I have been using my mobile phone as a hotspot for my daily internet (primarily work) needs. Being a rural area, the connection speed hovers between 2-15 Mbps with both Airtel and Jio, sometimes even lesser at peak hours. The bandwidth suffices for most needs except meetings at times due to speed fluctuations. Hence, I am considering buying a 3G/4G router. The big question I have is, do devices like TP-Link TL-MR6400, TENDA 4G03 offer better and more consistent speeds compared to mobile phones? This alone could make my purchase worthwhile. Does anyone have first-hand experience here?
Long ago, I was using Huawei device from Airtel which used to be good but now it's battery has conked off and I am not keen on buying another due to such battery issues. Surprisingly JioFi is out of stock everywhere.
If you are thinking about why I am not considering fiber broadband - my option is limited to BSNL Bharat Fiber and as our region is prone to thunderstorms for a good part of the year, I am not keen to invest in that. Several people who fail to disconnect appliances during thunderstorms lose them due to power surges. Cost is a factor too.
yes they offer better speeds.
you can configure your airtel hotspot to work without battery. i have it & battery was dead within 2 years now working perfectly without battery but not using it switched to fiber recently.
but best advice for u to change the rom of airtel device first and then configure it to work without battery. search for youtube tutorials of the same.
vkrmjeet wrote:but best advice for u to change the rom of airtel device first and then configure it to work without battery.
I tried this approach – had first unlocked the device and was using it with a custom ROM and later another ROM that supported without battery. However, with Jio SIM, speeds were lower than phones. Disappointed, I left it there. Maybe I should check once again!
gischethans wrote:I tried this approach – had first unlocked the device and was using it with a custom ROM and later another ROM that supported without battery. However, with Jio SIM, speeds were lower than phones. Disappointed, I left it there. Maybe I should check once again!
i think this is jio specific problem check bsnl network in ur area
599 – 5gb per day for 84 days
398 – unlimited for 30 days
it is best for dongles i used bsnl.
TP LINK MR600 + external LPDA antenna + Vi 699 entertainment plus 🔥🔥🔥
any 4g router which also has a usb port to share hard disk?
anuragingle122 wrote:any 4g router which also has a usb port to share hard disk?
RT-AC68U and few others from Asus.
Nighthawk R6700, R7800, R 7500 and others from Netgear
and
many othees have copycat versions.
Others like Tenda, TP Link, LB Link.
Example: TP Link has Archer C7 AC1750, AC750.
Stuff like BL- CPE450H might be basic and cheap.
https://www.linksys.com/us/wireless-routers/traditional-routers/linksys-max-stream-ac1750-wifi-5-router/p/p-ea7200 is another slightly over rated option.
buy huawei wingle , in this u can lock the band which gives more speed, best price is at flipkart, best dongle in market
gischethans wrote:BSNL is pathetic in my area, defaults to 2G. I have it as a backup number and had even tried the SIM on the hotspot but could not get good speeds.
the default to 2g problem is everywhere but using hotspot we can set 3g only if speeds are good then only use.
Depends on the type of router also. Normal 4G portable routers would not give more speed. However, if you are using desktop 4G router with carrier aggregation, you can get better speeds than mobiles.
TP-Link MR600 with Jio SIM has given me 50-70 mbps speeds where mobile was giving 30-40 mbps.
panchabhut wrote:However, if you are using desktop 4G router with carrier aggregation, you can get better speeds than mobiles.
TP-Link MR600 with Jio SIM has given me 50-70 mbps speeds where mobile was giving 30-40 mbps
After much research on the TP-Link routers, I concluded the same and placed an order for MR600 sometime back. Your answer confirms my understanding. Thank you very much.
The Jio SIM I plan to insert in it is around 5 years old. Do you think a new SIM would make a difference i.e., should I get a SIM replacement?
panchabhut wrote:Depends on the type of router also. Normal 4G portable routers would not give more speed. However, if you are using desktop 4G router with carrier aggregation, you can get better speeds than mobiles.
TP-Link MR600 with Jio SIM has given me 50-70 mbps speeds where mobile was giving 30-40 mbps.
Is it just the more powerful antennae in the routers making the difference? As recent smartphones should have more advanced and capable LTE MODEMs.
LIMBO wrote:Is it just the more powerful antennae in the routers making the difference? As recent smartphones should have more advanced and capable LTE MODEMs.
MR600 has 2CA. So it combines 1+40 or 5+40 for Jio SIM. That increases the speed. Any smartphone with 2CA or 3CA is expected to give similar or better speeds.
However, MR600 can run 24/7 for days without any issue. Mine is running non-stop for last 2 years. You cannot keep a mifi or mobile hotspot continuously running for that long.
gischethans wrote:After much research on the TP-Link routers, I concluded the same and placed an order for MR600 sometime back. Your answer confirms my understanding. Thank you very much.
The Jio SIM I plan to insert in it is around 5 years old. Do you think a new SIM would make a difference i.e., should I get a SIM replacement?
The SIM I am using is from 2018. So should not be an issue. If your area has power cuts, get a router ups.
Previously i used Airtel 4g router got good speeds later tweaked n used with different sims
panchabhut wrote:Depends on the type of router also. Normal 4G portable routers would not give more speed. However, if you are using desktop 4G router with carrier aggregation, you can get better speeds than mobiles.
TP-Link MR600 with Jio SIM has given me 50-70 mbps speeds where mobile was giving 30-40 mbps.
TP Link MR600 costs 8K 
monu.tanwar123262 wrote:haan par paisa wasool cheez hai
OK Thanks. Is there any alternative to this router?
yes they offer good speed. from last 4 years i am was using hotspot device for internet ( used many devices from airtel, voda unlocked) but recently i purchased TP LINK MR200 Router and this is giving 1.5x speed comparison to hotspot.
Network coverage also Increased. For Hotspot i am getting good signal at rooftop only but with Router i am getting same signal inside my home. If you want carrier aggregation then go or MR600 else MR200 is also good.
bro... instead go for braodband that will give you much more speed and also is much cheaper than mobile plans..
wasting thousands on 4g routers and then getting normal speed or low speed compare to mobile hotspot... also as you all know mobile sim internet speed is not constant all the time in the evening it is worst in night it is good..
so, best choice is go for broadband if avialabe in your area because in just 3000-3500 you will get 6 months of net
The router MR600 arrived today and it is living up to its expectations. When the phone gives 3-4 Mbps, the router is able to give 9-10 Mbps and I have seen a proportionate difference with higher speeds. Shows me Jio 4G+ availability and carrier aggregation actually seem to be working. However, SMS functionality does not seem to be working even after changing the message centre number. Does it work for you, @panchabhut;
Update: SMS is not supported in this model as it’s a non-VoLTE router.
anuragingle122 wrote:any 4g router which also has a usb port to share hard disk?
where do you share harddisk? Over wifi?
gischethans wrote:The router MR600 arrived today and it is living up to its expectations. When the phone gives 3-4 Mbps, the router is able to give 9-10 Mbps and I have seen a proportionate difference with higher speeds. Shows me Jio 4G+ availability and carrier aggregation actually seem to be working. However, SMS functionality does not seem to be working even after changing the message centre number. Does it work for you, @panchabhut;
Update: SMS is not supported in this model as it’s a non-VoLTE router.
How much did you paid for Mr600?
gischethans wrote:The router MR600 arrived today and it is living up to its expectations. When the phone gives 3-4 Mbps, the router is able to give 9-10 Mbps and I have seen a proportionate difference with higher speeds. Shows me Jio 4G+ availability and carrier aggregation actually seem to be working. However, SMS functionality does not seem to be working even after changing the message centre number. Does it work for you, @panchabhut;
Update: SMS is not supported in this model as it’s a non-VoLTE router.
SMS works for Airtel and Vi SIM (delivery over 2G/3G) but does not work for Jio (no VOLTE)
monu.tanwar123262 wrote:I have to keep my device on the window side because of network stability and speed!
huawei wingle is the best in market with band lock feature, great GUI, netwrk strengh is great, even for wifi signals
bro... instead go for braodband that will give you much more speed and also is much cheaper than mobile plans..
wasting thousands on 4g routers and then getting normal speed or low speed compare to mobile hotspot... also as you all know mobile sim internet speed is not constant all the time in the evening it is worst in night it is good..
so, best choice is go for broadband if avialabe in your area because in just 3000-3500 you will get 6 months of net