A rather important topic is setting up a Xiaomi router. What every owner should do after buying and connecting the device. MI WI-FI 3, which will be discussed, is quite stable in operation, the main thing is to set the most necessary things in the web interface of the device and then you most likely will not have to look there anymore.
I am always surprised by the special focus on the domestic Chinese market for the products of this Chinese brand. The router was initially set to Chinese and during setup, maybe someone will have to do this for the first and only time, it is almost impossible to intuitively figure out which hieroglyph offers what. And even switching to alternative English is impossible without an appropriate prompt.
Already the first entry into the interface located at 192.168.31.1 or miwifi.com is puzzling.
Well, at least there is a Google translator that translated this abracadabra. Here it is proposed to agree with the policy of the company and join it, just. Check the box and move on.
Xiaomi Router 3 is almost a twin of the previous version of Xiaomi Mini, but it is equipped with four powerful antennas, which, however, does not give it pluses in terms of wi-fi signal level. The Chinese are too clever in this regard, and everyone who is not satisfied with the power of the transmitter will have to make upgrades at the software level. These are cardinal methods associated with changing the firmware or patching the stock, when the changes affect only this element.
In fairness, it should be noted that the radius of reliable signal reception from the router is 50 meters. But in a modern city, saturated in terms of the frequency range with various signals and waves, interference of all stripes and simply mechanical obstacles, this figure is significantly reduced. In practice, when I go down from the third floor of my house, at the bottom of the entrance, I can no longer catch the signal.
The body of the router is elongated as opposed to long antennas, so as not to outweigh. At the same time, the device board occupies a little more than half of the internal space. But, in general, there are no comments on the appearance, everything is functional and pleasant visually and to the touch. As always, the company did their best and made a device that is quite decent in terms of build quality. Numerous photos clearly show that the router was assembled not on its knee in Uncle Liao's basement.
Completeness shows the Chinese "ears" of the device. If you look into the box, you will not see the LAN cable, and the power adapter plug will be for a Chinese socket with flat holes.
The router is urban and similar, as always with Xiaomi, to the products of its main American competitor.
There are few parameters for evaluating the operation of the router, the main thing is that it does not miss or “lose” IP packets, it is quite stable and does not “break” the Internet connection. This was for me the biggest plus in his work, because of which I completely switched to this device. Let's deal, however, with a specific consideration of the filling of the device.
Specifications Xiaomi Router 3
The heart of the router is the MediaTek MT7620A processor, which is good news. This chip has proven itself well on such common models as the Zyxel Keenetic II (my former router), ASUS RT-AC52U, TP-Link and a number of devices with good characteristics.
Ports: 2 LAN and 1 WAN, with bandwidth up to 100 Mbps.
Here is the difference. It is more of a wireless router, which is reflected in its second name - Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router.
WI-FI is distributed at two frequencies: 2.4 Ghz up to 300 Mbps and 5 Ghz up to 867 Mbps.
Extremely important! In conditions of saturation of the air at a frequency of 2.4 Ghz, where today available networks are like flies in a garden, the transition to a new unloaded frequency is more relevant than ever.
Which I immediately took advantage of. The quality of the connection has improved significantly, there are much fewer freezes, and the response speed has increased.
Compared to its predecessor, Xiaomi Mini, up to 128 MB of RAM (DDR-2) has been added. There is no built-in hard drive, but you can connect an external drive to the usb connector.
Perhaps this could be the end of it. The specifications show quite a worthy device, with a fast processor, sufficient RAM and an increased frequency range for distributing wireless Internet. What else do you need for a device with a price of 1500 rubles.
Setting up a router
We got to the main point. Who faced Xiaomi Mini, there are almost no differences. Xiaomi Router 3 differs purely externally, the settings have not changed, with the exception of a possible transition to English.
Connecting to a router from a PC or laptop
So, turn on the device, then add the Internet port from the provider to the WAN and wait.
A network from Xiaomi will appear on the laptop, which means that the router is ready to be configured via Wi-Fi. The address 192.168.31.1 is indicated on the box, we drive it into the address bar of your browser and get into the page of the device's Web interface.
After confirming the agreement, we get to the wireless connection settings page.
I must emphasize that the router itself will determine what type of connection you need. Since we are talking about a laptop with Wi-Fi enabled, we come up with a username and password for the wireless network. The password must not be less than 8 characters.
This page will appear twice, the second time you need to enter the password and login of the router itself, the so-called admin panel, after merging the router will reboot.
For setting in case of a desktop computer, the following picture will appear.
Where you will need to enter the data received from the provider, namely the login and password from the PPPoE connection. That is, in this case, we proceed directly to setting up the Internet connection itself, and only after that we register the wireless network using the already described method, setting the login and password to enter in turn, first to the admin panel, then to the page of the wireless network setup itself.
Changing the firmware language of the router
You need internet to download the English version of the Xiaomi router software. The first steps are clear: we enter the admin panel under our previously invented password. You can directly from miwifi.com.
Checking Wi-Fi Settings
There is an English language, it is easier to navigate. It's time to check all the settings of the router for the distribution of Wi-Fi. The operation of the router depends on whether they are set correctly or not.
First you need to enter the settings and check the status of the 2.4 GHz band, whether it is enabled or not. If you are annoyed by neighbors, then you can switch exclusively to 5 GHz and forget about the crush in the common range. Take advantage of the fact that not all routers can still operate at 5 GHz, but everyone has 2.4.
Check the settings related to network encryption, in addition, you can enable the guest wireless network. This will protect your computer from unwanted intrusion of possible viruses that are in the devices of those who looked at your light. In this case, access to the external Internet will be provided, but with isolation from your local system.
If for some reason you need to change the network name and password for it, then we are looking for English lines called: SSID and Password. No obstacles, change and exit the admin panel.
Last thing. We expose Europe as a place of deployment.
As you can see, it's not good. In general, there are too many complaints and questions about the stock firmware. Due to its limitations and the inconvenience of orientation to a simple user, many are switching to more advanced systems, one of which I will present to you a little later.
LAN setup
Generally lighter. All you need to do is turn off your internet connection. Who is unsure of his router and thinks that he himself will "dive" into the network, then pull out the cord. Only not power, but the provider, which is inserted into the blue WAN port.
- enter the settings;
- LAN settings;
- enable DHCP.
If this is not done, then for confident distribution, you will need to manually configure allowed IP addresses on each gadget connected to the router. For new generation TVs, enabling DHCP is almost a must.
I also advise you to change the main IP address of the router from 192.168.31.1 to the more familiar 192.168.1.1
Setting up network sharing
In principle, this has already been said separately in different parts of the article. Let's summarize and connect everything you need to gain access to the network.
So, your provider (be sure to check which type of Internet is right for you) distributes to dynamic addresses, you only need to activate DHCP, see above how to do this. To activate the PPPoE connection, when you have a login and password from, say, Rostelecom (for example, a dedicated fiber optic line is connected), then the algorithm for setting up network access is as follows:
Be sure to enable DNS auto-selection. This will set the task for the router to turn on as soon as power is supplied. Auto-pickup will give you a comfortable state of always-on Internet.
Check the MAC address. Perhaps the provider in the contract indicated a different one and then you will definitely not have access to the network. Urgently change in the settings. This completes the sharing settings for the Xiaomi router.
Additional Security Options
In the age of cybercrime and internet hacking, it is never out of place to take care of your own safety. Especially if you spend enough time online. It's easy to check who is surfing the Internet using your wireless network. After all, this means that the attacker somehow found out the password.
For neutralization:
- go to settings;
- thence to safety;
- then access via Wi-Fi;
- block all suspicious MAC addresses, there is a block list for this, you just need to add a hostile device to it.
Well, no one forbade the good old way to change the password. Change it periodically, as in online banking.
Reset router settings
It will be needed to reset all settings and return to the "from the factory" state, that is, the original one. This procedure is performed occasionally when they want to get rid of the incorrect operation of the router, freezes, bugs and other errors that appear more and more often. To check what is the root cause of all these troubles, apply a factory reset.
All just go to the settings, then the status (far right option). A page appears in which there is a reset option and the function of saving and returning to the previous state is prudently enabled. Since with a complete reset and return to the factory state, the English language will definitely disappear. You can play it safe and make a copy of the system in order to use it at the right time. But if there is no return, then press reset and then reroll the English language, as described above.
As you can see, resetting the router to factory settings is quite easy, if only you don’t regret it later. After all, by that time, your native firmware on your router can be replaced with custom firmware, and God knows how much work it cost you.
Features of alternative firmware
Actually she is alone. But what! ASUS Padavan drives and leaves no other chances, including native Chinese. As soon as I bought this router, from the very beginning I didn’t want to bother picking Chinese characters, endless translations and settings. When every action is associated with an error and you are poking around in a dark room like a blind man. I knew about this firmware from the very beginning and prepared to flash it ahead of time. Instruction posted on YouTube on the transition to this firmware as detailed and specific as possible. It worked the first time, despite some difficulties.
And what did I get in return? I received a completely unfamiliar device with many new features that were not even mentioned in the written article. The benefits are huge:
- the Russian language of the interface, this circumstance alone crosses out all doubts;
- the presence of a huge number of additional settings, you can clearly see the statistics of processes, memory and processor load;
- there is IPTV, if your provider broadcasts television channels, it is easy to configure their viewing using a router;
- torrent client, download anything you want to an external drive connected to the router;
- you can create a cloud or vpn network;
- The settings are all at hand, the interface is much more convenient, you won’t get lost;
- All those "buns" that pleased the stock firmware are also present here.
You can describe all the advantages of this firmware for a long time, I will only add that, according to the results of a survey on the w3bsit3-dns.com website, this firmware is far ahead of all the others. She is a leader and that says it all. It was she who revealed all the advantages of the Mi 3 router.
Installing! Do not be afraid of the difficulties that will immediately catch your eye, all this will pay off in the future. You will not regret.
Working with external drives on the router
I already mentioned that Padavan firmware has the ability to manage hard drives connected to the usb connector of the router. Full access to the drive is carried out directly from the new office. On the stock firmware, this is not possible. You will not be able to see what is on your drive through the web interface, much less manage this content.
The only way is to install the MI WI-FI Router mobile client. After installing the Android version, you need to register on the miwifi.com website and then launch the application.
We are looking for the "Storage" tab and rejoice. The connected drive will be displayed in full, with all your folders and files. The router will help you copy, move, delete this data. Anything you want. Commands to the router will be sent by the application on the phone.
This is the fee for using the stock firmware, if you have a third-party, these difficulties can be avoided.
Xiaomi router settings are inherently simple. If it wasn't for Chinese. But even this circumstance will not prevent you from achieving uninterrupted operation from your device, you need to take everything into account and finally configure it once and for all.
I specifically bought a Xiaomi mini WiFi router to prepare some detailed instructions for setting up this interesting router. By the way, judging by the reviews and comments in online stores, the Xiaomi router is very popular. And this is not even strange, for a small sum we get a beautiful, powerful and high-quality router. In addition, the router is dual-band, of course with support for the 802.11ac standard, and even with a USB port. Yes, this is a Chinese router, but Xiaomi is a good company, and very popular.
The Xiaomi router itself is very beautiful, stylish and unusual. I will review this router in a separate article. And in this article I want to describe in detail the process of first setting up the Xiaomi mini WiFi router. I'll show you how to connect a router, set up a Wi-Fi network, and the Internet. In the near future I will prepare instructions for setting up file sharing on a USB drive, router firmware, etc.
Control panel in Chinese. What to do, how to change the language?
As for the Xiaomi mini WiFi setup, this is most likely the only thing that can disappoint you in this router. The fact is that the router settings are in Chinese. There is no way to choose Russian, or even English. If you want the control panel to be in Russian, then you will have to flash the router with third-party firmware (PandoraBox, Padavan). The firmware process itself is complex. Perhaps I will write about it in a separate article.
English can be added. You need to change the region to Europe in the Wi-Fi settings and update the firmware. I will also write about this in a separate article. Well, I advise you not to bother, and just set up the Xiaomi mini router according to my instructions. Will something change if the settings are in English? This is a router, you set it up and forget about this control panel. And everything is exactly in what language it is. The main thing is that the Internet works well and stably.
Another point, the router can be configured from a smartphone or tablet through the Mi Router application. The application is in English, everything is clear there. We will also consider this option at the end of this article.
This instruction should be suitable not only for the Xiaomi mini model, but also for WiFi MiRouter 3, and Mi WiFi Nano.
Xiaomi Mi Router Mini: Wi-Fi and Internet setup
First, connect the power to the router, and connect the cable from the provider or modem to the "Internet" port.
Next, we need to go to the settings of the Xiaomi router. First, we will consider the first setting from a computer (laptop). You can connect the computer to the router as if by cable (but no cable included) as well as Wi-Fi. Immediately after turning on, a wireless network with the name "Xiaomi_some numbers" will appear. It is not password protected. Let's connect to it.
If you immediately got the Internet through the router, then it makes sense to configure it through the Chrome browser, or Yandex Browser. They can translate pages on the fly. And the control panel will be more understandable. Translation there is not perfect, but still better than Chinese characters.
1 Open any browser, and go to the address miwifi.com (it is listed below the router). Or 192.168.31.1 . You can see the detailed article in which I showed. On the first page, just click on the big Chinese button 🙂 This is something like a license agreement.
2 Next, you need to set the name of the Wi-Fi network and password for it. The password must be at least 8 characters long. Since the router is dual-band, the password will be the same for networks at two frequencies. It can be changed later in the control panel. We continue the setup.
3 In the next window, we need to set a password that will protect the router settings. This password will need to be specified when entering the router settings. Enter your password and click the button to continue. If you want the router password to be the same as the Wi-Fi password, you can simply check the box. But I don't recommend doing that.
4 We see a message that the router will create two Wi-Fi networks at different frequencies, their names will be indicated there. The router will reboot.
After the reboot, a Wi-Fi network will appear with the name that we set during the setup process. Connect to this network using the set password.
5 In the settings window, if you have not closed it yet, you can click on the button and you will see a message asking you to install a proprietary application on your smartphone to control the Xiaomi router. You can install this app from the App Store or Google Play if you need it. It is called Mi Router. Below I will show how to configure the router from the phone through this application.
Important point! If the Internet through the router is already working on your devices, then the configuration of the Xiaomi router is completed. If you want, you can go to its settings, I will show below how to do it.
If internet through router not working then it needs to be configured.
Entering the Xiaomi router settings and setting up a connection to the provider
1 Again in the browser, go to the address miwifi.com. A password request will appear. Enter the password you set during the first setup. This is not a password from Wi-Fi, namely from a router.
2 To set up the Internet (connections to provider) go to the settings to a separate page, as shown below. Select your connection type from the list. Most likely, you need to select PPPoE. It's just that if you had a connection type DHCP (Dynamic IP), then the Internet through the router would work without configuration. You can check the type of connection with your provider.
3 After selecting PPPoE, you will need to set the necessary parameters for the connection. These settings are provided by your ISP. Also, they are most likely indicated in the documents that you were given when you connected to the Internet.
4 If the provider uses binding by MAC address, then you can change it on the same page, below. Just write down the required MAC. Or ask the provider to register the MAC address of your router, which is indicated in this field, or on the body of the device itself.
It is necessary that the router connects to the Internet and starts distributing it to your devices.
Setting up a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless network. Changing your Wi-Fi password
If you want to change the name of the Wi-Fi network, password, channel, or, for example, turn off the network at some frequency of 5 GHz, or 2.4 GHz, then go to the settings and go to the page as shown below.
If you scroll down the page below, you will see the 5G Wi-Fi settings there, as far as I understand the guest network settings and the region change.
As you can see, nothing complicated. Even despite the fact that the settings are in Chinese.
The first setup of the Xiaomi router from a phone or tablet (Mi Router)
You can also configure the router from a mobile device. First you need to install the proprietary program Mi Router on your phone. We put it from Google Play, or the App Store. If you do not want to install the application, then you can also configure it through the browser of your mobile device, as I showed above.
Connect your smartphone to Xiaomi router. The Wi-Fi network will have a default name and will not be password protected. Also, do not forget to connect the Internet to the router.
On my iPhone, immediately after connecting, a window appeared with the settings of the router. And on Android, in the Mi Router program, you need to select the item "Set up a new router". Specify the location where the router is installed, and click the "Next" button.
The router will check the Internet connection, and if your provider uses a DHCP connection, you will see a message that the Internet is connected. Like in my screenshot below. And if you have a PPPoE connection technology, then you will need to set some parameters (login, password).
The last step is to set a password for the Wi-Fi network, and change the name of the network. Specify these data and click the "Finish" button.
Please note that the password set on the Wi-Fi network will also be used to access the router settings when entering the control panel at miwifi.com.
That's it, the router setup is complete. If something did not work out, then go to the settings through the browser, and change the necessary parameters.
Even without the firmware of the router in English or Russian, it can be configured without any problems, and everything will work. Yes, it is very difficult to understand the settings that are in Chinese. Even in English it would be easier. There is an English version of the original firmware, in a separate article I will show you how to install it.
I really liked the router, both externally and with stable work. Write your reviews about this model, share tips, and ask questions. Always happy to help with advice!
For initial setup, it is most convenient to use the MiWiFi mobile application; you can download it by reading the QR code from the original package.
On Xiaomi smartphones with the proprietary MIUI shell, to call the scanner, just swipe down to call the information panel. In the right corner of the search field there is an icon to call the scanner.
In principle, the application can be found manually on Google Play, it is called MiWiFi Router.
When you first launch the application, you will be prompted to create a new Mi account or log into an existing one. On Xiaomi smartphones, you can log into an existing account with just one click, the system will automatically detect all the login parameters.
You must first connect to the router's wireless network. On Mi smartphones, "native" routers are marked in the list of networks with a corporate logo. After connecting to a wireless network, the application searches for devices on the network.
The setup process is extremely simple and resembles setting up a Zyxel Keenetic router using the appropriate mobile application. A special step-by-step wizard is used, in which only the most important parameters are configured.
After changing the wireless network settings, the application will automatically switch the smartphone to the new network. Everything is as automated as possible and does not require user intervention. For beginners and inexperienced users just right.
By the time this post was completed, the app had been updated with some minor interface changes. The menu is divided into 4 categories: Mi Router, Storage, Plug-ins, Settings.
In the Mi Router section, you can switch between several routers (if there are several), as well as view statistics on traffic and connected devices.
The Storage section is focused on using an external hard drive. On Xiaomi routers, you can deploy a small cloud, which you can configure to upload files from your smartphone when it is connected to your home network. The function is aimed at owners of Xiaomi smartphones. However, there is a desktop client for PC and Mac, which will allow you to use the functionality of the device as a regular network drive.
The plugins section contains router settings in terms of its direct functions. But such settings as password, time zone, etc. placed in a separate settings section.
You get used to the application very quickly, after which you will unmistakably get into the necessary section. For experienced users, the list of available options will be clearly insufficient, for example, there are no IPTV settings, no support for 3G modems, and in general, all options and settings are greatly simplified and optimized for inexperienced users.
Xiaomi routers are highly simplified in terms of settings and make them ideal for inexperienced users who need a simple and reliable solution.
A little more settings are available through the web interface, which is available by the domain name miwifi.com, or IP 192.168.31.1 (sometimes 192.168.28.1).
By the way, if you use Kaspersky Anti-Virus, for unknown reasons, sometimes it blocks access to IP 192.168.31.1 and 192.168.28.1 via the HTTP protocol, which makes it impossible to access the web interface. It helps to disable the antivirus and change the home subnet in the router settings to the more familiar 192.168.0.0/24, 192.168.1.0/24, 192.168.2.0/24. In the future, no problems should arise.
If you're setting up your router for the first time without using the mobile app, you'll also be greeted with a setup wizard the first time you launch it.
Below you can get acquainted with all the available options configured using the web interface.
The list of available options is much wider than in the mobile application.
There are a couple of notes on the settings and use of the interface. First, the QoS option should not be enabled if necessary. The fact is that by default, all traffic passes using HW_NAT (hardware NAT), without creating a load on the central processor. To be more precise, when processing 94 Mbps? CPU usage will be only 2-4%. When QoS is activated, the use of HW_NAT will become impossible and all traffic will go through the processor. The more devices in the network and the higher the connection speed, the higher the processor load will be, up to 100%.
WiFi performance and quality
Both routers are equipped with an excellent processor providing good performance.
Please note that MiWiFi devices are designed primarily for the Chinese domestic market, which is why L2TP and PPTP support is implemented here in its basic form.
When using native firmware, in conjunction with L2TP / PPTP, you can only count on 50-60 Mbps. For fans of working “with a file”, we inform you that on alternative firmware, both routers without problems provide up to 100 Mbps when working with VPN and much more.
Regarding the most common types of connection via DHCP / Static IP / PPPoE / IPoE - there are no complaints at all about routers on stock firmware, up to 95 Mbps is provided to you.
With regards to Wi-Fi, to be honest, both routers were very pleasantly surprised. When the maximum power level is set to "Block" (on some versions of the firmware "Wall penetration"), both routers "penetrate" the main load-bearing walls without any problems.
Quite expectedly, Mi WiFi Mini is slightly inferior to Mi WiFi Router 3 in signal level, which is clearly visible on the air scans.
The older model provides a higher signal level both in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Sometimes this difference can reach 10 dBm, but most often the difference does not exceed 2-4 dBm.
Many users have a question, why do you need 5 GHz support in a router that is equipped with 100 Mbps ports?
In a "spherical vacuum", 802.11n in the 2.4 GHz band, using 2x2 MIMO and 40 MHz channels, pumps 94-95 Mbps without problems. In the conditions of real operation, especially in apartment buildings, the 2.4 band is loaded to such an extent that even 50 Mbit will be an excellent result.
The 5 GHz band provides more non-overlapping channels and faster speeds.
Let's look at a real example. I have a laptop that supports the 5GHz band but does not support 802.11ac (802.11n only). We placed the laptop at a distance of 8 meters from the MiWiFi Router 3 router, between the devices there is 1 load-bearing brick wall (~ 55 cm) and 2 half-brick walls.
In the 802.11n + MIMO 2x2 + 5 GHz mode, we received an average of 90 Mbps over the air. This is an excellent result.
Now let's see what will happen in real conditions for 2.4 GHz.
Less than 20 Mbps, just comments are unnecessary here. As you can see, there is a benefit from 5 GHz even on older devices.
Let's see if a branded expander can fix the situation. For the sake of interest, we tried to place Mi WiFi Amplifier in the middle. As a result, the speed became more stable and rose to 21-22 Mbps.
To be honest, I did not expect any special results from the WiFi Amplifier. The problem is that wanting to make the device cheap, the company has gone too far. The extender only supports legacy 802.11b/g/n, SISO (MIMO 1x1) configuration, and internal antenna. As a result, ideally 150 Mbps of bandwidth is available to share between the clients and the uplink. In the conditions of a noisy air, we get the same 20-40 Mbps.
Mi WiFi Amplifier is able to increase the coverage radius, but you should not expect great speed from it. The expander is more suitable for "smart home" and "Internet of things", when the network is not subject to large requests for speed.
Finally
In two weeks of using both routers (daisy chain), I had no problems in terms of network speed and stability.
There are still comments, but they relate to the features of the software. There is no usual Russian language, there is Chinese and English. When you try to update from the official site, you can get the device completely in Chinese. To switch to English, you need to set the “Europe” region in the Wi-Fi settings, after which English will become available. There are also special English firmwares, which we recommend using, or alternative ones if you have the necessary knowledge to install them.
If you're looking for an inexpensive yet powerful yet easy-to-configure router, both models are great buys, especially if you own a Xiaomi smartphone.
Of the minuses, it should also be noted a poor list of available settings on official firmware.
Online course on network technologies
I recommend Dmitry Skoromnov's course "". The course is not tied to the equipment of any manufacturer. It provides fundamental knowledge that every system administrator should have. Unfortunately, many administrators, even with 5 years of experience, often do not have even half of this knowledge. The course covers many different topics in simple language. For example: OSI model, encapsulation, collision and broadcast domains, switching loop, QoS, VPN, NAT, DNS, Wi-Fi and many other topics.
Separately, I will note the topic of IP addressing. It describes in simple language how to do conversions from decimal to binary and vice versa, calculation by IP address and mask: network address, broadcast address, number of network hosts, subnetting and other topics related to IP addressing.
The course has two versions: paid and free.
Not even a couple of years have passed since the appearance of the first models of Xiaomi routers - Mini and Nano - one of which faithfully serves me until now, as a trace of them in online stores has long since caught a cold. But a holy place does not happen empty - the flagship positions in the line of models were occupied by new Xiaomi Router 3 and its improved version Xiaomi WiFi Router 3G.
The difference between the two modifications from each other is that the second one has support for cellular modems, as well as some improvements in hardware. Since we were one of the first to receive these routers from China (thanks to the GearBest store) and they will not be seen on our market in the foreseeable future, it is logical that the box and all the papers, and - where without it - the interface of the admin section is filled with spiders. Although, while we were preparing this text review, it has already appeared for the external market.
| Characteristics | Xiaomi Router 3 | Xiaomi Router 3G |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | MT7620A 580MHz | MT7621A 880 MHz |
| ROM | 128MB SLC Nand Flash | |
| RAM | 128MB DDR2 | 256MB DDR3-1200 |
| WiFi bands | 2.4GHz and 5GHz | |
| WAN | up to 100 Mbps | up to 1000 Mbps |
| LAN | 2 pieces, up to 100 Mbps | 2 pieces, up to 1000 Mbps |
| USB | 1 piece, 3.0 | |
Package contents and appearance of Xiaomi Mi Router 3
In terms of equipment, it’s, of course, cool that Xiaomi draws ideas from Apple in its products – let’s remember at least that it looks like Apple’s like two drops of water. But the delivery set is not the best that could be taken from the Americans. In the box with Xiaomi Router 3 there was only a power adapter - THERE IS NOT EVEN A NETWORK CABLE to connect to a computer!
The routers look simply gorgeous - here the Chinese did not let us down! Looks very presentable and much more expensive than they actually cost. I am writing these lines and I catch myself thinking that how important is the first impression of the appearance of the device - after all, what a thing, I haven’t had time to use them yet, but I already want to say that these are cool routers.
Xiaomi Router 3 is equipped with four 5 dBi fixed antennas, which are in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. But with the ports - again greedy. Only 2 LAN + 1 WAN, but there is USB. Although, if on garlic, have you yourself ever used more than 1 LAN connector ??
On the sticker on the bottom of the case we find the name of the default wireless networks, as well as the IP address or web address to get into the administrator part. There is also a QR code here - you can use it to download the Mi Router mobile application for.
Xiaomi Mi Router 3G admin panel
The internal interface of the admin panel is no different from - almost the same sections, and everything is in Chinese. You can use it out of the box only through the built-in Google translator in Chrome. But the mobile version immediately has an international English adaptation.
All the necessary functions for the full operation of WiFi are present, so it makes no sense to list them in detail. Note that a guest network without access to internal LAN resources can only be created at a frequency of 2.4 GHz.
Unfortunately, in the Chinese firmware, a mobile modem cannot be connected to a USB port, but you can plug a USB flash drive into it and use it as a network file storage.
However, all Chinese features are treated by flashing the router, which you can read about in a separate article.
Internet speed via Xiaomi Router 3
- By cable - about 95 Mbps
- WiFi - about 55 Mbps
In general, the Xioami Mi 3 router made a good impression - both externally and in operation. Compared to the previous Mini, it sometimes cut off connections for me when working at a frequency of 5 GHz. In Xiaomi Router 3, no freezes and brakes were detected with numerous connections to either 2.4 or 5 GHz networks.
As you know, Xiaomi knows how to surprise with its innovative solutions. The most successful example is smartphones, captivating with amazing technical characteristics and relative cheapness. At the same time, Xiaomi does not stop there, so it is actively expanding the list of devices and devices produced under this brand. Among such devices, it is impossible not to single out routers that may be of interest to our compatriots.
First of all, routers are very cheap, but their characteristics, according to the best traditions of the company, are very tempting. One of these Xiaomi Mi WiFi 3 or 3c routers, ac1200 class, can be purchased for just a few thousand rubles, using a promotional offer from the well-known AliExpress Internet resource. Before agreeing to a purchase, please note that instructions and manuals for use are offered exclusively in their native language, that is, Chinese. If this does not bother you at all, then you should definitely consider this high-tech product in detail.
Let's move on to the key characteristics of this router.
- Processor MT7620A with a frequency of 580 MHz.
- 128 MB RAM.
- 128 MB flash memory.
- Wireless radio units - one with a frequency of 2.4 GHz and providing connection speeds up to 300 Mb per second, and the other - 5 GHz and speeds up to 867 Mb per second.
- Two LAN ports and one WAN, each providing 100 Mb/s speed.
- USB 2.0 port.
It is worth noting that the listed characteristics are almost identical to those offered by the Mi WiFi Mini router. However, judging by external data, there are differences. The case in Mi WiFi 3 has become noticeably larger, and the number of external antennas has increased to four.
A pleasant surprise for interested citizens will be the price category in which the Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 3 turned out to be. Only $ 30, which is not so much for such a balanced device. Among its clear advantages is the operation of one of the radio units, which is capable of operating at a frequency of 5 GHz. On the one hand, speeds up to 867 Mb / s will only occasionally be fully disclosed. It's all because of the limits for the LAN and WAN ports, which can only deliver 100 Mb per second. On the other hand, it is better to purchase a router with such an opportunity, albeit situational, rather than be content with its complete absence. 
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What Xiaomi Mi Router 3 is capable of
Of course, with port capacities in the region of 1 Gb / s, the value of this router has increased markedly, but at the same time it is possible that the cost would also have been revised. Based on the current parameters, the functionality of the processor used provides stable and practically without any excesses. By adding the optimal firmware version here, the overall performance will only benefit.
During a series of tests, it was found that in IPoE and PPPoE modes, the router is able to provide a router speed of 90 Mb per second. This is true for transferring speed in one direction. Speaking of full duplex modes, you can get even more impressive results. The hardware accelerator installed in the chip played an important role in this.
But if you switch to using L2TP and PPTP, you will have to be content with modest speed capabilities. The good news is that it was not possible to achieve such a wide distribution for these modes, so they were deprived of even basic optimization. Thus, for full-fledged work, it is enough to use IPoE and PPPoE.
When connected via a VPN, you can equally use the download of data from the Internet and the local network provided by the provider. At the same time, the speed not only does not decrease, but also demonstrates its growth in some moments. Given the presence of USB ports, you can easily connect a printer.
Testing the capabilities of radio blocks, we managed to find several interesting details. Firstly, at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the speed varies at around 60-65 Mb per second, which operates in a single stream. By increasing the number of streams to 8, the speed limits will expand to 70 Mb per second, and sometimes this mark can reach 90. Secondly, at a frequency of 5 GHz, you can get no more than 90 Mb / s when one stream is loaded. For simultaneous operation of eight streams, the total speed will reach 160 Mb / s. All this suggests that the radio unit with an increased frequency cuts the speed due to the presence of restrictions.
Setting up the Xiaomi Mi WiFi 3 router
We return to one remarkable detail related to the language. Taking into account the ability to connect and configure the Xiaomi Mi router online, it is quite easy and quick to translate Chinese inscriptions using various services, such as Google Translate. If you do not know how to connect the router to the Internet, then you will have to try hard to familiarize yourself with the interface of the router and follow the subsequent steps in the correct order. Another advantage of using an Internet connection will be that you can update the firmware to the current version.
So, setting up Xiaomi Mi WiFi is as follows. First of all, we need the miwifi.com website, which will act as the online interface of the router. After entering all the necessary data, including passwords for Wi-Fi and the admin panel, the router will begin to automatically configure. Upon completion of this installation, an inscription will appear on the screen stating that the router will be rebooted.
The next step will be another connection using the previously set passwords. As soon as you enter the control panel, you can see several tabs: routing status, memory status, general settings and advanced settings. First of all, you need to go to the third tab, filling in all the existing fields. These steps will help you automatically connect Xiaomi WiFi router to the network in the future.
As you explore the other tabs, you will be able to add and edit whitelists and blacklists, set ranges for allowed IP addresses, update firmware and backup, and activate or deactivate VPN services. Separately, you should stop at the "Advanced Settings" tab, where you can find QoS - smart speed.
Making any changes here is highly discouraged if you see the router settings for the first time. Otherwise, the plug-in options will lead to a sharp decrease in speed limits.
Features of alternative firmware
Although it is desirable to use the standard version of the firmware, which is in the stable branch, it is possible to switch to another one. This is a special version for developers, thanks to which it will be possible to use the console for the embedded OS. The main advantages are stability, high performance, maximum speed characteristics and wide functionality for subsequent changes.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find a ready-made version of such firmware. Therefore, you will have to use open source sources to recreate the firmware prototype and use the configured device for your needs. And who said that setting up a router would be easy? It turns out that this will take a considerable amount of time and effort. But the end result of such work will certainly bear fruit!
In the future, you can be content with the following: get a choice of one of the proposed interfaces - Russian and English, support for PPTP / L2TP, great options for configuring and working with many USB devices, as well as editing user scripts to create key events.
The specialist who configured the router using non-standard firmware notes that changing certain settings on your own may not only not lead to the desired results, but also lead to situations in which the router will be completely stopped. And in such cases, you can no longer do without the efforts of qualified craftsmen who will have to recover data from flash memory. In addition, rash actions when setting up the device on your own can deprive you of managing services remotely and working with special options for mobile gadgets. The latter factors play rather a formal role, but still they will negatively affect the comfortable work with the router.
Collaboration with Mi WiFi +
Surely, many are familiar with the Mi WiFi + device, which repeats the actions of the main router. If some call it a repeater, then others call it a Wi Fi signal amplifier, which will not be entirely appropriate, based on its features. To expand the coverage area, the Mi WiFi 3 router should be used together with Mi WiFi+. The last gadget is interesting in that it costs only 7-8 dollars, and its compact size will not cause any difficulties with subsequent operation.
As soon as the two devices start working at the same time, the signal that was previously interrupted or absent at all will now be stable. In what cases is it important? In the conditions of city apartments, when you have to deal with a huge number of other networks. By extending the range of the wireless network, you get a nice bonus when using mobile devices. It is not recommended to use such a duet on an ongoing basis, because it can negatively affect the overall speed performance.
Thus, Mi WiFi 3 is a worthy representative of the middle class routers. Excellent technical data, a pleasant price, reliability and practicality in use, as well as decent speed parameters with additional features from Mi WiFi + - all this suggests that Xiaomi can make not only smartphones and tablets.
