****The Official 5G Home Broadband Thread**** (Three/EE/Vodafone/etc)

Associate
Joined
19 Jul 2021
Posts
1
Location
London, UK
@Firegod I've been reading through the thread here as have had issues with a Huawei CPE not being gaming friendly with EE. Out of interest, are you managing any online/multiplayer gaming with your Zyxel set up? We have resorted to an older, 4G router for now, as we know it doesn't give any NAT/IPv4/IPv6 issues, but I'd be keen to get the 5G back if we can. Also, not sure if it breaks forum rules, but where did you purchase it from?
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Sep 2003
Posts
10,002
Location
Newcastle, UK
@Firegod I've been reading through the thread here as have had issues with a Huawei CPE not being gaming friendly with EE. Out of interest, are you managing any online/multiplayer gaming with your Zyxel set up? We have resorted to an older, 4G router for now, as we know it doesn't give any NAT/IPv4/IPv6 issues, but I'd be keen to get the 5G back if we can. Also, not sure if it breaks forum rules, but where did you purchase it from?

Annoyingly I don't game online - all single player stuff.

The NAT settings for the Zyxel has Port Forwarding and Port Triggering as well as DMZ under the NAT section. Within the Broadband section you can edit the Cellular WAN interface and turn off the NAT altogether or enable Full Cone NAT. You can also enable Cellular IP Passthrough to allow a specific IP on the LAN to bypass the NAT. It also has UPnP and UPnP NAT-T options. Not sure if any of those would help with your online gaming experience.

I can't put the name in as I think it is against the rules - but safe to say it is "a place you'd go to buy broadband". Hopefully you can work that out. :) But google "Zyxel NR5101 UK stock" and it should be in the list of the results.

Looks like stock is on back order again for end of the month. I know when I purchased mine they only had a handful in stock, so must be getting them in small batches.

Cheers.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
24 Mar 2011
Posts
6,479
Location
Kent
Just tested the 5G router in the new place - coverage checkers on 3 and nperf both say no coverage at all.

2 rooms face the front of the house, pointing in the general direction of a couple of known masts. First location I tried, almost instant 5g signal locked.... :eek:

Speed test run and:
Screenshot-20210725-121331.jpg



Then tried the upstairs room:
Screenshot-20210725-124748.jpg

Signal level in the upstairs room:
Screenshot-20210725-121728-com-huawei-smarthome.jpg


Very happy with that!

Currently we're around 900m away from the closest Tower, and get 100-150mbps reliably. At the new place, it's 2.4km from the same tower which the router is connecting to - the difference being that the new place is much higher up and has pretty much direct line of sight to the same cell tower.

I'll be looking into an external aerial for the new place. Also the single thread test on speed test still gave 153/23 at the same location that gave 270+ multi threaded.

FTTC at the house is around 50mbps.

Few tests and an hour or 2 later, seeing 270-300/25-30mbps consistently in the upstairs room.
Screenshot-20210725-145825.jpg
 
Last edited:
Soldato
OP
Joined
24 Mar 2011
Posts
6,479
Location
Kent
And in even more good news, there's a new 3/EE 5g mast going up literally right now (work being done over the next few days), 300m away from the new house in the other direction - we'll be above/level with the mast top (there may be some trees/houses between us) but once that goes live I'll try connecting to it!

Guessing it'll be a month or 2 after the mast is installed that it goes live.

And I can see the top of the existing mast from an upstairs window. Woohoo! :D
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
27 Feb 2015
Posts
164
I have a Phillips Hue bridge and it used to work with my Huawei 5G CPE Pro router until a couple of weeks ago.
The third blue light on the Hue bridge should be solid but is now flashing.
Logging into the router it used to show my Wi-Fi devices connected with a toggle switch to turn the internet connection off/on. Now this toggle has disappeared for the Hue bridge. But it can still be seen as a device. All other devices are good.
I have unplugged, factory reset, and checked the LAN cable connections to and from the bridge with no joy.
Is there a reason the router may be blocking the Hue bridge device? There have been no router updates based on the router settings.
Unable to use Alexa voice control on my Hue devices now :cry:
 
Associate
Joined
27 Feb 2015
Posts
164
Make sure the Hue Bridge has a static IP set in the router. Not had any issues with mine.

EDIT
Also to mention the Hue is the only wired connection, everything else is wireless.

Thanks man. Something i havent done before though. Any tips?
Current settings:

Connection Modes = Auto (set) / LAN only / PPPoE + Dynamic / PPPoE / Dynamic IP / Static IP
PPPoE = blank
Dynamic IP = Set DNS Manually = off

When i go into the DHCP settings on the Hue phone app it shows the IP address / Netmask / Gateway numbers.
do i need those to input on the router?
 
Last edited:
Soldato
OP
Joined
24 Mar 2011
Posts
6,479
Location
Kent
EDIT
Also to mention the Hue is the only wired connection, everything else is wireless.

Thanks man. Something i havent done before though. Any tips?
Current settings:

Connection Modes = Auto (set) / LAN only / PPPoE + Dynamic / PPPoE / Dynamic IP / Static IP
PPPoE = blank
Dynamic IP = Set DNS Manually = off

When i go into the DHCP settings on the Hue phone app it shows the IP address / Netmask / Gateway numbers.
do i need those to input on the router?
Nah, go into the router settings - Advanced, Router, DHCP - then under IP and MAC Address Binding list, click the + and choose the hue hub.

I don't use the wifi on the router as I have a mesh wifi system, but the router still assigns the IP addresses. Best to set a static one for the hue hub as you may have issues with the hue app not being able to see the hub. The 3rd light is the hue portal light, which is app control (and therefore, Alexa/smart control).
 
Associate
Joined
27 Feb 2015
Posts
164
Nah, go into the router settings - Advanced, Router, DHCP - then under IP and MAC Address Binding list, click the + and choose the hue hub.

I don't use the wifi on the router as I have a mesh wifi system, but the router still assigns the IP addresses. Best to set a static one for the hue hub as you may have issues with the hue app not being able to see the hub. The 3rd light is the hue portal light, which is app control (and therefore, Alexa/smart control).

Cool. Will give that a go after work.
Cheers.
 
Associate
Joined
27 Feb 2015
Posts
164
Nah, go into the router settings - Advanced, Router, DHCP - then under IP and MAC Address Binding list, click the + and choose the hue hub.
I don't use the wifi on the router as I have a mesh wifi system, but the router still assigns the IP addresses. Best to set a static one for the hue hub as you may have issues with the hue app not being able to see the hub. The 3rd light is the hue portal light, which is app control (and therefore, Alexa/smart control).

Ok so managed to gain voice control back. Thanks for your help
Set up a static IP via IP and MAC address binding list. However still had the flashing blue light on the Hue bridge. The only way the light stopped flashing was going into the Hue mobile app and changing the Hue bridge settings - switching off the DHCP toggle - checking it had the new IP address - Save.
After a few mins the Hue bridge lights flashed and stopped. Then go into the Alexa app - enable Hue skill - log into the MeetHue site and press the Hue bridge button so it recognised the Hue bridge and boom - then set up the lights via Alexa app and now i can talk to my lights :cry:
What a palava :D

Oh and just noticed that in the router settings i can see the Hue device but still no Internet Access toggle switch :eek: or perhaps it was never there (i am sure it was). Anyway all sorted.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Sep 2003
Posts
10,002
Location
Newcastle, UK
@Firegod - The killer question for me. Does the Zyxel offer a bridge mode? The Huawei is double NATing with my Unifi and causing me headaches. But I'm loving the speeds!
Put your Unifi in the DMZ and make it a static I.P.

That's one way of doing it, or as well, the Zyxel lets you turn off the NAT with a toggle switch. So you could also just do that, and then no more double NAT'ing. That is what I've done with the Zyxel and my Orbi kit. Bouth are in "router" mode.
 
Associate
Joined
3 Mar 2009
Posts
412
Hi guys

I'm thinking of trying three 5g broadband if the speeds are OK. I've got a sim coming to test and if they are I might sign up. I know they provide the huawei cpe pro 2 router but does anyone know if three disable bridge mode in the settings? I'd like to use my own router.

Cheers
 
Associate
Joined
5 Aug 2021
Posts
5
Location
UK
Hi Rob,

I sent mine back for refund as this option isn't available. Now have a data unlimited SIM only with them and a DLink DWR-2101 that does have IP passthrough (bridge mode).

Tim
 
Associate
Joined
3 Mar 2009
Posts
412
Thanks Tim.

I see you can get an unlimited sim for a tenner a month or so. How much do you pay if you don't me asking? How do you find the dlink compared?

Cheers
 
Associate
Joined
5 Aug 2021
Posts
5
Location
UK
I want to say £16 as an existing customer. Beware that £10, it doubles to £20 from months 7 to 24.

D Link seems OK. I have the odd drop out, but I think my Unifi Dream Machine may be at fault.

I'd have got a Zyxel NR5101 if they had been in stock anywhere...
 
Associate
Joined
3 Mar 2009
Posts
412
Thanks Tim

I will see how the speeds are on three first then if good I might go with the dlink or zyxel. Vodafone speeds are pretty shocking even at full signal strength around here.

I'm looking at load balancing in pfsense with my existing fibre connection I have to boost the speed.

Cheers
 
Associate
Joined
14 Aug 2006
Posts
1,963
Location
Land of Dragons
Thanks Tim

I will see how the speeds are on three first then if good I might go with the dlink or zyxel. Vodafone speeds are pretty shocking even at full signal strength around here.

I'm looking at load balancing in pfsense with my existing fibre connection I have to boost the speed.

Cheers

If you go through topcashback the £16 unlimited 3 sim actually costs you just over £10 a month on a 12 month contract.

I am using this as my home internet connection.(very happy with it and its speeds)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom