Three 4G Hub Review | Is Three 4G Broadband Any Good?

Looking at getting online using Three 4G home broadband?

Today, we’ve reviewed the Three 4G Hub, to see if it’s any good.

We’ve also shown how to set up this router, so you know what to expect when buying.

But before we begin, make sure to use Three’s Home Broadband coverage checker to see if you can get their 4G Hub or 5G Hub routers at your address at the moment.

Three 4G Hub overview

The Three 4G Hub is a wireless router sold bundled with an unlimited data SIM plan by Three in the UK.

It functions just like any other WiFi router you are used to using, except that rather than plugging into a broadband socket, it takes a SIM card, and uses the 4G network to get internet signal.

Once it connects to the mobile network, the 4G Hub creates a WiFi hotspot you can use to get online on any device, just like with a normal WiFi router.

It also has two Ethernet ports (one 2.5Gb and one 1Gb) in case you would like to connect devices directly.

The 4G Hub can be used anywhere in the UK with Three 4G signal, and it can also pick up 5G in areas with 5G coverage. This is because the Greenpacket E5-250MA router they’re currently shipping as the 4G Hub is actually a 5G router.

You can use the Three network coverage map to see what their signal is like in your part of the country at the moment.

The other benefit of getting the E5-250MA is it means if the Three network is upgraded in the future, you’ll be able to get 5G speeds using your 4G Hub.

This includes if Vodafone 5G is in the works in your area, since Vodafone and Three have merged recently. Currently, the two companies are in the process of allowing each other’s customers to access their network masts in different parts of the UK.

When you buy, you get everything you need to get online, and can set everything up yourself, which we’ve shown how to do in the next section.

The 4G Hub currently comes with a 24-month contract by default. However, there is also a 30-day money-back guarantee on Three’s home broadband bundles, allowing you to set up the router and see what the speeds are like at your address before you commit.

If you aren’t satisfied with the speeds, you can return the router to Three within a month of ordering if you want to leave the contract free of charge.

To see what pricing they’re currently offering on 4G internet, put in your postcode on the Three Home Broadband page on their website.

Three 4G Hub setup process

After placing your order online, you’ll get a box in the mail from Three with everything you need to get started.

Because the router is 5G-compatible, the box is labelled as 5G Home Broadband, even if you buy a 4G Hub.

Inside the box, you’ll find:

• The 4G Hub router
• Your Three SIM card
• A power cable
• An Ethernet cable
• A quick start guide

The setup process is quite easy, and took us about 20 minutes in total.

1. Insert the SIM card into the router

First, take the SIM card packaging, and remove the smallest size of SIM from the punch-out card, also known as a nano SIM.

Then, get the router, and look for the SIM slot on its base. This is located at the lower back of the router.

Push the SIM in cut-corner-first, with the cutout facing the top left as shown below.

Once it’s in the slot, push it in until you feel it click into place.

If you need to remove the SIM later, push it in again and it will pop out.

2. Plug in the router

Grab the power cable, and plug it into the power port on the back of the router. Then, plug the other end of the cable into a power socket.

At this point, the router will begin setting itself up, which will take a few minutes.

The status lights on this particular router are a bit confusing – there is a ring of light above the power button, and it can display multiple colours at the same time.

This is what the different colours mean:

With our 4G Hub, we left it for about five minutes, and when it was ready, the status light stayed green, indicating that the router had connected to 4G.

The light around the power button also turned green as far as we could see, even though the quick start guide says that it can only turn red or white.

3. Connect to WiFi

Once the router has connected to the mobile network, you can join its WiFi hotspot to get online.

To do this, look for the WiFi login details printed on the base of the router.

4. Find the best place for the 4G Hub

You are now ready to get online, but there’s one final step we recommend taking when setting up the 4G Hub.

4G and 5G routers need to be placed somewhere in the house with strong mobile network signal, in order to get the best possible speeds. The closer the router is to the mobile network mast, the better the signal it can pick up.

Normally, the best place for a 4G router is an upstairs windowsill, somewhere on the edge of the house. However, you might notice different performance with the router located on different sides of the property.

You can do speed tests with the router located in different spots to find the best place for it.

And if you have an Android phone, you can also use our Signal Test app to measure your signal strength in different parts of the house.

Once you download the app, insert the Three SIM card in your phone, and walk around the property, seeing where your mobile signal score is strongest. Then, run some speed tests with the router located in the spots with the strongest signal, to find the best place for it.

Three 4G Hub speed test

Using the Three 4G Hub, our internet experience was very smooth, and we had plenty of bandwidth to do things like stream TV online.

When testing in a suburban area, we normally received download and upload speeds much faster than Three’s advertised ranges using this router.

Note that though the router is 5G-compatible, these tests were taken using 4G only.

Ethernet speed test

Using the supplied Ethernet cable to connect the 4G Hub to a PC, we normally got a download speed of around 150 Mbps.

• Download speed: 165.77 Mbps
• Upload speed: 10.02 Mbps
• Ping: 47 ms

WiFi speed test

Over WiFi, at close-to-medium range to the 4G Hub, we usually received a download speed of 60-80 Mbps.

• Download speed: 69 Mbps
• Upload speed: 41.1 Mbps
• Ping: 38 ms

What speeds will I get with the 4G Hub?

We live in an area with strong 4G signal, so our download and upload speeds with the 4G Hub are quite good.

If you live in a very remote area, you may experience slower speeds, more in the region of 20-40 Mbps or so.

Unfortunately, there are no antenna ports on the 4G Hub, so you cannot use this router with an externally-mounted antenna in order to get better speeds.

However, you can take advantage of Three’s 30-day return policy to test and see what the exact speeds are like at your address before you commit to the length of the contract.

You can also use the Three network coverage map to see how good their signal is in your area before buying, looking for good indoor and outdoor 4G signal on your street.

What is the WiFi signal like?

With the Three 4G Hub placed on an upstairs windowsill – where it gets the best mobile network connectivity – we could get online throughout a four bedroom, two-storey house using this router.

The 4G Hub comes with WiFi 6, and as a result, we think it performs quite well when it comes to WiFi signal.

Even positioned quite far away from most laptops, phones, and other devices we wanted to get online with, we could still get download speeds of 30-50 Mbps with no WiFi extenders needed, which made for quite a good experience when web browsing and streaming videos.

Three 4G Hub gaming test

We tested the 4G Hub plugged into a computer, playing a range of different online games.

In most games, our ping was reported at around 40-50ms, which is not as low as the 10-15ms that fibre broadband typically offers.

However, our ping was very stable, with no packet loss, and we still had a good experience in most games.

We think that the 4G Hub works well for games like EAS FC, GTA, and Fortnite, but is not the best choice for extremely ping-sensitive games such as Counter-Strike or Rainbow 6 Siege.

Three 4G Hub value for money

The Three 4G Hub is usually one of the best value ways to get online in the UK.

It typically costs about £15 per month, with no upfront fees – but click here to check exact pricing at the moment on the Three website.

This is a lot cheaper than the £25-£30 you typically pay for fibre broadband with the likes of BT and Sky.

There are annual mid-contract price rises on the 4G Hub’s 24 month contract, which it’s important to keep in mind, but most fibre broadband deals also have the same thing going on at the moment.

Compared to other wireless home broadband plans, the good thing about Three’s 4G Hub deals is they always come with unlimited data. This isn’t always the case when buying 4G or 5G internet.

Also, there is currently £200 of bill credit available to offset any early termination fees you might have to pay to your current provider before switching to Three Home Broadband – you just need to send them proof of this after you buy, and it will be applied as an account credit.

Is the Three 4G Hub any good? Our verdict

We really like the Three 4G Hub.

• It offers fast, consistent download and upload speeds from our testing.
• The monthly costs are some of the cheapest of any broadband deal in the UK.
• You get a 30-day return policy, allowing you to test the speeds before committing to the contract.
• The router is 5G-compatible, meaning it can offer 5G speeds if you use it somewhere with 5G signal, or if your local network gets upgraded.
• Everything is very easy to set up yourself, with no engineer visit needed.

Overall, we rate the Three 4G Hub 4.6 out of 5. This is a cheap, simple way to get online, with fast download and upload speeds if you live in an area with good mobile signal.

Remember, use the Three network coverage map to see what their signal is like in your area before buying, or go to this page to see what current pricing is like on the 4G Hub.

Three 4G Hub alternatives

If you’re not quite set on the 4G Hub, there are also some other 4G and 5G internet deals you can use to get online at home using mobile broadband.

1. Three 5G Hub

As well as their 4G Hub, Three also sells something called the 5G Hub, which they may recommend when you use their broadband postcode checker.

Since the 4G Hub router is now 5G-compatible, the two devices are very similar. They both come with the same number of Ethernet ports, are both WiFi 6 compatible, and both cost about the same.

Therefore, we wouldn’t worry too much about choosing the 5G Hub over the 4G Hub. However, if they recommend the 5G Hub on their website, you might be able to get faster download and upload speeds in your area with Three wireless home broadband.

Read our full review of the Three 5G Hub and also their 5G Outdoor Hub, which may be recommended in areas with weaker 5G signal.

2. Three 4G MiFi device

Like the Three 4G Hub, this gadget also takes a SIM and connects to 4G to get you online.

However, rather than plugging into mains power, it comes with a battery, making it a lot more portable.

The downside is, it doesn’t offer as fast download or upload speeds compared to with a proper router like the 4G Hub.

Read our full review of Three 4G MiFi.

3. National Broadband 4G Internet

If the Three mobile network isn’t the best in your area, this company can help get you set up with 4G or 5G internet on a different mobile network, such as O2 or EE.

National Broadband is a smaller business that will assess your specific address to figure out the best wireless internet solution for you. They supply everything you need to get online, including a router and SIM plan, and an external antenna if required to get good speeds at your address (normally in very remote areas).

They’re not as cheap as using the 4G Hub, but are a lot cheaper than buying wireless broadband directly from another network like Vodafone or EE.

Conclusion

This is the end of our 4G Hub review.

If you’re still not sure if this is the right home broadband solution for you, or if you have any questions, leave us a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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Tom Paton

Tom is the founder of Broadband Savvy. He has nearly 10 years’ experience writing broadband tutorials, reviewing routers and internet service providers, and explaining broadband-related concepts. Tom is experienced as a writer, has appeared on national radio and in national newspapers, and also produces videos for the Broadband Savvy YouTube channel.

He currently specialises in writing content for Broadband Savvy designed to help people understand broadband jargon and terminology, increase their download and upload speeds, and improve their Wi-Fi connectivity. Tom also occasionally contributes to buyer’s guides and review articles on Broadband Savvy, utilising his knowledge of the broadband market in the UK.

When he’s not writing about broadband, you’ll find him hiking somewhere or playing on his Nintendo Switch.