£70 Motorhome 4G Cat6 Wifi with external antenna -Camper, Van, Caravan - ZTE MF971V

[@douglashellierlaing4332]

It may be worth mentioning that for many ,connecting your personal hotspot in settings on your phone , will connect in most places without MiFi. You can then tether devices such as your laptop. It’s rare to be out of signal range of communication towers. I’ve spent the last 4 months traveling throughout Europe and Turkiye and only once failed to get a signal. I then used my Netgear 810S Aircard connected to my Poynting aerial which I just stuck outside one of the roof lights. Good for those who just want straightforward communications. In Turkiye changed from Smarty to Turkcell SIM’s.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi yep, don’t disagree and I talk about the pros and cons of using a phone hotspot in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2bOaIOagL5pb9E

[@MegaChristabella]

Just ordered with a TS9 antenna, will leave a reply on how well the solution works. Hopefully better than my mobile phone as a hotspot when out in the country side!

[@philm]

ordered a smarty sim so I believe Amazon credit coming your way!

[@ExploreVanUK]

Thanks Phil, and your way too!

[@y0rkiebar]

Just purchased a new MF971V from ebay for £45.90 delivered, thanks for the video.

[@y0rkiebar]

Arrived today, seems well built. I had assumed that it would also be capable of acting as a local Wifi booster/repeater but this doesn't appear to be the case.

[@ExploreVanUK]

The MF910 can be used as a WiFi repeater, I can’t remember if the 971 can or not. I’ll have a look later and if it can drop you the details.

[@y0rkiebar]

@@ExploreVanUK Thanks! Can't see anything in the menu system that provides any repeating capability.

[@ExploreVanUK]

No it looks like the MF971 doesn’t offer it. The MF910 has a menu option called “Internet WiFi” that allows you to connect it to an access point and then rebroadcast from the hotspot. However as the external antenna connection are for LTE only not WiFi it probably wouldn’t be a great repeater anyway.

[@y0rkiebar]

@@ExploreVanUK Thanks for checking. It would have been a nice capability to have, as all the van devices could remain linked to the router without the need to switch multiple devices to a strong local Wifi if present. Anyway, no real biggie.

[@tehdreamer]

Thanks i just bought one for 54 quid, going to add an antenna and see how it goes, campervan is a faraday cage and i dont want to keep putting my phone on the roof.

[@KevinNuttall-s9b]

Great video just thought I would ask would it still work if we are at a festival with thousands of other people in the same area. Or is there something you could recommend please Thanks keep up the good work

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi, this would depend if the mobile provider had increased the bandwidth available on the tower to accommodate the extra traffic. Some do for the bigger festivals or even add temporary cell sites, for lots of the smaller festivals. Capacity on the tower is a problem and no 4G 5G solution will significantly improve that. Starlink would be your only real alternative.

[@ATFMennace]

Great video - I just wish these standards would have better naming conventions. When I saw the title I thought it was network cables as they're Cat4/Cat5/Cat6 - Silly things.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Agree totally - same with 5G(eneration) Cellular and 5G(hz) WiFi, always winds me up!

[@NerdZap]

Hi, thanks for the vid! I'm hoping you can offer some advice. Based on this video I’ve purchased the ZTE MF971V combined with Bingfu TS9 antenna. Unfortunately, the performance I’m getting using a Three sim is terrible! It hardly ever connects to 4G, and it often flickers between 3/4G causing constant dropouts and low speeds. I’ve done some research and info online suggests that Three uses the following bands for 4G: 1, 3, 20 & 32. The MF971V supports the following carrier aggregation: B3+B7, B3+B3, B20+B7, B3+B20,B7+B20, B3+B5. So, my understanding is the only time I’d benefit from CA is if I’m picking up B3 and B20, in most other scenarios I’m limited to a single band. Am I understanding this correctly? The main reason I want for a CAT6 over CAT4 was for the performance, but I actually get a much better speeds with the sim in and old P20 pro phone (which I can’t use an external antenna with). Any suggestions? Thanks!

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi, Your P20 Pro phone has a Cat18 modem so where there is good coverage and multiple bands available it is going to well out perform the Cat6 MF971V. As you say the problem is the P20 Pro doesn’t have external antenna connections (as it would need at least 4 antennas to perform at Cat18.) Where you should find the MF971V performs better with an external antenna is where your P20 Pro either doesn’t get a signal at all or gets a poor signal. However the not connecting to 4G / flicking between 3G and 4G if your P20 has a good signal does sound a bit wrong so I would say there may be a fault with your MF971V. In short if your P20 can get a 4G signal your MF971V should definitely be able to with an external antenna.

[@billm7106]

Hi there, I would be interested to know what difference adding the two antennas mad have you a note of that thank you, enjoyed the video regards Bill

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi, you can see the impact the external antennas have in this video. 3G / 4G LTE MIMO MiFi Antenna test / review - Poynting XPOL / Bingfu / Unbranded kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWXRf3Sgi5WiiK8

[@neilthomas2717]

Thanks for the very informative videos. I'm an occasional user so will probably go with the MF971V. Could you suggest a budget roof mounted aerial that would work with it? Many thanks and kind regards

[@ExploreVanUK]

As true budget options I’d go with the Bingfu Antennas from Amazon amzn.to/3SOnTKw Unless you can stretch to a Poynting Puck-2, if you have a look at Solwise.co.uk you should be able to get 10% off it using the code EXPLOREVAN at the checkout. As the Puck has SMA connectors you’d need some of these. amzn.to/3QnxMNC

[@neilthomas2717]

Many thanks, I've bought the Puck 2 and the discount code works.

[@timcx]

Thanks for this video very interesting, what is the software you used for the tower location info at about 4:10 ? Thanks

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi thanks glad it was interesting - it's an online service - www.cellmapper.net/

[@homegrownheroz]

Hi, I've just gotten this router and wondered if you share any advice or tips on the best settings to use to achieve better speeds. For example, auto vs a specific channel selected, or keeping it on a 5gz network. Thanks

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi, it really depends on individual circumstance and location. If cellular coverage is good and you don’t have any legacy devices that don’t have 5ghz wifi then it is good to use (unless you want to connect further away from the device as 2.4ghz has more range. If you were to chose a specific channel you would have to reasses the best one every time you move as it depends on how many other devices are using which channels in the area as to which would be best. Personally as I have no devices that need more bandwidth than 2.4 ghz can provide I would leave it on that and auto.

[@andrewmoto6459]

Is there an app for the ZTE MF971V Mobile 4G LTE WiFi hotspot router (6 CAT)? Also are the window antennas any good cheers.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Have you tried the ZTE Link App? If I remember correctly this worked with both. I’ve not tested any window antennas I am afraid.

[@mikebourne9510]

Hi. I have bought the ZTE MF971V. I have inserted a SMARTY simcard loaded with 12Gb per month. I cannot get it to connect to the 4G network. I have tried everything (I think) with no success. I am UK based, but currently in S.Spain soon to move to Algarve. Is it possible you could give me some pointers as to what I am doing wrong? I subscribed to your very helpful videos about 6 months ago. I am fairly new to this campervan life!!

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi a couple of questions that will help with advice. Have you used the SMARTY sim in the UK before going to Spain? Is Roaming enabled on the MF971V? Have you set the APN in the MF971V with the SMARTY settings? If you are not sure how to do these just let me know and I’ll try and give you the steps.

[@mikebourne9510]

@@ExploreVanUK I have used the SMARTY sim in the UK, but only briefly to check it out. I have enabled roaming, I think! As to whether I have set the APN in the MF971V with the SMARTY settings I am not sure. After logging in to 192.168.0.1 the ZTE homepage comes up with the 3 circles , 1,2 & 3. In circle 2 - My Router, in the top semi-circle I have HSPA set to OFF, when I try to switch it to on I get 'Failure' . Every now and then 'Limited Service' flashes up, but only for a second. I have tried changing the other settings, but to such an extent I am now confused as to what the correct settings should be!! Bit of a buggers muddle I'm afraid! I hope this gives you enough to go on, to be able to help me. Regards Mike. If you respond to this msg tonight I'm afraid I won't be able to get back to you until the morning.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi Mike, Sorry your reply seemed to have fallen foul of KZbins spam filter just found it in my review folder. It sounds like you have it up and running but it could be that the APN is not set correctly which when abroad particularly has an impact. The APN settings for SMARTY are: Name: 3 APN: mob.asm.net User name: [leave this field blank] Password: [leave this field blank] You should be able to set these manually in the admin screens. If you want to be sure to remove other settings first it might be worth doing a factory reset on the unit first. If that doesn't fix it it is possible there is a problem with the unit. Let me know how you get on.

[@berfd0rset]

Do you know off hand the external Ariel I should use for the 971v so I can order 1 or should I order one for each port ??

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi You have a few options of Antenna, but they need to be MiMo antennas if you only want one - these have 2 connections as standard. You'll also need to make sure that you have TS9 connectors. Cheap and cheerful and work reasonably well - Bingfu - THese are not MiMo so you will need a pack of 2. and they come with TS9 connectors so no adapter needed. amzn.to/3NOTxaj Poynting Puck 2 - This is a Mimo antenna so you only need one. More robust, effective and more efficient cable - you will need adapters to use this. Antenna amzn.to/3qU5RwT Adapter amzn.to/3NPbg1r Poynting Mimo 3 - again this is Mimo so you only need one, and it has higher performance than the Puck. Again you will need adapters. Antenna amzn.to/46mG2G6 Adapter amzn.to/3NPbg1r

[@johncullerton]

So how does this compare with the Teltonika set up?

[@ExploreVanUK]

It depends which Teltonika and what functionality you compare. Against the RUT955 (as it's modem is Cat4) if you are in an area with carrier aggregation the MF971V would be faster. But you don't get all the extra functionality like the Dual SIM fail over, WiFi repeating, the ability to prioritise devices, GPS tracking, Remote Access, interface control etc. Compared to the RUTX12 (which has 2 x cat 6 modems) it would be the same speed when the RUTX12 is running on one modem, but potentially half the speed of the RUTX12 when running both modems simultaneously and again the RUTX12 has all the extra functionality above. So it depends what features are important to you.

[@johncullerton]

@@ExploreVanUK OK I know this is a bit of a crunch question but whilst the RUTX12 is about (?) five times the cost, if not more, where do you fall? In the scheme of an entire van set-up, the cost factor/difference probably becomes a bit negligible. Does the fact that everyone (telco's) is constantly updating Cat 4 to 6 and 4G to 5G etc. Is the cheaper option the best to facilitate regular updates as opposed to looking at a hefty upgrade cost when you are falling behind the curve. Lawks, not really wanting to put you on the spot but you really sold me on the Tektonika route and now not sure :-) No pressure, I'm a way away from buying/committing yet and really like your vids. Keep it up J

[@ExploreVanUK]

Great question and it really does depend on your expectations and needs. If working on the road / you need to have a connection and it’s vital you have as much chance as possible of getting a signal With as much band width as possible the RUTX12 would definately be my choice, but do remember it only comes into its own when you have two data plans/sims ideally on different networks, so thats more cost. But if you’re looking for a more casual use and it wouldn’t be the end of the world or too inconvenient if you didn’t have a connection the cheaper / budget end of the market are very capable. If you are in a good signal area most smart phones will out perform some routers (they are generally cat18 modems in modern phones.) it’s in the out of the way places where the routers and external antennas come into their own. If you’re not sure what you need or how much you’re happy to spend I’d suggest not jumping to the most expensive option first. Try the budget end (or even just your phone hotspot.) and see how you get on. If you find yourself in locations where you can’t get a good speed and that proves inconvenient then look to upgrade. Hope that helps!

[@rmason9929]

Have you had any issues with the hot-spot dropping off the network, I am having to force a restart every few days with the one I bought

[@ExploreVanUK]

I’ve not noticed it, but to be fair we rarely stay in one location for more than a few days so it might keep it going.

[@rmason9929]

@@ExploreVanUK I'm still converting so maybe it's the particular tower it's locked onto, I'll see what it's like once moving about.

[@macfoot64]

Hi am I right in thinking I’ve now just brought a Avtex TV which in WiFi enabled will the MF971V be suitable for that as well as for ours mobiles ? Thanks

[@ExploreVanUK]

Yes you should be able to connect the TV to the WiFi from the MF971s hotspot.

[@macfoot64]

Hi just received my MF971V and also got a smarty data Sim and if I connect it to my phone it’s saying not connected to the Internet, even though I’m getting the symbol to say it’s connected, but I’m getting no data coming from it at all. Any ideas or point me in the right direction? Thanks

[@joannewilkins9436]

Did you get anywhere with this, as I have the same problem? Smarty sim, Tried changing settings. Just can’t get it to connect. Any help would be great. Thanks

[@birminghammotorhomeman]

is it any good for boosting low wifi signal a campsite as im using on campsite and its low signal an keeps dropping out

[@ExploreVanUK]

No this model does not have this function. The MF910 does but it’s not really designed for it having no external WiFi antenna connection. There are options for dedicated WiFi boosters in our video here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/naSwmaqDgdyCkK8 Or any of the Teltonika industrial Routers have this functionality and external WiFi antenna connections. You can see reviews of the RUT241, RUT955 and RUTX12 in our internet playlist. kzbin.info/aero/PLHOEQx7dQbeUmrE2GUZ7ZbDSHqK28DxwS

[@y0rkiebar]

Did you have any issues using your SMARTY sim in the MF971V ? My new SMARTY SIM won't register with the network through the router. Tried it in a few phones too with same result. SMARTY sending a new SIM.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Nope. No problem at all. Did they suggest trying to manually set the APN? Here are the Smarty settings. Name: 3 APN: mob.asm.net User name: [leave this field blank] Password: [leave this field blank]

[@y0rkiebar]

@@ExploreVanUK I tried those settings, no dice. Will see if the new SIM is any better.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Yeah, can only think it so a problem with the SIM. Especially as it sounds like you’ve tried it in a few devices. How annoying!

[@y0rkiebar]

@@ExploreVanUK As an update, I was on a trip last week and used the MF971V (+ external antenna) with Smarty SIM in three different sites. Had mobile reception (EE) on all of them but nothing on the 971/SMARTY combo apart from one day at one of the sites when I had fantastic signal. The day before and day after, both at that same site, nothing! Perhaps the 971 is faulty ?

[@ExploreVanUK]

It does sound like something strange, I’ve never experienced getting a good signal then getting no signal in the same location on different days. The first thing I would check is the external antenna cable and connection. Try it without the antenna connected and see if it behaves in a similar way. If it does it sounds like a faulty unit or if it works ok it could be a dodgy connection on the antenna.

[@davidhale4830]

I live in spain but travel europe and UK, can I use these and the smarty card in Europe. Thanks.

[@ExploreVanUK]

Hi, the MiFi should be fine all over Europe. Smarty has a limit of 12GB per month when roaming and I think you have to use it in the U.K. every 90 days. I would have thought getting a Spanish SIM card that has roaming would suit you better. When I was last there Lobster was the one to get.

[@davidhale4830]

@@ExploreVanUK thanks for the info ,much appreciated, all we need the WiFi is for a bit of tele in the darker evenings, I'm 75 and just bought our first campervan

[@davidhale4830]

@@ExploreVanUK thanks for the info ,much appreciated, all we need the WiFi is for a bit of tele in the darker evenings, I'm 75 and just bought our first campervan

[@tomwalton6661]

Not compatible with windows 10?

[@ExploreVanUK]

Have you seen that somewhere? Works fine with my Win10 laptop.

[@tomwalton6661]

@@ExploreVanUK yes on the Aliexpress page description section it doesn’t mention win 10!

[@tomwalton6661]

Prob just saying it’s ok on older Win OS!

[@ExploreVanUK]

Yeah possibly. There is no software or drivers needed so the OS should make no difference, as long as the hardware has WiFi

[@ATFMennace]

Network connections are seperate to operating systems - Saying wifi or a computer screen is 'windows 10 compliant' is a massive bunch of bogus advertising.