what’s the advantage to something like this over just turning a hotspot on on your phone? I’m sure there is some advantage and I’m just too dumb to think of what it is atm.
U can connect multiple things to it also it usually a lot better connection then ur phone but this is slower speeds of 4g and 3g this is only for someone with a basic phone maybe doesn’t even offer hotspot compatibility also if ur hotspotting someone you can’t connect to the internet on ur phone while they are using hotspot so that’s just some ways they differ
I did a quick look around and I did find a 5G router but it was 10x the price. I have a 4G spot but it doesnt route. If this really is a router as well as a hot spot, that would be useful.
If you’re travelling outside the US, buying a local SIM for wireless internet can be much cheaper than using your phone, even with an international plan.
And international plans usually have very slow speeds
Is this piece battery powered and if so how long does that battery last with moderate usage?
I didn’t have this exact model but I used EIOTCLUB SIM cards (they sell On amazon for $5) and it worked well for my hotspot. There’s plans and pay as you go so id buy like 2gb for $10 that lasted 30 days. They’re 4G LTE Sims, I wouldn’t take a chance with a 5G sim since it’s possibly the hotspot isn’t configured to receive or send data on it.
US mobile is a bit better if you want a monthly Plan but their sims are 5G if I’m not mistaken
Found more information about the device:
Some real world throughput stats (theoretical is as much as 5 times higher but achieved in lab conditions)
Unfortunately 5G has less range and a less developed coverage network, so for the next few years at least 4G/3G should be fast enough for most use while also being far more portable. For context, 3G’s range is necessary at the moment for things like camping in remote areas away from cell towers.
Is there any information on which LTE bands this supports? This is especially important if you plan to use T-Mobile since a lot of their coverage is on newer bands (12, 66, 71) that a lot of older devices don’t support.
From @HmmmUsername’s web link…
- Spectrum listed may work for you.
- ZTE has had backdoor security issues before with its routers. Would not recommend if you work with patient, financial, defense, or other data that needs high security.
An FYI for this topic. People make certain assumptions when they see, for example, 4G LTE. It does NOT mean the speed of the internet. It’s what the phone or device’s capability is. (of using)
3G - means 3rd generation (not Gb, gig, or gigabyte)
4G - means 4th generation (not Gb, gig, or gigabyte)
LTE - means ‘long term evolution’ (not lite)
So, 4G LTE = 4th Generation, Long Term Evolution
I have worked for several providers and I can remember when 2G/3G was the standard - then providers said 4G was coming. Customers would call and want the faster 4G and we would have to explain that while they could buy a 4G phone, if where they are accessing service is only capable of 2G or 3G - a 4G phone won’t be any faster.
This is an over simplification, and I didn’t want to use a lot of tech mumbo-jumbo. So yes, I did dumb it down so that hopefully everyone could grasp the concept. (Not trying to insult anyone’s intelligence - just make it easy to understand, hopefully.)
AT&T turned off their 3G a year ago. VZW wasn’t far behind. You might get a couple good years of service from this, however once 4G sunsets it will become a brick.
You can only get 5G speeds like that if you’re within a mile of the tower, and really need to be with an eye shot. I can see my 5G tower from the house front window and I’m not getting speed like that on T-Mobile 5G
Sure. But 5G is not listed as a specification this item supports.
- What I assumed was that people would want to know what the ballpark speeds would be for 4G LTE for this Hotspot Travel Router.
- To then be able to compare that with what they current get with their home router wired or WiFi.
My work phone supports 5G hotspot but I have not used it. I use 4G hotspot only rarely when traveling, wired (preferred) or WiFi for throughput.
I don’t have any problems accessing the Internet on my phone(s) while providing hotspot service for friends at the same time.
@Boomerang86 — 4G sunset is likely quite a ways off at this point; something like 25% of phones sold in the US in 2022 were still 4G models.
Verizon announced in 2016 that they were shutting down 3G in 2019, and actually did it in 2022; by that point they claimed less than 1% of the phones in active use were 3G.
No one’s made an announcement of a 4G shutdown, and I’d anticipate several years of service even after the announcement is made.
I just received mine and had trouble turning it on until I removed the white sim type card from it. Instructions are lacking. Does anyone know what the included card is for? Is it for the wifi?