The Huawei E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot is now available for some network providers in Europe. The mobile WLAN router is currently the fastest mobile hotspot in Europe with speeds of up to 1 GBit/s. The modem chipset comes from HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei. Also on board are a large color display and a WLAN extender function, the device is charged via USB type C interface.
Gigabit LTE modem
The Huawei E5788’s modem supports LTE Cat16 (Category 16) at speeds of up to 1Gbps downlink and up to 100Mbps uplink, as long as the mobile network is able to handle those speeds as well. In addition to LTE, UMTS with up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the download (DC-HSPA+) and up to 5.76 Mbit/s in the uplink and GSM/EDGE are of course supported.
WLAN with offload function (extender)
The WLAN module in the Huawei E5788 operates in the frequency ranges around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The WLAN Extender function is also available, so you can use an existing wireless network as Internet access and saves data volume from the mobile data plan. Once configured, the E5788 automatically connects to a known WLAN within range.
Disadvantages of Huawei E5788
Even if the Huawei E5788 offers an extremely fast modem – some disadvantages are already apparent without a detailed test on the data sheet. So the battery is not changeable and there are no connections for an external LTE antenna. Also missing is a RJ45 Ethernet LAN port, which could easily pass on the extremely high speeds of the modem to other devices. Last but not least, of course, the high price of currently over 300 € is also a big disadvantage – similarly equipped devices with a slightly weaker modem, there are already for about half of the price.
Alternatives to the Huawei E5788
If you really want a Gigabit LTE modem with LTE Cat16 or better, you only have one alternative to the Huawei E5788: the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100. The router is about the same price and offers a LTE Cat16 Gigabit modem from Qualcomm, in contrast to the Huawei E5788, the Nighthawk M1 has a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface, a removable battery and connections for an external antenna. If you want to know more different between the two mobile 4G routers, Click here: Huawei E5788 vs netgear M1
If you are also satisfied with a 600 Mbps LTE modem, you should definitely take a closer look at the Netgear AirCard 810 hotspot. This also offers a touch screen, but also has a removable battery and the ability to connect external mobile antennas. If even 300 Mbit/s or LTE Cat6 is sufficient, there are many more choices available. For example, you could look at the Huawei E5885 hotspot, which comes with a huge 6,400 mAh battery and also has a special RJ45 Ethernet LAN port integrated.