A look at the ZTE MC801A 5G Router 

:)

:)

How much data do you burn per month?

About 120GB but bonded across the 4G (45mbps) and 2x VDSL (15mbps each). Actual usage of all the lines would be higher.

@@ajas41 today's my 31st day with the ZTE and I've used 1.54TB so far, probably doing more speed tests than I would normally so I reckon it'll go down to about a TB per month on average:-) 101GB was my highest day's use so far.

@@kabukidreamboy oh thats a lot of data. Do you stream television channels as well? I am wondering how much data would i need for one pc, 1 tv and one phone… need to make the right call for my contract😁

@@ajas41 Yeah, I stream Virgin TV Go/Sky Go/YT/Prime/Netflix etc so it's easy to use a terrabyte a month! What are your options as after 100gb the next step is unlimited and not a big jump in price either. I guess it depends how much TV you watch as streaming is the main drain on data.

My pleasure. Glad it has been of help.

@@freename selfless people, who should be applauded

@@paulmurphy2144 :) thanks . If of interest I just ended my Three contract today, I await the instructions for them claiming their router back. Part of me hopes they don't ever ask for it back :D

@@freename I have bought a new one from ebay pal, so your not happy with them. I personally think their 4g is crap, Vodafone is streets ahead. I just hope the 5g router is much faster, and for them wanting their router back it's one of them. We will send a returns bag, or you'll be charged x x amount

My experience in the south of England with Vodafone was terrible. I definitely wouldn't go back. I've remained on Three but now using a cheaper iD Mobile SIM. Three was good for the year I had but definitely cheaper to go via one of their MNVOs. (Virtual Operators).

It all depends on how close to a mast you are, if that mast has 5G (or at least uncontended 4G) and potentially how slow things go during peak times (driving / rush hour kind of times). Would be interesting to know how you get on if you remember and can come back to comment here :)

How was it?

Good to know on all counts, thanks!

Adding an external antenna would help get the signal two floors up?

Very difficult to know without trying. What signal strength does it report just as the router on its own?

One bar only, and only my laptop can connect to the router.

The external aerial is unlikely to fix whatever problem is causing you to only be able to connect a single laptop to the router. Did you accidentally put it into bridge mode?

:) my pleasure

was just thinking about this ...currently with Plusnet thinking of getting rid of BT/ISP ....I do have to change all my Plusnet email addresses used though ...

It may be a dumb question but let's say if I use my phone sim card, which is 5g, in this router, will I get 5g connection? Will the carrier consider this a "hotspot" or regular 5g connection with no caps.?

UK, definitely will work. Other countries, not sure. Very unlikely that they would identify it somehow but I'm no expert in anything beyond the major UK networks.

I've tried everywhere including the loft. I'm about 2 miles from where the 5G coverage stops on their map. We are surrounded by houses and in a valley. The masts around here are either too far away on a hill where distance reduces reception and seed; or low down masts on short poles which are blocked line of sight by adjacent houses and flats. In the test I performed in my car by a 5g mast - I lost 5G signal about 300 meters away from the mast. 5G really doesn't go a great distance without directional aerials and near line of sight. There was a planning application in for a 5G mast about 500 meters from us but locals went mad and started saying it would cause depression - the application got withdrawn. (though, to be fair, Three had cited the mast in a really stupid place in terms of aesthetics).

Probably simplest to splice in / jelly crimp in an additional bit of cable :D ?

Thanks :)

Page 13 section 6. Some mad reason it caught my eye lol (Maybe because its a Teesside postcode)

Thanks. Was checking what antenna to get for this device.

It doesn't have a physical switch but any time it has power applied it starts up.

@@freename Thank you

WiFi is always going to be bad unless you have high end multi stream WiFi kit in the stuff you are connecting. Always test performance using ethernet. Also if testing on a computer use the Ookla installable program rather than the website. The adverts on the website tend to use CPU and reduce speeds. Test the smarty SIM in the three router to see if your three SIM is somehow throttled? (My three one managed nearly a gigabit!)

Also possibly related? www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/05/three-uk-botches-firmware-update-for-new-5g-hub-router.html

@@freename Yeah, I had the same thought regarding swapping the Sim for the Smarty one, though my I.T. tech son seems to think it likely that Three could well have locked the sim to the router. Still worth a try though 🙂. My intention was always to mostly use the 3three 5G connection on my fire-cube via LAN connection for prime video/Netflix etc. I have Plusnet 60Mb via landline connected to my computer which was being shared by the fire-cube wirelessly, hence my desire to try out 5G.

@@freename I found my first issue resolution. My speeds were being bottlenecked by the device that was connected, IE: It was connected primarily to my Amazon Fire-cube which only has a max 100Mb Lan port. I tried the Smarty sim, which did work despite the paperwork saying that only the provided sim would work 🙄but obviously the speed was still being throttled by the port. I'm now connecting through the Gb port on my PC and getting speeds around the 300-420 Mb/s so that's obviously much better, and being situated on the floor under a table means there is a clear path for improvement 🙂 Hopefully the steps I've documented might help someone else that finds your video whilst looking into this router 🙂.

@@Nite-owl Really good to know and thanks for coming back with a follow up. 100mbps network devices are blight including cables which only have 4 wires and only work at 100mbps :(

Yep, works really well for some. How far away from the mast are you ?

@@freename That was the mast near work. My mast at home most ive ever got in the house is 50 meg on 4G+ I get 90 meg on 4G+ in town centre. But hopefully by shutting down 3G I will get 5G at home soon. Thank you for your indepth content its been useful.

Not sure on that one. Are you sure you are not just waiting long enough?

@@freename its was because of the sim-pin you have to enable save Sim-pin then it works fine conects automaticly whit the network now. Its really strange that its because of that but it worked for me. Thanks for your reply^^ subed and liked :D you helped me alot^^

Thanks and glad you worked it out :)

@@freename I have to thank you or else i wouldnt look further into it. Your vids are great man keep going

By being about 61 meters away from the mast and using a network cable to the router for testing rather than wireless.

Here for the same question, though I can tell you that test driving T-Mobile's trashcan tower about a mile away from the tower (interesting they call it a mast) is getting me between 70-150 down, which was a huge upgrade from my CAT18 4G router at 25-50 down. Upload speeds were less impressive, though I expect they would do much better with a quality antenna.

Where do you put the attena and how does it look??

The plugs are at the back under sole covers. However several people have reported it might only work for 5G or something, like the 4G and 5G have separated antenna paths and only one band has external connectors. Search the other comments on this video for more info.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TS-GktnZdVA.html - summary: not a lot. Identifies as a CD drive but has nothing mounted / nothing readable.

Depends on price and network coverage I guess. I find EE to be the most stable for speeds but also cost more than Three. And Three is the only network who gives you a public IP rather than CGNAT.

@@freename yeh 3 wont offer one home box just there mobile dongle thing that the thing if u was to get 5g box which can have external anttennas what would you get ?

I've not seen the EE 5G thing so can't help on that one. For ordering the 5G thing from Three you can type in a post code somewhere that does get 5G and then have the box delivered to your normal address. However; make sure you adjust your expectations for the lower non 5G speeds. Just because you tricked the website into allowing you to place an order won't increase your speeds on that router any faster than a 4G router could get.

12volt DC to 240volt ac inverter. Plugs into what was the cigarette lighter socket on the car (now just used these days for dash cams and USB chargers). Bought it from Maplin in the UK decades ago.

@@freename thanks. Btw which 5g router would you recommend overall that's around £300 max?

Not a clue, sorry. I'd ask the question over on ISPReview forums as they likely have more information and experience with multiple types of routers.

Do you know what type of VPN it is? L2TP, PPTP, SSL/HTTPS?

@@freename SSL VPN

I'd expect that to work. Any chance your work are blocking the Three IP range? (Or whatever provider you are using).

I've no idea how good the quality of these things are but I'd probably start with something like this: www.amazon.co.uk/BERLS-Universal-Connectors-Navigation-Televisions/dp/B081CTK5BR/

@@freename Thats brilliant, thanks so much for the link.

If your signal strength of the mobile network gives good speed, yes!

The mains power supply is just an AC to DC 12 volts.. so if you have a reliable and accurate 12 volts, just plug that directly into the router, in the correct polarity.

That's great, many thanks. @@freename

My corded phone also doesn't ring. Likely the ring voltage generated by the ZTE router isn't high enough for "traditional" phones. DECT / Cordless phones use their own power for ringing so don't need a lot of voltage to ring.

@@freename So can one plug a cable phone to the telephone port and make a call using the sim inserted within the router (assuming that the sim card has minutes for calls and not only data)? I am refering to VoLTE, not VoIP. From your comments I understand that you have a cable phone connected, and although it does't ring, you still receive incoming VoLTE calls, so this must work or are you refering to VoIP?

@@dimosnat9313 No VoIP (SIP) service was configured on the router [and on the firmware the one I had was running, it isn't an option anyway] so calls were definitely going over the SIM.

What specific issues are you having? The lights next to the ethernet ports will blink away with activity. If you dont do much the won't flash a lot. If you are playing a game or downloading updates they will flash madly.

My one was delivered with the SIM already inserted and ready to use.

Uploaded just this moment :) Link in the description. I'm quick at editing videos but not a machine.. you are keen and got there before I had released that vid :)

@@freename 🤣 I enjoy watching them. Maybe if you still have the Vodafone THG3000 router then try putting in a none voda dongle with a 3,EE or O2 data sim and see if that provides Internet thru the router 🤣 😂 . That would be a good video.

No power button on the router?

@@antycher2011 nope!

@@MrR2222222222 Here you go... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-F1FEvYII7dg.html - It doesn't work that well but is possible.

I agree - its a stunning speed to receive "though the air"! I only have to go sit in my car 80 meters from the mast :D So if you live close to a mast you are set! At my house I only get about 20mbps.

@@freename I get 32Mbps on the Landline and 140 Mbps on 5G ..investigating the key benefits - will switch soon.

How far away are you from the mast? What speed do you get on the telephone and how much did you get on the router? @freename

The speed tests are towards the end of the video. I was less than 40 meters away from the mast. Anything beyond about 150 meters away and the speed, at ground level, rapidly drops off. 5G really is line of sight depending.

Usually gaming over Ethernet is better when using a fixed line broadband service. Your pings will be slightly lower as will the consistency of the ping. However on mobile broadband the mobile leg will be much more variable than any good WiFi signal. It's likely that on mobile broadband the most significant change you could make would to not be on mobile broadband! It will be usable but not as low ping and consistency as a slow land line or fibre based service. (Game downloads will be quicker on mobile with 5G coverage).

@@freename Thank u for your help info. So u suggest better i use Ethernet cable (Three) connected to my ps5, correct🤔. I have fibre broadband atm (Virgin) but thr price going up so thays why we changing provider..

@@matijajurajic1312 Where possible use a cable, if it isn't convenient due to distance then try wifi and see how it goes. Your experience in gaming is likely to be slightly worse (maybe not noticeable) on mobile broadband compared to Virgin Media.

Every mobile provider will be different but in the UK on Three I get: 49ms ping to a UK IP. Thats the _minimum_ to a local server. So if I get, for example, 9ms ping on my fixed line internet to a UK server and 49ms from my mobile to the UK server.. if I get 100ms ping to a USA server on my fixed line I would expect 140ms ping when using the mobile router. Hope that answers the question.

Power lines stuff is probably the limit. Tried to see what speed you get if you plug the power line remote one in next to the router one instead? That would give it the best link between the two power line things and show if the power wiring is causing the slow down. (Power line stuff is generally awful, use WiFi mesh like orbi)

@@freename thanks for the reply. They worked great with my previous isp but then I was only getting download of 58 and upload of 15. So the likes of the Deco’s etc should sort it out?

@@Daz7178 power lines are useless in high speeds. To the trashcan. I'm a network engineer and I don't recommend power lines as I said. Use UTP or wifi 6.

12volt to AC inverter. Plugs into the circular power connector in most cars (what was the cigarette lighter socket back when people smoked). Gives you an AC 110volt or 230volt output depending on what you buy. Shouldn't cost more than about £30.

I think Smarty uses Three as the underlying network so would probably still work anyway. There is a comment 6 days ago on this video with someone talking about their use of a smarty SIM. ( I can't direct link it on my mobile :( )

@@freename Yes they use Three mate.. Thanks I'll read all the comments now.

its unlocked they didnt mentioned it on their website even if your device is locked them fill the online form and it will be unlocked in 24hours but im sure yours is unlocked too. just try other sim

"Problems".. depends if you are hosting a game, if yes.. you might have NAT type problems. If connecting to another game server it is unlikely to be a problem. "Ping".. depends on the reception and congestion of your local cell mast. Most likely you will be ok, if possible try to stop others in the house using the internet or streaming while you are gaming. Make sure your router is in a window or somewhere you get the best signal reception.

@@freename thanks for the Response. Yeah there are No people in my House, and the only Thing the Router will BE Connected with is my PC i am gaming on. Thanks a Lot!

Move the router to a position with 5G signal? Or make sure your SIM has 5G enabled?

I filled in the postcode of an area that gets coverage on the first page.. then added to cart or similar and went through the order with my normal address and post code. That trick might not work any more.

@@freename never thought of that ;-). Can you confirm the unit covers 4G as well as 5G please ?

@@bungy490 Yes it does. I think the external antenna connections do not work with 4G though.

@@freename excellent. Thank you very much

@@freename can confirm that it's not working

I have another video about the c port on this router.

If you ping in windows when not playing a game do you see the same regular increase in pings? Use the command ping 208.67.222.222 -t So it continues the ping all the time. Then play a game and see if the dos ping results change.

@@freename I tried it and it increases as well. from like 20 to 50-60 every few seconds.

@@feabiyhu Check for anything else on the network which could be using data (especially video streaming like netflix etc.). If nothing else is, it has to be a flaw with your local mobile network. Not enough capacity or regular interference or something.

@@freename This is the answer, noone in the house can be watching youtube, netflix, downloading or whatever if you wish to game optimally on mobile network. Perhaps you might be able if you get 100mpbs+ speeds, but if you have 20-50 and someone watches a stream, that stream will take atleast 10-30mbps depending on service, that is to close to the maximum and will therefore ruin response times. Do you know by any chance, if this router supports 5G through external antennas ?

@@joakimcarlsen71 "Do you know by any chance, if this router supports 5G through external antennas ?" As far as I've seen from other comments on this video - it does! But doesn't support 4G over the external.

That's a good question. I think you'll need to look for your welcome email or put the SIM into a phone and call another phone to see what number comes up. The first email I can find mentioning my phone number: "Tom, want to get the most out of your account?" And has the account number and mobile number in the top right.

Not sure, possibly slightly older.

How do you mean "connect to the router"? Connect via WiFi and use the internet, or make settings changes on the router?

@@freename it’s ok ZTE have a app in order to get connected

Interesting. I used it quite a lot several times in different locations and never experienced disconnects like you mention. I wonder if local mast you connect to has a problem. (Sadly mobile providers are awful at detecting and fixing issues. An O2 mast near me has been off for weeks at a time, about 50% of the last year!).

Humm, weird. What if you try and visit their websites?

13:24

Difficult to tell without getting one and trying it. If you are going for a contract remember you have 14 days to send it back for any reason under the consumer laws.

When bought from Three with a contract, yes. It comes already in the router.

@@freename i know now, got it yesterday. Max speeds so far 1040down 110 up :))

Yes. It has a bridge mode function. Beware though as it's weird and the first thing to connect gets the public IP. It doesn't turn off WiFi so if anything nearby knows the password when you make the change it's likely something else will steal the IP and your router wired into the ZTE will be left with a local IP and no access to the internet.

@@freename Thank you for that reply you just saved me some cash

Is your hub locked to a different mobile phone provider or did it come with the SIM?

@@freename nevermind I called three which they told me we didn't activate the hub. The only other issue is that I'm getting only 4g speeds even though apparently by three they say I'm in an area which is 5g.

What did they do to "activate" the hub?

Well they told us to not worry about it and they sort it out. They took the IMEI number aswell. Just to check the hub.

Thanks for the info. It would be interesting to know how it goes and how long it takes before the light goes the right colour on the hub if you can find time to come back and comment when it's all done?

Sorry; I don't know the answer to that. Hopefully someone else reading the comments knows the answer.

Mine has been fine for streaming on the default settings.

have had mine a little over a week, can reach speeds of 500 mb download around the house....via ethernet i have received up to 740mb download and 90 upload....great little gadget

I think you've found my other video : )?

@@freename yes sorry, thanks for the reply, I couldn't see if you can change DNS on it please.

@@cristianzex I replied on the other one too; doesn't look like it is possible to change the DNS.

@@freename Thanks, any reviews on Huawei CPE Pro 3 coming please?

​@@cristianzex I've only had access to the CPE Pro original from 2020: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-q4DfKaMqctI.html If I ever get the chance to access a new one I'll make a video.

Not an external one, no. It has ones built into the case (like a mobile phone does etc.).

Thanks for the reply@@freename

Yes: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xRcQPQRHpyQ.html

I think that means it has dropped back to 4G rather than 5G. As far as I've seen the ZTE is pretty poor at maintaining a 5G signal when the signal strength is less than excellent.

Yes, as long as the SIM size is the right size. And obviously if your mobile plan has unlimited or enough data quota for your expected use through the router.

@@freename that's great, the staff at 3 store said it only works with SIM that comes in the box and you couldn't use a normal phone SIM as these use special 5g masts specifically for 5g broadband... thanks for clarifying.

Was yours unlocked to any network? Thinking of picking one up used.... cheers

@@ryanpersuadful My one is network unlocked.. also see the note on Three's website about devices after 2014: www.three.co.uk/Support/Device_Unlock

Thanks for the info buddy.

BT eventually FTTPd my road so.. no need for mobile at all now.

Lte Internet/ routers are great for failover / for a back up/ ones with a battery in case of prolonged black outs I had a blackout for several hours and I was gaming on my laptop over ethernet

Check it has a SIM in it. Check the network provider has activated the SIM?

Only if you can't get reliable fixed line internet. Nothing will get as low ping as a fixed line connection. However downloads might be slower on fixed line.

@@freename Unfortunately I can’t get a fixed line internet so this is my only way of gaming

@@Fxrno If you get good reception and won't have house mates or other things on the network downloading or uploading large files then mobile internet is "ok" for gaming. You won't be beating your friends on ping times but you shouldn't be far off. Beware that you might have NAT Type issues if you plan to use a game console and it may prevent you from hosting a game.

@@freename I’ll keep that in mind. Will it be alright with matchmaking? I mainly play cod and fifa

@@Fxrno I don't do console gaming so not entirely sure. I suspect it will be fine unless you are trying to play 1v1 with someone else who also has NAT issues.

No

Yay :) do you know how close to the mast you are?

The one I received from three was unlocked anyway

@@freename great stuff! I just want to pick one up and use Smarty with it I have 5g coverage in my home but i don't want to get into another long contract with 3. By the looks of it they've done really well with the router.

already tried, unless you're really far from a tower it didn't give any significant boost

What speed were you getting without the antenna?

@@yukito8148 what's the difference?

@@Maga1v3r signal strength in dbm, ie how quick the signal travels

I had a 12volt (cigarette lighter) to mains device.. "Inverter". Not this exact one but something very, very similar: amzn.to/4clit2J (Note, affiliate link. I earn if you buy via it).

Does it show you are getting 5g signal? Have you tried it in windows on all sides of your house?

@@freename on the router configuration page, under the system interface, the cellular WAN only shows LTE to be full bar, 5g is grey. Then the 2.4 and 5ghz is fully green. I tried all windows. Sometimes I do a Wi-Fi speed test, at the start it goes up to 20mbps, then straight down to 4 mbps in 2 seconds. I rebooted on the configuration page, but still the same speed

@@leejaile9788 Sounds like you are in an area certainly with no 5G coverage.. and low 4G coverage. The only option would be trying the router on different sides of the house (and upstairs if possible) to see if any other location makes a difference to the speed.

Why would you need to restart after a speed test? Google Translate: "Bakit kailangan mong i-restart pagkatapos ng isang pagsubok sa bilis?"

How much 5G have they deployed?

Does the Three website say your postcode should get indoor 5G?

@@freename yes

@@Benit0Mussolini Any better at staying on 5G if you move it to different windows in the house (different sides of the house etc.) ? Might just be on the wrong side of the house to get good reception. The ISPReview forums might be a good place to ask about this question too; they do a lot of signal issue advice.

@@freename Ok, thank you!

How often?

I play fifa or PS5 games and go out 4-5 times a day. 1min starts again.

@@mogo9556 Are you sure it is rebooting? If you ping the routers IP address 192.168.0.1 (in windows ping 192.168.0.1 -t to keep it going) does that stop responding when your games go wrong ?

@@freename yes bro goes out under this ip address, do you have any idea what i can do to keep it from going out. I live in Germany and use Telekom 5G Unlimited

SIM correctly inserted? SIM has a PIN? What does the web admin interface show for the status? You might simply just need to click connect in there.

the sim doesn’t really want to be inserted as well, it’s like only half of it goes in and when I try to press in the rest it just pops out. Also it won’t let me see the status in the web page. When I write in the numbers I’m supposed to it says there isn’t such page

@@Cackatoolui Make sure you are trying to insert the SIM the right way around. I don't have my router to hand (it's installed at a customer providing emergency internet after their main internet failed) so can't send a photo or video of how to do so. At this point it might be a good idea to ask a friend who does tech stuff to see if they can help you with everything.

@@freename alright, but just to make sure the sim is supposed to click in to place and go in the whole way?

@@Cackatoolui Yes, it should be "flush" with the dip in the SIM slot.. so you can easily close the plastic cover over the top _without_ the plastic cover being used to "push on" and keep the SIM in the slot.

I feel the same about full fibre to the house deployments.

@@freename yeh id have to pay to dig up the roads, fibre must be redundant now ? digging up roads to install cables seems like an expensive solution when you can get a 5G hub ?

@@freename maybe were a third world country now ? honestly does seem like were lagging in development compared to other parts of the world

@@johnmcafee9663 Nothing will beat fixed line connectivity. 5G (or better) might seem good now but it won't have the "bearer" capacity to cope with the same amount of usage as fixed line broadband. There is only so much radio spectrum to share between all customers. Where as fibre providers either have a 1:1 connection between their switch and the customer or 1 to many (but less than a cell phone mast) if using PON fibre. Also in my tests the 5G signal disappeared when about 800 meters away. You will need thousands upon thousands of the things to provide sensible coverage.

@@freename okay so fibre is the way for best connection period ? im never going to be able to afford a fibre installation, i just want good ping and to be able to run a thousand tabs at once on 4 k because i can lol, so will they eventually roll out fibre to everyone for free ? because my situation is looking like i need to pay to have the roads dug up and fibre cables laid, i always thought 5G was the gen that beat wired connection and had hope for a cheaper solution, looks like ill be stuck with third world internet for quite some time

Yes and no. Yes because there is an absolutely miniscule chance that ZTE have put in some sort of intentional bug or back door in their firmware (I'd say incredibly unlikely but still a non-zero chance). No because there isn't much they can do if they do gain access to most consumer/home devices or networks. They can't intercept or do anything with your banking, facebook or any other https website. The risk probably comes from using a ZTE or Huawei product in large industry where failure of your internet, network or access to your internal systems by a compromised router would cause disruption to energy, production, healthcare or other vital systems. The same stands for Huawei products. And the inverse for things like Nokia and AdTran and other UK/US or "Five Eyes" country manufactured products being used in China! There is a non zero chance that those devices might have intentional bugs or backdoors to aid our "friendly" agencies getting into those countries networks.

@@freename Thanks for that. Am I right in saying that you don't own the router and have to return it at the end of the plan?

​@@GRIFF22 I don't know and I had assumed, when I ordered it, that I owned the router.. I guess it teaches me for not reading the terms and conditions :) I've just had a look now and the order process links you to store.three.co.uk/footer/terms_and_conditions which the "most important points" on the page doesn't say anything about the unusual term of having to return the device. The plan selection page links you to a generic www.three.co.uk/terms-conditions which seems impossible to identify the specific plan you are about to buy within the tens (or hundreds) of terms documents. If someone does get billed for non-return the router I think it would be very easy to fight and prove that it really isn't clear that the terms are any different to the normal order of, for example, a mobile phone (which you get to keep). Possibly the full terms are: www.three.co.uk/cs/Satellite?blobkey=id&blobnocache=false&blobwhere=1401255734537&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs "Home broadband plans for customers who joined or upgraded on or after 1 October 2021" "5G Hub Device If you decide to leave you must return your 5G Hub to us under our Terms & Conditions. If you don’t return the hub a charge will be placed on your account. Full details of our Returns and Exchanges Policy can be found at: three.co.uk/support/device_support/returns" It doesn't say what they charge for non return.

@@freename The reason I ask, is because in a review on Kens Tech Tips, there's a paragraph where he says the router must be returned at the end of the contract. I do find the the Three deal a bid odd to say the least, in a good way. They're selling mobile phone sim's at £22 per month and yet you can get mobile broadband for lower with a router included? Because of the Net Neutrality rules, it's a mobile phone Sim thats being used as part of the package. The ZTE router, is a £250 product, with a x55 modem. If its kept by the customer, then how on earth are Three making any money?

I agree, that's why I went for the deal :) my £6 per month Plusnet 4GB deal wasn't quite enough for my needs and I wanted to see how good 5G is. At the time I bought, the ZTE router plan was about £1 more expensive per month than the Three SIM only plan. (Still quite a bit more costly than plusnet though!). Well worth it.. (though I did assume I got to keep the router at the end). Even if I have to return it, I don't feel hard done by.

It could be related to this: www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/05/three-uk-botches-firmware-update-for-new-5g-hub-router.html

I have also found that the ZTE performs much slower than my mobile phone in some locations.

RU-vid does come with a skip bar so you can find the bits of video that are interesting to you. Lots of people lose the manual and find that bit helpful.

As is the general experience with mobile broadband. Ok if you are lucky but so variable most other times.

@@freename very temperamental, manage to get 120Mb download speed at one point which is impressive back down to 2Mb

Make sure you try the router in multiple places and especially in and around windows on different sides of the house or flat.

What problems do you have with it?

Plugging a phone in immediately with the default config used the SIM to make and receive calls. However I and others have noticed that on some old phones ringing for inbound calls doesn't work.