By Three’s 4G Hub (ZTE MF286D) is available from £11/month. Read our review.
In the UK, Three has launched a new version of their 4G Broadband Hub router. Currently available for £11/month for 6 months (then £22/month), it gives you unlimited 4G home broadband that you can use on up to 64 devices.
The new 4G Hub router (also known as the ZTE MF286D) supports download speeds of up to 600Mbps on 4G networks. In practice, the speeds available will depend on where you live but Three says a typical download speed might be 50Mbps to 100Mbps. The 4G Hub offers plug-and-play setup and also includes free next working day delivery.
In this article, we’ll review Three’s 4G Hub router. We’ll start by looking at how the 4G Hub works and at the best plans and offers currently available on it. We’ll also look at the technical specifications of the 4G Hub, along with the download speeds and coverage available on it.
| Prices From: | £11 per month for 6 months, then £22 per month |
|---|---|
| Contract Length: | 24 months |
| Download Speeds: | 50-100Mbps (typical download speed) Will vary based on the signal strength & coverage in your area |
| Model Number: | ZTE MF286D |
| Coverage: | Selected UK postcodes (check your postcode) |
Contents
Three 4G Hub Plans
In the UK, Three currently offers unlimited 4G home broadband for £22/month (with half price for the first 6 months). This is available with no need for a landline.
You can get unlimited 4G home broadband with a 4G Hub router on the following plans:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £22/month with 6 months half price |
If you replace your fixed-line home broadband connection, you may be able to cancel your landline if you don’t need it for another reason (e.g. for making phone calls). This can save you in the region of £20/month on line rental, potentially making it a cost-neutral solution to get 4G broadband on the 4G Hub.
If you’re living in a 5G coverage area, you may be offered Three’s 5G home broadband service instead (currently available from £22 per month).
Three 4G Hub Offers
As a special offer for April 2024, you can get half price on Three’s 4G home broadband service for the first 6 months. You’ll then pay the full price of £22 per month from month 7 onwards.
Get 4G Hub with 6 months half price →
You can see a full list of available offers on the Three website.
Three 4G Hub Router
In July 2021, Three launched their new 4G Hub router in the UK. Also known as the ZTE MF286D, it’s a major upgrade on the old 4G Hub router (the Huawei B535) that was previously offered to 4G home broadband customers.
When you plug in the 4G Hub router inside your home, it will connect to Three’s 4G mobile network. From that, it will produce a Wi-Fi network allowing your other devices to get connected to the internet.
The new 4G Hub router supports Category 12/13 LTE speeds (giving download speeds of up to 600Mbps and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps). In practice, however, it will rarely reach the top speed. Instead, Three says 50-100Mbps is more realistic as an average download speed. The 4G Hub router has a built-in 4G antenna but there’s also the option to attach your own external antenna using the 2 SMA ports on the back.
In terms of your home network, you’ll get support for Wi-Fi 5 technology (802.11a/b/g/n/ac). This allows up to 64 devices to be connected to your Wi-Fi network at the same time. There are also four Gigabit Ethernet sockets allowing you to connect wired devices to your home network.
The following table shows the full technical specifications of the new 4G Hub router:
| 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 12 LTE |
| 4G Download Speed: | Up to 600 Mbps download |
| 4G Upload Speed: | Up to 100 Mbps upload |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 & 32 |
| 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: | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Other | |
| Dimensions: | 18 x 17 x 3 cm |
| Model: | ZTE MF286D |
| Colour: | White |
| More Information: | See three.co.uk |
Compared with the old 4G Hub router (Huawei B535-232), the main upgrade on the ZTE MF286D is the superior support for new 4G networking technology. Whereas the old 4G Hub router supported 2×2 MIMO and 64QAM, the new 4G Hub router supports 4×4 MIMO and 256QAM. In combination with the support for Three’s L-band spectrum (band 32), it should deliver much better home broadband performance.
Three 4G Hub Speeds
According to Three, the 4G Hub supports Category 12/13 LTE speeds. This means you’re able to get download speeds of up to 600Mbps and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps.
In practice, you’ll rarely be able to get the maximum possible download speed. This is because the speeds will vary depending on the signal strength and the available network capacity in your area. Instead, Three says an average download speed of 50Mbps to 100Mbps is a more realistic figure for customers using their new 4G Hub.
When your 4G Hub arrives in the post, you’ll be able to set it up simply by plugging it in at the wall. However, it’s normally recommended that you place it close to a window to maximise the 4G signal strength available. Ideally, you should choose an upstairs windows that faces in the direction of your nearest mobile mast. In some cases, adding an external antenna can also help to improve the strength of your 4G signal.
Coverage & Availability
At present, Three offers their 4G home broadband service in around 7.1 million UK homes. This is around 25% of all UK households. To check the availability of the service where you live, enter your postcode on the following page:
Check Three Broadband Availability →
In some cases, you might not be able to get 4G home broadband, even if you’re within Three’s 4G network coverage area as shown on the coverage map. If this is the case, you’ll be shown the following error message:
We’re on our way
We’re busy expanding our network to connect more homes.
You then have two options if you still want to get 4G broadband on Three:
You can get 4G broadband on the 4G Plus MiFi instead. The 4G Plus MiFi is a mobile broadband router with the advantage that you can use it more easily on-the-go. Unfortunately, speeds cap out at 300Mbps and the Wi-Fi signal also has more limited range (around 10m). However, it’s available to 99% of the UK’s population. Find out more about the 4G Plus MiFi.- You can do-it-yourself using a unlocked 4G router. If you like, you can “build your own” 4G home broadband service. To do this, you’ll need to buy an unlocked 4G router like the Huawei B311 or the Huawei B535. You’ll then be able to put an unlimited data SIM card inside it. For instance, Three offers a 5G unlimited data SIM card for £20 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the Three 4G Hub? | The 4G Hub is Three’s most popular 4G home broadband router. It provides you with unlimited 4G home broadband and download speeds of up to 600Mbps. You can use it to get up to 64 devices connected to the internet at the same time. |
|---|---|
| What 4G home broadband plans are available on the 4G Hub? | Three currently offers the following 4G home broadband plans:
|
| What speeds can I get on the 4G Hub? | Three’s 4G Hub (ZTE MF286D) supports download speeds of up to 600Mbps and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps. In practice, however, you’ll rarely get the maximum possible speed. Three says the average download speed on the service normally ranges between 50-100Mbps. |
| Does the ZTE MF286D support 5G? | No. Unfortunately, the 4G Hub (ZTE MF286D) does not support 5G connectivity. You’ll need to get Three’s 5G home broadband on the 5G Hub if you want access to faster 5G speeds. |
| What coverage can I get on the 4G Hub? | Three’s 4G home broadband service is currently available to around 25% of all UK households. You can check the availability of the service where you live by entering your postcode on Three’s website. |
More Information
For more information about the 4G Hub, please see the official Three Broadband website. You can also read our in-depth Three Broadband review.
Seyedali Hooshangian said:
There is a bug in zte modem monitoring/control system (192.168.0.1) that displays mobile phones (Wireless Access Device) as (Cable Access Devices).
When I restart the modem, The problem has been temporarily fixed for a while.
Please fix the problem.
Mrs Assunta Connor said:
I upgraded from my Huawei B535 router yesterday and got the ZTE MF286D. I thought I had managed to get my devices set up I have 5 in my home including the Broadband connection to my Sky Q box. I always had 3 or 4 out of 5 bars lit up on my old device but since getting my new router it seems to be only 2 bars lit up. It takes a long time to load up on every site I go into. Netflix, BBCi comes on after ages loading and then programmes freezing on 5%. I will persevere for another couple of days as when I rang Three broadband customer services the advisor told me it could take a few days to ‘bed in’. I have 14 days cooling off period luckily. I hope it can be fixed when I ring them back.
Rudi agus widono said:
Hi, i want to ask.
Is there a feature on this ZTE MF286 router that let us limit diffferent user’s internet bandwith?
Like if there are 5 phones connected to it and then i want to limit only phone 1, 2 and 3 at 1 Mbps… but let the phone 4 and 5 have maximum Mbps?
Dave B said:
Just renewed with 3 UK as they gave me a good deal with this 4G hub and unlimited data. Great to see this has LTE passthrough. The old unit (Huawei B535) had no such option).
Harri said:
Hi Ken
A very interesting article, thank you.
I recently took this service but am now having problems connecting some of my smart bulbs which seem to need a 2.4 GHz connection.
Is there anyway to disable the 5GHz in the hub?
Greg. replied:
Yes. You can split the wifi bands into 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz by logging into the router and going to wifi settings.
Gary said:
I find the new hub is faster than the old hub – regularly speed above 40MB/s. Problem I have is that devices loose their IP addresses and therefore connectivity. Often need to reboot devices and/or the router. Is this common with this router (not an issue on the earlier Three Huawei router or TalkTalk router)?
Lesley said:
We’ve had our ZTE 286D router on a great deal from Three for a couple of weeks now. We’re on the periphery of the area that Three state they cover but even so, the speed we get is far better than our old ‘wired’ broadband service from a major supplier. Our main issue with that was actually its unreliabilty, rather than speed. This was down to our aging copper cable and we have no prospect of FTTP.
Our only problem we’ve experience with the new 4G router is interference from a couple bluetooth devices, particularly earbuds. This didn’t happen woth the ‘Homehub’ router. Appreciate any suggestions about mitigating this.
Greg. replied:
If possible connect your devices to the router using 5Ghz wifi and not 2.4Ghz, as bluetooth also uses the 2.4Ghz frequency and can thus cause interference.
David Jenkinson said:
Hi Ken,
My Sky broadband is very poor (less than 8mbs) due to long distance to fibre optic cabinet.
I’ve got the Three 4G home broadband & was wondering if I can route a cable into the Sky router in place of the BT connection ?
Would appreciate some expert advice prior to trying in case I destroy everything by doing it.
Many thanks
Dave
Ken replied:
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment. The 4G Hub from Three can be used in place of the router from Sky, and I believe you’ll normally need to return the router to Sky when you cancel their broadband service. Is there a reason you’d like to route your 4G home broadband service into the Sky router?
Ken
Christopher PHILLIPS said:
Hi,
I have bought the 3 4G Hub and it’s working fine (about 30Mbps in a flat in Eastleigh). However I have problems getting a Chromecast (2nd gen I think) to work with it. Looking at the Chromecast help I get notes saying “Disable Access Point/AP Isolation” and “Enable UPnP (Multicast) on your Router”.
Can you help with this?
Thanks,
Chris
Warwick said:
Hello, are you sure external antennas can be activated via the firmware?
Geof Rayner said:
I have just acquired two of these from 3. We are in middle of countryside and get around 15 mps (the bt line is less than 1!) I may attach an outside omni direction arial, as recommended. Ken, these devices have a usb connection. How do I connect to them? Advice needed please.
Ken replied:
Hi Geof,
Thanks for your comment. You can connect an external antenna using the SMA connectors. More information here 🙂
Hope this helps,
Ken
VforVictory said:
Hi, Ken. Just some interesting info. Three UK online offer the 4G/LTE router ZTE MF286D however in their 3 stores they now offer the Soyealink/Huawei B535-333 for 4G/LTE broadband.
Ken replied:
Hi there,
Very interesting – I wasn’t aware of this. My understanding is they had moved to offering ZTE MF286D for all new customers, but it might be that they still have some old B535 routers lying around. Or are these brand B535 routers they’re introducing in-store?
Ken
VforVictory replied:
Im not that technical but I think the Soyea Tech / Soyealink/ HUAWEI B535-333 is a new edition, it has some slight internal differences compared to the old B535-232. I havent looked into it too much, Ive been having broadband issues😫
However the previous B535-232 had more LED indicators (9 in total) (5 signal status LEDs ) but this B535-333 has only 5 in total & ONLY 3 signal status indicators 😢 so thats a step backwards.
The supplied (UK) charger is odd. Its long & sticks out/ gets in the way.
gerrardoe said:
This looks really interesting thank you. I have been trying to find a decent broadband provider for my new flat, but they all say the max I can get is 15mbps. Just need to decide whether to spend time scouting ZTE vs. Huwawei.
I have one question. Is it possible to connect my own home network – consisting of ASUS 88u firewall/router and Zenwifi – to this or other 4g hub, where the hub acts purely as a modem? Or would this replace my gateway entirely? A little concerned about the lack of a secure password. Thanks for any guidance. I cannot find the answer.
Wilhelm replied:
I just got the ZTE with a £14 per month deal from 3 . I kept my main ASUS router and configured it to dual WAN then just unplug the DSL and use one of the RJ45 ports to connect to the ZTE.
I’m getting around 80meg actual download speed as I’m pretty close to a tower
BTS said:
Ive noticed slow speeds, disconnections and no internet on this ZTE MF286D. I thought I was the only one lol until I read user comments on www. I guess its not good at pulling in the 4G and the wifi reach in the house is only reaching 2-3 metres max (even on the max range setting).
When you factor in that it has to be placed near a window to get the best 4G signal (which is congested anyway) then it becomes unusable.
I hope Three UK do the right thing and exchange this junk for better routers.
Mike said:
I dont believe the signal is as good around our home as the Huawei its just replaced and it also seems to drop connection alot… can’t beat the price of £14 but slow Internet is soooooo frustrating average 5 to 20 if lucky here 🙁
F1 replied:
@Mike what model HUAWEI did you have previously?
Ive been asking Three to swap the ZTE MF286D for a HUAWEI 4G router & they dont want to know.
John said:
Just upgraded from a Huawei E585 to this thing. Not impressed. Wouldn’t let me use my old connection or system passwords so I had to set up all my devices again including a dozen smartphone units. Passwords cannot contain special characters and the system password has to be uppercase letters and numbers only, not mixed case so altogether not very secure. Very weak mobile signal receiver compared to Huawei and the neighbour’s Huawei 30 metres away gives out a stronger WiFi signal than this thing. My tablet won’t connect in the bedroom only 4 metres from the box. I cannot recommend this router and users should probably stick to the Huawei if they can.
John Philipson said:
Is it possible to back up the config on this device ?
Anon said:
Hi does the ZTE MF286D drop to 3G when 4G signal is weak? I noticed the HUAWEI PRO 2 5G drops down to 4G when 5G signal is weak.
John said:
I bought a £14/month unlimited data in september 2021, with the 535 router which keeps dropping out. Is is possible to exchange for the updated router ZTE MF286D?
Ken replied:
Hi John,
I’d recommend getting in touch with Three’s Customer Services team to request an exchange. I’m not sure there’s an official policy on this, though I do believe some other readers have had success getting an exchange.
Ken
John replied:
Thanks Ken, really appreciate your quick response. I will let you know how i get on if i need to exchange. It might be just a blip, as it has been behaving itself since i wrote to you. Thanks again, John
David Jenkinson said:
My broadband is currently Sky but not fibre optic becaue of the distance from the nearest cabinet. It is unreliable & slow (10GB average). Could I use this to supply the feed to my Sky router rather than the exchange signal which is so poor ?
Ken replied:
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can use your Three Broadband wi-fi signal to supply a Wi-Fi connection to your Sky TV box. However, you’d then have no need for your Sky Broadband router as Three will provide you with their own Wi-Fi router.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Robert Beagle replied:
Sky TV boxes are not compatible with a 4g router.
I tried it unsuccessfully then went to the Sky help forum where they explained that the 4g network is not stable enough for their systems .
oriodec replied:
I’ve been running my SkyQ with another 2 mini boxes from a 4G router for over 2 years now (on both Three and EE) – with no problems – streaming or downloading on boxes or using Sky GO apps.
The main problem with Sky boxes and a 4G router is that the Sky boxes (either Q or HD) (are now set to) default to IPV6 and most routers provided by mobile isps have their IPV setting set to ‘IPV6&IPV4’. Since no mobile broadband provider in the UK is currently using IPV6 yet (Three are trialling in a few limited areas), this setting causes problems as the router then tries to use the IPV6 setting. Simply changing the IPV setting in the router to ‘IPV4 only’, usually solves all initial problems with the Sky boxes and 4G routers. tested and working on the following routers – ZTE MF286D (above), Huawei B818, Huawei B535, Huawei B525, EE 4GEE Home Router 2 (Huawei) – all required settings changed to IPV4 only and Sky and other IPV6 issues disappeared.
Lewis replied:
I’ve also had problems connecting my Sky Q to the internet since installing ZTE MF286D received from Three. Previously had Huawei B535 connected (via ethernet) to Linksys MR9000, which fed internet (via CAT6) to Sky Q box and all other devices around my home with no issues (up to 100Mbps download). But now, I cannot get internet to the MR9000, only LAN connection to ZTE MF286D. If I connect my PC direct to ZTE MF286D, I can get internet fine (up to 200Mbps download), but not if I connect ZTE MF286D direct to sky Q box – is this a IPV4/6 issues also? I’ve tried resetting the MR9000 and connecting to the ZTE MF286D from scratch with no luck. I live on a farm so a land line is out of the question, but fortunately I can see the mobile phone tower and get full 4G+ signal, so don’t want to change the router if I have to. Can anyone help?
Simon Slays replied:
I have Sky Q 4K HDR 2TB box & four other sky mini box’s in bedrooms ALL working from my Three 4G Broadband Router, the service fluctuates from about 15MB to about 70MB & nearly everything works just fine… Recording works but the only issue is that sometimes on demand content will not run or download, a little hit or miss but I do not find this a big issue considering Three 4G can be as little as £14 per month & no other service comes close in my area. (Ps I am running the Sky Wifi extender to the bedrooms which Sky kindly gave me FREE on installation because the signal didn’t go to every corner of my house).
Mark said:
Does the ZTE MF286D allow you to lock your signal to a specific band? I have a band 20 cell slightly stronger than a band 3 cell, but the band 3 cell is much faster.
Mr Justin Taylor said:
No one seems to have mentioned the compulsory ‘Safe Search’ using ZTE?
Yolo replied:
What is ‘compulsory safe search’ ? I searched net just now & nothing came up. After so much research on home broadband I opted for this ZTE MF286D & Im expecting it to arrive in the next couple of days. Now Im a bit concerned 🙁
Tiana said:
I received my router today, where ever I put it only one bar.
The 3g/4g is flashing blue continously which is very annoying. Tried every room in the house and only one bar.
Previously I had the Huwaei unit which always gave 3to 4 bars. Three sent me this Zte unit as part of contract for further 2 years. Internet is slow, things connect but the blue flashing light is doing my head in.
a replied:
A family member has ordered the ZTE MF286D & will arrive after xmas holidays.. now Im concerned about this 🙁
Anthony said:
Hi Ken, I’m seriously looking at this, I currently have a Teltonika RUT950 in the loft but this new hub and price seem to be good. I’m currently getting anywhere between 30/50Mbps down and 15/25 up which is leaps and bounds over my ex FTTC connection.
Am I likely to see some improvements in speed if I swap out the current with the new hub? Ideally this device needs to offer Bridge Mode to connect to the Unifi Dream Machine Pro. Did you see this as an option (assuming you tested the device)? I’d also like the option to change the APN on the device to remove double NAT.
Thoughts please.
Charles said:
Is this actually ZTE MF286D released? Because, I’ve spoken to Three on the Live Chat and Phone and they say it’s B535?
Ken replied:
Hi Charles,
Yes, I believe Three has been offering the ZTE MF286D to new customers getting 4G broadband since July 2021.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Charles replied:
My friend has ordered it this week and Three said it is Huawei B535 and on delivery it was B535.
Ken replied:
Hi Charles,
Interesting! I wonder if they might still have some old B535 in stock (e.g. from returns, etc). That might explain why a couple of people are still getting B535 routers, even though my understanding is they’ve switched to the ZTE MF286D.
Ken
Christopher Pugh said:
There are many comments on the internet about difficulties connecting Amazon Echo devices to the Three network. I have a Huawei B311-221 router. Reconnection fails when a Three SIM is used. I have to switch it off and use an O2 SIM in another device, using the same SSID and password, to connect. I then switch this off and turn on the Huawei B311 again. Does the ZTE Hub overcome this problem?
Ken replied:
Hi Christopher,
Great question! I’d also love to hear any feedback from other readers if they’ve tried connecting an Amazon Echo to the new 4G Hub. My understanding is that the problem arises from a combination of how Wi-Fi works on the Amazon Echo speaker and on the Huawei routers. Therefore, my assumption is it wouldn’t affect a ZTE-made router but that’s definitely a guess, so please do let us know if you’ve managed to try it out!
Thanks,
Ken
Christopher Pugh replied:
Hi Ken, Thanks for your reply.
Although many people report problems with Huawei routers used on the Three network, I have also seen one report of problems with a TP-Link device. The manufacturer recommended changing DNS to Google 8.8.8.8, using bandwith of 40 MHz and using the 2.4GHz band. One person said that this worked, another said that it did not.
The “other device” that I used with an O2 SIM was a Huawei E5330 MiFi which connected immediately. I also put the O2 SIM in the Huawei B311-221 and it connected without problems, so it seems that it is a network rather than a router problem. Many compaints on internet, eg:
https://uk.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D54P00007w2Vup/echo-dot-wont-connect-to-wifi
Ken replied:
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for the further information – that looks like a pretty strange issue. If it’s struggling to connect to the Wi-Fi network, my guess is that the issue must have been with the router as opposed to the 4G network behind it (the workaround where you connect to another device and then change the Wi-Fi router would also suggest it’s a Wi-Fi related issue as opposed to a 4G issue). However, this is definitely an armchair assessment from an observer, not actually having experienced it myself! It looks like a pretty strange issue from reading the forum thread that you’ve shared and others online.
Given that Three is now bundling the Amazon Echo Show 5 with the 4G Hub, I’m hoping it won’t be a problem on the new 4G Hub. However, would definitely love to hear any feedback from anyone who’s been able to test this out!
Ken
Christopher Pugh replied:
Hi Ken, Thanks for your further reply.
I agree that it is a Wi-Fi rather than a 4G issue. Where people report a problem with an Echo device, they are always able to connect a phone or tablet without difficulty. It seems that there is some peculiarity with these Amazon devices.
However, using an O2 SIM in my B311 router always reults in immediate connection.
Similar problems have been reported with the EE network, in the past. I tried an EE SIM this morning and my Echo Dot 3 connected immediately.
Perversely, it also connected to Three immediately today. It reconnected again after resetting.
Two things have changed since I last encountered problems: there has been an Alexa app. update and the Echo has updated itself to the latest software version 5470236804. Time will tell if all is now well. I hope that you get feedback from other contributers.
JOHN HILL replied:
Hi Ken, just got the ZTE router today, connected to two echos without any issue at all, but did have problems with a Tenda 4G09, and had to use an EE SIM as a work around
Paul said:
I have one in my home office (aka garden shed) which is 100 metres from the house. Works well for Teams/Zoom calls, large spreadsheets, databases etc. Far better signal than the hotspot on my ‘phone and far more convenient than trying to link the office up to my home broadband.