The Huawei E173 modem has become widespread among buyers. The owners remembered it for its interesting box in which it was delivered. The device is considered good, it works without failures and any other shortcomings. More details about him later in the article.
General characteristics
The described modem is often used by residents of large cities. It turned out that even in the capital with an active third-generation network, a weak signal is manifested. Therefore, quite often there are situations in which 3G is terribly bad. The E173 modem is an excellent device. It allows you to catch even a weak network signal and ensure its stable operation. The device is in demand at least because many buyers still pay more attention to characteristics and indicators, and not to the external design.
The modem is sold for 1190 rubles. When you connect the package "Maximum", the owner will receive unlimited Internet (the first three months of use - for free). The largest traffic size is 16 GB, as already understood, without speed limits. Next, we’ll talk in detail about the technical equipment of the device.
Complete set and design
Buyers have no complaints about the configuration. The manufacturer even provided for the presence of a green lace. It will be needed if the owner wants to place the E173 USB modem on his wrist. Of course, few people have a desire to wear a model as an ornament. A lace is necessary so that the cover from the device is not lost. The accessory is useful and many use it. Documentation is also included. Among it, you can find a special brochure that describes all the available tariff plans, as well as additional commands for managing the device.
The appearance of the modem suited all buyers and owners. Used non-marking black plastic. Due to the dark neutral tone, the device goes well with laptops and computers. There are also white options for sale in smaller numbers.
Design
Consumers have only one complaint about the design of the Huawei E173 device. They do not like the thickness of the modem. The extra two millimeters will be invisible when using the device with a laptop, but when using a netbook, they will greatly catch the eye. The port does not get loose, but the look goes bad. A hinge-rotator will be appropriate. It was clearly useful to such a modem.
Thin netbooks will be unstable on a continuous surface, relying on the device used. Of course, such PCs are rarely used now, but they have a drawback.
Design
The E173 modem, the characteristics of which suit everyone, received a standard appearance. Users do not say anything about him in the reviews. The only thing that can be said is that the design is clearly better than its predecessor. The design is excellent, there is no backlash and creaks, the assembly is tight. The design is neat. You can not expect anything more solid in design from a budget model.
The developers abandoned the card cover, which constantly fell off and was lost. In order to replace the external drive or SIM, you need to remove half of the case. Such a solution is a definite plus.
The manufacturer in phones uses special slots for subscription cards. Accordingly, they must be inserted in a wide part. In modems, they refused this option. Uses standard unified blocks for the card and external drive. Unfortunately, this is one of the reasons for the thick body. But users note that the main thing is fast functionality.
Functionality
The firmware of the E173 modem allows you to work with multiple networks at once. The device allows you to easily connect to the signal. It should be noted right away: the device is fully consistent with the declared specifications from the manufacturer. The 3G network works without failures, signal loss and other problems. Communication stability is noticeable after the first hour of use. Of course, sometimes a decrease in speed happens, but in general, the device allows you to work with the Internet as quickly and comfortably as possible. If we compare the model with other devices, we can confidently say - it is one of the best. This advantage is based on working with the device without any speed limits or megabytes from the operator. It all depends on the price of the tariff, which is not discussed in this review.
Work with mobile communications
E173 is a modem that receives positive feedback in vain. It should be noted that he catches the Beeline signal in those places where phones and tablets cannot do this, and other similar devices are connected every other time.
What can you say about 3G from Megafon? The fact is that the coverage of this operator is pretty poor - some people are unaware of the third generation network. It should be noted that the modem coped with a similar situation perfectly. The data transfer rate is slightly behind, but the reliability and sensitivity are at the highest level. “Freezing” and other failures are completely absent. Communication is smooth and stable.
Modem Features
E173 is a modem in which the data transfer rate is quite rare, but it can either drop or increase sharply. But unloading is stable and does not show such nuances. I must say that the reception of the radio signal does not depend on the build quality, therefore this problem is practically not the result of poor work of the developers.
When connecting a tariff that will allow you to watch online video as comfortably as possible, the modem behaves perfectly. "Brakes" are excluded, the videos load quickly. The data transfer rate is 512 Kbps. In order to comfortably work with video on the Internet, the consumer needs to choose a tariff in which the restriction of data supply is either absent or minimal. It is advisable that the average speed be no higher than 450 Kbps. This will allow you to watch videos even in the most inaccessible places of the city. At 128 Kbps, uploading videos will be quite problematic. Only small videos are normally viewed.
Unlock modem E173
Many owners are concerned about the question: how to unlock the modem in order to use the services of other mobile operators? Following are three ways to solve the problem. But you should immediately understand that this manipulation instantly deprives the guarantee on the device.
- Make changes to any special firmware - dashboard. This is easy to do, especially if you have experience and skills. But it’s better to ask a person who understands all the subtleties to complete this action. Be sure to know the special codes of the country and its operator.
- There are a lot of firmware on the Internet that are open for editing the list of working mobile operators. If not needed in the list, you should only add the necessary option. But there are subtleties. You need to know all access points and other settings, otherwise the modem will support work with the operator, but will not be able to catch the network. When reinstalling the operating system, all data will have to be downloaded in a new way, while interacting with another computer, too. But the method is convenient and many use it.
- Find firmware with local service providers and simply load it into the modem. Unlike the previous method, when using this, you do not have to update all data and settings. There is one minus one option - not all modems have firmware. Search for such a described device will take quite a while.
Total
This is not to say that the E173 is a modem that differs from all others in its price category. But it still stands out from the "gray mass" by some advantages. The characteristics are excellent, the speed of the Internet is good and, most importantly, stable. The modem is able to catch even an inaccessible signal that powerful gadgets do not see. Most of all, this model is suitable for those who are first faced with the purchase of such a device. But you should not rush when purchasing it. If a person is satisfied with the work of the old modem so far, and he treats them calmly for three months of free use, then it is better to look at a powerful option for a high cost. Now the market has a huge assortment of updated fixtures, which are clearly much more successful in equipment. E173 - a modem that can be used as a spare or purchased as a gift.