ZTE LTE Cat6 Router Archives

ZTE MF286 VS Huawei B525s

Huawei had many LTE Cat6 routers available now but the competitor ZTE has very few Cat6 routers in the market. ZTE MF286 router is one of the ZTE LTE Cat6 routers, since Huawei B525s LTE Cat6 router, some people want to know what the difference between Huawei B525 and ZTE MF286 is. We would compare the Huawei B525s with ZTE MF286 from the appearance, interfaces, specs, and features in this blog.

Huawei B525s VS ZTE MF286 Appearance and Interfaces

ZTE MF286 and Huawei B525s are both in the typical design of 4G WiFi router. On the front, there are some indicators for Power, WiFi, and Signal. The ZTE MF286 has also the indicators for Telephone, 3G/4G Data and Battery. Huawei B525 doesn’t have the indicator for telephone and battery. But it has the indicator for Ethernet connection. On the back, they both have 3 LAN ports and one LAN/WAN ports. Huawei B525 has only one telephone port while ZTE MF286 has two telephone ports. They both have the power adapter plug and USB port, but the ZTE MF286 has the power on/off button.

The SIM card slot of Huawei B525 is located at the bottom while the ZTE MF286 sim card slot is at the edge side. They both have two SMA connectors for external LTE antennas. The unique feature of ZTE MF286 is the removable battery which makes it work like a mobile WiFi router. Huawei B525s has the WPS and Power buttons on the top side while the ZTE MF286 has the WLAN and WPS buttons with the Reset hole on the top side.

ZTE MF286 VS Huawei B525 Specs and Features

From the appearance, we can see the interface difference and then let’s have a check the ZTE MF286 specs and Huawei B525 specs for a comparison:

Model	Huawei B525	ZTE MF286
Product type	Huawei WiFi Router with Ethernet port	LTE WiFi Router with Ethernet port
Category	LTE Cat.6	LTE Cat.6
Chipset	HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset	Qualcomm MDM9230
LTE Data rates	DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps	DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands	Huawei B525s-23a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 Huawei B525s-65a: Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41	ZTE MF286: Band 1/3/7/8/28
WLAN	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz	802.11b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users	64 users	64 users
MIMO	2 x 2 MIMO	3 x 3 MIMO
Antenna	Two, SMA-female jacks	Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna	Huawei B525 antenna	ZTE MF286 outdoor antenna
App management	Huawei Hilink APP	ZTELink APP
SIM Size	Micro SIM	Standard SIM
Battery	NO	Removable, 3000mAh
Dimensions	163 x 52 x 226 mm	180 × 170 × 30 mm
Interfaces	* 3 x LAN port(RJ45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11) * Two external LTE antenna ports(SMA-female) * One micro-SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port	* 3 x LAN port(RJ45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45) * 2 x telephone port(RJ11) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-Female) * One micro-SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet	Huawei B525 Datasheet(PDF)	ZTE MF286 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual	Huawei B525 User Manual(PDF)	ZTE MF286 User Manual(PDF)
Other features	Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN	Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN
Firmware download	Huawei B525 firmware	ZTE MF286 firmware
Driver	Huawei B525 driver	ZTE MF286 driver
Reviews	Huawei B525 Review	ZTE MF286 Review
Price/USD	259.00USD	199.00USD

Summary

From the specs table, we can see the Huawei B525s and ZTE MF286 are both LTE Cat6 router which could achieve download speed up to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. The Huawei B525 router has two variant models now but ZTE MF286 has only one variant model. They both support maximum up to 64 wireless devices but ZTE MF286 supports 3 X 3 MIMO while Huawei B525 supports 2 X 2 MIMO. The removable battery adds many bonuses for ZTE MF286 router because it can make the MF286 router used as a mobile WiFi router. Then the ZTE MF286 could be used in much more circumstances. With the similar technical feature, ZTE MF286 price is cheaper than Huawei B525 price. Perhaps because the Huawei B525 is the latest router and ZTE MF286 is an old model. We didn’t take the speed test for Huawei B525 and ZTE MF286, but from the specs, we think the ZTE MF286 is better than Huawei B525 Router.

ZTE MF287 LTE Router Available as 3Neo for 3 Austria

The Austrian network operator 3 has once again added a new 4G LTE router to its product range: the 3neo by the Chinese manufacturer ZTE. At first glance, the design of the router looks unusual and definitely not like a usual wireless router. Technically speaking, the 3neo router comes from the factory model ZTE MF287, which has an LTE Cat6 modem for up to 300 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 MBit/s in the uplink. As a special feature, there is an integrated rechargeable battery, so you can use the 3neo as mobile router when on the go. 3neo LTE router

The design of the 3neo is unusual, but also has the connections to be found at the back, like the ZTE MF286 and Huawei E5186. On the side there is a LED light bar for the status display and on the top there is a LED light ring for the display of the network mode. Both the LTE antennas and the WLAN antennas are permanently integrated in the device and are not visible from the outside.

The modem of the 3neo can use LTE of category 6 and reaches up to 300 MBit/s in the downlink and up to 50 MBit/s in the uplink. Of course the router is also downwards compatible with the older 3G/UMTS technology, and up to 42.2 MBit/s in the downlink is possible. If desired, the mobile radio reception can be improved by an external LTE antenna, the required connections are hidden under a cover on the back. In addition to the two connectors for an external antenna, there are also four RJ-45 Gigabit LAN connections as well as an RJ-11 telephone connection. Also the connection for the power supply is on the back, the plug for 12V/5A is also suitable for operation on an external battery/Powerbank, but unfortunately no MicroUSB connection for power supply has been installed. The built-in rechargeable battery in the 3neo / ZTE MF287 has a capacity of 3020 mAh and is supposed to allow an operating time of up to 4 hours without power supply. The WLAN in the 3neo runs on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, the router can supply up to 64 devices at the same time. As a convenience function, for example, a guest network function as well as a WLAN timer is available. The connection is to be set up quickly thanks to QR code and “3Home” app for the smartphone without complicated password input.

Availability

The 3neo LTE router is now available in Austria. However, the 3neo LTE router has a netlock, so it can only be used with SIM cards from 3 Austria. If you want the unlocked 3neo, you may check www.4gltemall.com and the unlocked version of 3neo would be available in future time.

ZTE MF287 3neo LTE Cat6 Router Review

If you are looking for the latest new 4G Router with special design and supporting LTE-advanced network, you’d better have a check the ZTE MF287 4G Router which looks not like a common router. The MF287 router was presented by ZTE at CES 2016, and now it’s introduced to the carrier “3” in Austria and named “3neo”.

The 3neo design is hard to describe, below is the image in white color. In the middle, there is a line of blue color, which should be the indicator for power and network. At the bottom side, the Drei logo is listed.
ZTE MF287 3neo (4)
Strong and reliable router
With the modern design, you may curious about the technical specifications of the 3neo ZTE MF287. The 3neo LTE Router could support 4G LTE advanced Category 6 and achieve up to 300 Mbit/s for downlink and 50 Mbit/s for uplink. It is also equipped with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual band WLAN and connects a total of up to 64 devices simultaneously to the Internet. 4 Gigabit LAN connections are also available.

Modern design

An LTE router now has to convince on all levels. These include ease-of-use, powerful and reliable performance, a modern mobile and wireless standard, and, of course, a cool design. Today, the ZTE MF287 3neo router can do these best. The 3neo router has to fit into every room with other furniture; the appearance of the 3neo was designed not as usual but the white color makes it looks not too special and just like one furniture.

ZTE MF287 3neo (1)

Battery on board

The 3neo has a built-in battery that performs well in the event of a power failure or on the go. When delivered, the battery can be activated online at any time on the configuration page. If no data transmission with other devices, the 3neo automatically switches to energy-saving standby. If you still need WLAN, the LTE router is ready for use again at the push of a button. Depending on the usage, the battery power is sufficient for up to 4 hours.

Plug & Play with QR code

In order to install your 3neo, you do not have to have any technical knowledge. Even SIM card and battery are already preinstalled. The principle of the 3neo is as simple as saving time, namely “PnP(Plug and Play)”. This is especially convenient with the 3Home app. User simply scans the QR code of your 3neo and you will be connected to the WLAN without complicated password input.

3Home App & Online Settings

The operation of 3neo is very easy, user can download the 3Home app to the smartphone or tablet and then can remote control the LTE router. They are free for Android and iOS, so you can do the installation, the operation and various settings in the app. Further settings could also be done via web configuration page as usual.

Guest access and WLAN timer
With Sleep Mode, you determine the time when WLAN and Internet connection are generally deactivated. You can set up a WLAN-free nighttime or keep the interactions of your children with the Sleep Mode under the handle. Another feature: The WLAN access for friends or relatives can be managed by QR code via the 3Home app. The additional entry of guest passwords will thus become invalid.

With the 3neo LTE Router, the streaming of films, the playing of online games, the supply of all family members with lightning fast Internet could be fulfilled. Below are the features and technical specifications of ZTE MF287/3neo for your reference.

ZTE MF287 Technical Specifications
Top features
Category	LTE Category 6
Download speed	Up to 300 Mbit/sec.
Upload speed	Up to 50Mbit/sec.
Power supply	Socket (AC adapter 12V / 1.5A – cable included in the package)
Internet connection	WLAN + 4 x LAN
Number of connections	Up to 64 devices
General information
Battery	3080 mAh
Dimensions	220 x 110 x 106 mm (including socket 18mm)
Weight	730g with battery
WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS
802.11a/b/g/n/ac	Yes
Dual-band:	Yes
Connections
RJ11	Yes
RJ45	Yes
USB (number of connections)	Yes – 1x (only for manufacturer diagnosis)
Sim Type	Standard SIM Card
Tech features
External antenna	Yes
Bridge Mode	No
DMZ	Yes
SSID	Yes
Guest SSID	Yes
Port Forwarding	Yes
Watchdog Service	Yes
DHCP Settings	Yes
Network selection	Yes
APN Settings	Yes

ZTE MF286 4G LTE Cat6 Wireless Router Review

With the development of LTE network technology, more and more network providers are trying to upgrade the network to LTE advanced with carrier aggregation. Then more and more users are demanding for LTE Cat6 equipments so as to achieve possible fast downlink and uplink speed. Finally, ZTE presents its first LTE category 6 wireless router since Huawei had its LTE cat6 router E5186 and E5175 on sale for long time.

ZTE MF286

Built-in battery for Mobile Use

ZTE MF286 looks similar to the traditional wireless home router, but in this new router, ZTE had designed a built-in battery so that users can not only use the MF286 as a stationary router at home, but also take the MF286 router outdoor for mobile use. With the 3000 mAh battery, ZTE MF286 can support a conference call for up to 4 hours or share a 4G network for up to 3 hours. It can’t be taken in a pocket like ZTE MF970 LTE Cat6 MiFi, but it’s useful for multiple devices’ network support.

ZTE MF286

High-speed 4G Connection

Like the Huawei 4G LTE Cat6 routers, ZTE MF286 can achieve peak download speed to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50mbps on LTE networks. The speed is almost the double of the current speed on LTE Cat4. If user downloads a movie of 1GB, it may only take few seconds on this speed. ZTE MF286 Router can achieve this due to the Qualcomm WTR3925 RF transceiver chipset based on the 28 nm process with the Qualcomm MDM9230 modem based on the 20 nm process. The new chipsets perform better and consume less power than its predecessors.

Dual-band WiFi and support for 802.11ac

Compare with the current home routers, ZTE MF286 CPE has almost the highest level to support WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac and 3 x 3 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology with three spatial streams for maximum performance. It operates on both 2.4 GHz with great wall-penetration capabilities and 5 GHz with a lower chance of picking up interference. The powerful gadget also supports gigabit wired connections so that it is possible to copy files over a LAN at a speed higher than 80 MB/s.

In the test, ZTE MF286 proves to have good signal coverage; it can cover an office larger than 500 square meters. The signal attenuation is not obvious even at a point far from the device. Internet surfing is smooth, even in a meeting room separated by glass doors.

ZTE MF286

High-Definition VoLTE Call

Conference calls are an indispensible part of business interactions. As a standard feature for high-end wireless routers, ZTE MF286 supports advanced VoLTE voice calls. You can connect it to a telephone or a conference hands-free telephone system to get a much better call quality than regular telephone calls.

With 4 RJ-45 Ethernet ports, there is a USB port which connects a USB disk to share pictures, files or videos among the users on the same WiFi network. As ZTE’s first 4G LTE Cat6 router, the MF286 Router has many selling points which are practical for users. But Huawei E5186 has been on the market almost one year ahead of ZTE MF286, we can’t tell whether the MF286 will gain the trust from customers even though Huawei E5186 CPE doesn’t have the battery.