Does anyone have any direct experience of using the Asus 4G-N12 4G/LTE Router? I can't find any detailed UK (user) reviews and would be interested to hear what it's like.

Whilst I know many people are pleased with the Huawei b593 I had a poor experience with this one, so I'm looking for alternatives.

The TP-LINK Archer MR200 AC750 4G LTE Router looks like another viable option....

Seems like a lot of money.

Have you tried a USB dongle in the back of a 'normal' router? I know both my AS routers allow for that
http://www.asus.com/event/networks_3G4G_support/

Though I guess then you're relying on the antenna from the dongle for the mobile network side of things, rather than the (probably better) mobile antenna is inside the a router itself.

USB dongles can also be a bit unreliable in general, they're not designed for constant use.

And proper 4G USB dongles are really rare, you're more likely to find a mifi type device that can also be used over USB. When I've used them with routers I found I had to do some faffing to force the dongle into the right "mode". A computer will do this automatically if the drivers are installed, but not all of these routers do

If you have a need for reliable 4G (like it's your only form of internet access) it's well worth the money

Thanks, but I avoid dongles like the plague generally. As you say, they're reliant on a tiny and generally poor antenna and in my experience don't perform well at all. I'm using a Netgear Aircard 785S at the moment, which works pretty well but it's for a fixed location so doesn't need to be 'portable' and I'd like wider wifi coverage without having to use the wifi extender I do now.

Totally agree, with an ADSL connection of less than 2Mbs it's worth every penny to access a fast mobile connection - even at 10Mbs HSDPA speeds.

A firmware update from September to my ASUS RT-AC68U added the option to attach an android phone in USB tethered mode - I've just been trying that out and it works a treat, just plug in USB, select the option for 'android phone' and enable USB tethering on the phone.

It has the option for Dual WAN too if the landline WAN is connected too - either in Failover (and fallback) mode in case the line goes down or Load Balance to use both WAN and USB tethered WAN at the same time.

Does mean you need a spare android phone that is always on and plugged in (but could be at a distance for best reception, if on a long USB cable). I'd have thought phones have better antennas than the dongles, however this does raise the discussion around whether Mobile Broadband SIMs will work in a phone (and tether). Might be a use for the 200GB EE SIM...

Thanks Gavin, that's really good to know. However I am committed to getting a dedicated 4G router to have a single box solution that is optimised for 4G. What you've described would be a great fallback solution if you already own that router. It sounds a great piece of kit - if I had a decent landline connection I'd jump at it!

With my S6, which has possibly the worst radio pick-up I've ever experienced on a phone, I'd be on a hiding to nothing! My Aircard's reception is light years ahead of it...

In that case; no, I have no experience or knowledge regarding the two routers you've asked about

I'd suggest buying it from Amazon if you can (through a seller that is either Amazon, or "fulfilled by Amazon"), they have a very liberal returns policy, no questions asked within 30 days - it's processed automatically and they often give you a prepaid label - so that's good if the router is a bit of a dud

Well that's no blooming good! Seriously though, thanks for the tip off about the other router. Doesn't fit the bill at the moment, but always good have a recommendation if fibre ever makes its way to bumpkin-land....

Good call - I returned the B593 via Amazon and within minutes of dropping it off at my local shop and it being scanned in I had notification of the refund. I know Amazon has its critics, but it's one of the most slick operations I've ever bought from. Happy to subsidise their tax bill for the level of service they provide...

Unfortunately you probably want to stick to Huawei when it comes to 4G routers.

Huawei E5186 4G Cat6 802.11ac LTE CPE

Is their latest 802.11ac with Cat 6

Unfortunately not a lot of people are selling it in the UK at the moment

We use these pro work (remote CCTV monitoring) and they don't miss a beat.

http://www.3grouterstore.co.uk/3G/Pr...4G-Router.html

They cost a little, but you don't get lock ups and the antennas are pretty good. We do tend to use them with outdoor omni-directionals mounted on a pole for peace of mind though.

I would definitely use one of these if my only connection was 4G.

Hmmm, thanks to you both - some real food for thought there.

I really wish Huawei's latest routers were a bit more accessible in the UK. I do worry a little about support when buying them through fairly unknown sources. I know a lot of people have really struggled to find firmware updates for some of their products, especially the popular, if a little dated, B593.

Are any of these routers any better than Cat 4 LTE?

I think they're all Cat 4 except the new Huawei that GreenLantern mentioned that is Cat 6.