CHF367.99
Huawei 5G CPE PRO 2
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
120 reviews
Does less well than its predecessor...
Clearly not as good as its predecessor, the Huawei B618...
No external antenna, lower speed and range in 4G+, slower web interface but what instantly turned me off is its mandatory firmware update policy...
As soon as a new firmware is detected by the device; when you type a url in the browser, you are automatically redirected to the router web interface with the obligation to update the firmware.
This doesn't bother conventional users but, personally, I have a Synology with QuickConnect behind it and, unfortunately, the QuickConnect relay doesn't work anymore because the Reverse Proxy points to the firmware update page until it's up to date!!! This is stupid!
This router is clearly a de-evolution. I put my old router back on. The outdoor antennas are a must for me as the walls are very thick and the antenna range is poor.
47Mbps down with this router without antennas, under VPN L2TP/IPSec Swisscom 1000Mbps.
68Mbps down with the old model on antennas, under VPN L2TP/IPSec Infomaniak 1000Mbps.Pro
- WiFi 6 (if you have a compatible device).
- Compatible with 5G (if the operator and the subscription are 5G approved).
Contra
- Starts less quickly than the B618.
- Does not have an external antenna. Only internal.
- Lower range and throughput in 4G+ than B618.
- Intrusive firmware update policy.
- Where is the QoS for IP telephony that was available on the B618?
5G Is Best...Outdoors
Right. This thing, overall, is pretty good. Simple web admin, no problem playing with a wider ecosystem of other network stuff. Handles enough clients in a family without grumbling: iPhones, Laptops, some stuff on the switch. No problem.
Now comes the 4G / 5G question.
Indoors, the 5G is essentially '0', or so weak as to make no difference at all. The 4G will yield about 50Mbps down, 20Mbps up, which is in essence not worth the 5G ticket price of the device and contract (Sunrise) in downtown ZH. Fibre is a no go in our old building.
Now, if you so happen to plonk the router outside, on a covered balcony or in a makeshift housing (still working on that) you'll unlock that 5G goodness. We're talking 300Mpbs down solid, with long lasting stints over 450Mbps, about 80-100Mbps up. Good ping of 8ms.
So, there. That thing needs to live outdoors, and I wish Huawei offered, as it seems to have done previously, an external antenna or make the thing rugged enough to live outside.
Meanwhile, I'm building it a little house to live in the cold.
Update: 04/05/2021
Router has now been some weeks outside in a small cabinet (https://bit.ly/3egJuJu). It works very well, just protect it from the sun as overheating does lead to poor performance.
Finally, and critically, disable IPv6 routing. 5G drops were hourly and some genius on a forum suggested this. Bless. Now rock solid.
Updated to 5 stars.Pro
- Overall Good Quality
- 5G is fast.
Contra
- 5G literally doesn't work indoors.
In general it seems ok
Pro
- Application ok but can be improved
- Speed with Speedtest ok 80% 4g and 20% 5g
- Easy gui
Contra
- VPN Client l2p is not working at the moment
- No usb port for ev nas
- the location is very relevant, at home I do not exceed 25% 5g signal
- Should be placed in front of a window pointing to the antennas
- I can not choose only 5g or only 4g
- Few eth
- 2.4/5 separate then another hidden one that I haven't figured out what it is
- A bit expensive but because of the novelty
- Not possible to put additional antennas to put out
Currently best LTE 4G + / 5G router
I had the predecessor Huawei 5G CPE Pro H112-372 in use. Bandwidth was the same but with the new Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 the latency was much better. CPE Pro 35ms Versus CPE Pro 2 24 ms.
What I can recommend to all who use a Huawei router the app HuaCtrl you can find in the stores. With this app you can switch individual bands on or off. Helps if you want to select a defined mast with a certain band.
Link Android Stores:
https://play.google.com/store...
Pro
- Low latency
- Supports all frequency bands in 4G as well as 5G
- Up to 5 carrier aggregation
- Simple interface
- Wifi 6
Contra
- No external connector for antenna but external 4x4 MiMo rare
Top 5G router at a fair price
Ordered it and use it in my rental apartment with an additional sim to my Inone Mobile go subscription from Swisscom. Achieve indoors a download of about 500 mbs. The 5g antenna is about 200 meters away.
Find the current price of about 430 francs fair. If 5G is then only once further developed, the speed will certainly be a little higher.
But even so, no loading times on the TV with Netflix and 4K content.
I am prepared for the future.Pro
- 5G
- Wifi 6
- Compact design
- Nice to look at
- 2.4 and 5 ghz
Buyer Beware
My review is reflective of a defective unit, but be aware that issues with 5G connectivity are not isolated. I suggest you Google them.
- 5G LED never illuminated from first power-up or any subsequent restarts
- Manual APN config did not work
- Firmware update did not work
- Factory reset did not work
- The unit was only able to discover 4G networks from all providers
- Unit was sent backPro
- Sleek & Minimalist design
- Strong brand reputation as a 5G market leader
- Easy wizard-like configuration
- Worked well on 4G+ while I had it
Contra
- No external antenna connections like other models (neither TS-9 nor SMA)
- 5G didn't function at all - not an isolated problem (see below)
- Device Diagnostics could be more comprehensive
6 out of 120 reviews
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