Your experience with SIM card routers

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

What speeds to you get? I understand that it depends on the location. But would be interesting to know.

 

I just saw True Move cards with 1000 Mbps. They are limited with 60 GB. Does anyone have any experience with this? One reviewer gave 5 stars and at the same time he put a speed test there with the results shown in the picture. The upload speed is not bad. But the download speed would be a nightmare for me. An other reviewer with 5 stars got at least a download speed of 10 Mbps. And 60 GB? I would need 2 SIM cards at least. 

I had True unlimited speed, it was garbage, generally 5-9mbps, that's Pratumnak, depends where you live. DTAC and AIS both very good in Pratumnak 

[NoDisplayName]

I bought True "wireless broadband plus" router, which I believe is locked to their system.  Two removable antennae, 2 LAN ports, up to 32 wireless users.  It was on promotion for 1000 baht.  Fast and easy set up, small package, fits in a briefcase.

 

Then got an unlimited True sim card, too expensive according to posters here, at 699/month.  Should have shopped around, but I wanted it "now."  Minimum 3-month contract.

 

Have been using it in Bangkok (5th floor condo) and rural Korat for two months, both locations dependable service 20-30 mbps.

 

Will cancel the sim next month when we have True fiber installed in the house.  Good news.  Both True and 3BBB in this area ask for a work permit for foreigner to install fiber on a yearly contract, but after a call to the main office, showing a bank passbook is sufficient.

[Mickeymaus]

18 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I had True unlimited speed, it was garbage, generally 5-9mbps, that's Pratumnak, depends where you live. DTAC and AIS both very good in Pratumnak 

I just came from True. Asked them for a test SIM card to find out the maximum speed that I can get at my location. Prepaid there is no option to get more than 20 Mbps I was told. This is 300 Baht for a month or 200 Baht for a week. But this is not the problem. It simply doesn't give me an idea about the maximum speed that I can get. Will ask AIS the next days. These Lazada SIMs are special promotions I was told. 

[BigStar]

Friend of mine in BKK has the TP-Link router and a True Maxspeed SIM. Worked quite well for him during the months he used it, recently.

[fdsa]

On 9/27/2022 at 12:30 PM, Photoguy21 said:

If it is a choice between TP-Link and Huawei go for TP-Link

nope. Despite Huawei is a piece of shít when it comes to enterprise gear (and any other too, lol), they are the leaders in mobile networking.

So in a choice of 3G router between TP-Link and Huawei - go for Huawei, and in choice of everything else - stay away from Huawei.

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by fdsa

[fdsa]

22 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

Did this for 6 months and worked fine (using Truemove)

 

Then one day it suddenly went to <deleted> and was too slow to use, felt almost like they detected I was using a hotspot router and slowed it down

 

The speed went right up when putting the sim back into the phone

the mobile internet providers do limit the speed for hotspots, and it's very easy to do so because they see that the connecting device's IMEI belongs to the "hotspot router" rather than "mobile phone".

good routers allow changing the IMEI to pretend being a mobile phone rather than the router.

[fdsa]

13 minutes ago, fdsa said:

nope. Despite Huawei is a piece of shít when it comes to enterprise gear (and any other too, lol), they are the leaders in mobile networking.

So in a choice of 3G router between TP-Link and Huawei - go for Huawei, and in choice of everything else - stay away from Huawei.

 

also you should know that all routers are few steps behind the mobile phones in terms of technology - while the modern mobile phones use the LTE Category 15 (speeds up to 1000 Mbps), you won't find such mobile router, because most of them use ancient cat6 - cat9 hardware.

So if you need really high speeds you have to search for at least cat9 router, and FFŚ do not buy chinese noname routers because most likely they will have cat4 which does not even support Carrier Aggregation - meaning you won't get even 20mbps with them.

[Photoguy21]

46 minutes ago, fdsa said:

nope. Despite Huawei is a piece of shít when it comes to enterprise gear (and any other too, lol), they are the leaders in mobile networking.

So in a choice of 3G router between TP-Link and Huawei - go for Huawei, and in choice of everything else - stay away from Huawei.

 

BS they are not only in their own mind are they the leaders in networking. 

[Mickeymaus]

5 minutes ago, fdsa said:

also you should know that all routers are few steps behind the mobile phones in terms of technology - while the modern mobile phones use the LTE Category 15 (speeds up to 1000 Mbps), you won't find such mobile router, because most of them use ancient cat6 - cat9 hardware.

So if you need really high speeds you have to search for at least cat9 router, and FFŚ do not buy chinese noname routers because most likely they will have cat4 which does not even support Carrier Aggregation - meaning you won't get even 20mbps with them.

I have thought I buy a router and put a SIM card into it and that is it. But I see this is more complicated than anticipated at least if you expect good results. 

 

The router I would buy - D-LINK DWR-M920 4G LTE Wireless N300 - has

 

Product Features
D-LINK DWR-M920 is a 3G/4G Router with a SIM card that supports 4G in all networks in Thailand. Maximum speed 150 Mbps
4G support: FDD-LTE Cat4 (700/800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz) of AIS, DTAC, TRUE H, MY
Support 4G: TDD-LTE Cat4 (2300/2500/2600MHz) of DTAC, TOT
Support 3G: HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS (900/2100MHz) speed 42 Mbps AIS, TOT, TRUE H, DTAC
Support 2G: EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) (AIS, DTAC, TRUE)
Support WiFi b/g/n speed 300Mbps, can use WiFi simultaneously for up to 32 users.
There are 3 LAN 10/100 Mbps and 1 WAN.
There are 2 non-removable 5dBi 3G/4G antennas.
There are 2 non-removable 5dBi WiFi antennas.
Compatible with large SIM cards
Support WAN Failover, automatically switch WAN to 4G when the internet is disconnected.
Suitable for use in the office or Work From Home or used to connect to CCTV, IP Cam.

 

You write "ancient cat6 - cat9 hardware". This router has modern cat4... ???? It is extremely hard to find reliable specifications. But I found about max 4G speed 150/50 - perhaps only if it has a very good day. 

[Mickeymaus]

12 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

BS they are not only in their own mind are they the leaders in networking. 

I have a Huawei VDSL router. What drives me crazy is that at login and at every chance of a setting you have to enter a displayed validation code. This cannot be switched off ????????????

[fdsa]

24 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

You write "ancient cat6 - cat9 hardware". This router has modern cat4...

cat4 is even more ancient.

modern = cat15

[Photoguy21]

18 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

I have a Huawei VDSL router. What drives me crazy is that at login and at every chance of a setting you have to enter a displayed validation code. This cannot be switched off ????????????

They (China that is) want to know the information belongs to who

[Photoguy21]

36 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

I have thought I buy a router and put a SIM card into it and that is it. But I see this is more complicated than anticipated at least if you expect good results. 

 

The router I would buy - D-LINK DWR-M920 4G LTE Wireless N300 - has

 

Product Features
D-LINK DWR-M920 is a 3G/4G Router with a SIM card that supports 4G in all networks in Thailand. Maximum speed 150 Mbps
4G support: FDD-LTE Cat4 (700/800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz) of AIS, DTAC, TRUE H, MY
Support 4G: TDD-LTE Cat4 (2300/2500/2600MHz) of DTAC, TOT
Support 3G: HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS (900/2100MHz) speed 42 Mbps AIS, TOT, TRUE H, DTAC
Support 2G: EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) (AIS, DTAC, TRUE)
Support WiFi b/g/n speed 300Mbps, can use WiFi simultaneously for up to 32 users.
There are 3 LAN 10/100 Mbps and 1 WAN.
There are 2 non-removable 5dBi 3G/4G antennas.
There are 2 non-removable 5dBi WiFi antennas.
Compatible with large SIM cards
Support WAN Failover, automatically switch WAN to 4G when the internet is disconnected.
Suitable for use in the office or Work From Home or used to connect to CCTV, IP Cam.

 

You write "ancient cat6 - cat9 hardware". This router has modern cat4... ???? It is extremely hard to find reliable specifications. But I found about max 4G speed 150/50 - perhaps only if it has a very good day. 

Netgear is one of the best on the market but not really easy to set up

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

I just came from True. Asked them for a test SIM card to find out the maximum speed that I can get at my location. Prepaid there is no option to get more than 20 Mbps I was told. This is 300 Baht for a month or 200 Baht for a week. But this is not the problem. It simply doesn't give me an idea about the maximum speed that I can get. Will ask AIS the next days. These Lazada SIMs are special promotions I was told. 

I think you can buy a 50 baht holiday sim from 7 Eleven or Family mart, then test the speed. A wasted year if you get a year sim and it's duff

[Mickeymaus]

What a bad service. Before I went to True Move and they told me prepaid I can have only 20 Mbps and at minimum for 200 Baht for 1 week. There is no other way to test the speed. Now I called the excellent Hotline and got told 

 

Net 1.5GB 24 Hrs., 35 Baht (Excl. VAT), one time charge, valid for 24 hours, 4G/3G data for 1.5 GB. To apply dial *900*8150# or click tmvh.co/556 starting from 13 Nov 20 - 31 Dec 22.

 

This is exactly what I need for testing ????????????. Maximum possible speed is 300 Mbps.

[digbeth]

had the Huawei CPE 5g for a year and a half when my condo only had VDSL and it was definitely faster, speedtest got 280-300mbps but I had to position the router near the windows otherwise the 5g dropped out

 

it cost around 8000 baht back then, but after the initial promotion ran out, the plan that had unlimited internet all came with included voice minutes that I couldn't use, after then my condo finally had fibre to the room so I stop using the 5g

 

There's a newer model from AIS but from RUIO that can be had for around 2000 baht if you open a new sim with them

 

[Mickeymaus]

7 minutes ago, digbeth said:

had the Huawei CPE 5g for a year and a half when my condo only had VDSL and it was definitely faster, speedtest got 280-300mbps but I had to position the router near the windows otherwise the 5g dropped out

 

it cost around 8000 baht back then, but after the initial promotion ran out, the plan that had unlimited internet all came with included voice minutes that I couldn't use, after then my condo finally had fibre to the room so I stop using the 5g

 

There's a newer model from AIS but from RUIO that can be had for around 2000 baht if you open a new sim with them

 

Wow - This router has everything that I need. There is even a USB 3 port. But they write "for manufacture". Not sure what this means.

 

https://store.ais.co.th/th/5g-home-wifi-zlt-x21g.html

 

I will talk to AIS the next days. But of course I will need a speed test at my location first. Have to find someone with a 5G phone... Mine are only 4G LTE. The positioning in the condo is not such a big problem since the Internet is wireless. In the worst case it would be in a box on the balcony. 

 

 

 

[IAMHERE]

15 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

Wow - This router has everything that I need. There is even a USB 3 port. But they write "for manufacture". Not sure what this means.

 

https://store.ais.co.th/th/5g-home-wifi-zlt-x21g.html

 

I will talk to AIS the next days. But of course I will need a speed test at my location first. Have to find someone with a 5G phone... Mine are only 4G LTE. The positioning in the condo is not such a big problem since the Internet is wireless. In the worst case it would be in a box on the balcony. 

 

 

 

I thought 5G was affected by walls and such.

[Mickeymaus]

20 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I thought 5G was affected by walls and such.

I checked the AIS 5G router offer a little bit more. They are out of stock. So they don't have the router at the moment. And the monthly costs are too high for my taste. It is also not clear if this router can be used with other networks than AIS. 

[userabcd]

Look at the TPLink routers, there are several models available MR100 and 6400 max speed 300Mbbps and Dual band MR200, MR400 (Lan 10/100) and MR600 (Lan 10/100/1000, LTE+ carrier aggregation)

 

I'm using a TPLink MR200 with an NT/TOT Thunder sim 999 baht for 1 year.

 

It is sufficient for all my streaming, browsing needs and is shared with one other person.

[Mickeymaus]

I just did a speed test with my tablet and True Move. This time I checked that my local WiFi was off... Not bad. This 1 day package has a maximum possible speed of 300 Mbps. Of course it is not sure if the router shows similar positiv results. Will also check in the evening again. 

 

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

I just did a speed test with my tablet and True Move. This time I checked that my local WiFi was off... Not bad. This 1 day package has a maximum possible speed of 300 Mbps. Of course it is not sure if the router shows similar positiv results. Will also check in the evening again. 

 

speedtest is often unreliable, try testmy.net and report back, usually more accurate

[marcusb]

Used phones as hotspot for years. I find it hard on the phones. (iPhones, seem to get hot) 
got a TP link sim router last week, totally impressed. 

[Mickeymaus]

32 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

speedtest is often unreliable, try testmy.net and report back, usually more accurate

Good. I used now testmy.net first with my 3BB WiFi - need the rest of my SIM data for the evening. The results changed dramatically from test to test. And this with the 3BB VDSL Internet. But I know that I will have to test more. Perhaps I buy first a 1 year 70 GB package with unlimited speed and check further before I buy a router. Total loss would be about 1200 Baht ???????????? ???????????? 

 

 

 

[Sqoop]

On 9/27/2022 at 4:07 PM, Bruno123 said:

That's more than an entry level 4G router. Android phone is not suitable for use as a permanent hotspot anyway. Plus you'd have to make sure the cheap Android phone has carrier aggregation enabled. Not only that, but enabled for the channels needed for the network that you choose.

Im also using my Samsung galaxy and a hotspot for Internet access at the moment. What do you mean by carrier aggregation and channels ? 

[scubascuba3]

19 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

Good. I used now testmy.net first with my 3BB WiFi - need the rest of my SIM data for the evening. The results changed dramatically from test to test. And this with the 3BB VDSL Internet. But I know that I will have to test more. Perhaps I buy first a 1 year 70 GB package with unlimited speed and check further before I buy a router. Total loss would be about 1200 Baht ???????????????????????? 

 

 

 

What was speedtest vs testmy.net?

[Mickeymaus]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

What was speedtest vs testmy.net?

About 40/20 for download with 3BB server. GSL Networks server in Tokyo showed the same results. Both with Speedtest. A different server in Japan showed only about half of this speed. 

 

Don't worry - I will have to test this SIM more. There might be some bad surprises. I also don't know if the 70 GB package will behave the same way. Could also check AIS. But I would need a cheap SIM first and then a cheap option to test 24 hours. DTAC was very bad at my location.

[Mickeymaus]

1 hour ago, marcusb said:

Used phones as hotspot for years. I find it hard on the phones. (iPhones, seem to get hot) 
got a TP link sim router last week, totally impressed. 

Which SIM do you have and what speeds to you get?

[fdsa]

5 hours ago, Sqoop said:

Im also using my Samsung galaxy and a hotspot for Internet access at the moment. What do you mean by carrier aggregation and channels ? 

channels = network bands on which a mobile network works (e.g. 900 MHz or 1800 MHz)

carrier aggregation = using different network bands at once, for example if you get 5mbps speed on band8 and 10 mbps speed on band40 you will get 15 mbps with carrier aggregation enabled.

 

cheap chinese noname routers mostly use "cat 4" modems* which are not capable of carrier aggregation so you will have a maximum of 10 mbps with an example above. and if that router does not support one of the bands, for example band40 from the example above, you will get a maximum of 5mbps.

 

two channels carrier aggregation appeared in cat6, and three channels carrier aggregation appeared in cat9, so if you want high speeds then

1) you must buy router that uses a modem with cat.9 technology

2) you must check which bands/channels does that router support, and that they correspond to the bands used by your mobile provider.

3) you must check that the carrier aggregation bands supported by the router correspond to the ones used by your mobile provider. 

for example, if the router supports 2CA B1+B8, B3+B8, B8+B40, and your provider runs 2CA B3+B5, B1+B40 then you won't get a carrier aggregation because bands do not match. You will get a single connection to either B1, B3, or B40.

 

* - still I must notice that the cheap and old routers are totally worth it if you have a 10mbps or 20mbps tariff and live near the mobile provider base station.

so if you get a good signal and do not need a high speed internet then you could use a category 4 device.

 

also read this topic or at least this post:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1236854-ais-vs-dtac-vs-truemove-true-h-technical-info-for-it-nerdsnolifers/?do=findComment&comment=17042991

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by fdsa

[marcusb]

8 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

Which SIM do you have and what speeds to you get?

Dtac. 

Just looked and its 10 and 5. I think that is based on whatever plan I bought more than the sim/router capabilities. (in my case)  I don't demand much for what I do.