I was looking for something on the TP-LINK website today, and accidentally went to the 3G / 4G routers section. And besides the oldies, such as TP-LINK TL-MR3220, I saw two new models there:TP-LINK Archer MR200 andTP-LINK TL-MR6400... I went in, looked, it turned out to be very interesting devices. We already know that there are routers that support 3G / 4G modems. We connect the modem to the USB port of the router, and it distributes the Internet. And the new models of TP-LINK routers work differently. In the router itself, there is already a slot for a SIM card. We just insert any SIM card into the router, and it distributes the Internet. That is, the modem is already built into the router.
To be honest, until that time I didn’t even think that such devices are on the market (not counting mobile routers). But, as it turned out, there is. ASUS has 4G-AC55U and 4G-N12 models. They also have a SIM card slot.
The routers look the same. They look pretty:
These are ordinary routers that also know how to work with a regular Ethernet connection. Both routers have 3 LAN ports, 1 WAN port, and one SIM card slot. Unfortunately, no USB. Wouldn't hurt.
By inserting a SIM card, routers will be able to work not only in 4G LTE networks, but also in 3G, and even 2G networks. It all depends on the network coverage. By the way, the reception of the mobile network should be very good. Two detachable antennas, these are exactly 4G antennas. Wi-Fi antennas are built-in.
Archer MR200 and TL-MR6400, these are ordinary routers, but with a SIM card slot, and can work in 4G LTE networks.
What is the difference between TP-LINK Archer MR200 and TL-MR6400?
The Archer MR200 4G / Wi-Fi hotspot is slightly more powerful in terms of wireless network. There is support for Wi-Fi 5 GHz, and the 802.11ac standard. Wi-Fi speed up to 433 Mbps (at 5 GHz).
In the TP-LINK TL-MR6400 model, everything is a little simpler in this regard. There is no support for 5 GHz frequency, and the maximum Wi-Fi speed is 300 Mbps. I did not see any more differences.
There is little information on these models yet. If you believe the prices in Yandex Market, then the price of these routers will be about $ 130. It is clear that the Archer MR200 will be slightly more expensive.
These routers definitely have a future. They are perfect for anyone who uses the Internet via a mobile network, and when you need to provide access to multiple devices. For example, in villages where there is no way to connect cable Internet. We just plug in the SIM card and get access to the Internet. No need to mess with modems.
Such a router can be used without any problems in the city by simply connecting a wired Internet to it. And by inserting a SIM card, you can go to the country. The main thing is that it would be possible to connect the router to the mains. Since they certainly do not work autonomously. If you need autonomy, then see models like TP-LINK M5250.
It would be cool if they made another model, more budgetary. And then the routers I wrote about above cannot be called budgetary. And so, interesting models, I would gladly make a more detailed review of the Archer MR200, or TL-MR6400. I think there will still be such an opportunity. I will tell you more about these models.
