InHand Networks IR302 Industrial IoT 4G LTE VPN Cellular Router, LTE Cat 4+ Wi-Fi, Dual sim Card Slots, Management by Cloud Platform, DI/DO Port, Support T-Mobile, AT&T & Verizon, UL Certification

At my rural home, an LTE connection is my only option for internet. I had been using a MOFI LTE router, but after a hardware failure and abysmal customer service, I swore off that brand and went in search of a different manufacturer.There aren't that many consumer-friendly LTE modems that are approved by Verizon, so I was really glad to find this InHand unit. I think it's probably meant to be used mostly for remote location IoT devices, but it has been working great as our home's primary internet connection for several months now. Connected to a 2X MIMO log periodic outdoor antenna, this unit consistently delivers excellent throughput and stability. Customer service so far has been great, too. I had a few configuration questions early on, and the InHand folks were quick to reply and helpful.Keep in mind that this is not bleeding edge technology. The modem is not the most current and supports only LTE. Also, the built-in WiFi is minimal at best (2 GHz only, single antenna), which is another reason why I figure this was designed to provide remote connectivity for IoT devices. None of these are a big deal for me - home routers are a dime a dozen, so I just connected one to the InHand's Ethernet port, and we were up and running with good WiFi. And I don't mind that the LTE modem is an older category. Our signal is marginal here anyway, and I'm not trying to do any carrier aggregation. Just need consistent, stable connectivity to the Verizon bands on our local tower, and this device provides that for sure.

There was small amount of difficulty setting it up but the tech-support from inhand is excellent. There’s also a 60 page online manual that can be very helpful.I installed the device about 600 feet from my cabin at a site that has a good cellular signal. Using yogi antenna I transmit Wi-Fi to my cabin. There are some signal loss, but there’s also trees in between the transmitter and my cabin. The nearest cellular tower is at least 3 miles away. The power usage is very low so I’m using one 75 W panel and an 50Ah LiTime lithium iron battery and Morningstar brand PWM charge controller. But I think the solar panel exceeds the needs.

Inhand IR302 Industrial Cellular Router was used as primary connection to internet for 2 months without problem. IR302 receives signal from cell tower; converts cellular signal to Ethernet signal and communicates with computer using RJ-45 LAN port.More detailed instructions for setup would be helpful: Login > Network > Cellular > SIM Network Provider > select from list of major networks such as AT&T, T Mobil, Verizon, or choose 'Profile 1' if carrier is not on list > scroll down to 'Profiles, Index 1' and enter APN ('ccdata' for Consumer Cellular, my carrier). To store and refresh data: Network > Cellular, and confirm the new data is stored. Ignore 'Access Number *99#'; it is an old parameter for one of the dial-up phones carrier in China.Tech support was very helpful; provided instruction to test recognition of device, and ping test to check packet sent, received and lost.

This thing has only 100MBps ethernet ports, supported wifi is pretty outdated and the configuration UI is cryptic, lacking and buggy (for example, you can't configure routes freely, this thing will force gateway configuration on WAN port). However, it does support VPN and other features, making it a decent backup solution.

It allowed me to maintain watch over a remote tower site until I could get fiber internet ran to it.

Setup was fairly quick and easy. Finding a good cellular plan that worked good in my area at an affordable price was the hardest part. Once I found a reliable and affordable cellular provider it worked really well. I am able to make changes by the remote web management from the manufacturer web page and view online status. I am also able to text the sim card number and get online status and force a reboot if needed. Still working on remote access to a raspberry pi but have not had the time for it yet.

I purchased this router for an off-grid property as a way to have my solar system connect to the internet and be able to access it for data metrics and monitoring. The initial setup was a bit more complex than it should be... but, I managed to get the device online and connect to Verizon with a new SIM for that purpose.The device performed well for about a week or so and then would no longer connect to Verizon. I thought it could be due to a firmware update that I applied as a best practice, so I reverted the firmware to the version that was previously installed and had the same issue. I then did a factory reset and reinstalled the latest firmware available. That did not fiz the problem. It would still not connect to the cellular network. I took a look at the logs and there was an error showing up describing an issue with the modem driver.At that point, I reached out to Inhand via online chat and email. I got a response asking for more info (serial number, where did I purchase the unit, SIM card and so on. I provided that info AND the logs showing the error with the modem and they continued working the support script without a deeper dive into the log files I provided... several emails later, they noticed the error and asked if the device was installed in a "vibrating environment" and if I could connect to a wired network to troubleshoot. What should have happened is to admit that there was a hardware error and offer to RMA this unit and replace. I believe this device has a modem module that either failed OR was not installed correctly and has a bad connection to the rest of the system. I wasted 4-6 hours messing around with this and as of today, it is going to be returned to Amazon without a resolution from Inhand. If you buy this, be aware that it is a bit more comlex than a standard router configuration AND if you require support, it is not local or expedient and they are not proactive about working with customers. I really like the form factor and concept... but, they are not really very good at supporting their products.