Loading ...Introduction
In these recent years, with 3G being accepted as a common and popular mobile network, HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) becomes very crucial for road warriors, as they are much faster than GPRS network and easy to use.
A person will need a 3G or 3.5G-enabled devices to use this high-speed network (of course, this service is dependent on the Telecommunication Company of the country). It can be in-built in the devices already or it can be in an external unit.
This review is based on HuaWei’s USB Modem E170. HuaWei Technologies Co., Ltd has been aggressively promoting their USB Modems.
Main Content
HuaWei’s latest USB stick modem is much smaller than its precedessor (E220). Technically, this USB stick modem is actually a modem, an USB flash, a virtual CD-ROM drive.
In this review, I will be using the modem from Singapore Telecommunication operator, Starhub.
The Package
The package from Starhub comes in only white colour with a Starhub logo. It is packaged into a DVD size cover with the modem itself and an extended cable.
The major difference between E220 (the predecessor) and this E170 is that E170 itself has already a USB connection point. In normal operation, you will not need to use the extended cable. In the operation manual, it states that this cable may be used to enhance the signal.
You will need to purchase the SIM Card separately for this modem. Or you can use your existing SIM Card on it. Starhub bundled this package with an unlimited Data SIM Card that is easy to install onto the device.
The Modem
The modem is very light and the finishing is of high quality. The size is slightly bigger than a convention thumb drive. The Dimensions is 80.5mm long by 24.1 mm on the width and 11.8 mm thick. It is glossy white in colour and extremely well made.
The USB connection is hidden with a cover that is quite sturdy. The cover comes with a silver hinge for you to hang this device around. Near to the USB connection port is the SIM Card holder. It is carefully hidden and flushed with the overall design. I wouldn’t be too sure about that as the device may drop off if it is being pulled (and you are left with a cover only).
The Connection
As mentioned previously, this modem is a virtual CD-ROM drive. Reason being that the software is flashed into it and it is detected as a CD-ROM drive when plugged in. A Dell laptop was used for this connection check. It took about 5 minutes to setup the modem automatically. You will be prompt for the first time to install the software into the computer. It is a compulsory step.
After the installation, the Starhub connection panel will show up and you just need to click on the connect icon. Starhub connection is based on HSDPA/HSUPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM.
It takes a minute for it to connect (the modem that I have is without password. Therefore, it is automatically connected when I push the connect icon).
The main panel will show connected once it is done and on the bottom right hand corner of your computer, you can see the Starhub modem logo.
On the main panel itself, you can switch to the statistics page to see the upload and download speed with a nice graph. There is also the text and phone book page that I did not explore. Basically, according to Starhub, the SIM Card is a data card that could not be used for calling. However, basic text messaging is possible. As for the phone book, it is the contacts storage of the SIM card. For this bundle, there are 500 contact slots.
The Performance
Ideally, the download speed for this modem using the Starhub service should be 7.2Mbps. However, the actual performance showed otherwise. This could be due to the signal strength and download sharing factors.
A few tests were done on a website by clicking a link on it to a heavily pictured page and also by refreshing this same page. Both results were satisfactory as it can be loaded within a minute.
The connection is stable. In fact, this unit was tested with Skype and webcam. It has a little lag but this may be due to the other party wireless connection. Therefore, this is not conclusive.
The Usage
This little device is best for Road Warriors to download emails and surf the Internet. As the form factor is small, it can be easily carried around. With an unlimited Data plan, this unit can be connected to the Internet all day without worrying about the bills.
The HSDPA Downlink is 7.2Mbps & HSUPA Uplink 2Mbps, it is still not the fastest as compared to a LAN network. It is not intended for gaming and if you have many heavy files to upload, you may feel the lagging.
If you intend to use it overseas, please check with your Telecommunication operator on the overseas data rate. It may cause a huge dent in your wallet.
Conclusion
Overall, this device serves the basic purpose of connection on the move. With is small form factor, it can be carried anywhere. The connection speed is very dependent on the telecommunication operator. With testing on the previous model (E220) at a 1.8Mbps to 3.6Mbps, some connection heavy task could be quite taxing. You should seriously consider the minimum standard of 7.2Mbps downlink if you wish to use it frequently. It is a Must-Have item for Road Warriors at this moment.
Reported by: Joe Teh
This report is based on my personal usage of the device. Individual experiences of the device may vary. You are free to distribute this report but you will need to backlink it back to http://www.techielobang.com. Your understanding on this matter is appreciated.
18 users commented in " Review of HuaWei E170 USB Stick Modem "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackDear Sirs,
is it possible to use the E170 as a FAX-Modem?
With best greetings
Norbert Kantner
Hi, Norbert Kantner, I have not try it before.. but maybe you can follow this link. It is the technical FAQ of this E170 modem. Hope it helps..
http://www.starhub.com/online/maxmobile/downloads/Huawei%20E170%20FAQ%20En.pdf
Can you plug it into PS3 to see if it works ?
Hi, Bird, sorry, I do not have a PS3. Can anyone help?
so can you tell me is it better to get e170 or e220 modem?
In my case, definitely the E170 for the small form factor that I needed. As for usage, there should not be much differences except the installation firmware may be slightly different.
What are the settings needed for mobile phones?
I believe you don’t need to set anything on your mobile phone. Of course, the usual settings apply for the mobile phone like must be able to receive or send 3G data (ie. HSPDA). This Huawei SIM card is a normal phone SIM card without the voice function (according to Starhub).
Will connection made with 3G phone able to have the phone function while on the internet at the same time?
Hi, Ruzaini,
As mentioned, the SIM card from Starhub is for data only. No call function. Therefore, not able to check. Anyway, it should be possible to make phone call and surf the net at the same time… anyone.. correct me if I am wrong.
Hi Joe,
do you know if it fits into “Express card” slots on laptops? SHould, but have you tried that one,
THanks a lot!
Hi, Dragan,
I believe you are talking about using the expresscard slot to interface with a wireless antenna that can hold the SIM Card. If that is the case, it should as the SIM card is not a special SIM card, just a normal one.
Joe, thanks - yes, to clarify, I want to make sure that I can stick it (this or similar HSDPA USB wireless modem) into an “express card slot” in my future laptop. Basically, last time I researched it was PCMCIA II that was the standard and all wireless modems were available as PC cards so all was ok. Now it seems new notebooks come only w/ express slots but they should be USB ‘compatible’ so in theory any USB HSDPA modem should fit into it? (of course there are USB ports but not sure about the speed there, express should guarantee the fastest transport though not sure about that)
thanks a lot on your answer and time,
cheers!
Hi Joe
I am not able to get the devise connected after I plug the stick in. I have no problem plugging in E220. I am using Apple OSX leopard. Is there a software I can load? I need the software for E220 but cannot find one for E170 online.
Hi, cien, I don’t use Mac but I searched around for the solution. One of them is ( http://www.phototropic.co.uk/notebook/view/using_a_huawei_e170_(t-mobile_web_’n'_walk_usb_stick)_with_mac_os_x_leopard ) . In it, it describes using “Hi, you might want to have a look at launch2net (www.launch2net.com). it is not free, but might be a better allround solution if you need to use other SIM cards in different countries or need a better statistic. It works with most networks and modems worldwide. Cheers Jan (nova media)” and from Huawei Forum, it seems like a common problem. Follow this link.. http://forum.huawei.com/jive4/thread.jspa?threadID=321295&tstart=0&orderStr=26 Sorry that I could not help you immediately.
[...] who saw my review on Huawei’s modem is that it has some problem with Mac OS X-based machines (read my review - see the comments). Hopefully, our telcos can start talking to Sony Ericsson to bundle this modem with mobile [...]
Is this Starhub E170 SIM loced to Starhub?
Have been received yes and no answers.
Thanks
Hi, FK,
Because I bought the Starhub service (that comes with the E170), the E170 has already been installed with Starhub software as shown above. I have not tried with other SIM cards but I have heard that it may cause some trouble (not specified). Hopes that answer your question.
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