Vodafone R215 Mobile Wi-Fi (Huawei E5372 ) Test

Since the end of November 2013, Vodafone offers a new portable mini router called “Mobile Wi-Fi R215”. The unit dominated LTE and all relevant previous standards. The R215 LTE router is designed for travel companion rather than purely stationary use. Therefore, the package also advertises with the slogan “Wi-Fi everywhere in your pocket”. We have tested the Vodafone R215 detail on the heart and kidneys.

Vodafone R215 = Huawei E5372

Vodafone R215 is made incidentally by Huawei and is identical to the E5372 – just provided with Vodafone brand. If the R215 is SIM unlocked, of course, other providers SIM cards can be used with it. Huawei E5372 is original from Huawei, so many features are pure and not customized. So someone ask whether they can use the E5372 with Vodafone SIM, the answer is yes.

 

Technical parameters and first impression

We were surprised by the first dimension, with only 9.9 x 6.2 x 0.14 inches (HxWxD), the Vodafone R215 actually fits into any jacket pocket inside. With battery, we measured a weight of 97 grams, but we could not quite understand the 130g specified by Vodafone, perhaps with the box. In this sense, the router weighs so less than a bar of chocolate. Visually, it is in itself nothing to complain about. The housing is made of black matte plastic, so that the router is not comparable with a high quality smartphone, but never feels cheap. On the left side is an screen which measures 2.5×2.5 inches and operation pops up the most important results.

 

Inserting the battery and SIM card

Regarding the technical data, the R215 is absolutely convincing. The R215 hotspot supports LTE Category 4, so it can be used in combination with tariffs, which offer up to 150 Mbit/s download rate. In addition, the operating via HSPA+, HSIPA, UMTS, EDGE and GPRS is possible. However, unfortunately Vodafone R215 only support the frequency bands at 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz, so that the use of 4G abroad is a matter of luck. But it can still use in European countries. In 3G mode that looks a bit different. When traveling to the USA, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, there should be no problem, since all major bands (850, 900, 2100 MHz ) are covered .

 

We come to the next core of the R215, the WLAN module. If necessary, R215 can establish a hotspot with little effort. Up to 10 wireless devices can then connect to the Internet. It requires only a single Sim card in this scenario. This is an interesting method for those who want to connect several terminals on the road or in a hotel such as tablet, laptop, smartphone. The WiFi is supported with 2.4 or 5 GHz and in the standards 802.11 b/g/n. Thus, data rates up to 300 Mbps are possible.

 

Unfortunately, there is innately no internal memory (other than a 6 MB large system cache). However, up to 32 GB via Micro SD Card are extendable. Files can be loaded into and from the memory. Other connected users can also access other devices and read the files.

 

External antenna

As befits a portable 4G router, an external antenna can be connected, of course, if the receiving site is not ideal. Two TS9 ports are located on the underside (MIMO 2×2).

 

 

HUAWEI E5372 Mobile 4G Router Review

Following the LTE-Advanced network available in Germany, more and more LTE Category 4 Mobile devices are presented to public by the operators. Now the Huawei E5372 LTE Mobile Hotspot will be available soon. We are lucky to have the opportunity to have a closer look of the Huawei E5372. Today, we will have a overview of this new LTE mobile hotspot.

 

 

LTE Category 4 to 150 Mbit/s
As a modern LTE hotspot, Huawei E5372 supports LTE Category 4 based on the latest LTE standard with up to 150 megabits per second downstream and up to 50 Mbit/s upload. The HUAWEI E5372, more accurately model number is E5372s-32, supports the LTE Frequency bands at 800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz, which are the most popular LTE bands in Europe and Asia. So with the unlocked HUAWEI E5372, user can surf and roam in most of the LTE networks over the world. As the backup, the HUAWEI E5372 could work on UMTS/HSPA+/GSM networks where LTE network is not available. Based on the DC-HSPA+ technology, the 3G Peak download speed could reach up to 42.2 Mbit/s.

 

 

Wi-Fi for up to 11 devices
With the built-in WiFi 802.11b/g/n module, HUAWEI E5372 could support maximum downstream speed up to 300 MBit/s. A special feature compared to HUAWEI E5776 is that Huawei E5372 can not only transmit on 2.4 GHz, but also supports the 5 GHz band. This is especially useful when there are many other networks are already active in the 2.4 GHz band. Like other 4G Mobile WiFi Hotspot, up to 10 WiFi devices can be connected wirelessly through Huawei E5372. It is also possible to connect to the Internet via the microUSB connector. Therefore, up to 11 devices can surf simultaneously via the E5372 LTE hotspot.

 

 

Up to 6 hours operating time
unfortunately, the replaceable battery is 1780 mAh, which is somewhat smaller than most other MiFi hotspots. Huawei E5372 is the smallest LTE hotspot on the market. And two connectors for external antennas are available in HUAWEI E5372, while HUAWEI E5776 has only one antenna connector. The MIMO antenna technology could be used with two external antennas, one antenna can’t do the MIMO.

 

 

Same model as Vodafone R215
The Huawei E5372 LTE hotspot will be marketed with other operators’ brand; as we know, Vodafone has introduced E5372 in its product range. The new router is named Vodafone R215 and will be available in the next few weeks. And the color of R215 is in black. Other features may be the same. Per the user experience, the unlocked one or HUAWEI original one would be more convenient to roam around and support more operators.

Vodafone R215 4G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Review

Vodafone R215 LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router is the successor to the Vodafone R210 router. The device is manufactured by Huawei and again technically similar to the Huawei E5372 4G LTE Category 4 Mobile Hotspot, where Vodafone has naturally customized not only the exterior but also the firmware. Vodafone R215 Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is a new LTE Category 4 Mobile Router, which allows data rates of up to 150 megabits per second for downstream and up to 50 Mbit/s for upstream. All three LTE Frequency bands used in Germany (800, 1800 and 2600 MHz) are supported.

 

Replaceable battery and memory card
Just like almost of the LTE surf sticks, the R215 mobile Wi-Fi router can be common to insert a microSD memory card. The data stored on it could be shared to all devices that are connected to the hotspot R215 under request. Compared to other Vodafone LTE hotspot, Vodafone R215 has a special feature; it is the removable battery that can be replaced quickly. The R210’s battery can’t be removed or replaced. Unfortunately, the capacity of 1780 mAh is not very high, which can keep continuously operating up to 6 hours.

 

Technically speaking, a modem chipset of Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon is included in the Vodafone R215, which not only supports LTE with up to 150 Mbit/s, but also works on DC-HSPA+ network in the UMTS, and the EDGE/GSM network are backward. If the Vodafone R215 is working in areas with poor reception, user can be strengthen the signal through two external 4G antennas; through the two ports, the R215 Hotspot will even support MIMO in LTE network.

 

The Vodafone R215 LTE hotspot router will come soon in Germany on the market; the prices are not yet known. But if you like HUAWEI brand, it would be better to take HUAWEI E5372, the E5372 is SIM unlocked and would support most of 4G networks and 4G operators in Europe and Asia. Here now, the HUAWEI E5372 is available on www.4gltemall.com . If you can’t wait to enjoy the 4G 150Mbps, HUAWEI E5372 is a one of the great hotspot for you.