ZTE 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Archives

ZTE R218 4G Mobile WiFi Router Review

If you had known the ZTE MF920 4G MiFi router, you will know the ZTE R218 soon after we tell you the R218 comes from the ZTE MF920 with Vodafone customization. Vodafone introduced the MF920 to its product range and rename it as R218. The official name is Vodafone R218 Mobile WiFi and someone may also call it ZTE R218. Even though the ZTE R218 is newly presented by Vodafone the public, but the Vodafone R218 specs is not latest new comparing with other ZTE 4G LTE hotspots. Below you will see more details for the Vodafone R218 review.

First, we list the details specs and feature for the ZTE R218 in a table:

Features and Specs of the Vodafone R218
Manufacturer and model	Vodafone R218 from ZTE
Chipset	Qualcomm MDM9207
LTE Category	Cat.4
Download rate	Up to 150 Mbps
Upload rate	Up to 50 Mbps
Supported LTE bands	800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2600 MHz
Backward compatible with	HSDPA (42.2 Mbps), EDGE, GPRS
Support for LTE-Advanced	No
MIMO Support	No
Connection for external antenna	No
Integrated telephone system	No
Network \| LAN & WLAN
LAN ports	no
WLAN standards	802.11 n (2.4 GHz)
5 GHz WLAN support	No
Encryption	WEP, WPA, WPA2
WLAN hotspot function:	Yes
Others
Battery pack	2,300 mAh
Dimension	105 x 64 x 14 mm at 102 g
USB	1x micro USB
Memory card expansion	No
Release time	07/01/2018
Price	129.00USD
available at:	» www.4gltemall.com
Document download
Datasheet	» Download Vodafone R218 datasheet
User manual	» Download Vodafone R218 manual

Vodafone R218 – LTE Download Speed to 150Mbps

The Vodafone R218 was available in the summary of 2018 in Germany, but if you don’t like the customized one, you may turn to the original model ZTE MF920. Behind the Vodafone R218 branding, the model number ZTE MF920V could be seen. With a Micro SIM inserted, the Vodafone R218 could achieve download speed up to 150Mbps, which allows devices such as a smartphone, a notebook and a tablet to receive 4K movies simultaneously via Netflix. Those who want to share multimedia files with others can access a speed up to 50mbps for upload. The WiFi network itself transmits up to 300Mbps to connected devices. The removable battery is designed to provide up to 10 hours of internet access. Interestingly, the battery of Vodafone R218 comes from the competitor Huawei.

The LCD display keeps the user up to date with the operating status such as battery level, received SMS, signal strength and the WiFi status. The ZTE MF920V could be configured via a web interface or APP for mobile devices. In the manual, there is QR code for smartphones to scan and download the APP. The Vodafone R218 is compatible with all mobile devices with Android or IoS OS. The 4G wireless mobile router does not offer many configuration options, but the firewall is integrated and WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption standards are supported. The IP assignment is either static or dynamic. And the current data consumption and the number of sent and received SMS can be seen in the web interface at any time.

Summary

As we said, the Vodafone R218 (also ZTE MF920V) is not a high-end mobile WiFi hotspot. So it would be enough for daily use, but don’t expect too much from it if you want to surf at very fast speed through this mobile WiFi. Actually, ZTE also presents many LTE advanced mobile WiFi models to the public, such as ZTE MF971V, ZTE MF970, ZTE MF980 etc…If you want to get faster surfing speeds, you may check the higher-level LTE MiFis.

ZTE MF971V LTE Cat6 MiFi Review

We had introduced ZTE LTE Cat6 MiFi MF970 last year, actually, ZTE also presented another LTE Cat6 MiFi MF971V and it’s available for many network providers worldwide. Even though it’s already an old mobile WiFi hotspot, many people don’t know this ZTE 4G mobile hotspot and its specs & features. Today we will review the ZTE MF971V LTE mobile hotspot.

ZTE MF971V Appearance

The appearance of ZTE MF971V looks very similar to ZTE MF970 uFi, there is a small LED screen on the front. The ZTE logo is at the left side while the LTE word on the other side. On the top edge side, there is a WPS button with the power button. And there is a connector for external 4G Antenna. On the opposite side, there is also a connector for a 4G LTE antenna. The SIM card slot is available with the USB port. The back cover of the ZTE MF971V could not be removed, unlike the competitor Huawei E5786. But both the ZTE MF971V and Huawei E5786 batteries are built-in and non-removable.

ZTE MF971V Technical Specifications and Features

With LTE category 6 bandwidth technology (carrier aggregation), ZTE MF971V could achieve download speed up to 300mbps and upload speed up to 50mbps. As a WiFi Router, ZTE MF971V hotspot 4G could allows simultaneous connection via WiFi up to 10 devices or with a PC using a USB cable. This makes the ZTE MF971V ideal for use at home, taking with you on holidays, for business meetings and on a longer journey. In places with a weaker range, an external antenna can be connected to the device. ZTE MF971V WiFi Router is also distinguished by its small size and modern design, and the clear display informs about the current status of the battery, Wi-Fi networks, coverage of the cellular network and about received SMS messages. The built-in 2300 mAh battery provides up to 500 hours of standby time and up to 11 hours of operating mode. ZTE MF971V weighs approximately 100 g.

Here we list the details specifications of ZTE MF971V for general review:

Support 4G Band: LTE FDD B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/17/12/20/28 TDD B38/40
(FDD 2100/1900/1800/1700/850/2600/900/700/800Mhz TDD 2600/2300Mhz)
Carrier Aggregation: 4G LTE band B3+B7 / B3+B3 / B20+B7 / B3+B20 / B7+B20 / B3+B5
3G Band: DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS B1/B2/B5/B8
2G BAND: GSM/GPRS/ED GE
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
LTE Category 6 download up to 300Mbit/s, upload to 50Mbit/s
DC-HSPA+DL (Download) up to 43.2Mbps, UL (Upload) u p to 5.76Mbps

Other Feature:

1 x SIM card slot – Micro SIM (12 x 15mm)
1 x micro USB connector for charging
1 x 1.44 TFT-LCD
Power switch, a MENU switch, RESET switch
Built-in LTE/UMTS/GSM and WLAN high gain antenna
Battery: 2300 mAh (Max Work 11 hours, Max Standby 500hr)
2 X TS9 external antenna connection
Maximum of 32 wireless users
Operating: 0℃ to +35℃
Dimension: 104 x 65 x 14.3 mm
Weight: 101g (including the battery)

If you want to know more details about ZTE MF971 LTE-A Mobile WiFi hotspot, click here: https://www.4gltemall.com/zte-mf971v-lte-cat6-mobile-wifi-hotspot.html

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF980

As the two important networking equipment vendors from China, Huawei and ZTE are always competing with each in the global market, so as their wireless products. Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF980 are two latest new 4G LTE pocket WiFi in 2017. Some users may feel interested in the two mobile WiFi hotspots, but somebody may be unfamiliar with the two portable 4G router and have questions: What’s the difference between Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF970? Which one is better to buy? We will review the specs and features of the two mobile routers to get the answers.

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF980 UFi Appearance and Interfaces

ZTE MF980 UFi was available earlier than Huawei E5787, it’s launched to Europe market. Like its predecessor ZTE MF970, it has a 1.44 TFT screen on the front and the ZTE and UFi are at the two side of the screen. On the top side, there is the Power and FUNC button to operate the settings. A small hole is at the side of the power button for Reset. Like other ZTE LTE UFi, On the opposite edge side, there are two connectors for an external LTE antenna, the connectors are located together covered by a small cap. The USB 3.0 port is in the middle, and the Micro SIM card slot is at the side of the USB port. The battery of ZTE MF980 is built-in, and the back cover can’t be opened.

Unlike the ZTE MF980, Huawei E5787 provides the better user experience. First, it has a 2.4 inch touchscreen to display internet connection status and a user can do settings through the screen like operating a smartphone. There is an only home button on the top edge side while the opposite side located the USB port and two connectors for antennas. The back cover of Huawei E5787 could be removed and different from its predecessor Huawei E5786, the battery could be removed for exchange. The SIM card slot is below the battery.

ZTE MF980 UFi VS Huawei E5787 Specs and Features

From the appearance, we can see the two mobile wifi have much difference in design. Then let’s have a look at the Huawei E5787 specs and ZTE MF980 Specs for a comparison:

Model	Huawei E5787	ZTE MF980 Ufi
Product type	LTE Mobile Hotspot	LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category	LTE Cat.6	LTE Cat.9
Chipset	HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset (Cortex A9 Processor)	Qualcomm Cortex-A7 1.2GHz
Data rates	DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps	DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands	* Huawei E5787s-33a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/20 * Huawei E5787Ph-67a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/28	* FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5(26)/B7/B8/B20/B28/B32* TDD-LTE: B40(or B38 or B41)
WLAN	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users	10 users	32 users
MIMO	2 X 2 MIMO	2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna	Two, TS-9 jacks	Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna	Huawei E5787 Antenna	ZTE MF980 External antenna
App management	Huawei Hilink APP	ZTELINK APP
SIM type	Micro SIM	Micro SIM
Battery	3000mAh	2200mAh
Dimensions	109.00 x 58.00 x 7.50mm	122 * 65 * 10.6mm
Ethernet Port	No	No
Datasheet download	Huawei E5787 Datasheet	ZTE MF980 Datasheet
User Manual	Huawei E5787 Manual	ZTE MF980 User Manual
Other features	2 band CA	2 band CA
Firmware download	Huawei E5787 Firmware	ZTE MF980 Firmware
Drivers	Huawei E5787 drivers	ZTE MF980 Driver
Reviews	Huawei E5787s-33a Review	ZTE MF980 Review
Price	269.00USD	199.00USD
Buy	Huawei E5787 Buy	ZTE MF980 Buy

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the ZTE MF980 is technically more advanced which could support LTE download speed up to 450Mbps on LTE Cat.9. The Huawei E5787 supports LTE download speed to 300Mbps on LTE Cat.6. However, the newer model Huawei E5787 is more user-friendly, it has the touchscreen for settings and the removable battery is a very good feature for users. And Huawei E5787 has a large battery capacity which provides longer working time. They both have two connectors for two TS-9 external antennas, so users can use the same antenna as the two mobile routers. Like other Huawei Mobile WiFi, Huawei E5787 has two variant models, which covers different LTE band combination and could be used in more areas with the unlocked E5787.

In our opinion, the Huawei E5787 is recommended 4G LTE pocket WiFi with the good features for users. However, ZTE MF980 is also a good traditional mobile WiFi router. And the ZTE MF980 price is attractive now. If you care about the price, ZTE MF980 is a good budget one to buy.

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF970

More and more people are looking for LTE-A mobile WiFi for daily lives. Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF970 are the two popular LTE-A mobile WiFi hotspots. For those who are unfamiliar with ZTE and Huawei mobile WiFi hotspots, they may feel confused if they want to buy one from the two. They may ask: What’s the difference between Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF970? Which one is better to buy? We will review the appearance, interfaces, specs and other features for a comparison to find answers.

ZTE MF970 VS Huawei E5787 Appearance and Interfaces

ZTE MF970, also called ZTE UFi MF970 was available in the market for some network providers in Europe since 2016. It has black and grey colors. On the front, there is a 1.44 inch screen to show the network providers, internet connection status. The ZTE and UFi are located on the two sides of the screen. On the top edge side, there are two TS-9 connectors for external antennas. The USB port is in the middle of the two antenna connectors. On the opposite edge side, the SIM card slot, power and Func buttons are located. The battery of ZTE MF970 is built-in, so the back cover and battery both can’t be removed.

Huawei E5787, also called Huawei Mobile WiFi touch, was available since 2017. Since the mobile WiFi touchscreen become the mainstream, the Huawei E5787 was also configured with a 2.4-inch touchscreen, where it will show the network providers, data, WiFi, battery, signal etc…Users can do simple settings from the touchscreen. On the top edge side, the power button is available while the opposite edge side located the two TS-9 connectors for 4G LTE external antenna with USB 3.0 port. Unlike ZTE UFi MF970, the back cover could be opened and the battery of Huawei E5787 300Mbps could be removed. After removing the battery, the Micro SIM card slot is there.

Huawei E5787 VS ZTE MF970 Specifications

From the appearance, we can see the Huawei E5787 seems better than ZTE MF970 based on the highlight feature of touchscreen and removable battery. The operation of ZTE MF970 could be done via the power and Func buttons, however, the operation is not user-friendly per our test. Now let’s have a comparison of the Huawei E5787 specs and ZTE MF970 specs:

Model	Huawei E5787	ZTE MF970 Ufi
Product type	LTE Mobile Hotspot	LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category	LTE Cat.6	LTE Cat.6
Chipset	HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset (Cortex A9 Processor)	Qualcomm MDM9230
Data rates	DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps	DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands	* Huawei E5787s-33a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/20 * Huawei E5787Ph-67a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/28	B1/2/3/4/7/8/20/28/12&17
WLAN	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users	10 users	14 users
MIMO	2 X 2 MIMO	2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna	Two, TS-9 jacks	Two, TS-9 jacks
Buy Antenna	Huawei E5787 External Antenna	ZTE MF970 External antenna
App management	Huawei Hilink APP	ZTELINK APP
SIM type	Micro SIM	Micro SIM
Battery	3000mAh	2300mAh
Dimensions	109.00 x 58.00 x 7.50mm	104 x 65 x 14.3mm
Ethernet Port	No	No
Datasheet download	Huawei E5787 Datasheet	ZTE MF970 Datasheet
User Manual	Huawei E5787 Manual	ZTE MF970 User Manual
Other features	2 band CA	2 band CA
Firmware download	Huawei E5787 Firmware	ZTE MF970 Firmware
Drivers	Huawei E5787 drivers	ZTE MF970 Driver
Reviews	Huawei E5787 Review	ZTE MF970 Review
Price	269.00USD	179.00USD

Summary

From the specs, we can see the Huawei E5787 and ZTE MF970 both support download speed to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps based on the LTE category 6. The Huawei E5787 has two variant models mainly for Australia, Europe, and Middle East markets while the ZTE MF970 Rogers covers the popular LTE frequency bands all over the world, especially the band 4, which is the most popular band in American countries. Huawei E5787 could support maximum up to 10 WiFi-enabled devices while ZTE MF970 supports maximum 14 users. However, Huawei E5787 has a removable battery of 3000mAh while ZTE MF970 has a non-removable battery of 2300mAh, which is a little bit weak.

The Huawei E5787 seems to be better in all the aspects; however, the latest Huawei E5787 price is much higher than ZTE MF970 price. If you don’t care about the price, we would recommend Huawei E5787 mobile WiFi touch to you. The ZTE MF970 is also technically WiFi router best buy and the price of ZTE MF970 is very good now even though it’s not a new model. The performance is not bad based on Qualcomm chipset.

Five LTE Cat.6 Portable 4G Routers to Recommend

With the development of LTE network and technology, many users are not satisfied with the wireless speed. They want faster speed. So the support of LTE advanced network is necessary to get higher LTE speed. The good news is that many network providers already upgraded their network to LTE advanced or advanced Pro with carrier aggregation and MIMO technologies. To fulfill higher speed on LTE-A networks, many network manufacturers were already presenting their mobile 4G routers to meet the requirements. Below are the recommended LTE Cat. 6 portable 4G router from famous equipments supplier:

Netgear Aircard 790s

Netgear Aircard 790s is the world’s first LTE cat.6 mobile router and it’s the first mobile 4G router with touchscreen. Below are the highlight features of Aircard 790s:

* Manufacturer: Netgear Wireless

* Support LTE frequency band 1/3/7/8/28 (700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz)

* Chipset: Qualcomm – MDM9230 (Modem) – WTR3925 (RF) – QCA6174 (Wi-Fi)

* Connect up to 15 WiFi enabled devices on the go

* Supports Cat 6 LTE with carrier aggregation (up to 40 MHz)

* Capable of download speeds of up to 300mbps

* Future proof for the premium 700 MHz spectrum

* Removable lithium-ion (2930 mAh), Last up to 11 hours of active use

* Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2×2 MIMO, Dual-Band 2.4GH/5GHz

* 2.4” QVGA capacitive LCD touchscreen

* SIM Type: 3FF Format (microSIM)

* Two external antenna connectors (TS-9 type)

Check more details about Netgear Aircard 790s: https://www.4gltemall.com/netgear-aircard-790s-4g-mobile-hotspot.html

Huawei E5786

* Manufacturer: Huawei

* Three variant models: E5786s-32a, E5786s-62a, E5786s-63a

* Support LTE frequency band 1/3/5/7/8/20/38 (E5786s-32a), band 1/3/8/28(E5786s-62a), band 1/3/7/8/28/40 (E5786s-63a)

* Chipset: HiSilicon LTE Cat6 chipset

* Connect up to 10 WiFi enabled devices simultaneously

* Supports Cat 6 LTE with carrier aggregation

* LTE download speeds of up to 300mbps, upload speed to 50mbps

* Non-removable lithium-ion (3000 mAh), maximum up to 10hours working time

* Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2×2 MIMO, Dual-Band 2.4GH/5GHz

* 2.4” QVGA capacitive LCD touchscreen

* SIM Type: 3FF Format (microSIM)

* Two external antenna connectors (TS-9 type)

Check more details about Huawei E5786:

https://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-e5786-4g-lte-cat6-mobile-wifi.html

ZTE UFi MF970

ZTE MF970 Screen

* Manufacturer: ZTE

* Support LTE frequency band B1/2/3/4/7/8/20/28/12&17

* Chipset: Qualcomm – MDM9230 (Modem)

* Connect up to 14 WiFi enabled devices simultaneously

* Supports Cat 6 LTE with carrier aggregation

* Capable of download speeds of up to 300mbps

* Future proof for the premium 700 MHz spectrum

* Non-removable lithium-ion (2300 mAh), Last up to 8 hours of active use

* Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2×2 MIMO, Dual-Band 2.4GH/5GHz

* 1.44” TFT screen

* SIM Type: 3FF Format (microSIM)

* Two external antenna connectors (TS-9 type)

Check more details about ZTE MF970 UFi:

https://www.4gltemall.com/zte-ufi-mf970-lte-cat6-mobile-wifi-hotspot.html

Alcatel Link Y900

* Manufacturer: Alcatel One Touch

* Support LTE frequency band B1/3/7/8/20

* Chipset: Qualcomm – MDM9230 (Modem)

* Connect up to 32 WiFi enabled devices simultaneously

* Supports Cat 6 LTE with carrier aggregation

* LTE downlink speeds of up to 300mbps, uplink to 50mbps

* Removable lithium-ion (3600 mAh or 1800mAh), last up to 8 hours of active use or more

* Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2×2 MIMO, Dual-Band 2.4GH/5GHz

* 1.44” TFT screen

* SIM Type: 3FF Format (microSIM)

* No external antenna connector

Check more details about Alcatel Link Y900:

https://www.4gltemall.com/alcatel-link-y900-4g-led-mobile-hotspot.html

Huawei E5885

HUAWEI E5885Ls-93a Mobile WiFi Pro 2 front

* Manufacturer: Huawei

* Support LTE frequency band B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B20/B19/B38/B40/B41

* Chipset: HiSilicon LTE Cat6 chipset

* Connect up to 32 WiFi enabled devices simultaneously

* Supports Cat 6 LTE with carrier aggregation

* With one Ethernet Port for LAN (RJ45)

* LTE download speeds of up to 300mbps, upload speed to 50mbps

* Non-removable lithium-ion Large battery (6400mAh), maximum up to 20hours working time

* Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n, 2×2 MIMO, Dual-Band 2.4GH/5GHz

* 0.96 inch OLED display

* SIM Type: 3FF Format (microSIM)

* No external antenna connector

Check more details about Huawei E5885(Portable 4G router with Ethernet port and Sim card slot & large battery):

https://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-mobile-wifi-pro-2.html

From the specs of the mobile 4G routers, we can see each one has its own specialty. Huawei E5885 seems to be the most powerful with Ethernet port and large battery for mobile use. It’s the latest one available since 2017 but price is still at high range. Other models may not be the latest, but the price is budget. If you are looking for a portable 4G router with support of LTE Category 6 and CA, the above mobile 4g routers are recommended.

Huawei E5788 VS ZTE MF980

With the development of LTE technology, LTE networks are evolving from basic to advanced, or LTE advanced Pro. To support the high-level LTE networks, many manufacturers are presenting their new LTE-A products to accomplishing the data transmission. Huawei, as the top telecom equipment supplier, had recently released the latest new LTE mobile hotspot E5788, the model number is E5788u-96a. The other Chinese competitor ZTE also has its own LTE advanced mobile hotspots named ZTE UFi MF980. You may ask what the difference between Huawei E5788 and ZTE MF980 is. And you want to select one between the two mobile routers, which one is better. In this article, you will find the answers.

Appearance

ZTE MF980 is earlier released than Huawei E5788. But the shape of the two LTE gadgets looks very similar. They are both in cuboids shape, but very thin. The Huawei E5788 has a 2.44-inch color touchscreen, where the user can easily set up the router on the screen. The screen of ZTE MF980 is 1.44 inch TFT screen, and the user can’t do settings on the screen. The Huawei E5788 screen is at the left part of the front while the ZTE MF980 has the screen in the middle.

The USB interface of ZTE MF980 is in Micro USB format while the Huawei E5788 using the USB 2.0 Type-C Interface. The MF980 has two connectors for external antennas while Huawei E5788 has no external antenna connector, which feature is a great disadvantage for the LTE Advanced Pro mobile hotspot. They both use SIM in Micro SIM size.

The batteries of both the two LTE mobile routers are non-removable. We think this feature is also not good comparing with another LTE-A pro mobile router Netgear Nighthawk M1, which has large battery capacity and could be removed for changing to spare battery.

As we know, the Huawei E5788 has many colors such as gold, black, blue etc. And the ZTE MF980 also has white, black colors which could be chosen for the customer’s preference. It’s good.

Specs

As the LTE advanced mobile hotspots, they both support high wireless download speed. ZTE MF980 supports LTE category 9 which could achieve download speed up to 450Mbps and upload speed to 50mbps while Huawei E5788 could support LTE Cat16 and could achieve download speed to 1Gigabit per second & upload speed more than 100mbps. They are both with WLAN standard on 802.11b/g/n/ac dual band (2.4Ghz & 5Ghz) and support maximum up to 32 wireless users. ZTE MF980 is with 2 x 2 MIMO technology while Huawei E5788 has 4 x 4 MIMO feature.

Below you will see the details for the Huawei E5788 Specs and ZTE MF980 Specs:

Model	Huawei E5788u-96a	ZTE MF980 Ufi
Product type	LTE Mobile Hotspot	LTE Mobile Hotspot
Category	LTE Cat.16	LTE Cat.9
Chipset	Qualcomm MDM9250	Qualcomm Cortex-A7 1.2GHz
Data rates	DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps	DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands	* FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28 * TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42	* FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5(26)/B7/B8/B20/B28/B32 * TDD-LTE: B40(or B38 or B41)
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users	32 users	32 users
MIMO	4 X 4 MIMO	2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna	No connector	Two, TS-9 jacks
App management	Huawei Hilink APP	ZTELINK APP
SIM type	Micro SIM	Micro SIM
Battery	3000mAh	2200mAh
Dimensions	129 x 65 x 13.5mm	122 * 65 * 10.6mm
Other features	3CC+256QAM
Price	499.00USD	259.00USD

From the above, it’s no doubt that Huawei E5788 is more advanced than ZTE MF980 technically. However, the Huawei E5788 doesn’t have the connector for external antenna, which may not be a good news for the users who are located at the areas of weak signal. With the advanced features, Huawei E5788 price is much higher than the ZTE MF980. So if you just need a decent LTE pocket WiFi with high speed, ZTE MF980 is comparably budget one for most users. But we believe the price of Huawei E5788 would be down when 5G devices coming out.

ZTE MF980 4G LTE Category 9 Hotspot Review

The ZTE MF980 Hotspot is a 4G mobile hotspot that offers LTE Category 9 carrier aggregation technology. This 3-band technology achieves a download speed of 450 Mbps and upload speed to 50 Mbps. The supported FDD-LTE frequency bands are: B1 / B3 / B5 (26) / B7 / B8 / B20 / B28 / B32

For Europe area, the bands in 4G are mainly B3, B7, B20 but also some carriers support the B28(700 MHz). In addition, the ZTE MF980 Mobile Hotspot also support below LTE/UMTS/GSM frequency bands:
* TDD-LTE: B40 (or B38 or B41 gold)
* UMTS: B1 / B2 / B5 / B8
* GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz

So the ZTE MF980 MiFi 4G could cover fairly wide areas, and it’s good to take as a wireless partner when traveling. We do not have precisely the supported aggregates of bands in 3 CA, we look for the info, but with the bands supported, we remain optimistic for a support in France (B20 + B7 + B3 or B28 + B7 + B20).

Wireless Specifications

The ZTE MF980 4G hotspot also offers Wi-Fi to the 802.11 ac standard operating in simultaneous dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Up to 32 simultaneous users can connect for internet access. And it is of course compatible with 802.11b/g/n and offers a 2 × 2 MIMO technology. Equipped with a 2200 mAh battery, it is given for a battery life of 10 hours by the manufacturer.

The 1.44-inch TFT color display allows you to view the usual information, such as operator, signal strength, connection type and level, battery level, number of users connected, and data consumption. The small size of the ZTE MF980 fits easily in the pocket or in a bag.

There are 2 connectors for external antennas in MF980 MiFi. It also has a micro-USB port, a slot for micro-SIM and a cover on the 2 antenna connectors (TS-9 type). If you want to buy the external lte antenna for ZTE MF980, we recommend the tested model: http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-ts-9-connector.html

The setup of ZTE MF980 could be done through the web interface, or the Android application (or IOS) ZTELink APP. From the APP, user can do the settings for the mobile 4g router and can see the information about consumed data and battery status clearly.

In the market, ZTE MF980 is the first LTE cat.9 mobile hotspot. And we know another model Netgear Aircard 800s which also support LTE category 9. We would take further test between the two LTE cat9 mobile hotspots.

Below are the highlights of ZTE MF980 Technical specifications:

* Sleek Design
* 1.44 TFT Display
* Support 3CA High Speed
* Support FDD-LTE network: B1 / B3 / B5 (26) / B7 / B8 / B20 / B28 / B32
* Support TDD-LTE network: B40 (or B38 or B41 gold)
* UMTS: B1 / B5 / B8 / B2
* GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
* Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac
* Wi-Fi 2 × 2 MIMO
* 2.4GHz & 5GHz
* Support 32 devices at the same time
* LTE-FDD Data Rate: DL 450Mbps/ UL 50Mbps (Category9)
* LTE-TDD: DL 330Mbps / UL 11 Mbps
* Dimensions: 122 * 65 * 10.6mm
* Battery: 2200mAh
* Other features
– 1 x Micro USB port
– 1 x Func Button,
– 1 x Power Switch,
– 1 x Reset Hole; SIM socket, Micro USIM
– 2 x External Antenna slot (TS-9 connector)

Vodafone R230 4G LTE Cat9 Hotspot Presented

With the development of the LTE network, Vodafone offers a new 4G/LTE mobile WLAN hotspot R230. The R230 pocket router supports speeds of up to 450 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 MBit/s in the uplink (LTE category 9) and is manufactured by the Chinese manufacturer ZTE. For a fast connection to wireless and wired devices, there are dual-band Wi-Fi and USB 3.0. With the unlocked Vodafone R230, users can use it with any SIM cards in Europe and take it for global travel.

Vodafone R230 — Successor to R226

The Vodafone R230 is the successor to the Vodafone R226 LTE hotspot in the product range. Improved mainly the maximum downlink speed in the LTE network, further improvements are minimal or barely noticeable.

Vodafone R230: Fast LTE modem

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 LTE chipset in the Vodafone R230 hotspot can technically reach up to 450 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 MBit/s in the uplink, but Vodafone Germany only advertises the device with a maximum download speed of 375 MBit/s. The following LTE frequency ranges are supported: 800 MHz, 1400 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz.

Of course, the Vodafone R230 router can also support UMTS/3G and GSM/2G networks, in the UMTS network, up to 42.2 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 5.76 MBit/s in the uplink are reachable. In the UMTS network, the bands are supported by 850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz, in the GSM network the bands can be used at 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz.

Vodafone R230: WLAN and other technology

On the front of Vodafone R230, you will find a small color display, on which the most important information about the Internet connection and device status are displayed. These include, for example: reception status, mobile phone technology, WLAN status and used data volume. On the side of the R230 MiFi, in addition to the USB port for charging the battery, there is also the slot for the SIM card as well as two connections for an external antenna. On the other hand, there is a power button and a function button. The battery has a capacity of about 2,200 mAh and is not changeable, according to Vodafone, the R230 provides an operating time of about 10 hours.

The WLAN works both on the 2.4 GHz frequency band and in the 5 GHz frequency range. The WLAN standards 802.11b/g/n/ac are supported, ie the fast LTE Internet connection should also arrive at full power at a connected terminal. As an alternative to WLAN, a USB 3.0 port can be used. The approximately 105 gram is very light, which makes it very easy to take in hand or pocket.

Vodafone R230 Availability

The Vodafone R230 LTE hotspot comes pre-installed with Vodafone software and is offered by Vodafone in conjunction with the DataGo data plans. It’s a customized hotspot from the ZTE MF980 4g mobile hotspot. We can provide the unlocked Vodafone R230 without the data plan. You can get unlocked R230 and use it with any network providers’ SIM cards in Europe. The unlocked Vodafone R230 would soon be available on www.4gltemall.com. We will keep updating the news. If you prefer the pure R230 without Vodafone customization, you can choose the factory model ZTE MF980 UFi, which has same specifications and functions.

ZTE MF905 WiFi Hotspot in Car Review

The ZTE VFi MF905 was first presented to public since last year, but it seems very few network provider had introduced this product to their data plan. Today, we get the ZTE MF905 Mobile WiFi Hotspot and it’s unbranded.

ZTE MF905 VFI

However, unlike its competitor Huawei E8377 CarFi, the MF905 MiFi has two parts. More specifically, the ZTE MF905 is only a small WiFi hotspot like Huawei E5331 but much smaller. If you want to use the ZTE MF905 in a car, you must get the cigarette charger base and plug the ZTE MF905 into the base. Then they would work together to provide wireless network in a car. There are 4 interfaces for power supply at the bottom of ZTE MF905 body. The interfaces would be suitable for the base.

ZTE MF905 VFI

If you don’t use the ZTE MF905 in a car, you can pull out the MF905 and it can get power supply through a USB cable which is included in the package. Of course, you can plug a SIM card into the MF905 and with power supply, you can get wireless network from this MF905.

ZTE MF905 VFI

On the front of ZTE MF905, there are 4 indicators for power, WiFi, signal strength and message. The power button is just in the middle of the 4 indicators. Below them is the ZTE logo. The front cover can be removed and after removed, we can see the SIM card slot. And the Reset hole is around the power button. But there is no slot for Micro SD card.

ZTE MF905 VFI

At the bottom of the ZTE MF905, there is a label showing the information:

Model number: ZTE MF905

Power input: DC 5V-1.5A

CMIIT ID: 2016CP6404

IMEI: 862252030032XXX

WLAN SSID: ZTE_9E4A07

WLAN Key: 71889989

IP Address: 192.168.0.1

Password: admin

Manufacturer: ZTE

ZTE MF905 VFI

ZTE MF905 could support the LTE Category 4 with peak download speed to 150mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. Up to 8 wireless users could connect to MF905 and surf simultaneously. ZTE MF905 could support the 802.11 b/g/n/ac standard and it could be managed by APP through mobile phones.

ZTE MF905 VFI

The cigarette charger base can work well with MF905. Besides the power supply, there is also one USB port to charge other electric devices such as smartphones, Pads. On the cigarette body, there is also a label showing the information:

ZTE MF905 VFI

MF905 Especially for Car

Input: 12 – 2A

Output: 5V — 2.5A

USB Output: 5V — 1A

ZTE MF905 VFI

The two parts are packed in respective boxes. If you will use the ZTE MF905 in a car, don’t forget to get the cigarette base to let them work together. Otherwise, you need connect USB cable with the MF905 to work as a common mobile hotspot.

ZTE MF905 VFI

Conclusion

The ZTE MF905 is cool in black and the function is very practical with high LTE download speed support for up to 8 users. But the division of the two parts may not be a good design because the upper part of MF905 doesn’t have an insert battery, so if you want it work independently; you must keep it connected with the USB power adapter through the USB cable. It can’t work like a mobile pocket WiFi hotspot unless you let it work with a power bank. On this point, the Huawei E8377 may be more professional for a car.

Difference between ZTE UFi MF980 and Netgear Aircard 810s

Since more and more network providers deployed LTE advanced networks, many vendors over the world are providing new LTE gadgets to support the latest new LTE networks. The US vendor Netgear Wireless and Chinese vendor ZTE are two of them. Netgear presents the Aircard 810s with support of LTE Category 11 and ZTE provides the UFi MF980 with support of LTE Category 9. In this article, we will check what the difference is between the two mobile 4G Routers.

Appearance

The Netgear Aircard 810s has a 2.44 inch LCD touchscreen, user can do simple settings like operating a smartphone. However, the ZTE MF980 UFi’s 1.44 inch TFT screen is not a touchscreen, so it can be operated by the power and func button, web interface or by ZTELink APP. Of course, the Aircard 810s could also be operated from web interface and Netgear aircard APP. The ZTE UFi MF980 is very thinner than Netgear Aircard 810s, so the feel in hand is better.

They both have two connectors for external LTE antennas and the connector type is TS-9. The connectors in Aircard 810s are located at the two sides of the USB ports with small caps, while the connectors of ZTE MF980 are together. And they both use Micro SIM.

Battery

The battery of Aircard 810s is removable and the SIM card slot is in the battery slot. The battery capacity is 2930mAh, which could support 11 hours for continuous use. The battery of ZTE MF980 UFi is built-in and can’t be removed. And its battery is 2200mAh, which is enough for daily use, but can’t be changed to backup battery. But they both don’t have slot for Micro SD card.

Technical Specifications

With Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 chipset and the support of LTE Category 11, Netgear Aircard 810s could support peak download speed to 600mbps. ZTE UFi MF980 could achieve download speed to 450mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps with the support of LTE Category 9.

Netgear Aircard 810s could connect up to 15 wireless users simultaneously while ZTE UFi MF980 could support up to 32 wireless users to access internet, on this point, ZTE UFi MF980 seems more powerful than Aircard 810s. Regarding the WLAN feature, they could support latest Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2 X 2 MIMO on dual band(2.4GHz and 5GHz).

Other feature

The Netgear Aircard 810s has an extra function called Jump Boost, which makes it could work like a mobile power bank to charge other electric devices such as smartphone, Pads etc..ZTE MF980 UFi doesn’t have this function per the official description.

Conclusion

Comparing the features and specifications of the Netgear Aircard 810s and ZTE UFi MF980, it’s not doubt that Aircard 810s is better than ZTE MF980. With higher configuration, Netgear Aircard 810s can provide better performance for internet connection, but price would be higher. ZTE MF980 UFi is also good for most users with budget price. But the built-in battery may not be a good feature if you want it to work for long time.

Actually, there are many more 4G Routers for LTE advanced networks, if you want to check more devices, welcome to check on www.4gltemall.com .