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The Huawei B818 is a very fast and future-proof 4G router, offering speeds of up to 1.6 gigabits per second thanks to its LTE Cat19 4G modem.
This device has been available since March 2019 and stands as Huawei’s fastest 4G-only router in their product range.
Update:- see how the B818 compares to the latest 4G and 5G completion in 2023 here!
- 4G Lte Cat 19 Unlocked to all UK sim cards
- speed up to D/L 1600Mbps, U/L 150Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G Dual Band Concurrently, data rates up to 1200Mbps (300Mbps+867Mbps)
- 1 Phone port (RJ11), 1 Gigabit LAN/WAN Port, 1 Gigabit LAN Port (RJ45)
- 2 External LTE antenna ports (TS-9), 1 micro-SIM card slot (3FF), Support VPN Client (PPTP, L2TP) and VPN Pass-through
The Huawei B818 is the first 4G router from Huawei to achieve download speeds over 1 Gb/sec. Positioned as the successor to the Huawei B618, it boasts a similar design and a comparable set of features.
Included in the package alongside the Huawei B818-260 are a power adapter and a flat LAN cable. You’ll also find a printed, manual and a quick-start guide.
Connections
The Huawei B818 has a slot for a Micro-SIM card on the underside.
All other ports are located on the rear of the device, including the power adapter port and two RJ45 Gigabit LAN ports. One of these LAN ports can be used as a WAN port, providing an alternative to relying on the router’s integrated mobile modem.
Additionally, there’s a USB 2.0 port for sharing storage devices on the network, and two connectors for external antennas.
LTE Category 19 Modem
The Huawei B818-260 4G router supports 4×4 MIMO antenna technology and carrier aggregation.
It can operate on the following 4G frequency bands: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28, B32, B38, B42. The maximum theoretical download speed is 1.6 GBit/s, with upload speeds of up to 150 Mb/sec.
In practice, speeds often remained below 300 Mb/sec, however, the B818 frequently outperformed other devices in tests, especially when multiple frequency bands could be aggregated.
Latency times (ping) in the test typically ranged from 20 to 25 milliseconds.
4G Reception
The Huawei B818 comes with integrated mobile antennas in the housing, which provide excellent 4G reception, even in comparison to many smartphones. Decent speeds can still be achieved in areas with poor reception. The device also allows for the connection of up to two external antennas, with two TS-9 connectors available on the back.
If the external antenna is not automatically recognised by the router, it can be manually configured for use through the web interface.
Wi-Fi Networking
The Huawei B818’s Wi-Fi module operates in dual-band mode on 2.4 and 5 gigahertz frequencies, serving up to 32 devices simultaneously.
Using 3×3 MI-MO antenna technology, the maximum speed in the test was 1,300 Mb/sec, the highest data rate supported by the 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 module.
Speed and Wi-Fi range were none the less impressive in the test. It will easily cover a large apartment or a small single-family home without the need for additional repeaters.
The Huawei B818 provides an option for a separate guest Wi-Fi network, which can be secured with its own password. Unfortunately, it lacks a time scheduling function for the Wi-Fi module.
Showing its age a little here as newer routers these days tend if have the newer Wi-Fi 6 standard usually offering either 1,800 Mbps or 3,000 Mbps.
Web Interface
You can operate and configure the Huawei B818 through either the web interface in your browser or a mobile app. The web interface is designed in the red style, while the app features the original Huawei design. The web interface offers more configuration options compared to the app, allowing you to set your preferred network technology, such as 4G-only.
Conclusion
The Huawei B818 left a very positive impression in the test. The modem, in particular, stood out, offering above-average speeds and future-proof capabilities.
While the speed advantage of the Huawei B818 over many other 4G router models may currently be limited, the rest of the device’s features are solid, and Huawei has made no major mistakes. Operating and configuring the device proved to be straightforward in the test, and it’ can also ‘s unlocked to can work with any SIM card.
The device is still a worthwhile investment for those seeking step up to a high-end 4G router and who don’t foresee the need to connect to the 5G network anytime soon.
