Tag: Huawei B529 test

Telekom Speedbox(Huawei B529s-23a Router)Test

Ther Germany network provider Telekom had added a new LTE router to its contract: the Huawei B529s-23a. Although the Huawei LTE wireless router is visually in the telecom design, the software has hardly been modified. The Huawei B529 is a mix of stationary and mobile LTE router, so it has a “real” power supply and has quite large dimensions, but also has a built-in battery.

 

Huawei B529s-23a Router Package Content

 

The Huawei B529s-23a is customized for Telekom and got a new named as “Telekom Speedbox” in a smart magenta-colored packaging. In the package of the Huawei B529 router, there is a power adapter, a short LAN cable and a German-language brief instructions and a “router passport” with the preconfigured WLAN data.

 

Huawei B529s-23 Router Appearance

 

The first impression is very good. The Speedbox router is completely made of black plastic and stands on smooth surfaces thanks to four rubber feet safely. With 12 x 12 x 12.7 centimeters, the Huawei B529 is quite compact for a stationary 4G Wireless WiFi router, but quite large for a mobile LTE router. The design especially the going light strip around the router is nice. If desired, the lighting can be deactivated by pressing a button.

On the front there are four LEDs, which clearly signal the operating status. There is also a power button and the already mentioned button for the lighting. On the back there is a connection for the power supply (unfortunately no standard USB) and a RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection. Under a cover also two TS-9 connections for an external 4G LTE antenna are hidden.

 

On the bottom you will find the SIM card slot (MicroSIM) as well as a label on which the WLAN data and the password for the web interface are printed. Incidentally, the device does not have a SIM lock or a NET lock. You can easily use any provider in the Huawei B529, such as Orange, Vodafone, Telekom etc…

 

Huawei B529 LTE Modem Test

 

In the test with a Telekom SIM card, the Huawei B529 achieved speeds of up to 150 MBit/s. Although this is far from the advertised up to 300 Mbps, but still a good value. An Huawei Mate 20 and a Netgear Nighthawk M1, each with a much more modern modem, achieved at the same location but each about 20-30 Mbit/s higher speeds. Up to 50 Mbps were achieved in the uplink.

 

The Huawei B529 LTE ​​router also provided good data rates in the O2 network, although latency and speed were always slightly worse than the Netgear Nighthawk M1 used for comparison.

 

Huawei B529 Battery Operation

 

While the Huawei B529 on the power supply achieved quite good speeds in the LTE network, an annoying surprise is in the battery operation. The speed drops to about 20 Mbps, no matter how good of the reception. This behavior could be repeatedly, both in the network of Telekom as well as with an O2 SIM card. Whether the throttled battery mode is a deliberate limitation on Huawei’s part or whether it is a bug in the firmware could not be clarified until the end of the test.

 

 

The integrated battery is not changeable and has a capacity of 3,000 mAh according to Huawei. However, the operating time is quite low at around 1.5 hours compared to a mobile hotspot. The display of the state of charge is in need of improvement, the simple bar display was not helpful in the test, since it had already fallen after 20 minutes on only one bar.

 

Huawei B529s-23a Wireless Specifications and Features

 

The WLAN module of the Huawei B529s-23a transmits to 2.4 GHz and to 5 GHz (WLAN 802.11ac). A maximum of four Wi-Fi names and passwords can be configured in the web interface, two for each frequency range. The speed was up to 780 Mbit/s (gross) in the test. The range was very good in the test, especially in the frequency range around 2.4 GHz. Compared to most mobile LTE routers, the Huawei B529 is clearly better.

 

 

Up to 64 devices can simultaneously be connected to the Huawei B529 via Wi-Fi, which is significantly more devices than most mobile routers. Unfortunately, Huawei B529 has no wireless extender function. Mobile LTE routers from Huawei can use this function to use an existing WLAN network as Internet access, the B529 can only use the integrated mobile radio modem for this because the LAN connection cannot be used as a WAN port.

 

Huawei B529 Software & Web Interface

 

The Huawei B529 LTE ​​router can be configured either via the browser or via an app. The web interface is provided with a password at the factory, this can be found on the bottom of the router. Compared to previous Huawei router models, this feature has not been changed in the Web interface, the design is functional, but not new and fashion. The variety of functions is limited, after all, the network technology can be set to “only 3G” or “only LTE” and there is a switch for external antennas.

 

Conclusion

The Huawei B529 does not offer the latest technology, but based on the functions, the price is good now comparing with other similar routers. When used as a stationary LTE router, the modem reaches high speeds of more than 150 Mbit/s. The integrated RJ45 LAN connection is a great advantage, and the connections for external antennas are good. The integrated battery is practical, but this only allows a short operating time and the Internet speed is throttled very much in battery mode. Nevertheless, those who are looking for a stationary LTE router with extra mobile use, Huawei B529s-23a and Telekom Speedbox are recommended.

 

Huawei B529s-23a HomeNet Box Test

In mid September, T-Mobile unveiled its new LTE home internet service. The internet service comes with a new upgraded offer. With the new offer, the network has introduced a new “fixed” router Huawei B529s-23a Cube(T-mobile named it HomeNet Box), and we are now focusing on this device.

The Huawei B529s-23a is a new LTE router that is exclusively available on T-Mobile networks. The router is easy to use and does not require any additional installation. The user will get it with a SIM card inserted without a PIN code and the whole thing will be ready to use when you return home. Let’s start with Huawei B529s-23a router specification:

  • Dimensions: 120 × 120 × 127 mm, weight: 672g
  • Frequency bands EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 2/3/5/8 (1900/1800/850/900 MHz)
  • 3G / HSPA / DC-HSPA+ frequency bands: 1/8 (2100/900 MHz)
  • LTE frequency bands: 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 (FDD: 2100/1800/2600/900/800/1500 MHz, TDD: 2600 MHz)
  • Speeds: DC-HSPA+: 42 / 5.76 Mbps, LTE cat.6: 300/50 Mbps
  • WLAN: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (Dual Band 2.4/5 GHz)
  • External Antenna Connections: Two TS-9 ports
  • LAN / WAN connection (RJ45)
  • Slot for microSIM card
  • Built-in lithium-ion battery: 3000 mAh
  • Dedicated power supply: DC 12V / 2A
  • Support: DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, along with security services
  • The router supports up to 64 devices

The appearance of the Huawei B529s-23a router is pleasing to the eye. Cube-shaped body with rounded edges, made of black plastic with a matte surface. It looks like the predecessor router Huawei E5170 LTE Cube. The accent is horizontal, through the middle of the belt in magenta. As it turns out, it is a glowing item, but luckily the backlight can be turned off with a button. In addition to the button mentioned above, the front panel and the four status LEDs, mode, LAN, Wi-Fi, power, are also included on the front panel. On the rear panel is a power connector, LAN/WAN port, antenna connectors, and WPS button (for automatically configuring Wi-Fi connections). The bottom of the “box” is the SIM card connector and the reset button. In addition, there is a label with predefined Wi-Fi network names and passwords.

As I mentioned, after being removed from the cardboard, the HomeNet Box B529 should be ready for operation. All accustomed to chargers with microUSB connector may be surprised, because there is a power adapter with a different connector, giving the output of 12V and 2A. It was probably easier and cheaper, especially since it was rather stationary. But as if you were going to take him away from home, it’s the first of the popular chargers you will not use.

When connected to the power and start up, the user can use the provided password to connect to the wireless network and use the Internet. There will be two networks: one in the 2.4 GHz band and the other in the 5 GHz band. The name scheme is:
WLAN1-JYABAG
WLAN1-5G-JYABAG
And that “-5G-” means a 5 GHz band, which is currently less used and less disturbed. Therefore, it is worth choosing.

 

We join and enjoy the benefits of the Internet and for many users it is enough to get the best possible coverage of a fast LTE network. In addition, the router provides the possibility to connect two external antennas. If you use the Huawei B529 Router at the location with weak signal, you can use LTE external antenna to get better surfing experience.

The Huawei B529s-23a is a device that offers far more capabilities than simple LTE modems. The first function is that the RJ45 port can works in both LAN and WAN mode, which means users can connect an Ethernet cable to the router and get wireless network from network provider. There is one SIM card slot in the Huawei B529s-23 router, user can insert a valid SIM card with data plan into the router and get wireless internet from the mobile network carriers. The two connection option makes users choose the data plan which suit best.

 

What’s more, the built-in battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh can provides about 1 hour of working time. This is not too much, but it is a protection against momentary power shortages and is a continuation of our backup communications. And user can take it outdoor and keep it working on the go.

 

User can connect to the Huawei B529 router via the Huawei HiLink application, which gives you access to basic information. After logging in, you can check your connection status, the number of transferred data in the set billing period, and the connected devices. What is important for many people is to read and send text messages. You can also change settings for operator selection and preferred network type, eg “4G only”.

 

However, access to the settings will only be possible after you log in to the administration panel. To get there, connect to a web browser with 192.168.8.1. To log in, users nee to use the standard login and password: admin / admin (we recommend to change immediately). When logged in to the panel, you will see basic connection information and device status. The next three menu items, Statistics, SMS and Update are also in the application. On the Settings tab, the most important options are grouped into eight items in the side menu. I will discuss them briefly in turn.

 

Quick Setup

Allows you to change the wireless network ID and password and to enable automatic updating of the device.

 

Connection settings

In this menu, you can set new APN access point profiles (default is already defined), select cellular mode (auto, only 2G, 3G only, LTE only) or network search mode (automatic / manual). We will also be able to disable data transfer or enable roaming data. However, there is no separate option for domestic roaming.

 

Ethernet

This is a menu in which, apart from the connection status, the RJ45 network interface mode can be set. Here we will determine whether the port works as a LAN or WAN, with additional parameters. In addition, there is also a MAC clone option – the hardware address of the network adapter.

 

 

VPN

 

VPN is a private network based on public links. Properly configured ensures confidentiality and communication security. Options built into the router allow you to establish a connection using the L2TP protocol. This menu will be used by more advanced users.

 

WLAN

Unlike the previous position, this should be used by almost every user. Wireless networks can operate both in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and for each band you can select the channel and bandwidth (defaults to automatic mode). Interestingly, for each band you can run two SSIDs, which gives you four visible networks. However, we will not find any additional options for separating users connecting to the router. Additional options are available for MAC address filtering and WPS settings to help you connect new devices to your wireless network.

How do networks work in practice? Very good. The received network signal is stronger than the one that is offered by me, eg Horizon router from UPC. It is also slightly better compared to my second Asus RT-N16 router, which the manufacturer has armed with 3 external antennas.

 

DHCP

 

DHCP is a protocol for assigning network settings (including IP address) to the device connected to the router.

 

Security

It’s extremely powerful option that allows you to make changes to the default firewall settings. You can also block and filter devices, filter domains, and run port forwarding. DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name) is also available, but profiles are available for only three defined service providers. Interestingly, this group also includes the option to enable or disable the PIN code on the SIM card.

 

 

System

 

In this position you can check the status of the device, perform network diagnostics, change system settings and password, or restore factory settings. At this point you will need to make changes when you connect the external antenna to the router.

 

 

Summary

The Huawei B529s-23a router proved to be very solid and well equipped gateway for home users. Good performance, connectivity, good hardware and a decent enough (for such hardware) software functionality is the most important of its advantages. And the stability and strength of the wireless network proves to be good. The built-in rechargeable battery make the device can also be used as a mobile WiFi router.