Huawei B525 VS B618 4G LTE Router

For most unprofessional users, it would be a challenging thing to buy a Huawei WiFi router with Ethernet port. Especially, there are many Huawei LTE Routers available in the market, which would make the selection harder. Huawei B525 and Huawei B618 are two latest LTE advanced routers, somebody may be interested in the two routers. If you don’t know what’s the difference between the Huawei B618 and B525 router. In this article, you will find the answer. And if you want to buy Huawei B525 router or Huawei B618 router, you may get some reference.

Appearance

Huawei B525 WiFi router was available earlier than B618 LTE CPE, and it’s technically similar to its predecessor Huawei E5186 WiFi router. The shape of Huawei B525 is in the shape of a traditional stationary wireless router, which could stand on the desktop, on the front, there are some LED indicators and there are 4 LAN ports on the back for an Ethernet connection to PC or other terminals. Two connectors are available on the top back of the router for connecting external 4G/LTE antennas. One RJ11 port for phone and one USB 2.0 port for data sharing are available.

The Huawei 4G Router B618 is not like the common router, it’s in a shape of the cube. However, the LED indicators and the Ethernet ports are still available but with different quantity. Huawei B618 Router has two LAN ports(One for LAN & WAN). The RJ11 port for telephone and USB 2.0 port are still available. The difference is that the Huawei B525 has two antenna connectors in the type of SMA while B618 LTE CPE has two TS-9 connectors, which is usually available for a Huawei LTE USB modem. What’s more, the two routers both use Micro SIM card and the SIM card slots are located at the bottom of the two routers.

Specifications

From the appearance, you may not really make a decision which one is better to select. The Huawei B525 specs and Huawei B618 specs are the key difference, which may influence the daily usage. This time, we take Huawei B618s-22d as an example. In below the table, you will see the difference of the specs difference:

 

Model Huawei B618 Huawei B525
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11 LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon Balong 750 HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset
Data rates DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B618s-22d: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38
B618s-65d: 1/3/5/7/8/28/40		 B525s-23a: Band  1/3/7/8/20/32/38
B525s-65a: Band  1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 64 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B618 Antenna Huawei B525 external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 95 × 95 × 208mm 163 x 52 x 226 mm
Interfaces * 1 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port		 * 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 2 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Huawei B618 Datasheet Huawei B525 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B618 User Manual Huawei B525 User Manual(PDF)
Other features DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack  Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN
Firmware download Huawei B618 firmware Huawei B525 firmware
Driver Huawei B618 driver Huawei B525 driver
Reviews Huawei B618s-22d Review Huawei B525 Review
Price/USD 449.00USD 259.00USD

 

 

Huawei B525 VS B618 Speed Test

If you want to know the speed performance of the two router, you can refer to the speed test on Youtube:

 

 

Conclusion

From the specs, we can see the Huawei B618 4G Router is more advanced for high-level LTE network. With more advanced technologies, Huawei B618 could support faster download speed and upload speed, which is almost double of that of Huawei B525. The Huawei B525 has more Ethernet port for connection. But the Huawei B618 and B525 both could support maximum up to 64 wireless users, which would be enough for most cases. Currently, most of the devices would connect via WiFi rather than Ethernet port. If you prefer to have more Ethernet ports, Huawei B525 may be good. Frankly speaking, Huawei B525 is good enough for our daily life internet demand at home for a family or in office for a small group.

 

As a top and latest new 4G LTE router, Huawei B618 is a future-proof home router. At least, before 5G router comes out, you will never worry about it’s out of date. However, the advanced feature makes it not in cheap price. If you want a budget router, Huawei B525 would be better.

Netgear Nighthawk M1 Gigabit LTE Router Test

Netgear Nighthawk M1 LTE router with the model number MR1100 was available first in Australia for Telstra, and then in USA for AT&T. Now it’s available for some carriers in Europe. The LTE advanced Pro mobile hotspot is equipped with a Gigabit LTE modem from Qualcomm and offers very good equipment with RJ45 LAN port, power bank function and large, removable battery. In this test, we will see whether the device will work as good in practice as the datasheet suggests and whether it is a worthy successor to the AirCard 810 hotspot.

Appearance and first impression

 

In Australia, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 has been available since about March 2017, but the European version with the model number MR1100-100EUS is designed specifically for the European market and supports the LTE frequency bands used in these countries. In addition to the Nighthawk M1 router itself, you will also find a quick start guide, a USB Type C cable, and a power supply. The first impression after unpacking the Nighthawk M1: the router is really big, significantly larger than other Netgear 4G mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. After switching on, then immediately falls on the round display, which is a nice design element. The workmanship works well; everything is tight, so as the battery cover.

There is a power button at the top of the device. This provides a good pressure point but must be pressed for an exceptionally long time to turn the Nighthawk router on or off. On the bottom, there is a USB Type C port for charging the hotspot and for connecting to the PC, a USB Type A port for charging other devices, an RJ45 LAN port and two TS-9 ports for an external antenna. The battery has a capacity of a proud 5,040 mAh and is easily changeable by the user. Underneath the battery is the slot for the SIM card (3FF Micro SIM form factor) and a slot for a Micro SD memory card.

Since the Nighthawk M1 has a different body form and a different USB connection than the predecessors of the Netgear AirCard series, the router is also not compatible with the docking station DC112A AirCard Smart Cradle. This is, of course, annoying if you already own the expensive docking station and now wants to change to the Nighthawk M1.

 

Gigabit LTE modem for DL 1Gibt/s

 

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 integrated mobile modem can use LTE Cat16 with up to 1 Gbit/s in the downlink and up to 150 Mbit/s in the uplink. This is made possible by support for various 4.5G technologies such as 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology, 4CC CA (Carrier Aggregation ) and 256QAM modulation. In addition, 3G/UMTS is supported with up to 42.2 Mbps in the downlink and 5.76 Mbps in the uplink (DC-HSPA+). However, the Nighthawk M1 doesn’t support 2G GSM networks, which may not be bad news, because the device does not fall back into a slow network in automatic mode, in which surfing is not fun anyway.

In real use, the speed of up to 1 Gbit/s in the downlink is only very rarely achieved. This must be based on perfect network conditions given accordingly, which is the case only in a few places. The various 4.5G technologies help the router to provide higher speeds even with slower LTE radio cells, for example, provides the 256QAM support for up to 33% higher data rate in the downlink.

In testing with a Telekom SIM card, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 scored in many cases with very good data rates. In an LTE Band 3 radio cell, up to 135 MBit/s in the downlink, up to 64 MBit/s in the uplink and well under 30 milliseconds ping could be measured. In particular, the downlink was higher in various tests than in comparison devices. In the UMTS network, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 also showed an outstanding performance: about 33 MBit/s in the downlink and 4.6 MBit/s in the uplink are technologically almost the maximum performance.

However, the test of the Nighthawk M1 also showed weak spots in regions with activated carrier aggregation, which probably has to be related to the modem firmware. So the Nighthawk router had not used channel bundling in some locations. In particular, it was repeatedly observed that the Nighthawk M1 was booked in the LTE band 8, while the iPhone at the same location LTE Band 3 as a “baseband” and also used band 7 via CA. The data rates were also correspondingly poor: the iPhone reached well over 200 MBit/s, the Netgear M1 only slightly above 20 MBit/s. Only after several reboots changed the Nighthawk M1 on LTE band 3, but seemed to continue to dispense with Carrier Aggregation.

The reception was very good both in the UMTS network and in the LTE network (band 3, band 8 and band 20 tested). If necessary, it is also possible to connect an external antenna. In the test, a 4G LTE Outdoor antenna with two TS-9 pigtails worked very well.

 

 

Operation and software

 

Although the Netgear Nighthawk M1 offers a nice display on the front, this is not a touchscreen and therefore not suitable for operating the device from the screen. The entire configuration is therefore via a web interface or the “Netgear Mobile” app, which is available for Android and iOS. The app is very successful. The design of the web interface and the app is also impressive, you can find your way around quickly and a good compromise between functionality and design.

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 router offers various settings. In addition to the “usual” things such as settings for Wi-Fi name and Wi-Fi password, there are also “exotic” things like the display brightness and the illumination duration, which can be adjusted manually. In the area “MyMedia” you can access the data of the MicroSD memory card, provided you have inserted a suitable storage medium. The data can be shared in the network for all participants.

Praiseworthy is also the detail view of the device as well as to the network connection. The “Status” tab shows, for example, the network technology used, the frequency band used, RSRQ and RSRP, and other data. Even the temperature of the device and the battery can be viewed.

 

Of course, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 router also provides the ability to update the firmware online directly via the web interface. In the test device came such a firmware update directly after the first set up, the installation went quickly and easily. There is the possibility to make a backup of the settings before installing the update.

 

Good Wi-Fi performance

 

If you want to use the full Gigabit LTE performance, you should definitely use the RJ45 Gigabit LAN connection. The WLAN is gross at a maximum of 768 MBit/s fast, at about 1-2 meters distance between router and laptop, the bandwidth dropped in the test to about 500 to 600 MBit/s. These are very good values for a mobile WLAN router. WLAN range and speed are better than most other mobile hotspots, but a stationary LTE router such as the Huawei B715 router is, of course, a bit better. On request, the WLAN via the web interface can also be completely deactivated or operated only in the 2.4 GHz/only in the 5 GHz range.

The Nighthawk M1 can simultaneously provide up to 20 devices with fast Internet, the device will operate both on 2.4 GHz and in the 5 GHz frequency range (802.11b/g/n/ac). The WLAN SSID and the password can be assigned separately for both frequency ranges. The transmission power can be set in the web interface in three stages. In the app or in the web interface, there is also the option to enable or disable the password display in plain text on the display of the Nighthawk M1. Also a nice feature: the device deactivates the WLAN on request, as soon as USB tethering is active.

Via the menu item “Data Offloading” you can use an existing LAN or WLAN network as Internet access, for example in the hotel or on the campsite. The integrated mobile modem is then deactivated. This feature is also known as “WLAN Extender”.

RJ45 LAN connection

 

The Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 has an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN port. You can use this port to connect a computer or a switch to the Internet via cable, but there is also the option of using an existing Internet connection as an alternative to the integrated mobile modem (the LAN port then becomes a WAN -Port). In the test, the LAN interface worked perfectly.

Battery with power bank function

 

The battery of the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 offers a comparatively high capacity with 5,040 mAh. The manufacturer promises a useful life of up to 24 hours with “normal” use. In the test, this could be approximately confirmed. Under full load, ie with continuous streaming and when using the road with many radio cell and technology changes, the runtime should be lower. A replacement battery of the type W-10a cannot be found yet. Through the full-size USB port, you can use the Nighthawk M1 as a power bank and charge other devices such as a smartphone. The test worked smoothly in the test.

Conclusion for Netgear Nighthawk M1

 

It was already foreseeable, but after the test, it is definitely clear: the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100 is by far the best mobile LTE router that you can buy at the moment. The technical equipment is outstanding, the modem does a very good job and not only offers huge maximum data rates but also gets often significantly more out of the cell than most other devices in worse conditions. The successful software and a top battery life are also highlights. So the powerful functions, unfortunately, mean it will have a proud price: around 459USD (unlocked version).

In the test, unfortunately, some disadvantages were found. We have to mention the partially incomprehensible behavior in LTE radio cells with activated carrier aggregation. Other devices use channel bundling more timely and much more effectively than the Nighthawk M1. Here, Netgear should release a firmware update to fix the issues. You could also criticize the lack of touchscreen as well as the quite high weight and the large dimensions. Both, however, can be tolerated in view of the otherwise outstanding performance. All in all, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is the best mobile router for buy recommendation!

Huawei B618 VS B315 LTE WiFi Router

As the top telecom equipment supplier, Huawei LTE WiFi routers had gained a great reputation worldwide based on the good performance and reasonable good price. Since there are many Huawei 4G WiFi Routers available in the market, for those who are not familiar with Huawei routers, it’s still a big problem to buy a best 4G WiFi router for them. Huawei B315 and B618 are two popular Huawei WiFi routers if a customer wants to buy one router from them, which one to choose? What’s the main difference between Huawei B618 and B315? You will find the answer in this article.

Appearance

 

Huawei 4G Router B315 was available since 2016 and it’s in a traditional router shape. However, the latest Huawei B618 was presented to the public since the second half year of 2017. And Huawei B618 is in a cube shape, which makes you think it’s a kind of furniture rather than a wireless router. From the pics below, you can see the different shape of the two routers. On the front of Huawei B315, there is Huawei logo and a few LED indicators for power, WiFi, internet, signal status. Huawei B618 has the Huawei logo on the top side, the WPS button is in the middle of WiFi signal and other status indicators such as Power, WiFi, LAN, Status, Mode.

On the back, the Ethernet port and connectors for 4G external antenna are located. Since Huawei may assign the router with many variant models, the Ethernet port quantity may vary. The Huawei B618s-22d has two LAN ports (one is for LAN/WAN) and one phone port with a USB 2.0 port. As one of the variant model of Huawei B315, Huawei B315s-22 has four LAN ports (one is for LAN/WAN) and one phone port with USB 2.0 port. However, another variant model Huawei B315s-936 doesn’t have the phone port and USB 2.0 port. They all have two connectors for external antenna, the Huawei B315 connector type is SMA while the Huawei B618s-22d antenna connector is in TS-9 type. If you would like to buy the external antenna for the two router, you may check the professional 4g antenna shop.

The power button and WPS button of Huawei B315 are on the top side of the router. And the label for product detail is on the bottom side of the body. The SIM card slot of Huawei B315 is on the back side of the body while Huawei B618 locates the SIM card slot at the bottom. The Huawei B618 has the label at the bottom too with the WPS button.

 

 

Specs

From the appearance, you may still have trouble to select which one for you. Then the specs of the Huawei B618s-22d and Huawei B315 would tell what’s the key point of the difference between the two routers:

Model Huawei B618 Huawei B315s
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11 LTE Cat.4
Chipset HiSilicon Balong 750 Hisilicon Balong
Data rates DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B618s-22d: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38
B618s-65d: 1/3/5/7/8/28/40		 * Huawei B315s-22: 4G LTE B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B38
* Huawei B315s-607: 4G Band 1/3/7/8/28/40
* Huawei B315s-936: 4G Band 1/3/40/41
* Huawei B315s-608: 4G Band 1/3/5/7/28
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz
Max supported users 64 users 32 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO n/a
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B618 Antenna Huawei B315 external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Standard SIM
Battery NO No
Dimensions 95 × 95 × 208mm 186.0mm x 139.0mm x 46.0mm
Interfaces * 1 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port		 * 1 x power adapter port
* 3 x LAN port(RJ45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)(depends)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port(depends)
Datasheet download Huawei B618 Datasheet Huawei B315 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B618 User Manual Huawei B315 Manual(PDF)
Other features DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack VoIP, DHCP, NAT, IPv6/IPv4 dual stack, Firewall, Port forwarding, DMZ, ALG, Remote management
Reviews Huawei B618s-22d Review Huawei B315 Review
Price/USD 449.00USD 169.00

From the specs, we can see the Huawei B618s-22d WiFi router is far more advanced than Huawei B315 router technically. It could peak download speed up to 600mbps, which is almost 4 times than that of B315 Router. It has advanced WLAN feature 802.11ac with dual-band, while up to 64 devices could access the internet when connected with B618 LTE CPE. The advantage of Huawei B315 is the multiple variant models for various LTE frequency bands while Huawei B618s-22d is mainly for Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and Middle East area. Huawei B315 could be used in more wide areas but you must select the specific right model. Another advantage is that Huawei B315 is not as expensive as Huawei B618. Because Huawei B618 is with many advanced LTE technologies, the price is higher.

Conclusion

Huawei B618 (B618s-22d) is no doubt much better than Huawei B315 technically. But Huawei B315 is attractive on the multiple variant models which would support different LTE network providers worldwide. And Huawei B315 is in a cheaper price than that of B618. For those who use the router at home, the speed of Huawei B315 is enough for daily applications. If you are a technology geek or want a future-proof LTE router and don’t care about the price, the Huawei B618 is definitely the right one.

GlocalMe G3 Review – LTE Mobile Hotspot for Worldwide Use

There are many 4G Mobile WLAN routers available in the market now, but most of them have some application limit due to the network incompatibility if moving to another particular continent. Here we get a new gadget that provides a perfect solution for this trouble. The GlockalMe provides the G3 hotspot not only with the support of multiple frequency bands but also directly offers an integrated CloudSIM service that enables worldwide LTE usage at astonishingly fair prices.

GlocalMe G3: Appearance

 

The GlocalMe G3 is the most powerful mobile WLAN hotspot from the Chinese provider. The device looks like a very thick Apple iPhone 4, runs with a highly customized version of the Android operating system and comes with a very large touchscreen display(for a hotspot) therefore. In terms of price, the GlocalMe G3 is reasonably priced at around 199 USD, especially since 1.1 GB of data usable worldwide is already included in the purchase price.

 

In addition to the device itself, only one USB to MicroUSB charging cable is included. There is no power adapter, but you can use any ordinary power supply with the USB port. The GlocalMe G3 hotspot looks incredibly thick at first glance because there is a very strong battery with 5,350 mAh capacity. On the side of the device, there are two buttons for louder/quieter (whose functionality is unclear) and a power button. Processing, materials and the SIM card slot always make a decent impression.

GlocalMe G3: Dual-SIM Capable

The GlocalMe G3 is dual-SIM capable, and it has two nano SIM slots. This is a unique selling proposition for Mobile WLAN Hotspots and can be very convenient in many situations. In the test, the GlocalME G3 was working quickly and simply with Vodafone and Orange SIM cards: after a short press on the power button, it took only about half a minute for the router to be online. A quick-access menu allows you to easily switch between the two SIM cards and the virtual SIM card.

 

The operation is very easy and is done via the GlockalMe G3 touchscreen. By using the Android operating system you have the advantage of a “full-featured” keyboard, for example, to be able to change the WLAN name and the WLAN password. The display itself is of poor quality in terms of brightness, resolution and viewing angle stability in comparison with current smartphones, but for a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, it is of course quite sufficient.

GlocalMe G3: CloudSIM in the test

The main highlight for the purchase of the GlocalMe G3 is probably the virtual SIM (CloudSIM), which allows the easy worldwide use of the device in addition to the dual SIM function. 1.1 gigabytes of the data volume is already included in the purchase; additional volume can be purchased if you create an account. All this can be done either via an app (for iOS and Android) or via the GlocalMe website.

 

 

GlocalMe offers the data volume in the form of various data packages. These are valid for different lengths of time (for example 30 days, 90 days or 365 days) and are available for different countries and continents. The prices seem surprisingly fair at first glance, so costs 1 GB world-wide data volume for 1 year € 29.90. If you only need data in Germany, you can buy eg 3 GB for 19 Euro or 1 GB for 7 Euro (each valid for 30 days).

In the test, the virtual SIM card was tried in Germany, the service worked easily and in the LTE network data rates up to about 25 MBit/s were measured in the download. The latencies (ping) were about 30 milliseconds and in the uplink about 5 Mbit/s were reached. These are not top scores, but for surfing and streaming HD videos, it is absolutely fine.

 

GlocalMe G3: Speeds

The speed test with the local SIM gave the GlocalMe G3 router a very bad picture. In LTE mode, a maximum of 35 MBit/s was possible via WLAN, in UMTS mode it was over at about 24 MBit/s. For comparison: under identical test conditions, an Apple iPhone 8 managed about 140 MBit/s in the downlink and about 68 MBit/s in the uplink via LTE, similar values were also provided by the Netgear AirCard 810 hotspot.

 

A positive feature is the good worldwide frequency band support. The GlocalMe G3 offers FDD LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/9/17/19/29, TDD LTE Band 38/39/40/41, UMTS Band 1/2/4/5 / 6/8/9/19 and GSM 850/900/1800/1900.

 

GlocalMe G3 Wi-Fi and battery

The WLAN of the GlocalMe G3 is comparatively slow, according to the official specs, only the 802.11b/g/n standard on 2.4 GHz with a maximum of 72 MBit/s downlink is supported, but 5 GHz is not available. For comparison, other mobile hotspots in the price range usually offer dual-band WLAN with at least 300 MBit/s.

 

 

The battery provided an operating time of about 20 hours in the test, which is a very good value for a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. If required, you can also charge other devices such as a smartphone via the full-size USB port, the GlocalMe G3 then becomes a power bank.

 

Others

Unlike most other mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, the GlocalMe G3 lacks many features. There are no connections for an external antenna, no MicroSD memory card slot, no RJ45 LAN connection and also a web interface, as it is usually known from mobile WLAN routers, is not present on the GlocalMe G3.

 

The software is extremely limited, many other usual settings such as a “LTE only” or “3G only” mode do not exist. Statistics on data consumption and information on the network used are only very limited visibility when using a local SIM. That does not necessarily have to be bad for the end customer – the GlocalMe G3 works well and does its job. However, this fact must be mentioned in this review and it would be nice if a possible successor would offer more configuration options.

 

Conclusion

The GlocalMe G3 is a very interesting mobile wireless router. Anyone who travels a lot in the world and often travels to different countries should take a closer look at the device. The prices for mobile data use with the virtual SIM card are very competitive, so that in most countries, the purchase of a national SIM card can be omitted. Also for the ease of use and the very good battery life, the GlocalMe G3 deserves praise.

 

For technology enthusiasts and those who value good technical equipment, the device is quite uninteresting. Although the many supported LTE frequency ranges, as well as the dual-SIM function, are to be positively emphasized, the comparably slow modem, the weak WLAN, and the few setting provide not a good impression. To summary, the GlocalMe G3 is a highly recommended hotspot with many unique selling points.

 

Huawei B715 VS Huawei B525 LTE Router

In past few years, Huawei has presented many LTE WiFi routers to the market. Some are especially for the network provider in specific areas or countries; some are open for all the market (SIM-free for global travel). However, Huawei didn’t provide a full list of its 4G LTE Routers. Some models can’t be found on its official site, so as the specs of the Huawei LTE routers. Huawei B715 LTE router and Huawei B525 are the two models which cannot be found on Huawei official site, but they are definitely Huawei products for LTE-A networks. Some customers may have trouble to buy the unlocked version of the two routers for their applications at home or office etc…Today, we will have a general review of the difference between Huawei B715 and B525 router. You may get the reference if you want to buy one of them.

Appearance

Unlike the latest Huawei B618 LTE Cube, both the Huawei B715 and B525 are in the shape of a traditional wireless router. On the front, the Huawei logo and few LED indicators for power, WiFi, internet connection status and signal strength. On the back, 3 LAN ports and one LAN/WAN port with telephone port are listed at the below side. On the top side, two SMA connectors for external antennas are covered by a cap. Huawei B525 router had the label at the bottom, and we can see the crescentic shape from the bottom side. The label of Huawei B715 is just at the side of the external antenna connectors. The label and connectors are covered by a whole cap. However, like the Huawei B525 router, the SIM card slot of Huawei B715 is also located on the bottom side. Like other Huawei 4G wireless router, some important information would be printed on the label, such as the model number, IMEI number, S/N number, SSID, WiFi Key, web log in IP address, WPS pin, FCC ID, power plug voltage, WiFi certified, RoHS logo, Made in China and some model may have the supported LTE frequency bands if there is. Here now, the Huawei B715 has only white color available, but Huawei B525s-23a has black and white color available.

Variant models

Here now, the Huawei B715 has only one variant model Huawei B715s-23c with the support of 4G LTE Band 1/3/7/8/20/28/32/38 and 3G &2G network backward compatible. We are not sure whether Huawei will release more variant models to support different LTE frequency bands combination for other network providers. But as you can see, Huawei B525 has three variant models: B525s-23A, B525s-65a, B525s-95a. They support the frequency bands as below:

 

* Huawei B525s-23a:

– Support 4G LTE Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 (FDD 800/900/1500/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz)

– Support 3G DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/UMTS Band 900/2100MHz

– Support 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz

 

* Huawei B525s-65a:

– Support 4G LTE Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41 (FDD 2600/2100/1900/1800/1700/1400/900/850/800/700MHz, TDD 2300/2500/2600MHz)

– Support 3G DC-HSPA+/HSPA+/UMTS Band 1/2/5/6/8/19

– Support 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz

* Huawei B525s-95a: Unknown yet!

Specifications

You may be attracted by the appearance of the two routers, but when if you want the router to work well at your location, you must see the specifications of the two router. Below is the list comparison of the Huawei B715s-23c and Huawei B525 WiFi router specs for your reference:

Model Huawei B715s-23c Huawei B525
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.9 LTE Cat.6
Chipset ? HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset
Data rates DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28, B32, B38 B525s-23a: Band  1/3/7/8/20/32/38
B525s-65a: Band  1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 64 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, SMA-female jacks Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B715 External Antenna Huawei B525 external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 240mm × 448mm × 47mm 163 x 52 x 226 mm
Interfaces * 1 x power adapter port
* 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port		 * 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 2 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Huawei B715 Datasheet(PDF) Huawei B525 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B715 User Manual(PDF) Huawei B525 User Manual(PDF)
Other features  VPN, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack, DMZ, Port forwarding  Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN
Reviews Huawei B715s-23c Review Huawei B525 Review
Price/USD 399.00USD 259.00USD

 

 

Huawei B715 VS B525 Speed Test

If you want to know the real speed performance, check the Huawei B715 VS Huawei B525 Speed Test in the video:

 

 

Conclusion

From the specs table, we can see Huawei B715s-23c is more advanced supporting higher LTE level networks with faster downlink. Huawei B525 provides more variant models for different LTE frequency band combination and more colors to select. Usually, the more advanced of the router, the price higher. So we can see the Huawei B715 is more expensive than Huawei B525 router. If you don’t care about the price, then Huawei B715 is the right one for you. Huawei B525 may not the most advanced, but for most customers, the downlink speed is enough for most applications cases. Almost same interfaces would not make you in trouble when you connect few devices simultaneously. The important is if you want to fulfill extra functions such as VPN, VoLTE, VoIP or DHCP, you may check the datasheet carefully to confirm.

However, if you don’t know how to select from the variant models, you may refer to this blog: Five Tips to Buy a Huawei 4G Router.

Huawei B618s-22d Firmware Versions and Update

Many people are using the Huawei B618s-22d LTE router and somebody may have the demand to update the Huawei B618s-22d firmware. Below is the collection of the Huawei B618s-22d firmware for download. And there are instructions for updating the Huawei B618 firmware and some important information for updating the firmware.

 

Warning: Use the firmware at your own risk! No liability is accepted for the use of the data provided and any damage to the device!

 

Unbranded Huawei B618s-22d original firmware versions:

B618_UPDATE_11.181.99.06.00.BIN

B618_UPDATE_11.185.01.00.00.BIN

B618_UPDATE_11.192.00.00.00.BIN

B618_UPDATE_11.192.01.00.00.BIN

B618_UPDATE_11.195.03.00.00.BIN

B618_UPDATE_11.192.01.00.00-debug.BIN

 

 

Providers related firmware versions for Huawei B618:

 

B618_UPDATE_11.189.00.00.154.BIN (CH, Sunrise)

B618_UPDATE_11.189.00.01.55.BIN (DE, Telekom)

B618_UPDATE_11.192.01.00.55.BIN (DE, Telekom)

B618_UPDATE_11.193.00.00.104.BIN (DNK, Telmore)

B618_UPDATE_11.192.00.01.170.BIN (Turkey)

B618_UPDATE_11.192.01.01.170.BIN / Turkey)

B618s-22d_Update_11.185.01. 01.264.bin (PL, Play)

B618_UPDATE_11.192.01.00.264.BIN (PL, Play)

 

 

modded firmware:

 

B618s-22d_Update_11.195.03.00.00_M_AT_04.01.bin

B618s-22d_Update_11.195.03.00.00_M_AT_04.01.exe

B618s-22d_Update_11 .195.03.00.00_M_AT_04.02

 

Balong Flash + Tools

 

B618 Balong Flash Package @ mobil.zip

Change_IMEI_2018_02_24.zip

fix_ttl_b618s_01.zip

repair_nvram_b618_01.zip

unlock B618s_01.zip

usbloader_B618_2018-03-07.rar

 

Instruction of reflashing Huawei B618 LTE router (updating the Huawei B618s-22d firmware):

  1. Install drivers (all standard, as for other Huawei devices, you will find yourself) Download the attached archive and unpack it.
  2. We connect the B618 via USB to the computer.
  3. We close BOOT and GND, hold and supply power, release the closed contact, 1 port appears in the Device Manager.
  4. From the folder load_usbloader_to_B618run go.cmd wait until the boot loader is fully loaded (oil is oiled) and 2 ports will appear.
  5. From the flash_via_balongflashfolder, we run go.cmd, thereby flashing the firmware which is in this folder, in this case the “ammo” is the firmware B618_UPDATE_11.195.03.00.00.BIN. If you want to fill in another firmware (for example, modified with the option unlock, change IMEI and fix TTL), then put the desired firmware in this folder, after removing B618_UPDATE_11.195.03.00.00.BIN. From there, confirm the desire to reflash by pressing the key.
  6. Restart the router (do not forget to connect ethernet cable instead of USB)

 

By the way, you can use the Change_IMEI_2018_02_24.zip to change the Huawei B618 IMEI number. And the fix_ttl_b618s_01.zip could be used to controlling the TTL commit for Huawei B618.

Huawei B715 VS Huawei B618 LTE CPE

As time goes, more and more network providers upgrade their LTE networks to LTE Advanced with the application of new LTE technology such as carrier aggregation and MIMO. Many customers want to surf at the faster speed than ever. So an LTE advanced router may be necessary for home or office. Huawei B618 and B715 are two latest popular routers for the LTE-A networks. Someone may ask: what’s the difference between Huawei B715 and B618? To buy one from them, which one is better? To answer this question, let’s have a compare of the two LTE WiFi routers.

Appearance

Huawei B715 and B618 router both could work well in Europe. Some network providers already introduced them to their contract plan. The Huawei B618 was available for EE, Telekom on the model number B618s-22d while B715 was available for LMV on the model number B715s-23c. The Huawei B715s-23c looks like the common Huawei 4G WiFi router such as Huawei E5186 or Huawei B525, but Huawei B618 looks like a cube. You may think it’s a smart home device rather than an LTE-A wireless router.

 

On the front of Huawei B715s-23c, there are few indicators for power, data transmission, WiFi, connected device, and signal. On the back, there are 4 RJ45 ports for LAN, one of which is for WAN/LAN. And one RJ11 port is available for connecting telephone. Huawei B618s-22d LTE router has only one port for LAN/WAN and another one for LAN only. They both have a USB 2.0 port for sharing file. Like other Huawei LTE routers, the Huawei B715s-23c has two SMA connectors for external antenna while the Huawei B618s-22d WiFi router has two TS-9 connectors for 4G external antennas. They both have the same feature that the SIM card slot is at the bottom of the body.

 

Technical Specifications

To know more about the technical specs of the two LTE-A router, the table below will give clear information about the chipset, category, data rates, supported frequency bands, interfaces, and prices etc..

Model Huawei B618 Huawei B715s-23c
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11 LTE Cat.9
Chipset HiSilicon Balong 750 ?
Data rates DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B618s-22d: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38
B618s-65d: 1/3/5/7/8/28/40		 LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28, B32, B38
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 64 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B618 Antenna Huawei B715 External Antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 95 × 95 × 208mm 240mm × 448mm × 47mm
Interfaces * 1 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port		 * 1 x power adapter port
* 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Huawei B618 Datasheet Huawei B715 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B618 User Manual Huawei B715 User Manual(PDF)
Other features DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack  VPN, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack, DMZ, Port forwarding
Reviews Huawei B618s-22d Review Huawei B715s-23c Review
Price/USD 449.00USD 399.00USD

 

Conclusion

From the appearance, we can see both the Huawei B618s-22d and B715s-23c are cool, but I personally love Huawei B618s-22d better. But if you want the WiFi router to have more Ethernet ports to connect your desktop, the Huawei B715s-23c may be better. From the specs, we can see Huawei B618s-22d support higher level LTE networks with faster LTE downlink & uplink speeds. But if you need the LTE router to work for more LTE frequency bands especially for band 32 or band 28, Huawei B715s-23c should be taken into consideration. And the Huawei B618s-22d with advanced LTE technologies would be more expensive, if you don’t care about the price, Huawei B618s-22d would be the right one for your home or office.

Huawei B618 LTE Router VS Huawei B528 LTE CPE

More and more Huawei LTE advanced routers are available for many network providers in the market. Among them, Huawei B618 LTE router and B528 routers may be the most attractive models. They don’t have the appearance of common LTE routers, but they look cool in the cube shape in white color. Somebody may ask, what’s the difference between Huawei B528 and B618 LTE-A router? Which one is better? If buying from one of them, which one to buy? After reading this article, we suppose you will find the answer.

Appearance

Huawei B618 and B528 LTE CPE are both available in 2017 and firstly presented the Europe market. The popular models for them are Huawei B618s-22d and Huawei B528s-23a. The Huawei B618s-22d LTE router is now available for Telekom in Europe. The Huawei B528s-23a was introduced by Vodafone to its product range. It’s also named Vodafone GigaCube or Vodafone B528s. Another network provider A1 also gets the B528s-23a CPE for its contract plan, and named it “A1 Net Cube Plus”. So the B528 may have Vodafone logo or A1 logo on the device. And the firmware may be customized by the network providers.

The Huawei B618 is in square cube shape while Huawei B528 is in a cylinder cube. But they both look cool and the touch feel is good when handing them even though the body material is made of plastic. On the front of the Huawei B628s-22d, there are 8 indicators for the connection status and WPS button is in the indicators. Huawei B528s-23a has 4 indicators with the power button and WPS button. The power button of Huawei B618 is at the back with two gigabit LAN ports(one for LAN & WAN) and one USB port, above which, two connectors are covered a small cap. The Huawei B528s-23a has only one Gigabit LAN (RJ45) port and one VoIP port.

At the bottom of the Huawei B618 and B528, the SIM card slot is located with the device information label, where the product name, IMEI number, S/N number, SSID and WiFi key, certifications are listed. In addition, the reset button is also available at the side of the SIM card slot.

Technical Specs

Regarding the technical features, you can have a clear review of the specs:

 

Model Huawei B618s-22d Huawei B528s-23a
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.9/ Cat.11 LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon Balong 750 HiSilicon Balong 722
Data rates DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B38 LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B32, B38
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 64 users 64 users
MIMO 4 X 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, TS-9 jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 95mm × 95mm × 208mm 105 mm x 90mm x 181 mm
Interfaces * 1 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* 1 x USB 2.0 port		 * 1 x Gigabit LAN (RJ45)
* 1 x RJ11 (VoIP)
Other features DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, VoLTE, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack
Price 449.00USD 399.00USD

Summary

From the specs table, we can see that the Huawei B618s-22d is more advanced than Huawei B528s-23a. It could support faster download speed than that of B528 based on more LTE technologies. And more interfaces are available in Huawei B628s-22d for more connection possibility. Huawei B528s-23a has fewer interfaces and the speed is not as fast as Huawei B618, but for most users, the speed is still fantastic. And Huawei B528s-23a supports LTE band 32, which is not available in Huawei B618s-22d. Huawei B618s-22d LTE router has advanced features; consequently, the price of Huawei B618s-22d is higher than that of Huawei B528s-23a. So you are looking for an LTE advanced router with a budget price, Huawei B528s-23s seems more suitable for you. But if you need a future-proof router and would accept the high price, it’s no doubt that Huawei B618s-22d router is the best one for you.

Huawei B618 LTE Router User Manual

Many people are already getting or planning to get the Huawei B618 4G LTE Advanced Pro router, but many users may want to know how to use or setup the Huawei B618 router. Today, we will guide you know the Huawei B618 and use the Huawei LTE router well.

 

Getting to know your LTE CPE B618

Note:

* During thunderstorms and rainy weather, turn off and disconnect the LTE CPE B618.

* The LTE B618 CPE function descriptions and illustrations in this article are for your reference only. The product you have purchased may vary.

 

Application scenario

The Huawei B618 LTE CPE can:

* Provide Internet access for Wi-Fi® devices and a computer.

* Connect to a telephone for voice services.

* Expand LAN coverage together with a hub or a switch.

 

Note:

When the Huawei LTE CPE B618 is in use, you can alter its position or orientation to improve signal reception.

 

Selecting the installation environment Obstacles such as concrete and wooden walls will affect the transmission of the network signal. It is recommended that when you install LTE CPE you choose an open space. Keep the LTE CPE away from equipment that generates strong magnetic and electric fields, for instance microwaves, refrigerators, and satellite receivers.

 

Appearance

  1. External antenna sockets (* Connect to external antennas).
  2. Power button Press and hold to power the B618 on or off.
  3. USB port Connect to a USB device.
  4. WAN/LAN port

– Working as a LAN port when connected to a computer, switch, or other LAN device.

– Working as a WAN port when connected to an Ethernet port on the wall.

  1. Landline phone port Connect to a telephone.
  2. Power input Connect to compatible power adapter.
  3. Signal indicators Green: signal reception available (more indicators mean better reception).
  4. WPS button Press and hold to active WPS connection when Wi-Fi is turned on.
  5. Indicators
  6. Micro-SIM card slot Accommodate a micro-SIM card.
  7. RESET button Restore the LTE CPE to its factory settings.

 

* Power LED indicator

Off: Power off.

On: Power on.

 

* Status LED indicator

Off: Data server connection is disconnected.

Blinking in green: Firmware update.

Green: Get IP address of WAN.

 

* LAN LED indicator

Off: No device is connected to a LAN port.

Blinking: data is being transmitted through a LAN port.

Green: At least one of the LAN ports is connected to a device.

 

* Wi-Fi LED indicator

Off: Both 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi is closed.

Blinking in green: WPS open.

Green: Both or one of the 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi is opened.

 

* Mode LED indicator

Steady cyan/blue/ yellow: connected to a mobile network.

Steady green: connected to an Ethernet network.

Steady red: The SIM card is not recognized, the PIN has not been entered, or the PIN verification failed.

 

 

 

Huawei B618 Setup

  1. Installing the micro-SIM card Install the micro-SIM card according to the illustration.

– Note: When removing the micro-SIM card, gently press the micro-SIM card in, then release. The card will automatically pop out.

– Do not remove the micro-SIM card when the LTE CPE is powered on. Doing so will affect the performance of your LTE CPE, and data stored on the micro-SIM card may be lost.

– Note: When removing the micro-SIM card, gently press the micro-SIM card in, then release. The card will automatically pop out.

– Do not remove the micro-SIM card when the LTE CPE is powered on. Doing so will affect the performance of your LTE CPE, and data stored on the micro-SIM card may be lost.

 

  1. Connecting to a power adapter

– Install the power adapter according to the illustration.

 

Note: Use the provided power adapter. Use of an incompatible power adapter or one from an unknown manufacturer may cause the LTE CPE to malfunction, fail, or could even cause a fire. Such use voids all warranties, whether expressed or implied, on the product.

 

Connecting to your LTE B618 router’s Wi-Fi network

Once the router has connected to a mobile data network, you can connect your computer or mobile phone to the router’s Wi-Fi network to access the Internet. Please refer to the label on the bottom of the router for the default wireless network name (SSID) and password (Wi-Fi KEY).

Note: 1.) When the Wi-Fi LED indicator is steady on, Wi-Fi is enabled. To enable or disable Wi-Fi, refer to the help section on the router’s web-based management page. 2.) Ensure that you promptly change the Wi-Fi network name and password on the web-based management page to prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network. Once you have changed the password, you will need to reconnect to the router’s Wi-Fi network.

 

 

 

Configuring your Huawei B618 router

You can configure the router using the web-based management page. Please refer to the label on the bottom of the router for the default IP address, user name, and password. More information can be found in the help section of the web-based management page.

Note: You will be prompted to change the default login password for the web-based management page to prevent unauthorized users from changing the router’s settings.

 

 

Optional configurations

Note: The features described in this section are for reference purposes only. Your router may not support all of these features.

  1. Connecting multiple devices You can connect a computer, or landline phone to the router to access the Internet, make telephone calls, and more.
  2. Installing external antennas You can install external antennas to improve signal reception. Please contact your network service provider to purchase the antennas.

Note: Turn off the router and unplug the power adapter before installing any external antennas. External antennas are only suitable for indoor use. Do not use external antennas during thunderstorms. Only use external antennas provided by your network service provider.

 

  1. Accessing the Internet through an Ethernet port

You can connect the router to a wall-mounted Ethernet port using an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet when you have used up your data allowance. Configure the relevant settings on the web-based management page before connecting to the Internet through an Ethernet port. More information can be found in the help section of the web-based management page.

  1. Restoring to Factory Settings

If you forget some configuration parameters, you can restore the LTE CPE to its factory settings and then configure the LTE CPE again. Use a sharply pointed object to press and hold the RESET button until the Power indicator turns off. The LTE CPE is then restored to its factory settings.

 

Note: After you carry out this operation, the LTE CPE’s personal configuration parameters will all be deleted. All configurations on the web management page will be restored to the factory settings.

 

 

  1. Establishing a WPS Connection

If the Wi-Fi device to be connected to the LTE CPE supports WPS, the wireless network encryption key is generated automatically and there is no need to enter it manually. The steps for WPS connection are as follows: 1.) Turn on the CPE. 2.) Turn on the Wi-Fi device to be connected to the LTE CPE. 3.) Activate the LTE CPE’s WPS. 4.) Activate the Wi-Fi device’s WPS.

 

Note: Press and hold the WPS button for two to five seconds to set up a 2.4 GHz WPS connection, or press and hold the button for more than five seconds to set up a 5 GHz WPS connection. For specific instructions for the Wi-Fi device, refer to the device’s user manual.

 

  1. Downloading Huawei HiLink App

Scan the QR code to download the Huawei HiLink App and configure the router from your phone.

Five Tips to Buy a Huawei 4G Router

Huawei had presented many LTE Routers to the network providers worldwide, there are many models of Huawei LTE Routers, many customers are confused what’s the difference between the Huawei 4G WiFi routers? How to select a Huawei 4G Router with SIM card slot and Ethernet port for my home or small office? In this article, we will provide a guide about how to buy a Huawei 4G router.

 

To buy a Huawei router, you must know where you will use the router, in home or office, in a car, bus, boat, farm, train or basement. And what the WiFi range of the wireless router would cover, this will decide you need a huawei indoor router or outdoor router. If you use the Huawei router in a small office and at home for small space, an indoor router would be enough, but if you use the Huawei router in a large farm or basement, we think a Huawei outdoor antenna would be better. Or course, indoor router may also be enough in a basement only if a high-gain LTE outdoor antenna is connected with the huawei router.

 

For example, if you would buy a Huawei router with SIM card and Ethernet port for home, you should also know how many devices would connect to the Huawei LTE router via WiFi and how many to connect with Ethernet port. Usually, Huawei 4G router may have one SIM card slot and 4 Ethernet ports (3 ports for LAN and One for WAN & LAN). For example, the Huawei B525s-23a Router has 4 LAN ports (one of them for WAN/LAN). But some Huawei routers have only two Ethernet ports, such as Huawei E5172 and Huawei B618 router. If more than 4 devices would connect via Ethernet port, you can get one more Huawei router with more Ethernet ports or connect your devices with WiFi adapter so that the device would connect via WiFi rather than Ethernet. Regarding the WiFi users, Huawei LTE WiFi routers usually supports maximum 32 wireless devices. So this is enough for common use in most case. If you are looking for Huawei 4G Router with Two SIM card slots, as we know, Huawei doesn’t provide such product. Maybe you can check other brands.

 

After confirming the interfaces, you must concern the network compatibility of the target 4G router. For example, you would just connect the Huawei router via WiFi, then the latest Huawei B618 router would be enough. But if you would use it with AT&T or T-mobile in USA, the Huawei B618s-22d CPE may not be a good option to select because the Huawei B618s-22d would not compatible with the 4G LTE networks from AT&T and T-mobile, even though it’s already unlocked. Huawei B618s-22d supports LTE frequency band 1/3/7/8/20/38, while AT&T deployed LTE networks on band 2/4/5/17/30 and band 2/4/12/71. Now you should select the Huawei B890-66 Router, which supports LTE band 2/4/5/7/12/13/17. It could support band 2/4/5/17 for AT&T and band 2/4/12 for T-mobile. So Huawei B890-66 Router would work both for AT&T and T-mobile 4G SIM. If you would use Huawei B618s-22d in European countries, there will be no any problem because it’s compatible with almost all the network providers in Europe such as Vodafone, Telekom, Orange, EE, OnePlus, Telenor etc. Because the main LTE frequency bands on LTE is B1, B3, B7.

 

The third factor that you should concern is the location to use the Huawei router. If you are located at city center, you can ignore this. But if you are located at the place far from the city center or cell tower, it would be much important for the Huawei LTE router to have connectors for 4G external antennas. The antenna connectors provide the possibility to improve better signal with help of high gain LTE antennas. The 2 x 2 MIMO or 4 x 4 MIMO may provide better performance with the LTE antennas. But if you would use outdoor antenna, this antenna factor may be not that important because the outdoor router already has high gain antenna. When installed the outdoor router, the signal would be better enough even using it at places of weak signal.

 

Then the fourth factor to consider is the LTE speed. Since the LTE develops to LTE advanced Pro, here now there are many Huawei routers with different LTE Categories, such LTE cat.3, LTE cat.4, LTE Cat.6 and LTE advanced Pro Cat.9 or Cat.11. They supports different LTE technologies with different LTE downlink & uplink speeds such as DL 100Mbps/UL 50mMbps(for LTE Cat.3), DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps(for LTE Cat.4), DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps(for LTE Cat.6), DL 600Mbps/UL 150Mbps(for LTE Cat.11). And we suppose there will be more Huawei LTE advanced Pro routers available in near future with the evolvement to 5G. Before you buy a LTE router, you need check whether your network carrier already provides the LTE or LTE-A networks, and then buy the appropriate router. But if you want the Huawei router to future proof, you can buy the LTE advanced Pro router even your network provider didn’t upgrade the LTE basic network to advanced pro.

 

Then you should consider the fifth factor: price. With more and more vendors presented their LTE routers to the markets, the price of Huawei 4G Routers is becoming cheaper and cheaper. The support of higher LTE level, the price is also higher. And with the support of higher level LTE networks, the routers can achieve faster download and upload speeds. Currently, most of Huawei routers are not more than 200.00USD. Some Huawei LTE WiFi routers are even around 100.00USD. The LTE cat.6 routers are the mainstream now. But most users are interested in LTE advanced pro routers since the faster, the better. Hope you will buy the best one on your budget.