5 Best 3G and 4G LTE Universal Dongles For 2015
Now that 4G LTE is becoming more common, and most importantly, more affordable in countries around the world, it makes much more sense now to get a 4G universal dongle than ever before. Luckily, even the dongles themselves are quite affordable, but the only issue is that there aren’t too many available in the market. The proliferation of 4G also caused the prices of high speed 3G universal dongles to fall, so unlike a couple of years ago, you now have a lot of options for 21.6 Mbps capable dongles under Rs. 1500. So if you’re looking to buy a universal 3G or 4G dongle in 2015, it’s the right time to do so. Without further ado, here’s our picks for the top 5 high speed 3G and 4G universal dongles for 2015!
Top 5 High Speed 3G and 4G LTE Universal Dongles
3G Only Universal Dongles:
Huawei E3531
First up, we have the infallible E3531 from telecommunications giant Huawei. Now, it’s been around for a while, but still remains a fantastic option even today. It’s also the most affordable option on our list, but doesn’t compromise on features or build quality. You get voice call support, SMS support, soft WiFi for upto 5 devices, SD card support and there’s no need to use a disc to install software. A very good option if you don’t want to spend too much but still want all the features and speed.
Price: Rs. 1270
ZTE MF70
The ZTE MF70 is another affordable yet great option if you want a lot of features but are on a budget. The product of another globally known Chinese telecommunications manufacturer, the MF70 is simple and packed with features. It has pretty much everything the Huawei E3531 mentioned above does, but bumps up WiFi support for upto 10 devices, has external antenna support, plug and play functionality and MicroSD card expandable storage. For the price, it’s an excellent deal!
Price: Rs. 1470
Digisol DG-BA3321
The Digisol DG-BA3321 is our final pick for an affordable yet fast and feature packed 3G universal dongle you should consider buying. It’s the no nonsense kind of dongle that a lot of people would like, coming with call support, SMS support, 32 GB built in but non expandable storage and 3 years warranty on registration. Like the other two universal dongles on the list, it also supports download speeds upto 21.6 Mbps, so if you have the network for it, speed will never be an issue.
Price: Rs. 1500
3G and 4G LTE Universal Dongles
Huawei E3276
Now we come to the really fast 4G LTE dongles, starting with the Huawei E3276. One of the most popular 4G LTE dongles available and for good reason, the E3276 is surprisingly affordable. Other than the mentioned 4G LTE sim support, the E3276 also comes with an expandable storage slot for a MicroSD card and external antenna support. There’s no call or SMS support, so it’s mainly meant for browsing the internet. If that’s what you need, then this should be your dongle of choice. It will work on current Airtel 4G LTE networks in India.
Price: Rs. 1800
Micromax MMX444L
If you’re looking for a no compromises 4G LTE universal dongle, then the desi Micromax MMX444L is the best choice right now. It’s got 4G LTE SIM support as promised, has expandable storage upto 32 GB via MicroSD card and supports both calling and SMS. Plus, you get TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE band support, so it will work perfectly well even on future non TDD-LTE networks in India, and some abroad. The only downside is that there’s no WiFi connectivity. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the best high speed universal dongle you can buy right now.
Price: Rs. 2499
Those were our picks for the best 3G and 4G LTE universal dongles worth buying this year. Do let us know what you think about the article and if you need any help choosing!
About The Author
Rahul Gondane
Rahul Gondane is a technophile and gamer, who has been obsessed with everything tech ever since he started dabbling in it in early 2000. He also enjoys reading books, listening to music and watching movies. Rahul is the Chief Operating Officer of Pyrite Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
can u tell me in india when will 4g LTE dongle will be launched
It’s already launched, you’ll get it in all 4G enabled cities.
Rahul, I am from Assam. What should I buy- 3G or 4G? Any specific device name suggestions please.
Go for one of the 4G dongles from here, Aircel has 4G in Assam.
Sir.mai ek achha dongal Lena chahta hun Jo wi fi inbuilt ho.speed achha ho.calling ho.Gsm CDMA dono sim supported ho.price bhi achha ho lakin quality ke liye paisa koi mayne nahi rakhta.please answer
Get one of the dongles on the list, you won’t find any ones with CDMA support though.
I am assuming these will work with all carriers in all circles? And internationally? What I want to ask is are all bands supported?
Also, do roaming chargers apply to data in India if you travel to different circles? Are they huge?
Yep, they will work. Internationally as well, as long as the bands match. Data doesn’t have roaming charges, only phone does.
hi,
Can huawei E3531 be used on plug into power pattern, like airtel r tata docomo. Please help in this.
No, it has to be connected to a PC.
Thank you for the useful write up. After trying various options of net connectivity I came to conclusion that service providers may have to be switched anytime and it is better to go for generic dongles.
I have question. Since 4G has already arrived its better to have a dongle with 4G capabilities. But it is also important to have wifi option.. Do you think its is better to wait some more time to get devices with this combination?
Thank you for your time.
Well that’s up to you, I’d say go for a dongle for now at least, they’re not particularly expensive.
sir
1. which is best-(D-LINK-
DWP-157 or Huawei-E3531) for
windows 8.1 os (laptop).
2. windows 8.1 os support
datacard name.not required wifi.
3.Huawei-E3531 not supported 2G Sim?
Both will work well. They both support 2G, yes.
Which is the best 4G universal dongle and which is best 3G universal dongle. Most of the timeI I am at Bangalore and travel to Hubli too.
Pick up any of the 4G ones mentioned, they’d do great.
Hi,
Are all these devices gonna work on windows & mac?
which us the best to create a wi-fi hotspot considering i need this in jalpaiguri-siliguri; these are small towns in westbengal
do all of them need a SIM card to be inserted
How is MTS? I think it doesn’t need a SIM card
Thanks
Not all of these work perfectly well on Mac, Windows is no problem though. You can pick any of the 2-3 that have the WiFi hotspot feature, and yes, they need SIM cards to be inserted. I wouldn’t recommend getting a MTS dongle, you’ll be stuck with that network, their service isn’t great.
Hi Rahul I did go thru the artical which lists top 5 high speed 3G and 4G LTE Universal Dongles which has Huawei E3531 data card.I searched for this unit to order online, found it on snapdeal.The tech specs doesn’t say this device supports 4G…is is still under development/testing on 4G network? I thought its right time now to buy 4G data card instead 3G data card.I intend to use this data card to go online on my pc/netbook while sharing internet and also using calling option.Please suggest if it is ok to go for the device.
Thankyou
Hi Srinivas,
I’ve listed the E3531 under the 3G only section, the ones at the bottom are 4G compatible. Go for one of those, I recommend.
If I use my mobile hotspot for internet rather than a dongle, will more data be used up than in the case of a dongle?
Nah, they’re pretty much the same. Except that your mobile phone itself will use some data for regular operation.
Sir,
MMX 444L aur Huawei E3276 me kya soft WiFi feature hai?
The Huawei has it.
Hi Rahul,
Needed to ask. I want to purchase a dongle. I have been using 3G, but since Airtel has 4G in Odisha, I want to be able to use both Airtel 4G and Aircel/BSNL 3G. So will the Micromax 4G dongle be able to provide me with 3G as well ? Or is it just 4G ? Thanks for your time.
All 4G dongles are backwards compatible, so if 4G isn’t available, it goes to 3G. If 3G isn’t available, it goes to 2G.
Hi Rahul,
Are the 4G dongles listed can be used with 3G sim & operated??
Yes, they can.
Hi
I am planning to buy a universal Dongle for data connectivity, but I require call support and some times wifi.
The MMX444L, you have mentioned has call support but no wifi. I have a wifi modem connected to my PC for LAN. Will that help create wifi connectivity to other devices if this dingle is plugged in to my PC.
No, you’ll need to get a dongle that broadcasts WiFi as well for that.
I have bought a Huawei Power-Fi E8221 3G Dongal. Kindly suggest to me which simcard to use for getting good connectivity at good rates, prepaid. I am in Bangalore
Go for an Airtel SIM.
Hello sir,
I wanted to buy 4G dongle+wifi enable but in my state 4G is not available but it be avaible soon so 4G dongle will Support 2G ?
Yes, 2G support is included.
nice information on website
Sir I m from hissar, haryana. I have a dongle ( iball 3.5GH-72) doesn’t work on win8.1 . Is there any solution for that it will work on. If not, plz suggest me a 4g enabled, wifi hotspot, call sms featured unlocked usb dongle which can work on win8.1 and above.
With regards, Rajneesh Soni
Are you sure you’ve installed the correct drivers? If you want to get a new one, get any of the two 4G ones on this list.
Ys sir i tried on net nd also got in contact with iball co. They replied that 3.5GH-72 isn’t compatible with win8.1 nd suggested another model to use. Now I am confused about what to do, one of myfriends told me to replace win8.1 with win8 nd use the same dongle. Plz suggest me what I do
Hi,
Will the Huaweu E3276 work with carriers other than Airtel? Thank you.
Regards,
Cecilia
Yep, it’ll work on other networks as well. Do you mean on 4G or lower speeds though?
Rahul Ji, Excellent Write up. I want to purchase the Huawei 3276 Dongle. Will it be compatible with the upcoming Reliance Jio Network??
Nope, they’re going to use TDD LTE, this dongle supports FDD LTE bands.
just a question how many of these have an option for forcing 3g only, or 4g only mode, as the network keeps switching between 3g and 2g here.
if none of these have that option which one would you suggest, that has the option of forcing 3g only.
also do these modems/ data cards support port forwarding, need to know for playing online games.
hoping to get an answer. thanks
You should be able to find the setting on all of them. It’s a standard feature.