Huawei B818-263, CAT19 4G/ LTE, 1.6 Gbps Mobile Wi-Fi Router, Unlocked to any Network, Genuine UK Warranty stock (non-network logo) –White

Product Information

Huawei B818 was introduced two years ago but recently, Huawei supplied this new 4G wireless router to the market and some network providers. Huawei B818 4G router Prime has two variant models now: Huawei B818-260 and B818-263. The Huawei B818-263 is also named Huawei 4G Router 3 Prime. I read with interest that you can plug a telephone handset in to this as above, I'll probably be using Smarty/Three UK and on my phone get VoLTE symbol with Smarty so assume that it should work ok. Hoping to get SMS configured as well, so I can kind of use it as a family phone number, like the good old days. HUAWEI B818 gives you uninterrupted Internet access thanks to the combination of a mobile network and an Ethernet connection. Get access to fast internet using Wi-Fi or a network cable. You can also create your own local network. B840• B841• B842• B843• B844• B845• B846• B847• B848• B849• B850• B851• B852• B853• B854• B855• B856• B857• B858• B859 Former versions: B801• B805• B808• B810• B812• B814• B817• B825• B828• B834• B835• B837• B848• B851• B852

Before we get started though, it’s worth noting that at the time of writing Vodafone isn’t selling the 5G GigaCube, but it used to and may do so again, so we’ve included both models in this review. The WLAN module of the Huawei B818 transmits by default in dual-band mode to 2.4 and 5 gigahertz. Up to 32 devices can be supported with WLAN at the same time. The maximum speed was tested by using 3 × 3 MIMO antenna technology at 1300 MBit/s, which is also the highest data rate supported by the WLAN module. The speed is at a high level compared to other Huawei 4G LTE Wireless router models. The WLAN range was also convincing in the test, a large apartment or a small family home can be supplied without additional repeaters.

The power consumption is according to Huawei at a maximum of 24 watts. A battery is not integrated in the Huawei B818 LTE router. I live in a generally flat area with nothing impeding LOS to masts if I was to mount an antenna in the loft or on the TV Aerial etc, so would expect some reasonable uplift in performance just by doing that. Sadly my current unit doesnt support external antenna. While they differ for speed, in most other ways these two GigaCube routers are similar, with both allowing you to get up to 64 gadgets connected to the internet at once (which is far more than most people should need). Like most broadband boxes though they’re both ultimately designed to fit with and fade into most normal décor.

However, the B818 makes it very difficult to attach external antennas, which has made them challenging to use in areas of low 4G or 5G signal strength. To solve this, we've teamed up with router-mods.co.uk to offer a B818 router pre-modified for use with external antennas. An advantage of devices that rely on a mobile connection for your home internet is that they’re typically plug and play, and the Vodafone GigaCube is no exception. Short LTE antennas can be unplugged and can be connected to the network (but then we will not get MIMO 4x4) I've completed factory reset on the router, 2nd TV, and completed a network reset on the 2nd laptop. No matter what I do I cannot get these devices online through the new router. I've also swapped Sims on the router and have the same result.Just for completeness, the has been no issues with any of the devices previously and all are current and can support 802.11n as a minimum. It's also worth being aware that confusingly Vodafone used to offer different devices under the GigaCube name, but in 2021 it refreshed them without changing the name. But the Vodafone GigaCubes (and other 4G and 5G home broadband routers) are easier to set up than most fibre broadband routers, because you don’t need an engineer or any tech skills, as you basically just plug them in and switch them on. Produce a secure Wi-Fi hotspot connecting up to 64 devices with a powerful Wi-Fi coverage wherever you may be!

All internal antenna connections have been re-routed to the outside of the case, and are exposed as four secure SMA-female connections on the side of the router. This allows you to easily connect two Bluespot 4G/5G antennas and achieve blisteringly fast internet, even in remote areas. Oh, for info, when creating the new APN profile, you can make the IP type field visible in the console using:

We wouldn’t pay too much attention to peak speeds though, as average speeds will be far lower in all cases, and more dependant on the network and coverage than the hardware. EE Smart 4G Hub