Category: 4G LTE USB Modem

Vodafone K5006Z VS Vodafone K5005

We had noted that Vodafone K5006Z is already available on the market with tariff for users, somebody may have some memory about the previous model Vodafone K5005. Yes, you are right, they are both LTE Stick for Vodafone 4G networks. But if you want to buy a LTE Stick for Vodafone SIM card, which one to buy? What’s the difference between them? Which one is better? To ask these questions, it proves you are a serious buyer. Many people just buy the 4G sticks with the contract without the corresponding concern. But if you want to buy unlocked LTE Stick, you may concern which one you can benefit more.

In this article, we will see what the difference between the two models is and which one is better. Vodafone K5006Z is available later than K5005, but they are both customized by Vodafone in red and white appearance. Below is the table listing the specifications of Vodafone K5006Z and Vodafone K5005:

 

Model Number

　Vodafone K5006z

Vodafone K5005
SIM Lock Status

Unlocked, SIM Card Free

Unlocked, SIM Card Free
Manufacturer

ZTE

Huawei
Form type

4G Internet Stick/4G LTE Stick

4G Internet Stick/4G LTE Stick
Chipset/platform

　Qualcomm MDM9200

　Qualcomm MDM9200
Category

LTE Category 3 (3GPP Release 8) USB Modem

TE Category 3 (3GPP Release 8) USB Modem

Network Bands
4G/LTE Frequency Bands Vodafone K5006Z: Band 3/7/20 (800/1800/2600MHz) Vodafone K5005: Band 3/7/20 (800/1800/2600MHz)
3G UMTS/WCDMA Bands UMTS 900/1900/2100Mhz UMTS 900/1900/2100Mhz
2G GPRS/GSM/EDGE GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Data Rate Speed
4G/LTE FDD link Speed Downstream: 100Mbit/s Upstream: 50Mbit/s
4G/TD-LTE link Speed Downstream: N/A Downstream: N/A
3G HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+ Link Speed Downstream: 42Mbit/s Downstream: 42Mbit/s

Other Features
MIMO Support YES YES
WiFi Support NO NO
Maximum Users Supported 1 User 1 User
SD Card Slot YES, SD card up to 32GB YES, SD card up to 32GB
USB Type 2.0 2.0
External Antenna Connector 2 (TS-9) 2 (TS-9)
Dimensions 90 x 27 x 18mm 90 x 25 x 15mm
Weight 40g 40g
OS Supported Windows/Linux/Mac OS Windows/Linux/Mac OS

 

From the table above, we can see that the main difference between the Vodafone K5006 and K5005 is the manufacturer. Vodafone K5006 is manufactured by ZTE, so it’s also called Vodafone K5006Z; Vodafone K5005 is from Huawei. The second difference is dimension, the size of the 4G modems are similar. We have to mention that both of them are with rotatable USB connector, which will save much space for users.

So we can conclude that the two modems are very similar in function and performance based on the same chipset. If you prefer to Huawei or ZTE Brand, you can choose the modem on their brands.

Huawei E398u-15 Orange logo in Special Price

We sell the Huawei E398u-15 in special price now:

HUAWEI E398u-15:

* 4G LTE FDD 800/1800/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS 2100 Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900Mhz

Package box:

 

Features:

* Qualcomm’s MDM9200TM chipset

* 2×2 MiMo, LTE category 3

* Data Speed: Download up to 100 Mbps, Upload up to 50 Mbps at 20MHz bandwidth

* Memory: MicroSD card slot up to 32GB

* HSUPA, HSPA + and dual-carrier HSPA + and Receive Diversity

* GSM with EDGE support

* Display: LED Indicator

* Antenna: Intergrated and 2 X External antenna interface(buy [URL=http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-ts-9-connector.html]Huawei E398 4G Antenna[/URL] )

* GPS Enabled: No

* Dimensions: 90 x 25 x 15mm

* Weight: 40g

* Supported Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.5.8 (and later versions)
You could buy from here: http://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-e398-4g-lte-tdd-fdd-100mbps-usb-surfstick.html

Vodafone K5006Z LTE Surfstick From ZTE

Since the end of 2012, Vodafone offers its new LTE Internet Surf Stick K5006-Z together with the LTE mobile tariffs for notebooks. Vodafone K5006-Z LTE stick is the successor to the Vodafone K5005 surfsticks. However, the K5005 is from manufacturer Huawei and K5006z is from the manufacturer ZTE. They are both LTE Category 3 USB Stick supporting peak download speed up to 100mbps. Like Huawei K5005, Vodafone K5006z also has rotatable USB connector with the customized logo and software.

Technical data of the Vodafone K5006-Z LTE stick:

 

* Manufacturer: Chinese mobile phone supplier ZTE

* LTE modem Category 3

* Supported LTE frequency bands: LTE FDD 800 MHz, 1800MHz and 2600 MHz

* Download speed up to 100 Mbit/s

* Upload speed up to 50 Mbit/s

* DC-HSPA+ and UMTS support up to 43.2 Mbit/s

* Supports qual-band GSM frequencies (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz)

* Stick Type: rotatable USB stick

* Dimensions: 90mm x 27mm x 18mm

* Weight: 30 grams

 

Interfaces:

* Expandable with a 32GB microSD memory card to USB memory stick

* SIM card slot, Normal SIM size

* USB 2.0

* 2 x TS9 ports for connecting external antennas for LTE MIMO receiver gain (Buy Vodafone K5006Z Antenna)

 

Supported operating systems:

* Microsoft: Windows 7, Windows Vista ( SP2 ), Windows XP ( SP3)

* Apple: From MAC OS 10.4

* Linux: Starting from kernel 3.6 with IPv6 in the UMTS/HSPA mode

 

 

Software:

* Vodafone Dashboard Version 10.3

 

 

 

Vodafone K5006-Z supports all the LTE frequency bands offered by Vodafone. And the unlocked ZTE K5006Z could work around in all the European countries. If Vodafone LTE network is not available somewhere, then the K5006-Z will automatically return to the HSPA or UMTS mobile communications standard. It would automatically choose the fastest network and let user access internet in possible high speed.

 

Conclusion:

The Vodafone USB Stick K5006-Z LTE is a very good stick for all LTE new entrants. What’s more, there is already another successor in sight. The Internet Stick Vodafone K5007! The K5007 is already available at Vodafone Portugal. The K5007 is identical with the Huawei E3276. It’s a LTE Category 4 USB Stick with support of up to 150mbps. If you want higher speed, don’t miss it, it’s amazing.

Huawei E3276 LTE CAT4 USB Stick

The world’s best selling LTE Stick is the Huawei E398. The Huawei E398 was known for his absolutely outstanding LTE reception. Now there is a newer model Huawei E3276 available which also has good reputation. The Huawei E3276 LTE stick meets the LTE Category 4 specification and is backward compatible with LTE Category 3. In some European countries, the LTE category 3 and 4 ( LTE plus) are in use now. And the customized Huawei E3276 is already available for some ISP, such as Vodafone, Telekom.

Huawei E3276 Technical Specifications:

 

* Integrated modem HiSilicon with the new chipset Hi9620

* supports 4G LTE800/LTE900/LTE1800/LTE2100/LTE2600 megahertz

* Downstream up to 150 Mbit/s, with LTE Category 4

* Upstream up to 50 Mbit/s, with LTE Category 4

* Backwards compatibility: supports 3G UMTS, DC-HSPA+ at up to 43.2 Mbit/s

* Backwards compatibility: supports 2G GSM and EDGE 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz

* very high connection quality

* USB connector can be swiveled and locked in the housing

* Slot for MicroSD memory cards with max. 32 MB

* SIM card slot in standard size, microSIM and Nanosim need a SIM adapter

* Built-in antenna

* Two connections CRC-9 for external antennas with  2×2 MIMO Support

* Software Huawei Dashboard

* LED for status display connection type

* Compatible Operating Systems: Windows XP / Vista / W7, Linux , Mac OS

* USB 2.0

* Dimensions: 99 x 26 x 12.5 mm

 

Some of the Huawei E3276 variants, such as E3276s-920, are with Hilink system, but what is a HiLink LTE Stick?

 

A HiLink LTE stick starts the Internet connection within seconds after plugging in the USB connector. This is possible because there is no software installed on the PC.

 

How to use Huawei E3276

 

The use of Huawei E3276 LTE sticks is very straightforward. Insert SIM card and then connect the Huawei E3276 with a USB port on the notebook. The E3276 software drivers and the Huawei dashboard software are installed automatically. Then enter the PIN and APN connection settings and finished the LTE stick configuration.

 

Connect an external antenna to Huawei E3276 LTE stick

 

The Huawei E3276 works just as well if one connects an LTE external antenna. We can recommend the LTE MIMO antenna. The LTE signal strength could be greatly improved. With the high DBi, the antenna could help user have better connection speed. You can check details here: http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-crc-9-connector.html

 

Conclusion: Huawei E3276

The Huawei E3276 is certainly one of the best LTE sticks that are currently available. And we could not detect any weaknesses till now. Vodafone offers the Huawei E3276 under the name Vodafone K5007 and Telekom under the name Telekom Speed Stick III. They are all reliable LTE 4G Stick. 4gltemall.com are providing the unlocked Huawei E3276, it can work with both Vodafone and Telekom 4G LTE networks, and other LTE networks in Europe. Most of them are using the Huawei E3276s-150, but some are using Huawei E3276s-151. We can see from the images that France ISP Orange is using Huawei E3276s-151.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV Comes From Alcatel W800

The Germany operator Telekom offers a new LTE surf stick- Speed Stick LTE IV from November of 2013. Since in May, a high-end model Speed Stick LTE III was introduced by Huawei, then the new model Speed Stick LTE IV comes from TCT Mobile (Alcatel), which is the same manufacturer as the Speed Stick II LTE. The special feature: a built-in Wi-Fi module will support up to 10 other devices to access internet wirelessly with an Internet connection.

Alcatel W800 LTE WiFi Dongle


The Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV is based on the Alcatel W800, which we have recently been introduced. The chipset is a Qualcomm MDM9215 modem, which supports DC-HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE/UMTS is also backward. As a LTE category 3 WiFi dongle, Telekom Speed stick LTE IV supports up to 100 Mbit/s downstream and 50 Mbit/s for upload. The working LTE frequency bands at 800, 1800 or 2600 megahertz according to their location used.
The full LTE speed cannot be reached, in real network environment, the WLAN module can only reaches around 75 MBit/s for downlink, and uplink for wireless connection probably no more than about 30 Mbit/s are available.

Apart from the slot for standard mini-SIM cards, the manufacturer TCT Mobile has also integrates a slot for MicroSD cards supporting up to 32 GB storage. No connectors for an external antenna are available in this dongle. With about 39 grams, Telekom Speed Stick LTE IV is quite easy to take in hand or pocket, the dimensions of 89.0 x 27.5 x 14.0 mm are similar to those of other LTE surf sticks.

 

Speed Stick LTE models at a glance


The Speed Stick LTE IV is now already the fourth LTE Surfstick available at Germany Telekom, and we have summarized the models in a small table below:

Model Manufacturer & Model LTE Category Speed
Speed Stick LTE Huawei E398 Category 3 100 Mbit/s
Speed Stick II LTE Alcatel L100V Category 3 100 Mbit/s
Speed Stick LTE III Huawei E3276 Category 4 150 Mbit/s
Speed Stick LTE IV Alcatel W800 Category 3 100 Mbit/s

 

The Telekom Speed Stick LTE first generation is only sporadically available through online shops, Telekom no longer sells this device now. As we can see in the table, the name does not necessarily correspond to the quality and the speed of the modem. Thus, the current top model is clearly the Speed Stick LTE III (Huawei E3276) in the 4 models; many users would even classify the first Speed Stick LTE (Huawei E398) best model than the previous, since the reception is very good. Even with the equipment, there are some major differences Between Alcatel and Huawei Speed Stick models, for example, connections for an external antenna, which is not available in Alcatel Sticks.

 

Huawei E8278 E8278S-602 Open Box and Review

Today, we get the 4G LTE Cat4 Wi-Fi dongle Huawei E8278. Since the release day, it has been for a whole year that we get it. The model we get is Huawei E8278s-602, which is for Australia operator Telstra.

 

 

Packed in customized box from Telstra, Huawei E8278 is in the center box with a power adapter. There is a USB port in the adaper, which can help Huawei E8278 to get power supply directly, not from desktop or laptop. The USB is rotatable for 180 degree and hidden in the body of the modem.

 

 

 

As we introduced before, Huawei E8278 looks like a 4G USB Modem, but actually it is a WiFi hotspot through which multiple terminals can access internet in high speed. E8278 is a LTE category 4 UE, which mean the maximum downlink speed could reach 150mbps. The official saying about Huawei E8278s-602 is that it could support 4G LTE FDD 800/900/1800/2600MHz & TDD 2600MHz. And the 3G DC-HSPA+ network support is backward. E8278 supports 3G UMTS Band 850/900/1900/2100MHz. The Huawei E8278 we get is SIM card unlocked. So if you get an unlocked E8278, you can take it around the world for travel. The Huawei E8278 would work with most operators over the world. Even on 3G network, the maximum download speed could reach amazing 42Mbps.

 

 

On the body side, there are two external antenna connectors for external high gain antennas. One connector is with the MircoSD card slot. They are covered by a plastic cap. There is Signal slogan on the cap. The external antenna connector socket is TS-9. User can also get the 4G Antenna from 4gltemall.com . The Huawei E8278 4G Antenna has two connectors (TS-9 jack) and covers almost all the 4G Frequency bands. The antenna is small and easy to take in bag, just like Huawei e8278. Users don’t need to worry about the week network coverage if far from the center city.

 

 

What’s more, the Huawei E8278 can support up to 10 WiFi users to share the wireless network and access internet simultaneously. With the ability of high speed data transmission, you don’t need worry about the slow speed when sharing the WiFi. It’s a pity that there is no battery included, otherwise, it would be a mobile pocket router. But Huawei E8278 is still a good mobile WiFi dongle worthy to have as a WiFi hotspot when there is power supply.

 

 

O2 4G LTE Surfstick ZTE MF823 Test

In the last few weeks, O2 has a new LTE Surfstick ZTE MF823 in the product range. We have taken the “O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE” in detail and tested it in O2 LTE network. The ZTE MF823 is available on www.4gltemall.com without contract and is one of the best LTE surf sticks on the market. Inside the MF823 is a modem from Qualcomm, which belongs to LTE category 3 (up to 100 Mbit/s) UE and 3G UMTS, including DC-HSPA+ and GSM are naturally supported. LTE Category 4 is not supported yet, however, O2 advertises currently does speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s in its LTE network.

 

The ZTE MF823 is one of the smallest LTE surf sticks

 

Delivery and first impression
ZTE MF823 surf stick comes in a flat cardboard box, which looks like similar to the first O2 LTE sticks ZTE MF821D. Only on the design and on the back label, you can see that it is a different and new version of the surf sticks. The package is very simple, next to the surf stick is only listed a German-language Quick Start Guide.
At first glance, the ZTE MF823 in white seems very appealing. The dimensions and the weight is relatively low for an LTE Surf Stick, differences to a normal UMTS surf stick are no longer available. The entire front is removable, below that is the slot for the memory card and SIM card. The SIM card must be in standard size (mini-SIM). The USB port is protected by a cap, unfortunately the stick is not rotatable, and so the stick is always a few inches out of the laptop.

Settings
The O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE ZTE MF823 requires for operation software on the computer, only need to install drivers. After the first installation of the driver, the icon on the desktop of Windows or Mac OS is added. The configuration is thus completely browser-based, the steps works like the MiFi routers. The web interface has been found in the test as a great advantage, since it reacted extremely quickly and for the user, the operation is much more comfortable compared to separate software on the computer.
In the above embedded video, the settings in the web interface are described in detail, so we will limit ourselves here to the main functions: it provides detailed statistics on online time and data usage, you can send SMS messages and also modify the network technology if necessary, such as when the ZTE should MF823 spark only in the LTE network.

Under the cover, there is a slot for SIM cards and memory cards

An LED on the front of the ZTE MF823 is to inform about the current connection status. Once a connection to the Internet, the LED flashes – this is initially a bit confusing because it is the other way around, which is different from other surf sticks. The LED lights up when the connection is constant and without an active connection there is only a flashing visible. The connection itself is very fast, in our test, it connected much faster than modems with separate connection software. The reception strength in the LTE network was satisfactory, and it was strong, particularly in areas with poor reception. A short USB extension cable in this package box is found in the test to be very useful.

 

 

If desired, you can also equip the ZTE MF823 with two external antennas. This requires usually one or two adapters of TS-9 operation in LTE, a MIMO antenna or two simple antennas should be used in any case. And the operation in a Dovado router such as the Tiny Dovado is possible. But unfortunately, AVM FRITZ! did not recognize the ZTE MF823, so no internet connection could be made.

The operation on a router – here the Dovado Tiny – is possible

O2 LTE network: good extension, decent speeds
While using the ZTE MF823, we have also tested the LTE network from O2. We have performed velocity measurements in the entire city of Nuremberg; also we were in the region around Cologne. Both cities are so-called high-speed Areas of O2 and therefore already serve a large area with LTE. But even far outside of these cities, one often has a good LTE supply.
Under O2 LTE network, the speed could often reach to the advertised maximum of 50 Mbit/s download when located in the city. Even more surprising, the good uplink speeds could often reach above 20 Mbit/s, here you can praise the technicians of O2, and the other vendors generally offer considerably lower speeds. Latencies were on average between 40 and 60 milliseconds, in comparison with a bit higher than the competition.

The O2 Surf Stick 4G LTE ZTE MF823 has two antenna connectors

When one uses the O2 LTE network, is a fast page loading guaranteed. In the test Wore good speeds were available even in weak signal areas, which is different from the UMTS network, you can clearly see. So for O2 customers, it is certainly worthwhile to invest a few more euros for a LTE-capable rate, so at least our opinion after the test. If you get the unlocked ZTE MF823, you can use it with Vodafone, Telekom and O2.

 

Conclusion
The ZTE MF823 is a solid LTE stick, with which you cannot go wrong. Although the technology is not completely up to date (“only” 100 Mbit/s), the price is good and operation convinced with fast service and good data rates.