the mobile data transmission developed. The first two offer cellular LTE data transmission at DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps, while M7450 supporting LTE category 6 allows downloading at 300 Mbps and uploading at 50 Mbps. The hero of today’s test is a device supporting LTE category 11 (LTE-Advanced), and hence offering 600/50 Mbps in the mobile network.

 

TP-link M7650 battery

TP-Link M7650 is based on the models M7310 and M7450. The device with dimensions of 112.5 x 66.5 x 16 mm contains a replaceable 3000 mAh battery, which, according to the manufacturer’s declaration, is sufficient for 15 hours of operation and up to 900 hours in standby mode. In predecessors (M7310 and M7350), the manufacturer TP-Link used 1800mAh and 2000 mAh batteries.

TP-link M7650 SIM Card and SD card slot

TP-Link M7650 Usage

After removing the battery, there is a place for a micro SIM card and a micro SD memory card (up to 32 GB). The hotspot was made of gray, pleasant to the touch material. The front part is a black glossy element with a small (1.44 “diagonal) color LCD screen. It is not as big as Netgear models, eg AirCard 810, but the information displayed on it is very clear and the menu is transparent. On the sides of the screen there are two buttons – turning on the power supply and the hotspot menu control button. Thanks to two buttons, we can easily navigate the menu of the device and activate the most important options.

In addition to the TP-Link documentation, the set includes a nano SIM adapter – micro SIM, as well as a USB cable for charging the device or wired communication using the NDIS standard.

With the change of mobile communication technology in the TP-Link mifi, the standards of wireless communication have also changed. In the M7200 model, we had a wireless network system working at 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. The M7350 has a frequency of 5 GHz. In turn, the M7450 and M7650 solutions support the latest 802.11ac standard – in the 2.4 GHz band to 300 Mbps and band 5 GHz bandwidth – 867 Mbps. Thanks to this, we can easily connect up to 32 wireless devices.

 

TP-link M7650 back logo

The implementation of the 802.11ac standard and operating speed in the 5 GHz band with 867 Mbps is dictated primarily by fast LTE-A communication. Although the TP-link M7650 supports a cellular network with a speed of up to 600 Mbps, at present it is difficult to find a widely available location in which we will be able to reach this value. More specifically, what technologies and frequencies does the M7650 support?

In the field of LTE networks:

  • FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20 (2100/1800/2600/900/800MHz)
  • TDD-LTE: B38/B40/B41 (2600/2300/2500MHz)

 

And on the 3G/2G network:

  • DC-HSPA+ /HSPA/UMTS: B1 / B8 (2100/900MHz)
  • EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz

TP-Link M7650 Mobile WiFi Settings

To use the TP-Link M7650 MiFi, simply insert the SIM card and start it. Hotspot distributes a secured wireless network whose parameters (name and password) can be found on the inside of the battery cover. The advantage of TP-Link is that in the case of tested SIM cards: Play, Viking Mobile, Orange and T-Mobile, each of them was correctly recognized and there was no need to edit the connection parameters. This is especially important for people who are not familiar with the technical details of editing connection parameters.

However, if we want to use the configuration options, we have three options. The first one is the LCD screen mentioned. By switching the Menu button we can set or preview:

  • the name of the Wi-Fi network and its password
  • Enable / disable energy saving
  • Activate the mechanism of connecting to the WiFi network via WPS
  • Determine the frequency of WiFi networks (2.4 or 5 GHz)
  • Specify the operating mode of the 3G / 4G cellular network
  • Activate GSM network roaming.

These are a few basic settings that are sufficient for an everyday mifi user. In turn, the main screen of M7650 presents the indicator and type of cellular network, enabled WiFi network, battery level as well as the name of the operator and in the central part of data consumption and download speed.

More configuration options can be found in the tpMiFi mobile application. After connecting to the Wi-Fi network provided by the hotspot, we can view the M7650 parameters:

  • basic information about the device,
  • wireless network options with the possibility to edit parameters,
  • Mobile network options, unfortunately there is no detailed information about work in a specific LTE mode. Information about the type of 3G or 4G network remains,
  • information about connected users,
  • information about the status of the battery,
  • SMS message panel,
  • The ability to set the operating mode for the memory card – sharing via Wi-Fi or via USB. In the latter case, after connecting the M7650 to the USB port it will be visible as a flash drive,
  • Additionally, in view of expenditure control and a specific data package, we can set usage limits, monthly statistics and specify a data package that is not covered by the limits (useful for “no limit” tariffs).

TP-Link M7650 mobile WiFi Hotspot Web Interfaces

Using the web interface, we will find much more hotspot configuration parameters. The appearance of the M7650 web interface does not differ from the one we know from other TP-Link routers, such as Archer MR400. So we have a classic panel with device network status. We will also find SMS support and the TP-Link configuration wizard.

 

Detailed configuration options are the place in the Advanced section. Here we have a full range of possibilities:

 

Dial-up – tab concerning the parameters of the connection to the cellular network with the settings of the operator, the type of cellular network or the management of the PIN code

Wireless – settings responsible for the wireless network parameters.

Compared to the classic TP-Link SOHO routers, there are few settings: network name, header broadcasting, operating frequency, channel, network type, encryption and password. We also have the ability to determine whether the password and name information will be displayed on the M7650 screen. TP-Link can work on both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, unfortunately not at the same time. We need to compromise and either choose a slower 2.4 GHz or have 802.11ac client devices to switch to the fast 5 GHz network. In the Wireless section, you can also view connected clients and block them access to the network, activate the WPS mechanism (PIN code, button) or edit the black list of clients

DHCP server – you probably do not need to translate too much. For a simple mechanism for dynamically assigning IP addresses. We will not find here, for example, static IP assignment based on the MAC address. It’s a pity, because in the next tab NAT Forwarding in addition to options related to ALG control, we can also set port forwarding, enable the port triggering and even assign the computer to the DMZ zone.

In the following sections, we will find information on data usage with the possibility to set limits and warnings when approaching the packet volume.

 

Although TP-Link implemented two radio systems and LTE-A communication, the 3000 mAh battery according to the manufacturer’s declaration should last up to 15 hours. The power saving function helps in achieving the declared working time, which in the absence of connected Wi-Fi clients disables wireless Wi-Fi after 10 minutes.

In addition, if the hotspot works in close proximity to the devices, you can also set the Wi-Fi network signal strength. During the tests, we were able to achieve the declared time of the router’s work on the battery without any problem. During intensive use by several devices, the battery was enough for about 10 hours. It’s still a great result.

Finally, the functions associated with the memory card. You can insert a micro SD card with a capacity of up to 32 GB to the device. This is not much, but in the case of teamwork, you can use it as a place to exchange documents or store frequently used files. TP-Link implemented three possibilities of data sharing. The first one is sharing files after WiFi using the SMB protocol. Authentication takes place using the account specified in the account settings or can be anonymous. The second way is communication via FTP. In turn, the third is more individual – we can use the data by connecting the mifi to the USB port.

TP-Link M7650 Speed Tests

A few words of explanation at the beginning – it is possible to obtain a speed of 600 Mbps in a cellular network, but certain conditions have to be met. Well, as in Wi-Fi networks, the right number of bands and the modulation that allows LTE category 11 to obtain an aggregated frequency connection of 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz is an important issue in the cellular network. And so for three bands with a speed of 150 Mbps, we have a total of 450 Mbps. To achieve the above mentioned 600 Mbps, it is necessary to use the 256-QAM modulation, which should improve the speed of the 64-QAM modulation connection by 30%. Similar solutions are used, among others for wireless networks for 2.4 GHz frequency, where from three streams with appropriate modulation and 256-QAM 5/6 coding, we can set up a 600 Mbps connection.

During the tests, we used cards from three operators: Viking Mobile, Orange and T-Mobile. The distance from the transmitters for individual operators was the same. We performed tests at various times of the day and night. As it turned out, the best maximum results were achieved by Viking Mobile. In the case of T-Mobile and Orange, the maximum download values ranged from 70 to 90 Mbit/s. In turn, in Viking Mobile at the same time they have already reached over 120 Mbit/s. However, it is worth remembering that Viking Mobile uses Play transmitters and in the test location we had the opportunity to use Play technology (4G LTE ULTRA).

120 Mbit/s values can be achieved when we are connected to a hotspot using USB or a 5 GHz network. In the case of the 2.4 GHz network, the connection speed in Viking Mobile dropped to around 83 Mbit/s.

 

Why is the communication in the 2.4 GHz network slower? First of all, the maximum available connection speed is 300 Mbit/s. This is possible thanks to two streams and 40 MHz channel. In spite of many attempts, the TP-Link M7650 stubbornly established a connection on a 20 MHz channel, which results in a long link with a maximum speed of 144.4 Mbit/s and has a direct impact on the network connection performance and indirectly on the speed of downloading and sending data to and from the Internet. In turn, if one of the devices was connected using NDIS (through USB), the communication was much more efficient. For the 2.4 GHz frequency – 82/72 Mbit/s and for the 5 GHz band: 280/239 Mbit/s.

Summary

The TP-Link M7650 mobile hotspot can be described as a very interesting yet powerful solution for home use. Long battery life will allow you to take your mifi on a trip, as well as use mobile internet at work or places where we do not have access to wireless networks. The advantage of TP-Link is the very good LTE-A network support and the possibility of remote access to the internal LAN created using the M7650. With mobile, unlimited access to the Internet, we can use the M7650 as the main source of Internet access but also for mobile entertainment and even watching video streams. It is a pity that the manufacturer has not decided to simultaneously support two bands of the wireless network. And the TP-link M7650 has not a touchscreen, which is a common feature in similar 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.

 

TP-Link M7650 LTE-A Pro Mobile WiFi Hotspot Test

We had introduced the TP-Link M7650 mobile WiFi hotspot a few days ago and somebody asked about the performance of this new 4G LTE WiFi Router. We will take a test today to see what the TP-Link M7650 mobile hotspot can bring to us.

TP-Link M7650 Specifications and Package

As the most advanced 4G mobile WiFi hotspot, TP-Link M7650 supports LTE Cat.11 with theoretically up to 600 MBit/s in the download and 50 MBit/s in the upload. Simultaneous surfing is possible with up to 32 devices, namely via dual-band WLAN IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac with theoretically up to 300 MBit/s on the 2.4 GHz and up to 867 MBit/s on the 5 GHz band. The 3000 mAh battery is designed to provide power for up to 15 hours of operation. A microSD card slot donates up to 32 GB of additional storage space, provided you plug in an additional memory card. The TP-Link M7650 router is controlled either via the display and two pushbuttons, via the tpMiFi app or a web interface.

 

The TP-Link M7650 mobile WiFi is supplied in a blue metallic shiny cardboard packaging. The dimension is 6.7 x 1.6 x 11.2 cm and fits into the jeans pocket. The light gray case is slightly gummed, so the router does not slip easily out of hand. On the top there is a glossy black plastic surface around the display that magically attracts dust and fingerprints. At the left of this area is the menu button for the display, and the right of it is the power button, on a long narrow side the microUSB port for charging the battery.

 

In the package, we found a USB cable, various short instructions and an adapter from Nano-SIM to Micro in addition to the 3000 mAh battery. In the TP-link M67650 router, users can insert a micro-SIM, with adapter for a nano-SIM, but if with an old mini SIM, the router cannot be operated. And TP-Link also provides a plug-in power supply for the router, which can be charged on the USB port.

TP-Link M7650 Power on

After unpacking, you should first take a look inside the small LTE router and, if necessary, make a note of some details or take pictures with your mobile phone. Because the address and the password for the administration interface are located under the battery on the nameplate. And on the inside of the lid, the password for the Wi-Fi hotspot is printed, which is also required for use. The removal of the lid we found to be somewhat difficult, because you actually need long fingernails and some strength to reach into the notch of the lid on the device corner and then can lever up the lid.

 

The micro-SIM slot reminded us a bit of old Nokia phones. First, the lock must be released and folded up. After inserting the SIM, the lock is folded down again and locked. If desired, a memory card can still be inserted, for the operation of the TP-link 4G router as an Internet access device that is of course not necessary. Now the battery is inserted, the lid is closed and the hotspot is switched on or the battery is charged first.

In our test, the TP-Link M7650 recognized our LTE SIM card within a few seconds and connected to the mobile network. The PIN query we had already disabled before inserting the SIM, if you do not do that, if necessary, enter the PIN. On the 1.44-inch display, the top left of the power indicator is showing the technology used (in our case 4G). In the middle above, the WLAN icon indicates how many devices are logged into the network. At the top right is the battery level, in the middle of the display is the already used data volume and below is the network operator. Now we could couple different devices via WLAN and surf.

TP-Link M7650: Settings, App, Speedtest, Battery & Conclusion

The TP-Link M7650 can be administered in three ways: Some of the settings can be changed via the display and the two pushbuttons. The menu is navigated by pressing the menu key several times. Under “Device Info” users can display the WLAN password in plain text. “Power Saving” allows to switch the energy saving mode on and off. “WPS” couples the router to compatible devices, and “Wifi Band” allows switching between 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. In “Network Mode” manual, switching between 3G and 4G is possible; 2G cannot be selected explicitly. “Data roaming” allows the use of the router in data roaming; by default this feature is disabled.

 

The web interface of the TP-Link M7650 router address http://tplinkmifi.net on a paired device, the default password is admin. The third administration option is the app tpMiFi, which is available for Android and iOS. Via the app or the web interface, more extensive settings can be made than via the pushbuttons and the display. For example, it can be turned off that the Wi-Fi password appears on the display. If the tariff allows it, SMS can be sent and received via the hotspot. In addition, the administrator can set a data limit that can be maximized. Unwanted WLAN clients can be locked out.

 

TP-Link M7650 Performance

In the speed test, the TP-Link M7650 scored very well in our test measurements. We went to many places, where we knew that the mobile network reception is possible under almost optimal conditions. There, the TP-Link M7650 effortlessly managed to reach the maximum possible 50 Mbps downstream with our SIM card, even several times. For some test measurements, the value was even more than 60 Mbps downstream. The upstream, which is actually limited to 10 Mbit/s at our tariff, several times was even 12 Mbit/s. The ping was also very low with values of around 20 ms.

But even in poorly supplied areas, the router showed that it can “tickle out” the maximum available locally from the network. Stagnations or dropouts we did not notice. In normal operation, the TP-Link M7650 router should not be warm, but in the blazing sun you should not operate it for a long time, as this could damage the plastic body and the battery.

TP-Link M7650 Battery

In terms of battery life, TP-Link promises that the M7650 Router can last around 15 hours on a single charge. In our experience, this value should be seen as the maximum value and ultimately it depends on the setting: If you turn off the power saving mode, the Wi-Fi hotspot is constantly on, and not only when a device requires a connection. Of course, this sucks on the battery as well as any additional wireless client that contacts the LTE router for synchronization or data traffic. Also, the operation in the car can “gnaw” at the battery capacity when the hotspot must “overcome” the metal shell of the car body to make contact with the mobile network and hold.

If the battery is fully charged, the energy-saving mode is switched on and about five to ten devices are connected to the M7650 hotspot, which is not more than ten meters away, the battery should in our estimation without problems last ten to twelve hours, so a whole working day. In a building, you can also operate the router permanently at the socket – the battery problem is in any case only in one operation on the road.

Conclusion: Good Portable LTE router for Wireless Connection

The TP-Link M7650 proves to be a portable and robust router in the test, which can be easily put into operation and administered. Depending on the mobile phone tariff used, fast surfing with up to 32 devices is possible. The battery lasts around ten to twelve hours. However, the LTE hotspot price is not a bargain and the quickly smeared plastic surface around the display is visually unattractive.

 

Actually, there are many options of Portable LTE router available which can provide even faster speed such as the Gigabit LTE router Netgear Nighthawk M1 and Huawei E5788. You’d better check more before making the buy decision.