4G USB stick for router?

Herr der Verboten

Herr der Verboten

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
30,816
Reaction score
20,183
Location
Pretoria
Which one is decent? It's to fill the gap for when there isn't fiber.

So far I'm looking at the Huawei 4G Wingle E8372
 
10:10 said:
Huawei E5572 4G LTE Mobile Wi-Fi Router

I use this for myself. It is handy because it can stay on even if your PC is off cuts down on my phone's data use while travelling. Also you can move it around in your office to get better signal. I had a USB one wasn't that practical.

Here are more cost effective options.

Huawei Mobile WiFi E5576 LTE

ZTE R219Z LTE Mifi 4G Router (CAT 4)
Click to expand...
Have periodically wondered about getting one of these & you've got me thinking about it again.

Problem is when power goes out in our area we only get about 2 bars on router after it comes back & takes about 2.25 hours to return to a full 5.
So don't even know if we'd have any signal strength during loadshedding?

Notwithstanding, moving the SIM between main & portable router makes a UPS more versatile ; got one of those from Takealot & returned it same day as the voltage / amps incompatible from what I could tell + could only determine that in the fine print (enclosed pamphlet).
 
BCR said:
Have periodically wondered about getting one of these & you've got me thinking about it again.

Problem is when power goes out in our area we only get about 2 bars on router after it comes back & takes about 2.25 hours to return to a full 5.
So don't even know if we'd have any signal strength during loadshedding?

Notwithstanding, moving the SIM between main & portable router makes a UPS more versatile ; got one of those from Takealot & returned it same day as the voltage / amps incompatible from what I could tell + could only determine that in the fine print (enclosed pamphlet).
Click to expand...
Yes you are correct, my second solution was a TP Link with a external omni directional antenna connected to it. It is not portable but it works alongside a router UPS. That way I get 4 hours of work out of it. The TP link is only 9V at less then 500mAh so it last really long regardless of the large external antenna.

But be careful not all TP Link routers have detachable antennas. I got my Poynting Omni Directional from FB market place. I paid R700 for it not sure what they cost new. I use it alongside my Fibre line. That said my Fibre line stays active as long as I supply it with power. The LTE is just for backup and if I need to travel I put it into my mobile router.
 
10:10 said:
Yes you are correct, my second solution was a TP Link with a external omni directional antenna connected to it. It is not portable but it works alongside a router UPS. That way I get 4 hours of work out of it. The TP link is only 9V at less then 500mAh so it last really long regardless of the large external antenna.

But be careful not all TP Link routers have detachable antennas. I got my Poynting Omni Directional from FB market place. I paid R700 for it not sure what they cost new. I use it alongside my Fibre line. That said my Fibre line stays active as long as I supply it with power. The LTE is just for backup and if I need to travel I put it into my mobile router.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't trust myself to get all the right equipment so make do with what I have which is a basic Huawei router, and happen to have an identical one as a backup.

Looked into omni-directional a few years ago - to attach to the Huawei - but was unfeasible / impractical so that idea went out the window.

If these 2 routers I have pack up, I'll look at fibre - have a Frogfoot point installed, ready for the next step, but don't currently stream content so capped LTE data's good enough for now.
 
BCR said:
I wouldn't trust myself to get all the right equipment so make do with what I have which is a basic Huawei router, and happen to have an identical one as a backup.

Looked into omni-directional a few years ago - to attach to the Huawei - but was unfeasible / impractical so that idea went out the window.

If these 2 routers I have pack up, I'll look at fibre - have a Frogfoot point installed, ready for the next step, but don't currently stream content so capped LTE data's good enough for now.
Click to expand...
How much data do you use a month?
 
BCR said:
I wouldn't trust myself to get all the right equipment so make do with what I have which is a basic Huawei router, and happen to have an identical one as a backup.

Looked into omni-directional a few years ago - to attach to the Huawei - but was unfeasible / impractical so that idea went out the window.

If these 2 routers I have pack up, I'll look at fibre - have a Frogfoot point installed, ready for the next step, but don't currently stream content so capped LTE data's good enough for now.
Click to expand...
Lately I am running out of data on my LTE hence why I got fibre. Not only that I started to play games and find myself needing better ping. Right now I am playing Warframe.
 
W@P said:
How much data do you use a month?
Click to expand...

October so far, just under 60 GB ; usually a max. of around 100 GB but been using less than usual so might not even get to that total by end of the month.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X