Huawei E8372d Manual

[Gabby Dreher]

Ittook some time to work out how to slide the side off it, to insert my mini-sized Virgin SIM, which I didn't know would work. The SIM inserts very easily, with no undue bending, or ejection of the micro SIM from its frame.

Initially, the E8372 has some undesirable characteristics, which force you to read the manual, with harrumphing and a magnifying glass. I attempted to get it to work in pure wifi mode. I entered 192.168.8.1 on my Android tablet, and was forced to Google Play, which wouldn't open, because the APN/activate wasn't configured. *the sound of one sarcastic hand clapping*

I connected an antenna to the wrong one of its antenna sockets and inserted the USB into my dominant paradigm Windows 7 computer, where it installed just peachy and commanded Firefox to display the router homepage. It accepted admin/admin, and I was able to enter VirginBroadband APN in a jiffy, without being confused by stupid disconnects and default menus.

It became apparent, in small doses, that the correct antenna port for 3G was the one nearest the USB plug. There I got 5 bars, but in the other one, I got random bars between 2 and 4. Wouldn't it be funny if the best port for 4G was the other one, like the Optus saleskid said? (There's no solving this one.)

Then I went back to my Samsung Tab 4, and tried a connection from that, and got directed to google play again, only to find out that the Huawei Hilink super gizmo won't work on a Tab 4. *sound of the other sarcastic hand clapping* Mercifully, after failing that, I was NOW able to get the web interface.

The MF910 has a feature under "Network Settings" which allows you to force the modem into LTE. This is useful, if the nearest tower is 3G, and it dominates the reception of a distant 4G tower. For a few minutes, I thought that the E8372 lacked this, but then I found it under "Dialup" *cheers*

When the E8372 connected to a distant 700Mhz 4G, its receive strength was very similar to the MF910. However, the E8372 device information page supplies RSRP as well as RSSI, SINR, RSRQ, Band Info: 28, PCI, Cell ID. Also an estimation of current LTE bandwidth (which is not correct). The MF910 supplies only "Signal Strength", which is not very helpful.

The internal antennas in the E8372 are not as good as the MFs, as far as I can tell. At my favoured antenna-less spot on the window, the E8372 was finnicky, and typically only able to get 600KBytes to 800K, whereas the ZTE modems tended to get 800K - 1.2M, without trying for any particular position.

With long distance 4G, it's more difficult to tell, because you can feel the life being drained out of your plan at 2 - 3 MBytes a second. If I had to take a punt, I'd say the MF910 performed 10-20% better, because in all the tests, I never saw the E8372 suddenly doing better. When I plugged 2 antennas into either device, they sped up a bit.

The E8372 seems to disappear on USB, after you reboot your PC. Also, every time you push it in, you get a bubble telling you that this device could perform better on USB 3. Then your browser is forced to show the home page.

I wonder just what your antenna set up is, length and type of coax? Do you receive your LTE on the 700mhz frequency which very few external antennas sold and erected in the past are in fact tuned for?

Antennas in general are tricky. I was using a home made dipole antenna for some time, but then realised I got better speeds by using the dual MF91 internal antennas. I had previously been using an E3131, with only one antenna. When 3g is received on one antenna (which is all most people can be bothered hooking up), some of your speed can be sacrificed, even if the signal is apparently stronger.

In the case of the new 700Mhz frequency, you can plug one dipole antenna into the modem socket, of length 21.4 cm, but when you need to pick up 3g, the dipole now needs to be 16.6cm. For the temporary testing of this, I jammed some aluminium foil into the ends of the 900MHz antenna, to pad it out to 21.4. . Rotating the antenna as per MIMO polarization seems to have no effect.

I'm not terribly thrilled by yagis, at the moment. I know two people with the pro built yagis and their upload speeds are rotten. I think the best solution is to put your wifi modem on a methane balloon, and send it up 40m. That way you can use the complex antenna system of the modem, and have it switch antennas, as it switches bands. I would hate to be in a situation where my 4g was marginal, and i needed to fall back on 3g every few hours. In my current case, I have a 4g tower 24km north, and a 3g tower 8km south east. How do you build an antenna for that? I expect the situation to change, but Optus has been known to pull out of its projected rollouts.

I'll answer my own question. I have a roof top Yagi and per spec it covers Telstra/Voda 850Mhz frequency and can pick up 700Mhz LTE from a tower 7 klms distant. The e8372 software (telstra) reports RSCP varying between -99db and -104db. I notice with this software that any signal above -100db gives four bars, -100 to -104 it's three. Then -105 and worse it's two bars. I haven't seen one or five bars.

Only two issues I'm finding with the Telstra e8372h firmware is VOIP ports are blocked and to unlock you have to flash a generic huawei firmware first and then run it through the dc-unlocker dashboard. I haven't successfully negotiated my way around this yet.

I've had one of these connected to a Dovado router, then to a Fritz!Box 7390 without any issues with VoIP services. I just set it up and it worked, don't recall doing anything out of the ordinary. So I don't see how the Telstra firmware is blocking any ports.

That seems pretty bad for 7km, unless you have a thumping great hill in the way. I'm getting about -106 to -108 on a dipole, from a tower 24km away, and I haven't put it in a favourable roof position.. It's just the 3G tower antenna turned to point north, with solar panels in the way. Maybe they help :-)

I can use the e8372h wingle w/out antenna and connect to a nearer tower with the signal diagnostics reading - 96 to -102db and that tower's 4.7klms away, this tower may be more congested as while I get 50 down and 30 up from the more distant tower with yagi, the nearer one is slower particularly at busy times.

I mean the actual frequencies. Like if I was Telstra, I would buy close to 750mhz, either side, and leave Optus the dregs, so they had to buy 700-710 and 780-790. That way, Telstra antennas could be tuned better.

Has anyone who activated the included SIM (with 5Gb of data) made a recharge yet?

I'm curious to hear if the remainder of whatever you have left of the original 5GB is carried over when you make your first prepaid recharge.

That's the normal behaviour for introductory "bonus" offers from telcos

Yep, but I've been lucky in the past with other offers, so was just curious to confirm it ;-)

I've had a reply in another thread that says the initial credit with the included SIM does expire, so we now know for sure. It was still an amazing score for the $49 that I paid for it, very handy little device.

I've had stacks of use for the past 3 years or so out of my old Telstra 3G USB + Wi-Fi MF70 which this new device seriously improves on.

Regarding the antenna and its socket on the Opus E8372_607 as opposed to the Telsra E8372_608.

I read somewhere that it was CRC9 or TS5. This site shows it as CRC9:

-provider/optus-antennas-for-optus-wireless-broadband-modem-router/huawei-e8372-car-wifi-modem.html

However, when I plug in a TS9 Patch, as I didnt have a CRC9 to try, It fits nicely. So... It appears that the Optus and the Telstra versions do in fact both use TS9 type connectors. Anyone had other experience than this?

The el-cheapo (top illustrated) Hong Kong one with the banana-look, is the shonkiest fit. The clean ones are really good. However the (bottom illustrated) Chinese ebay one, has a bad connection to FME, that rotates, so the wire is twisted out really easily. The middle one came from Telstra/Bigpond at some point.

Great, thanks for clarifying that.

Im not about to Jam a CRC9 patch cable onto a TS9 socket... as these are delicate enough as it is.

Also, Ive given up buying anything electronic or electrical from china, whether its ebay or whatever, as there just isnt any real warranty and most of those cheap items just fall apart.

Ive found that for an extra few $ the quality from an ozzy seller is better.

I reckon it would take a great deal of unnecessary effort for Huawei, to source alternate antenna sockets, of different manufacture, that appear to be identical in physical construction and appearance?

I use APN virginbroadband and PAP in the settings, connects fine but heres the problem.. it only loads certain websites which is really strange, for example i can load youtube and stream anything super fast and can use whirlpool forums and check my email but cant load ebay or pccasegear + any speedtest sites... bizarre! Have cleared cache with ccleaner and through chrome itself etc.

It has to do with DNS and setting it in the router or computer. I have have got things to work by using a set DNS server (8.

8.8.8). I don''t fully understand the problem or what really is the fix. The virgin sim has the same problem in any modem I use.

I fixed mine accidently by using a TP-Link MR3020. No setting changes required. It also works on Rooter in a TP-Link 4300 by using 8.8.8.8 in modem DNS. My Dovado Pro I have not got to work, and setting DNS in my laptop and connected modem via USB sometimes works.

@NBN .. i know that Virgin uses optus networks but why would you want to rely on your customers using another companies unlocked device.. i mean to a- make more money and b-cut down on issues/complaints with incompatibilities?

Interesting the Dovado is a common theme. I tried this 1st. It may be setting something in the profile. Push the reset button on the modem and try just plugged into a laptop. Try setting dns in the laptop. I think "virginbroadband" is the apn.

3a8082e126