D-Link Presents New 5G Routers at MWC2021

At the Mobile Workd Congress 2021 in Barcelona, D-Link presented various new products. Some of them support the new 5G cellular standard, such as the new 5G NR M2M Gateway DWM-3010 and the 5G/LTE Outdoor CPE DWP-1010.

 

D-Link DWM-3010 for business

With the DWM-3010, D-Link is introducing a new 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). The 5G NR M2M gateway is aimed at the business environment and enables 5G broadband connectivity. According to the manufacturer, download speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s are possible. In addition to high transmission rates, the new 5G cellular standard also shines here with its minimal latencies.

 

With the D-Link DWM-3010 5G Fixed Wireless Access, up to 50 devices can be connected, so that the D-link 5G Gateway can also be used in highly stressed work environments such as industrial or IoT environments. The FWA not only distributes the Internet to the connected devices, but also regulates efficient communication with each other. In addition, the system scores with a robust design and high temperature resistance. In this way, the device ensures reliable operation so that companies can take advantage of the benefits of reliable communication between machines (M2M). Management is carried out centrally and remotely with the in-house IoT management solution D-Link Edge Cloud Solution.

 

 

D-link DWP-1010 for the smart home

D-Link also has innovations for the MWC 2021 ready for private users. One of the innovations is the new 5G/LTE Outdoor CPE DWP-1010. It provides gigabit speeds at home or in the garden and thus ensures fast internet everywhere via 5G and LTE/4G. This D-Link 5G router is also equipped with a robust design in order to be optimally protected both indoors and outdoors. According to the manufacturer, the D-link DWP-1010 can be easily installed anywhere and offers optimal 5G connectivity for the whole family and friends.

 

There are also some other innovations. These revolve around Wi-Fi 6 and artificial intelligence (AI), among other things. A new product series consisting of a router, a mesh router and a WLAN extender was presented, which enables high-speed WLAN on a Wi-Fi 6 basis for all devices. Thanks to AI technology, connection problems are to be recognized and resolved automatically, and WLAN performance is to be continuously optimized.

 

Sierra Airprime EM9190 VS EM9191

Model Sierra AirPrime EM9190 Sierra AirPrime EM9191
Technology NR mmWave NR Sub-6 GHz
NR Sub-6 GHz LTE Category-20
LTE Category-20 HSPA+/WCDMA
HSPA+/WCDMA
Chipset Snapdragon X55 Snapdragon X55
Dimensions(WxDxH[mm]) 52 x 30 x 2.38 52 x 30 x 2.38
Power  3.3 [V] typ.  3.3 [V] typ.
(3.135 – 4.4 [V]） (3.135 – 4.4 [V]）
Sleep 2.8 – 3.3 [mA] 2.8 – 3.3 [mA]
Package M.2 form factor M.2 form factor
Interfaces PCIe 3.0 1-lane PCIe 3.0 1-lane
USB 3.1 Gen2 USB 3.1 Gen2
USB2.0 ※Debug only USB2.0 ※Debug only
Network mode 5G NR Sub-6 GHz/NR mmWave 5G NR Sub-6 GHz
FDD-LTE FDD-LTE
TDD-LTE TDD-LTE
HSPA+ HSPA+
Downlink ～7.53 [Gbps] TBD
（8 layers LTE + mmWave)
Uplink ～2.98 [Gbps] TBD
（8 layers LTE + mmWave)
Frequency Bands 5G NR Sub-6 GHz 5G NR Sub-6 GHz
n1,n2,n3,n5,n28,n41, n1,n2,n3,n5,n28,n41,
n66,n71,n77,n78,n79 n66,n71,n77,n78,n79
5G mmWave LTE Category-20
n257, n258, n260, n261 B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13,B14, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26,B28, B29, B30, B32, B34, B38, B39,B40, B41, B42, B46, B48, B66, B71
HSPA+/WCDMA
LTE Category-20 Band 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,19
B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13,B14, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26,B28, B29, B30, B32, B34, B38, B39,B40, B41, B42, B46, B48, B66, B71
HSPA+/WCDMA
Band 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,19
Temperature Class-A: -30 ～ +70 Class-A: -30 ～ +70
Class-B: -45 ～ +85 Class-B: -45 ～ +85
Storage temperature -40 ～ +85 -40 ～ +85

Zyxel NR2101 Mobile 5G Router Test

Zyxel NR2101 was presented to the public last year and now the most affordable mobile 5G routers is available in mid-2021. Like the Netgear Nighthawk M5 are sold for around 850.00USD, the Zyxel 5G router is available at just around 400 euros. The Zyxel NR2101 comes with a replaceable battery, and it can use the current WiFi 6 standard and even has an integrated RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection. The 5G modem theoretically achieves speeds of up to 4 GBit/s.

The Zyxel NR2101 is delivered in a small box together with a 5300 mAh battery. There is also a Quick Charge power supply unit (output max. 18 watts) and a short USB to USB Type-C cable included in the box. A multilingual quick start guide is also included and makes it easier to use.

The setup is easy and takes 3 to 5 minutes. First, the cover must be removed from the back of the NR2101 in order to insert the nano SIM card and the battery. Here you should directly write down the WLAN name as well as the WLAN password and the access data for the web interface, the data is printed on a label in the battery compartment.

Internet access and WLAN can then be configured either directly on the large touchscreen or via the web interface in a browser; the device must of course be connected via LAN, WLAN or USB.

Connections and display

The Zyxel NR2101 5G router has a USB Type-C connection and a Gigabit RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection. The USB connection can be used both to charge the battery and to operate it directly on the power supply unit, without the battery being inserted. A data connection (“USB tethering”) can also be easily established via the USB port.

In addition to the power button, there is a small LED on the front that shows the operating status in multiple colors. Most important, of course, is the large color display, which can be used to operate all important functions thanks to the touchscreen function.

5G modem in the test

The 5G router has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem. All important frequency bands for Europe are supported, for example 5G bands n1, n3, n20, n28 and n78 as well as LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38 and 46. UMTS/3G is still supported.

In the test, the download speeds were up to 850 Mbit/s in the 5G network, if band n78 was available. Up to 150 Mbit/s were possible in the uplink. A cable connection (USB tethering) was required for this, however, and only slightly lower download speeds of around 650 Mbit/s were usually possible via WLAN. In the 5G network with band n1 (DSS operation, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing ), download rates of around 300 Mbit/s and uploads of around 120 Mbit/s were usually possible.

The Zyxel NR2101 also delivered very good download speeds of 300 Mbit/s and more in the test in the LTE network. In the upload, the speeds of up to 80 Mbit/s were well below the performance in the 5G network.

WLAN and LAN

The 5G mobile router supports the new WiFi 6 standard and transmits on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Up to 16 devices can be connected via WLAN at the same time. This is certainly sufficient for the private sector, but the maximum of 16 devices could possibly connect with the Zyxel NR2101 Router.

In the test, the maximum speed was 1.2 Gbit/s, provided WiFi 6 could be used. With an older WiFi 5 device, 867 Mbit/s was still possible. In the 2.4 GHz band, the NR2101 theoretically achieves up to 574 Mbit/s. The WiFi range was decent in the test, an apartment of up to around 80 square meters or a small house can be supplied satisfactorily.

Battery pack

The exchangeable battery enabled an operating time of around 10 hours in the test. Depending on the application, a slightly shorter running time is also conceivable, for example if there are a lot of cell changes (in the train or in the car). Thanks to the quick charging power supply unit, the router is quickly recharged.

Software and web interface

Almost all functions can be configured directly on the device via the touchscreen, but a browser web interface is also available on request. This is clearly structured, but has the peculiarity that it can only be operated when the display is switched off. In the web interface, for example, the 5G and LTE frequency band used can be read, and the cellular technology can also be set manually, for example.

Conclusion on the Zyxel NR2101

The Zyxel NR2101 made a good impression in the test. The device is fully compatible with the 5G networks in the Europe and reached high speeds, but does not break any records. Operation via the touchscreen is simple and reliable. There is criticism for the lack of connections for an external cellular antenna, and the Internet access via LAN / WLAN as a supplement to the integrated modem would have been nice.

AVM FRITZ! Box 6850 5G Router Will be Available Soon

AVM announced a 5G router – the FRITZ! Box 6850 5G in 2019. The device never came on the market, instead a version with LTE modem – the FRITZ! Box 6850 LTE – was released in 2020. In the course of the summer of 2021, the 5G version of the FRITZ! Box 6850 should finally come onto the market. AVM has already mentioned technical details, but the company has so far been silent on the price.

Gigabit speed over LTE and 5G

Inside the AVM FRITZ! Box 6850 5G, a Qualcomm modem works, which supports speeds of up to 1.3 Gbit/s when downloading via 5G and up to 1 Gbit/s when downloading via 4G/LTE. The modem can also use 3G/UMTS, but the UMTS networks are currently being switched off in Germany, so that this technology is irrelevant, at least in this country.

The following frequency bands are supported according to AVM:

  • 5G: n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n78
  • 4G / LTE: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43

According to AVM, the FRITZ! Box 6850 5G is fully compatible with the current 5G networks, for example DSS (Dynamic Spectrum Sharing) is also supported. It is not clear from the information available whether the FRITZ! Box 6850 5G can also use 5G SA mode (standalone) in addition to 5G NSA (non-standalone).

Further Technical Specifications

The AVM FRITZ! Box 6850 5G is technically very similar to the FRITZ! Box 6850 LTE and the FRITZ! Box 7530. Both the shape of the housing and the technical data are almost identical. On the back there are two SMA connections for an external cellular antenna as well as four Gigabit LAN ports (RJ45) and a USB 3.0 interface. If you will buy the external 5G antenna for FRITZ! Box 6850 5G, we recommend this one: https://www.4gltemall.com/5g-external-antenna.html .

The FRITZ! Box 6850 5G is one of the world’s first 5G routers with an integrated telephone system and DECT function. There is also a TAE / RJ11 interface for an analog telephone.

The AVM 5G Router supports WLAN on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, the maximum speed is 866 Mbit/s in the 5 GHz band. Unfortunately, the new WiFi 6 standard is not supported.

Market launch in summer 2021

The AVM FRITZ! Box 6850 5G should appear in summer 2021, there is no price yet. As soon as it is available, the device will be tested.

Inseego Launched 5G/LTE Indoor CPE FX2000e

Inseego launches its “Wavemaker PRO” – 5G indoor router FX2000e in several countries around the world. The 5G WiFi router combines 5G / LTE broadband with Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6 and is primarily aimed at small businesses.

Small business router

Inseego, a leading provider of 5G and IoT device-to-cloud solutions, announced that the “Wavemaker PRO” 5G indoor router FX2000e has been approved for use in several markets. This means that the device can be sold worldwide. The 5G router is aimed primarily at smaller companies and decentralized employees who need fast, secure and reliable internet access.

 

The plug-and-play solution is designed for the fixed wireless area. It combines 5G / LTE broadband with Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6 – Connectivity and powers up to 32 connected devices. “5G solutions are a great choice for broadband access for businesses and consumers in their remote offices and homes,” said Ashish Sharma, Inseego’s president of IoT & Mobile Solutions. “Our FX2000e is a compact solution and supports many different use cases for broadband connectivity: Small businesses can get high-speed internet access anywhere. Companies can easily set up a secure WAN solution for their branch offices and remote employees. And SD-WAN providers can now use a 5G WAN connection as the primary broadband connection for decentralized locations. ”

Speeds in the gigabit range

The Inseego FX2000e enables speeds in the gigabit range via 5G, if the respective network allows this. The FX2000e is designed to operate in a wide range of global 5G and 4G frequency bands in order to be versatile. In addition, the compact device is equipped with a WAN interface for SD-WAN deployments so that it can also be used as an Internet solution for small residential units or as a cable modem replacement for larger houses with mesh Wi-Fi systems and other connectivity requirements.

 

The “Wavemaker PRO” -5G indoor router FX2000e is primarily intended for companies such as restaurants, retail locations, branches or home offices. The functionality of the Inseego 5G router is rounded off by the “Inseego Mobile” app. It simplifies installation for end users and offers an intuitive user interface. In addition, IT managers can remotely configure and manage the router and all connected devices using the Inseego Connecti cloud software.

 

Netgear Nighthawk M5 Mobile 5G Router Test

Last year, Netgear offers one of the first mobile 5G routers: The Nighthawk M5. As the successor to the Nighthawk M2, the device with the model name MR5200 not only offers a fast cellular modem, but of course also a large battery, fast WiFi 6 and plenty of connections.

 

The Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 is packed in a small cardboard box. In addition to the mobile 5G router, the package also includes a power supply unit with adapter for EU and UK plugs, a USB to USB-C cable and a battery with a capacity of 5,000 mAh. A quick start guide and a warranty card are also included.

 

At first glance, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 differs only slightly from the previous models Nightahwk M1 (MR1100) and Nighthawk M2 (MR2100). All devices have a cuboid design with a large display on the front, the connections are on the lower side.

The Nighthawk M5 looks high-quality thanks to the rubberized and structured frame, and the matt back also leaves a positive impression. The front with the touchscreen and buttons is less successful, it has a high-gloss finish and magically attracts fingerprints and scratches. That was solved even better with the Nighthawk M1.

The back of the Nighthawk M5 can also be easily removed. Underneath is the battery and the slot for the SIM card. A welcome innovation compared to the previous models is the slot for the nano SIM card. The M1 and M2 still required micro-SIM cards, so that nano-SIM cards could only be used with an adapter.

5G modem in the test

The main reason to buy the Netgear Nighthawk M5 is certainly the 5G modem. A Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 chip is installed. Theoretically, the 5G WiFi router can thus achieve speeds of more than one gigabit per second in the downlink and several hundred megabits per second in the uplink. In the practical test, the Nighthawk M5 was tested with a SIM card from Vodafone at several locations in the 5G network, both via LAN and WLAN.

Both the LAN connection and the WLAN represent a bottleneck for maximum Internet speed. The Nighthawk M5 allows a maximum of 1 GBit/s via RJ45 Ethernet, and up to 1.2 GBit/s (5 GHz band) is theoretically possible via WLAN. You should definitely be aware of this limitation.

In the 5G network of Vodafone using the frequency range around 3.6 GHz (band n78), around 900 Mbit/s was measured for downloading and around 140 Mbit/s for uploading via LAN. If the connection was made via WLAN, around 800 Mbit/s were possible in the download. In a direct comparison with a measurement on the 5G smartphone, the Nighthawk M5 was slightly slower – around 950 Mbit/s were possible on the iPhone 12 mini under the same test conditions.

 

The 5G connections are naturally much slower when using dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS, band n1). Vodafone relies widely on 5G n1 with DSS, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 can use the technology without any problems and achieved speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s in the downlink and up to 130 Mbit/s in the uplink in the test. Incidentally, LTE was always a little bit faster at the same location in the downlink, but the uplink speed over 5G was almost twice as high as over LTE. Depending on the server, the latency times were well below 20 milliseconds and thus at a normal level.

 

The Netgear Nighthawk M5 supports all 5G frequency ranges that are important for Europe. In detail, these are the bands n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n77 and n78.

 

 

In addition to 5G, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 naturally also supports 4G / LTE and 3G / UMTS. The frequency ranges around 700/800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz for FDD-LTE and 2300/2600 MHz for TDD LTE are supported here. In the 3G area, the bands around 850/900/1900/2100 MHz are supported. These are good prerequisites for use in Europe, but the Nighthawk M5 is not ideally suited for use in North and South America. It’s a shame – many current smartphones offer significantly better frequency band support!

 

 

If necessary, you can also connect two external antennas to the Netgear Nighthawk M5 to improve reception quality and increase speeds. For this purpose, Netgear has installed two TS-9 connections on the underside, which are protected from contamination by a rubber cover as standard. If you need the 5G external antenna for Nighthawk M5, we recommend this one: https://www.4gltemall.com/5g-external-antenna.html .

 

WLAN with repeater function

The Netgear Nighthawk M5 supplies up to 32 devices simultaneously with a WLAN connection. Thanks to the current WLAN 6 standard, speeds of up to 1200 Mbit/s gross in the 5 GHz frequency band and up to 600 Mbit/s in the 2.4 GHz frequency band can be used. However, the speed depends heavily on the device used and on other factors such as the distance. In the test, the speeds were usually significantly lower and fluctuated between 300 and 867 Mbit/s.

 

 

The WiFi range of the Netgear Nighthawk M5 turned out to be very decent in the test for a mobile router. An apartment with 80 to 100 m2 can easily be supplied with the small router, provided the walls are not super thick. If necessary, the range can also be reduced to save energy. Incidentally, there is no WLAN timer, but a guest network can be set up. The latest WPA3 encryption is also available on request.

Internet via Ethernet and USB

As an alternative to the wireless connection via WLAN, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 can also share the Internet connection via LAN (RJ45 Ethernet) or via USB interface (“USB tethering”). Both types of cable connection are activated automatically, all you have to do is connect the cable and you are connected to the Internet.

 

The Nighthawk M5 can be configured so that the WLAN is automatically switched off as soon as a device is connected to the Internet via USB. The USB tethering function can also be deactivated if necessary, then the USB connection can only be used for power supply.

The “data offloading” function allows the LAN port of the Netgear Nighthawk M5 to be configured as a WAN port, ie an existing Internet connection via LAN is also used as soon as the LAN cable is plugged in and an Internet connection is available. If the LAN connection is interrupted, the Nighthawk M5 automatically switches back to the cellular connection.

Display and operation

Most of the settings can be made directly via the touchscreen on the front of the Netgear Nighthawk M5. Here there is, for example, the possibility of changing the name and password of the WLAN, providing a WLAN guest network or changing the WLAN range. Further setting options concern, for example, the cellular connection (APN, preferred network technology, roaming, etc.). It is also possible to carry out a software update directly via the touchscreen.

 

The display itself is of poor quality compared to a current 5G smartphone, the resolution is low, the color representation is poor and the plastic cover is reflective. There is also not always a reaction to inputs.

 

A lock screen is shown on the display, showing the time and date. The network operator, the current network technology, the reception strength and the battery status (in percent) are also displayed. The actual start screen can be protected with a PIN if required; the WLAN data and the data volume used can be displayed here if required.

 

At the bottom of the start screen there are shortcuts for WiFi, SMS and settings. By the way, SMS can not only be received on the Netgear Nighthawk M5, but also sent.

 

Some information on the cellular connection can be viewed via the “Status” menu item. This includes, for example, the current network status, the technology used and the main frequency band, the reception strength (RSRP) and the IP addresses. Unfortunately, when the 5G (NSA) connection is active, there is no detailed information on the frequency bands; here, too, only the main radio cell (LTE anchor cell) is displayed, the network status signals “5GSUB6”.

 

Web interface and app

In addition to the touchscreen, the browser web interface can of course also be used for configuration. The visual appearance of the web interface has hardly changed compared to the previous models and offers more functionality than the app and the touchscreen. For example, the WLAN repeater function (WLAN as Internet access) or the WAN function (Internet access via LAN or failover) can also be activated via the web interface.

 

The web interface reacts quickly and is clearly structured. The range of functions is basically good, but there is still a lot of potential for improvement in the details. For example, 5G and/or LTE can be deactivated if necessary. However, manual selection of the frequency bands is not possible. Detailed information on the frequency bands used by the Nighthawk M5 is also nowhere available, although this information would certainly be very interesting for some users.

 

The “NETGEAR Mobile” app is available for both Android and iOS and enables the Nighthawk M5 to be configured easily and clearly using a smartphone. All functions from the web interface can also be used via the app, for example the “data offloading” feature. The app responded quickly and reliably in the test on an Apple iPhone.

 

Battery and power supply

The 5,000 mAh battery of the Netgear Nighthawk M5 is easily exchangeable by the user, so if necessary, a second or third battery can be bought to swap instead of recharging on the go. The battery life in the test was around 8 hours with continuous 5G use (Internet radio stream via WLAN).

 

For longer stationary use, it can be advisable to remove the battery from the router and only operate the device directly on the power supply unit via a USB cable. This has the advantage that the heat development is significantly lower. In the test it happened that the Nighthawk M5 got very warm after intensive use (2 WLAN devices, streaming) and simultaneous charging of the battery.

 

Conclusion: Netgear Nighthawk M5

The Netgear Nighthawk M5 made a good impression in the test. 5G modem and WLAN are very fast, there are many connections and operation are impressive. The Nighthawk M5 has to accept criticism, for example, for its weak LTE frequency band support. Even simple 5G smartphones allow better connections abroad than the Nighthawk M5, as they can use many more frequency ranges. There is also room for improvement in the software: some users will miss a timer function for the WLAN, others will miss more detailed information and setting options for the cellular connection.

 

If you really want to have 5G in your mobile router, you can hardly ignore the Nighthawk M5. If LTE is enough for you, you will find almost equivalent alternatives in the cheaper sister models Nighthawk M1 and Nighthawk M2.

 

TP-Link TL-MR6500v 4G LTE Router Test

A few days ago, TP-Link offers a new LTE router TL-MR6500v which has a special feature of the integrated telephone function including the RJ11 interface for an analog telephone. Telephony can be handled either via the SIM card via VoLTE or via classic VoIP. In the test, the TP-Link TL-MR6500v will show how well the router works in practice.

 

The TP-Link TL-MR6500v is packed in an unspectacular box. The labeling is almost entirely in English, and the quick start guide provided explains the commissioning very clearly as well. In addition to the 4G LTE WiFi router itself, the packaging also includes a power supply unit and a short LAN cable. Since the router requires a MicroSIM card, TP-Link has even included an adapter from Nano-SIM to Micro-SIM.

 

First impression of the MR6500v: for a stationary LTE router, the TP-link 4G WiFi Router is quite small and flat. This may also be due to the fact that the cellular antennas have to be screwed externally to the router and are not integrated into the device, as is the case with most other LTE routers. The advantage of the external antennas, however, is that you can also connect your own 4G LTE antennas if necessary, as these are standardized SMA connections.

 

The design of the TP-Link TL-MR6500v is rather unspectacular: There is a glossy black front with some LEDs that indicate the operating status and the reception strength. The underside has plenty of ventilation holes so that no heat can build up. All connections are on the back. There are three RJ45 LAN interfaces, an RJ11 socket, a connection for the power supply unit, a MicroSIM slot and three buttons: Power, WPS / Reset and WLAN On / Off.

 

 

 

LTE modem for up to 150 Mbit/s

TP-Link has installed a comparatively slow LTE Cat4 modem in the TL-MR6500v, which can achieve speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s in the download and up to 50 Mbit/s in the upload. In addition to 4G / LTE, 3G / UMTS is also supported, but the router cannot support 2G/GSM. The following frequency bands can be used:

  • 4G / LTE: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40, B41
    • 3G / UMTS: B1, B8

With this frequency band support, the router can be used well and without problems in Asia, Africa and Europe.

In practice, the LTE modem left a mixed picture. The reception quality is decent, the external stub antennas deliver a good performance even with weak reception. The speeds are well below the values ​​that can be measured at the same location with other end devices. An example: where the Huawei B818 router can download around 300 Mbit/s, the TP-Link TL-MR6500v only delivers around 60 Mbit/s. On the one hand, this is due to the weak WLAN and the LAN, which is limited to 100 Mbit/s, on the other hand, the modem cannot bundle frequency bands (carrier aggregation). This means that the router can only use a small part of the capacity made available by the cellular network.

 

The maximum speed in the test was around 90 Mbit/s in the downlink and just under 50 Mbit/s in the uplink in test LTE network. The latency times were pleasantly low at well under 20 milliseconds. In addition to IPv4, the router also supports IPv6; in the test with a SIM card, addresses from both areas were assigned.

In practice, the low maximum speed of the LTE modem is not a problem for most applications. The TL-MR6500v is perfect for surfing and video streams are no problem either. The device may not be ideally suited for very large downloads or for use with many devices at the same time.

Slowly: LAN and WLAN

The TP-Link TL-MR6500v has three RJ45 100 Mbit/s LAN connections on the back, of which LAN3 can also be used as a WAN connection if required. Of course, Gigabit LAN would have been nice, but given the low price, the maximum of 100 Mbit/s is still okay.

 

TP-Link has also made savings in the WLAN with the MR6500v and relies on a radio module that works exclusively in the frequency range around 2.4 GHz. The theoretically maximum possible speed is 300 Mbit/s, but data rates of around 150 Mbit/s were mostly observed in the test.

The WiFi range was completely sufficient for an apartment with about 70 square meters in the test. However, the MR6500v cannot fully supply larger apartments or a single-family house; the use of a WiFi repeater may be advisable here.

 

TP-Link enables the configuration of a WLAN schedule in the settings of the TL-MR6500v in order to automatically switch the WLAN on and off. The schedule can be individually controlled on a daily basis if desired.

If necessary, a WLAN guest network can also be activated in the web interface. This can be provided with a password and, optionally, access to the local network is also possible.

 

Telephony via VoLTE or VoIP

The TP-Link TL-MR6500v is one of the very few LTE router models that offer a telephone function in addition to the Internet. If you have an analog phone connected to the RJ11 connection on the back of the router, you can either make calls via the SIM card and be available (Voice over LTE, VoLTE) or you can store special VoIP access data and make calls via a third-party provider.

In the test, both the telephony via the SIM card in the LTE network with VoLTE and via VoIP with Sipgate worked perfectly. The voice quality was good. Sometimes the call setup and the call signaling took significantly longer than on a cell phone, but the fault here is likely to be with the connected DECT phone. By the way: the MR6500v does not offer a DECT function, so cell phones need a suitable external DECT base.


The TP-Link TL-MR6500v offers a good and full-fledged telephone system with many important basic functions. This includes, for example, a simple address book, an answering machine, a “do not disturb” function and the ability to block phone numbers.

 

Operation and software

The TP-Link TL-MR6500v router can be easily configured via a web interface in the browser. In the test, the display was clearly structured both on a Windows PC and on the iPad and operation was very easy and clear.

The setting options on the MR6500v are quite extensive. In the network or Internet area, for example, not only the network mode (e.g. 4G preferred) can be set, but the frequency band can also be selected. This can be very helpful, especially when used with an external LTE directional antenna.

 

Further setting options in the Internet area concern, for example, a freely adjustable “data limit” for volume tariffs as well as dynamic DNS or static routing.

In the web interface, the user has the option of sending and receiving SMS. For example, messages can be received from the network operator or, if a corresponding tariff is used, SMS can be sent to top up the prepaid credit.

The LEDs on the front of the TL-MR6500v can be switched off in the web interface at certain times or completely. A firmware update is also possible in the web interface. Other functions in the web interface are, for example, child protection, a content filter, NAT and VPN settings. In addition, bandwidth prioritization of certain services and applications is possible via QoS.

 

 

Conclusion: TP-Link TL-MR6500v LTE router

The TP-Link TL-MR6500v offers an excellent price-performance ratio. If you are looking for an inexpensive LTE router with a telephone function and many setting options, the TL-MR6500v is a very good device. The ability to make calls via VoLTE in the cellular network was particularly popular in the test. The software is also implemented convincingly. There is criticism for the comparatively slow LTE modem as well as the slow LAN and WLAN.

 

Redmi Presents K40, K40 PRO and K40 Pro+

The Redmi brand, which belongs to Xiaomi, presented three new 5G smartphone models at the MWC2021 in Shanghai. They go by the names Redmi K40, K40 Pro and K40 Pro+ and, as you can easily see, belong to a series.

 

Redmi K40 with Snapdragon 870

All three Redmi 5G Smartphones have in common that they are equipped with a 6.67-inch display with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels and an update rate of 120 Hz. The 20-megapixel front camera and the dimensions are also common to all three models. They all have a fingerprint sensor on the side and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. The battery is also identical with 4,520 mAh and fully charged in all three smartphones with 33 watts within 52 minutes. You use your own MIUI 12 as the operating system.

Now let’s look at the differences. The cheapest of the three models, the Redmi K40, relies on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, the slightly improved successor to the Snapdragon 865. On the back there is a triple camera with a 48 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide angle and 5 MP tele macro. The phone is available with the memory combinations (RAM / fixed storage) 6 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 256 GB and 12 GB + 256 GB. It transmits with Wi-Fi 6 as well as 5G SA and NSA.

 

Redmi K40 Pro (+) with 5G dual SIM

One difference between the two models Redmi K40 Pro and Redmi K40 Pro+ to the “normal” Redmi K40 is that they also support Wi-Fi 6E and the new cellular standard in dual SIM mode, which is not a matter of course. Inside is the new flagship SoC Snapdragon 888, which is combined in the Pro model with 6/8 GB + 128 GB or 8 GB + 256 GB. The Pro+ is only available with 12 GB + 256 GB. There are also differences in the camera, which in the Redmi K40 Pro has a main camera with 64 MP and in the Redmi K40 Pro+ with 128 MP. The rest of the sensors are identical.

Initially, all models are only announced for China. It starts there from the equivalent of around 400USD for the Redmi K40. The Redmi K40 Pro starts at around 550USD, the Redmi K40 Pro+ costs around 800USD. A start in other markets has not yet been confirmed, but it is quite possible. Alternatively, the devices can be obtained directly from China through well-known shops.

 

LongSung Releases Two New 5G NR Modules

At the MWC 2021 in Shanghai China, LongSung announced the first 5G NR module EX630, which is compliant with 3GPP Release 16 standard and supports both Sub-6Ghz and mmWave networks.

 

The LongSung EX630 is based on Qualcomm fourth generation Snapdragon X65 5G modem (4nm technology) and  RF system, so it will support the fastest 5G speeds up to 10Gbit/s and work on various networks frequency bands.

 

 

With the EX630 module, LongSung also presents another 5G NR Module EX620, which is based on Qualcomm fourth generation Snapdragon X62 5G modem (4nm technology). To meet the mobile broadband application, the LongSung EX620 supports 5G mmWave to 400MHz and 5G Sub6GHz to 120MHz, and can achieve download speed up to 4.4Gbps.

 

The two new generation 5G wireless modules supports multi-mode networks such as 5G NR, LTE, WCDMA(DB-DC-HSDPA), TD-SCDMA, CDMA1X, GSM/EDGE etc…They can also support DSS and multiple CA(carrier aggregation) combinations(FDD-TDD, FDD-FDD, TDD-TDD), covering all the 5G bands.

 

The two LongSung 5G modules could be widely used in many wireless terminals. They can be used in 5G Industrial Gateway, which can help users access high-speed internet quickly and realize safe and reliable data transmission. It is suitable for EMS (energy management system), MES (manufacturing execution system) and production process of manufacturing and processing enterprises signal acquisition and data transmission, thereby achieving industrial automation.

 

Through the 5G wireless modules, loads of image, video and sensor data captured by the robot can be transmitted to the intelligent brain in the cloud, so as to improve the intelligence level and service capability of the robot. Cloud intelligent robots are gradually becoming an important service force in community, medical care, retail and other scenarios.

Quectel Launched New 5G NR Sub-6 GHz Modules

At CES 2021, the Chinese wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer Quectel Wireless Solutions launched three 5G New Radio (NR) Sub-6 GHz modules, including models RM500Q-AE, RM502Q-AE and RM505Q-AE, with the aim of foster the massive deployment of 5G smart connections around the world.

 

Leveraging Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 commercial 5G modem, all three Quectel 5G NR modules feature ultra-fast technology, low latency, and an enhanced Carrier Aggregation (CA) system, and are now ready to be sampled for supporting a wide range of enhanced mobile broadband networks and IoT applications such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), 4K/8K live streaming, online meeting applications, telemedicine, transportation intelligent and industrial IoT.

With their stand-alone and non-stand-alone modes, the three 5G wireless modules enable global coverage of the 5G NR Sub-6 GHz, LTE-A and WCDMA frequency bands and provide reliable 5G solutions to international IoT customers.

 

Other key features of the modules:

 

  • Global coverage of 5G frequency bands
  • Multigigabit data rate up to 5.0 Gbps
  • DL 4X4 MIMO for 5G NR and LTE-A bands
  • Multi-resource GNSS capabilities
  • Abundant interfaces: USB 3.0 / 3.1, PCIe 3.0 and eSIM
  • Dimension M.2, compatible with Quectel LTE-A Cat 6 / Cat 12 / Cat 16 modules
  • All three modules also integrate GNSS capabilities, with the RM505Q-AE supporting active GPS L1/L5 signals for more accurate positioning services. This allows industrial terminals like rugged tablets and on-board computers to operate in weak signal environments, such as valleys, forests and urban canyons.

 

At present, the Quectel RM502Q-AE module has obtained IC / FCC / PTCRB / GCF / RED / RCM certifications, while the Quectel RM500Q-AE and Quectel RM505Q-AE modules have obtained CE / RCM certifications. These mandatory approvals with Global Launch Base (FW) firmware help customers quickly enter each local market and reduce their device development and certification costs.