By Three’s 4G Plus Hub is their fastest 4G home broadband router, available from £20 per month with unlimited data. Read our review.
In the UK, Three currently offers a choice of 4G home broadband routers: the regular 4G Hub and the newer 4G Plus Hub.
When you choose the 4G Plus Hub, you’ll get a more powerful router that supports Category 18 LTE technology. If you’re living in an area where Three’s network has been upgraded, this can give you faster download speeds than on the normal 4G Hub router. You’ll also benefit from plug-and-play setup with free next working day delivery.
In this article, we’ll review the 4G Plus Hub and how it compares to the normal 4G Hub. We’ll also look at the best offers available for the 4G Plus Hub, along with the download speeds and coverage available.
| Prices From: | £10 per month for six months, then £20 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: | Sercomm LTE2122GR |
| Availability: | Selected UK postcodes (check your postcode) |
Contents
What is the 4G Plus Hub?
In the UK, Three now offers a choice of two 4G home broadband routers:
- 4G Hub (from £22 per month): This is Three’s basic 4G home broadband router. It’s available from £22 per month and supports Category 12/13 LTE speeds.
- 4G Plus Hub (from £20 per month): This is Three’s fastest and most powerful 4G home broadband router. You’ll normally need to pay a little bit more for it, but it supports the newer Category 18 LTE technology. You’ll also get a dedicated mobile app to manage your home network.
The support for faster Category 18 LTE technology enables much better performance in areas where Three’s network has been upgraded to support it. For instance, the router can use carrier aggregation on three component carriers at the same time (3CC CA), along with Three’s L-band spectrum and 4×4 MIMO to deliver higher speeds.
In areas where the local network has been upgraded, you’ll be able to get average download speeds in excess of 100Mbps on the 4G Plus Hub (subject to local coverage and capacity). You’ll also be able to get peak download speeds of 600Mbps.
Alongside the improved 4G connectivity, you’ll be able to use Three’s 4G+ Hub app to manage your home network. It has a handy feature that allows you to set up your router and to get the strongest 4G signal on it. You can also see and manage the devices connected to your home network.
Three 4G Plus Hub Plans
At present, you can get Three’s 4G Plus Hub from £20 per month. This gives you unlimited 4G home broadband with no need for a landline.
The 4G Plus Hub is currently available on the following plans:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Three 4G Plus Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £20/month with 3 months free |
See all Three 4G Plus Hub offers →
There’s no need to have a landline if you’re using 4G home broadband. For this reason, you might be able to cancel your landline service if you don’t need it for another reason (e.g. for making phone calls).
If you’re living in an area where 5G coverage is available, you might be offered Three’s 5G home broadband service instead of 4G home broadband. This is available from £22 per month.
Technical Specifications
In the UK, Three’s 4G Plus Hub is their most advanced 4G home broadband router. Also known as the Sercomm LTE2122GR, the 4G Plus Hub will connect to Three’s 4G mobile network. From it, it will produce a regular Wi-Fi network that your other devices are able to connect to.
The standout feature of the 4G Plus Hub is the support for Category 18 LTE technology. In theory, this can give you gigabit-level speeds but Three only advertises a maximum download speed of 600Mbps. They also advertise an average download speed of 50-100Mbps (subject to coverage and capacity in your area). Although this is the same speed that’s advertised for the normal 4G Hub, you should be able to get significantly faster speeds if you’re living in an area with the relevant 4G+ coverage.
For your home network, you’ll get support for dual-band Wi-Fi 5 technology (802.11a/b/g/n/ac). This allows you to connect up to 64 devices wirelessly to your network at the same time. There are also two Gigabit Ethernet sockets for connecting wired devices to your home network. This is a slight downgrade from the four ports on the normal 4G Hub. However, if you need to connect more wired devices, you can easily solve this by buying a separate Ethernet switch.
The following table shows the full technical specifications of Three’s 4G Plus Hub router:
| Three 4G Plus Hub (Sercomm LTE2122GR) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Home Broadband Plans | |
| Price: | From £20/month |
| Data: | Unlimited |
| Unlimited Data: | £20/month |
| Contract Length: | 24 months |
| Mobile Connectivity | |
| 4G Connectivity: | Category 18 LTE |
| 4G Download Speed: | Up to 600 Mbps download |
| 4G Upload Speed: | Up to 100 Mbps upload |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 20, 32 & 42 |
| External Antenna: | Yes, 2x connectors |
| Home Network Connectivity | |
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/ |
| Wi-Fi Devices: | Up to 64 devices |
| Ethernet: | 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Other | |
| Dimensions: | 27.7 x 18.1 x 7.0 cm |
| Weight: | 700g |
| Model: | Sercomm LTE2122GR |
| Colour: | White |
| Other Features: | Three 4G+ Hub App |
| More Information: | See three.co.uk |
Coverage & Availability
At present, Three offers their 4G home broadband service to around 7.1 million homes across the UK. This represents around 25% of UK households. To check the availability of 4G broadband 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 the 4G coverage area as shown on Three’s 4G coverage map. If this is the case, you’ll be shown the following message:
We’re on our way
We’re busy expanding our network to connect more homes.
If you see this message and you still want 4G broadband from Three, you can get the 4G Plus MiFi instead. This is a pocket sized 4G mobile broadband router that you’re also able to use on-the-go. Alternatively, you can buy your own unlocked 4G home broadband router and combine it with Three’s unlimited data SIM card which costs £20 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the 4G Plus Hub? | The 4G Plus Hub is Three’s most advanced 4G home broadband router. It gives you unlimited 4G home broadband with a simple plug-and-play setup. You can expect average download speeds of 50-100Mbps, and potentially even faster speeds in areas with the latest 4G technology. |
|---|---|
| What 4G home broadband plans are available on the 4G Plus Hub? | Three currently offers the following plans for the 4G Plus Hub:
|
| What speeds can I get on the 4G Plus Hub? | According to Three, the 4G Plus Hub supports Category 18 LTE technology. In theory, this could allow you to get up to gigabit speeds on a compatible network, but Three only advertises a maximum download speed of 600Mbps.
The average download speed on the service typically ranges from 50-100Mbps. However, it can go even faster (in excess of 100Mbps) in areas where Three’s 4G network has been upgraded with the latest technology. |
More Information
For more information about the 4G Plus Hub, please see Three’s official website. You can also read our Three broadband review.
John said:
I can’t find the software setting to activate the External Antennas. Help anyone.
John
Darren said:
hello, I’ve just bought a XPOL-1 V2 https://poynting.tech/antennas/xpol-1-5g/?compare=5806,5813
We’ve had the Three upgrade (band 32) here
it’s 6ft above my chimney. ! cabell to my 4g+ Three router with a Three provided SIM card.
max I get is 30mps
my phone at ground level is band32 compatible and I get 60mpbs on it.
EEEK!
I know the router has band 32 compatibility so I’m thinking the antenna doesn’t.. am I correct and can you recommend an antenna that will RX band 32.
Dimitri said:
Hey, i want to get this 4g hub plus. I need it for my console while gaming. At the moment i am using my hotspot. Does this wireless hub provide a NAT Type 2 or 1 while gaming? Can you please let me know. Thank you
Johnny replied:
Supplies Type 2 👍
John said:
How do you switch to the antenna. Carnt find it on router settings on app so with antenna on router still getting the same speed as do with no antenna thanks
John replied:
Same here. I know there is a setting as I’ve used it before, but I’ve forgotten where it was and now need it again. 2 days of frustration.
If I come across it I’ll let you know.
John
Les said:
Hi, is the router locked, I have tried using a “Smarty” (which is owned by Three) sim card and it is not recognised?
Ken replied:
Hi Les,
Thanks for your comment. My understanding is that Three’s broadband routers are locked. However, I’m not sure why it isn’t working with a SMARTY SIM card – this could also be due to the APN settings needing to be set up for SMARTY.
Ken
John replied:
My understanding is that the law changed a while back and all carriers are obliged to unlock your device free of charge.
John
CC replied:
you probably aren’t putting the SIM card in properly. I had the same problem until I realised how you orient the SIM in the slot.
Stephen B said:
The device has a phone socket and phone light – what are these for?
Ken replied:
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your comment. I believe this is non-functional as Three does not offer a home phone service on the 4G+ Hub.
Ken
Stephen B replied:
Thanks for the reply. We have moved from normal broadband where the line was limited to 8Mbps to three 4G+ in an area with a fairly average mobile signal. We are currently getting a ‘moderate’ signal on the 4G+ router and achieve between 25Mbps and 40Mbps. So for us this has been a successful switch so far. Thanks for this review as it helped us have confidence in the switch to mobile broadband.
Lloyd said:
Excellent overview of the product. In your 5g review you noted that once your contract with Three has finished, you need to return the router. So in effect you won’t own the router and it remains the property of Three. Does the same apply to the 4g+ router?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Lloyd,
As far as I know, the 4G Hub and 4G+ Hub will both belong to you 🙂
Hope this helps,
Ken
John replied:
When my contract ran out I was never asked to return the router. After all you paid for it over the contract period. If you cancel early, they will certainly ask for it back.
John
Ken replied:
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. On Three Broadband, you own the router when you choose a 4G broadband plan. However, Three owns the router if you choose 5G home broadband.
Hope this helps,
Ken
MrTuK said:
Disappointing router for me, it works ok, but I am a techie and want more advanced options in the web interface including more info like the Huawei B535 has – For example Cell Tower ID, signal strength and other stuff. Also how to update the firmware ? No option ? So one has to guess its automatic or one has to hope it is but it gives no info about that like the Huawei B535 does which is really weird !
Rob O said:
Hi i just got a Three Broadband Hub Sercomm LTE2122GR. I power it up and the LTE Light Remains Red saying not connected to Internet NO SIM CARD
But have inserted Sim anyone with any Ideas?
martin carter replied:
I had this same issue, if the LTE remains red it just means that the signal strength isn’t optimal, but you will be able to connect devices to the hub.
Les replied:
Was this resolved as I have the exact same problem?
CC replied:
SIM card isn’t oriented properly in the slot. You’ve probably insterted it backwards like I did!
Helen replied:
Did you rectify this, I have same problem power light green, internet red, Wi-Fi green, phone light is off and then the lte flashed red for a few seconds and then stays red cannot for the life of me sort it out. Won’t connect to anything and SIM card is in as shown in diagram the correct way round
John replied:
Does Internet light turn green? If so your sim is in correctly. If it’s red then take out the sim and compare its orientation to the barely visible icon under the rubber cover, but displayed on the case’s plastic.
Fatimah Bangura said:
My 3 router internet speed sucks and there are times I cannot even use Netflix on my TV because there’s no internet connection. Phone and iPad doesn’t work except I use my person mobile data. I called and was told it was getting fixed and it worked for couple weeks and now it’s just as bad . Am tired might as well switch over.
Marcus Savage said:
Hello, I don’t know if anyone can help – the tech support at THREE couldn’t!
Firstly, I must say I am delighted with the performance of their 4Gplus router, the Sercomm model LTE2122GR. It’s a great deal for a good price and very easy to set up and use.
The one problem I’m having is that I cannot connect to the admin page. I’m pretty tech savvy and definitely have typed the correct IP address. I’m using an iMac and have tried everything I know but whether on Safari or Chrome it will not connect to the sign in page, saying something like ‘Safari cannot find the server’ etc. This is whether I connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. 40 mins on the phone to THREE didn’t help unfortunately, and I can’t find any details for SERCOMM support.
One thing I did do, with their mobile app, is alter the SSID – but I’m told that wouldn’t be the problem. Any thoughts, gratefully received.
Gulliver replied:
Apologies if this is a ‘… teaching your grandma to suck eggs….’ response, but you are using 192.168.1.254. ?
It’s not the usual 192.168.1.1 that I’ve found most other providers use. Again apologies if this is a daft response, but sometimes the obvious alludes us all.
John replied:
192.168.1.254 ?
I’m sure there’s another route into the settings but am struggling to remember where I found it as I’d like to switch on the external antennas, which is avoiding me at the moment.
Eddie95 replied:
I have gotten some version of a cannot be displayed page, and you can get around it by clicking Advanced, and then Proceed Anyway. Depends on your browser. This is probably not your problem to be honest especially if you are tech savvy but others may find this useful. I did a dumb thing to begin with somehow typing a capital “i” instead of a 1 so guess that’s one more idea to try.
Or rest the router with a pin at a back, maybe it is the SSID thing.