The Huawei B535 router (HomeFi Plus) offered unlimited 4G home broadband on Three.
In the UK, the Huawei B535 router (also known as the Three 4G Hub or the Huawei HomeFi Plus) was offered on Three’s 4G home broadband service from September 2019 to June 2021.
Users of the Huawei B535 router could access download speeds of up to 300Mbps. Their 4G home broadband connection could then be shared with up to 64 devices.
A major benefit of using 4G home broadband is it doesn’t rely on a traditional fixed-line connection like your phone line or a cable. You can easily set up the service yourself with a plug-and-play setup and with no need for an engineer visit. You’ll also get free next working day delivery of your Huawei B535 router.
In this article, we’ll review the Huawei B535 4G Hub and the 4G broadband service on which it is offered. We’ll look at the router specifications before comparing it to rival 4G home broadband services. Finally, we’ll look at the coverage that’s available on Three when you’re using the 4G Hub for your home broadband service.
Contents
Huawei B535 Price Plans
The Huawei B535 (HomeFi Plus) was Three’s 4G home broadband router from September 2019 to June 2021. It replaced the older HomeFi B311 router.
It’s no longer possible to get the Huawei B535 as a new customer on Three. This is because it has been replaced by the newer 4G Hub router (ZTE MF286D).
You can get the new 4G Hub on the following plans:
| Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £22/month with 3 months free |
Unfortunately, it isn’t currently possible to get the 4G Hub on a Pay As You Go basis.
If you decide to replace your fixed-line home broadband connection, it might be possible to cancel your landline if you don’t need it for other reasons (e.g. for making phone calls). This could save you in the region of £20/month on line rental, potentially making the 4G Hub close to a cost-neutral solution.
Huawei B535 Router
The Huawei B535 router (also known as the Three 4G Hub or Huawei HomeFi Plus) was supplied on Three’s 4G home broadband service from September 2019 to June 2021.
The Huawei B535 router connects to Three’s 3G and 4G network, producing a wi-fi network that up to 64 devices are able to connect to at the same time. This includes all of the devices you have at home including your laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart TV and other smart home devices.
The Huawei B535 router supports up to Category 7 LTE download speeds (up to 300Mbit/s download and up to 100Mbit/s upload). However, Three says average download speeds could be closer to 14Mbit/s, depending on the level of coverage available where you live.
The Huawei B535 has dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, including support for Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac wi-fi) at 5GHz. This allows you to have up to 64 devices connected wirelessly to your router at one time. In addition, there are also four Gigabit Ethernet sockets allowing you to connect wired devices to your home network.
Huawei B535 Setup & Usage
If you order your Huawei B535 router before 4pm, it’ll be sent out to you free of charge with next working day delivery. For orders that are placed after 4pm, it will take two working days for your router to arrive.
When it arrives, setting up the Huawei B535 is a fairly straightforward affair. Simply insert the provided SIM card into your router and then plug in the router at the mains. Everything else then happens automatically and your 4G home broadband service should be ready to use in under one minute. There are no engineer visits or line installations, making it incredibly quick and easy to start using the service. The router can also be moved to other places with ease (e.g. you can bring it with you on a weekend away from home or you can simply take it with you when moving to a different address).
The login details for your new wi-fi network are printed on a sticker on the back of your router. You’ll need to input the wi-fi network name and password on your other devices to connect to your Huawei B535 router.
If you’d like to attach an external antenna to your router, the Huawei B535 has two sockets for a SMA antenna. This can be used to improve the coverage and speeds you get on your router, especially if you’re living in a rural area where the coverage is a bit weaker.
You can see the full specifications for the Huawei B535 on Three’s website.
Huawei B535 vs ZTE MF286D: Side-By-Side Comparison
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison between the Huawei B535 (the old 4G Hub) and the ZTE MF286D (Three’s newer 4G Hub):
| Three 4G Hub (2019) (Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus) | Three 4G Hub (ZTE MF286D) | |
|---|---|---|
|  | |
| Home Broadband Plans | ||
| Price: | From £22/month | |
| Data: | Unlimited | |
| Unlimited Data: | £22/month | |
| Contract Length: | 24 months | |
| Mobile Connectivity | ||
| 4G Connectivity: | Category 7 LTE | Category 12 LTE |
| 4G Download Speed: | Up to 300 Mbps download | Up to 600 Mbps download |
| 4G Upload Speed: | Up to 100 Mbps upload | Up to 100 Mbps upload |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32 & 38 | LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 & 32 |
| External Antenna: | Yes, 2x SMA connectors | Yes, 2x SMA connectors |
| Home Network Connectivity | ||
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/ | 802.11a/b/ |
| Wi-Fi Devices: | Up to 64 devices | Up to 64 devices |
| Ethernet: | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Other | ||
| Dimensions: | - | 18 x 17 x 3 cm |
| Model: | Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus | ZTE MF286D |
| Colour: | White | White |
| Review: | Three 4G Hub (2019) Review | - |
In our opinion, the Huawei B535 was a decent choice for a 4G home broadband router on Three. You got modern specifications like Category 7 LTE download speeds along with 802.11ac dual-band wi-fi (Wi-Fi 5). The inclusion of 4 Gigabit Ethernet sockets for connecting wired devices is also very welcome, along with the 2 SMA sockets for attaching an external antenna.
However, you’ll now be far better off getting the newer 4G Hub router (the ZTE MF286D). This is because the newer router has support for 4×4 MIMO and 256QAM on 4G. This compares to the 2×2 MIMO and 64QAM offered on the Huawei B535. The upgraded specifications can make a huge difference to performance – Three says you should be able to get an average download speed of 50-100Mbps using the new router (compared to 14Mbps on the Huawei B535).
Three offered the B535-232 version of the Huawei B535 router. This is sometimes also referred to elsewhere as the Huawei 4G Router 3 Pro.
Alternatives
Vodafone offers a GigaCube home broadband service from £30/month (increasing to £50/month for 300GB of data). You’ll get a Huawei B528 router if you choose the GigaCube 4G service, with no upfront cost on an 18-month contract:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £30/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 100GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £30/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 200GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £40/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 200GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £40/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 300GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £50/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 4G | 300GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £50/month |
| To show you the most relevant plans, 3 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. Tap here to show them. | ||||
EE also offers a 4G home broadband service in the form of 4GEE Home. On EE, you’ll need to pay £50/month if you want an unlimited data plan:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 4GEE Home | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £35/month |
4GEE Home | 100GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £35/month |
4GEE Home | 300GB Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £45/month |
4GEE Home | 300GB Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £45/month |
4GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £0 | £50/month |
4GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 1 month contract | £100 | £50/month |
| To show you the most relevant plans, 3 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. Tap here to show them. | ||||
For more information, please see the Vodafone and EE websites. You can also read our full guide to 4G home broadband services.
5G Home Broadband
If you’re looking for a 5G-powered home broadband solution, you can choose from Three’s 5G Home, Vodafone’s GigaCube 5G and EE’s 5GEE Home. All of these services come with a Huawei 5G CPE Pro router.
The following table shows a list of price plans that are available on 5G home broadband:
| Network | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Three 5G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £22/month with 3 months free |
Three 5G Hub | Unlimited Data | 1 month contract | £0 | £25/month |
 Vodafone GigaCube 5G | 100GB Data | 18 month contract | £100 | £30/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 5G | 100GB Data | 1 month contract | £325 | £30/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 5G | 200GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £40/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 5G | 200GB Data | 1 month contract | £325 | £40/month |
 5GEE Home | 500GB Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £45/month |
5GEE Home | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £50/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 5G | Unlimited Data | 18 month contract | £50 | £60/month |
Vodafone GigaCube 5G | Unlimited Data | 1 month contract | £325 | £60/month |
| To show you the most relevant plans, 4 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. Tap here to show them. | ||||
For more information, see our guide to 5G home broadband services.
Coverage
3G & 4G Coverage
In the UK, Three currently offers 99.8% population coverage. This includes 99.8% coverage on 4G, as well as 98.7% coverage on 3G. The Huawei B535 router is able to access both 3G and 4G coverage from Three.
Before purchasing the Huawei B535 from Three, it’s strongly recommended that you check the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on Three’s online coverage map.
Check Three Coverage (three.co.uk) →
If you’re travelling abroad to other countries, it’s possible to use the Huawei B535 in 71 destinations at no extra charge through Three’s Go Roam offer.
For more information, please see our full review of the coverage available on Three.
5G Coverage
Unfortunately, the Huawei B535 doesn’t support 5G coverage. If you’re living in a 5G coverage area and would like access to faster 5G download speeds, consider getting a 5G home broadband service instead. Alternatively, you can buy a 5G home broadband router like the Huawei 5G CPE Pro.
At present, Three offers 5G coverage in the following UK towns and cities:
| Now Live | 194 towns and cities are live on Three 5G (December 2023) Aberdeen, Abingdon-on-Thames, Adlington, Aldershot, Aldridge, Ashford, Balloch, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Basildon, Bath, Bedford, Belfast, Belfast Airport, Billericay, Billingham, Birdwell, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bishopthorpe, Blackburn, Blackpool, Borehamwood, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brentwood, Brighton, Brimington, Bristol, Bromsgrove, Brookmans Park, Broughton Astley, Burton upon Trent, Campton, Cannock, Cardiff, Carlisle, Castlereagh, Chatham, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chesham, Chorley, Christleton, Clayton-le-Woods, Clifton, Coedkernew, Colchester, Copmanthorpe, Corringham, Coventry, Crawley, Crook, Cullingworth, Danderhall, Delph, Denholme, Derby, Dewsbury, Dinnington, Doncaster, Dundee, East Kilbride, East Midlands Airport, Edinburgh, Egginton, Ellesmere Port, Exmouth, Falkirk, Gateshead, Glasgow, Gorebridge, Grays, Greenock, Grimsby, Guildford, Hamilton, Hartley, Hatfield, Heanor, Heathcote, Hedge End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Heswall, Heywood, Horley, Horwich, Huddersfield, Hull, Huntingdon, Inchinnan, Ingleby Barwick, Ipswich, Irlam, Isle of Grain, Iver, Kings Hill, Kings Langley, Kinmel Bay, Kirkheaton, Kirknewton, Knowl Wall, Leeds, Leicester, Leyland, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Loughborough, Lower Stondon, Luton, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Marlow Bottom, Marston Moretaine, Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough, Milnrow, Milton Keynes, Motherwell, Neston, Newark-on-Trent, Newcastle, Newhall, Newport, Newquay, Newton Aycliffe, Newton-le-Willows, Newtownabbey, Normanton, Northampton, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Ottershaw, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Pontefract, Porthcawl, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Redcar, Redditch, Royston Yorkshire, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Shelly Green, Shrewsbury, Slough, South Heighton, South Kirkby, South Normanton, South Ockendon, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Southport, St Albans, St Blazey, St Columb Road, Stafford, Stansted Airport, Stevenage, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon, Sunderland, Sunninghill, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Swadlincote, Swindon, Swinton, Tamworth, Telford, Thornaby-on-Tees, Ullesthorpe, Wakefield, Wallingford, Walton-on-Thames, Warrington, Washington, Westhoughton, Weybridge, Wickford, Wigan, Winterbourne, Worcester, Worksop, Writtle, York |
There’s more information about the 5G roll-out on Three’s website. We’ve also got an in-depth guide to 5G on Three.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What price plans can I use with the Huawei B535? | The Huawei B535 was offered on a choice of three price plans, all with unlimited data included. The most popular plan cost £22/month on a 24-month contract. However, shorter deals were also available if you want flexibility. For instance, there is a 12-month plan costing £25/month. You can see the price plans here. |
|---|---|
| What speeds can I get on the Huawei B535? | The Huawei B535 router supports 4G download speeds of up to 300Mbps (Category 7 LTE speeds). However, the actual download speeds you get will be lower in practice and will depend on the level of coverage available where you live. |
| Does the Huawei B535 support 5G? | Unfortunately, the Huawei B535 does not support 5G mobile networks. If you’d like 5G home broadband, consider Three’s 5G Home or alternative 5G home broadband services from Vodafone and EE. |
| What coverage can I get on the Huawei B535? | You can access 99.8% population coverage when using the Huawei B535 on Three’s network. Enter your postcode on Three’s website to check the availability in your area. |
| Can I use the Huawei B535 when travelling abroad? | Yes. It’s possible to use the Huawei B535 in 71 destinations at no extra cost through Three’s Go Roam offer. This includes most European countries, the USA, Australia and more. |
More Information
For more information about the Huawei B535, please see Three’s official website.
Tim said:
Wondering if any one has had experience with the best way to put together a mains huawei Router with a guest SIM card that would allow 30 -plus guest devices, unlimited data with decent download speeds. I am not in a three area , and only can get 4G . Copper is non existent …2mb at most ! Thanks
Bee Mundy said:
Hello Andy, did you manage to connect your echo? I can’t connect my Alexa.
Shaz replied:
Hi
I can’t get mine to connect either !
Is there an answer to the problem ? It’s getting quite annoying now
Bee Mundy said:
Hello, I’ve tried numerous times to connect Alexa with my Huawei B535 but it won’t connect. Can someone help me.
Rob said:
Hi Ken, I’ve just noticed no VOIP phone connectivity on the B535. I’ve a VOIP phone so how might I get around this? Buy another router perhaps?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t believe the Huawei B535 has a phone port (or at least, the Huawei B535-232 which is normally supplied in the UK). I believe you’ll get a phone port on the Huawei B535-235 (you’ll need to buy this unlocked), or on other routers (just check the specifications before you buy).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Andy said:
Hello I’m struggling to get my echo dots connected. It fails every time the app try’s to send the WiFi details to the dot. Has anyone else had a similar problems getting Alexa dots connected??
Thanks in advance
Shaz replied:
Hi Andy
Did you get your Dots to connect as I’m having the same problem ?
I’ve tried everything I can but still no joy !
Very infuriating
Tony Mitchell said:
Ken,
I currently use 3 for my 4g mobile internet by just tethering from my Honor 7x phone (usually 3 or 4 devices).As i sit here i am currently getting a speed of 7mbps. Will this B535 router improve my speed at all, i.e. is it worth me investing or just carry on tethering?
Thank you
Ken replied:
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you’ll normally get better performance when using a mains-powered router like the Huawei B535. It’ll give you a stronger Wi-Fi signal and will allow you to connect more devices at the same time to 4G broadband. Often, it will also be able to pick up a better signal as the router doesn’t need to optimise for battery life & portability in the same way that a mobile phone needs to.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Jim said:
Hi Ken
I’ve copied and pasted below the specs for the router from the Three website popup associated with the B535. I am in no way technically minded, but casual viewing of this seems to suggest it is a Category 4 device with upload/download speeds of 150Mbps/50Mbps. Contrary to your review. Am I mis-reading this, … or have they put up the wrong specs, … or is what they are offering an older/legacy device?
Huawei HomeFi
It’s so easy to get your home online with Huawei’s B535 WebBox wireless router. It uses 4G to create a Wi-Fi network which you can connect all your devices to. No landline or installation is required. You can connect up to 64 devices at once, and we deliver next working day. Who knew getting home broadband could be so simple?
What’s in the box?
B311 Gateway
Power supply adapter
Quick start guide
Ethernet cable
Connectivity
LTE Cat 4: 150/50Mbps (FDD)@ 20M BW Data service
LTE DL 2*2 MIMO CSFB
VoIP or VoLTE(2rd release) – DISABLED
this device does not support VOIP when connected to a phone via CAT 5 cable
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n
Up to 32 simultaneous users/devices
1 POTS 1 GE
1 SMA external antenna optional.
Frequency
LTE B1/B3/B7/B8/B20
UMTS B1/B8
GSM B2/B3/B5/B8
Ken replied:
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, those specifications are actually for the old Huawei HomeFi B311 router. I’m not sure why they’re showing that information but the B535 is definitely a Category 7 LTE device (up to 300Mbps download and up to 100Mbps upload).
Ken
Geoffrey said:
Hello. After reading your really useful site, I went ahead and got the B535 £15 deal and it arrived yesterday. Easy to set up and worked fine straight away. However, it thinks I am in China (I’m in the UK) and as such has imposed ‘strict’ censorship on my browsing of sites, blocking numerous ones. I attempted to change this back on my computer in the conventional way, but it will not permit this and instead brings up a message something like ‘strict is required in your country or state’. I went onto the Huawei log-in site but could find nothing about it and Three’s site was pretty useless. Any ideas?- I’m beginning to wonder if Trump is right about China!
Ken replied:
Hi Geoffrey,
That’s an incredibly strange issue that I’ve not heard of before. Are you able to share a screenshot of what you’re seeing on your router? Also, I assume it’s affecting all devices that are connected to the router?
Thanks,
Ken
Geoffrey replied:
Thanks for the response Ken. I’ve now discovered that it is actually THREE that apparently now set all their devices in that way in order to be ‘child-safe’. To free it, I will need to call into one of their stores to confirm my age (?) although I would not have thought it would be appropriate for THREE to sell mobile broadband contracts to children in any case!
Geoffrey
Ken replied:
Hi Geoffrey,
Ah, thanks for getting back to me and clarifying that. I believe it’s a regulatory requirement on all mobile phone and mobile broadband SIM cards. You can follow the instructions here to remove the filter from your SIM – it’s possible to use a credit card to remove this restriction without visiting their store. You’ll pay 99p for verification, but this will be credited towards you Three account so should give you a discount on the next bill.
Ken
Ross said:
Hi Ken,
Can you select individual frequencies on the 535?
I’m on EE and my current router / antenna (Yeacomm) automatically selects B3 as it’s the strongest signal, however my download speed on B7 is up to 20mbps faster so I set it for B7 manually.
My question is can I select the frequency I want myself?
Thanks
David Spencer said:
I’m trying to extend the range of my B535 using a reset Netgear Ex6110, but I can’t get the router to connect to it. Are there problems extending the range, or is it more likely a user error at my end? Thanks
lynne davison said:
Huawei B535 £20/month with Three
I took out the above deal on 8th July 2020 but Three have charged me £29/month.
I have tried to get this resolved by Three on 6 occasions but they cannot sort it out as it was a third party purchase. How do i get this issue sorted?
Thanks, Lynne
Ken replied:
Hi Lynne,
Many thanks for your comment. I’ve checked with Three about this and I believe there was previously an issue setting up the billing for some of their accounts which means an incorrect price was charged on your bill. Their customer services team should be able to resolve this for you and amend it to the correct amount if you can share a copy of your order confirmation. I believe this has also affected a couple of other people here in the comments but the error is normally resolved fairly quickly once you get in touch with the right team.
I believe the issue should now be resolved for new customers, though if anyone else is still having a problem, do let us know here in the comments…
Ken
Chris said:
Hello Ken
The older Huawei B525 router had a Phone socket included. Can the B535 support a phone connection, possibly by VoIP?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the B535 won’t allow you to plug in a phone to use the minutes & texts from your SIM. You could probably set up a VoIP phone with it, however, if you want (e.g. using RJ45/Ethernet or wi-fi connectivity).
Ken
Alan Storrow said:
I ordered the 24 month contract unlimited SIM deal through your link expecting to pay £20/month. However when the first bill was generated and the contract charge was £29/month! Customer services were very unhelpful asking me to reply to their emails showing them their own original email of the confirmed online order. I did this twice and was getting nowhere via email. In the end I had to call them several times, talking to overseas customer service advisors, who are all incoherent due to background noise. They couldn’t alter the first bill and only offer to re-credit on the next bill. Fortunately I could afford to pay the over charge but this is a really poor situation for a new customer.
Roy Heaton said:
Just got this router not sure what to think yet. Get four bars but speed readings vary from 1.2mbs to 12mbs download upload speeds are always higher than download speeds. I really want this to work for me so I can get rid of my landline and I want to use it in static caravan as well.
Stephen Cornish said:
I received my Huawei B535 router over three weeks ago and am very satisfied with its performance.
I used the above link for the £20/month deal. Unfortunately my first bill was for £29/month! After several live chats with Three, and then being transferred to the Braodband Retention Team, I have been assured that it will be changed to £20/month for the next and subsequent bills. My advice would be to pay particular attention to your first bill and double check your monthly charge. If it is wrong be persistent and polite and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
lynne davison replied:
Hi Stephen
I am having the same issue as you and have tried 3 times to get the issue resolved but to no avail.
Do you have contact details for broadband retention team?? Three aren’t taking any calls. I have been on chat twice and sent 2 emails also with all back up.
Thanks, Lynne
Jupp replied:
Hi Lynne, Hi Stephan,
have the same problem with THREE.
20.00 GBP suddenly became 29.00 GBP.
Meanwhile I have written a letter to Glasgow, but I have been waiting for an answer for two weeks.
Therefore I would also be interested in a contact number for the “broadband retention team”
Thanks Jupp
L Tregidgo said:
Hi I have just received my new router B535-232, but I can’t add password to start it up, keeps saying dismiss!
Please help
Ken replied:
Hi there,
Thanks for your comment. What do you mean about being unable to add a password? Do you mean entering the wi-fi password on your other devices to connect to the B535 router, or something else like logging in to the administration screen?
Ken
Dave Bonham said:
HI Ken
Thank you for your insight on the Three LTE routers. Based on your review, I signed up for the B535 to replace an aging Speedport LTE II router that has served as a fallback should my Virgin Media connection go down. The speeds I am getting from Three using the B535 have rocketed significantly. I was getting at 20Mbps down, now with the B535 I am peaked at 73Mbps download. As another poster stated, I too was told by Three UK website I was NOT in a mobile broadband area. Knew that was rubbish, my old Speedport proved that.
Trevor said:
Hi Ken,
Found your site a couple of years ago and have learnt so much from it.
I am soon moving to a new house that is fairly close to a mobile mast that is used by 3. I have done a couple of speed tests on my phone at the house (Ookla) and got results between 20 and 60 Mbps upload and similar download speeds.
Went onto the 3 website to look at ordering a B535 router and the site states that mobile broadband is not available in that postcode.
Any ideas
Many thanks
Trevor
Ken replied:
Hi Trevor,
Thanks a lot for the kind feedback and I’m really glad you’ve found the website to be useful!
That’s a great question regarding Three’s address checker on their website. Unfortunately, this is probably a question for them directly as I don’t know all of the context behind why they’re showing that message (e.g. it might be outdated, they may not have the postcode in their system as it’s a new build, etc). However, the fact you’re able to get those speeds on a phone is definitely a good sign in my view and suggests that the Huawei B535 should also work without too many issues.
Sorry I can’t be of any more help!
Ken
Trevor replied:
Thanks Ken. I will probably try a B535 when I move in and will let you know how it goes.
Thanks again
Trevor
Alan Storrow replied:
Whatever speeds you are receiving on your mobile you can also receive with the the router if it is positioned in the same place. In fact possibly even greater speeds if you are able to connect an external aerial. Use you mobile phone with a 3 SIM to work out where you receive the best download/upload speeds and aim to position the router in the same spot.
Tania MacDonald said:
Hi Ken
We have just moved into a big house and was wondering how i can get a signal across the house?
Ken replied:
Hi Tania,
Thanks for your comment. If you’re struggling to get a wi-fi signal across the whole of your home, I’d recommend having a look at mesh networking solutions like BT Whole Home Wi-Fi, Amazon Eero, Netgear Orbi, etc. All of these should be compatible with the Huawei B535 – you’ll just need to attach the solution to your B535 using an Ethernet cable.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Nigel Algar said:
Very interesting review. Getting fed up with BT Infinity problems (a 10 year story). Am thinking if going with Three and their B535 router. I would like to connect the BT Whole Home Mesh (that is the one thing BT has done well). Any thoughts? Currently the wifi on my BT6 hub i have turned off the wifi and use it as a modem only with the Mesh Whole Home connected by cable. Can I turn wifi off on the B535 and use that only as a modem?
Ken replied:
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, it is indeed possible to connect the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi system to your Huawei B535 router – you simply need to attach it to your Huawei B535 using an Ethernet cable. I believe it should also be possible to turn off the wi-fi on your B535.
Hope this helps!
Ken
Randy said:
Hello,
Does it have a rj11 port ?
On some pictures from Three I see an rj11 port, but not in any specs.
Thanks,
Ken replied:
Hi Randy,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t believe the Huawei B535 has an RJ11 port that you’re able to use. Although, that’s a really good observation regarding the photos of the device. Has anyone else reading this article tried out the port and had any success with using it?
Ken
Mr K replied:
B535 just have rj45 port, no rj11.
Sarah Armstrong said:
Hi. I’m thinking of getting on for my campervan but does it have to be plugged into a socket all the time or can you plug it in, charge it up and take it with you on the go? If this is possible do you know how long the battery lasts from fully charged to empty.
Ken replied:
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the Huawei B535 needs to be plugged in at all times (though if you like, it’s possible to use it with an external battery or power source). If you’d like a more portable device that’s designed to be used on battery power, consider the Huawei E5573-bs322 that Three also sells, with 4 hours battery life.
Ken
Donal said:
Hi I recently purchased a Huawei B535 Cat 7 4G+ router. The download speed averages between 0.2-2.0 Mbps. This is much worse than my previous Huawei B315s router. Any recommendation?
Thanks in advance.
Ken replied:
Hi Donal,
Thanks for your comment. Did anything else change when you went from the Huawei B315 to the Huawei B535? If everything else is kept equal (including the location, setup, mobile network, etc), I wouldn’t normally expect a reduction in performance.
Ken
Edward Gaze said:
Hi, can you use any sim with these devices ie just a noraml phone sim or does it have to be a data sim?
Ken replied:
Hi Edward,
Thanks for your comment. You can use a regular mobile phone SIM card in this device if you like. For more information, see my guide on SIM cards for tablets, routers & dongles.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Craig Banks said:
Hi Ken, I really enjoyed the article it was very handy in deciding.
I have had the Huawei B535 home router since November. it worked great during the 14 day trial period, after that speeds started to be indifferent. I spoke to 3 online chat team and things seemed to improve, coincidence or not I am not sure. However in the last months it has been very unreliable! I often have to click the wi fi off and use the 4 g on my phone, which is also on 3! The pages then load rapidly! So I know it isn’t a poor signal issue. As also when I run speed tests it is showing very high speeds, but this isn’t reflected in the way data is loaded on whatever device is being used. My little girl struggled to do her homework today which is no use in our current situation. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks
GRAHAM said:
Hi
I have a B315s-22 with an unlimited data sim. My speeds are now very slow compared to 6 months ago. Would a B535 improve my speed. I have an external antenna.
Ken replied:
Hi Graham,
Sorry to hear about the speed reductions you’ve seen on the Huawei B315. It’s possible that upgrading to a Huawei B535 will lead to better download speeds, but equally it’s also possible this will make no difference. It really depends on the underlying reasons for the slow speed, and of course, this is difficult to diagnose without a little bit of trial and error. For instance, if download speeds are limited because your local mast is too congested, this may be the limiting factor on download speed as opposed to the hardware you’re using or the strength of the signal you get.
Sorry that I can’t be of more help!
Ken
paul naylor said:
is this device sim free, as three phones now come unlocked presumably dongles and this router which takes a sim card will also be the same
Ken replied:
Hi Paul,
Yes, I believe the Huawei B535 as provided by Three should be unlocked for use on any network.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Stephen said:
Just set up a B535, it worked out of the box and in nearly all respects is better and than my landline solution which I was hoping to get rid of. But not so quick. It does not seem to work with my SONOS speakers. I’ve managed to connect them to the router, that took 4 hours od trial and failure now the SONOS app won’t connect to the Amazon Music properly. I can search and play tracks but not artists or albums which suggest that it is connecting but there is some fundemental incompatibility. I think it goes back and the landline is staying.
Mark B said:
Hi Ken. Like so many have said before, this site is an absolute mine of information. Thanks for creating it and being so attentive to users comments and questions, that takes time and effort!
I live in a semi-rural location where FTTC Broadband speeds are 5-7mb. With 2 teenagers in the house this was a real bottleneck. 18 months ago I looked at increasing bandwidth and the only viable option at the time was to add a second line. One is provided by Plusnet and one via Vodafone. I disabled all functionality on their routers i.e. wireless and connected them to 2 WAN ports on a TP-LINK TL-R480T+(V5) 4 WAN Load Balance Router. The load balancer then connects to a TP-Link Deco M5 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System which is the main router and is connected to a TP-LINK TL-SG1024 24-Port Gigabit Rackmount Switch for all my wired devices.
Whilst this did improve the situation I am back looking at ways to improve things further and your site has been a great source of information.
I did some research and I have 3 Three masts between 1.2 and 1.6km from my home. We live on a hill and I am sure I have line of sight to at least 2 of them and if needed I could improve my chances by adding the external Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 you recommend. My plan is to go for the Three HomeFi Plus, disable the WiFi and connect it to my load balancer. I will then drop the most expensive fixed line connection once I am satisfied with the speeds of the 4G.
I note your comments on the slightly longer ping’s, I currently get nothing lower than 25ms so hopefully the gamers wont notice or I can direct all that traffic through the fixed line if it is an issue.
I am assuming the connected device limit of the B353 will not matter as all my devices will connect through the Deco router?
Ken replied:
Hi Mark,
Thank you for your kind words, and I’m very pleased that you’ve found the website to be useful!
With regards to the connected device limit, yes, this doesn’t apply as you’re connecting through another device. The limit of 64 devices only applies to the B535’s own wi-fi network.
Hope this helps!
Ken
Mark B replied:
Hi Ken. Thought I would give you an update on this subject. After some more deliberation I went for a Three Unlimited SIM. I then paired it with a MikroTik LHG LTE. The result so far is 35mb down and 20mb up. Still need to work on alignment as this is from a mast beyond my nearest target but super pleased with the results over the last few days.
Rod said:
This may be a silly question as I don’t really know much about the technology: will the Huawei B535 connect with another WiFi network instead/as well as 4G via the sim? I live in a marina which offers free WiFi (but I will need to boost the signal to access it inside my boat). When cruising I need to use mobile broadband. Will the B535 do both? Or do I need another piece of kit as well? Any advice much appreciated.
Ken replied:
Hi Rod,
Thanks for your comment. Sorry – I didn’t quite understand your question: are you trying to use the Huawei B535 as a wi-fi repeater/extender? If so, I don’t believe it’s possible for it to do this. However, I would have a look at your laptop or mobile phone as it’s possible this already includes the functionality. Alternatively, you could buy a separate wi-fi repeater device.
Ken
Rod replied:
Thanks Ken,
I was really trying to establish whether there is a single model or type of router which can both connect to the 3G/ 4G network via a sim when I am cruising and also connect to the marina-provided WiFi when I am at my home . The issue is that I know I need an external antenna to get either a network or a marina WiFi signal inside the and don’t want to make too many holes in the roof!
Michael said:
Please DO NOT go with Three! Their network has been in a state of collapse since at least April 2019. I joined them in May, having dumped ADSL and gone 4G for home internet. It started out OK, with decent speeds. However, over the course of last year my speed deteriorated to the point where it was unusable even for browsing (I got 0.01mb on one speed test!).
Luckily, I managed to break my contract at the half-way point over live chat when Three finally agreed that my experience of their network wasn’t as good as it should be and let me go without further penalty.
I’ve now switched to VOXI and the difference is night and day with speed. At least 30mbps throughout the day, even though the masts are not far from each other. O2 and EE were even faster when I tested their SIMS in my Huawei router, VOXI are the only ones that offer a 30 day contract for unlimited data.
It’s not just me either – see Three_Is_Broken on Twitter. In short – DO NOT sign up to Three! It’s cheap for a reason.
Ed replied:
You’re not kidding… Last summer I moved from Vodafone to Smarty (which uses the Three network). Yes it was cheaper and my allowance went from 50GB to unlimited, but for the majority of the day the connection would time out for 10+ seconds at a time. I left them last September – sounds like things haven’t improved since then.
Arthur said:
A little bit of feedback for anyone considering this offer from Three. Online ordering process was simple, although it was a bit strange that Three requested direct debit AND credit card details. I haven’t seen any charge to the credit card, so I assume this was either some form of credit check or a pre-authorisation charge. I signed up using the referral link above for the £20/month deal, however, my first bill said £29/month. After a phone call, email and chat with Three I think this has finally been resolved, so pay attention to your first bill and double check your monthly charge.
Service wise I’m typically seeing about 30Mbps down, 5 Mbps up. Fastest was 41/13. However, this is *highly* dependent on the mast you connect to. These speeds were achieved with 2/3 bars on 1800MHz (band 3). I have to position the B535 router in an upstairs bedroom window to keep this connection. Moving it anywhere else in the house and it will fall back to 5 bars on 800MHz (band 20). On band 20 the best speeds are about 15/10, but usually more like 13/7. It’s interesting that the B535 will connect to band 3, even when there is a significantly stronger band 20 signal, so it’s clearly testing for speed, not just signal strength. For me at least, band 3 gives the best download speeds, whereas band 20 consistently performs better in uploads.
Unfortunately external antennas aren’t helping too much. I bought the Poynting XPOL-1, and no matter where it is positioned or facing the B535 will only ever connect to band 20. This leads me to one of the downsides of the B535 – there is no way to specify which band to connect to. I will either need to locate the antenna much higher in the house than I’m willing to go on a ladder, or investigate different 4g modems (B525 seems to allow band locking?). If Three/Huawei could release a firmware update to give more control on the modem that’d be even better.
With all that said, the speed is a huge improvement on the 14/1 BT “fibre” service I’ve tolerated, and since I was mostly interested in improved upload speeds, even if the B535 only connects to band 20 it’s not a complete disaster. Definitely worth a try, but don’t expect an external antenna to fix a poor connection, you might just end up connecting to a different mast.
Paul replied:
Hi Arthur, what part of the country are you in please, as I am considering this as a replacement for my Abysmal BT fibre at 15/1 again have tolerated it. I am in Burwash, East Sussex. just so I know what signal could be like in my area.
Paul.
Danno said:
Hey Ken – great site and a mine of information. I’m currently a VM customer but looking to migrate to Three 5G although still not certain when it will be available to me (in Cardiff). Do you know if it’s possible to upgrade from a 4G home broadband account to 5G when it became available or would I be tied into 4G until that contract expired? I’ve called 3 and spoken to two different people but they can’t seem to grasp my question and/or give me a straight answer!!
Ken replied:
Hi Danno,
Thanks for your comment. I believe the current plan is for Three to launch 5G in Cardiff during Q1 2020 so hopefully you’ll have access to it in the next few months. Whether you’ll be able to upgrade from 4G to 5G on your HomeFi contract, I’m not totally sure! Three have already said that they’ll offer 5G coverage at no extra cost on all of their plans. Therefore, in theory, you’ll just need to upgrade to a new 5G-ready router and you should then be able to use 5G home broadband on Three. Whether they’ll allow you to do this within the realms of your current contract I’m unsure (though you can always buy an unlocked 5G router from retailers like Amazon).
Ken
Danno replied:
Hi Ken – many thanks for your reply and it feeds into what (I think!) I’ve managed to ascertain from talking to someone in a 3 store. That is, that from a plan/contract point of view, 3 don’t differentiate between 4G and 5G per se, since the SIMs are compatible with all, it’s just a question of what’s available to you. I imagine that the difference in price between the 4G/5G contracts is more reflective of the cost of the hardware they’re supplying. Someone at 3 CS just told me that SIM only unlimited broadband is £18 pm (12 month contract) sans equipment. So what you’ve suggested above is certainly an option….
Clive Thorne said:
Hi Ken – Great article on the Huawei B535. I currently rely on a Huawei E5573B hotspot via O2 for my mobile broadband. I get around 6 Mbps download speed – would it be worth upgrading to the B535? Thanks.
Ken replied:
Hi Clive,
Thanks for your comment and a very good question! If you’re making heavy use of your mobile broadband service, I’d definitely try a mains-powered router like the Huawei B525 or the Huawei B535. You’ll hopefully get better coverage with it as it has a better built-in antenna and doesn’t need to optimise for low power consumption like a battery-powered hotspot. In addition, there’s also the option of using an external antenna, Wi-Fi speeds should be a bit better, etc.
Ken
Lloyd said:
Excellent review and great that even now , that link takes you to a discount.
I’m looking at this product as I occasionally travel to Italy, and could take it with me .I can’t track down any t&C’s to find out any further info.
Would you know it’s fine to use in Italy ( I think it would be as it’s part of three’s roaming area in Europe).? Also would there be any fair use restrictions, or would it be unlimited ( I’ve seen some pages that may indicate, there’s a 12gb limit)?
Finally would the device have to be set up for roaming or do you think plug and play in Italy would work? ( My Vodafone mifi dongle, worked plug and play)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Lloyd
Ken replied:
Hi Lloyd,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can use the Huawei B535 at no extra charge when travelling in Italy through Three’s Go Roam offer. There’s a fair usage limit of 19GB per month when you’re travelling in Europe – you can see the limitations described here in more detail.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Claire said:
Hi Ken, just got a Huawei B353 4G Hub as I can’t get broadband at my home. Managed to connect it up ok and to the smart tv. I got iplayer to work but itv hun & demand 5 error every time I try to play something on you-view. Can you advise if I can do anything to use all you-view services with the 4G hun?
Thanks,
Claire
Ken replied:
Hi Claire,
Thanks for your comment. I’m not aware of anything specific you need to do with the YouView, except from connecting it to the Huawei B535’s wi-fi network. Are you receiving a certain message with it?
Ken
Vince Menzies said:
Ken. Thinking of changing to Huawei B535 router, I currently have a Nova Mesh connected to my old router, do you know if it is possible to connect the mesh system to the B535 for the same whole house coverage?
Ken replied:
Hi Vince,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I believe it should be possible to use pretty much any mesh wi-fi system with the Huawei B535. It should simply be a matter of connecting it to one of the B535’s Ethernet ports.
Ken
Rebecca said:
Hi Ken, I just took out the 24 month Three contract with the Huawei B535. I went through TopCashBack to get the £2/month discount, but now Three are refusing to honour it, saying they don’t offer that deal. I argued that websites like yours also offer the same deal, but they wouldn’t acknowledge it. They wrongly had me on the £29 contract, which they have now changed to £22, but refuse to change it to £20. Is this a known issue? Do you have any suggestions?
Graham Keith said:
Hi Ken – I have a Huawei B311 but my signal strength is weak (download speed 14.79) and unreliable (rural Inverness-shire) . I checked with a local IT specialist who recommended adding an external antenna. However the B311 does not have a port to offer this facility.
It looks like the 3 HomeFi Plus with a Huawei B535 router would be a better option, and it appears to have two ports for adding an antenna.
I’d welcome your comments on this proposal; and will 3 allow me to swap routers. I’m 7 months into a 24 month contract.
Ken replied:
Hi Graham,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I’d definitely try out an external antenna to see whether this helps to improve your signal strength and download speeds. On the B311, there should be an external SMA antenna connector, but it only has the single connector rather than two on the newer B535. See my guide to external antennas for more information and background on this.
With regards to the B535, this will certainly give you better performance as it has the two SMA antenna connectors. Whether you can upgrade, however, is really a matter for Three due to the existing 24-month contract you have on the B311. I’d certainly call them to ask as I know a few other readers have been able to upgrade, but as I understand this is subject to negotiation with them. Failing an upgrade to the B535, you can also buy an unlocked 4G broadband router like the Huawei B525. This would allow you to upgrade to a new router without cancelling the contract with Three.
Ken
Graham Keith replied:
Ken – many thanks for this really constructive feedback. So here’s my feedback experience:
First call – I viisted my local 3 retail shop and without any quibble, they swapped my B311 for a B535. They stated that the B311 ‘had some issues and was unreliable (dropping signal) and we’ll provide you with a B535 under your existing contract’.
I set it up and it’s a;ready proving to be much more reliable than the ‘faulty’ B311.
Second call – I went back to my local IT shop and he bench-tested it with a Poynting Omni-280 antenna which seemed to improve the signal strength. However when I tried it back home there was no discernable improvement signal improvement.
Should I stick where I am or try a different antenna like the Poynting 4G-XPOL-01 to add sugnal strength? I’m kinda reluctant to spend a further +£60 for no more signal benefit.
Graham
Ken replied:
Hi Graham,
Thanks for your comment. Firstly, it’s great to hear that they replaced your B311 with a new Huawei B535 within your existing contract. Also, it’s fantastic to hear that you’ve seen performance improvements with this.
With regards to the external antenna, the test in your local IT shop probably isn’t that valid! The performance of the external antenna is heavily dependent on location & where you decide to position your antenna. Normally, you’ll get the best results having your antenna mounted outdoors, on an upper-floor and facing towards your nearest mobile mast. However, you’ll often need to play around a little to find the best position through trial and error. I very much doubt switching to the XPOL-1 will make a big difference here if the Omni-280 isn’t helping to improve coverage on the service.
Ken
Graham Keith replied:
Thanks Ken – your comments and advice are greatly appreciated. I’ll try the aerial in different locations.
Graham
Steven Hossack said:
I’m looking to get this to give myself my own internet connection for gaming as my WISP provider has great speeds but even with a QOS enabled it makes gaming a chore.
This seems like a great offer as I get about at least 30-50Mbps 4G speeds in my area. My only concern is will my PS4/PC be stuck with a Strict NAT and is there any way to open ports and such or enable a traffic queue?
Ken replied:
Hi Steven,
Thanks a very good question! Sadly, I’m not an expert regarding the QOS & NAT issues you mentioned, but perhaps someone else reading this might be able to help? I do believe the higher pings on 4G broadband do often make online gaming less than ideal.
Ken
Steven Hossack replied:
Hi there,
So I know sometime in the future someone will want to know the answer to this so I took it upon myself to get a Huawei B535 with Three UK and here’s my results.
In my area it’s quite a bit away from any major cities or villages/towns but I get great 4G coverage. With my hub to my window I get full bars, 4G+ and about 40Mbps max down and 20Mbps up (that I’ve seen so far, I reckon it does go a bit higher).
I have used this on my PC, PS4, Phone etc and it all works perfectly. I get about 40-60ms ping on PS4 and I can make my NAT OPEN so there’s no Strict NAT type struggles with this router.
However, I did find that any congestion on the line and it will lag a bit, nothing too drastic but it’s there. This will only be used for my PS4 anyway as I have a WISP provider for my family and I for everything else.
TL;DR
Great router, great price, OPEN NAT options, low ping, high speeds, just wish it had a traffic priority or QOS system to make it more stable when others use the network.
Robert Muir said:
I have a huawai b722 mifi on three with good signal but get a lot of buffering when live streaming will a b535 help with this issue.
Ken replied:
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your comment. It’s really difficult to say what difference you should expect using a Huawei B535 instead of a MiFi. The coverage will almost certainly be better due to the configuration of the device (it has a larger antenna, is a mains-powered device, etc) and I would hope this translates through to a better overall experience. You also have the ability to attach an external antenna to it if required. It’s possible, however, you might experience the same issue as on the MiFi if the buffering is caused by congestion on your local mast rather than coverage so you’ll really need to try it in order to find out.
Ken
Dave said:
The B535 offer from Three for £20 p.m. with unlimited data (24 month contract) is currently also available through topcashback with £60 cashback but I dont know for how long. I am only half way through my contract with EE but thinking of also taking this out as its such a good deal. FOMO.
Cristin said:
Hi Ken
Thank you for your very informative article. I am considering signing up with Three for the B535 on their 24-mth contract.
Since Three’s packages also include Go Roam, I would like to take it on holiday to Costa Rica when I head there next month, great perk!
However I read Three’s support page “Using our services abroad” on http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.DLL?Command=New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=Article,varset_cat=roaming,varset_subcat=4147,Case=obj(42690) and they say “Not all dongles and Mobile Broadband devices may work in all countries we’re afraid (such as the USA), because the networks in those countries operate on a different frequency from the UK”.
Do you know if the B535 will in fact work in Costa Rica? (not very techy, so not sure what frequency does mobile networks in costa rica operate on)
Kind regards
Ken replied:
Hi Cristin,
Thanks for your comment, and a very good question! A quick search online suggests they use 2100MHz for 3G in Costa Rica along with LTE bands 3 and 7 for 4G. These are the same bands we use in the UK, so the Huawei B535 should work without any issues 🙂
Hope this helps,
Ken
Cristin replied:
Hi Ken
Thanks so much for the quick response, I really appreciate people like yourselves setting up blogs like these who are really useful for people like me 🙂
I actually have one further thing I was wondering re using Three’s mobile broadband in a Go Roam destination (ie Costa Rica in this case). I know they apply a maximum data usage of 12GB even tho the contract is unlimited data (in the UK). However they offer the Data Passport and I can’t seem to find anywhere in their website nor the web if this can be purchased for a mobile broadband contract, or if it’s only for phone contracts. Would you have any idea?
In fact is there any difference between the SIM that is inserted into the B535 vs a mobile phone?
Many thanks again 🙂
Ken replied:
Hi Cristin,
No worries – I’m really pleased to see that it’s helpful!
There’s more information here about the Data Passport offer. Like you say, it’s £5/day for unlimited data without any restrictions and is available to Pay Monthly customers. I believe it should be possible to get this on the SIM card included with the B535 (as it’s also Pay Monthly), though it might be worth double-checking directly with Three if this is an important aspect of whether you choose this device.
There are a couple of differences between smartphone SIM cards and mobile broadband SIM cards (namely, inclusive minutes and texts only being available on smartphone SIMs).
Ken
Cristin replied:
Thank you Ken, much appreciated!
Cristin replied:
Hi Ken
Actually I have a further question if you don’t mind 🙂
If the mobile broadband router takes a SIM that’s like a phone SIM, then can I also buy an unlocked product (eg Huawei B525) and then put my existing phone SIM into it, and it should be able to work (ie get data and broadcast it using WiFi)? (Subject to my SIM’s data allowance of course)
Thanks!
Ken replied:
Hi Cristin,
Not at all! You’re absolutely right – you can just use a normal smartphone SIM card in your router, subject to the normal data allowance on your SIM. The Huawei B525 is a great router for this. In fact, many people used to combine the Huawei B525 with a Three unlimited data SIM card, until they released the Huawei B535 which generally works out a little bit cheaper than a do-it-yourself solution (as the £20/month subscription includes a router when you get the Huawei B535).
Ken
Joanne Button said:
Hi, just got a b535 from eBay and an unlimited data sim from EE. Speed is good, it connects to our phones, iPads, etc, it won’t connect to our Sonos system, robotic vacuum, or our Samsung smart tv wired or wirelessly. And ideas?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for your comment. There shouldn’t be any technical reason why these devices can’t connect to the B535 router (it just produces a regular wi-fi network in the same way as any other router). Are you receiving a certain error message on these devices and does it still persist when you delete and set up the network again?
Ken
Joanne Button replied:
Managed to fix it ourselves. Was down to the network selection. It was on EE, we changed it to automatic and it worked!
Thanks anyway.
Phil said:
Hi Ken
I am looking to go with the Huawei B535. I live in an annex house so there is literally two rooms within the annex as i dont have a phoneline.
I am a three member and currently use my personal hotspot within the annex to do things such as stream, game and use my laptop.
If i bought this, would the speeds be better than the hotspot? I do like gaming so i want to know if it would be reliable and not disconnect etc when in the middle of a game.
Thank you in advance
Phil
Ken replied:
Hi Phil,
Thanks for your comment. What are the speeds like when you tether from a smartphone? With the Huawei B535 router, it’s sometimes difficult to know what speeds you’ll get without trying it out for yourself. Typically, I would expect it to better than tethering from your smartphone (the router has a larger antenna and doesn’t need to optimise for battery life, etc) but how much better it is does vary on a case-by-case basis. The placement of your router can also make a really big difference to speeds, as well as the addition of an external antenna.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Tom said:
Hi Ken
Is it possible to connect this to a Wifi extender?
Thanks
Tom
Ken replied:
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can connect this to any Wi-Fi extender or repeater in the normal way 🙂
Hope this helps,
Ken
Francis Fox said:
I’m close to giving this a go. I live in a rural area and have BT landline/Broadband and a download speed of 2.5Mbps that costs me about £40 a month – it’s rubbish. So time to make the giant leap, bin BT landline, BB and all and go 4G LTE. The unlimited data SIM packages are now within budget and the 3 signal locally is Good on the coverage checker. However, in my property I need whole home wifi or a heath robinson powerline setup (I’ve got some TP-Link kit) to reach all corners so a single wifi router is unlikely to cut it. So I’m wondering if I get the Huawei B535 can I just switch off the wifi and use it as a 4G LTE modem? Then buy a whole home wifi system, like Linksys Velop Tri-Band Whole Home Mesh, and plug that into one of the ethernet ports. Will this work?
Ken replied:
Hi Francis,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, it’s absolutely possible to use the Huawei B535 in this way, connecting it to a mesh wi-fi system to improve wi-fi coverage across your home.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Murray Elliot said:
Update on our B535 experiment. Been 6 weeks now – still getting a decent reception on one side of the cottage and up to 25MB/s D/L speeds . Moved it to the other side of the cottage where most reception is actually incredibly poor (almost no mobile signal), just to see if it would give us enough bandwidth for my son to game. I thought it was a very optimistic test…
Turns out to be a huge success, we’re getting 3-4 bars in what is normally a dead spot and he’s delighted as his framerate has increased and his updates are flying down (comparatively). Had to figure out how to open gaming ports for Halo 5, but that’s all sorted and working.
Looks like we’ll have to buy another one as I doubt I’ll be able to get it out of his room any time soon!
On the upside, I’ll be able to cancel our £40 Sky broadband package which gives us 3MB/S on a good day with a following wind), so all in all we’ll break even.
Happy days!
Ariff said:
Is the B535 able to go into bridge mode and is there QoS settings also?
Thanks.
Ian said:
Hello,
I’m really keen to replace my BT with the B535, but my concerns are:
My coverage in good, (light red) but not the best (darker red) on three’s coverage map.
I want to try it and if it doesn’t live up to my needs (seamlessly replace BT) I want to be able to return it – I see nothing about this on their page. I have an agent on live chat telling me ‘no problem, if it’s not fast/reliable you can return it inside 14 days’, but this isn’t backed up in print. And what if it’s great initially and then becomes inadequate? Stuck in a 2 year contract…
Too many what ifs for me to be confident to take the risk..
Ken replied:
Hi Ian,
Thanks for your comment. If you buy the Huawei B535 online, you’ll get a 14-day period to test it out and return it. This is actually standard consumer legislation, but you can also find it detailed within Three’s returns policy. If you purchase the router in store, the 14-day returns policy does not apply.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Alan kemp said:
I have had problems with the B311 huawei router on 4g ,been told to put it into 3G mode to get better reception.I have had it for 18 months at 30 pound ,now I am tied into a 24 month contract I can,t get out of at 23 pounds ,would I qualify to change my router to a B535.Check your contract as 3 say the B311 is not a 4 g router.
Ken replied:
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your comment. It’s best to get in touch with Three Customer Services to see whether it’s possible for you to do this. It might be possible as you’re approaching the end of your contract. The alternative would be buying your own unlocked router like the Huawei B525 and moving the SIM card from the B311 on to that router.
Ken
A kemp replied:
Thank,s ken for your reply.I have 18 months on my contract but will approach 3 to see if they have any B525 as that might give me a phone link as well!a
Gary Westwell replied:
Alan,
I also had a Hauwei B311 router on three homefi which I started having problems with over summer (very slow/devices not connecting properly) I rang their customer service and was told they have had problems with them and they replaced mine free of charge with the new B535, ive only had it a few days but it seems more stable although the connection speeds are similar.
Ariff replied:
Really? I phoned them and they said they couldn’t do anything and I’ve been having issues with mine since April. Brutal. How is the B535?
Gary Westwell replied:
Alan,
I think its a better router but the 4G signal on three seems to be have issues in my area, im still debating whether to get an external antenna to boost the signal, my son plays xbox one online and it does lag especially in the evenings (probably when other people use it most)
Alex said:
Hello,
I just got my B535 router and to my surprise, it isn’t compatible with Three’s 4G network. It only connects to the 3G network, so I checked on Three’s website and when checking the coverage with this specific device, it says it’s not compatible…
How’s this possible?
Ken replied:
Hi Alex,
The Huawei B535 is definitely compatible with Three’s 4G network. Can you tell me what issues you’re encountering, and where you found this information on Three’s website?
Thanks,
Ken
Alex replied:
Hi Ken,
If you go on Three’s website, on the 4G coverage checker, put a postcode and in device put the Huawei B535, it’ll say it’s not compatible with their 4G network.
My issue was that I’m getting a max speed of 4MB.. I called the technical support and I was actually getting faster speed with the 3G setting. I also showed them the whole not compatible thing on the website and were surprised, they reported it to their management.
I ended up returning the box and I was advised to get an Huawei AI cube instead.
Thanks,
Alex
Ken replied:
Hi Alex,
That’s really odd – I think it’s a bug with the Three website. The Huawei B535 definitely supports 4G coverage. In some places, however, where you have a very weak/marginal 4G signal, it’s possible switching to 3G will give you better download speeds and reliability.
Ken
Ken replied:
Hi Alex,
Just a quick note: I got in touch with the team at Three to let them know about the results for the Huawei B535 on their coverage checker. They’ve confirmed this was a bug with their website, which has now been resolved. They’ve also confirmed that the Huawei B535 is a 4G device.
Ken
RP said:
I’ve just purchased a Three mobile sim for broadband. Does anyone know if this device can be used in bridge mode? Currently using a Teltonika RUT240.
Ken replied:
Hi RP,
According to the Teltonika Wiki, it should be possible to use the RUT240 in bridge mode.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Giles Mosley said:
Has any ordered from the link in the article?
“Exclusive Offers
As a special time-limited offer, Three is offering a £3/month discount on the Huawei B535 with unlimited data. This means you can currently get it for just £20 rather than £23 per month on a 24-month contract.
To get the £3/month discount, you’ll need to purchase the Huawei B535 through this special link. It isn’t necessary to use any voucher codes during checkout but you’ll need to make sure you complete the entire purchase online.”
I went into a Three store and they said that this offer is just for existing Three customers. I still order it online and it all went through and I have an order number but no confirmation email. It’s due to arrive on Thursday so will see. Has anyone else ordered through the link?
Ken replied:
Hi Giles,
It isn’t just for existing customers – it’s also for customers who are new to Three. You won’t find this £20 tariff if you go into a Three store – it’s an online-only exclusive that we’re featuring on this page.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Giles Mosley replied:
Thanks Ken. It arrived yesterday and so far so good.How would you recommend boosting the wifi signal round the house ?
Ken replied:
Hi Giles,
Thanks for your comment. I’d recommend using a wi-fi repeater or a mesh networking solution like BT Whole Home Wi-Fi.
Hope this helps,
Ken
DJG said:
Hello,
I just bought the 535 and am thinking of throwing it back at them within the 14 day cool off period! I have ordered two antennas which are arriving shortly to see if that helps. I have 4/5 bars signal, there’s a mast opposite my house on top of a church. My DL is 1.5 Mbits and my UL is 10 Mbits which strikes me as odd. The UL is reasonable but DL is awful. Sounds like there’s a setting I need to check somewhere but I can’t find any decent literature online. Anyone have any idea what this could be?
Benedetta said:
Hi, I have B535 which does not work well or at all with laptops. The first day the wi-fi worked well, and now I cannot even connect the laptop to the network. Any advice?
Ken replied:
Hi Benedetta,
Thanks for the comment. What isn’t working with regards to connecting your laptop to the B535 router? There shouldn’t normally be any issues with this – perhaps double check the WiFi password or the settings on your laptop for connecting to the network? Alternatively, it’s possible you might be too far from the router so it isn’t able to pick up a strong enough WiFi signal?
Ken
Benedetta replied:
Hi Ken, thank you for your reply. Both password and wifi settings are fine (DNS and IP checked) and the signal is strong ( the 2 laptops – Windows – are just a couple of metres away from the router). The first time I used the router, I had to type the password several tomes to connect, but then the internet worked well. The second day, the wifi was connected, strong signal, but no network. However, the router indicated both working network and strong signal (no red lights on it). I switched off and on and tried to disconnect and connect again, then input the password several times, but couldn’t connect with the network. Today is the third day, and the wifi is working fine. I need to understand if I can rely on the service/router or not. Do you have any suggestion for me to test? Thank you in advance!
Ken replied:
Hi Benedetta,
That’s very strange. I don’t have any great ideas to be honest, except from that it might be worth getting in touch with Three if you think this might be a hardware issue with the router. It sounds like you’re pretty technical so I imagine you’ve tried all of the normal things – the only other thing I’d possibly consider would be testing your connection via a wired Ethernet cable as well (at least to diagnose the issue if you have Wi-Fi issues again).
Ken
Mike said:
Hi Ken,
I’m thinking of getting the B535 on a 24 month Three contract, as a replacement for my current Virgin Broadband 50Mb contract, which is starting to become expensive.
We live in an area covered by 4G Super Voice. But I’m concerned that the B535 won’t cope with streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Now TV.
What do you think, are my concerns warranted?
Regards,
Mike.
Ken replied:
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your comment. The Huawei B535 definitely has the potential to support streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now TV, etc. You’ll need around 5Mbit/s to stream these services in high definition, whereas typical download speeds on the B535 should normally be comfortably at least in the double digits. Your mileage, however, may vary depending on where you live and depending on the strength of the 4G signal you get (making it hard to give a definitive answer to your question).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Craig replied:
I’m just over a year in on a 24mth contract with Three and was supplied with the B311 router. At the time I signed up, Three were aggressively marketing their upcoming 5g service and informed me that when 5g was available then existing customers would be upgraded. Despite being on the centre of Croydon, my only other option is standard BT broadband thanks to lack of cabinet capacity for anything better. The Three 4g home broadband is a handy backup for when BT has one of its regular 3 monthly wobbles and spends a couple of days dropping signal. Three were also very vocal about upgrading 4g locally in preparation for 5g and I now have the 4g Super Voice thing (apparently!).
As far as I can tell, the potential speeds and benefits that this Super Voice upgrade provides are not much use to me with my B311 router. As Three no longer supply the B311 and new customers receive the more capable B535, I’m slightly annoyed that since their 5g rollout looks to be delayed even further, Three aren’t making the benefits of improved 4g available to existing home broadband customers stuck with the B311 router.
I’ve seen that some customers have had some success getting an upgrade from Three with seemingly little effort but on based on my most recent dealings with Three (they managed to mess up a phone upgrade to an astounding degree leading to 10 days before the handset I received could actually be used for anything other than a paperweight), I’m not confident that they are capable of providing Customer Service so wonder if others have advice about what might be a possible argument that works ? If they have boosted the signal and are only making equipment that can exploit this available to new customers, is there any basis for threatening to terminate contract early ? If speeds fall below a stated level there is an argument to do so but if there is a deliberate move to supply new customers with equipment that can use improved speeds, can it be argued that any minimum speed guarantee is worthless unless the minimum speed is within the capability of the equipment supplied ? In theory a neighbour on a new contract could be delighted with their 4g speed beamed out of the same Three mast that my router is connected to but with just the one channel and half the number of potential devices that might be connected.
I do get the fact that new customer offers exist for a reason and existing customers will often be subsidising these. I just feel that there is a difference between attractive pricing to lure in new customers and creating a differential by almost limiting the speed/ data that existing customers receive by exclusion.
Patrick Shambrook said:
After reading you blog I went and got the B535 from 3 as we live in a rural area and never had good speeds (5meg) now we have between 40-90 depending on time of day.
So many thanks for the advice on here!
The last piece of the puzzle is as you have answered above .. We now want to get rid of the land line as there is no point in playing line rental anymore now we have the the B535. Am I right in reading that if we buy a B525 we can plug in a land line, however for it to work we need to buy another SIM card? We only need it for incoming calls as in fact the current landline is linked and rings to our intercom on the front door. Can you please advise, maybe a simple pay as you go sim card would do the job?
This is interesting as I now have the B535
Ken replied:
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for your comment and sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
The unlocked Huawei B525 router has a RJ11 phone port. This means you can plug a phone directly into your router to make and receive phone calls using the SIM card inside. If you were to pair the Huawei B525 with a SIM-only deal that has inclusive minutes, that would essentially give you a replacement house phone as well.
With the Huawei B535, you won’t get a RJ11 phone port. Additionally, the SIM card doesn’t come with inclusive minutes. This means you’ll need to use something else for your phone calls (e.g. your mobile phone, landline or something else).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Lewis said:
Hi Ken
Great article – thanks very much for the review, it’s really helping with my decision to go for 4G home broadband in my new place. I’m coming up with almost price parity on going with a 12 month contract with a B535 with three and buying a B525 from Amazon and just getting a sim-only contract. Is the 535 much better for day-to-day use to warrant getting it over an unlocked 525? Thanks again!
Ken replied:
Hi Lewis,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think there are really that many differences of note between the Huawei B525 and the Huawei B535. The latter supports Category 7 LTE as opposed to Category 6 LTE, so in theory you could get faster uploads on the B535. The B535 is also sold as a home broadband package (whereas with the B525 you’ll be building your own solution so you won’t necessarily have the same level of support from Three).
On the other hand, buying an unlocked B525 and getting a unlimited data SIM card will give you an allowance of minutes which you can use through a RJ11 phone. For some people, that makes it a more suitable solution if you’re looking to replace your landline connection.
Ken
Lewis replied:
Thanks, Ken – much appreciated! I’ve gone for the B525 as it was £100 and I hadn’t considered using it as a landline. Thanks again 🙂
Terry Gipps said:
Hi, stumbled across your site while researching my Huawei B525..
I am with Three on their unlimited 4g plan, I bought my own modem,as above, they sent me a sim.. I was getting 52mb down and 47mb up until today, it seemed like it was capped so after spending over an hour on the phone to them, most of it waiting, it turns out they sent me the WRONG sim, apparently Three have different sims for DATA ONLY.
They have agreed to cancel my 24 month contract without charge as it was their fault, I have now just signed up to Threes 24 month contract with their Huawei B535 modem for £18 a month.
Looks like Ill have a spare kodem for sale soon 🙂
Loved reading through here and about to read your Antenna Guide.
Murray Elliot said:
I got the 535 today (after returning the 311 THREE sent me by default as couldn’t find the WebBox on their website). Attached a Poynting antenna sitting on the windowsill. With the 535, and the antenna, I’m measuring 20-27Mb/s download pretty consistently (3Mb/s upload)
For context, we live in the country in a stone cottage with thick walls and small windows. At best I was getting 7Mb/s on my phone and 3Mb/s on our Sky copper wired “broadband”!
Happy bunny
Jon replied:
Hi Murray,
Which Poynting antenna did you purchase? I’ve just ordered the 535 from Three and I also live in a remote area. I currently get just over 1mbps download in the evening. If I lean out of an east facing bedroom window and look north with binoculars I can see a mast of top of the church. I’m
Expecting much better speeds with the 535 😉
Murray Elliot replied:
Hi Jon.
I bought a simple, cheap Poynting Omni indoor/outdoor SiSo 3G/4G antenna from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DVNJ941/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My thinking was that if I was able to get 2-3 bars with my phone outdoors, I probably wouldn’t need too much gain.
Most of the time the router shows 5 bars, dropping to 4 bars occasionally. It sits on my windowsill. If your conditions are less favourable, then perhaps the 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LT Antenna would be more appropriate, or if directional gain is required, then the 4G-XPOL-A0002 would give you more gain.
Jon replied:
Hi Murray,
Thank you for the information.
I am very happy and actually quite staggered by the speeds I’m getting. I’ve tried the router in various different places around the house and settled on a middle window sill upstairs. The front of the router is pointing in the direction of the mast.
This morning I got 52.7 download and 21.2 upload! That’s with no external aerial!
I just have one bad spot in the house and unfortunately that’s in my office so I’ll have to get a booster… or just move the router when I’m working in there 😉
So far I am very, very impressed 🙂
Mark Barnett said:
Hi Ken, just checking how they can claim 300mbps but average 14 mbps? I understand 300 is theoretical laboratory conditions but that’s a huge difference. 3 claim excellent coverage in my area. Thanks.
Ken replied:
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment. The Huawei B535 hardware supports Category 7 LTE technology which caps out at a maximum of 300Mbit/s. In reality, however, actual speeds vary wildly depending on lots of network-related factors like location, congestion, interference, number of other users, etc.
The average download speed figure is defined by the Advertising Standards Authority as something that at least 50% of customers are able to get during the evening peak hour (8pm-10pm). Obviously, this is tricky for a 4G broadband provider as someone could decide to use the service wherever they like, including in an area with poor coverage or with a badly placed router. Therefore, make of it what you will (some people will get much better speeds in an area with good coverage (especially with an antenna), others will get worse speeds in an area with poor coverage or with a badly placed router).
EE is slightly more aggressive in their marketing for 4GEE Home – they claim to offer average download speeds of 31Mbit/s on a router that similarly caps out at 300Mbit/s.
Ken
Michael said:
The B525 also has a USB port, which I use for streaming. Not sure what other differences there are?
Housni said:
Hi I’m receiving my B535 today but I was wondering how would I set up a password to block others from connecting onto my wi-fi
Many thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Housni,
Thanks for your comment. I believe the Huawei B535 should be pre-configured with a password to protect your Wi-Fi network. If, for some reason, you’d like to change the password, this should be possible following the information in the manual.
Ken
Jaydal said:
Anyone know the username for logging into the B535 192.169.1.8 homepage ?
Running software that needs this
Or also where a manual is available ?
Rhodri said:
Thank you for this; it is very informative. Does the b535 have the option for internal antenna?
Thank you in advance.
Ken replied:
Hi Rhodri,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, the Huawei B535 has a built-in antenna so it’s possible to use without buying an external antenna. Alternatively, if you’re asking whether it’s possible to buy an indoor antenna (as opposed to an antenna that you put outdoors), then yes, this should also be possible. The Huawei B535 accepts 2x SMA antennas – see my guide to 4G antennas for more information.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Dave Abbitt said:
Hi Ken,
Looking on the Three website, WebBox is not listed. What am I missing?
Thanks
Dave.
Ken replied:
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your comment. You should be able to find the Huawei B535 WebBox here on Three’s website 🙂
Ken
David Astley said:
Ken, I have two grandsons who have a PS4 & Xbox One for gaming. I am in a good Three 4G area, would the WebBox be OK for online gaming?
Ken replied:
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment. It should be fine to connect a PS4 & Xbox One to the Huawei B535 WebBox for online gaming 🙂 One thing to be aware of, however, is that 4G broadband has higher latency or ‘ping’ compared to traditional fixed-line broadband. We’re talking a delay of around 0.05 seconds (50ms) rather than 0.01-0.02 seconds (10-20ms). This is fine for most online games, except from those that might require super-fast responsive times (e.g. shooters).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Verdi Lowe said:
Excellent website Ken..Been a long time subscriber, & I’m a Three 3 Customer..Very interesdted in swapping awful old deal with TalkTalk for this..But can I connect my landline phone ? Or can I connect Mobiles ?
Ken replied:
Hi Verdi,
Thanks for your kind feedback on the website, so lovely to hear from you! You can connect your smartphone to the internet via the Huawei B535 WebBox (as can you connect other devices like a tablet, laptop, TV, etc). You can also make voice-over-IP calls on any of these devices (e.g. using Skype, WhatsApp, etc). What you can’t do is to plug a phone in directly to the B535 router to make and receive phone calls over the SIM card. If you’d like to do this, you can buy something like an unlocked Huawei B525 (approx £120 from Amazon). This has a RJ11 socket so you can connect a phone to the router, in order to make and receive phone calls using the SIM card in your router. You can use it with an unlimited data SIM card.
Ken
Clive Sutherland replied:
Hi I have just signed up with sipgate gor voip phoneline to replace landline saving 240 p/yr they allow u to choose a mew number based on your current area code..so i chose Medway 01634 and a new number. You can even port your landline number to it for a one off £30. Then if u dont take a plan ie use for incoming calls only its totally free! I use grandstream wave app on my mobile phone which links to sipgate account. So my land line is on my mobile. You can link up as many mobiles as u want. I utilised an old mobile on wifi only for the upstairs phone. Great! Sipgate…even link to your home address for 999 calls. This took a day or teo, but it all happens in the background. I just xant believe i get free landline number over VOIP. So my credit rating shdnt change as i have same landline number…SORTED! 240 POUNDS NOT GOING TO VIRGIN. I also have the 4g webbox router b535 getting 20 to 60 mb download speeds 60mb n the mornings around 25mb in evenings with no ext antenna. Connected my tv to it and a extender thru 3pin plug socket to get good signal upstairs
Rachael said:
Hi how did you find out how many devices the B535 can have connected? I spent ages trying to find out! ☺️
Ken replied:
Hi Rachael,
Thanks for your comment. The technical specifications for this router are buried away on Three’s website!
Ken