As the pioneer of 5G communication, ZTE had released the first 5G indoor WiFi Router since 2018, the model is ZTE MC801. And then in 2019, ZTE released the 2nd generation 5G WiFi Router: ZTE MC801A. Based the good performance and reliable quality, they were widely used in many countries worldwide. Now the third generation 5G CPE is announced: ZTE MC8020 5G Indoor CPE.
The new ZTE MC8020 CPE both 5G SA and NSA modes, as well as Sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrum bands. And it’s back compatible with 3G, 4G and 5G networks. To solve the problem of 5G signal decrease and short signal coverage, ZTE MC8020 adopts new antenna 3.0 design and had tested it in laboratory and real environment. It makes the omni-directional and high-gain true, which can improve the wireless speeds up to 20% and network coverage to 15%. And then the ZTE 5G WiFi router can provide 5G wireless connection for home users.
ZTE MC8020 5G Router is based the latest NPU from Qualcomm and it support WiFi6, 4 x 4 MIMO, peak speed up to 5.4Gbps, and it can support up to 128 users to access the internet wirelessly. The special 4K QAM can make the WiFi transmission speed of 5G flagship smartphone increase up to 25%, so the video watching will be more smoothly. Meanwhile, it supports key Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as OFDMA, TWT, and BSS coloring, and utilizes chip-level AI computing power - effectively reducing interference and power consumption while meeting higher service-level agreements (SLAs) for concurrently connected diverse usage profiles.
The advanced zLink Boost technology automatically converges wireless and wired broadband networks, doubling the upstream and downstream speeds of ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 to achieve a constant high-speed connection.
With new NFC functionality, ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 can be connected to NFC-enabled smartphones with just one touch. Connecting TVs, computers, and smart devices to the ZTE Indoor 5G CPE MC8020 can be automated without changes to Wi-Fi network settings.
In May, Fibocom LTE-A module FM101-NA was the first to obtain AT&T certification, an important operator in North America, which indicates that FM101-NA meets the performance access standards and requirements of communication products in North America, and can run smoothly under AT&T wireless networks. Including the ability to provide wireless connectivity services for IoT end devices under the AT&T public safety network FirstNet. It is worth mentioning that FM101-NA is Fibocom‘s first IoT module that supports FirstNet network access.
FirstNet is a national wireless broadband private network in North America. It is operated by AT&T. It aims to provide efficient, reliable and stable communication guarantee for public safety maintenance personnel and other on-site emergency personnel, and help the emergency industry to better implement rescue. The terminal equipment with built-in Fibocom FM101-NA can be successfully connected to the FirstNet network, boosting the rapid implementation of CPE, STB, security cameras and other equipment in the emergency field.
Fibocom FM101-NA module complies with the 3GPP Release 12 evolution standard, based on Qualcomm Snapdragon® X12+ LTE modem, and adopts 30x42x2.3mm M.2 small size package, which is convenient for customers to develop terminal equipment flexibly. FM101-NA can bring LTE Cat6 wireless network experience, the maximum rate can reach 300Mbps downlink, 50Mbps uplink, providing high-performance, low-latency network; at the same time, it supports LTE-TDD, LTE-FDD, WCDMA three network standards, to meet the needs of many network switching requirements.
Fibocom FM101-NA supports multiple functions of DFOTA/VoLTE/Audio, and is compatible with mainstream operating systems such as Linux/Android/Windows; supports rich interface access, such as UART/USB3.0/PCM/I2S/SPI/I2C/PCIe2 .0 /USIM, etc.; At the same time, it has GNSS positioning function, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou four satellite navigation systems, which can achieve high-precision positioning. With its excellent performance, the Fibocom 4G module can be widely used in CPE, STB, industrial interconnection and other fields.
Fibocom FM101 series modules have entered the engineering sample delivery stage in August 2021, and can achieve mass production. In addition to AT&T certification, FM101-NA has also obtained FCC/IC/TSCA/RoHS/HF/GCF/PTCRB and other certifications, which is an important achievement for Fibocom products to enter the global market.
If you are interested in Fibocom other 4G modules, welcome to click here:
As the pioneer of 5G communication, ZTE had released the first 5G indoor WiFi Router since 2018, the model is ZTE MC801. And then in 2019, ZTE released the 2nd generation 5G WiFi Router: ZTE MC801A. Based the good performance and reliable quality, they were widely used in many countries worldwide. Now the third generation 5G CPE is announced: ZTE MC8020 5G Indoor CPE.
The new ZTE MC8020 CPE both 5G SA and NSA modes, as well as Sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrum bands. And it’s back compatible with 3G, 4G and 5G networks. To solve the problem of 5G signal decrease and short signal coverage, ZTE MC8020 adopts new antenna 3.0 design and had tested it in laboratory and real environment. It makes the omni-directional and high-gain true, which can improve the wireless speeds up to 20% and network coverage to 15%. And then the ZTE 5G WiFi router can provide 5G wireless connection for home users.
ZTE MC8020 5G Router is based the latest NPU from Qualcomm and it support WiFi6, 4 x 4 MIMO, peak speed up to 5.4Gbps, and it can support up to 128 users to access the internet wirelessly. The special 4K QAM can make the WiFi transmission speed of 5G flagship smartphone increase up to 25%, so the video watching will be more smoothly. Meanwhile, it supports key Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as OFDMA, TWT, and BSS coloring, and utilizes chip-level AI computing power - effectively reducing interference and power consumption while meeting higher service-level agreements (SLAs) for concurrently connected diverse usage profiles.
The advanced zLink Boost technology automatically converges wireless and wired broadband networks, doubling the upstream and downstream speeds of ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 to achieve a constant high-speed connection.
With new NFC functionality, ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 can be connected to NFC-enabled smartphones with just one touch. Connecting TVs, computers, and smart devices to the ZTE Indoor 5G CPE MC8020 can be automated without changes to Wi-Fi network settings.
At the Mobile Workd Congress 2021 in Barcelona, D-Link presented various new products. Some of them support the new 5G cellular standard, such as the new 5G NR M2M Gateway DWM-3010 and the 5G/LTE Outdoor CPE DWP-1010.
D-Link DWM-3010 for business
With the DWM-3010, D-Link is introducing a new 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). The 5G NR M2M gateway is aimed at the business environment and enables 5G broadband connectivity. According to the manufacturer, download speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s are possible. In addition to high transmission rates, the new 5G cellular standard also shines here with its minimal latencies.
With the D-Link DWM-3010 5G Fixed Wireless Access, up to 50 devices can be connected, so that the D-link 5G Gateway can also be used in highly stressed work environments such as industrial or IoT environments. The FWA not only distributes the Internet to the connected devices, but also regulates efficient communication with each other. In addition, the system scores with a robust design and high temperature resistance. In this way, the device ensures reliable operation so that companies can take advantage of the benefits of reliable communication between machines (M2M). Management is carried out centrally and remotely with the in-house IoT management solution D-Link Edge Cloud Solution.
D-link DWP-1010 for the smart home
D-Link also has innovations for the MWC 2021 ready for private users. One of the innovations is the new 5G/LTE Outdoor CPE DWP-1010. It provides gigabit speeds at home or in the garden and thus ensures fast internet everywhere via 5G and LTE/4G. This D-Link 5G router is also equipped with a robust design in order to be optimally protected both indoors and outdoors. According to the manufacturer, the D-link DWP-1010 can be easily installed anywhere and offers optimal 5G connectivity for the whole family and friends.
There are also some other innovations. These revolve around Wi-Fi 6 and artificial intelligence (AI), among other things. A new product series consisting of a router, a mesh router and a WLAN extender was presented, which enables high-speed WLAN on a Wi-Fi 6 basis for all devices. Thanks to AI technology, connection problems are to be recognized and resolved automatically, and WLAN performance is to be continuously optimized.
Zyxel NR2101 was presented to the public last year and now the most affordable mobile 5G routers is available in mid-2021. Like the Netgear Nighthawk M5 are sold for around 850.00USD, the Zyxel 5G router is available at just around 400 euros. The Zyxel NR2101 comes with a replaceable battery, and it can use the current WiFi 6 standard and even has an integrated RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection. The 5G modem theoretically achieves speeds of up to 4 GBit/s.
The Zyxel NR2101 is delivered in a small box together with a 5300 mAh battery. There is also a Quick Charge power supply unit (output max. 18 watts) and a short USB to USB Type-C cable included in the box. A multilingual quick start guide is also included and makes it easier to use.
The setup is easy and takes 3 to 5 minutes. First, the cover must be removed from the back of the NR2101 in order to insert the nano SIM card and the battery. Here you should directly write down the WLAN name as well as the WLAN password and the access data for the web interface, the data is printed on a label in the battery compartment.
Internet access and WLAN can then be configured either directly on the large touchscreen or via the web interface in a browser; the device must of course be connected via LAN, WLAN or USB.
Connections and display
The Zyxel NR2101 5G router has a USB Type-C connection and a Gigabit RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection. The USB connection can be used both to charge the battery and to operate it directly on the power supply unit, without the battery being inserted. A data connection ("USB tethering") can also be easily established via the USB port.
In addition to the power button, there is a small LED on the front that shows the operating status in multiple colors. Most important, of course, is the large color display, which can be used to operate all important functions thanks to the touchscreen function.
The 5G router has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem. All important frequency bands for Europe are supported, for example 5G bands n1, n3, n20, n28 and n78 as well as LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38 and 46. UMTS/3G is still supported.
In the test, the download speeds were up to 850 Mbit/s in the 5G network, if band n78 was available. Up to 150 Mbit/s were possible in the uplink. A cable connection (USB tethering) was required for this, however, and only slightly lower download speeds of around 650 Mbit/s were usually possible via WLAN. In the 5G network with band n1 (DSS operation, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing ), download rates of around 300 Mbit/s and uploads of around 120 Mbit/s were usually possible.
The Zyxel NR2101 also delivered very good download speeds of 300 Mbit/s and more in the test in the LTE network. In the upload, the speeds of up to 80 Mbit/s were well below the performance in the 5G network.
The 5G mobile router supports the new WiFi 6 standard and transmits on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Up to 16 devices can be connected via WLAN at the same time. This is certainly sufficient for the private sector, but the maximum of 16 devices could possibly connect with the Zyxel NR2101 Router.
In the test, the maximum speed was 1.2 Gbit/s, provided WiFi 6 could be used. With an older WiFi 5 device, 867 Mbit/s was still possible. In the 2.4 GHz band, the NR2101 theoretically achieves up to 574 Mbit/s. The WiFi range was decent in the test, an apartment of up to around 80 square meters or a small house can be supplied satisfactorily.
The exchangeable battery enabled an operating time of around 10 hours in the test. Depending on the application, a slightly shorter running time is also conceivable, for example if there are a lot of cell changes (in the train or in the car). Thanks to the quick charging power supply unit, the router is quickly recharged.
Almost all functions can be configured directly on the device via the touchscreen, but a browser web interface is also available on request. This is clearly structured, but has the peculiarity that it can only be operated when the display is switched off. In the web interface, for example, the 5G and LTE frequency band used can be read, and the cellular technology can also be set manually, for example.
The Zyxel NR2101 made a good impression in the test. The device is fully compatible with the 5G networks in the Europe and reached high speeds, but does not break any records. Operation via the touchscreen is simple and reliable. There is criticism for the lack of connections for an external cellular antenna, and the Internet access via LAN / WLAN as a supplement to the integrated modem would have been nice.