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Trying to keep up with its main competitor - Huawei - ZTE Corporation releases new model mobile router 4G + 3G - ZTE MF90, which supports both Russian and European 3G and LTE frequencies. Unlike the previous model, the MF90 has a smaller body and a MIMO connector for connecting an external amplified 4G / 3G antenna. ZTE, as a rule, does not come up with anything new first, but only “catch up” with Huawei in development, but when releasing an analogue, ZTE does no less well, but is almost always a little cheaper.
The ZTE MF90 router has two connectors, so to boost the LTE signal in places with poor reception, it is recommended to use MIMO antennas - antennas with two connectors - our catalog contains MIMO antennas with the following gain factors:
1) external panel antenna 20 dB MIMO for places with very poor signal reception or no signal at all;
2) external 18 dB MIMO panel antenna for areas with poor or no signal reception;
3) external/internal panel antenna 14-15 dB MIMO for areas of poor or unsatisfactory network reception;
4) external/internal budget 13 dB MIMO panel antenna for use in areas of poor network reception.
The MF90+ model differs from the MF90 in the absence of antenna connectors, which reduced the cost of its production and, as a result, the retail price. This model is good for those who use mobile devices data transmission in places of reliable reception - within the city limits, at famous resorts and tourist routes, abundantly equipped base stations 4G LTE and 3G operators. There are more and more such places every year, both here and abroad.
Attention! The router works with SIM card any 3G and 4G LTE operator in supported frequencies (YOTA, Megafon, MTS, Beeline, Rostelecom, Tele2, Altel, Motiv, Tattelecom (Letay), etc.). Warranty - 12 months from the date of sale. Depending on the supply, devices may have both the Huawei logo and the logos of foreign or Russian telecom operators. The language of the control program is Russian or English, instructions are in Russian.
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Antenna adapters (pigtails) for connecting external amplified antennas to modems and mobile routers of the third (3G UMTS/HSPA) and fourth (4G LTE) generations, suitable for all USB modems and portable routers that have an antenna connector, may have connectors on the other side : FME-male, N-male, SMA-female.
Universal 4G LTE + 3G modem. It has antenna connectors and is small in size. Works with any SIM cards of all Russian and European operators communications (YOTA, Megafon, MTS, Beeline, Rostelecom, Tele2, Altel, Motiv, Tattelecom / Letai, etc.). Supports speeds up to 100 Mbps. Ideal for use with laptops abroad.
The most powerful LTE 4G + 3G kit for installation in a country house, private house, village, etc. There are no losses on the antenna cable, the cable length is 10 or 15 meters. Antenna gain - from 14 to 20 dB. WiFi coverage is up to 40 meters in diameter. Works with any SIM card of 4G LTE and 3G operators. Number of WiFi users - up to 32 + LAN connectors.
I remember when I first tried out a 3G modem, I was, to put it mildly, skeptical about it. And, imitating the majority, he began to ironically call this device a “whistle.” And there was a reason for it - it was possible to see the 3G network, usually in the city center, and only if you were lucky. That 3G networks become a panacea for all ills expressed in the lack of Internet access via telephone line or optical fiber was out of the question - I should have checked my email. A few years ago I had to remember about modems, the choice was meager: either some kind of Internet, or without it at all. Anticipating the loss of nerve cells, I connected the newly purchased device to the computer... The network was found, 3G, good level signal works. I was surprised by the speed of loading pages in the browser, in a good way. Checking the speed in speedtest.net showed about 6 Mbit/s to 1.5 Mbit/s, nonsense, I thought and double-checked it several more times - the figures were the same. Without further ado, I start downloading a movie via torrent - the speed gradually rises to 7-8 Mbit/s! To say that I was surprised and puzzled is to say nothing, I was blown away, blown away by a small white piece of plastic! Since then, the “whistle” for me has been a musical instrument for serving sound signals, and a modem is a modem.
Everything flows, everything changes, it’s nice to realize when these changes are for the better. Technologies mobile communications also do not stand still, trying to follow the needs of users. So in 2012, 3G networks in Russia were replaced by fourth generation networks 4G/LTE. In short, 4G has several serious advantages over 3G: increased data transfer speeds (in theory, up to 1 Gbit/s) and reduced access time to Internet resources. The first will allow you to load faster various files, look in more high quality the same videos from YouTube, the second one should be appreciated by fans of online games. Everything is wonderful, of course, but how does this affect us? And the most immediate thing - last year 2014, 4G Internet finally came to our region. And just recently, Beeline deployed a 4G network in our region.
The 4G/LTE network was launched by Beeline in November 2015. On this moment in the CMV region, coverage covers the cities of Pyatigorsk and Essentuki. In 4G/LTE networks, the operator claims an average data transfer speed of 10-20 Mbit/s.
Personally, I have long been waiting for the launch of the 4G network from Beeline in our region, bearing in mind the company’s merits in the 3G path. Therefore, when I was offered to test this router on a still hot, blazing-hot 4G network, I immediately agreed.
Positioning and model range
At the moment, the company's mobile routers are represented by three models: Huawei E5573, ZTE MF90 and ZTE MF90+. The review will be, as you already understood, the ZTE MF90+ model.
The device is positioned as a mobile router. You can come up with many work scenarios. You can take it to the country, to school, university, to work with a slow communication channel, or you can use it as a stationary type of Internet access. Up to 10 users can connect to the router via Wi-Fi.
It is interesting that the rest of the “Big Three” operators have 4G/Wi-Fi routers represented by one model, in the case of MTS (MTS Connect 4G Wi-Fi router) and Megafon has a complete absence of such - in the online store all routers have the status "not supplied". I can’t say what the reason for Megafon’s lack of them is. I can only assume that the 4G/Wi-Fi modems available from each operator are positioned as a compromise, but cheaper replacement for routers. Call to “ hotline“The megaphone gave absolutely nothing - the operator could not say anything specific about this.
Looking at the competitors, we can say with confidence that Beeline can only compete with itself. All three of the company’s routers are sold at a price of 1,199 rubles, and the only router from MTS costs as much as 2,850.
Specifications
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Working in ranges |
LTE FDD (800/1800/2600 MHz), UMTS (900/2100 MHz) and GSM (900/1800 MHz) |
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LTE FDD up to 100 Mbit/s – when receiving data, and up to 50 Mbit/s – when transmitting data |
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Speed using data transfer technology |
DC-HSPA+ up to 42 Mbit/s – when receiving data, and up to 5.76 Mbit/s – when transmitting data |
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Data reception speed in EDGE/GPRS mode |
up to 236 Kbps |
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Memory card support |
micro SD up to 32 GB |
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Indication |
connection status, battery charge and Wi-Fi |
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Compatible with computers equipped with operating systems |
Microsoft® Windows® (XP Service Pack 3, Vista 32/64 bit, 7 32/64 bit, 8 32/64 bit) or Apple Mac OS X (10.6, 10.7, 10.8) |
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Dimensions (WxHxD) |
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The router worked without problems in Windows 10 in USB connection mode. There is support for DC-HSPA+ technology in the 3G network, which is very relevant now. But the 5GHz Wi-Fi range, present in the ZTE MF90 model, is missing here. This mode would be useful in apartment buildings, where there are a lot of Wi-Fi networks interfering with each other.
Contents of delivery
The device comes in a neat, stylish box with a recognizable company design. The minimalism and practicality of the packaging reminded us that getting to know a home begins with the doors. This acquaintance was pleasantly pleasing - there was nothing to complain about, even with a strong desire.
On the reverse side are the main system requirements, specifications and delivery set.
It has almost become a tradition for some companies not to include either a charger or a connecting cable in the kit. It’s good that everything is in perfect order here - it’s included in the kit Charger with removable cable (USB-microUSB 1 meter long). At the same time, the quality of the charging and cable hints that they did not skimp here either.
The charging output is 5V, 1A, you can also charge through the USB port of a computer, laptop - as you wish.
Installed in the router lithium ion battery capacity 2300 mAh
The box also contained a warranty card and user manual.
The battery was originally in a separate package (in the photo it is already in the router)
The manual is in color, printed on high-quality coated paper - even here they tried to please. The manual is very detailed, there are no complaints about it. By the way, the manual is duplicated in the router’s Web interface in the “Help” menu, which is very convenient.
Appearance
The design is pleasant - minimalism, white and black, something between a soap dish and first iPhone. The first association was exactly like this. Pleasant, rough white plastic, not cheap - it does not creak when moderately squeezed in the hand (depends on you, but for me this is an important parameter). I love the color white, yes, it gets dirty, but you can answer this by keeping your own hands clean. After using the router for a week, it never got dirty, although I had no intention of keeping it pristinely clean.
There are two control buttons on the front side. With the help of the large one, the device is turned on/off, and the small one has two functions at once: turning on the WPS mode and turning on/off Wi-Fi. The large button protrudes slightly above the body of the router and is pressed a little easier than the small one, but when carrying the router in my pocket, I did not notice a single accidental press of any of the buttons.
The router can be placed vertically if desired, but it stands with a slight inclination, since the edges have a slight bevel.
Instead of a small TFT display, like some models, this one uses three color LEDs for indication. The information content has suffered a little, but since the device is primarily mobile, this is completely justified. It is not difficult to remember the indication values, and the battery life of the router definitely increases.
On the left side of the router there is a micro-USB connector for connecting charging. It is noteworthy that in the ZTE MF90 model from the same Beeline, there were two more MIMO antenna sockets hidden under plugs. Many, most likely, do not even know about the purpose of these connectors. However, if the signal is weak or unstable, which is rare, but still happens, the ability to connect external antenna would be useful.
There is an operator's logo on the back cover - aesthetes may not like it.
The lid opens very conveniently; you just need to slide it up, in the direction of the triangle. It is fixed in place securely and has not become loose at all during use.
Under the cover there is a flat battery, without it the router is completely weightless. There is also a sticker indicating the SSID and the initial password of the Wi-Fi network, and at the bottom you can find a reset button to factory settings (Reset). During the entire testing period, the button was never useful - the device worked stably and without surprises.
Under the battery there is a slot for a SIM card, microSD card(support for up to 32 GB is declared). The router, predictably, is locked to work only with Beeline SIM cards. I would like to note that to work on a 4G network you need a USIM card, but when purchasing a kit there should be no problems with this, since the SIM card is already included in it. You can also see two connectors for connecting more powerful Wi-Fi MIMO - antennas. When connecting one, the problem will arise that the router does not work without a battery out of the box. At the same time, you can easily find instructions on how to get around this on the Internet. So the connectors present are at least not useless.
Power consumption and battery
Since the router is mobile, battery life is one of the most important parameters. I have already said that the device contains a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2300 mAh. The capacity is not phenomenal, but quite decent. In addition to the economical LED indication, the device has two more good “savers”.
The first allows you to switch the power of the Wi-Fi transmitter, and the second automatically puts the router into sleep mode after a certain time of inactivity. The time before the transition can be changed in the settings. If someone thinks that the router turns itself off during operation, then keep in mind that this setting works; by default, the time before the router goes to sleep is 10 minutes.
From the factory charger, my router charged for about four hours. The battery charge was more than enough for a full day, and I did not limit myself in any way: surfing the browser, downloading movies via torrent in the background, sometimes watching videos on Youtube. So you don’t have to worry about an inappropriately discharged battery.
Control
The router is controlled theoretically in two ways, but in practice there is only one. More on this later. The first method is a classic Web interface in the already recognizable “tiled” style. I won’t focus on every tab of the interface, I’ll go over the most interesting ones.
There is an ordinary, but in some situations useful, ability to change the operator's APN. A small life hack - until January 15, 2016, the operator has an “Unlimited and free Internet 4G". The cheapest tariff eligible for this promotion is “All for 200”. That is, you can buy a SIM card with this tariff, insert it into the router, change the standard APN and use the Internet on the 4G network for free and unlimited. True, you will still have to pay two hundred rubles for the tariff itself.
The router can operate in repeater mode, here this mode named Wi-Fi Internet. The inconvenience is that you will have to connect to the access point manually each time. There is a function, despite all the shortcomings it works, perhaps someone will find it useful.
Range Wi-Fi actions good, in comparison with my Zyxel P660HTW2, equipped with a 5dB antenna, it performed well. The kid managed, just like his more serious rival, to “break through” two brick walls and distribute the Internet to a laptop that was located about eight meters from both routers. This is an excellent result for a mobile router, but it’s somehow inconvenient to wish for more.
In my opinion, the Web interface has only two drawbacks: one is just another quibble, and the other will be more serious. My quibble is that the battery charge is not displayed as a percentage, as in the ZTE application, but only in divisions. But the lack of traffic accounting in the Web interface is already a serious mistake, especially since now there are no tariffs with absolute unlimited limits.
For Android there is a management program ZTE Wi-Fi Monitor. You can download at Play Market. It seemed a little damp to me: there is no switching of network modes, authorization does not always work the first time. At the same time, the battery charge level is indicated as a percentage (these percentages were given to me) and there is traffic accounting. “If only Nikanor Ivanovich’s lips could be placed on Ivan Kuzmich’s nose...”
Testing
The 4G network was tested in the city of Pyatigorsk. We tested only the 4G network, with Beeline’s 3G everything is fine, especially after the introduction of DC-HSPA+ technology, which provides a maximum data transfer speed of up to 42 Mbit/s. For objectivity, the speed was measured three times at each point; we didn’t stand under the base stations, but we didn’t go into the wilderness either. In order to minimize the load of clients on the network in tests, the test was carried out on a weekday morning. I would like to immediately note that even though the LTE network was launched by Beeline quite recently, during the entire testing period I never noticed that the router lost the network.
Bunimovicha street, next to the Planeta shopping center, signal level: -77dbm.
I immediately noticed the decreased Ping compared to the 3G network
Dzerzhinsky street, next to the sanatorium “Zori Stavropolya”, signal level: -59dbm.
Here the full speed in the 4G network has already caught my eye, although the signal level is excellent.
Dzerzhinsky street, not far from the Beeline office, signal level: -59dbm.
It was interesting to check the network directly near the operator’s office, but it was difficult to check - such a wind was blowing that I began to worry that the speed test would turn into a test of the router’s ability to take off vertically.
Kalinina Avenue, near the Department Store shopping center, signal level: -71dbm.
I have already begun to notice a certain pattern that the data transfer speed remains approximately at the same level. I can assume that this is due to the fact that users transmit data to a greater extent than receive it. Hence the much greater dependence of the reception speed on the signal level and building density.
Moskovskaya street, next to “SDEK”, signal level: -67dbm.
The trend of almost identical transmission rates continues.
Rosa Luxemburg street, near school No. 14, signal level: -70dbm.
Here you can immediately see that the speed and Ping have decreased noticeably, most likely this is due to a significant load on the network - in the testing area there were many high-rise buildings, and nearby there was a private sector with dense buildings.
Kalinina Avenue, not far from McDonald’s, signal level: -86dbm.
The signal level is low, but the speed is quite good.
Kalinina Avenue, intersection with Pirogov Street, signal level: -86dbm.
And again the transfer speed is about 9 Mbit/s.
Ilyina street, Svobody village, signal level: -98dbm.
I said above that we did not go into the wilderness. But I couldn’t ignore the legendary Nakhalovka - one of the oldest districts of our city and, as it happens, my small homeland. And frankly, I didn’t expect the 4G network to work here at all. Yes, the signal level is very low, the speed is low, but the network is there and it works.
Summary
I liked this router, the new price of 1199 rubles played a significant role in this. The delivery package is pleasing, the quality of all its components is excellent, the router works stably and without problems, the control interface is convenient, with minor flaws, let's hope they will be corrected in the latest firmware. I can only complain about the missing MIMO antenna connectors compared to the ZTE MF90 model and the missing 5GHz Wi-Fi band, but these are my personal nitpicks. You can also find fault, but deservedly so, with the ZTE Wi-Fi Monitor application.
Impressions regarding the launch of the 4G/LTE network by Beeline are the most positive: the speed is, for the most part, decent, the connection is stable. Of course, I admit that in some areas the network may not work well, but we must not forget that the operator launched it quite recently. However, I hope that Beeline will not stop there. After all, there is always room to grow.
Igor Puteev ( [email protected])
Simple instructions for unlocking a ZTE MF90 or ZTE MF90+ modem from the parent operator.
1. Connect and configure the router according to the standard instructions.
2. Open " device Manager" and check the presence of such a device in the "Network adapters" section.
3. Set up a WiFi connection to the router and connect to it.
4. Go to the web interface of the router at " http://m.home" or " http://
5. Put the router into diagnostic mode. To do this, go to the address " http://m.home/goform/goform_process?goformId=MODE_SWITCH&switchCmd=FACTORY" or " http://
If everything went well, it will appear in the browser empty page with text ("result":"FACTORY:ok")
6. Open again " device Manager"and we find three there unknown devices "ZTE LTE Technologies MSM"
7. Install the driver from this archive on each of these devices:
The drivers are located in the folder " Drivers".
If you have any problems during the installation process or you don’t know how to install them, then use these instructions: How to install drivers? .
If Windows displays a warning about installing an inappropriate/unsigned driver, answer “Install anyway.”
8. Now former unknown devices have received normal names. We find among them "ZTE Mobile Broadband Diagnostics Port"(in section "Ports (COM and LPT)") and remember the COM port number assigned to it (for example, COM9 or COM13)
9. From the same archive, extract the file " diag1F40_F0AA.bin " and place it in the root of drive "C:"
10. Launch the console ( command line Windows).
11. Enter the following commands into the console by pressing “Enter” after each line:
(in the last line replace the word " COM9", 9 to your COM port number from step 8)
C: cd \ copy /b diag1F40_F0AA.bin \\.\COM9
If this step is successful, you will see this:
12. Next, switch the router to mode RNDIS+. To do this, go to the address " http://m.home/goform/goform_set_cmd_process?goformId=USB_MODE_SWITCH&usb_mode=6" or " http://
13. B Device Manager 4 (four) unknown devices with the same names should appear "ZTE Technologies MSM"(if they don’t appear right away, then we distort the USB cable). One by one, open “Properties” for each of them, go to the “Information” tab, select “Equipment ID” from the drop-down list and remember which one will have “ USB\VID_19D2&PID_1404&REV_5099&MI_06".
14. Install the ADB driver from the archive on this device (folder " ADB Driver"). After this, the device will be called " Android ADB Interface" or " Android Composite ADB Interface".
15. Now copy the folder " adb"from archive to disk root" C:" and on the command line execute the following:
C: cd \ cd adb adb shell tcpsvd -u root:root -vE 0.0.0.0 21 ftpd -w / & 
Do not close the window after completing the operations! We will still need it.
16. Now in any ftp client open " ftp http://m.home" or " ftp
://
18. Now in that command line window, simply press Ctrl+C and execute this command:
20. After starting the program, select the “unnamed” COM port in the window (it must correspond to the ZTE modem, if in doubt, open the “ZTE Mobile Broadmand Modem” properties in the Device Manager and see what COM port is there)
21. In the black terminal window that appears, enter the following two commands sequentially:
AT+ZCDRUN=8 AT+ZCDRUN=F
The result will be like this:
22. Go to the web interface of the router, select “Settings” - “Device” - “Reboot” and reboot the router. If everything worked out, the RNDIS adapter will appear in Device Manager again.
That's it now. We insert a SIM card from another operator and enjoy life.
MF90+ (unlike MF90) is very capricious in terms of working in 4G! For 4G it definitely needs the “correct” access point (APN),Same for normal operation You need to configure an access point for another operator in the web panel!
If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments to this article. Happy unlocking! 😉
Most users have a lot of questions. This is where the greatest difficulties arise. However, given that owners want to work with any operators, this problem should be solved. This can be done as quickly as possible. In this article we will provide tips that will allow you to unblock your router.
Characteristics
The ZTE MF90 router is designed for Internet distribution. This device is mobile. Its advantage is that it provides a good connection and long lasting autonomous operation. necessary to function in the Beeline network. It is from this operator that you can find a similar device in stores. In order to connect to the Internet, you must use a mini SIM card.
Let's look at the characteristics of the ZTE MF90 modem:
- The battery capacity is 2300 mAh. This will be enough to download content for 5 hours. If we are talking about surfing, then this figure increases to 6-7 hours.
- Repeater mode is supported, you can connect using a USB cable to view files.
- Work with a Micro-SD card is allowed. Its maximum capacity is 32 GB.
- LED type indication.
- Wi-Fi can operate in the 5 GHz band.
- Maximum speed- 236 Mbit per second.
It must be added that this device Up to 10 people can connect. Thanks to these characteristics, reviews of the ZTE MF90 are positive.
Unlocking the router via the console
In order to unlock the router, you need to use either the console or a special utility. You can also buy a code and officially unlock the device. Let's look at each of the methods.
In order to configure the device for any SIM cards, you should go to the command line. The screenshot below shows what needs to be entered in the console. Next, be sure to restart your computer. After this, we can assume that the ZTE MF90 unlocking has been completed successfully.
Official unlocking: step one
You should definitely pay attention to a rather successful utility called Reader Tool.
- Before unlocking the device, you must install all drivers.
- Next you need to download the application and launch it. Judging by the reviews of the ZTE MF90, the utility performs its tasks well.
- After this, connect to the router via a USB cable (under no circumstances should you use a Wi-Fi connection). Moreover, you need to make sure that the computer is connected to the device.
- Next, in the application, you need to press the Diag Mode button.
- A special message will appear indicating the success of the process. In this case, the computer will disconnect from the router.
- The device manager will open and you need to find your device in it.
- If the drivers are installed incorrectly, problems will arise. In this case, they must be downloaded manually.
- After this, you need to click on the Detect button in the utility. Several lines of text will appear, from which you need to select the appropriate one. In order not to make a mistake, you should start from the port number to which the router itself is connected.
- Now you need to press key number 3, it is called Read. As a result, the device will return to operating mode, and a code will appear in the utility. You need to write down the IMEI and the character set itself on a piece of paper. Thanks to it you can unlock ZTE MF90.
Official unlocking: step two
- You need to go to the official website of the modem and indicate the address there Email, device data - model, IMEI and the code immediately received in the utility. You should also include your phone number. Fill out the form without errors, as carefully as possible.
- Next, you need to click on the “Submit” button. Fulfilling an order can take from 5 minutes to a day. But, as a rule, the answer comes within half an hour. The code will be sent to the e-mail specified by the buyer.
- Install a card from someone else's operator, turn on your router and enter the device settings.
- A prompt will appear asking you to enter a code. You will find it by e-mail.
This completes the unlocking of ZTE MF90.
Results
The device is in demand, so many users are thinking about unlocking it. Sometimes Beeline’s tariffs are not suitable for a number of specific reasons, but you don’t want to purchase a new router to freely use the services of another operator. Of course, then you will have to spend a lot more of your money. This is why customers are wondering how to unlock ZTE MF90. The article describes the official method and the unlicensed method via the console.