Major carriers such as docomo, au, SoftBank, and Y!mobile offer mobile Wi-Fi routers. Fangler also has a contract for an au Wi-Fi WALKER WiMAX 2+ HWD15 for outside work at data centers, outside meetings, and business trips, but the monthly fee is fixed and expensive whether you use it or not, so we were looking for a mobile Wi-Fi router that is easy and casual to use.
After much research, I felt that the combination of a SIM-free NEC Aterm MR04LN mobile Wi-Fi router and a FREETEL SIM had the best cost performance, so I immediately went to Bic Camera Akasaka Mitsuke, a favorite spot of the Fangler Games editorial department, and bought both routers. I bought both.
The customary Aterm MR04LN unboxing ceremony!
Outer box. the logo of NEC's router brand, Aterm. Outer box with NEC's router brand logo.
Popping it open. Open the box like this.
Here is what is included in the package. Main unit, microUSB cable, battery, AC adapter, user's manual, etc.
Battery cover is off. 2 SIM card slots. Dual SIM. You can use it in either country by inserting a Japanese domestic SIM card and a local SIM card when you go abroad on a business trip.
The battery is installed. The battery is attached. You can rest assured that it is MADE IN JAPAN.
The lithium-ion battery is also made in Japan and has the PSE mark so that it can be used in Japan.
Manual. The explanation of the display is described here.
Open the FREETEL SIM!
FREETEL SIM package. The "new" logo is cool.
SIM card, microSIM size since I bought it for Aterm MR04LN.
SIM card inserted. SIM card size is mircoSIM (for the second time)
Activate FREETEL SIM
FREETEL SIM cannot be used by inserting it into the SIM card immediately after purchase; you need to activate the SIM card from FREETEL's website.
First, access the FREETEL SIM activation page.
There are FREETEL SIM and FREE SIM for iPhone/iPad, so select the regular FREETEL SIM.
https://www.freetel.jp/activate.html
Select the package you purchased. This time I bought it for my mobile Wi-Fi router, so naturally it is blue for data communication only. As it was my first time to buy a member ID, I naturally selected "No member ID".
Since this is my first time using the service, I entered the necessary membership information.
Although not shown in the capture, there is a form for entering credit card information used for payment at the bottom, and a form for entering SIM serial number and SIM phone number.
You can also select a plan, but since this is a data-only plan, you can only select the "Safe Only for the Minutes You Use" plan.
The application is complete. Your SIM card is now activated.
Now it's time to activate!
The setup wizard starts. Naturally, select "Yes".
Go to the APN setting screen. Naturally, select "Next.
Configure the APN settings. Standard b-mobile and BIGLOBE are available. Unfortunately, there is no FREETEL SIM. Select "Add New.
APN input screen.
I thought I would have to connect to a PC to enter the APN, but I didn't expect to see a touch panel keyboard!
Enter the APN and you're all set!
Since this is a docomo MVNO, the connection destination is marked as "DOCOMO". The connection line is LTE.
By the way, "2G" in the upper right corner means "2GHz band". For a moment, I wondered if it was a 2G line...
Comparison with au Wi-Fi WALKER WiMAX 2+ HWD15
Compared with au's Wi-Fi WALKER WiMAX 2+ HWD15, Aterm MR04LN is slightly thinner and longer.
HWD15 has a microSD card slot and can be used like a USB memory stick, but Aterm MR04LN does not have a microSD card slot.
But since I don't use it that way, there is no problem.
Charging via microUSB is naturally the same. But still, it's so thin!
The price is interesting!
The monthly fee is based on how much you use. If you use less than 100MB, the monthly fee is only 299 yen!
If you use 10 GB, the monthly fee is 2,470 yen, and if you use more than 10 GB, the monthly fee is 200 kbps!
Major carriers charge a certain basic fee whether you use it or not, but with FREETEL SIM, you can keep it low without any hassle.
Furthermore, while most major carriers limit plans to 7GB, FREETEL SIM allows you to use LTE up to 10GB.
Furthermore, Aterm MR04LN is SIM-free, so when you go abroad, you can just buy a local SIM card and use it as is, so there is no need to prepare a separate mobile Wi-Fi router for overseas use.
Depending on the country you are going to, you can usually find prepaid SIM cards at the airport.
If you are using a mobile WiFi router, why not try using Aterm MR04LN + FREETEL SIM!