Totolink LR1200 dual band WiFi/LTE router - performance test

Totolink LR1200 WiFi Router with LTE Modem is a device capable of performing multiple functions simultaneously. It is a compact device with WiFi 5 technology, which is a dual-band module compliant with IEEE 802.11ac, equipped with four LAN FastEthernet ports, a WAN port in the same standard and 4G LTE up to 150 Mbps download, 50 Mbps upload. This solution allows you to flexibly adapt to your current network access capabilities or use one of the types as a backup link. Classic design, two antennas with good range, the possibility of quick use thanks to plug&play and a plethora of implemented features make this device worth looking at. But how does this device perform when it comes to range and throughput?

A closer look at the capabilities of the WiFi router reveals a device that you would want a little more from. The LTE modem allows you to access the network at a theoretical speed of 150 Mbps, the WAN port - only 100 Mbps, and the WiFi module supports the AC dual band standard, with speeds up to 300 Mps for 2.4 GHz and as much as 867 Mbps for 5GHz. That's way too high, with virtually no use of WiFi speeds beyond possible local traffic, within devices connected wirelessly to the router. According to the specifications, the Totolink router supports up to 64 wireless users, 32 at each WiFi frequency. The LTE module in Totolink LR1200 is Quectel EC series, according to the manufacturer's specifications, based on the Qualcomm MDM9x07 chipset. Thanks to its compatibility with current standards, it allows to work with all mobile carriers available in Poland providing wireless data transmission services. This is primarily:

• LTE FDD: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20
• LTE TDD: B38, B39, B40, B41
• WCDMA: B1, B5, B8
• And standards: TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA, CDMA2000, 1xEVDO, GSM, GPRS, EDGE.

The MediaTek 7623 processor with MediaTek 7612 radio chip is responsible for the smooth operation of the router. The device has two built-in 5dBi WiFi antennas for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, as well as two detachable external LTE 5dBi antennas. The slot for SIM cards is standard. Wireless connectivity is possible and security compliant with 64/128-bit WEP, WPA and WPA2 standards. It also provides support for IP, MAC, and URL filtering, as well as Port Forwarding and DMZ. The LR1200 router has physical WPS/Reset button. It can work indoors at 0℃~50 ℃ temperature, 10%~90% humidity without condensation. It also supports high standard 8KV / 15KV ESD protection.

The cardboard packaging of the Totolink LR1200 network device houses several items. These are:

1. Router with dimensions - 120 x 180 x 256 mm, equipped with:
   • 10/100M WAN port with status LED
   • 4 x LAN port 10/100M with status LED
   • Standard SIM card slot
   • DC jack connector
   • Two LTE antenna connectors
   • Indicator lights: 1 x Sys, 1 x SMS, 1 x WIFI, 1 x 2G/3G, 1 x LTE, 4 x Signal
2. Two 5dBi LTE antennas.
3. Power adapter
4. Ethernet cable
5. SIM Adapter (Nano, Micro)
6. Quick installation guide

The device has a classic black color, and is slightly matte on the top. On the back, clearly distinguishable yellow LAN and orange WAN ports, black buttons, and on the front - clearly labeled system LEDs.

TheTotolink LR1200 router is delivered with an initial configuration that does not require major changes. In practice, the device, with settings for the European region, supports only one 80 MHz channel and does not support 160 MHz channels. The device doesn't have settings allowing for DualWAN operation, however it enables FailOver mode, treating the LTE link as a backup. Configuration is done only through the web interface, the Totolink Router mobile app does not work with the Toltolink LR1200 model. Quick Setup options are available, allowing you to run a Wizard for quick configuration, basic and advanced settings. The whole system is in English, with no option to choose a Polish version.

Notes on configuration and management options

While the WebGUI for the Totolink Router LR1200 is clear and fairly intuitive, it has some limitations. For the average user, they may not matter. The site lacks information about the quality of the LTE connection. Additionally, if the WAN is disconnected, the LTE connection is reset.

We testthe Totolink LR1200 router for WiFi capabilities and throughput, this is the next test in the series. We test signal coverage in a two-story building with a basement and the real available speeds. We also tested, outside the series of tests, the capabilities of the LTE module, which performed quite correctly. The conditions for the WiFi tests are similar for each of the tested devices so that the results can be compared in a meaningful way.

For 2.4GHz connections we assumed a maximum channel width of 20 MHz. The testing device was a MacBook Pro A1502 equipped with a built-in AirPort Extreme wireless card based on Broadcom BCM4360 3x3, 1.3 Gbps PHY. It operates on 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards. The tests are based on an iperf3 server wired to the switch, and AirSurvey software was used to obtain a signal level map. The six measurement points for the tests are laid out as in the figure below:

As you can see, the network coverage despite the compact size of the device and the integrated WiFi antennas is very good despite the solid obstacles in the way.

Test results for LTE module in Totolink LR1200

The LTE connection speed test was performed for the Play mobile carrier at a quite high network load. Compared to other LTE devices, the Totolink router performs well, providing a stable connection with satisfactory parameters. The obtained speeds were between 30 and 55 Mbps downlink and 5-15 Mbps uplink, but the values above 35 Mbps were momentary, only a few seconds long.

How did the Totolink LR1200 dual-band router perform in WiFi tests?

First of all, it's worth noting that the maximum throughput for a WiFi connection to the Internet in the LR1200 router is limited by the WAN/LAN port standard or the LTE modem capabilities, so the IEEE 802.11AC WiFi standard is redundant in this device configuration. Due to the test server's wired connection to the router being limited to 100 Mbps, the tests were performed with a graphical representation limit of 100 Mbps.

When it comes to transmitting the signal, the device works very evenly. As you can see from the network analyzer graph, the transmit power is not overdriven. There are large margins on both sides of the channel edges, which will ensure interference-free operation even in environments with many transmitters on adjacent channels. The device generates practically no noise on them. In this respect, the characteristics can be considered exemplary.

The Totolink LR1200 is a piece of equipment worth looking at in this price range. Although a visible limitation of the equipment's capabilities is the lack of a Gigabit Ethernet port, at least for the WAN, it provides dual network connectivity via LTE and Ethernet. It can prove itself as a WiFi network repeater, although it doesn't support DFS and Radar Detect, 5GHz 160MHz channels, plus it only has one 80MHz channel available for the European region. The WiFi network has good range and speeds of upload and download. Lack of instructions and interface in Polish is not a big obstacle, because the target users of the device will rather rarely use its UI, the equipment is promoted as a plug&play. Security options, parental control, as well as advanced configuration options are adequate for home and small business applications. To sum up, the LTE WiFi LR1200 Totolink router is a good choice for those who are aware of its limitations and are looking for a versatile network device at a low price.