Novatel USB551L 4G USB Modem for Verizon Review

Introduction and Design:

Until now, Verizon has carried two 4G USB modems, the Pantech UML290 and the LG VL600, which we took a look at earlier this year. The Novatel USB551L is the newest 4G USB modem to be available from Verizon, but is there any reason to choose it from the other two models? Let’s see…

The first thing we noticed about the Novatel USB551L is that it’s smaller overall (3.46”H x 1.38”W x 0.47”D) and lighter weight (1.23 oz), which makes it more compact and easier to use and store. It’s all black plastic design isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and there is a small cover on the back that you can remove for inserting your 4G SIM card.


What we found curious is the way the USB connector works, as it has a flip-out hinge design, and when the device is connected to your computer, the modem it standing up at a 45 degree angle. This is different than the LG VL600, which has a movable protective plastic cover over the USB plug when not used, and when it is connected to your PC, the device sticks straight out to the side, not up at a 45 degree angle.


Include with the Novatel USB551L modem is a USB extension cable with a built-in clip to attach it to the side of a laptop display, which may help some people get better signal reception. Unfortunately, these USB modems do not to include any LCD display, but only have a LED status lights on them, which shows the 4G/3G network connectivity, though this can also be viewing using the software.

Performance:

As is the case with all of Verizon’s USB modems, you must first install the CD that includes the device drivers and VZAccess Manager software. This is a pretty painless process and is completed in only a few minutes. Once done, you can attach the Novatel USB551L modem to the PC and load the VZAccess Manager program, which will connect to Verizon’s network. Since we are in Ft Lauderdale Florida, we were connected to 4G, but the device is still backwards compatible with 3G EVDO and 1x.

First off, we used our web browser with the Novatel USB551L modem and went to the SpeedTest.net site and ran three tests using servers in South FL, which gave us an average download speeds of 9.95 Mbps, but it had a wide range of upload speeds from 2.99 to 8.14 Mbps, and ping times from 79 to 156 ms. We then downloaded a 112MB file from the Nvida web site, which took 4 minutes 10 seconds, at a rate of 454KB/sec, and also uploaded it to our FTP server, which took a flat 5 minutes. The PhoneArea.com web site took 15 seconds to fully load, as did most other graphically intensive sites.


For comparison, we used the LG VL600 modem that we had on hand, connected it to the same computer, and ran the same tests using the SpeedTest.net site, which gave us download speeds averaging 10.95 Mbps, more reliable uploads of 5.10 to 6.84 Mbps, and ping times from 89 to 153 ms. We then downloaded the same 112MB file from the Nvidia site as before, but this time it was 40 seconds faster at 3 minutes 30 seconds total, at a rate of 558KB/sec, and when we uploaded it to our FTP server it took the same amount of time. When going the PhoneArena.com web site in the browser, it only took 12 seconds to load, with most other graphically intensive sites taking under 14 seconds.



Based on all of our results, the LG VL600 continually outperformed the Novatel USB551L. For starters, the SpeedTest.net site showed downloads about 1Mbps faster using the VL600, and uploads were solids and did not fluxuate like on the USB551L. The 112MB file that we downloaded from Nvidia was 40 seconds faster when using the VL600, and it also took 90 seconds less to upload it to our FTP server. Large web sites also took 2-3 seconds less to load when using the VL600.

Conclusion:

Since both the Novatel USB551L and LG VL600 modems work on Verizon’s 4G LTE network and carry the same $99.99 price with 2-year contract, we would suggest going with the LG VL600 based on the faster download and upload speeds that we got. The Novatel USB551L isn’t bad, but for some reason it isn’t as fast as the LG VL600 on the same tests that we did here. Regardless, we would still suggest that you before you purchase either one, that you take your laptop to a Verizon store and try both of them out while connected to your PC and see if there is any noticeable speed difference in your area – as 4G LTE speeds can vary based on area terrain.

Novatel USB551L 4G USB Modem for Verizon Video Review: