Huawei released a series of LTE cubes for LTE-A or LTE-A Pro networks. Some people want to change their 3G router or ADSL router to 4G LTE Router or 4G LTE Cube, however, for those who don’t know well about Huawei routers, they may have trouble to choose the Huawei 4G WiFi router or Huawei LTE Cubes. Huawei B525 and Huawei B528 are two typical WiFi routers, but what’s the difference between Huawei B528 and B525, and which one is better for home or office gateway. In this article, you will find the answer from our comparison.
Huawei B528 VS Huawei B525 Appearance and Interfaces
As the new Huawei LTE Advanced router, Huawei Router B525 is a traditional stationary router. On the front, there are five indicators for Power, Mode, WiFi, LAN, and Signal. The Huawei B525 LTE WiFi router could stand on the desktop and in white or black colors. There are 4 LAN ports (One of them for WAN/LAN), One telephone port and one USB 2.0 port. However, if you see the Huawei B528, you would be attracted by the cool design. The Huawei B528 looks like the latest Huawei B818 5G CPE; they are both in the shape of a column. The white color Huawei B528 makes it look good when standing with the modern furniture. The LED indicators are also available, including Signal, LAN, WiFi, and Power. The power button is below the indicators. On the back, there is only one LAN port (RJ45) and one VoIP port(RJ11).
As the standard configuration for Huawei Router with Ethernet port, two connectors for external antennas are available. The connectors in Huawei B525 are SMA-female while the Huawei B528 has two TS-9 connectors. If you want to buy Huawei B525 antenna, the connector in the antenna should be SMA-male. And if you want to use the antenna with Huawei B528, you need an SMA-to-TS-9 adapter. The two routers both use Micro SIM card size, and the SIM card slots are both located at the bottom of the router. Some customers who are not familiar with the router may don’t know where to plug the SIM card in.
Huawei B525 VS Huawei B528 Specs and Variant Models
If you had read our review about Huawei B525, you may know Huawei B525 has two variant models in the market: B525s-23a and B525s-65a. The Huawei B528 has only one variant model B528s-23a, which is available for Vodafone and get a new name “GigaCube”. From the appearance, you may still have questions about the difference between the two routers and which one is better. Below the table including the specs, interfaces, speed, antenna, manual, datasheet, WLAN, price and other features will tell you.
Model | Huawei B525s-23a/B525s-65a | Huawei B528s-23a |
Product type | LTE WiFi Router | LTE WiFi Router |
Category | LTE Cat.6 | LTE Cat.6 |
Chipset | HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset | HiSilicon Balong 722 |
Data rates | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | B525s-23a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 B525s-65a: Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41 | LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B32, B38 |
WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
Max support users | 64 users | 64 users |
MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO |
Connector for external antenna | Two, SMA-female jacks | Two, TS-9 jacks |
App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Huawei Hilink APP |
SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
Battery | NO | NO |
Dimensions | 163 mm x 52 mm x 226 mm | 105 mm x 90mm x 181 mm |
Interfaces | * 1 x power adapter port * 3 x LAN port(45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA) * One micro-SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port | * 1 x Gigabit LAN (RJ45) * 1 x RJ11 (VoIP) |
Datasheet | Huawei B525 Datasheet | Huawei B528 Datasheet |
User Manual | Huawei B525 Manual | Huawei B528 Manual |
Other features | NAT, DHCP, VPN, SMS, VoIP, CS Voice, Firewall, DMZ, UPnP, ALG, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack | IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack |
Reviews | Huawei B525 Review | Huawei B528s-23a Review |
Price/USD | 299.00USD | 399.00USD |
Conclusion
Huawei B525 and Huawei B528 (Vodafone Gigacube unlocked) are both LTE Cat.6 wireless router, which could achieve downloads speed up to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. Ignoring the appearance and design, the interfaces (Ethernet ports and telephone port) are the main difference which should be the important concern before buying a 4G LTE WiFi Router. If you have many terminals to get network via Ethernet, then Huawei B525 LTE CPE is the right one. If your devices mainly access the internet via WiFi, the Huawei B528 can be considered because it’s really cool as a home router.
They both support maximum WiFi-enabled devices up to 62 users, so you don’t need to worry about the connected device quantity is over the limit. By the way, the Huawei B525 variant models support more LTE frequency bands, which make it work well in more areas after unlocked. To summary, the Huawei B525 is more powerful in practical use while Huawei B528 is attracting in design with same specs.
With the popularity of 4G LTE networks, more and more customers are changing their home routers from ADSL to 4G LTE Gateways. Since Huawei router gateway has a good reputation, many end-users are interested in Huawei home router WiFi. However, some of them are unfamiliar with Huawei 4G LTE routers, which may cause them in trouble when trying to buy a Huawei 4G Router, especially the Huawei routers’ names are very similar, for example, the Huawei B525 and B529. From the model number, you can’t identify what’s the difference between the two routers and which one is better. In this article, you will find the answer.
Huawei B525 VS B529 Appearance and Interfaces
From the model number, you may not know the key difference, but once you get the two router in hand, you may find the two name-similar router are very different. The Huawei B525 is a traditional stationary router. On the front, there are few indicators for the internet connection, power, network mode, signal and WiFi. On the back, there are 4 LAN ports (One of them is for WAN/LAN), one RJ45 telephone and one USB 2.0 port. However, the Huawei B529 HomeNet box looks not like a router; it's in a shape of a cube and looks like a piece of cake, really. The available specific model is Huawei B529s-23a for T-mobile. On the front, there is T-mobile logo with LED indicators of Mode, LAN, WiFi, and Power. Below the LED indicators, the power button and light button. On the back, there is only one Ethernet LAN port for PC with the power plug port. On the upper part, there are two connectors for an external antenna. The connector type is TS-9.
The design of Huawei B529 is very special and we have to mention. In the middle of the Huawei B529, there is a light line which divides the router into two parts. However, unlike its predecessor T-mobile HomeNet box Huawei E5170, the two parts of Huawei B529 cannot be divided. The highlight of Huawei B529 is the built-in battery of 3000mAh, which could let the Huawei B529 working on the go for working around 8-10 hours. The two routers have the similar feature is that the SIM card slot is at the bottom, and they both use micro SIM card size.
Specs and Variant Models To support various LTE frequency bands in different areas, Huawei B525 4g cat6 router has two variant models: Huawei B525s-23a and B525s-65a. Huawei B529 has only one variant model B529s-23a, which is only available for T-mobile. From the appearance, you may not get the key difference and which one is better. Below the table will list the Huawei B525 specs and Huawei B529 specs, and other features. You may reference the two Huawei routers.
Model | Huawei B525s-23a/B525s-65a | Huawei B529s-23a |
Product type | LTE WiFi Router | LTE WiFi Router |
Category | LTE Cat.6 | LTE Cat.6 |
Chipset | HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset | HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset |
Data rates | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | B525s-23a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 B525s-65a: Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41 | Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38 |
WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
Max support users | 64 users | 64 users |
MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO |
Connector for external antenna | Two, SMA-female jacks, buy Huawei B525 Router antenna | Two, TS-9 jacks, buy Huawei B529s-23a external antenna |
App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Huawei Hilink APP |
SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
Battery | NO | Yes, non-removable 3000mAh battery |
Dimensions | 163 mm x 52 mm x 226 mm | 120 x 120 x 125mm |
Interfaces | * 1 x power adapter port * 3 x LAN port(45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA) * One micro-SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port | * 1 x power adapter port * 1 x LAN port(45) * Two external LTE antenna ports (TS-9) * One micro-SIM card slot |
Datasheet | Huawei B525 Datasheet | Huawei B529 Datasheet |
User Manual | Huawei B525 Manual | Huawei B529 Manual |
Other features | NAT, DHCP, VPN, SMS, VoIP, CS Voice, Firewall, DMZ, UPnP, ALG, IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack | DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT |
Reviews | Huawei B525 Review | Huawei B529 Review |
Price/USD | 299.00USD | 299.00 |
Conclusion
The Huawei B525 4G fix router and Huawei B529 cube are same level Huawei 4G routers supporting LTE Category 6, which could achieve download speed up to 300mbps. The main difference is on the interface ports and variant models for different LTE frequency bands. Huawei B525 has more Ethernet ports and a telephone port for more terminals. And the Huawei B525s-65a covers all the LTE bands on Huawei B529S-23a. So if you don’t focus on the built-in battery in Huawei B529 Router, the Huawei B525 would be the right one for your home or office. The advantage of Huawei B529 is the non-removable battery, which can make users to take the router outdoor or using it on the go. If you don’t need the Ethernet port or telephone port in Huawei B525, Huawei B529 Router would be the right one for you.
After the release of Netgear Aircard 810s, Netgear then presents the fastest mobile WiFi hotspot Nighthawk M1. The two mobile WLAN hotspots are well-known because they are with very fast LTE modems, which makes Netgear Wireless dominates the wireless gadgets equipment. Based on Qualcomm high-level chipset, the AirCard 810 Hotspot can achieve downlink up to 600 Mbit/s while the Nighthawk M1 can even reach up to 1 GBit/s in the downlink. The Nighthawk M1 also has the advanced features, but even the AirCard 810 hotspot has its advantages, as this comparison shows.
The Netgear AirCard 810 LTE Router has been available in many countries for a few years. When it’s first available in the market, it’s the fastest LTE hotspot (LTE Cat11, up to 600 Mbit/s). In our test, the AC810 proves its ability for wireless connection. The Netgear Nighthawk M1 is to be regarded as a direct successor to the AirCard 810 hotspot and has been officially available in the market since the second half of 2017. However, the concept of the AirCard series was only partially continued, and the Nighthawk open a new series for Netgear LTE advanced Pro gadgets.
The design of the two Netgear LTE hotspots is very different. The AirCard 810 router is significantly smaller than the Nighthawk M1, but still comparatively large for a mobile LTE hotspot. The big touchscreen display on the front of the AC810 catches the eye. The Nighthawk M1 also has a very eye-catching display, but the round screen has no touch function. On the display, the AirCard 810 router seems has more advantages.
In terms of connections, the Nighthawk M1 mobile router is far ahead than Aircard 810. In addition to USB Type C for charging and connecting to the computer, the M1 offers a standard USB port for use as a power bank (charging other devices) as well as an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN port. Both WLAN hotspots are equipped with two TS-9 connections, to which an external mobile radio antenna can be connected. The battery is changeable in both devices; the Nighthawk M1 has a much stronger battery of 5040mAh, compared with the AC810 2930mAh battery capacity. In addition, the two mobile routers use SIM size in Micro SIM card.
On the datasheet, the Qualcomm LTE modem in the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is significantly more powerful than the AirCard 810 router. The Nighthawk M1 not only supports up to fourfold channel bundling (4CC CA), but also the 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology. The AirCard 810 Router can handle a maximum of three carrier aggregation and 2 × 2 MIMO. The 256QAM modulation is available in both two routers.
In practice, the maximum speed was limited more by the mobile network than by the router, so there were hardly any differences between the two devices (tested with unlimited rates from Vodafone and Telekom). However, there were differences in "simple" LTE reception without channel bundling. Here, the Nighthawk M1 was often a little faster on the go. Even in the UMTS network, the Nighthawk M1 has usually made a little faster speed in the downlink than the AC810. By the way, GSM/2G cannot be handled in both hotspots.
The Netgear Nighthawk M1 offers the slightly better wireless network performance compared to the AirCard 810 router and the slightly better gross data rates, as shown by the test with multiple devices. Both devices support WLAN at dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. There is a difference in the maximum number of devices simultaneously connected via WLAN: up to 20 simultaneous users are possible with the Nighthawk M1, only 15 with the AC810. Both the Netgear AC810 and the Netgear Nighthawk M1 offer a so-called offload function, also known as "WLAN Extender". As an alternative to the integrated mobile modem, the user can use an existing WLAN connection as Internet access. In the case of the Nighthawk M1, Internet access can alternatively also be established via the RJ45 LAN interface. The offload function is particularly interesting in hotels, at events or in the home and can help to save data volume on the mobile rate.
In terms of operation and configuration, the two Netgear LTE routers differ only minimally. Of course, the AirCard 810 hotspot offers the advantage of the touchscreen display, so some settings can be made conveniently directly on the router. With the Nighthawk M1, you either have to call up the web interface via a browser or use the Netgear Mobile App (available for Android and iOS). If you want to change the AC810 more than just basic things, you have to use the web interface or the app there as well.
The web interface offers a bit more features compared to the Netgear Nighthawk M1, but the AC810 is by no means badly positioned here. Both devices are easy and uncomplicated to use, the app is suitable for less technically savvy users, maybe even better for the operation than the web interface.
In direct comparison, the Nighthawk M1 is clearly the better router. The modem is better and provides for higher data rates than average, there is an RJ45 LAN connection and the battery has been improved significantly compared to the AirCard 810 again. The waiver of a touch screen is a pity, even though, it’s still given the high price of around 459.00USD. With WLAN, the Nighthawk M1 also offers advantages over the AC810, the range is slightly better and the data rates are higher in many situations.
Anyone who is prepared to pay the currently quite high price, clearly gets the better mobile hotspot Nighthawk M1. But the AirCard 810 router is still far from being old-fashioned: Compared to the Nighthawk M1, the 810s aircard offers a more compact and pocket-compatible size and can be operated via touchscreen. You do not have to know too much about the technology, the software is largely identical. For around 250USD, you will not get disappointed with the AC810.
Till the November 2017, Netgear Nighthawk M1 was always the fastest 4G LTE Pocket WiFi in the market. With the support of download speed of 1Gigabit per second and 150Mbps for upload, Netgear Nighthawk M1 is very popular in the users who are looking for high-speed terminals to work with LTE advanced Pro networks. With the release of a new 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Huawei E5788, Netgear Nighthawk M1 has a challenging competitor.
Huawei E5 mobile hotspots are always the most popular wireless routers all over the world. Now the most advanced Huawei E5788 comes with Huawei advanced LTE technology. Today we will have a look at what the new LTE hotspot bring to us and what’s the difference between the two Gigabit LTE mobile routers.
Appearance If you already have known the Netgear Nighthawk M1, you may know the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is in a square shape with LAN port. The Huawei E5788 doesn’t have the LAN port, it seems to be upgraded from the Huawei E5786 LTE cat6 mobile hotspot. Huawei E5788 has a 2.4-inch color touchscreen to show the information about the connection in square shape while Netgear Nighthawk M1 has also same size screen but in round shape. The power button of Netgear Nighthawk M1 is to switch the menu.
The SIM card slot of Huawei E5788 is at the side of the device while the Nighthawk M1 design the SIM card slot in the inner part under the battery, which is similar to the predecessor Netgear Aircard 810s. They both have two TS-9 connectors for external 4G LTE antenna in case of use in weak signal areas.
Battery The Huawei E5788 has a built-in battery of 3000mAh while the Netgear Nighthawk M1 has a removable battery of 5040mAh. What’s more, the Nighthawk M1 can charge other electric devices on the large battery. Whether the Huawei E5788 has the same function is not mentioned by the official sayings. Technical Specifications We summarize the main technical features of the two high-level LTE mobile routers as below:
Model | Huawei E5788u-96a | Netgear Nighthawk M1 |
Product type | LTE Mobile Hotspot | LTE Mobile Hotspot |
Category | LTE Cat.16 | LTE Cat.16 |
Chipset | Qualcomm MDM9250 | Qualcomm MDM9x50 |
Data rates | DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps | DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps |
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | * FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28 * TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42 | -- Telstra Nighthawk: Band 1/3/7/8/28 -- AT&T Nighthawk: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66 |
WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
Max support users | 32 users | 20 users |
MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO |
Connector for external antenna | No connector | Two, TS-9 jacks |
Buy Antenna | N/A | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Antenna |
App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Netgear Aircard APP |
SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
Battery | Non-removable, 3000mAh | Removable, 5040 mAh |
Dimensions | 129 x 65 x 13.5mm | 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm |
Ethernet Port | No | On port for LAN port(RJ-45) |
Datasheet download | Huawei E5788 Datahseet | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Datasheet |
User Manual | Huawei E5788 Manual | Netgear Nighthawk M1 Manual |
Other features | 4CC CA | 4 band CA, JumpBoost |
Firmware download | Huawei E5788 Firmware | Nighthawk M1 Firmware |
Drivers | Huawei E5788 Driver | Nighthawk M1 Driver |
Reviews | Huawei E5788 Review | Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review |
Price | 499.00USD | 459.00USD |
From the technical specifications, we can see the two Gigabit LTE routers have very similar functions. The supported LTE frequency bands are different for various LTE networks in different areas. Here now, the Netgear Nighthawk M1 is available in the market and has gained a very good reputation. The Huawei E5788u-96a(first released model) is not yet available. But we suppose it would be available son around the beginning of 2018. And who will be the winner, the market will tell.
More and more network providers worldwide are upgrading their networks to LTE Advanced LTE-A Pro. So the end-users of the wireless devices are also demanding the higher-level LTE equipment. Huawei had supplied many LTE Cat.3 and Cat.4 routers to the network providers. And now the Huawei LTE advanced and LTE-A pro routers are becoming more and more popular. Huawei B315 and Huawei E5186 are two typical Huawei 4G wireless Routers ; However, many people do not know what the difference between LTE wireless routers is. Today, we will check what is the difference between them and which one is better.
Huawei E5186 Huawei VS B315 Appearance and Interfaces
Huawei B315 and E5186 LTE CPE are both traditional stationary router. On the front, there are few LED indicators such as Power, mode, WiFi, signal and Voice (on E5186). On the back, there are 4 LAN ports (One for LAN/WAN), One USB2.0 port, and two connectors for an external antenna. The Huawei B315s-22 has only one telephone port while Huawei E5186 modem has two telephone ports and has voice indicator on the front. The connectors in the two routers for the external antenna are SMA type. If you would buy Huawei B315 external antenna, you can refer to the 4G LTE Outdoor Antenna with two SMA connectors. The antenna could also be used with Huawei E5186 LTE Router.
The Huawei E5186 WiFi router uses Micro SIM card, while Huawei B315 uses Standard SIM card. The SIM card slot of Huawei E5186 modem is located at the edge side while the B315 LTE CPE SIM slot is at the back. The label of the B315 router is at the bottom side while the Huawei E5186 router label is located between the two external antenna connectors.
Huawei B315 VS Huawei E5186 Specs and Variant models
To meet the various LTE frequency bands from different network providers, the Huawei E5186 modem and B315 LTE CPE both have variant models. Huawei E5186 has two sub-models now: E5186s-22a and E5186s-61a. The Huawei B315 LTE CPE has more variant models: B315s-22, B315s-607, B315s-936, B315s-608 etc...The interfaces may vary on the variant models. From the appearance and interfaces, we can’t find which one is better. In the table below, the Huawei E5186 specs and Huawei B315s specs are listed, which are the key of the LTE features.
Model | Huawei B315s | Huawei E5186 |
Product type | LTE WiFi Router with Ethernet port | LTE WiFi Router |
Category | LTE Cat.4 | LTE Cat.6 |
Chipset | Hisilicon Balong | HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset |
Data rates | DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | * Huawei B315s-22: 4G LTE B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B38 * Huawei B315s-607: 4G Band 1/3/7/8/28/40 * Huawei B315s-936: 4G Band 1/3/40/41 * Huawei B315s-608: 4G Band 1/3/5/7/28 | Huawei E5186s-22a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/38 Huawei E5186s-61a: Band 3/7/28/40 |
WLAN | 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
Max supported users | 32 users | 64 users |
MIMO | n/a | 2 x 2 MIMO |
Connector for external antenna | Two, SMA-female jacks | Two, SMA-female jacks |
Buy Antenna | Huawei B315 external antenna | Huawei E5186 external antenna |
App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Huawei Hilink APP |
SIM Size | Standard SIM | Micro SIM |
Battery | No | NO |
Dimensions | 186.0mm x 139.0mm x 46.0mm | 190 mm × 200 mm × 32 mm |
Interfaces | * 1 x power adapter port * 3 x LAN port(RJ45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11)(depends) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5) * One SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port(depends) | * 3 x LAN port(45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (45) * 2 x telephone port(RJ11) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5) * One micro-SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port |
Datasheet | Huawei B315 Datasheet(PDF) | Huawei E5186 Datasheet(PDF) |
User Manual | Huawei B315 Manual(PDF) | Huawei E5186 User Manual(PDF) |
Other features | VoIP, DHCP, NAT, IPv6/IPv4 dual stack, Firewall, Port forwarding, DMZ, ALG, Remote management | Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN |
Firmware download | Huawei B315s Firmware | Huawei E5186 firmware |
Driver | Huawei B315s driver | Huawei E5186 driver |
Reviews | Huawei B315 Review | Huawei E5186 Review |
Price/USD | 169.00 | 259.00USD |
Conclusion
Huawei B315 has more variant models than Huawei E5186. And the sub-models cover more frequency bands and have more band combination than Huawei E5186 two variant models. However, as we can see in the table, the Huawei E5186 could support peak download speed up to 300mbps, which is almost the double speed than that of B315 LTE CPE. With carrier aggregation and LTE Cat.6 chipset, Huawei E5186 would support maximum up to 64 wireless users while Huawei B315 would support only 32 users. So the Huawei E5186 price would be higher than Huawei B315 price. Huawei E5186 is more advanced for LTE advanced networks. So if you want to buy a Huawei 4G Router with faster speed, Huawei E5186 would be the right one. If you just need a router with decent speed and price is also concerned, Huawei B315 should be considered.