ZTE MC801A HyperBox 5G WiFi Router Unlocked - WWAN - 2-Port-Switch - 802.11a/b/g/n/AC/AX - Dual-Band - débloqué - Blanc (Renewed)

Speedy delivery and works well

I used my phone as a hotspot for a week to see if switching from fixed line broadband to mobile would be reliable enough. I live in an area with a weak signal where I can barely get 5g. This router pulls in enough to get speeds up to 200 mbps which is way better than I could get on my phone. Now 5g is constantly connected and my broadband bill has been halved for treble the speed.

I purchased a discounted 'As New' which was just supposed to be a customer return. I am familiar with these types of devices as we have a Huawei version in our static caravan and at work we have ZTEs similar to this that run a dream. This 'As New' customer return is actually faulty and keep switching off its WiFi and 5G connection leaving just one led showing. I shouldn't be a guinea pig for returned items.

In my area I'm able to get 300+Mb/s over 5G. I'm using it with a Scancom EE unlimited SIM and so far, so good. The only wrinkle is the SIM works with 5G non-standalone (NSA) which the router does not try in automatic mode. It's been necessary to explicitly select NSA mode in the setup web page.This was £135. The Scancom SIM workout out at £14/month for a faster speed than my £30/month TalkTalk account. So after 9 months this will have paid for itself and I'll have a good service for £14/month and one I can take with me.

Updated. It appears that it *is* unlocked however resetting it does not help.If you go to the My Router settings, APN, the profile appears to be stuck on what was set to previously. If you change to Manual, then you can set the APN values to your mobile provider.Not user friendly, so lose a couple of stars, but it works and I now have a working router.

I bought this, hoping that I would get a good 5G signal. Unfortunately I didn't. I returned it and bought the next model up in the ZTE lineup and this performs better. The router admin is also better on the MC888, with more options and a better interface.The only downside of the 5G experience for me has been that I need to keep the router in the loft to guarantee a good signal, which necessitates a good quality WiFi booster to get coverage across the house. In any case, at £150 for the router and £16 per month for the unlimited data SIM, it should work out to be a much cheaper broadband solution than the £29 per month, (plus those in contract price rises), that I was paying. I like that the SIM is on a rolling thirty day contract, so I can always switch SIM if there's a cheaper deal.

Where I am I can only get 4g currently, I have bought this to future proof myself. I previously had a linksys router which would barely manage 20mb, even with external serials. This router is far better, and easily manages 40-50mb. Would love to use it on 5g!

Works perfectly, very happy.