Most of the routers we have at home are for fiber internet or the older DSL routers. They’re basically wired to the internet service provider and then distribute access to the household via WiFi (or, in some instances, LAN cables).
When your internet service is down or disconnected (forgot to pay the bill?), then you’re left with using your personal smartphone to connect to mobile data and maybe even use it as a hotspot for your computers at home.
This very same scenario is what the Mercusys MB110-4G wants to solve. It serves as both as a regular router (WAN) and a 4G router, all packed into this small and lightweight device.
You basically insert a nano SIM card at the slot below the device and you are automatically connected to the 4G network of your cell service. Of course, you need to register your SIM first, then subscribe to a data plan
Aside from the SIM card slot, you will find two ethernet ports at the backside — one is to connect to your ISP and the other as a LAN cable to your other devices at home (computer or laptop).
The device supports up to 32 connected clients and has a local network speeds of up to 300Mbps. For the 4G connection, you get up to 150Mbps (down) and 50Mbps (up) but that will also depend on your telco and/or location.
We tried inserting a Globe Prepaid SIM card and tested the speeds. On average, we only get 15Mbps down and 10Mbps up in our location (we have yet to test with Smart or DITO in the same area to see the speed performance).
The Mercusys MB110-4G is pretty basic to use and almost plug-and-play. Most of the initial details for setting up a network is found in the serial sticker at the bottom.
Another useful thing is you can also download the Mercusys app from the Google Play Store in order to easily manage the router.
With the app, you can change the wireless AP, set the password, manage network guests, and track your data usage.
As for the price, the Mercusys MB110-4G comes with a suggested retail price of Php2,490 and being sold by local stores like DynaQuest and PC Express. You can also check them out in Lazada and Shopee.
Do take note that the Mercusys MB110-4G is primarily positioned as a 4G router with WAN connection as a backup, which is confusing at first because we could not readily think of a situation where you’d prefer it to be that way.
Perhaps if the user is always on-the-go (nomadic) and/or goes around to different field locations, the 4G connection is the more reliable option. It is only when you have a wired network where it becomes a backup system. Similar scenarios would be taking this to your AirBnB location, a pop-up store for your business anywhere in the city, or out in remote areas where there is no 5G signal.
You can learn more about this Mercusys router on their website here 61.
