As the top network provider in the USA, AT&T had presented much 4G mobile broadband for wireless LTE network connection. They are very popular with the end-users. However, for those who are unfamiliar with the 4G LTE Wireless routers, they may have trouble to select the best LTE router for themselves. The AT&T Unite Explore and Nighthawk M1 are the two most popular LTE mobile hotspots. Someone may ask: what’s the difference between the AT&T Unite Explore and Nighthawk M1? Which one is better? We will review the features and specs of the two mobile hotspots. You may get the answer from this article.
Netgear AC815S VS Nighthawk M1 MR1100 Appearance and Interfaces
The AT&T Unite Explore comes from the manufacturer Netgear and the model number is Netgear Aircard 815s. The AT&T Nighthawk M1 also comes from the Netgear. The Aircard 815s AT&T was available in the market much earlier than the latest AT&T Nighthawk M1. If you had read some promotion post from AT&T, you may know the Aircard 815s is the world’s first rugged mobile hotspot, which is waterproof and dust-proof. Like other Netgear WiFi hotspot AT&T, Netgear Aircard 815s has a touch screen on the front and two buttons (Home and Back) at the side of the screen. The Nighthawk M1 is different this time, it has a round screen, but not touch screen. The power status and signal status are indicated by the LED indicators around the screen.
The AT&T Unite Explore logo is at the left side of the screen. Two connectors for external antennas are available at the edge side of the body. The Nighthawk M1 also has two connectors for external antennas, and they have the same connector type TS-9. The battery of Aircard 815s and Nighthawk M1 could be removed for exchange and they both use Micro SIM card size. They both have a USB3.0 interface. The unique feature of Netgear M1 is that it also has on Ethernet port for LAN and USB type-A for output. This feature should be highlighted because there are very few 4G mobile router with Ethernet port in the market.
ATT Unite Explore vs Nighthawk M1 Specs
From the appearance and interfaces, we can see the two AT&T 4G mobile hotspots are very different. The ATT Unite Explore special feature is the rugged design with a touchscreen. The Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T seems more powerful with Ethernet port and more interfaces. However, the Nighthawk M1 doesn’t configure a touchscreen. Let’s have a check the full specs of AT&T unite explore and Nighthawk M1.
| Model | Netgear Aircard 815s | Netgear Nighthawk M1 |
| Product type | LTE Mobile Hotspot | LTE Mobile Hotspot |
| Category | LTE Cat.9 | LTE Cat.16 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MDM9240 | Qualcomm MDM9x50 |
| Data rates | DL 450Mbps/UL 100Mbps | DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B29, B30 | -- Telstra Nighthawk: Band 1/3/7/8/28 -- AT&T Nighthawk: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/29/30/66 |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Max support users | 15 users | 20 users |
| MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO |
| Connector for external antenna | Two, TS-9 jacks | Two, TS-9 jacks |
| Buy Antenna | AT&T Unite Explore Antenna | AT&T Nighthawk M1 Antenna |
| App management | Netgear Aircard APP | Netgear Aircard APP |
| SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | 4340 mAh | 5040 mAh |
| Dimensions | 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm | 105.5 x 105.5 x 20.35 mm |
| Ethernet Port | No | One Ethernet Port |
| Datasheet download | AT&T Aircard 815s Datasheet | AT&T Nighthawk M1 Datasheet |
| User Manual | AT&T Unite Explore Manual | AT&T Nighthawk M1 Manual |
| Other features | 3 band CA | 4 band CA |
| Reviews | AT&T unite explore review | Netgear Nighthawk M1 AT&T Review |
| Price | 349.00USD | 459.00USD |
Summary
From the table, we can see the Nighthawk M1 AT&T is more advanced with the support of LTE Category 16, which could achieve download speed to 1Gigabit/s. The AT&T Aircard 815s is an LTE Cat.9 hotspot supporting download speed up to 450Mbps. The AT&T Nighthawk supports more WiFi users up to 20 users while Aircard 815 supports 15 users. The Nighthawk M1 and AT&T Unite explore supports similar LTE frequency bands for ATT. However, the Nighthawk M1 has a variant model for Australian network provider Telstra, which works on difference LTE frequency bands.
What’s more, the Nighthawk M1 supports more LTE advanced Pro network technology such as 4 x 4 MIMO and 4 band carrier aggregation, which make the high-speed downlink possible. Since both of the AT&T mobile hotspots has the JumpBoost feature, which makes the Netgear hotspot work like a power bank to charge other devices. The Aircard 815 has a battery of 4340mAh capacity while the Nighthawk M1 has a battery of 5040mAh. So the AT&T Nighthawk M1 is more powerful than the AT&T Unite Explore in almost all the aspects, which means the Nighthawk M1 price would be much higher than the older model Aircard 815s. If you are a price-sensitive buyer, the Netgear Aircard 815s seems good enough, but if you want a future-proof pocket hotspot, the Nighthawk M1 is no doubt the best one. By the way, there are unlocked AT&T Unite Explore and Unlocked Nighthawk M1 AT&T available on www.4gltemall.com online store. You can buy unlocked ones for global use.
Netgear 4G Aircard provides a series of 4G Mobile WiFi Hotspots for worldwide network providers and more and more new LTE advanced Pro hotspots will be available as time goes. Netgear AC815 was introduced to the product range for US network provider AT&T and gets a new name AT&T Unite Explore. It’s available around two years earlier than the latest Netgear AC800, which was introduced to the Australian market for the network provider Optus and got a new name Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s. Somebody may ask: what’s the difference between Netgear AC815S and AC800S? Which one is better between AT&T Unite Explore and Optus AC800S? In this article, you may find the answer.
Netgear AC800S VS AC815S Appearance and Interfaces
Someone may be unfamiliar with the Netgear AC815s, but if you get it in hand, you will be attracted by its special design. As the world’s first rugged 4G mobile hotspot, the AT&T Unite Explore 815s is the best mobile router for outdoor use. Of course, it’s also good to use for indoor use. Like the predecessor Aircard 810s, the touchscreen is in the middle of the front body with the ATT logo on the left side, and home & back buttons are at the right side of the screen. The Optus AC800S also has the similar feature, on the front, the home button and back button are on the right side. The Optus logo is at the corner.
Like other Netgear LTE Hotspots, the AT&T Unite Explore(815s) and Optus 4G WiFi modem(800s) both have two connectors for external LTE antenna, which is in TS-9 type and at the same position of the body. Between the two connectors, they both have the standard USB 3.0 interface. The back cover and battery of the two Netgear hotspots could be removed and the SIM card slot is below the battery. They both use Micro SIM card size, but no slot of Micro SD card for data sharing.
AT&T Unite Explore VS Optus 4G WiFi Modem Specifications
From the appearance, we can’t see the real difference between the two routers, except the special rugged design of Aircard 815S. To know more, we have to check the AT&T Unite Explore Specs and Optus AC800S Specs. In the table below, we list the specs and features for reference:
| Model | Netgear Aircard 815s | Netgear Aircard 800S |
| Product type | LTE Mobile Hotspot | LTE Mobile Hotspot |
| Category | LTE Cat.9 | LTE Cat.9 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MDM9240 | Qualcomm MDM9240 |
| Data rates | DL 450Mbps/UL 100Mbps | DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B29, B30 | B1, B3, B7, B28, B40 |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Max support users | 15 users | 15 users |
| MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO |
| Connector for external antenna | Two, TS-9 jacks | Two, TS-9 jacks |
| Buy Antenna | AT&T Unite Explore Antenna | Aircard 800s External Antenna |
| App management | Netgear Aircard APP | Netgear Aircard APP |
| SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | 4340 mAh | 2930 mAh |
| Dimensions | 113.5 x 71 x 20 mm | 110 x 68 x 16.1 mm |
| Ethernet Port | No | No |
| Datasheet download | Netgear AC815S Datasheet | Netgear AC800S Datasheet |
| User Manual | AT&T Unite Explore Manual | Optus 4G modem 800S Manual |
| Other features | 3 band CA | 3 band CA |
| Reviews | AT&T unite explore review | Netgear Aircard 800s review |
| Price | 349.00USD | 199.00USD |
Summary
From the specs table, we can see the AT&T Unite Explore 815S and Optus 4G WiFi modem 800s are both LTE Cat.9 mobile hotspot which could support peak download speed to 450Mbps. With same Qualcomm chipset, they could both support maximum WiFi-enabled devices up to 15 users. The main difference is that they are presented for different network providers, so the supported LTE frequency bands are different. The unlocked Aircard 815s is mainly for American areas while the unlocked Aircard 800s is mainly for Australia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. And the rugged Aircard 815s has a more powerful battery, much larger than Aircard 800s. So if you would buy the Netgear AC815s or AC800S, firstly, you would check whether the device is compatible with your provider’s network; if they are OK for your SIM card, then you need check which one you prefer. For outdoor use, the Aircard 815 seems better, but if you care about the price, the Netgear AC800S would be also good to consider.
Huawei E5788 is new LTE Advanced Pro mobile hotspot and was available on the market for few months. Upgrading from the predecessor Huawei E5787 LTE Cat.6 mobile hotspot, Huawei E5788 has many new features to highlight. However, some people don’t know the new Huawei hotspot 4G or don’t know what has been improved in the new hotspot. Someone may ask what the difference is between Huawei E5788 and E5787. Today, we will have a review of the difference between the new Huawei 4G hotspots.
Huawei E5788 VS E5787 Appearance and Interfaces
If you had used the Huawei E5787 Mobile WiFi hotspot, you may know the touchscreen, which is the first 4G Mobile hotspot with a 2.4-inch touchscreen. As a high-level LTE hotspot, Huawei E5788 followed this feature but unlike the Huawei E5787, the touchscreen is on the left half of the front body. The touchscreen of Huawei E5787 is in the middle of the front body. They both have standard Micro USB 3.0 interface. The Huawei E5787 has two TS-9 connectors for external antenna, however, the Huawei E5788 doesn’t have a connector for external antenna, which is widely criticized. The two connectors of Huawei E5787 are covered by a small cap, and it’s at the side of the USB port. At the side of Huawei E5788 USB port, it’s the SIM card slot. The two mobile hotspots both use Micro SIM card size. They both have the power button on the top edge side of the body.
The one point of the difference between of Huawei E5787 and E5788 is that the back cover of Huawei E5787 could be removed so that the users could insert the SIM card to the slot. And the Huawei E5787 could be removed for exchange. However, the back cover and battery of Huawei E5788 are non-removable. The non-removed battery feature is very similar to Huawei E5786.
Huawei E5787 VS E5788 Specifications and variant models
Like Huawei E5786, the Huawei E5787 has a few variant models for different LTE frequency bands from many network providers worldwide. As we know, Huawei E5787 has three variant models: Huawei E5787s-33a, Huawei E5787Ph-67a, and Huawei E5787Ph-92a. Huawei E5788 has only one variant model now and the specific model is E5788u-96a. But we believe there will be more variant models for the E5788 Hotspot in near future. From the appearance, we can see some difference, but the key difference is on the Huawei E5787 specs and E5788 specs. In the table below, we list the full specs and features for your reference:
| Model | Huawei E5788u-96a | Huawei E5787 |
| Product type | LTE Mobile Hotspot | LTE Mobile Hotspot |
| Category | LTE Cat.16 | LTE Cat.6 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MDM9250 | HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset |
| Data rates | DL 1Gbps/UL 100Mbps | DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | * FDD-LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/19/20/28 * TDD-LTE: Band 38/40/41/42 | * Huawei E5787s-33a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/20/38/40/41 * Huawei E5787Ph-67a: Band 1/3/5/7/8/20/38/40/41 |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Max support users | 32 users | 10 users |
| MIMO | 4 X 4 MIMO | 2 X 2 MIMO |
| Connector for external antenna | No connector | Yes, two TS-9 connectors |
| Buy Antenna | N/A | Huawei E5787 external Antenna |
| App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Huawei Hilink APP |
| SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | 3000mAh | 3000mAh |
| Dimensions | 129 x 65 x 13.5mm | 109.00 x 58.00 x 7.50mm |
| Ethernet Port | No | No |
| Datasheet download | Huawei E5788 Datasheet | Huawei E5787 Datasheet |
| User Manual | Huawei E5788 Manual | Huawei E5787 Manual |
| Other features | 4CC CA | 2 band CA |
| Reviews | Huawei E5788 Review | Huawei E5787 Review |
| Price | 499.00USD | 299.00USD |
Summary
From the specs table, we can see the Huawei E5788 is much more advanced than E5787. It could achieve download speed up to 1Gbps, which is almost three times than that of E5787. The advanced LTE features make the E5788 more expensive than Huawei Router E5787. However, the missing of an external antenna connector in Huawei E5788 is not good for many users if you are located in areas of weak signal. The Huawei E5787 antenna and the removable feature is good to mention.
Huawei E5788 LTE Router could support maximum up to 32 users while Huawei E5787 only supports to 10 WiFi-enabled devices. So if you have a group of people for internet access more than 10 users, the Huawei E5788 would meet your requirement. The Huawei E5788 is powerful in functions; however, the Huawei E5788 price is in high level now. Huawei E5787 price is much lower than E5788, and for most users, it could fully meet the requirements for daily internet access.
As a popular series of LTE gadgets, Netgear 4G aircards are well-known many countries in Europe and the United States. Especially the hot Netgear Aircard 810s mobile hotspot, is the best seller for LTE advanced networks. Recently, Netgear provided a new 4G LTE mobile router Aircard 800s for Australian network provider Optus and Optus named it as Optus WiFi modem 800s. If this article, we will review the difference between the two mobile hotspots and see which one is better.
Netgear AC810S VS AC800S Appearance and Interfaces
The Netgear AC810 has a 2.4 inch touchscreen on the front with two buttons for option: home and back. We have Aircard 810 in the version of Telstra WI-FI 4GX Advanced III. But it's already unlocked for global use. The Telstra Aircard 810 has the logo on the top side of the front. On the back, the Netgear logo is on the back cover, which could be removed to insert SIM card and battery. The Aircard 800s has similar features, on the front, there is a 2.4 inch touchscreen and Optus logo. Two buttons (home and back buttons) are available at the side of the screen. The Netgear logo is on the back cover, which could also be removed for changing SIM card or battery. And they both have two connectors for an external antenna. And the connector type is TS-9. They both use Micro SIM card to get WLAN network for internet access. The Netgear Aircard 810s is available for Telstra in black color and Optus 4G WiFi modem is in white color.
Netgear Aircard 800s vs Aircard 810s Specifications and features
From the appearance, we can see the color difference, but can’t get other difference. It seems they are made by the same model. Let’s looks at the Specifications of Aircard 810s and 800s and see what the real difference is for buyers and users.
| Model | Netgear Aircard 810s | Netgear Aircard 800S |
| Product type | LTE Mobile Hotspot | LTE Mobile Hotspot |
| Category | LTE Cat.11 | LTE Cat.9 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 | Qualcomm MDM9240 |
| Data rates | DL 600Mbps/UL 100Mbps | DL 450Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | B1, B3, B7, B8, B28 | B1, B3, B7, B28, B40 |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Max support users | 15 users | 15 users |
| MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO | 2 x 2 MIMO |
| Connector for external antenna | Two, TS-9 jacks | Two, TS-9 jacks |
| Buy Antenna | Aircard 810s External Antenna | Aircard 800s External Antenna |
| App management | Netgear Aircard APP | Netgear Aircard APP |
| SIM type | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | 2930 mAh | 2930 mAh |
| Dimensions | 112 x 68.6 x 15.45mm | 110 x 68 x 16.1 mm |
| Ethernet Port | No | No |
| Datasheet download | Netgear AC810S Datasheet | Netgear AC800S Datasheet |
| User Manual | Telstra 4GX Advanced III Manual | Optus 4G modem 800S Manual |
| Other features | 3 band CA | 3 band CA |
| Reviews | Netgear Aircard 810s review | Netgear Aircard 800s review |
| Price | 229.00USD | 199.00USD |
Aircard 800s vs 810S Conclusion
From table for the Aircard 810s specs and Aircard 800s specs, the Netgear 810s is more advanced with Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 chipset which can achieve download speed up to 600Mbps. Netgear Aircard 800s is also good to mention with Qualcomm MDM9240 chipset which could support download speed to 450mbps. They support same LTE frequency band B1, B3, B7, B28, but Aircard 810s supports band 8 while Aircard 800s supports band 40, which means the Aircard 810s can’t support TDD-LTE network. Other features of the two Netgear 4G mobile hotspots are same as described. Since the Netgear AC810S is more advanced, the price is a little bit higher than that of Aircard 800s. If you would buy a Netgear 4G Router between the two models, first, you need check whether the Aircard 810s or 800s would be compatible with your network provider’s network, and then you need to consider the price. The real performance of the two hotspots 4G has no much obvious difference.
As the successor to Huawei B593 LTE Cat.3 CPE, Huawei presented two similar LTE routers Huawei B310 and B315 LTE CPE to the public. Those who want to buy a home router or want to change 3G routers to 4G wireless routers, may ask what the difference is between the Huawei B310 and B315 and which one is better to use? In this article, we will compare the Huawei B315 and B310 appearance, interfaces, specs, variant models, price and other features etc…You may get the answer finally after reading this blog.
LTE CPE B310 VS B315 Appearance and Interfaces
Huawei B310 and B315 are both typical stationary router like Huawei B593 Router, but the shape has a little difference. They both have four LED indicators on the front for Power, Mode, WiFi, Signal, and LAN. Huawei Logo is on the front in the middle. On the back, usually, there are 4 LAN ports(one for WAN/LAN), but some variant models of the Huawei B310 or B315 may reduce the LAN ports to 2 or 1. It depends. Some models may also have the telephone port or USB.2.0 port. So if you are looking for a router with multiple interfaces for Ethernet, you must take care of this. The LAN ports may not be enough for standard four. And the telephone port and USB 2.0 port may be missing.
LTE CPE B315 VS B310 Specs and Variant models
From the appearance, you may be still unable to identify the real difference. We have to look at the Specifications for Huawei B315 and B310 to see the core content of the two routers. As you may know, there are many variant models available to meet various LTE frequency bands from different network providers. Currently, the LTE CPE B310 has four variant models: B310s-927, B310As-852, B310s-22, B310s-518. The Huawei B315 also has four variant models: B315s-22, B315s-607, B315s-608, B315s-936. As we said, the variant models support different LTE frequency bands and have different Ethernet ports and interfaces. Below you will see the details about Huawei B310 specs and Huawei B315 specs:
| Model | Huawei LTE CPE B315 | Huawei LTE CPE B310 |
| Product type | LTE WiFi Router | LTE WiFi Router |
| Category | LTE Cat.4 | LTE Cat.4 |
| Chipset | Hisilicon Balong | Hisilicon Balong |
| Data rates | DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps | DL 150Mbps/UL 50Mbps |
| Supported 4G LTE frequency bands | * Huawei B315s-22: 4G LTE B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B38 * Huawei B315s-607: 4G Band 1/3/7/8/28/40 * Huawei B315s-936: 4G Band 1/3/40/41 * Huawei B315s-608: 4G Band 1/3/5/7/28 | * Huawei B310s-927: B1/B3/B8/B40 * Huawei B310As-852: B3/B7/B8/B38/B39/B40/B41 * Huawei B310s-22: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20 * Huawei B310s-518: B1/B2/B4/B5/B7/B28 |
| WLAN | 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz | 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz |
| Max support users | 32 users | 32 users |
| MIMO | n/a | n/a |
| Connector for external antenna | Two, SMA-female jacks | Two, SMA-female jacks |
| Buy Antenna | Huawei B315 external antenna | Huawei B310 external antenna |
| App management | Huawei Hilink APP | Huawei Hilink APP |
| SIM type | Standard SIM | Standard SIM |
| Battery | No | No |
| Dimensions | 186.0mm x 139.0mm x 46.0mm | 181.0mm x 126.0mm x 70.0mm |
| Interfaces | * 1 x power adapter port * 3 x LAN port(RJ45) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11)(depends) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5) * One SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port(depends) | * 1 x power adapter port * 3 x LAN port(RJ45)(Depends) * 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45) * 1 x telephone port(RJ11)(depends) * Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5) * One SIM card slot * 1 x USB 2.0 port(depends) |
| Datasheet | Huawei B315 Datasheet(PDF) | Huawei B310 Datasheet(PDF) |
| User Manual | Huawei B315 Manual(PDF) | Huawei B310 Manual(PDF) |
| Other features | VoIP, DHCP, NAT, IPv6/IPv4 dual stack, Firewall, Port forwarding, DMZ, ALG, Remote management | Voice, DHCP, NAT, ARP, ICMP, DNS Relay, IPv6/IPv4 dual stack, VPN passthrough, Firewall, URL filter, LAN IP filter, DMZ, UPnP, ALG, Port forwarding |
| Reviews | Huawei B315 Review | Huawei B310 Review |
| Price/USD | 179.00 | 169.00 |
Conclusion
From the Huawei 4G Router B315 and B310 specs, we cannot see much difference except the interfaces about Ethernet port and telephone port. They are both LTE cat.4 router supporting peak download speed up to 150mbps and upload speed to 50mbps. If you don’t mind the Ethernet ports in the router, both Huawei B310 and B315 are good to select as a home or office router. But if you need Ethernet ports for terminals, you’d better check the specific model and its Ethernet ports in the model. We have to mention is that the Huawei B315 external antennas could also be used with Huawei B310 as the external antenna because they have the same connectors. But if you don’t know how to buy a Huawei 4G Router, we recommend reading this blog: Five Tips to Buy a Huawei 4G Router.