Vodafone R230 4G LTE Cat9 Hotspot Presented

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

Vodafone R230 — Successor to R226

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

 

Vodafone R230: Fast LTE modem

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

 

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

Vodafone R230: WLAN and other technology

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

 

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

 

Vodafone R230 Availability

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

Vodafone K5160 (Connect USB speed 6) Stick Review

After a long time, Vodafone introduced a new LTE Surfstick again since early 2016 in its product range: the K5160 or also called “Connect USB Speed ​​6“. However, the LTE-Advanced  is not supported. You can see more details specifications in below blank:

Vodafone K5160 K5160-H Connect USB Speed 6 (3)

LTE features and characteristics of Vodafone K5160
Manufacturer and model Huawei E3372s-153
Download rate up 150 MBit/s
Upload rate up 50 Mbit/s
Supported LTE bands LTE800, LTE900, LTE1800, LTE2100, LTE 2600
Backward compatible with: DC-HSPA+, UMTS, GSM frequencies (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz)
MIMO Support: MIMO 2×2
External Antenna Yes; 2 aerial sockets type CRC 9 available(Buy Vodafone K5160 Indoor antenna or Vodafone K5160 Outdoor antenna)
LTE Category: LTE modem of Category 4 (CAT4)
chipset HiSilicon Balong 711M
Others
Dimensions (LxWxH) 88 x 28 x 11.5 mm at 35 grams
USB standard USB 2.0
Memory card expansion Yes; MicroSD up to 32 GB
Supported Operating Systems Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.x, Mac OS (from 10.7)
Quick Start Guide Vodafone ” Quick Start Guide Vodafone (PDF)
manual PDF not yet available online
Available at www.4gltemall.com

 Vodafone K5160 K5160-H Connect USB Speed 6 (5)

LTE CAT4 stick

 

For a long time, Vodafone only has the predecessor Vodafone K5150 for sale, which are already LTE category 4 dominated. With the new K5160 Stick, Vodafone operates more facelift, but LTE CAT6 is still in vain. With LTE Cat6, up to 225 Mbps could be reached. But we can only achieve with a CAT6-device, which so far only the Vodafone R226 offers.

 

 

 

 

From the basic information here, the Vodafone K5160 is similar to Telekom Speed ​​Stick 5. Since Vodafone unfortunately does not specify, it is strongly expected that it also is a E3372s-153 from Huawei. Therefore be supported at least 5 LTE frequency bands – LTE800 more specifically, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz. In particular, the former and the latter is essential for Vodafone customers. In addition, the 4G Stick naturally offers backward compatibility with GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+ networks. Thus, surfing the 3G network, after all, also up to 42 Mbps fast.

Vodafone K5160 K5160-H Connect USB Speed 6 (6)

External antenna

The “Connect USB speed 6” (K5160) has 2 ports for operation with an external LTE antenna . As jack comes Type CRC-9 used. MIMO 2 × 2 is also supported accordingly. You can get the indoor and outdoor antenna for Vodafone K5160 from the above link in the blank.

 

Installation and App

The key installed during initial operation on your computer, the “Vodafone Mobile Broadband App” (VMB). Here the settings can be made and users can request information for the connection, such as connection time spent, surfing volume etc. User can download the app from the Windows Store for Windows 8 & 10.

 

 

Availability

Amazingly, the Vodafone K5160 is not directly offered. If you like this 4G LTE Stick, you can get unlocked Vodafone K5160 from www.4gltemall.com . Actually, if you don’t need the customized version from Vodafone, you can directly get the Huawei E3372s-153, which has all the features of Vodafone Connect USB Speed 6. The difference between them is the logo and customized firmware for Vodafone. Other functions are completely the same.

Vodafone R226 4G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Review

The Vodafone R226 Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is the first LTE router from Vodafone, which could support LTE Category 6 with up to 300 Mbit/s for downlink. Up to 10 devices can be connected wirelessly via Wi-Fi with fast Internet. A display on the front of the Vodafone R226 shows all status information such as the used data volume reliably. The built-in rechargeable battery provides an operating time of approximately 10 hours.

LTE features and characteristics of Vodafone R226

Manufacturer and type designation Huawei E5786 = Vodafone R226
Download to rate 300 Mbit/s
Upload to rate 50 Mbit/s
Compatible LTE bands 800, 850, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz
backward compatible with LTE CAT 3 & 4, DC-HSPA+, HSPA+, HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS, GSM
Support for LTE-Advanced Yes
MIMO Support: MIMO 2×2
Connector for external antenna Yes; 2 antenna connectors TS-9 available(Buy Vodafone R226 Antenna)
LTE Category LTE Category 6 (CAT6) modem
Chipset Hisilicon | HPM Coretx A9 processor
Wi-Fi standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (866 Mbit/s)
Wireless Internet Hotspot function yes – for up to 10 devices
Others  
Accumulator 3000 mAh – not changeable (surfing to 10 hours)
Dimensions (WxHxD) 106 x 66 x 15.9 mm 145 grams
USB standard USB 2.0
Memory card expansion Yes; MicroSD up to 32 GB
Manual PDF Refer to user manual for Huawei E5786
Test Report
Release December 2014
available at www.4gltemall.com

 

 

LTE-Advanced with 300 Mbit/s

The Vodafone R226 Router is made by the Chinese manufacturer Huawei E5786,which is the first devices for LTE Category 6 (LTE-Advanced), so that when the appropriate network available, the matching data rate speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s in the downlink and 50 Mbit/s Uplink are possible. Of course, the router is also backward compatible with older LTE expansion stages such as CAT3 (100 Mbps) and CAT4 (150 Mbps). The network technologies GSM and UMTS are supported, and in the UMTS network, up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the downlink is possible. LTE-Advanced will probably introduced from the first quarter of 2015 from Vodafone.

 

Wi Fi ac and powerful battery

Up to 10 devices can be simultaneously connected via Wi-Fi with the Vodafone R226, an eleventh device can be connected via microUSB. From the microUSB connector, the 3,000 mAh strong battery could be charged, which allows an operating time of up to 10 hours. An AC adapter and a USB cable are included, but the battery is unreplaceable. The WLAN module of the Vodafone R226 transmits both on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz on (dual band). With a maximum speed of 866 Mbit/s (WLAN ac), the WLAN of the Vodafone R226 is very fast compared to other devices of this type, up to 300 Mbit/s high-speed Internet connection can thus be easily transferred to the terminal.

 

 

 

The Vodafone R226 looks absolutely identical to “Speedport Mini II “by Telekom, just carries the Vodafone logo. On the front of the Vodafone R226 is a large display that clearly displays a variety of information in black and white format. Thus, for example, we can see about the used data volume, online time or the battery level. The operation of the Vodafone R226 is done via the smartphone app “Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi Monitor” or a web interface. User can enter the address 192.168.8.1 in the browser. If user want to improve reception,  to connect an external antenna is possible. In addition, the Vodafone R226 provides a slot for a MicroSD memory card, so you can share files between multiple devices. The SIM card must be in micro-SIM format and is inserted under the cover on the back.

 

 

From the feedback of users, Vodafone R226 improves much than previous model such as R215 and R208. With the latest technology, Vodafone R226 would be reliable partner for travel.

 

Vodafone R226 LTE Mobile Router Test

We had introduced the Vodafone R226 4G LTE Mobile Router last year. But we just introduced a few simple features. Today we get the sample of Vodafone R226 and we will test the new LTE mobile router.

The mobile LTE Router Vodafone R226 is packed in a stylish cardboard box with the Vodafone design. In the package, there is a power supply for an output of 5V/2A and a USB cable to charge the battery and connect to the computer. A brief guide to setup as well as a small sticker with Wi-Fi name and password is on the back of R226.

The design of the Vodafone R226 is very spectacular and it’s very similar to the Huawei E5786 and Telekom Speedbox LTE mini II. The reason is that the Vodafone R226 is manufactured by Huawei and comes from factory model Huawei E5786, so as Telekom Speedbox LTE Mini II. Due to the large Vodafone logo on the back and the front, the R226 could be immediately identified as Vodafone device. On the front there is a 1.45-inch screen and the power button. The button to turn on and off is illuminated, the press button to power on and offer. Compared to other mobile LTE hotspots such as the Huawei E5377, Vodafone R226 is a little bit large and heavy, which is mainly due to the strong battery.

 

A few functions can be controlled directly from the display, the menu and power button of the Vodafone R226, for example, the choice of the WLAN frequency band. The important status information such as battery level, network availability, consumed data volume and online time are displayed on the easily readable screen. If you want do more adjustments, you have to do it either via a browser (address: vodafonemobile.wifi or alternatively 192.168 .0.1) or control it via the app.

The Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi app is available for both Android and for iOS and displays status information such as battery level and the data consumption. Manufacturer Huawei shows here with the HiLink app that it can be done much better, sleeker and faster, but unfortunately this app can only work with the Vodafone R226. The Web Interface is very fast when logging in it via a browser on the desktop. It is decorated in typical Vodafone design and is more reminiscent as a user interface of a wireless router. All functions and settings are provided with brief instructions in German, so there are also “normal” users to quickly setup the connection. The individual functions are divided into different categories, such as Wi-Fi routers and mobile broadband. A lateral sidebar always displays the current status information such as the reception level, no matter which side of the settings you currently are doing.

 

The options are quite extensive, but not exceptional. So you can create another connection profile if you want to use a SIM card from another provider different from Vodafone (Vodafone R226 has no SIM lock). The network technology can be set, such as the “only 4G” in areas with weak signals. As can be seen on the menu, the Vodafone R226 is already prepared for IPv6, a corresponding profile can be selected.

 

Up to 300 Mbit/s in the downlink on LTE network are possible via the Vodafone R226, at least in theory. The Vodafone network allows ideally a maximum of 225 Mbit/s, providing the LTE 800 and LTE 2600Mhz matching rate and corresponding radio coverage. But in the future Vodafone could also offer higher speeds on LTE Cat6. Since Vodafone R226 has no SIM lock, it could work well with other LTE network providers in Europe. In the test, unfortunately I could not test LTE-Advanced Cat6, since the corresponding technology was not enabled on my test site. But even without Cat6, the R226 router is very fast: up to 155 Mbit/s in the downlink and 44 Mbit/s in the uplink could be achieved.

 

In addition, the Vodafone R226 LTE router supports both UMTS and GSM. In the UMTS network, DC-HSPA+ with up to 42.2 Mbit/s downlink speed is possible. The reception on both LTE (800, 1800 and 2600 megahertz tested) as well as UMTS is very good, the Vodafone R226 is without doubt one of the mobile LTE hotspots with the best reception. The Vodafone R226 has the possibility to connect an external antenna. These are two TS-9 connectors under a cover on the side of the hotspots.

The built-in Vodafone R226 battery has a capacity of 3,000 mAh, the running time is about 9 to 10 hours. In continuous mode, the device is quite warm. Unfortunately, the battery is not replaceable by the user, although the back for MicroSIM and MicroSD card is removable.

 

The WLAN module transmits not only in the range of 2.4 GHz, but also 5 GHz. This is particularly advantageous if the 2.4 GHz band is overloaded. Unfortunately, the R226 only supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, the latest wireless standard ac is not supported. The maximum bandwidth over wireless is 300 Mbit/s when connected with multiple devices. This is very surprising, because the identical devices Huawei E5786 and Telekom Speedbox mini II LTE support Wi-ac with up to 866 Mbit/s. A serious disadvantage arising from the comparatively slow WLAN module: the full LTE Cat6 speed of 300 Mbit/s via WLAN does not begin to be used, so that the maximum speed of the USB 3.0 cable must be connected always. In practice, few users will interfere, but it is absolutely inexplicable why Vodafone and Huawei have installed this bottleneck.

 

Here now Vodafone R226 is available on www.4gltemall.com with good price. If you like it, welcome to check more details about it.

Vodafone R226 LTE Cat6 Mobile WiFi Hotspot

We are not sure whether LTE Category 6 technology is already applied in Vodafone 4G LTE networks, but we are glad to find that the latest 4G LTE Category 6 mobile hotspot is available for Vodafone plan. The model number is Vodafone R226.

The Vodafone R226 is upgraded from the predecessor Vodafone R215, which is with LTE Category 4 technology. The R215 could reach peak download speed to 150Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. R226 hotspot is much more powerful than R215. The downlink speed of R226 could reach 300Mbps and uplink speed to 50Mbps. The link speed is double of the speed on R215.

 

The appearance of R226 is somewhat like R215, the power button and logo are both besides the LCD screen. They both have two external antenna connectors. The antenna connectors of R226 are covered by a cap while the two antenna connectors of R215 are at the bottom side, but separately. The connectors are for LTE Mimo antenna.

 

Vodafone R226 has much larger power capacity than R215; the capacity is 3000mAh, which could support up to 10 continuous working time. What’s more, the R226 could provide the power charge to other electronics such as smartphones, Pads etc… Just like R215, R226 could also help up to 10 wireless devices to access internet. They provide the wireless network in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. They both could be managed by Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi smartphone app.

Vodafone R226

As we know, Vodafone R215 comes from the factory model Huawei E5372. This time, Vodafone R226 also comes from Huawei, the factory model is the latest and hottest Huawei E5786 mobile hotspot.  Vodafone customized the logo and firmware, then it becomes R226.

 

On one side, there is a Micro USB connector, user can recharge the Vodafone R226 battery, but the battery of R226 is unremovable, so users have to recharge it after it power off. The Micro-SIM and Micro SD card are also at the side of Vodafone R226.

 

Vodafone R226 is the first LTE category 6 mobile WiFi hotspot. In this year, Vodafone already released the first LTE Category 6 wireless router named B4000. As we know, the peak download speed on Vodafone 4G network could reach 225Mbps now. But we suppose Vodafone will upgrade the network in 2015 spring. The R226 will show its best performance at due time.