Have you ever teleworked without an Internet line installed? For example, when you go to the village house and do tethering with your mobile. You will have seen that providing connectivity to your laptop using your data rate is very useful. Still, it is not so convenient if you want to connect more devices to the same network or router that is your mobile. Well, there’s a solution:Â TP-Link’s Archer MR600Â Wireless Router. It’s like a normal WiFi router except that you insert a SIM card instead of connecting the cable Internet input to your house. I have tried to do some tests and work with it and thus tell you my experience. Is it the solution when you don’t have an Internet connection at home? I do not give you spoilers. Read this review.
A WIRELESS ROUTER? SO THAT?
It was my first doubt. Although I know of the existence of similar devices to provide connectivity thanks to SIM cards to other devices, I was unaware of the tp-link Archer format in this case. Hence my question. However, I have drawn some conclusions after my experience with this router. And yes, in the field of teleworking, it can be a great solution.
And I have imagined my trips to my parent’s house in town, where we have telephone and Internet installation but not an active line. It’s a summer house and doesn’t pay us to activate a line for a few months. I always feel reticent when it comes to going because I always take my work with me, and tethering there lasts a couple of days, but things get complicated if I carry more devices or sit down for a whole week to work comfortably. Activate the mobile as a router, connect the laptop, etc. A wireless router like the tp-link Archer MR600 is a good option.
I do not need to configure or activate the house’s router. The only thing necessary is to have the foresight to have a SIM card with Internet data or a duplicate of mine to take advantage of this connection in the tp-link device. And ready. So I can take my laptop, console, smart speaker, and other gadgets with me and keep them connected as if I had a wired router at home.
Now, can a wireless router of this type support all these connections? I’ll tell you below.
DUAL-BAND AND SPEED UP TO 4G+
The interesting thing about this tp-link Archer MR600 router is that it puts all the usual infrastructure of a router in the hands of the user. Although a SIM card gives the connectivity, not by the Internet line your company brings to your home. Of course, I say it is wireless in terms of this connection, but you will need a plug to connect the device. And you have to give power to your antennas to transmit, via WiFi, the Internet connection throughout the instance. There are other completely wireless tp-link alternatives like this M7000.
The strength and novelty of this router is that it supports 4G+ Cat 6 connections, which means, on paper, speeds of up to 300 Mb per second. All this through two different routes according to our needs: either the LTE antennas that distribute the signal throughout the room (or throughout the house if the structure is not too bulky and does not prevent the signal from traveling) or through the Ethernet ports included on the back of this device. With this, I have been able to check the Internet speed of my mobile, connected via WiFi. And also from the laptop when connected via wired WLAN. Very useful if you need to connect to Internet devices without a WiFi antenna, such as game consoles or televisions, or to get the maximum possible speed on your computer. Although later, I will tell you some of the “buts” I have found.
It has MU-MIMO technology, so it uses its infrastructure to develop more stable connections. And all this through the dual-band to give 2.4Ghz to devices incompatible with the 5Ghz band it also includes. Wow, you will not have problems connecting your television or any smart device that is not too current.
| Model | TP-Link Archer MR600 V2 WiFi Router for SIM |
| Network Type | 4G: FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28 (2100/1800/850/2600/900/800/700 MHz) TDD-LTE: B38/B40/B41 (2600/2300/2500 MHz) 3G: DC-HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS: B1/B5/B8 (2100/850/900 MHz) Carrier Aggregation: B1+B3/B5/B7/B8/B20 B3+B1/B3/B5/B7/B8 /B20/B28/B38/B40 B5+B1/B3/B5/B7/B40 B7+B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28 B8+B1/B3/B7 B20 +B1/B3/B7 B28+ B3/B7/B40 B38+B38 B40+B40 B41+B41 |
| Transfer rate | 300 Mbps at 2.4GHz 867 Mbps at 5GHz |
| Security | Supports 64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions |
| wireless standard | IEEE 802.11a/n/ac 5GHz IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz |
| Extra functions from the app | Bandwidth control Parental control VPN Guest network Security Firewall Network and router information and management |
| Interface | 1 × 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN/WAN Port 3 × 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN Port 1 × Micro SIM Slot |
| Dimensions and LED display | 202 × 141 × 33.6 mm (7.95 × 5.55 × 1.32 in) LED icons |
| Control from app | tp-link Tether (available on Android and iOS) |
| Release date | Available |
| Price | 170 euro |
A SOMEWHAT FLUCTUATING EXPERIENCE
With all of the above in mind, I decided to conduct tests to verify the virtues of using my SIM as my device’s origin or Internet gateway. And I already anticipate that I will get several surprises. Good and bad.
The positives have to do with the fact that the speed tests did not offer me great results (even when my SIM card and Internet service have 5G in certain areas). The browsing experience was fluid. Maybe a few tenths of a second slower than my usual Internet connection. But you have to understand that the difference in infrastructure is important.
Things can slow down slightly on services like YouTube or Netflix. And here, the bandwidth does matter, and a good connection is needed for everything FullHD and higher. It’s like going back five years or two and giving a couple of seconds for everything to load correctly instead of doing it on the fly. Even so, I have been able to navigate and watch videos and series without apparent problems. And if not, the software is in charge of reducing the quality to SD to bet on fluidity. And there without problems.
But that is precisely one of the buts. Even with MU-MIMO technology, during my experience, the speed offered by my SIM fluctuates. I have noticed it both with the speed tests, which give different results each time I have done them and with the experience of use itself working. Sometimes the connection is faster, and sometimes it is slower. And this is striking when using a router that looks much like your usual home router. But of course, you have to understand that many other variants are at stake. Variants that are not ordered, with power and solvency through a cable. Thanks to having coverage at my house in Madrid, where I have tried it, I have not been left without a connection. But the speed fluctuation has become noticeable.
So this Archer MR600 from tp-link serves the cause without too much trouble. Especially if you need to connect several devices to the Internet simultaneously and work without too many bandwidth requirements. Suppose you want to play like a professional online or have the same fluid experience when watching your Netflix videos in 4K. In that case, I am afraid you should think twice about installing or registering a telephone line. And it is that you would be looking for something different from what this device can offer.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NETWORKS TO DO THE INSTALLATION
One of the points in favor of this tp-link Archer MR600 is that it is relatively easy to install. Even when you are not a subject matter expert. Of course, there are some points that I want to clarify so that you are not surprised if you decide to get this router device.
As I have mentioned above, you need a power outlet. Everything else can be completely wireless. Now, you are going to need an Internet connection on your mobile-first to be able to download the tp-link Tether application. And it is that it will be key later when you configure the device.
You will only have to fit the SIM card into the router for the rest. And this is where I have found a small problem. The router allows you to easily insert a MicroSIM card. However, the MicroSIM format has long since been left behind in favor of NanoSIM. For this reason, inside the box, you will find a frame or adapter to “fit” your NanoSIM card and transform it into a MicroSIM that can be inserted without problems. Well, instead of a tray is a frame that does not fit. The system is even more rudimentary: a sticker is included in the box to serve as a stop, and the SIM card is anchored to the frame. In short, if you are not crafty here, you will have a bit of a conflict to leave the card embedded in the frame and that it is well anchored in the device.
Once you insert the SIM card and connect it to the light (don’t forget to press the on/off button next to the power port), the tp-link Archer MR600 router automatically starts up. Or almost, because it needs to be configured from the app.
The application guides you through all the steps in Spanish and in a simple way. You must connect to the WiFi network generated by the router (using the credentials on the sticker on the back of the router). And finally, give your SIM card password to open the door to the Internet. And that’s it. There are no more complications. Everything is established as if it were a normal router. You can connect to it via WiFi with your name and password or use the wired ports. Internet flows from your SIM card to connected devices.
LOTS OF USEFUL EXTRAS
From my perspective, I have only considered using this “wireless” router in a predominantly work environment. But it is also suitable for the whole family to connect to it at home, each with their device. And it is that it not only offers connectivity like a normal WiFi router, but tp-link has also included many management functions, as in the rest of their routers.
Thus, you can access tools such as network diagnostics from the application with which you configure the device. In case something is wrong. Or even do speed tests and discover what happens inside the router. Although what I liked the most was having Parental Control options to limit access to certain websites to some devices that must be specified. Or the possibility of expelling all those devices you do not want to connect (such as a freeloader neighbor to whom you have temporarily left the password).
CONCLUSIONS
After my experience, the usefulness of a router that drinks directly from a SIM card is clear to me. It is a good solution if you have a good contract with your operator for high speed (better without limits) and telework. The connection is stable in terms of avoiding a disconnection or leaving any connected devices without the Internet. However, at least in my case, the speed fluctuation has been noticeable. Something that, with a fiber connection, you don’t notice.
But you have to understand the nature of this apparatus. And why it is useful when you cannot afford to enjoy the maximum speed and bandwidth promptly. Wow, you can work browsing and sending emails, but maybe uploading heavy videos and working in the cloud will take longer than usual. And the same with leisure. Do not expect to be a crack in Fortnite with a speed that fluctuates. But you will be able to watch series and movies on Netflix and other services if you have some patience for it to load some of the content.
I am a writer with eight years of experience writing in business and technology. I always carry a passion for learning and discovering new knowledge.