Well, colour me gobsmacked!

It works for incoming and outgoing calls, though the outgoing call took about 8 seconds to connect - which seems a very long time indeed when you are just hearing silence.

However, my sim doesn't have any inclusive minutes.

I've been reading this thread with interest since purchasing a Three SIM and a Huawei B525 router. I also purchased a Poynting Omni, but I think that was a waste of money to be honest, as my speeds don't seem to have changed much. Worse if anything (especially with the new holes in the wall to get the cables through).

What is frustrating me - and I hope someone can help - is the sheer lack of information for this router. I can't even find a manual that explains how to set up the Speed Dial function.

I also have a VoIP account with FreeVoIPdeal and I'm not sure whether the router routes calls via this or the Three SIM card. There seems to be no information on which one comes first. Again, no details about it online from what i can find. I also get the 8 second delay before it calls, but it doesn't bother me particularly.

Most annoying of all though is the router's inability to now drop from 4G back to 3G for incoming calls. They were going to straight to Voicemail, but I've asked Three to swtich that off and they now get an engaged tone.

It was working previously and falling back, but stopped around a week ago. Any ideas? I've tried most if not all of the UMTS/LTE settings and the only reliable one is to force it to 3G/UMTS only.

This has the added advantage of more reliable speeds on 3G, where I seem to have contention issues if I have 4G and the speed isn't as good during the day.

It's all a bit annoying really, as this was supposed to be progress - especially with the speed - from my old fixed fibre landline broadband!

Setting up the speed dial is easy. Fill in the speed dial short number, the actual number to call, the name and click OK then click Apply.
Doesn't work for me through VOIP, but it might do through the sim if I still had a phone plugged into the router.
If you've set up VOIP details, I expect it will route through that. Easy to tell: can your mobile and see what number is calling.
Mine worked perfectly well in 4G in an incoming call. Perhaps it is to do with the Three service area.
I have a directional antenna, because I have clear line of sight to more than one base station. Works brilliantly: signal level mostly varies between >=-51 and -55dBm, SINR usually around 10dB to 13dB but sometimes it drops to 0.
The antenna is sitting inside an upstairs window. I expect outdoors would be better, but that means climbing a ladder.

Edited by hoopla (Tue 02-Jul-19 17:07:50)

In reply to a post by hoopla:

Well, colour me gobsmacked!

It works for incoming and outgoing calls, though the outgoing call took about 8 seconds to connect - which seems a very long time indeed when you are just hearing silence.

However, my sim doesn't have any inclusive minutes.

After reading that (particularly that an outgoing call took a long time to connect) I just tried it again myself and it works - I just had to wait 25 seconds after dialing (!)

So after all that, everything works without me having to do anything other than be a bit more patient!

Thanks for your help.

I wonder if the delay is because there isn't an equivalent of a send button on a standard wired handset and the delay is the router waiting for a key press.

Is this the firmware you're looking for.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ll9ieqqooyhy5/Docum...

Source information. Polish forum. Has a lot of information on the b525. A lot of tutorials on bridge mode and the such. 44 pages of it.

http://www.bez-kabli.pl/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=50771&p...

You'll need to use google translate, of course

might be worth trying a # at the end of the number

In reply to a post by woodmass14:

Is this the firmware you're looking for.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ll9ieqqooyhy5/Docum...

Yes, that's the one, but it won't update to that using the "local update" facility.
I may have to try the more complicated method - but only when I've recovered from my flu

In reply to a post by hoopla:

However, my sim doesn't have any inclusive minutes.

Even better: I was wrong about that too.
I was planning to sign up for the business deal, which is a few pounds cheaper per month, but needed far too much paperwork. That had no inclusive minutes or texts.
In the end I got a retail verson (no paperwork needed) which has unlimited texts and minutes.

In reply to a post by DualingAunts:

In reply to a post by hoopla:

Well, colour me gobsmacked!

It works for incoming and outgoing calls, though the outgoing call took about 8 seconds to connect - which seems a very long time indeed when you are just hearing silence.

However, my sim doesn't have any inclusive minutes.

After reading that (particularly that an outgoing call took a long time to connect) I just tried it again myself and it works - I just had to wait 25 seconds after dialing (!)

So after all that, everything works without me having to do anything other than be a bit more patient!

Thanks for your help.

This is very interesting, Just so I understand correctly, if you put a standard household handset in the back of the B525 with no special configuration (e.g. VOIP) you can use the sim number for outgoing and incoming calls (credit permitting). I thought the B525 had a RJ11 on the back rather than a standard BT socket, do you have to do anything special with the cable between router and phone? what sort of dial tone do you get when you pick up the handset?