How to buy a 4G LTE USB Modem

More and more advertisements are introducing 4G to people, declaring a new era is coming. As a consumer, perhaps you may not concern what’s 4G or what is LTE, the top thing you want to know is what I can benefit from 4G. Great, that’s the key point. What can we benefit from 4G?

To explanation simply based on real life experience, you can download a HD movie of 2GB or more in few seconds, you can play complex online games without any interruption and you can transfer large file only a very short while. Yes, 4G can bring us fantastic speed! That’s why the providers are trying to promoting 4G, they finally want you guys to use their 4G devices. Of course, most of time, there would be contract with the devices and you are not free to use other SIM card.

 

But if you want to use unlocked broadband and SIM unlocked to any operators, how to choose the right model per the preference? Since the most popular 4G device from operator is 4G USB Modem with LTE technology, so we take 4G LTE USB Modem as example to explain, of course, unlocked. Then our question change to: How to choose a 4G LTE USB Modem?

 

Actually, to buy a 4G USB Modem, just like to buy a mobile phone. Most of the people would consider the brand, Apple, Samsung, HTC are well known and series of phones are optional for almost all the preference. And it’s not hard to determine. But for 4G USB Modem, it seems not that easy…It probably because most of the equipment suppliers are not as famous as the providers and the second reason is that the modems, routers, or other telecom equipments are printed the providers’ logos. Take Vodafone 4G LTE Surfstick K5005 as example, even though the users may use the surfstick for many years, they may don’t know it’s produced by HUAWEI and the HUAWEI factory model is HUAWEI E398.

 

So the first step to choose a 4G USB modem is to find which brand you prefer. If you don’t know, that would be better to make a decision. Follow me, I will guide you. Someone may ask, may I know how many brands there are all over the world? Ok, it’s time to share, most of us may know SAMSUNG Smartphone, but actually, SAMSUNG is also professional in network solution. So it also has 4G USB Modem available in the market. Some guys may feel good, ok, I like SAMSUNG, I choose it. Don’t be glad so early. After reading the full article, you may feel disappoint. Now I could tell you, SAMSUNG 4G LTE Surfstick is just for specific country and LTE frequency, so it may not be appropriate for you. And the top brands of the 4G USB Modems are HUAWEI and ZTE in China, Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless in USA, Option in USA, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola,  LG in Korea also has 4G USB Modem, Pantech in USA is also well known.

 

At this time, you may feel tired, oh my god, so many options, hard to choose. Yes, there is easy way, follow your SIM card provider and find the unlocked model in the market. Take Telstra 4G LTE Aircard 320u (produced by SIERRA Wireless) as example, if you like it and don’t want to use with contract, you find online store selling unlocked one. Then you are fulfilled.

 

The premise is that you know this model number, but if you don’t know the model number, how to proceed?

So if you don’t know the brand and provider model, you can follow below steps to determine:

1. First, confirm your local 4G LTE Frequency band, if you don’t know, please refer to below the two links:

A.)  List_of_LTE_networks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks (check LTE Bands)

B.)  4G Map: http://4g-map.info/  (check LTE network bands and status)

(Note: most of the information from the two links are right, but not all)

1. After confirmation，you must make sure the local 4g LTE network is already launched to commerce. If not, there is no 4G network available there.
2. Choose the right 4G USB modem which would work for this band. Here we have one option for you: 4G Mobile Broadband Shopping Mall (www.4gltemall.com )

To make it clear, here is another example to explain. Supposing you are living in Sweden, after check, we found the LTE frequency bands as below:

1. Band 7 (2600 MHz) Deployed by Telenor/ Tele2 / Net4Mobility / TeliaSonera
2. Band 20 (800 MHz) Deployed by TeliaSonera
3. Band 8 (900 MHz) Deployed by Telenor/ Tele2 / Net4Mobility

So you can choose any 4G USB Modem that can work for LTE FDD 2600Mhz. And to use TeliaSonera, the modem must support 800Mhz if don’t support 2600Mhz. From this point, you can find that Samsung has two 4G LTE Surfstick named GT-B3730 and GT-B3740. GT-B3730 works on 4G FDD 2600Mhz and 3g 2100Mhz while GT-B3740 only works on 4G FDD 800Mhz, no 3G. So if you like Samsung, you may check whether the two 4G Modem works in your country.

You can check there are many models on 4G Mobile Broadband Shopping Mall that can work for this band, such as  ZTE MF820, HUAWEI E392, E398, SIERRA Wireless 320U etc…

 

And please confirm the the band is LTE TDD or FDD, because there may be TDD 2600Mhz. It’s special band for TD-LTE network, FDD 2600Mhz modem can’t work on this.

It’s clear now. But if your 4G Network is WiMax, there is few options now. We suggest you follow your provider now, perhaps in near future, you can follow my method to choose what you like. Good luck.

How to make a 4G USB Modem work as a 4G WiFi Router

Since 4G LTE network is rolling out all over the world, more and more users prefer to choose 4G USB Modem rather than 3G USB Modem to surf internet with wireless connection. It’s no doubt that 4G speed via 4G USB modem is much faster than 3G USB modem, but the premise is that the 4G signal coverage is fulfilled. Today, we don’t talk about this, we are concerning the users who had a 4G USB modem, but want it to support multiple WiFi devices to share 4G speed, not just one terminal. In 3G era, there are many suppliers of 3G USB Modems all over the world, they produced much more USB modems to meet the great demand of the market. But very few suppliers had a good solution for a USB modem to a WiFi Router. As we know, HUAWEI & ZTE, the top two telecom vendors in China had released two models to meet this demand. The model numbers are HUAWEI D100 (T-mobile version is D100T) and ZTE MF10. We could call them USB Router or Modem Router because there is just a USB slot to connect USB 2.0 Interface. They must work together with a USB modem, then it becomes a WiFi Router. Without USB modem, there is no data transmission. And their data link speed depends on the USB modem. They support the maximum speed the modem can fulfill. They could work well with compatible 3G USB Modems and data transfer without any problem. But now the 4G Era comes, how to let the USB Modem have best performance as a 4G WiFi Router? After investigation, we found there is one new USB Router, it comes from HUAWEI and model number is HUAWEI AF23 LTE Sharing Dock. It’s the latest modem router to support 4G USB modem. Now you can check the general image of HUAWEI AF23. It follows the typical design of HUAWEI D100, but the USB port and Ethernet port have been adjusted. The USB port is now on the face above, and the Ethernet port is at the side. The USB port is for 4G USB Modem. Somebody may ask, can I use my 3G USB Modem, the answer is yes, it supports 3G & 4G USB modem, so we also could call it 3G 4G Modem Router. And there may be question about Ethernet port, is it for data output? Actually, this port is to connect network cable to input data, and then AF23 transfer it to WiFi. In this mode, AF23 becomes a WiFi router. What’s more, HUAWEI AF23 could work as a WiFi repeater, which help to enhance the WiFi signal of already working 3G or 4G router. To know more about the HUAWEI AF23 Sharing dock, please check below the specifications and application in PDF. HUAWEI AF23 4G Modem Router LTE Sharing Dock Specifications and Applications

 In conclusion, HUAWEI AF23 4G Modem Router is a great router that meet many network solution for users . With slim size, it’s easy to take in pocket, it’s worthy to have one.

4G LTE Frequencies of HUAWEI E392 ( E392u-X ) 4G Modem Different Model

Since HUAWEI released its series of 4G USB modems, here now we could see many model in service in different regions or areas.  Like HUAWEI E398 4G Modem, HUAWEI E392 4G LTE Modem is also make users feel puzzled, because there are so many model number of HUAWEI E392, such as HUAWEI E392u-1, HUAWEI E392u-2, HUAWEI E392u-12, HUAWEI E392u-21, HUAWEI E392u-22, and HUAWEI E392u-92 etc...Seems there is a big family here for HUAWEI E392.

So here come questions, which model should i choose if i want a unlocked HUAWEI E392? What's the differenct between the model numbers?Actually, you don't need worry too much about them, check below the 4G LTE fequencies of HUAWEI E392 and check the 4G network deployed in your country, then you can dicide which model to choose.

HUAWEI E392u-12:

4G LTE Bands:  FDD 800/1800/2600Mhz

3G UMTS: 900/1800/2100Mhz

HUAWEI E392u-21:

4G LTE Bands:  FDD TDD 2600Mhz

3G UMTS: 900/2100Mhz

HUAWEI E392u-22:

4G LTE bands: FDD  2600/2100/1800/900/DD800Mhz

3G UMTS: 900/1800/2100Mhz

HUAWEI E392u-X?:

4G LTE bands: FDD 700B13/2100Mhz

3G UMTS: 900/2100Mhz

HUAWEI E392u-92:

4G LTE bands: TDD 2300/2600 Mhz

3G UMTS: 900/2100Mhz

And there is other HUAWEI E392u-xx, we will keep update them.

In face, their differece is mainly on their 4G LTE bands because they have different model number because they are released to different markets. So After you confirm the 4G LTE bands of modem, then confirm the 4G LTE bands in service of your country.

Take Germany as example, the 4G LTE network in service now have:

1. Vodafone: FDD 800Mhz

2. Deutsche Telekom:  FDD 800 MHz and 1800 MHz

3. Telefonica:  FDD 800 MHz

4. E-Plus (KPN) : FDD  800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2600 MHz

So you may choose 4G USB Modem who works for 800Mhz or 1800Mhz, or them together. Now you can see HUAWEI E392u-12 can work on  FDD 800/1800/2600Mhz and HUAWEI E392u-22 works on 4G LTE bands: FDD  2600/2100/1800/900/DD800Mhz. So they are both OK for you to use in Germany.

After our explenation, is it simple now? 4G LTE Mobile Broadband Shopping Mall (www.4GLTEmall.com ) would give more options for your 4G life! Have a look here.

HUAWEI E392 4G LTE Surfstick- World’s First Multi-mode LTE/UMTS/GSM Modem

Previously LTE sticks were always available with branding and software of the major mobile operators Vodafone, O2 and Telekom. Cons: these sticks are printed externally with a logo of the network operator and the preinstalled software can often only certain SIM cards into the grid. For a few weeks, the Huawei E392 4G USB Modem is an LTE stick on the market that can easily be used with any carrier and not tailored to a particular provider is – 4G LTE Broadband team(www.4GLTEmall.com ) has  tested the Huawei E392 4G Modem.

First Impression
The scope of delivery is next, the stick, only a small strap and some instructions. The wrist strap is also attached to the stick and on the cover for the USB port, thus preventing successfully that the cover can be lost. Overall, the Huawei E392 has quite large and bulky for a surf stick, which is certainly the fact that the USB port is not pivotable and therefore only a horizontal use the notebook is possible.

The Huawei E392 can run on both Windows and Mac OS X. After you have inserted the SIM card and the flash drive connected to the computer, the connection software start to install. Installation takes usually only a few minutes, then the LTE stick can be used immediately. If the PIN protection is enabled SIM card, you will be prompted to enter the PIN. Other settings usually do not  need to be made, the connection software detects the inserted SIM card and automatically configures the matching connection parameters. If there are two different APNs with a provider, you can select them before joining in a dropdown menu. By clicking on the “Connect” the Internet connection is established – the Huawei E392 will select the fastest available network.

4G Network Testing
Unser the LTE network, the E392 could reach speeds of up to 100 Mbit / s download possible in the upload there are still 50 MBit/s. Huawei E392 is not only suitable for all German LTE networks, but also in other countries, such as in Scandinavia and in Australia. When the stick is used in the UMTS network, with DC-HSPA + the speed could reach up to 43.2 Mbit/s – provided at the current location, this speed is also supported. In our test, we was able to achieve in the download about 52 Mbit / s in the Vodafone LTE network in the UMTS network of Telekom there were at least another 30 Mbit / s.  The high data rates are not only marketing, but with appropriate tariff quite achievable in practice. A summary of these fares, we have for you here made for Vodafone, Telecom and O2 together.

The reception of the Huawei E392 is not quite as good as that of the Vodafone K5005 (or sheet K5006) or by Speed ​​Stick LTE Telekom. This appeared in the test actually Einie weaknesses. Makes particularly in marginal areas with unstable reception conditions, the apparent: while the telecom Speed ​​Stick LTE is a 4G connection is possible, shows the Huawei E392 3G networks only as available. In my experience, this is also due to the Huawei E392 can not be rotated into a vertical position where the reception is usually a bit better. If you live in an under-served area, it is advisable to use an external antenna. For it provides the LTE stick two connections for two separate external antennas or MIMO antenna with two antenna connectors – depending on use case.

Conclusion:
Finally, one can see that the Huawei E392 definitely a good LTE stick. Especially for globetrotters,  thanks to the support of all major bands and frequencies, users don’t worry about the compatibility of the network. The pre-installed software can convince with easy operation and quick setup.  Equipped with an alternative connection software, it is also possible to use the Vodafone K5005 with all network operators.

HUAWEI E398 4G LTE FDD Modem Frequency

Most of the customer feel confused about the HUAWEI E398 4G LTE Modem, not because it's latest 4G LTE Surfstick, but it has many different model number followed E398, such HUAWEI E398u-1, E398u-11, E398u-15 and E398u-18, and each of them are configured with different 4G LTE Frequencies.

So if the frequencies are not the same as what was deployed in the specific country, customer can't get 4G Service via this device. Please check below the details of the 4G LTE Frequencies for your reference, hopt it can clear you:


 HUAWEI E398u-1 :  

* 4G LTE FDD  900/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS  900/2100  Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900Mhz


HUAWEI E398u-11:


* 4G LTE FDD  1800/2100/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS  900/2100  Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900Mhz



HUAWEI E398u-15:


* 4G LTE FDD  800/1800/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS  900/2100  Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900Mhz



HUAWEI E398u-18:


* 4G LTE FDD  900/2100/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS  900/2100  Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900Mhz



Vodafone K5005:

* 4G LTE FDD 800/2600 Mhz
* 3G UMTS 900/2100 Mhz
* 2G GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900Mhz



So before you choose the right model, you should confirm the 4G LTE network frequencies in your country and then determine which one is appropriate for you. Above models are what we know till now, perhaps there is other E398u-x, we will keep updated.

HUAWEI E3276 4G LTE Modem - World First Cat4 LTE FDD modem

Huawei is the first in Europe to launch a new type of 4g modem theoretically offers up to 50 percent higher data rates in the Swedish 4G networks. Huawei E3276 4G USB Modem supports speeds up to 150 megabits per second and you first put on the market of telecommunications operator Telia.

Huawei E3276 is a so called Cat4 modem capable of download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second and upload speeds of up to 50 megabits per second. The modem comes with support for all LTE frequency band in Sweden, LTE FDD 800/900/1800/2100/2600 and socket for an external antenna when the user wants to improve the reception. - As a pioneer in integrated 4G solutions, we work for the whole time to develop standards and developing products that provide users with a better user experience. Swedish consumers place high demands on mobile broadband and the new generation of modems, we can offer them the best solution, says Oscar Thunström, sales, sales manager at Huawei Device.

Huawei has developed its own modem circuit for E3276 and claim that they reach both longer battery life and keep a lower heat than previous solutions. The modem also comes with support for 3G and 2G in areas without 4G coverage.

The new USB modem is available from today as an option on all private and business customers who order mobile broadband subscription with Telia.