The network specialist Zyxel released three new 5G routers for indoor and outdoor use. The model NR5101 is designed as a classic indoor 5G router, the model NR7101 is intended for outdoor use and the Zyxel N2101 is a 5G Pocket WiFi router. All the devices are compatible with several 5G frequency bands and also support 4G/LTE networks as fallback.
Zyxel NR5101 indoor 5G router
If you are looking for a 5G router for stationary use in the building, you should take a closer look at the NR5101 from Zyxel. The device offers support for all important 5G frequency bands and can also use LTE in the gigabit range. In 5G operation, data rates of up to 2.34 GBit/s can be achieved in the download, up to 1.2 GBit/s are possible in the uplink.
The Zyxel NR5101 has two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections and 6 integrated antennas for mobile radio. WLAN is of course also supported; users can use the latest WiFi 6 standard with up to 1.8 GBit/s. Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR5101 5G router:
* FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks
* Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode
* 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps
* DL 4×4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE
* Built-in 6 high-efficiency 4G/5G antennas
* WiFi 6, AX1800 2.4 GHz/5 GHz dual-band concurrent
* Two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
* Bridge and router modes, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack
* Remote management through TR-069 and SSH
* Micro/3FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved
Like the competitor model Huawei 5G CPE Win, Zyxel NR7101 router is equipped with an outdoor unit, which has IP67 protection against water. If no reception is possible in the house, the Zyxel NR7101 can be installed outdoors and thus ensure reliable Internet access even in poorly connected regions. The outdoor router can reach speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps over 5G. The 5G bands n1, n3, n7, n8, n20, n28 in the FDD mode and the bands n41, n77, n78 and n79 in the TDD mode are supported.
The NR7101 router also supports LTE and 3G. In LTE mode, even 5CA is supported in the downlink and 2CA in the uplink, and the device can also use 4 × 4 MIMO. Details can be found
The Zyxel 5G router only offers a WLAN function for administration, which also makes sense in view of the outdoor installation. The signal is transported via RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, so that a separate WLAN router can then be installed in the building. Power is also supplied via RJ45 Ethernet (Power over Ethernet, PoE). Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR7101 5G router:
* FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks
* Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode
* Support 5G frequency bands:n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n41/n77/n78/n79
* Support 4G frequency bands: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43/B48
* Support 3G frequency bands: B1/2/3/5/8
* DL CA:
– DL 2xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 3xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 4xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 5xCA: intra-band and inter-band within 4 bands
* UL CA: UL 2xCA: intra-band contiguous
* DL 4×4 MIMO: B1/3/7/38/40/41/42/43
* DL 256-QAM: Yes
* UL 64-QAM: Yes
* MIMO (UL/DL): 1×4
* WiFi AP: 802.11ax 2×2
* 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps
* DL 4×4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE
* Built-in 6 high-gain 4G/5G antennas of up to 9 dBi per element
* Standard 802.3af Gigabit PoE LAN port
* Hardened IP67-certified enclosure with industrial-grade components
* Micro/3FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved
* Bridge and router modes, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack
* Remote management through TR-069 and SSH
Besides the NR7101 and NR5101 Router, Zyxel also presented a 5G mobile WiFi router and the model is NR2101. It also supports the latest 5G technology, supporting many 5G frequency bands with 4G LTE networks backward compatible. NR2101 5G Router supports WiFi 6 with dual-band WLAN.
As a 5G pocket WiFi router, the Zyxel NR2101 has a removable battery of 5300mAh, which can provide working time up to 10 hours. In addition, one RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port is available in this device, which is missing in the competitor model Huawei 5G mobile WiFi. Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR7101 5G router:
* FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks
* Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode
* Support 5G frequency bands:n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n41/n77/n78/n79
* Support 4G frequency bands: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43/B48
* Support 3G frequency bands: B1/2/3/5/8
* DL CA:
– DL 2xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 3xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 4xCA: intra-band and inter-band
– DL 5xCA: intra-band and inter-band within 4 bands
* UL CA: UL 2xCA: intra-band contiguous
* DL 4×4 MIMO: B1/3/7/38/40/41/42/43
* DL 256-QAM: Yes
* UL 64-QAM: Yes
* MIMO (UL/DL): 1×4
* WiFi AP: 802.11ax 2×2
* 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps
* DL 4×4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE
* Built-in 6 high-efficiency 4G/5G antennas
* WiFi 6, AX1800 2.4 GHz/5 GHz dual-band concurrent
* One RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
* Power: USB 5V
* 5300 mAh removable battery provides up to 10 hours working time
* 2.4” touch screen
* Nano/4FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved
Availability Time and Price
It is not yet clear when the three new Zyxel 5G routers will be available in the market. And we also don’t know the Zyxel 5G router prices. We will update the info once there is news here.