By EE offers 4G home broadband from £35 per month. You’ll get a 4GEE Home Router 3 and average download speeds of up to 40Mbps.
In the UK, EE now offers 4G home broadband from £35 per month. Using the 4GEE Home Router 3, you can connect up to 64 devices to the internet at the same time. You’ll get average download speeds of 40Mbps when you choose the 300GB or unlimited data plan (or up to 30Mbps when you choose the 100GB plan).
In this article, we’ll review EE’s 4G home broadband. We’ll start by looking at how it works and how it compares to EE’s fibre broadband plans. We’ll then look at the 4GEE Home Router 3 in more detail, along with the BT 4G Home Hub which is a cheaper alternative on some plans. Finally, we’ll look at the optional 4GEE Antenna, before comparing EE’s 4G home broadband to rival offerings from other networks.
| Prices From: | £35 per month |
|---|---|
| Contract Length: | 18 months or 1-month rolling |
| Download Speed: |
Will vary based on the signal strength & coverage in your area |
| Router: | 4GEE Home Router 3 BT 4G Home Hub |
| Coverage: | 99% of UK households (check your postcode) |
Contents
EE 4G Home Broadband Plans
If you’re living in an area where you’re not able to get decent fibre broadband, 4G home broadband can be a good alternative to traditional fixed-line home broadband.
On EE, this is currently available on the 4GEE Home Router 3. In addition, some slightly cheaper plans are available on the BT 4G Home Hub if you’re looking for 100GB or 300GB data per month.
4GEE Home Router 3 Plans
In the UK, EE now offers 4G home broadband from £35 per month on the 4GEE Home Router 3.
The following table shows EE’s 4G home broadband plans:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 month contracts | ||||
 4GEE Home | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £35/month |
4GEE Home | 300GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £45/month |
4GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £50/month |
| 1 month contracts | ||||
4GEE Home | 100GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £35/month |
4GEE Home | 300GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £45/month |
4GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £50/month |
If you choose the 100GB per month plan, this will have a maximum download speed of 30Mbps. Meanwhile, if you choose the 300GB per month or unlimited data plan, you’ll get EE’s fastest available 4G download speeds where you live. On average, this should be around 40Mbps.
As of 2020, the average UK household consumed 429GB of data per month on their home broadband connection (this was up from 315GB in 2019). For this reason, we’d normally recommend choosing EE’s unlimited data plan if you’re planning to replace your existing fixed-line broadband connection with EE’s 4G home broadband.
If you’re also an EE pay monthly mobile customer, you’ll get a mobile data boost when you sign up for 4GEE Home. If you have a 5G phone plan, this will be boosted with an extra 20GB data per month. Meanwhile, on 4G phone plans and 12-month SIM-only deals, you’ll get an extra 5GB data per month.
BT 4G Home Hub with EE SIM
If you’re looking to get either 100GB or 300GB data per month, it’s slightly cheaper to get the BT 4G Home Hub with an EE SIM. You’ll get an older and less powerful router (based on the first-generation 4GEE Home Router, which was released in 2017). However, it brings the price down to just £25 per month for 100GB data:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 month contracts | ||||
 BT 4G Home Hub | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £25/month |
BT 4G Home Hub | 300GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £40/month |
BT 4G Home Hub | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £50/month |
For most people, we’d still recommend getting the 4GEE Home Router 3 as it will give you better 4G performance in most areas. You’ll also be able to connect more devices at the same time (64 devices on the 4GEE Home Router 3, versus 32 devices on the BT 4G Home Hub).
EE 4G Broadband Speeds
With 4G home broadband, the download speeds available will depend very much on the signal strength and coverage in your area. You can use EE’s online coverage map to get an idea of what the signal is like where you are.
In addition, the download speeds available will depend on the plan you choose:
| Data Plan | Average Download Speeds | Maximum Download Speeds |
|---|---|---|
| 100GB data | 30Mbps average | Up to 30Mbps |
| 300GB data & unlimited data |
40Mbps average | Uncapped (up to 300Mbps) |
Check EE 4G Broadband Coverage →
The exact placement of your router can sometimes make a major difference (ideally, you should place it near an upstairs window that faces in the direction of your local mast). In addition, an external 4G antenna may improve the speeds and reliability of your 4G home broadband service.
4GEE Home vs EE Fibre Broadband
If you’re able to get EE’s fibre broadband service where you live, this will often give you better performance at a lower price than on 4GEE Home.
At present, you’ll pay £29.99 per month for EE’s fibre broadband service, with average download speeds of 36Mbps. This comes with unlimited data included. For comparison, you’d need to pay £50 per month for unlimited data on 4GEE Home, with an average download speed of 40Mbps.
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price (may rise during contract) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 EE Fibre 50 | 50Mbps download | 24 month contract | £0 | £29.99/month |
EE Full Fibre 150 | 150Mbps download | 24 month contract | £0 | £29.99/month |
EE Fibre 36 | 36Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £33.99/month |
EE Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps download | 24 month contract | £0 | £34.99/month |
EE Fibre 67 | 67Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £36.99/month |
EE Full Fibre 74 | 74Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £36.99/month |
EE Full Fibre 300 | 300Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £44.99/month |
EE Full Fibre Gigabit | 900Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £59.99/month |
EE Full Fibre 1.6 Gigabit | 1600Mbps download | 24 month contract | £31.99 | £69.99/month |
Where 4GEE Home really comes into its own is if you’re unable to get fibre broadband from EE, or if you’re looking for a more flexible service (e.g. broadband on a one-month rolling contract). With 4GEE Home, you can also get online more quickly. The router is normally dispatched within 1 day and it’s a simple plug-and-play install. In contrast, EE’s fibre broadband service normally takes around two weeks to be installed.
For more information, see our in-depth EE broadband review.
4GEE Home Router 3
When you sign up for EE’s 4G home broadband, you’ll now receive the 4GEE Home Router 3 (unless you choose the older BT 4G Home Hub).
The 4GEE Home Router 3 connects to EE’s 4G mobile network in the background. Using the 4G signal, it will then produce a wi-fi network for your other devices to connect to.
According to EE, the 4GEE Home Router 3 will allow you to connect up to 64 devices to your network at the same time. It also offers up to “30 metres of wi-fi range”. There’s support for dual-band Wi-Fi 5 technology (802.11b/g/n/ac). You’ll also get two Gigabit Ethernet sockets for connecting wired devices to your home network (including other whole home mesh wi-fi systems).
In terms of mobile connectivity, the 4GEE Home Router 3 has support for Category 7 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbps download and 100Mbps upload). It also has a built-in antenna you can use, or there’s a pair of SMA connectors for attaching an external antenna if required.
The following table shows the technical specifications of EE’s latest 4GEE Home Router 3:
| 4GEE Home (EE 4GEE Home Router 3) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Home Broadband Plans | |
| Price: | From £35/month |
| Data: | 100GB - Unlimited |
| Unlimited Data: | £50/month |
| Contract Length: | 1-18 months |
| Mobile Connectivity | |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands TBC |
| External Antenna: | Yes, 2x SMA connectors |
| Home Network Connectivity | |
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/ |
| Wi-Fi Devices: | Up to 64 devices |
| Ethernet: | 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Other | |
| Model: | EE 4GEE Home Router 3 |
| Colour: | White |
| More Information: | See shop.ee.co.uk |
For comparison, the BT 4G Home Hub only supports up to 32 devices on Wi-Fi at a given time.
External Antenna
The 4GEE Home Router 3 has two SMA sockets allowing you to connect an external antenna. This can help you to get a more reliable connection and faster download speeds, compared to using the antenna that’s inside the router.
If you like, you can buy an external SMA antenna from websites like Amazon. Our guide to external 4G antennas will tell you what to look for when buying your own antenna.
Alternatively, EE offers a professional installation service for their 4GEE Antenna. This installation service costs £100 and the 4GEE Antenna will be “positioned on an exterior wall of your property”. A 5m cable will then run from the aerial to your router.
You’ll either need to be the owner of the property or you’ll need permission from the owner to use the 4GEE External Antenna.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for a different 4G home broadband or 5G home broadband service, the best value plans are currently available from Three Broadband.
On Three, you can pay as little as £22/month for unlimited 4G & 5G home broadband. This makes it a lot cheaper than 4GEE Home. However, Three’s home broadband service is only available in selected postcodes across the UK.
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £11/month for 6 months, then £22/month |
 Three 5G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £11/month for 6 months, then £22/month |
See all Three Broadband deals →
It’s also possible to get 4G home broadband from the following providers:
- 4G Internet is a specialist provider of 4G home broadband, making use of 4G coverage from Vodafone and O2. You can get unlimited 4G home broadband from £29.99/month. They also offer a professional 4G antenna installation service for £399.
- BT offers 4G home broadband with unlimited data from £47.41/month. They use EE’s 4G network for this. On BT, you can choose from two different plans with a maximum download speed of either 15Mbps or 30Mbps.
- Vodafone offers 4G and 5G home broadband on their GigaCube service. Plans start from £30 per month for 100GB of data. If you choose the GigaCube 5G service, you can get unlimited 5G data for £60 per month.
For more information, see our in-depth guides to 4G home broadband and 5G home broadband in the UK.
Alternatively, if you’re simply looking for 4G-based backup for your fibre broadband connection, you can get this through BT’s Hybrid Connect and Vodafone’s 4G Broadband Backup. Meanwhile, BT Business customers with an ADSL (copper) broadband connection will get Hybrid Speed Boost included which combines 4G broadband with copper broadband.
Coverage & Availability
EE’s 4G home broadband uses a wireless 4G connection going into your home. This contrasts with traditional fixed-line broadband, where a phone line or cable is used to deliver the service into your home.
At present, EE’s 4G network covers 99% of the UK’s population and around 85% of the UK’s landmass. Before you sign up for the service, it’s important to double-check the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on EE’s online coverage map:
Check EE Coverage (ee.co.uk) →
If you prefer, you can also use EE’s combined coverage checker for both 4G broadband and fibre broadband. This is able to check the availability of both types of broadband, showing you the speeds and data plans available on each one.
For more information, see our EE broadband review and our guide to EE’s mobile coverage in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How much does 4G home broadband cost on EE? | You can get EE’s 4G home broadband from £35 per month. For this, you'll get 100GB data and download speeds of up to 30Mbps. If you want unlimited data, you’ll need to pay £50 per month. This comes with an average download speed of 40Mbps.
It’s worth comparing this against other 4G home broadband deals and other 5G home broadband deals. For instance, Three only charges £22/month for unlimited 4G home broadband. |
|---|---|
| What speeds will I get on EE’s 4G home broadband? | If you choose the 100GB per month plan, you’ll get download speeds of up to 30Mbps on your service.
If you choose the 300GB per month or unlimited data plan, you’ll get uncapped download speeds. According to EE, the average download speed available is 40Mbps. However, this can vary depending on your location and the quality of your 4G coverage. The 4GEE Home Router 3 can support up to Category 7 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbps download and up to 100Mbps upload). |
| How many devices can I use with EE’s 4G home broadband? | You can connect up to 64 devices to your 4GEE Home Router 3 using wi-fi (this includes your laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart TV or other smart home devices). Additionally, you can connect 2 devices to the router using a Gigabit Ethernet connection. |
| Does the 4GEE Home Router support 5G? | No. The 4GEE Home Router 3 only supports 4G technology. If you want access to 5G, you’ll need to get 5G home broadband instead. Three’s 5G home broadband is the most popular service, currently costing £22/month for unlimited 5G data. |
| What coverage will I get on 4GEE Home? | EE offers 99% population coverage and 85% geographical coverage across the UK. You should use their online coverage map to see whether 4G is available in your area. You can also use EE’s combined line checker to see the fibre broadband and 4G broadband plans in your area. |
More Information
For more information about EE’s 4G home broadband, please see EE’s official website.
You may also find it useful to read our EE broadband review and our overview of 4G home broadband in the UK.
Rallen said:
Hi,
I’m in a familiar situation to others it seems but I’m hoping there’s been improvements since the most recently relevant query.
I’m proposing a move which hinges on the internet as I and my partner work from home so it’s essential it’s a strong enough signal and stable. Or I’ll lose my job. I’m moving to an area which is remote, (LN4), and maybe wouldn’t see another human for days, I’ve spoke to the reps at EE and as much as they profess that everything will dandy, with the external booster etc, I’ve doubts as I can’t risk moving to find I have to move again immediately because I can’t work there. Whats your thoughts being far more knowledgeable in these things than me?
Thanks in advance
Rallen
Ken replied:
Hi Rallen,
Thanks for your comment. My recommendation, if possible, would be to go there with your mobile phone and an EE SIM card. That way, you can test-drive the coverage to see what it’s really like in that area. If possible, try and camp out for a couple of hours (or even a day) and tether from your phone. That’ll give you a good idea of how well 4G broadband will work in that location, including at different times of the day.
Hope this helps!
Ken
Alastair said:
Hi Ken
Somewhat behind the curve on this topic date however having a punt.
I have been researching these options for several years and losing faith. We are on a farm in a rural location very near a city in the West Midlands. Therefore we are not classed as rural for any broadband grants. Our exchange was upgraded to fibre a few years ago but our cabinet wasn’t. Too few connections to be viable. Took the council Superfast team to subsidise it 18 months later. We purchased FTTC immediately. Speeds are supposed to be 13mbps down but regularly fail to reach this.
We are a 1.25 km copper wire from the cabinet despite being able to see it from our bedroom window. My mother-in-law who is slightly closer to the cabinet, in the farm cottage, gets 30mb down with Now Broadband. Doesn’t matter who we use our line is only capable of 13mb down I’m told. FTTP On Demand is not available either according to OpenReach. Starlink is available too apparently but way too expensive.
I have been considering a 5G EE Home Router to use the fallback 4G signal until 5G is available. I would run it on our TP Link Deco 5 mesh system. There is 5G signal one small field away from us and on the other side of the nearby dual-carriageway but we are in a not-spot which is infuriating. However, a helpful telecoms engineer told me the network capacity of 5G is choked in our area as there are too few masts. Everyone being sold 5G devices is thus connecting to a limited network until the telco’s roll-out enough too make it viable.
Reading these comments I am still worried the speeds, stability and continuity of using a 4G home router won’t cut it. We are heavy users, my daughter all day and my wife tutors students all over the world from home so needs a very reliable connection.
We are apparently within range of the Airband.co.uk network. Do you or anyone else have experience of these wireless networks? They claim up to 60 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. If we can achieve these with stability, it seems a sensible upgrade option.
Ray Harris said:
Hi
We went on an EE 4G router plan for 18 months having got fed up with 20th century Broadband internet speeds for too long in our rural area, with c 8-13Mb and 0.5Mb up.
4G routers seemed like a fairly new and better option at the time, so we went for one with EE. There was a bit of an improvement with the router, although with frequent drop outs and intermittent issues, at £90/mo for unlimited data, it came at a very high cost. Average speeds were 15-max 30 Mb and 15Mb up, but often much less.
Last year we went on a Sim only unlimited data plan which brought cost down to c£20 a month. But last month the box failed. EE were good enough to send me a new sim, but that was not the issue. The router itself needed replacing. The only option they had was to buy a new plan at £55 / mo for 18 months. Over £1000!
Instead we went for an unlocked TPLink dual band AR600 for £123 using the new sim. I was shocked. Our 4G isn’t bad here at all. We now have a rock solid connection, no drop outs, 40-50 Mb up and 25Mb down consistently – on the same EE cellular 4G SIM card.
EE has been a fairly good provider and quite responsive, but avoid their white i4G routers. Cheap nasty and massively overpriced.
Nick said:
Ken,
Very interesting thread. We have EE 4G and the Home Router, and we had EE come and install their 4G antenna as well. We then use the Devolo Magic 1 mesh network to have a network all round the house. Through the mesh the wifi is all on the 2.4Ghz frequency from the router, and the download varies massively, sometimes it averages 16Mbps, other times it can be less than 3Mbps or even 0Mbps for Upload. I am guessing this is why the internet still drops a lot. EE suggested I download and app called Coverage Map, when I run tests on that it shows that even when the signal strength averages 16, it literally goes from 0 to 31 which might explain why the internet keeps dropping. If i run the same App through my iphone EE 4g I am getting 71Mbps as an average.
If I change to a better Router, like the huawei b618 do you think that might help? Also, will i be able to plug the b618 into the Devolo mesh?
Nick
Ken replied:
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your comment. To be honest, it sounds like you might have an unstable 4G connection, so I’m not sure changing the router is going to make very much of a difference here. You’d normally be better off trying out a different antenna, or setting it up to point in a different direction or at another mast. However, it sounds like you’ve already had a professional installation from EE, so I’m unsure whether this is still worthwhile. My recommendation would be to feedback to EE on the poor/unstable connection you’re having and to see whether they’re able to do anything else with the antenna that might improve your reception.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Ken
Jenni replied:
I have an EE router and they also did the external router installation. The engineer told me the speed increase was not great enough so I hope I won’t be paying for it tho I haven’t checked.
My 4g connection is also very unstable.
Both my neighbours have BT infinity speeds up to 76/78mb. I get 6mb on fixed line, it turns out my phone line is on an open reach box 1,5km away which also has cable to the cabinet so I am in a ‘black hole’ where I am not eligible for an ESO.
BT say they are talking to openreach to fix the problem but this has been since 1 July and nothing has changed.
I have a satellite dish sitting in the hallway which I am trying to avoid installing, and could give me 60mb OM if I pay £85pm with UK connect.
The vodaphone tablet sim I have been testing is also unstable but the signal is better.
I am now thinking of getting a TP router – maybe this AR600 – I really can’t tell from the tp link website the best one to get! I’ve emailed them… 🙏
And then installing wired connections to get the signal thru the house as the walls are thick.
I read a net gear router was also good, but since I have two tp link WiFi extenders already I’m thinking to go with to link for the router. They are an AC 2600 and an AC 1750. Thinking I will need some tp link electricity wired routers as well? The house is old, some wiring is 1950s, will these still be ok?
All suggestions gratefully received as I am desperate! I’ve spent about 100 hours trying to resolve, this and I am lost in the black hole of openreach.
And I work from home and I’ve just opened a new airbnb retreat space and people want/need/expect fast internet! 😱
Thanking you all in advance,
Jenni
David HILL said:
I am currently using Huawei B 315 Router and BT 60GB data sim for home broadband – nearest mast within 1 mile – 25 – 100Gb d/l
Can I use a VPN ( ExpressVPN) will there be problems or increased data usage?
Ken replied:
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, it should be possible to use a VPN. With regards to data usage, I don’t think there’s appreciable difference with VPN switched on (it might be a little bit more, but the overhead shouldn’t really be anything more than around 10% more data).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Maria said:
Hi Ken
Told I can get up to 31mbs download speed with 4G EE router and external antenna in Northleigh Devon. Looking to buy a house there but slow broadband is a big issue with BT guaranteeing only up to 1mbs and no plans to upgrade in the foreseeable future. Mobile coverage also rubbish as EE only provider in the area with good 4G outdoors and patchy indoors. I know it’s probably a difficult question to answer but should I take a leap of faith and give it a try? House is very expensive and in the middle of nowhere so I don’t want to be left out in the wilderness (so to speak) without decent connection! Any advice would be very much more appreciated.
Ken replied:
Hi Maria,
That’s a very good question! Given the amount of money you’ll be spending on the home, I’d definitely recommend you try it out in person (e.g. perhaps using an EE SIM card in your 4G mobile phone when you next go to view the property). I certainly wouldn’t rely on EE’s coverage checker here, especially as the 31Mbit/s figure is an average for the whole of the country.
Ken
Paul said:
Hi Ken, recently got the EE 4g router and have an unlimited data sim in it. I have noticed that the download speed via the 4g router v my iPhone (both on EE) differs greatly. The iPhone, using the same server on speed test gets over 150 mbps and the router gets only 35-40 mbps using the same test server. I even have the external poynting antenna attached which doesn’t improve things. Do you have any idea why this big speed difference exists? Something to do with the modem CAT of the router v iPhone ? Is there any way I can improve this say buy a different higher performance unlocked router?
Thanks in advance
Paul.
Ken replied:
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comment. It’s unfortunate that you’re getting much better speeds on an iPhone than through your 4GEE Home Router. The LTE Category is certainly one possible explanation – e.g. I believe the iPhone 11 supports up to Category 16 LTE (up to 1Gbit/s), whereas the 4GEE Home Router only supports Category 7 LTE (up to 300Mbit/s). It may not be the only explanation, however, e.g. it might be worth testing out different positions for your antenna to see if this helps you to get a better download speed. Alternatively, I know a couple of people have had good success with the Huawei B618 (a Category 11 router) but it’s a fairly expensive buy at £240 and there’s no guarantee it will necessarily improve the download speeds for you.
Ken
Paul Lambi replied:
Hi Ken, thanks for the information. I have done some more research and also now purchased the B618 router after your recommendation and having seeing others also taking about it in forums. Very happy to report that thanks to the CAT 11 modem and the 4 x MIMO in the 618, our stats have now jumped to:
110 download and 37 upload
The fastest I’ve seen is 164 down and 40 up, but that was at 6am this morning.
The router also reports using a 4G+ connection and has good noise levels in the stats. Strangely the connection was worse when I used the external antenna, but that’s down to losing 2 of the antenna when using an external .
Overall very very happy with the night and day difference this has made, thanks to better hardware in the 618 vs the EE Alcatel.
Thanks again for your help!
Paul
Peter Cumming replied:
Hi Paul,
I’ve found this thread incredibly helpful but I don’t quite understand what you mean by…
“Strangely the connection was worse when I used the external antenna, but that’s down to losing 2 of the antenna when using an external.”
Is the network signal more powerful (ie. better download/ upload speeds) when you’re not using the external antenna?
Ken replied:
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your comment. I’ll just jump in and add my response here, but feel free to add further to this @Paul!
The Huawei B618 uses 4×4 MIMO. This means it uses 4 internal antenna to improve the maximum possible speeds available on the router (more info here, albeit a fairly technical document). However, when you use an external antenna on the Huawei B618, it only supports 2×2 MIMO (as there are only 2 TS9 connectors on the device). Therefore, the maximum possible speed is slower when you use an external antenna, though you can sometimes still be better off overall due to having a stronger & more stable signal.
Ken
Allan Simcock said:
Do the internal aerials improve performance I am getting conflicting reports from my suppliers i can buy these from amazon.your advise will be appreciated.
Ken replied:
Hi Allan,
Thanks for your comment. There’s more information here in my guide to 4G home broadband antennas but unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to your question. Having an antenna can often help to improve the coverage & speeds on your home broadband service, but so much of it depends on your home & nearby networks, as well as where you decide to place the router. As a rule of thumb, an external antenna should give you the best results, with an internal antenna sometimes also helping as well.
Ken
Anthony said:
So I’ve just been through the cancellation with EE and obviously they tried to keep me as a customer. The best deal they could offer me involved a new 18 month contract and a new router had to be delivered. This sounds like madness to win considering I already have a router. They have no option currently to keep your own router and just start a new deal. Clearly they have not thought this through. I was an early customer and probably they dont have many other customers like me coming to the end of their deals. The new deal was only for 200g too which I regularly use up now. If they had offered me something with unlimited data, without a new router and with less commitment that 18 months I would have taken it.
Ken replied:
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for your feedback. Have you considered using one of EE’s unlimited data SIM cards with your existing 4GEE Home Router? You can get unlimited data from £34/month, though it does have a fair usage limit preventing you from regularly using it on more than 12 devices at the same time.
Ken
T Bates replied:
Hi Ken, with this method. If using own unlocked 4g modem and connecting to my local network (google wifi). Could EE see all of the devices connected through the routers or would they just see the two routers connected?
Ken replied:
Hi there,
Great question! I don’t believe EE can see all of the individual devices that are connected to your network. On some of their unlimited data SIM cards, they do say you can only have up to 12 devices tethered at the same time. However, I’m not very clear how they actually determine this and whether they actually enforce it (or whether it’s simply a T&C they have).
Ken
Anthony said:
I’ve had my 4GEE home broadband bow for nearly 18 months and its been great. Can I use a different SIM in this Alcatel Router once my contract has finished or do you lock these to EE? If it is locked how can I unlock it?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Anthony,
I believe the device is locked to EE so you’ll need to get in touch with them to request an unlock. You should, however, be able to use another EE SIM card (e.g. their unlimited data SIM) without unlocking the device.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Pat Cutforth said:
My new 4GEE router will only receive Mail (in Apple Mail) and the technical advisor told me yesterday (after much consultation with colleagues) that this router cannot send mail. It is only possible with “home broadband” rather than the mobile router you show on this page. Is this right? I have to go into my website on the internet to send mail now. I was with Plusnet, with a tiny router and the SMTP name “relay.plus.net”.
Ken replied:
Hi Pat,
Thanks for your comment. EE doesn’t provide their own POP/IMAP/SMTP email server for use with 4GEE Home. However, this doesn’t stop you from using another email provider like Gmail or Outlook.com. For instance, if you sign up for Gmail, they’ll give you IMAP and SMTP access. This will allow you to send emails using your favourite email client when using 4GEE Home.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Pat replied:
Thank you for the explanation that there is no EE SMTP server provided. However, if I use my gmail account, will I still have to log in to Gmail on the internet as I do with my website? Or can I use it with Apple Mail on my iMac? Could 123Reg provide me with an SMTP address? I need to keep my email address as it is linked to my website and part of my business. Sorry for all the questions but it is wonderful to hear from someone who knows what they are talking about instead of helpless helplines.
Ken replied:
Hi Pat,
Thanks for your comment. You can set up Gmail to work with the Apple Mail client on your Mac (use the IMAP/SMTP settings in order to do this). Alternatively, like you said, it’s possible that 123Reg will also provide you with a SMTP server that you can use. If they’re hosting your domain & website, I imagine this is a service should they offer.
Ken
Keith said:
Please also bear in mind the built-in failure after a minimum period of time on the Alcatel EE 4gee router. It could easily fail just after your contract expires meanng you haveto buy a new contract rather than rool over on a 30 day. My second EE Alcatel has just failed and I’m out of contract. EE dont want to know unless I sign up again. They cant even tell me if it is the sim or router that has packed up…….. They have tried insisting I take the router to my nearest ee shop 25 miles there for it to be sent away to be tested…………………….meanwhile no connectivity
James said:
Would there be an issue in putting one of the new EE unlimited sims on a sim only contact into the 4g router. Is it still compatible?
Ken replied:
Hi James,
Thanks for your comment. I haven’t tried this myself, but I don’t see why there would be any problem with doing this. The only thing to be aware of is EE’s fair usage policy which only allows you to tether 12 devices. This might make it slightly less suitable for use as in your home broadband router.
Ken
Ian Pawson replied:
I have done this with a TP-Link router and it works ok. You can even send and receive sms messages via the web interface.
The main problem I have is that EE use carrier-gradate NAT so the ip address you are given is NOT visible to the internet. Thus incoming data connections are not possible! For example this stops me from remotely viewing my security cameras.
B said:
Is the antenna to pick up a mobile reception as there is no mobile reception in the house.
Ken replied:
Hi B,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can optionally use an external antenna to boost the strength of your 4G signal. This will help to improve the speed and reliability of your 4G home broadband connection (though it won’t do anything for your 4G mobile phone).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Mike said:
Information is moot now.
EE are now offering unlimited for both 4g and 5g at costs lower than the ones stated.
£30 I believe.
Unfortunately for me I’m stuck with three. Would pick up an ee unlimited over three any day.
It’s all changing fast in the mobile wifi world.
Only o2 is the odd one out.
Ken replied:
Hi Mike,
Thank you for the heads up about this! I don’t believe that EE is offering this on home broadband just yet (it’s only on their smartphone SIM cards). Should they release an unlimited data plan for home broadband, however, we’ll update this page to reflect the latest available deals!
Ken
Tim Dawson said:
I note the EE router has only two ethernet sockets. Am I right in thinking this can be overcome just by using a 5- or 8-port unmanaged switch (such as Netgear GS108) and connecting the router and other devices to the switch?
Ken replied:
Hi Tim,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can simply attach a switch to the router to get additional Ethernet sockets 🙂
Ken
Tim Dawson replied:
Thanks, Ken.
Although the issued router is fairly basic, it would seem a good way to start with 4GEE, and then move on to a more capable router once the service has been proved. I’m thinking particularly of needing a guest network.
It’s good that the EE router can take an external antenna.
Tim
Edward McKenzie said:
Avoid EE fixed wireless broadband.
It is more often down than up. EE have no interest in resolving the issue. They quite simply don’t care as long as you are paying. After 8 months of appalling service and non existent customer service, I have finally cancelled.
No questions asked, no attempt to communicate and resolve. They just accept the cancellation!
Do not be tempted with a service they cannot provide. Look elsewhere.