Category: 4G LTE CPE/Router

Huawei B618s-66d (Telstra 4GX Modem) Router Review

The Huawei B618 was available in many countries since 2018 and now becomes one of the best LTE routers in the market. If you are familiar with Huawei B618 router, you may know there are two variant models for Huawei B618 Router: They are B618s-22d and B618s-65d. Here we get a new variant Huawei B618s-66d. Like other Huawei 4G LTE WiFi routers, the Huawei B618s-66d supports different LTE frequency bands from the two brother models.

Huawei B618s-66d Appearance

Huawei B618s-66d is a customized router from Australian network carrier Telstra, who gives it a new name “Telstra 4GX Modem”. The Telstra 4GX Modem router has same shape as the two brother model, but it has Telstra logo on the front instead of Huawei logo. The LED indicators are still there, including three antenna indicators, Power indicator, Status indicator, LAN, WiFi and data usage indicators.

On the back of the Huawei B618 Telstra, the two connectors for external antennas are available and covered by a small tap. The connector type is TS-9. Below are the power button, USB 2.0 Port and two Ethernet ports for LAN. There is no battery in the Huawei B618 router, so the Power plug for adapter is also available. However, unlike the Huawei B618s-22d, the Ethernet ports in Telstra 4GX Modem B618s-66d are both for LAN. In B618s-22d, one is for LAN and the other one is for both LAN and WAN.

The SIM card slot is at the bottom of the Telstra 4GX Modem. The Reset button is at the side of the SIM card slot. And a stick indicates the model B618s-66d, SSID, WiFi Key, IP, user name, password, WPS pin, IMEI number, S/N number, and some certificates etc… The Huawei B618s-66d uses Micro-SIM card.

 

Huawei B618s-66d (Telstra 4GX Modem) Specs Review

 

  • Support 4GX Cat11
  • Support 4G LTE Frequency Band 1/3/5/7/28 700/850/1800/2100/2600MHz
  • Support 4 x 4 MIMO
  • Support up to 20 WiFi-enabled devices simultaneously
  • WLAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz
  • SIM Type: Micro(3FF)
  • 2 x LAN ports(RJ45), 1 X USB(2.0) port to connect a printer or storage drive
  • Huawei Hilink App. Easy management by smartphone or pad

On the Telstra official site, it doesn’t list the LTE Band 28. We re-checked with Telstra and get confirmation that Huawei B618s-66d Telstra 4GX Modem supports Band 28. The Huawei official site says the Huawei B618 Australia router could support maximum up to 64 users, but the Telstra 4GX Modem supports only 20 devices simultaneously.

Huawei B618s-66d (Telstra 4GX Modem) Price

Due to specs subtraction of the Telstra 4GX Modem, the price is a little cheaper than the original model B618s-22d and B618s-65d. If you want the original functions, you may use the Huawei B618s-65d which could fully replace B618s-66d to use in Australia.

Huawei B818 (Vodafone Gigacube CAT19) Router Test

Vodafone Gigacube CAT19 is a new 4G LTE WiFi router offered since March 2019. The device is manufactured by Huawei and the model name is B818-260. The B818 is by far the newest and fastest LTE router in the Huawei product range, with LTE Cat19 delivering speeds of up to 1.6 gigabits per second. Vodafone sells the router as a Gigacube CAT19 as the successor to the previous “small” Gigacube Huawei B528 and thus offers customers a very powerful alternative to choose from. If you want to know the performance of Huawei B818, you may continue reading.

 

Huawei B818 – First Gigabit LTE router

The Huawei B818 is Huawei’s first stationary LTE router capable of achieving speeds well above 1 Gbps in the LTE network. The device is positioned as a successor to the Huawei B618 and offers not only a very similar design but also comparable good equipment.

In addition to the Huawei B818-260 router, there is also a power adapter and a flat LAN cable. There is also a printed German-language manual and a quick-start sheet. The package contents refer to the version as Gigacube CAT19, other variants of the B818 may be delivered with a modified accessory. Vodafone is currently the only provider in Europe to offer the Huawei B818.

Huawei B818 Interfaces

 

The Huawei B818 has a slot for a Micro-SIM card at the bottom. All other connections are located on the back. There you will find the connection for the power supply and two RJ45 Gigabit LAN ports. One of these LAN ports can also be used as a WAN connection, so that one does not necessarily have to rely on the wireless modem integrated in the router. Furthermore, there is a USB 2.0 port, over this storage media can be shared in the network. Also two connections for an external antenna are present.

 

Huawei B818 Specifications

 

The Huawei B818-260 LTE Router supports 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology as well as carrier aggregation (channel bundling). The following LTE frequency bands are available: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28, B32, B38, B42. In the downlink, the maximum theoretical data rate could reach 1.6 GBit/s and up to 150 MBit/s in the uplink is possible.

In practice, the speeds were rarely over 300 MBit/s. Vodafone theoretically promises up to 500 MBit/s in the Gigacube tariff, but many sites offer only lower data rates. Nevertheless, the B818 was often slightly faster than other devices in the test, especially when several frequency ranges could be bundled by means of carrier aggregation. The latencies (ping) were usually between 20 and 25 milliseconds in the test.

 

 

Huawei B818 Test

 

The Huawei B818 comes with built-in cellular antennas in the device. These offer a very good reception in the LTE network, especially in comparison with many smartphones. Even with poor reception, fast speeds are still achievable. For example, in the test, a stable connection could still be established in a basement room, even though the smartphones in the room already showed no reception.

 

The Huawei B818 allows the connection of up to two external antennas or a MIMO antenna. For this purpose, two TS-9 connectors are available on the back. If the external antenna is not detected automatically by the router, then you can manually switch to the operation with an external antenna in the web interface.

 

The WLAN module of the Huawei B818 transmits by default in dual-band mode to 2.4 and 5 gigahertz. Up to 32 devices can be supported with WLAN at the same time. The maximum speed was tested by using 3 × 3 MIMO antenna technology at 1300 MBit/s, which is also the highest data rate supported by the WLAN module. The speed is at a high level compared to other Huawei 4G LTE Wireless router models. The WLAN range was also convincing in the test, a large apartment or a small family home can be supplied without additional repeaters.

 

The Huawei B818 provides a separate guest Wi-Fi network upon request. This can be equipped with a separate password. Unfortunately there is no timer function for the WLAN module.

 

 

Huawei B818 Software: Web Interface & App

 

The operation and configuration of the Huawei B818 or Gigacube CAT19 takes place either via web interface in the browser or via an app. The web interface is designed in red Vodafone design, the app comes in the original Huawei design therefore. The web interface offers significantly more options than the app, so there about the desired network technology (eg LTE-only) can be set. Overall, the web interface has left a good impression in the test.

 

Conclusion: Huawei B818 / Vodafone Gigacube CAT19

 

The Huawei B818, or Vodafone Gigacube CAT19, left a very good impression in the test. In particular, the new LTE wireless router was convincing, this offers above-average speeds and is extremely future-proof. Currently, the speed advantage of the Huawei B818 is still manageable compared to many other LTE router models. The operation and configuration was very easy in the test and if necessary, any other SIM card can be used in addition to the Vodafone SIM card.

 

The Vodafone Gigacube CAT19 or Huawei B818 is worthwhile for anyone who would like to have a particularly good LTE modem and would like to spend a little more. Even the Huawei B818 can provide high LTE and WLAN speeds for daily use, but probably only for the fewest users. Currently, a cheaper device such as the Vodafone Gigacube CAT6 (Huawei B528) is quite sufficient.

 

Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 FAQs and User Manual

As the latest Vodafone 4G LTE router, Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 is not only new in the LTE technology, but also the appearance and design. Some users may have some questions about this new LTE Advanced pro router or don’t know how to setup and use the new Huawei router. Today, we will list the FAQs and the user manual for basic functions and installation & settings.

 

  1. FAQs for Vodafone GigaCube Cat19
  2. How to set up your Vodafone Gigacube Cat19?
  3. Vodafone Gigacube Cat19 LED indicators lights and flashes means
  4. How to insert my SIM card into the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  5. How to manage your Vodafone GigaCube CAT19 via the Huawei SmartHome app?
  6. How to change the reception area (radio channel) on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  7. How to connect with Vodafone Gigacube Cat19 by WPS?
  8. How to change the network type on Vodafone Gigacube Cat19?
  9. How to set up guest Wi-Fi on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  10. How to turn on or off mobile data on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  11. How to switch on or off the data roaming on the Vodafone GigaCube Cat19?
  12. How to turn on or off the PIN use on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  13. How to change the PIN on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  14. How to change the WLAN name (SSID) and the WLAN password?
  15. How to update the firmware of Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?
  16. How to restore the factory default settings for the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

How to restore the factory default settings for the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

There are two ways to reset the GigaCube to its factory settings.
Good to know: You delete all your personal modem settings, such as: Passwords, Wi-Fi names (SSID) and the Wi-Fi password.

That’s how it’s done:

Hold down the reset button on the underside of the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19 with a pointed object until the power indicator turns off.
You will restore all default settings. Then simply start and configure your GigaCube again.

Or open Settings > System via the GigaCube web interface. 
Click on Factory Settings > Restore. 

You will now see the information “All configurations will be reset to factory settings. Continue?”
Click on OK. The factory settings are restored …

 

Click to check more about Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 FAQs and User Manual

How to update the firmware of Vodafone GigaCube CAT19

  1. Enter http: //giga.cube in the address field of your internet browser and open the  GigaCube web interface.
  2. Select Settings >  Updates.
  3. Click on  Automatic update to activate the function. Good to know: If Automatic Update is turned on, your device will automatically update between 3:00 am and 5:00 am when it’s not in use.

 

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How to change the WLAN name (SSID) and the WLAN password at the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

Change Wi-Fi name (SSID)

First, connect your PC, smartphone or tablet to your Vodafone GigaCube CAT19 via Wi-Fi.

  1. Enter http: //giga.cube or 192.168.8.1 in the address bar of the browser.
  2. Enter the router login password .
  3. Click on Login.
  4. Dial from the GigaCube web interface > WLAN > WLAN Security Settings.
  5. For WLAN name (SSID) gigacube-F2CE click on the pen under the Options.
  6. Enter a new name under WLAN Name (SSID). This name can have up to 32 characters.
  7. Click Save.
  8. Restart your GigaCube Cat19.

 

Change Wi-Fi password

  1. Dial from the GigaCube web interface > WLAN > WLAN Security Settings.
  2. Select the desired SSID for the 2.4GHz or 5GHz work band for editing.
  3. Enter your personal Wi-Fi password if you have a Wi-Fi password.
    Tip: For your safety, we recommend combining letters and numbers. The Wi-Fi password must be at least 16 characters long.
  4. Click Save.
  5. You will see the following info: Your settings will be saved. Configuration completed, the system restarts WLAN.

 

Click to check more about Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 FAQs and User Manual

How to change the PIN on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

  1. Select Settings >  System via the GigaCube Cat19 web interface.
  2. Dial PIN code management.
  3. Switch on PIN code management.
  4. Enter your PIN code.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Put a tick on change PIN code.
  7. Give the old PIN.
  8. Enter your new PIN now.
  9. Enter the new PIN again.
  10. Click Save.

 

Click to check more about Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 FAQs and User Manual

 

How to turn on or off the PIN use on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

  1. Select Settings >  System via the GigaCube web interface .
  2. Dial PIN code management.
  3. Switch on PIN code management via the indicator.
  4. Enter your PIN code.
  5. Click Save.

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How to turn on or off mobile data on the Vodafone GigaCube CAT19?

  1. Click on the network via the GigaCube web interface.
  2. Dial in Mobile network > Internet connection.
  3. Use the indicator next to Mobile Data to toggle this on or off.

 

Click to check more about Vodafone GigaCube Cat19 FAQs and User Manual