Wi-Fi Router for USB 3G/4G Modem. How to Choose The Right?

This article should come in handy for everyone who chooses a wi-fi router to work with a 3G/4G modem. Exactly with a USB modem. If you have cable internet, then you need a regular router, about the choice of which I wrote in this article. There I told in detail how to pick up a router for home, wrote about the different characteristics, and even advised specific models.

Most often, for villagers, the only way to connect to the Internet is to use a 3G/4G modem. As a rule, wired Internet is available only in the city, or in the nearest villages. The same ADSL is also not always possible to connect, even if there is a landline phone. Only wireless internet via USB-modem remains.

For example: everyone who goes online in the village where my parents live, do it through 3G operator. And almost every family (young family with children) has internet connection. This is a good thing, of course.

Choosing a Wi-Fi router for 3G/4G modem

It doesn’t matter in which country and with which operator 3G/4G internet is connected. In any case, we access the Internet through a USB modem, which is connected to a stationary computer or laptop. And that is the whole problem. More precisely, the problems begin when you need to connect more than one device to the Internet. For example, there is another laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc. in the house. And the Internet can be used only on one computer. And here the question arises, and how to distribute the Internet from a USB modem to several devices, including via Wi-Fi network.

If you have the Internet connected to a computer with a Wi-Fi receiver (laptop), then you can try to distribute the Internet without a router. We will have a computer in the role of a router. The method is not the most stable, and not the fact that it will work, but you can try.

Everything is solved by buying and setting up a Wi-Fi router that supports 3G/4G modems. This means that the router will connect to the Internet through our modem, and distribute it to all devices. Over a Wi-Fi network, or over a network cable (if you have a PC, or other device without a Wi-Fi receiver).

The main points in choosing a router for 3G/4G modem

This is important information, don’t miss it!

The router must necessarily support work with 3G/4G modems. This is indicated in the characteristics. As a rule, it says “WAN-port: USB 3G, USB 4G”.
If the router has a USB-port, it does not mean that it supports connection of USB-modems. USB-port is also used to connect printers, USB drives.
The most important thing is the compatibility of the USB modem with the router. If the router has support for USB modems, it does not mean that it will work with your modem. You should carefully check the specific model of the router for compatibility with a particular model of modem.
The official sites of router manufacturers have lists of compatible modems. However, if the modem is not on the list, it does not mean that it is not compatible with the Wi-Fi router. You can search for compatibility information on the Internet. I will write more about it below.
Please note: if you want to connect a USB drive or a printer to the router in addition to the modem, you need a router with two USB ports.
Almost all routers that support wireless modems, can easily distribute cable Internet. They have an RJ-45 WAN port for connecting a cable from your ISP, or an ADSL modem.
Some operators block the distribution of Internet via router, or from a computer. As far as I understand, the problem is solved by changing TTL. You can easily find this information on the internet for your operator.

These are the main points to understand and keep in mind while choosing a router.

Once again 🙂 The main thing is that the router should be compatible with the model of your 3G/4G modem. There are compatibility lists on the official websites of router manufacturers. I will give links to these lists below. If your modem is not in the list of compatible modems, then search the Internet for information on the request “router model + modem model”. Maybe they are compatible and someone has already configured them.

Now we will take a closer look at different models of routers with 3G/4G WAN support from different manufacturers. Consider the cheapest and most affordable routers, I will share my experience, tell you about the pros and cons of different models and manufacturers.

I’ll tell you right away that I have experience in configuring 3G modems on ASUS and TP-Link routers. Therefore, it is difficult for me to judge about routers of other manufacturers. But TP-Link and ASUS are the leaders in the router market, and they have a sufficient number of router models that support USB modems connection. Almost every manufacturer of network devices has at least 1-2 models that work with 3G-modems.

At the moment, I have Asus RT-N18U router working with USB-modem (Huawei EC 306, earlier Novatel U720). The router is not cheap, it has two USB ports. But it doesn’t support Wi-Fi 5GHz.

ASUS routers with 3G/4G modem support

Let’s first consider the models of this manufacturer. It seems to me that ASUS devices are the best in this category. Not because they give out the Internet better than others, or work more stable, but because they have everything very simply organized. And they have a good list of compatible modems. It is more or less clear whether the modem will work on the router or not.

Almost all routers from ASUS, which have a USB port, support 3G modems (and that’s right!). And this is more than 10 models. The cheapest router model, if I’m not mistaken: Asus RT-N14U. You can safely consider this router. Other models: Asus RT-AC750, RT-AC51U, RT-N18U, RT-N56U, RT-AC1200G+, RT-N66U, RT-AC87U, RT-AC55U, RT-AC3200. And that’s not all.

The list of compatible modems for all models: https://www.asus.com/event/networks_3G4G_support/.

Selecting an ASUS router for 3G/4G modem

Useful articles:

Separate article on this topic: ASUS routers with USB 3G/4G modem support. Selection and compatibility.
What else you need a USB port for on your ASUS router: /asus/who-do-you-need-a-usb-connector-on-the-asus-router/

TP-Link routers compatible with USB modems

I had a TP-Link TL-MR3220 at first. It was a good, inexpensive router. But now it seems to be out of production. So, TP-Link has released some new, modern models. At TP-Link everything is somehow a bit more complicated. In the sense that it is difficult to figure out which router model supports which modems, and in which country.

The following models are listed on the manufacturer’s website:

TP-Link TL-MR3420, TL-MR3220, TL-MR3020, TL-MR3040, TD-W8968, TL-WR842ND, TD-W8970, Archer VR900, Archer C2, Archer C20, TL-WR1045ND, Archer C7, Archer C50, TL-WR842N, TL-WR942N.

I would suggest considering the TP-LINK TL-MR3420. This is an older model, there is a good base of compatible modems. Of the newer ones, with support for Wi-Fi 5GHz there is an interesting model Archer C2. But before buying it you should make sure that it supports modems. There should be a corresponding icon on the box.

You can see the list of compatible modems at the link: https://www.tp-link.com/en/support/compatibility-list/.

Selecting a TP-Link router to work with a USB 3G modem

We have a configuration instruction: /tp-link/how-to-connect-a-3g-4g-usb-modem-to-a-wi-fi-router-tp-link-on-the-example-of-tp-link-tl-mr3220-settings/. True, there are no instructions yet for the new models, with the new control panel.

ZyXEL routers

ZyXEL has a lot of models with 3G/4G modem support, too. The list is long:

ZyXEL Keenetic II, III, Omni, Omni II, 4G II, 4G III, Giga II, Giga III, DSL, VOX, Extra, Extra II, Viva, Ultra and Ultra II

D-Link

D-Link also has routers that support USB/3G/LTE modems. These models are:

DIR-620/GA, DIR-632, DIR-620, DIR-815/AC, DIR-320, DIR-816L, DIR-825/A, DIR-825/AC

To find out the list of compatible modems, you need to open the page of a certain router on the D-Link website, and there you will see “Supported USB modems”.

Other manufacturers

Such routers are also available from other manufacturers. For example, MikroTik, NETIS, Cisco.

What model of router to buy? How to choose the right one?

Go to a large online store, go to the section with routers, and in the filter settings select routers with support for “WAN-port: USB 3G, USB 4G”. This setting may have a different name. But it most likely has that feature. Then, you can sort routers from cheap to expensive if you have a limited budget, or you want to find the cheapest router.

We’ll get a list of routers that work with modems. Choose the model that suits your price and features. Then, be sure to check it for compatibility with your modem (as I wrote above). Also, type in Google, or in Yandex query “router model + modem model”. Open a couple of pages, read. I think you will find a lot of useful information. Look at the page of a particular model on the manufacturer’s website.

I think this is the best way to find the best model for you, with minimal risks of getting incompatible devices. And then you can order online, or buy in a regular store.

If after purchase the router does not see the modem

The first thing to do is to find a configuration manual to make sure that you do everything correctly. Above I gave links to some instructions. Connect the modem without USB extension cable, if you have one. Update the router firmware. Make sure again that your devices are compatible.

I wrote a separate article on this problem: /3g-4g-internet-setup/who-sod-the-wi-fi-firouter-see-a-3g-4g-4g-usb-modem/

I hope this article helped you in choosing a router to work with USB modem. Write in the comments what router you have, and with what modem worked. This is useful information. You can also ask questions. All the best!