HUAWEI B618 LTE-A router discussion thread.

AirWolf

AirWolf

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I don't see one main thread for this router (like the thread for B315).

See a lot of different threads related to this router like these:
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showth...any-preformance-out-of-Rain-network-with-B618
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/933115-LTE-Routers-Huawei-B618-and-B315
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/922376-B618-routers
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/930029-Wired-Network-from-Huawei-B618
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/928252-Huawei-B315-vs-B618

Etc etc etc

Band information:

Both the 22D and 65D support bands:
1 - FDD 2100 MHz (Cell C, MTN, Vodacom)
3 - FDD 1800MHz (Cell C, MTN, Neotel, Telkom, Vodacom)
7 - FDD 2600MHz (none)
8 - FDD 900MHz (MTN, Vodacom)

The 22D supports the following bands in addition to the common list:
20 - FDD 800MHz (none)
38 - TDD 2600Mhz (Rain)

The 65D supports the following bands in addition to the common list:
5 - FDD 850Mhz (none)
28 - FDD 700MHz (none)
40 - TDD 2300MHz (Telkom)

In addition to the above Vodacom has LTE spectrum in band 255 - 5800MHz (not supported by this router).
So for Telkom 65D is the right choice. All other networks 22D would suffice.
 
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This router seems to have a longish boot sequence - around 2 minutes.
Does it test the various network signals to find the best one?

Tested 2 units this past week. On startup the sequence is something like:
1. power
2. wifi
3. network (red)
4. signal lights come on for a couple seconds [network light on blue/cyan]
5. signal lights go off for 30 seconds
6. repeat steps 4 and 5 a couple times before the signal stays on.
 
Hello. Im new here. I have this Huawei B618 with Mweb as my ISP. The speeds are good but my signal lights are very unstable between 1 and 3 all over the house. I live near an airport could this be the reason? Ive just bought an external antenna that i want to install this week but the wires dont seem long enough. Sigh
 
Ok update on previous reply. Spoke to a technician friend. My mweb actually uses vodacom. The closest tower to my house is less than 100m away. I don't know how to post pics on here. Moved my b618 facing the tower and i now get 3 green lights on the router, if you move it slightly it drops to 2 lights. Download speed on 2 apps range between 20-35mb download and 12-20mb upload. I see weather affects wireless connections badly. So i won't be using my poynting xpol-02 anytime soon as my friend said it won't make much difference considering how close i am to the towers.
 
XPOL-6-10M antenna not designed for LTE-A?

I see there are two models of this router - the 65d and the 22d. I have owned both but I believe the 65d (which I currently have and got when I upgraded to Telkom LTE-A) supports more frequencies?

I own the Poynting XPOL-6-10M Antenna which appeared to work well on my B315 LTE modem. The Antenna has 2x SMA connectors so I got 2x T9 to SMA-F adapters to connect it to this modem. I used the LTEWatch software to keep an eye on signal etc. while I did speed tests and got surprising results and wondered if anyone had experience with this modem and antenna combination...

1) Speed test and signal strength with no external antenna:

PuPQBFb.png


2) Speed test and signal strength with external antenna connected

cOVyPwd.png


Very odd but is it possible that this antenna is not suitable for LTE-A? Next I'm going to test with the modem outside where I have direct LOS to the Telkom tower (400m away).
I have a suspicion that the tower I'm pointing at is not necessarily the LTE-A variety... LTE-A may be handled by another tower in the neighbourhood. I'll have to move the router around and test.

*EDIT* It seems I am latching on to another tower occasionally. I'll have to keep an eye on that! The antenna may be OK if I can figure out where that b748-04 tower is.
*EDIT* After some tests it seems the router was in the best place possible in the house for signal which leads me to believe the external antenna is pointing at the right tower, but it's performing consistently better on internal antennas with the external antennas often peaking around 20mbps and internal has gone over 75Mbps.
 
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AirWolf said:
Very strange - cell ID is the same and better signal strength with the external antennae.
Click to expand...

There was another thread where someone had the same issue AFAIK... Will see if I can find it.
 
Huawei B618 LTE-A Router

A few months ago, every second thread was someone selling the B618 Router. However, in the space of a few months, you barely have them anymore.

I’m really struggling to find a seller now. Anyone know why?
 
pozmans said:
A few months ago, every second thread was someone selling the B618 Router. However, in the space of a few months, you barely have them anymore.

I’m really struggling to find a seller now. Anyone know why?
Click to expand...

Possibly because of the increase in coverage - so people have started using their devices instead of selling them.
 
Anyone else have this problem: you can only set the B618's IP address in the 192.168.x.x range. You can't for example use 10.10.13.x or any of the other private (or public) address spaces. There are only 2 text boxes in the web interface for setting the IP address, relating to the last 2 numbers of an IP address. The first 2 numbers are hard-coded to 192 and 168 and cannot be changed.

This a PITA, as I need to configure this router on a specific IP address to cater a specific network need. This is going to complicate things unnecessarily.

I have the B618-22d from Afrihost on a RAIN package.
 
Saajid said:
Anyone else have this problem: you can only set the B618's IP address in the 192.168.x.x range. You can't for example use 10.10.13.x or any of the other private (or public) address spaces. There are only 2 text boxes in the web interface for setting the IP address, relating to the last 2 numbers of an IP address. The first 2 numbers are hard-coded to 192 and 168 and cannot be changed.

This a PITA, as I need to configure this router on a specific IP address to cater a specific network need. This is going to complicate things unnecessarily.

I have the B618-22d from Afrihost on a RAIN package.
Click to expand...

I have the B618-65d from Telkom and can set the address to whatever I want:

qX7fhyD.png


Contact Afrihost and complain.
 
Can I do DHCP IP reservations on this thing?
And where do I put in sip settings for my handset?
 
Hamish McPanji said:
Can I do DHCP IP reservations on this thing?
And where do I put in sip settings for my handset?
Click to expand...

I doubt you can do reservations - you'll have to use another DHCP server. I only see SIP ALG port setting in mine (Telkom).
 
JetsetWilly said:
I doubt you can do reservations - you'll have to use another DHCP server. I only see SIP ALG port setting in mine (Telkom).
Click to expand...
Same here. There are no sip settings at all.
It's like they've crippled the firmware
 
Anyone know where one could buy a B618-65d ?
 
Hamish McPanji said:
Same here. There are no sip settings at all.
It's like they've crippled the firmware
Click to expand...

Totally - it's already a very basic firmware. Seems some international folk are having the same issue and loading foreign language firmwares to get around it.
 
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