Upgrade your router — A 5G router can help you get better internet speeds when you’re in range of 5G networks. ZTE MU5001(U) is a new 5G portable WiFi router which supports WiFi6 AX1800 and up to 32 wireless users to access the internet. Based on Qualcomm SDX55 chipset, ZTE MU5001(U) Router can provide high speed connection up to 3800Mbps for wireless terminals. With this review, I didn’t test an external antenna as I found that the Poynting XPOL-1 V2 5G I used with the Netgear didn’t offer any benefits. This makes it quite a pricey device, but actually still a lot cheaper than its main rival (the EE 5G WiFi). So if you don’t need the features of that (highlighted above), the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot is probably the better buy. Conclusion Other specs include support for Wi-Fi 6, plus two ports that you can optionally attach external antennas to (if you want to improve the signal), and one Ethernet port, for if you want to use a wired connection to one of your gadgets.

The antenna must be mounted on the roof of your vehicle. If the standard antenna is too large for your available roof space, we also offer a slim 4G/5G 2×2 external antenna that’s suitable for smaller vehicles. Which ZTE routers work with Maxview’s external antenna? Your ZTE router isn’t giving you the speeds or reliability you need for browsing, navigating, and social media. It's a 5G only antenna (the frequency response is advertised as 3.3-3.8Ghz). The biggest chunk of frequency allocation (and therefore throughput) is in band N78. This is especially true for Three who have the largest amount of spectrum in this band and lowest combined in other bands. Band N78 utilisation should also be lower as it's still relatively new in addition to reduced penetration into buildings due to the higher frequency.The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot has a lot going for it beyond just speed. For one thing, it supports up to 32 simultaneous connections. That means this one little gadget can get up to 32 devices connected to the internet at 5G speeds, all at the same time.

Support operating system: iOS, Android, Windows, Linux Mobile phone/tablet/computer/set-top box etc.. Maxview external antenna connected to ZTE External Router via SMA to TS9 adaptors. Other ways to boost signal strength on a ZTE router Like most mobile broadband devices, the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot is designed to be simple to get up and running. It includes an easy-to-use online interface, so just pop the SIM card in and follow the simple instructions.Alternatively, find an antenna installer to mount and set up your antenna. They’ll be able to set up your antenna in the best position for optimum internet performance. Why should you have to go without your 5G network when travelling? With the ZTE MU5001, you always have the latest mobile communications standard with you and can surf your own WLAN network at up to 1800 Mbit. End devices such as notebooks can be connected to the ZTE MU5001 via the RJ-45 network connection using a LAN cable. The router also offers a USB-C connection for connecting additional devices. If you want to increase the reception even further, the ZTE MU5001 offers the option of connecting an external 5G or LTE antenna to the two TS-9 interfaces. With me so used to phones and their pre-fitted inaccessible batteries, it didn’t occur to me that this would arrive without the battery inside. Embarrassingly, I, therefore, spent about an hour wondering why the device would not take a charge or boot up properly. In short: it’s definitely a strong option, with good battery life and competitive specs, but the competition is fierce, so it’s worth reading this review in full and considering the alternatives too. Design With the ZTE MU5001, up to 30 devices can be supplied with Internet. The modem function can also be used via the USB-C port, but the special feature is the integrated RJ-45 connection. This is a major advantage of the ZTE MU5001 over other mobile routers.

Mobile routers and hotspots like the ZTE MU5120 and MU5002 aren’t compatible with external antennas, as well as the following routers: All in all, while the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot doesn’t have the most exciting of designs, it looks fairly good, and importantly it’s small enough not to be too inconvenient to take out with you. Setup As noted above, Vodafone’s results were 105.2Mbps and 107.4Mbps for average and median respectively. That’s not bad though, still topping O2, which achieved an average of 92.3Mbps and a median of 71Mbps in those tests. Plans And then there’s that 2.4-inch screen we mentioned. With a 320 x 240 resolution it’s crisp and clear, and it’s a colour touchscreen, so you can tweak settings as well as viewing the ZTE MU5001 5G’s status and data use.Adjust internal antennas — Move the antennas that are built into your router to optimise for signal strength. To confirm - this is not a "data SIM" (or Mobile Broadband) but a "phone SIM". Is this an issue? I know that EE limits you to 12 tethered devices, but wasn't there that Ofcom thing which meant that the SIMs should be device agnostic? Surely I should at least be able to get a connection? Dealing with Vodafone customer support on the phone was a nightmare. In hindsight, I would have requested a PAC code and switched to a new provider, automatically cancelling my contract. And as mentioned above there’s a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 colour touchscreen, which is a handy way to keep on eye on the data use, battery life, signal strength and more.

Adding an external antenna to your ZTE router setup is a good way to boost your internet speeds and reliability. This may be important if: That 5G support is arguably the highlight, as it means connected devices can get fibre-like speeds of potentially well over 100Mbps (as long as you’re in an area with 5G coverage).My new ZTE MU5001 MiFi box just arrived and I popped my Three unlimited data mobile phone SIM, but I am only getting 3G, not 4G or 5G. The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot is one of a couple of 5G mobile broadband devices available on UK networks, and the only one available on Vodafone at the time of writing. Beyond that, the Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot also has a 4,500mAh battery, which Vodafone claims offers up to eight hours of life (or possibly up to 8.5 hours – the company has said both). Either way, that’s a lot of life, and enough to keep your gadgets connected all day. I am not able to get 5G in my office, so most of my testing was done on 4G. I have also compared speeds with my Pixel 6 phone and the Netgear NBK752 Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System