HTC 5G Hub Router Review

HTC 5G Hub is an innovative device that combines the functions of a 5G WiFi router, a Android Tablet, and a multimedia speaker. The built-in high-capacity battery makes it easy to take HTC 5G Hub on the road and surf the Internet wherever you have a reliable 4G / 5G signal. Supports the popular European 5G standard n78 The HTC 5G router supports the 5G n78 standard, which occupies the frequency range of 3300–3800 MHz. The maximum speed of the HTC 5G Hub Internet connection in the fifth generation networks reaches 2.63 Gbps per reception, which is significantly higher than the available 4G speeds.   When working in 4G networks, the 5G router supports the LTE Band 3 and LTE Band 7 standards, which are used by all domestic operators. A wide range of operating frequencies allows HTC 5G Hub to operate not only in Asia, but also in other European countries. The router is equipped with a slot for a Nano-SIM card and is not tied to a specific operator. The HTC 5G Hub can be freely used in the networks in Europe and Asia.   Android platform and LCD touchscreen with enhanced color reproduction The router-hub runs on the Android 9 Pie operating system, which makes HTC 5G Hub similar to tablet computers and smart home devices. The high performance of the device is ensured by the use of an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and a modern 5G Snapdragon X50 5G modem. HTC 5G Hub is equipped with a 5-inch high-definition touchscreen (1280x720), which allows you to not only configure the router, but also display graphics, play videos and launch various Android applications. Built-in dual speakers (90dB) play music, radio or other audio in high quality. The manufacturer declared support for broadcasting 4K video to an external screen (for example, your TV) and optimization for online games. VPN can be used to connect to a secure corporate environment. The high-speed WiFi module supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards (2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies), as well as the rather rare 802.11ad standard (60 GHz frequencies). The Internet Center is designed for simultaneous operation with 20 wireless devices. Also, the router is equipped with a Bluetooth 5.0 module for connecting a wireless headset. A gigabit LAN port is available for wired connection to devices (computer, Smart TV, game console, etc.). The multifunctional USB Type-C port can be used to charge the battery, transfer data, connect an external storage or display (DisplayPort support). Autonomous operation of the router is ensured by the built-in 7660 mAh battery. Thus, HTC 5G Hub owners can freely take the device with them on the road and use it as a mobile router. According to the manufacturer, one battery charge should be enough for the whole day of intensive use of the router. Controlling HTC 5G Hub with your voice The advanced features of the 5G hub include a motion sensor and support for voice commands. When used with add-on software and an external display, the HTC 5G Hub can function as a game console, including cloud PC gaming. Due to its portability and light weight, HTC's 5G router is perfect for home, office, car, or on vacation. The body of the HTC 5G Hub is made of soft-touch plastic. The ergonomics of the device are thought out to the smallest detail. The HTC 5G Hub expands the capabilities of your mobile router by introducing a hub device that can replace your tablet PC, wireless speaker and voice assistant. In addition to creating a wireless network with access to the mobile Internet, HTC 5G Hub can be used as an independent gadget that does not require the connection of peripheral devices.  

HTC 5G Hub Router Specifications
Frequency ranges	LTE FDD: Band 1/3/7/8/32 (2100/1800/2600/900/1500 MHz) LTE TDD: Band 38/40 (2600/2300 MHz) 5G TDD: Band n78 (3500 MHz)
Maximum speed of mobile connection	reception up to 2.63 Gbps, transmission up to 287 Mbps
SIM format	Nano-SIM
WiFi frequency bands	2.4GHz, 5GHz, 60GHz
WiFi standards	802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad
Maximum number of WiFi client devices	20 (802.11ad AP supports 4 devices)
Bluetooth standard	Bluetooth 5.0
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (Snapdragon X50 5G Modem)
RAM	4 GB
Built-in memory	32 GB
operating system	Android 9.0
Connectors	1 x LAN 1 x USB Type-C (with DisplayPort support) 1 x MicroSD 1 x Nano-SIM
Ethernet	10/100/1000 Mbps
LCD screen	5-inch touch (capacitive) screen with 1280x720 resolution
Additional features	stereo speakers (90 dB), motion sensor, Google Assistant support
Power (adapter)	12V, 2.5A
Battery	7660mAh, built-in
The size	128 x 100 x 43 mm
The weight	340 g
Equipment	router, power adapter, USB cable, manual

Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 Router Test

The 5G router Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 (model number: H122-373) is now available in many countries since 2020. The device can use all currently available cellular technologies and, at around 450USD without a contract, is significantly cheaper than the previous Huawei 5G CPE Pro.  

Appearance

The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 is package in a simple box. In addition to the 5G WiFi router itself, it includes a power supply unit with a permanently connected power cable (output: 12V / 2A) and a short LAN cable. A printed, multilingual quick guide is also included, which is easy to understand thanks to some graphics. At first glance, the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 hardly differs from an ordinary 4G LTE router such as the Huawei B618 or Huawei B818. The Huawei 5G WiFi router is relatively compact and, thanks to the white plastic body in the cube design, quite inconspicuous. Only a large 5G logo on the top reveals that it is a top modern 5G router.

Weak point connections

On the back of the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 there are two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, one of which can also be used as a WAN port. This is useful, for example, if you want to use an existing cable or DSL modem. There is also a connection for the power supply unit and an RJ11 telephone connection on the back. Unfortunately, the telephone function may be deactivated in the software of the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 H122-373 offered in some countries. The slot for the nano SIM card is located on the underside. This is protected by a rubber cover. Incidentally, the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 can be used with any SIM card; there is no SIM lock for the router models.   A reset button and a power button are also located on the bottom. In addition to the SIM card slot, there is also a USB Type-C connection. The connections are certainly one of the biggest points of criticism of the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2. With the LAN connections, at least a connection with a higher performance than 1 GBit/s would have made sense, after all, the router can theoretically achieve data rates of up to 3.6 GBit/s in the 5G network. Even in practice, speeds of over 1 GBit/s are not uncommon.   In addition, many users will miss connections for an external antenna. It is true that the use of an external antenna in 5G operation only makes limited sense, as a large number of frequency ranges are often bundled and more than 2 × 2 MIMO is used. Unfortunately, there is also no USB port, for example to integrate storage media into the network.

LEDs and fans

On the front of the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 there are some LEDs that signal the operating status and the reception strength. So you can easily see in which network technology (4G or 5G) the router is working. There is also an optically subtle LED on the underside, which Huawei calls "Ambient Light". However, this LED light strip does not apparently fulfill a special function; Since the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 can apparently get relatively warm during operation, Huawei has installed an active fan. In the test, however, this was not audible even in longer 5G operation.

Test in the 5G network

A total of 11 different 5G frequency bands are supported by the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2, including the bands n1, n3, n7, n28 and n78, which are relevant for Europe and Asia. 4G LTE Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28 and 32 are supported in LTE operation. This means that the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 has very good compatibility with current and future cellular networks.   The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 is currently one of only a few end devices that can use the 5G band n28 in conjunction with LTE band 20 as an anchor. Vodafone is expanding 5G band n28, especially in rural areas, as it enables very high ranges. This makes the router, which Vodafone markets as “Gigacube 5G”, ideal for 5G in rural areas. In the test with a SIM card in the telecommunications network, the router ran smoothly on the frequency bands n1 and n78, of course always in NSA mode with an LTE cell as an anchor. In theory, however, the router can also use 5G SA as soon as a corresponding core network is available.   The speeds were very good both in 5G operation and in LTE operation. In the downlink, around 1 Gbit/s in the downlink and around 160 Mbit/s in the uplink were possible via 5G using band n78. When using band n1, up to 450 Mbit/s was achieved in the downlink. The latency times were pleasantly short, sometimes well below 15 milliseconds. In the LTE network, up to 450 Mbit/s in the downlink and up to 95 Mbit/s in the uplink were achieved. The router could not be tested in the Vodafone 5G network due to the lack of a suitable 5G SIM card.

Very good WiFi connection

The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 supports the new WiFi 6 standard and theoretically achieves up to 2402 Mbit/s in the frequency range around 5 GHz and up to 574 Mbit/s in the frequency range around 2.4 GHz. In practice, the data rates are usually significantly lower. As it turned out in the test, most WiFi 6 end devices can only use lower bandwidths, for example because instead of 4 × 4 MIMO only 2 × 2 MIMO antenna technology is used. Nevertheless, the router with WiFi 6 is significantly faster than older router models and with a current WiFi 6 device, data rates of around 1 Gbit/s can be achieved quickly, for example with the Samsung Galaxy S20 or the Oneplus 8 Pro. In addition to the speed, the WLAN range was also convincing in the test. A large apartment can be supplied without any problems, unless there are super thick walls between the devices. In theory, other WiFi routers can also be combined to form a mesh network via the Huawei HiLink Mesh service. The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 can supply up to 128 devices simultaneously with a WLAN connection. The WLAN network on 5 GHz is preferred by the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 by default, i.e. even if you explicitly connect to the 2.4 GHz network, the connection is established on 5 GHz, provided the end device supports this frequency range. The user benefits from significantly higher speeds, but can of course also deactivate the function in the web interface if necessary. 

Software and operation

The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 can either be configured via the Huawei AI Life app (Android and iOS) or via the web interface (IP: 192.168.8.1). Both the app and the web interface are visually appealing and easy to use. All important functionalities are available, including, for example, the ability to call up statistics on the Internet connection or information on the connected devices. Basically, a little more functions are available via the web interface than via the app. For example, there are functions such as bridge mode or the option of routing the Internet connection via a VPN. More common functions such as guest WiFi can also be configured via the app.       Overall, the range of functions is unfortunately relatively limited, especially professionals and network experts will certainly miss some functions. It starts, for example, with a simple time switch for the WLAN and goes through to manual technology or frequency band selection for the modem. None of this is possible with the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2.     Not even meaningful information about the currently used radio cell can be read out. Windows users can at least help themselves with the unofficial tool "LTE-Watch H", which can read out more detailed information about the connection.     

Conclusion on the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2

The Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 made a very good impression in the test. The device is very fast in both the 5G network and the LTE network and, thanks to WiFi 6, passes the internet connection on to connected end devices just as quickly. Operation is very easy thanks to the stylish app and clearly structured web interface. The weak points are the connections (only Gigabit LAN, no connections for an external antenna) and the comparatively small range of functions of the software. If you can live with these points of criticism, you can get a very good 5G router for around 450USD.

Apple Released Four new 5G iPhone Models

Apple presented four new iPhone 12s at its keynote today. All the Apple new iPhones including the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max come with 5G support. iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini The new iPhone 12 is equipped with a 6.1-inch XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels. Although the display diagonal is identical to the iPhone 11, the new iPhone 12 is 15 percent smaller, 11 percent thinner and 16 percent lighter than its predecessor. The screen of the more compact iPhone 12 mini measures 5.4 inches and has a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. What is new is the coating known as "Ceramic Shield", which, according to Apple, should protect the device four times better in the event of a fall. Inside is the new Apple A14 Bionic, the first 5G smartphone SoC with a 5 nm process. According to the manufacturer, it has a 50 percent faster processor that consists of two performance and four efficiency cores. The GPU is 50 percent faster and consists of four cores. The Neural Engine should work 80 percent faster. In addition, all iPhones 12 support the new 5G cellular standard.   Both the Apple 5G iPhone are equipped with a dual camera on the back, which consists of 12 megapixel wide-angle and 12 megapixel ultra-wide angle. Among other things, it offers improved Smart HDR and a night mode. Also new is a magnetic ring on the back called MagSafe, which holds a charger in place magnetically. The iPhone 12 starts at 900USD, the iPhone mini from 800USD. Pre-orders will be possible for the iPhone 12 from October 16, and for the iPhone 12 mini from November 6.   iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max The two new Pro models naturally offer all the essential features of the smaller models - and more. The iPhone 12 Pro also has a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 12 Pro Max even one with a 6.7-inch diagonal. The special features are to be found mainly on the back, where Apple installs a triple camera. It consists of wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto camera (all with Deep Fusion). The iPhone 12 Pro Max also delivers even better pictures in the dark. It starts with the iPhone 12 Pro with 128 GB from 1499USD on October 16. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is available for pre-order starting November 6th, starting at 1599USD.

ZTE MC801A 5G Indoor CPE Review

Following the first generation 5G router ZTE MC801, ZTE MC801A is a compact and powerful 2nd generation 5G router that lets you easily connect a high-speed connection to your devices wirelessly or with high-speed Ethernet connectors. ZTE MC801A is based on Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 chipset, which has an adequate reserve of computing power and a special structural design and core parts help keeping power consumption low, allowing for stable operation. In addition, specially designed Chimney Venting provides supreme dissipate heat efficiency. Fan-less design brings quiet environment   ZTE MC801A supports both NSA and SA 5G networks and the router is compatible with 4G and 5G mainstream standards. The ZTE 5G CPE enables consumers to enjoy the advantages of ultra-fast 5G networks and rich 5G services and advantages, such as less congestion, reduced video buffering, continuous HD video streaming and more consistent connectivity.   And it supports the latest WiFi 6 standard, i.e...802.11ax on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. So users can fully enjoy the highest available data transmission rate for wireless connected devices. In this new ZTE 5G WiFi router, better antenna design supported by ZTE “Smart ANT” algorithm is adopted, which allows the 5G CPE to choose better signals independently.   ZTE MC801A CPE is easily configurable via a web browser from any computer. For advanced users, a wide range of network functions is provided, allowing for any configuration of the device for home and business applications. Users can also manage the router via ZTElink APP, which can be download through app market from Android & Ios. Below are the details specifications of ZTE MC801A 5G Indoor CPE for reference:  

• Chipset: Qualcomm® 5G SDX55M
• CPU: CPU (cores): Cortex A7 up to 1.4GHz
• sub6G: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n40/n78/n79
• LTE FDD: B1/B3/B7/B8
• LTE TDD: B40
• UMTS: B1/B2/B5/B8
• 5G Speeds: DL 3.8 Gbit/s and UL 542 Mbit/s
• 4G Speeds: DL 2.4 Gbit/s and UL 316 Mbit/s
• Two connectors for external antenna
• Wi-Fi/WLAN: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Support maximum up to 30 WiFi-enabled devices
• SIM card: NANO-SIM
• Size: 182 x 124 x 70mm
• Weight: 632g
• Power Supply: DC 12V / 1.5A
• Interface: RJ45 Port x2, RJ11 VoLTE Port x1
• What’s included:
  • ZTE MC801A CPE x 1
  • Power Adapter x 1
  • Quick Guide x 1
  • Ethernet Cable x1

Zyxel Released New 5G Indoor and Outdoor Routers

The network specialist Zyxel released three new 5G routers for indoor and outdoor use. The model NR5101 is designed as a classic indoor 5G router, the model NR7101 is intended for outdoor use and the Zyxel N2101 is a 5G Pocket WiFi router. All the devices are compatible with several 5G frequency bands and also support 4G/LTE networks as fallback. Zyxel NR5101 indoor 5G router If you are looking for a 5G router for stationary use in the building, you should take a closer look at the NR5101 from Zyxel. The device offers support for all important 5G frequency bands and can also use LTE in the gigabit range. In 5G operation, data rates of up to 2.34 GBit/s can be achieved in the download, up to 1.2 GBit/s are possible in the uplink.

 

   

 

 

 The Zyxel NR5101 has two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections and 6 integrated antennas for mobile radio. WLAN is of course also supported; users can use the latest WiFi 6 standard with up to 1.8 GBit/s. Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR5101 5G router: 

 

 * FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks 

 * Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode 

 * 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps 

 * DL 4x4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE 

 * Built-in 6 high-efficiency 4G/5G antennas 

 * WiFi 6, AX1800 2.4 GHz/5 GHz dual-band concurrent 

 * Two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports 

 * Bridge and router modes, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack 

 * Remote management through TR-069 and SSH 

 * Micro/3FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved  

 

 

Zyxel NR7101 outdoor 5G router

 

Like the competitor model Huawei 5G CPE Win, Zyxel NR7101 router is equipped with an outdoor unit, which has IP67 protection against water. If no reception is possible in the house, the Zyxel NR7101 can be installed outdoors and thus ensure reliable Internet access even in poorly connected regions. The outdoor router can reach speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps over 5G. The 5G bands n1, n3, n7, n8, n20, n28 in the FDD mode and the bands n41, n77, n78 and n79 in the TDD mode are supported. The NR7101 router also supports LTE and 3G. In LTE mode, even 5CA is supported in the downlink and 2CA in the uplink, and the device can also use 4 × 4 MIMO. Details can be found

 

 

 

 

 

The Zyxel 5G router only offers a WLAN function for administration, which also makes sense in view of the outdoor installation. The signal is transported via RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, so that a separate WLAN router can then be installed in the building. Power is also supplied via RJ45 Ethernet (Power over Ethernet, PoE). Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR7101 5G router: 

 

 * FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks 

 * Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode 

* Support 5G frequency bands：n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n41/n77/n78/n79 

 * Support 4G frequency bands: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43/B48 

 * Support 3G frequency bands: B1/2/3/5/8 

* DL CA: - DL 2xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 3xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 4xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 5xCA: intra-band and inter-band within 4 bands 

 * UL CA: UL 2xCA: intra-band contiguous 

 * DL 4x4 MIMO: B1/3/7/38/40/41/42/43 

 * DL 256-QAM: Yes 

 * UL 64-QAM: Yes 

 * MIMO (UL/DL): 1x4 

 * WiFi AP: 802.11ax 2x2 

 * 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps 

 * DL 4x4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE 

 * Built-in 6 high-gain 4G/5G antennas of up to 9 dBi per element 

 * Standard 802.3af Gigabit PoE LAN port 

 * Hardened IP67-certified enclosure with industrial-grade components 

 * Micro/3FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved 

 * Bridge and router modes, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack 

 * Remote management through TR-069 and SSH

 

 

Zyxel NR2101 5G mobile WiFi router

 

Besides the NR7101 and NR5101 Router, Zyxel also presented a 5G mobile WiFi router and the model is NR2101. It also supports the latest 5G technology, supporting many 5G frequency bands with 4G LTE networks backward compatible. NR2101 5G Router supports WiFi 6 with dual-band WLAN.

 

   

 

 

As a 5G pocket WiFi router, the Zyxel NR2101 has a removable battery of 5300mAh, which can provide working time up to 10 hours. In addition, one RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port is available in this device, which is missing in the competitor model Huawei 5G mobile WiFi. Below are the general Specifications of Zyxel NR7101 5G router: 

 

 * FWA solutions for 4G & 5G mobile networks 

 * Supports 5G Non-Standalone & Standalone mode 

* Support 5G frequency bands：n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n41/n77/n78/n79 

 * Support 4G frequency bands: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43/B48 

 * Support 3G frequency bands: B1/2/3/5/8 

* DL CA: - DL 2xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 3xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 4xCA: intra-band and inter-band - DL 5xCA: intra-band and inter-band within 4 bands 

 * UL CA: UL 2xCA: intra-band contiguous

 * DL 4x4 MIMO: B1/3/7/38/40/41/42/43

 * DL 256-QAM: Yes

 * UL 64-QAM: Yes

 * MIMO (UL/DL): 1x4

 * WiFi AP: 802.11ax 2x2

 * 5G DL 2.34 Gbps UL 1.2 Gbps

 * DL 4x4 MIMO, 5G NR and LTE

 * Built-in 6 high-efficiency 4G/5G antennas

 * WiFi 6, AX1800 2.4 GHz/5 GHz dual-band concurrent

 * One RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports

 * Power: USB 5V

 * 5300 mAh removable battery provides up to 10 hours working time

 * 2.4” touch screen

 * Nano/4FF SIM card slot with eUICC/eSIM reserved  

 

 

Availability Time and Price

 

It is not yet clear when the three new Zyxel 5G routers will be available in the market. And we also don’t know the Zyxel 5G router prices. We will update the info once there is news here.