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Choosing a router for T-Mobile's offer: ZTE MMC888, ZTE MC889, TP-Link NX510V or Huawei B818?

megaman11 24033 28
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Should I keep my Huawei B818 with the Cybertech antenna or switch to one of T-Mobile’s 5G routers, and will external antenna support matter for getting higher speed?

Choose the ZTE MC889 + T5400; in this thread it is the only option consistently recommended for your location, while the MC888 and NX510V were not considered a good fit for external-antenna use and real 5G performance [#20634237][#20634294][#21455062] If you are currently hitting the 90 Mb/s tariff cap, moving to an unlimited plan can raise speeds, but T-Mobile’s 5G was described as only a modest improvement unless you can use N78 [#20633930] The B818 test is still useful: check how it performs indoors without the external antenna, and compare LTE/5G signal parameters before deciding whether an upgrade is worth it [#20634237][#20633930] NX510V was later reported to have TS9 antenna connectors and to work with a Cybertech antenna, but it still ran slower than the Huawei B818 on the same antenna, so it does not look like the best upgrade path [#20952427]
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  • #1 20633833
    megaman11
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    Good morning, I have a few questions about the offer at T-Mobile Internet Home. I currently have an internet speed of 90 Mb/s, a Huawei B818 router and an external Cybertech antenna. My contract ends in about a month and I can upgrade to unlimited 5g speed and one of the routers listed

    1. ZTE MMC888 5G - unfortunately it does not have an external antenna output
    2. ZTE MC889 5G + T5400
    3. TP-Link NX510V 5G - I know the least about this router, can an external antenna be connected to it?

    Should I leave the B818 router with the Cybertech antenna and choose a 5G SIM card with unlimited speed? Will this actually increase internet speed if my current router does not support 5G?
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    #2 20633930
    m.jastrzebski
    Network and Internet specialist  
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    It is impossible to answer your question factually. Not enough data.
    To make a rational decision, you need to know what signal you currently have from the antenna, what signal you have when switching to the indoor antenna, what speeds you get during the day and in the evening. Knowing whether an antenna is needed, knowing what the signal is, what speeds (transmitter load level), you can make rational decisions. If you are not currently achieving a speed of 90mbit/s and it is due to the load on the transmitter and not a bad signal, then changing to an unlimited contract or 5G will not bring much. 5G is not a game changer for Tmobile at the moment, it works on 1 band shared with 4G. If it is available to you, it should be slightly faster, but it will be a bit faster, not 2x faster.
    If you often reach 90mbit, i.e. you are limited by the contract and not the signal quality or transmitter load, a new contract without a 90mbit limit should result in higher speeds. How much more you won`t know without testing. You can also test it on a prepaid plan. You don`t have to commit to a new contract. If it turns out that you reach 110mbit instead of 90mbit, it is worth considering increasing the new costs.
  • #3 20634023
    megaman11
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    Hello, this is more or less what it looks like for me Choosing a router for T-Mobile's offer: ZTE MMC888, ZTE MC889, TP-Link NX510V or Huawei B818? Choosing a router for T-Mobile's offer: ZTE MMC888, ZTE MC889, TP-Link NX510V or Huawei B818?
  • #4 20634031
    m.jastrzebski
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    So I assume you don`t have the 2600 band available there?
    And what SIM card are these speeds on? Because you talked about the 90mbit contract, here it is 120.


    The signal is such that I wouldn`t risk it without an external antenna. There you can probably change the antenna usage to internal in the configuration. And you will see how much it would go without external antennas, which will tell you whether you can think about a router without external antennas or give up.

    And what time is this speedtest from? Now in the middle of the day? How much goes in the evening, when the load generally increases.
  • #5 20634110
    megaman11
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    The speed is almost always the same and I`m going with 90 Mb, that`s the contract I have :)
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    #6 20634237
    matek451
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    Przemyśl, so it`s not surprising that LTE2600 from Tatarska Góra, signal parameters are very weak. It`s with the Cybertech antenna, what kind of antenna is it, it`s strange that you don`t connect to the BTS on Lwowska 36 because it`s the closest NetWORKS BTS with LTE2600+2100+1800. But on the other hand, it`s a mobile mast so it may no longer be there. Overall, the infrastructure is poor, LTE2100+1800, including Fibris. 3rd sector, signal on LTE1800 correct, no LTE800 because it is borderline, but they added LTE900 instead of the canceled UMTS900. 5g2100 should already work on it in DSS with LTE2100. Replacing it with MC888 or NX510V 5G is a misunderstanding, both of them do not have external antenna connectors. Only CPE 5G MC889 will do the trick. For the test, check the LTE2100 itself without the external antenna on the B818 inside the house. On 5G2100 they will be similar.
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  • #7 20634271
    megaman11
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    Nx510v has an external antenna connector, I just saw it is TS9, the question is whether it will work with a cybertech antenna

    Added after 3 [minutes]:

    Mc889 in unlimited offer, how much could he get, as now I have about 120 from Fibris, would the difference be worth replacing everything!?
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    #8 20634294
    matek451
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    On LTE2100+1800+800 from Fibris you have high speeds, I am afraid that for your conditions and location it is maximum, the lack of LTE2600 has its effect, and SINR does not allow work in QAM256. Replacing it only makes sense with MC889 under 5G2100. In fact, TP-Link has TS9 external antenna connectors, but I am afraid that they only work on N78/79. Overall, the price is unprofitable compared to MC889+T5400.
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  • #9 20634356
    megaman11
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    And what would you actually do, replace everything with MC889, install it on the roof, or is it not worth the effort? Because the profit is e.g. 20mb
  • #10 20952157
    rtomkow1
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    To mothers451. You don't know, don't write nonsense. NX510V 5G has outputs for external antennas.
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  • #12 20952427
    megaman11
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    Hello, I took the tp line for testing, it works with an external cybertech antenna, although it was slower than Huawei, on the same antenna I stayed with Huawei b818 when changing to unlimited internet from t mobile at night max 150mb/s during the day above 100mb/s Screenshot showing internet speed test results with T-Mobile.
  • #13 20952576
    matek451
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    But the question is still valid because the fact that TP-Link was slower than the B818 with the Cybertech antenna may prove that the connectors do not work on bands dedicated to LTE. Have you compared the signal parameters on the B818 with the antenna and on TP-Link with it? And it could also be 5G2100 from Fibris because this band operates on it and the results from it are usually weaker than in the aggregation of LTE bands.
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  • #14 21029326
    megaman11
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    Is there no 5g for fibris transmitters now?
  • #16 21029438
    megaman11
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    Friend, I currently have a Huawei B818 router and an external Cybertech antenna 1800mhz to 2100mhz, what is worth changing to get the maximum that can be extracted, unlimited 5g internet in Tmobile, I already have it, I will add that in hm manager changing the aggregation to 2600 is weak on t mobile 5g is 3300mhz to 3800mhz in hmm, the manager does not have such bands, please explain my questions
  • #17 21029482
    matek451
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    Launching N78 changed the situation completely, now you have 2 BTS -yz 5g3500 nearby, you will probably be able to use them even without an external antenna, because on NR3500 the base stations operate with power several times higher than on LTE. But to use this technology, you need equipment for 5G.Na5G N78, speeds of several hundred Mb/s and even more are normal, an unlimited subscription with access to 5G is required to achieve it.
    B818 is Huawei with 4G, band management min. using HManager, this application only works with HiLinks from Huawei and clones of this manufacturer. For 5G, there are stationary 5G routers from Huawei, but also an external access point from a clone company.
    But I don`t recommend them, the MC888 router from ZTE or the MC889 5G CPE have diagnostics and band selection in WebUI, there are also additional scripts, generally ZTE is more developed in 5G topics.
    T-Mobile`s offer included the MC889+T5400 set, as well as the MC888. You can also buy them on the open market. T-Mobile also offers CPE5G, an exotic device with WNC, and now even a router, it generally works well, but I don`t recommend it. There was also NX510 5G, but it`s probably not available now
    There are several reasonably priced 5G routers and 5G CPEs on the free market.
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  • #18 21029488
    megaman11
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    And the miracle router P5 and the antenna I have, will it be ok or should I replace the antenna or buy an nx510 5g router because I had it but it didn`t work well but since 5g appeared it would probably work better right? I can also occasionally buy ZTE Mc 801a 5g, but would it work with my antenna?
  • #19 21029528
    matek451
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    You would need to test this 5G N78 on a 5G phone with support for this band at home and outside, a T-Mobile card with access to the tariff offering entry to the N78 and screenshots from NetMonster and speedtest. Based on this, further steps.
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  • #20 21029557
    megaman11
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    Screenshot of an app displaying details of 5G and LTE network connections in Przemyśl. Screenshot of a mobile network signal analysis app.
  • #21 21029615
    matek451
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    This is pseudo 5G at 2100MHz from Fibris, the question is whether the card has access to 5G N78 or only to N1, because it is possible in T-Mobile, you would have to check in another location where there is access to another BTS with N78.
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  • #22 21029623
    megaman11
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    I checked this morning and recently I drove up to the mast on the Fibris and under the Fibris I get about 800mb on the phone, so without an external antenna it`s probably not good. Will my antenna be enough or a completely new one? What is it about? At home, about 40mb on the phone
  • #23 21030268
    matek451
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    I would not go for a 5G router plus antenna solution, a much better solution is external 5G access points, the MC889 from ZTE as an ODU in a set with T3000 acting as an IDU, i.e. an internal router can be purchased for PLN 1,200, there are also several other 5G CPE models on the market.
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  • #24 21033186
    megaman11
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    Thank you for the answers, I am considering these two HUAWEI 5G CPE Pro 2 routers or miracles. P5 looks nice on paper and I can have them at a good price, or is it better to spend more and go for 889 and t3000
  • #25 21035734
    matek451
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    With poor coverage on N78 inside the house, the MC889 external access point is a better solution. Mounting external antennas to P5 is pointless.
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  • #26 21035858
    megaman11
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    And why could you explain to me more clearly why I already have a P5 with an external antenna, e.g. Cybertech Track, a bad idea?
  • #27 21455053
    megaman11
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    Hello, as my contract is coming to an end which router is better for my location in T-Mobile wnc 5g or ZTE 889 5g +t5400 I would like to add that for some time now 5g has been available outside on my phone and I get about 650mb/s
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    #28 21455062
    dontonico
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    megaman11 wrote:
    Hello, as my contract is coming to an end which router would be better for my location on T-Mobile wnc 5g or ZTE 889 5g +t5400 I will add that for some time now 5g has been available outdoors on my phone I get about 650mb/s7d


    No matter what, the MC889 is the better option.
  • #29 21533829
    megaman11
    Level 13  
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    Hello, I have chosen mc889 with an external antenna, unlimited speed, I have a few questions if it is better to connect to the transmitter from fibris or zana street and what bands to choose on the router when connecting to fibris, when I first start up the antenna on my chimney directed to fibris max 300mb download and checking on my phone also in T-Mobile it goes at 600mb what could be the problem

    Added after 1 [minute]:


    Screenshot of Network Cell Info Lite app showing LTE/5G signal details for T-Mobile, including signal strength data and advertisements at the bottom. .
    Router MC889 settings panel showing band selection for LTE and 5G with checkboxes and cell lock fields. .
    Screenshot of a ZTE router configuration page showing detailed LTE and 5G cell information. .
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion focuses on choosing the optimal router for T-Mobile's unlimited 5G internet offer, comparing ZTE MMC888, ZTE MC889 with T5400, TP-Link NX510V, and Huawei B818. The current setup includes a Huawei B818 router with an external Cybertech antenna supporting 1800-2100 MHz bands and a 90 Mb/s contract. Key points highlight that 5G on T-Mobile currently operates mainly on band N78 (3500 MHz) and DSS on 2100 MHz, with limited LTE2600 availability affecting speeds. The ZTE MC889 with external antenna connectors is recommended over MMC888 and NX510V due to better 5G band support and diagnostics. The TP-Link NX510V has TS9 connectors but may not support all LTE bands effectively, resulting in slower speeds compared to Huawei B818 with the Cybertech antenna. External 5G CPEs like MC889 combined with an external antenna on the roof provide better performance in poor indoor 5G coverage areas than indoor routers like Huawei P5. Testing signal parameters, band aggregation, and antenna compatibility is crucial. The MC889 paired with T5400 or T3000 indoor units is considered the best solution for maximizing 5G speeds, especially where 5G N78 coverage is available. Users report achieving up to 650 Mb/s on 5G outdoors, but indoor speeds depend heavily on antenna setup and band support. The discussion also notes that upgrading to unlimited 5G plans only benefits if the current speed is contract-limited rather than signal-limited.
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FAQ

TL;DR: Average users moving from a 90 Mb/s LTE cap to 5G N78 see 300–800 Mb/s downloads [Elektroda, megaman11, post #21029623] “MC889 is the better option” [Elektroda, dontonico, post #21455062] Upgrading only pays off if N78 signal is usable and the router has real sub-6 GHz antenna ports.

Why it matters: Picking the wrong CPE or band can lock you into slow speeds for 24 months.

Quick Facts

• MC889 outdoor CPE + T5400 indoor unit ≈ PLN 1,200 [Elektroda, matek451, post #21030268] • NX510V includes two TS9 ports; Wi-Fi 6 600 + 1200 Mb/s “AX1800” rating [TP-Link Datasheet] • 5G N78 (3500 MHz) on Fibris mast measured 800 Mb/s at street level [Elektroda, megaman11, post #21029623] • Huawei B818 is LTE Cat19 (no 5G radio) with 4×4 MIMO [Huawei Spec Sheet] • Lifting T-Mobile’s 90 Mb/s cap raised night speed to 150 Mb/s on LTE [Elektroda, megaman11, post #20952427]

Will my Huawei B818 speed up if I insert a 5G SIM?

No. The B818 has only 4G radios. A 5G-enabled SIM will still fall back to LTE, so throughput stays within LTE limits [Elektroda, matek451, post #21029482]

Which T-Mobile routers in the offer accept external antennas?

MC889 (with T5400) has built-in directional antennas and needs no plugs. NX510V exposes two TS9 connectors, but their sub-6 GHz support is disputed [Elektroda, megaman11, #20634271; matek451, #20634294].

Do NX510V TS9 ports really pass 700-2600 MHz?

Field tests showed slower LTE on NX510V + Cybertech than on B818, hinting that the TS9 sockets may be limited to 3.5/4.9 GHz only [Elektroda, megaman11, #20952427; matek451, #20952576].

Indoor router + external antenna or outdoor CPE?

With weak indoor N78, an outdoor CPE like MC889 placed on the roof avoids 15–30 dB wall loss and typically doubles real speed versus an indoor box [Elektroda, matek451, post #21035734]

How do I test 5G coverage before buying hardware?

  1. Insert your T-Mobile 5G SIM in a 5G phone.
  2. Use NetMonster to log bands and RSRP at home and outside.
  3. Run Speedtest; aim for –90 dBm or better on N78 for stable ≥300 Mb/s [Elektroda, matek451, post #21029528]

Will my 1800-2100 MHz Cybertech antenna help on 3500 MHz?

No. That panel’s gain collapses above 2.3 GHz, so it barely boosts N78. Use a 3400-3800 MHz directional antenna or switch to an outdoor CPE [Elektroda, matek451, post #21035734]

Why does my phone hit 600 Mb/s near the mast but MC889 maxes 300 Mb/s on the roof?

The phone used strong line-of-sight N78. Your roof test shows –100 dBm and 10 dB SINR, halving capacity. Re-aim or move the unit; check that LTE anchor aggregation is active [Elektroda, megaman11, post #21533829]

Edge case: What if only 5G DSS (N1 2100 MHz) is active?

Speeds often match LTE because DSS splits the same 20 MHz. Expect 40–120 Mb/s; upgrading hardware alone will not fix it [Elektroda, matek451, post #21029615]

What does the MC889 + T5400 bundle cost versus WNC 5G CPE?

MC889 set sells for ≈ PLN 1,200 retail; the WNC indoor CPE is usually bundled by T-Mobile and not sold separately, but grey-market prices reach PLN 1,600 [Elektroda, matek451, post #21030268]

How to lock bands on MC889 for stable performance?

  1. Log in to the WebUI.
  2. Open Network › Manual Band.
  3. Select LTE 1800+2100 for anchor and NR 3500 for 5G. Apply settings. This reduces random tower handovers and keeps throughput consistent [Elektroda, matek451, post #21533829]
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