Three’s Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot (Huawei E5573bs-322) gives you 4G mobile broadband on up to 10 devices.
If you’re looking to get devices like your laptop or tablet connected to the internet, it can be useful having a mobile wi-fi hotspot like the Huawei E5573bs-322 (also referred to as the Mi-Fi). This portable battery-powered hotspot uses a 4G connection, creating a wi-fi network from it for your other devices to connect to.
New customers joining the Three network can now get the Huawei 4G Plus MiFi (the Huawei E5783B) instead of the Huawei E5573bs-322. It gives you improved battery life along with download speeds that are up to twice as fast.
In this article, we’ll review the Huawei E5573bs-322. We’ll then look at how it compares to other mobile broadband solutions like the Huawei 4G Plus MiFi or using a mains-powered device like Three’s 4G Hub. Finally, we’ll look at the coverage and download speeds available when using a MiFi on Three.
Contents
Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
The Huawei E5573bs-322 was Three’s entry-level mobile wi-fi hotspot. It’s a pocket-sized battery-powered 4G hotspot, allowing you to access the internet on up to 10 devices at one time.
According to Huawei, the E5573bs-322 has a 1500mAh battery that can give you up to 4 hours of battery life on one charge. In practice, actual battery life can vary depending on the number of devices you use and depending on the strength of the 4G signal in your area. If the battery runs out, it’s possible to recharge it using a micro-USB cable which is included in the box.
The Huawei E5573bs-322 supports Category 4 LTE connectivity. This can give you download speeds of up to 150Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 50Mbit/s. In reality, however, actual download speeds are normally slower than this: speeds of around 15Mbit/s are much more typical (depending on your location and the strength of your 4G signal).
The mobile wi-fi hotspot weighs 75g and has three LED indicators on the front of the device. This gives information about your 4G connection, whether you have any unread text messages and the amount of remaining battery life on your device.
For the full specifications of the device, please see Three’s website.
Alternatives
Huawei 4G Plus MiFi
The Huawei 4G Plus MiFi (Huawei E5783B) is a newer mobile wi-fi hotspot device from Three. It offers download speeds that are up to twice as fast as on the Huawei E5573bs-322, with support for Category 7 LTE connectivity (up to 300Mbit/s download and up to 100Mbit/s upload). You’ll also be able to connect up to 16 devices at the same time, with support for faster dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the two devices:
| Three 4G Mobile Wi-Fi (Huawei E5573bs-322) | Three 4G Plus Mi-Fi (Huawei E5783B) | |
|---|---|---|
|  | |
| Mobile Broadband Plans | ||
| Price: | From £12/month | |
| Data: | 10GB - Unlimited | |
| Unlimited Data: | £22/month | |
| Contract Length: | 1-24 months | |
| Mobile Connectivity | ||
| 4G Connectivity: | Category 4 LTE | Category 7 LTE |
| 4G Download Speed: | Up to 150 Mbps download | Up to 300 Mbps download |
| 4G Upload Speed: | Up to 50 Mbps upload | Up to 100 Mbps upload |
| 4G Bands: | LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 20 | LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38 & 40 |
| External Antenna: | No | No |
| Home Network Connectivity | ||
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/ | 802.11a/b/ |
| Wi-Fi Devices: | Up to 10 devices | Up to 16 devices |
| Other | ||
| Battery: | 1,500mAh (4 hours usage, 300 hours standby) | 1,500mAh (6 hours usage, 350 hours standby) |
| Dimensions: | 9.7 x 5.8 x 1.3 cm | 10.8 x 6.2 x 1.6 cm |
| Weight: | 75g | 95g |
| Model: | Huawei E5573bs-322 | Huawei E5783B |
| Colour: | White | Black |
| Review: | Three 4G Mobile Wi-Fi Review | Three 4G Plus Mi-Fi Review |
4G Home Broadband
As an alternative to a portable mobile wi-fi hotspot like the Huawei E5573bs-322, you can choose a mains-powered 4G home broadband router instead. Being a mains-powered device, you’ll get less flexibility to bring the device with you to use in other locations. You will however get a more powerful router with a larger antenna, faster download speeds, stronger wi-fi and the ability to use more devices at the same time.
For most people, Three’s 4G Hub (the Huawei B535) is our recommended 4G home broadband router. With the Huawei B535, you can access up to Category 7 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbit/s download and up to 100Mbit/s upload). This is double the maximum download speed available on the Huawei E5573bs-322.
The Huawei B535 supports dual-band 802.11ac wi-fi, with up to 64 devices able to connect to your wi-fi network at the same time (versus just 10 devices at one time on the Huawei E5573bs-322). You’ll also get 4 Gigabit Ethernet sockets for connecting a wired device to your network and two SMA sockets for attaching an external antenna if required.
The Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus is available on the following price plans:
| Service | Data Allowance | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 24 month contract | £0 | £20/month with 3 months free |
Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 12 month contract | £0 | £25/month |
Three 4G Hub | Unlimited Data | 1 month contract | £28 | £30/month |
For more information, see our guide to 4G home broadband.
Tethering Through Your Phone
If you have a fairly modern smartphone and a large enough data plan (e.g. Three’s unlimited data plan), you can tether through your mobile phone instead of using a separate mobile wi-fi hotspot. Whilst you’re tethering, you’ll be able to use your smartphone’s normal data plan so this may sometimes work out to be cheaper than using a separate Mi-Fi with its own plan.
If you have an unlocked smartphone, consider switching to one of the following unlimited data plans on Three:
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £18.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £19.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 1 month |
For more information, see our full guide to tethering on UK mobile networks. You may also find it useful to read our guide to unlimited data plans in the UK.
Coverage
In the UK, Three offers 99.8% population coverage on 4G and 98.3% population coverage on 3G.
Before buying a mobile broadband device from Three, we strongly recommend double checking 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, it’s possible to use your Mi-Fi at no extra charge in 71 destinations. This is possible through the Go Roam offer, which covers most of Europe, the USA, Australia and more.
If you’re looking to use the service in a more rural area, consider getting a mains-powered device like the Huawei B535 instead. This will normally give you better coverage and faster download speeds, along with the ability to attach an external antenna to improve both of these things.
For more information, see our full guide to coverage on Three. You can also see our overview of UK mobile network coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the Huawei E5573bs-322 mobile wi-fi hotspot? | The Huawei E5573bs-322 is a 4G mobile wi-fi hotspot. This pocket-sized device connects to Three’s 4G mobile network, producing a wi-fi network that up to 10 other devices are able to connect to (including your laptop or tablet). |
|---|---|
| How much does the Huawei E5573bs-322 cost? | The Huawei E5573bs-322 was available on Three with a range of price plans from £13/month. It has now been replaced the Huawei 4G Plus MiFi (Huawei E5783B) which offers faster download speeds and better battery life. |
| What download speeds can I get on the Huawei E5573bs-322? | The Huawei E5573bs-322 supports Category 4 LTE speeds (up to 150Mbit/s download and up to 50Mbit/s upload). In practice, actual speeds are normally slower than this and will more typically be in the region of 15Mbit/s. |
| Should I get the Huawei E5573bs-322 (Mi-Fi) or a 4G home broadband router? | Being a battery-powered device that fits in your pocket, the Huawei E5573bs-322 gives you a highly portable connection you can use on-the-go. If you don’t need the portability of the Mi-Fi, consider getting a 4G home broadband router like the Huawei B535 instead. This will normally give you much better performance with faster download speeds, a more powerful wi-fi network and the ability to connect more devices at the same time. |
| What coverage is available on the Huawei E5573bs-322? | Three offers 99.8% population coverage on 4G and 98.3% population coverage on 3G. You can check the coverage in your area through Three’s website. |
More Information
For more information about the Huawei E5573bs-322 Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot, please see Three’s official website.
Ibrahim said:
Hi,
I have a 3 mobile wifi (Huawei E5573bs-322 4G), I can’t see the wifi extender feature on the web management page, could you please advise on how to use this mobile wifi as a wifi extender (access the internet using wifi network)?
Many thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Ibrahim,
Thanks for your comment. I had a quick look at the manual for this device and it seems like you might need to enable the feature through Huawei’s HiLINK app?
Ken
Ibrahim replied:
Hi Ken,
Thank you for your reply. I’ll check the HiLINK app and let you know.
Many thanks,
Ibrahim
Ibrahim replied:
Hi Ken,
Just to let you know, I checked the Huawei’s HiLink app and also the Huawei’s AI Life app as well. I couldn’t find anything about the wifi extender.
In the manual shipped with the device, it says the wifi extender function can be enabled from the management webpage (http://192.168.8.1 or http://192.168.9.1), I accessed that webpage but couldn’t find anything related to the wifi extender.
Any advice?
Many thanks,
Ibrahim
Ken replied:
Hi Ibrahim,
That’s really odd. I’m not sure the answer to this, I’m afraid. It’s possible this feature might not be provided on the version of the hotspot from Three – I’ve never actually seen it advertised anywhere. It might be worth checking with Three or Huawei Customer Services to see if they’re able to shed any light on this?
Ken
Ibrahim replied:
Hi Ken,
Thank you for your reply.
I think the wifi extender feature is not provided on the version of the hotspot from Three. I’ve seen that this feature is provided on other versions (from MTN, abroad) but not on the one from Three in the UK. I’ll check with Three.
Many thanks,
Jack said:
Hi there,
I’m very keen to get one of these wireless routers but have a quick question.
I live on a boat in London and I rely on a 12v system for electricity. What is the voltage of this device?
Also can it be charged using a usb lead or only a mains adapter?
Many thanks!
Ken replied:
Hi Jack,
I believe the Huawei E5573bs-322 simply uses a micro-USB cable for charging (one is included in the box). You can either charge it from a laptop computer or you can use an 12V to micro-USB adapter.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Jack replied:
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your response and also for your time writing this article. Very informative!
Take care
Nigel Hook said:
Having bought a Three unlimited data sim and a 4g mifi as above so my wife can work from home, I can only report it is pretty useless with data speeds as slow as 0.96 download and 0.35 upload speeds.. but if she uses her phone as a hotspot instead which uses a Virgin sim, she is getting 17.5 download and 7 upload from the exact same location… so not impressed at all.
Dave replied:
where about in the country are you using the device?
I am thinking of buying the 535 as its faster than the 5573 on the three network.
If your network is saturated in your location this could be the problem?