Upgrade from Archer MR600 to a HUAWEI LTE CPE B818-263?

[Lucian]

Don't use the app, it's not great. Things are best configured from the web UI.
For the antenna connections it sucks they had to go with TS9 instead of the more robust SMA connectors, you'll need some ts9 to sma adapters (pigtails).

 

[tims20]

I recently tried exactly the same as my MR600 seems to require a reboot every couple of days. I went for the B818-263. I would not recommend ditching your 600 unless you are having problems with it.

Setup with the 818 was not straightforward (language setting aside).

The Huawei mobile app is buggy - It was reporting an error when I was creating the connection profile but when I later logged in to the device through the web GUI, it had indeed been working as there were numerous duplicate profiles. It took about 30 minutes of fiddling before the B818 would actually let me connect to the internet.

The B818 has an unusual external antenna connection so I could not use my poynting with SMA connectors, which is installed in the loft (not outside).

My speed dropped from a fairly consistent 40/20 with the MR600 (similar speeds on my mobile phone) to 15/20 with the B818.

I found the web gui to be relatively awful, although there's not much to be said for the Archer either in that regard.

I did not test WiFi performance as I use separate access points attached to my main router.

I shall be returning the B818.

Never tried the app on my B818 - from a cursory look couldn't see it would add much of use over and above the web ui?

Antenna connections are smaller TS9; you'll need adapters for your SMA antenna:

These: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eightwood-...=1&keywords=ts9+adapter&qid=1606205652&sr=8-4

or: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antenna-St...=1&keywords=ts9+adapter&qid=1606205652&sr=8-3 perhaps

Recommend trying it with your external antenna as presumably that's helping your MR600.

 

[GaryW]

For the connection to TS9 on the B818, definitely go for pigtails (rather than solid adapters) to avoid putting strain on the connectors. Also, space is tight and they're recessed so go for ones with compact straight (rather than right-angle) TS9 plugs.

 

[Jabra]

I'll give the directional antenna a go first, see how I get on with that. I'll report back with my finding, incase it helps someone else in the future.

I've had the Omni antenna unplugged for a couple of days now (as I know what I should be looking at, rather than the just concentrating on the routers signal bars) and there is actually very little in it compared to the MR600's onboard ones. I actually think the RSRP is a little better without it. In the high 90's still but I haven't seen it in the -100's

 

[GavinAshford]

That kind of suggests that your building/windows aren't putting up much of a barrier for the signal power, compared to what gains the antenna will be giving minus the losses of the cable.

 

[bonehead999]

Have used the adaptors without pigtails working on the assumption of least loss.
48 hours in and so far the B818 is slightly slower on average than the MR600 (37/18 versus 41/21). Antenna is in exactly the same place as it was with the MR600.

 

[Buggerlugz]

That kind of suggests that your building/windows aren't putting up much of a barrier for the signal power, compared to what gains the antenna will be giving minus the losses of the cable.

Sitting my B535 outside on the window ledge doesn't give me any better signal figures, so I thought the expense of a directional antenna would be a waste of money.

 

[cgwhite]

Just thought I would comment here. I had a 618 and have just upgraded to an 818. You need LTE H-Monitor to configure the 818 correctly. It tries to automatically have all bands enabled for downloading and that completely screws things. You need to just have those bands that your mast is pushing out enabled. normally 1, 3 or 20 if you are in rural areas. I too get the signal dropping and have just put a post up about it if anyone can throw any light on it. The 818 with an external directional Poynting aerial works really well.

Here is an image of the change from internal to external aerials:

Regards Chris. Stay Safe.

 

[GavinAshford]

Sitting my B535 outside on the window ledge doesn't give me any better signal figures, so I thought the expense of a directional antenna would be a waste of money.

As usual "it depends" is generally the response... a suitable antenna that is designed to improve gain in a given frequency might help improve metrics, but those improvements might be minimal and not actually result in any meaningful differences in speed (which i guess is the aim for most people), whereas it might make the radio connection more stable/reliable.

 

[bonehead999]

I've used huaCtrl on Play Store (Android app) to lock band to 20 as that's what all my local masts transmit on.

 

[Jabra]

Quick update. No directional antenna as of yet but I have exchanged the router. Now using the Huawei 535.

The Archer MR6400 started disconnecting itself from my mobile network (Voxi/Vodafone). Didn't do it at all for the first few weeks then gradually got worse to where it was happening throughout the day. Sometimes I could fix the issue by ejecting the sim card and popping it back in. Other times it would sort itself out or i'd have to restart the router.

The Huawei works better using the external antenna. I find the signal far better when the antenna is mounted next to the exterior wall of our bungalow. I would have thought that the higher the better but it's the complete opposite.

Do find it odd that logging into the router on either Safari or Firefox gives me a security warning. First time I've ever encountered that...