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I recently reviewed the EnGenius ESG510 dual WAN gateway, which has a USB port for 4G cellular backup.
Eager to test this functionality, I bought the Huawei E3372-325 4G dongle from Amazon, which appears to be the best-reviewed option on the site and was quite affordable at £40.
Things didn’t go quite to plan, but this is still an excellent dongle for anyone wanting to add cellular connectivity to a PC and some routers.
It is worth noting that this was sold as the Huawei E3372-325, but the dongle has Brovi as the branding on it. I think Huawei produce this as a white label product for others to rebrand/sell.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei E3372-325 LTE/4G 150 Mbps, Low Cost USB Mobile... |
£37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Specification / Features
- Download speed up to 150 Mbps, upload up to 50 Mbps
- SIM card slot 3FF
- 2 external antenna connectors (TS-9)
- Huawei HiLink support
- Mobile networks: 3G, 4G
Setup
One of the best things about this dongle is how little setup is required. You need a full-sized sim card, then just slot it in, and that’s about it. I tested with Smarty, Lebara and Voxi, and all the SIM cards worked with no additional setup.
Web Interface
While you shouldn’t have to change any settings, you can log into the web interface and change some basic settings.
The IP address the dongle assigns itself is: 192.168.8.1
This includes enabling data roaming and manually setting up the APN, SMS settings, SIP ALG, DMZ and UPnP Settings.
Compatibility – Does it work as a cellular backup for routers?
This dongle acts more like a router than a modem. The client device is assigned an IP address, and you can log into the dongle via its own IP address.
This is perfectly fine for all computers, and it works well in this scenario.
However, for the EnGenius ESG510, I struggled to get it to work. This is presumably because it is expecting it to work as a modem rather than a router where it is assigned an IP via DHCP.
This doesn’t mean it won’t with any router. In fact, many Amazon reviewers have confirmed that this works fine in routers. This includes the Draytek 2762 Routers for WAN3 Failover and the Velocloud SD-WAN.
Performance
Performance is adequate and about as good as you’d expect from a £40 4G/LTE dongle.
Performance is, of course, dependent on the signal, and speeds will vary between networks and the devices I tested the dongle on.
The maximum speed I saw was 45Mbps which was Smarty (Three).
The performance was almost the same as the AVM FRITZ!Box 6890 LTE which has a Category 6 LTE modem (FDD) with up to 300 Mbit/s.
Price and Alternative Options
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Huawei E3372-325 LTE/4G 150 Mbps, Low Cost USB Mobile... |
£37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The Brovi/Huawei E3372-325 is priced at £39.99 on Amazon and is by far the best-reviewed LTE/4G USB dongle on the site.
Then there is Brovi E3372-325 which is the same dongle but has two external antennas for an additional £5.
The majority of the other products listed on Amazon appear to be white-label versions of the Huawei E3372-325.
The D-Link DWM-222 appears to be the best, genuinely different option. It is essentially the same specification and possibly the same hardware inside, but it costs £12 more at £52.
Amazon also sells an unlocked version of the Vodafone K5161Z. This uses a Qualcomm chipset, so it may be different from the Huawei hardware. Reviews aren’t quite as positive, but it is cheaper at £30.
For computers and laptops, most people would likely be better off with something like the HUAWEI E5783-330 Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot. This costs £10 more and has a 300Mbps CAT 7 4G/LTE modem.
There are no 5G USB dongles, and 5G hotspots tend to cost a lot of money, but network deals can work out cheap. The Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot was a bargain last year.
Overall
While this didn’t do exactly what I wanted it to do, it still seems to be the best 4G/LTE USB dongle out there.
It works perfectly well for Windows machines. If you plan to buy this for cellular backup for a router, you will likely just have to try it and see. It has been confirmed to work on some Draytek routers, but I struggled to get it to work with my Engenius gateway.
Huawei E3372-325 LTE/4G USB Dongle Review Rating
Summary
The Huawei E3372-325 is affordable and very easy to set up when using it with Windows. There is very little competition so this is about the best 4G USB dongle you will find. However, if you want this for cellular backup on a router, it may not work, you will just have to try it and see.
Overall
80%-
Overall - 80%80%
Pros
- Cheap up front cost
- No set up needed, it is unlocked and should work with most SIM cards
Cons
- Doesn’t always work for cellular backup on routers
- Slow speeds vs using your phone as a hotspot
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-09-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
