Telkom currently runs an interesting data deal, where for R99 per month you receive 10 GB of data, plus the hard-working Huawei E5577 Wireless Portable Router. In our opinion, portable routers should be small and sleek, able to pop into a suitcase or carry bag without much hassle, and this is certainly the case for the E5577.

Running on the WiFi IEEE 801.11b/g/n standard, it can support LTE download speeds of up to 150 Mbps and upload speeds of 50 Mbps (dependent on the network), plus includes a 3000 mAh battery. This should help you out with close to 6 hours of free-standing work, keeping in mind that it can easily connect to any notebook or power supply via micro USB.

One of the bid draw cards for this router is the 1.45” LCD screen that shows your menu options, including battery life, signal strength and, importantly, the amount of data used. It's a small thing, but it means you do not need to check the app ever so often to see how much data you have left.

Talking of which, the Huawei AI Life app manages all the Huawei devices on your network, including the router. From here you can manage your SMSes, keep an eye on network volume, do end user management/security and even content sharing, with support for a microSD card.

If you are going to use the Huawei E5577 to share data with others, you can control who is allowed onto the network or even create a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot for guests, meaning your Wi-Fi password stays private.

There is a final little trick in this router’s book, as it can also double as a repeater. When you’re out and about it will use cellular data, but once inside your home where a fibre network might be present, it repeats the home’s Wi-Fi hotspot inside.

The Telkom deal currently running includes 5 GB anytime data and 5 GB Night Surfer data for R99 per month x 24 months, which includes the small and very capable Huawei E5577 Wireless Portable Router.