Did you know that the Chinese company Xiaomi produces not only smartphones, but also many other equipment? For example, a very good and high-quality product, judging by customer reviews, is the Xiaomi Mi Wifi router from this manufacturer. By the way, the correct title is read as "Xiaomi", although some pronounce it as "Xiaomi" or even "Xiaomi". Today we have prepared for you the most detailed instructions in which we will tell you how to configure the Xiaomi Mi Wi Fi Mini router.

The first problem that all users without exception encounter is the device control panel in Chinese without the ability to even select English. What to do in this case? There is only one answer: the router needs to be reflashed. This is a long and laborious process; we will look at it in a separate article. However, if you follow our instructions, you can configure the Xiaomi Mini router and forget about this control panel altogether. The main thing is that the Internet is stable!

In addition, the settings of the Xiaomi Mini router can be done not only from a computer, but also from a tablet or phone, and the English-language Mi Router program will help us with this. We will also consider this method in this article.

Mi Router. Settings

Before you begin any configuration of the router, you must connect it. Connect it to a 220 V network and plug the Internet cable into the Internet port. Then go to the settings menu and connect the router to the PC (you can either via Wi-Fi or via a cord, but the latter is not included). After the connection has been established, you will see a new, non-password-protected network in the list of wireless networks, which is called something like this: Xiaomi_12345678 (the numbers can be any). You need to connect to it.

If the Internet works immediately, then it is better to configure it using the Yandex browser or Chrome, since they have a built-in page translator. Of course, the translation will be a little “crooked,” but in any case it’s better than the incomprehensible Chinese language.

Open one of these browsers. We need the address miwifi.com, where on the main page we click on the big key, thereby accepting the license agreement. In the next window, set the network name and set a password that will protect the router settings (do not confuse it with the Wi-Fi access password). Of course, you can make them the same by simply checking the appropriate box, but we do not recommend doing this. After this, you will see a message about creating two different frequency wi-fi networks with names, and the router will reboot. Next we see a new network with the name we set earlier, to which we need to connect using our password.

If the settings window has not yet been closed, click on the button: there will be an offer to download a special Mi Router application to your smartphone for the convenience of managing Xiaomi Mi Router Mini. It can be installed directly from the App Store or Play Market.

Important! If the Internet is already working, then further configuration of the Xiaomi Mi router is not needed. If it doesn’t work, go further according to the instructions.

Further setup of the Xiaomi Mi Wifi Mini router

Done, your router is set up! If you encounter problems during the process, we recommend that you try again using an Internet browser on your computer. Good luck! If you have any questions or additions, write in the comments.

While users are making fun of Xiaomi, jokingly asking the authors when their toilet paper or toilet will be reviewed, the company is seriously releasing these products and, to spite the haters, they are even in some demand (mainly in China, of course). And now Xiaomi is giving a worthy answer to customers who complain about prices, commenting with phrases - “Yes, for that price it should make MiNet.” Please! A special MiNet button is in the most visible place.

But seriously, Xiaomi has released a new WiFi router, which I hastened to order to replace my Xiaomi Mini Wifi Router. Xiaomi Mini has worked successfully for more than 2 years and a replacement was due when I switched to a new tariff plan from my provider. 200 megabits - that’s exactly how much I received for downloading, but I ran into a 100 megabit WAN port. The review will contain a short comparison of speed, coverage range and characteristics.

I didn’t come to Xiaomi routers right away; before that I used the popularly overrated TP-Link, which is literally nothing in the budget segment. Then there was the terribly buggy Asus, which frayed my nerves for half a year with its constant network failures. In the end, I couldn’t stand it anymore and started looking for a replacement. There was only one requirement - stable operation, ease of setup and the presence of a 5 GHz range. I found all this in Xiaomi Mini, I didn’t take into account only the moment with 100 megabit ports, because then this speed seemed prohibitive. The router itself can distribute at higher speeds when, for example, it is used as a server (from a flash drive or HDD), but the Internet was limited to 100 megabits, and time does not stand still. In terms of stability, I had no complaints about the Mini - setting it up through the application took 5 minutes, and after 2 years of work I even forgot what the settings interface looked like, because I only went there a couple of times, and then just for the sake of curiosity. There was no drop in speed, accumulation of errors and no need for periodic resets, like with TP-Link. Therefore, it was decided that the next router will also definitely be Xiaomi. The choice fell on a new product, let's look at its main technical characteristics:

Video version of the review

When switching from Mini Wifi Router to Mi Router 4, I won in all directions. Therefore, if there is a question about replacement, the answer is yes, it’s definitely worth changing. Compared to its predecessor Xiaomi Mi Router 3, there are also quite serious changes. Although they concern most of the performance. I offer a small comparison table; for convenience, I have highlighted changes for the better in bold.

That is, in simple words, Mi Router 4 has become much more powerful and has acquired gigabit ports. Let's take a closer look at the new product. The box is quite massive, on the front there is an image of the model and the name in Chinese.

The main advantages are described on the reverse side, also in Chinese. And of course, special attention was paid to the MiNet button, with which you can connect smart electronics to a home network controlled by Mi Router 4 (including smart home components produced by MIJIA and other Xiaomi sub-brands). Just by pressing one button, without entering a password.

The router is neatly placed in a box and covered with translucent film. Having taken it out, you can find the QR code, clicking on it to download the MiRouter application. This is the easiest and most convenient way to connect and configure the device; in addition, it is possible to configure it via the WEB interface.

The power supply and instructions were placed in a separate niche.

The instructions describe how to connect and configure the router, everything is accompanied by pictures.

The power supply, as in previous models, is 12V\1A, American plug (the store did not forget to include an adapter for a European plug).

The design is similar to the models of the third series, but with larger curves of the body. 4 non-removable antennas can be tilted in depth (forward\back) and to the sides (left\right). The color has not changed - white. The memory is still fresh of how negatively people reacted to the white casings of the routers of the first Xiaomi models, and only over time many realized that it was really practical. On the white body, dust is not visible and the device always looks neat visually.

Its small size and thickness allow it to be placed on almost any table or shelf. Among the definite disadvantages I would include the lack of wall mounting capability; for Xiaomi routers this is just some kind of disease.

Like all xiaomi products, the router looks truly stylish.

Each antenna is engraved with the MiWiFi logo

On the back wall you can find one WAN port and 2 LAN ports. For home purposes, this is enough, for example, 1LAN goes to a wired connection to a computer, another LAN to a wired connection to a TV box. The rest is by air. For example, for me, everything is connected only by air. There is a hidden Reset button, but I never used it in the previous model. Even if you need to reset the router, for example, to clean the RAM, it is much easier to do this by turning off the power. Compared to its predecessor Mi Router 3 or my previous Mini Wifi Router, this model has removed the USB connector.

The physical Mi button is located in the center of the body. For those who have not yet understood, the proprietary MiNet technology turned out to be simply an analogue of the Wi-Fi Protected Setup function, or simply WPS. Let's say you have a smart lamp from MIJIA (a sub-brand of Xiaomi) and you want to connect it. Activate the network search on the lamp, according to the instructions, then press Mi on the router and wait until the connection occurs. There is no need to enter a password. That's the whole point of the MiNet function, otherwise you're already daydreaming :)

Minor changes affected the LED. If in the Mini Wifi Router it shines directly and in the dark turns into a hellish spotlight, then here the glow is directed at a slight downward angle. The brightness of the LED is slightly lower and now in working condition it is not blue, but light turquoise. In total, the LED can shine in 3 colors - turquoise during operation, orange during loading, and red during critical errors.

Turning the router over reveals many ventilation holes. In the center is a sticker that shows the address for connecting to the Web interface, the name of the default network and other information.

A hidden screw was placed under the sticker. By unscrewing it, you can open the case latches and disassemble the router.

As usual, Xiaomi used black textolite. The central processor and memory are covered with metal screens, which simultaneously serve as radiators. On the reverse side, the board is connected to a metal plate through heat-conducting rubber bands; it plays the main role in heat removal. The manufacturer left a small Easter egg on the board, ARE YOU OK!!! - ARE YOU OKAY!!!

The 2.4G and 5G antenna connectors are connected with the corresponding connectors. 2 antennas for each channel.

back side

Toshiba JV6548 chip, presumably this is memory.

Setup and connection

Everything here is elementary. Scan the QR code from the box\instructions or install the MiRouter application from the market yourself. In the application, setting up connections and managing functions is really very simple and takes no more than a couple of minutes. If you have a Mi account, good, if not, you need to create one. I have had the MiRouter application installed for a long time and it automatically detected that a new router had appeared on the network, after which it suggested that I set it up as a new device or transfer the settings from the previous one. I chose to set up a new one, after which the Internet is checked. Next, come up with a network name and password. That's all the setup.

Now let's look at the most interesting features of the application and what you can do with it. The main page displays the activity of connected devices - when it joined the network, how much traffic it used, etc. You can go into each device and limit its speed or block access to the network completely. Next is the settings section - here you can change the password or network name, set speed limits for guest devices, select a region (change the application language), set the time and date, reset the settings to factory settings and update the firmware.

If for some reason the router does not pick up all the network settings automatically, you can enter them manually.

What interesting things can you do through the application? In the WiFi settings, you can configure each network separately (2.4G and 5G), you can adjust the signal strength in each range individually (weak, standard and maximum) or turn off the unused range completely. You can also create black lists of devices that will be denied access to the network, or vice versa - a white list with allowed access. There is a timer to automatically turn on/off at night. When no one needs the Internet, the router will turn off.

There is a whole section with special utilities, for example, in QoS you can manage connection limits, limiting the speed to the desired value for an individual device. By the way, the router supports up to 128 devices simultaneously. We need to give an idea to hotel owners in Turkey, otherwise they always have problems with Internet access in the lobby. But how many simultaneous connections are there? 20 - 30? Well, 50 maximum :) Also, using additional tools, you can create a guest network, configure a VPN, test Internet speed, etc. Some functions will not work, for example Photo Backup, because there is no USB connector for connecting the drive. Another useful little thing for me was the ability to turn off the indicator light in the system settings.

What I generally like about routers from Xiaomi is the ease of setup and stability of operation. Craftsmen flash them with modified firmware, for example Padavan. Maybe it adds some features, but I don't need it. Everything you need is on stock, and most importantly it works stably.

By the way, if you want to use the Web interface when setting up the router, then this option is also available here. Enter the address indicated on the sticker from the router into the address bar of your browser. Here, however, everything will be in Chinese, but if you use Chrome, then simply right-click anywhere on the screen and select “translate into Russian,” after which you get a Russian-language site. Surprisingly, the translation is very correct and understanding the settings is not difficult. The main page displays interesting statistics on the load on the network, processor and memory of the router. There are also statistics on the amount of traffic consumed by each device. All information is available online.

By analogy with a mobile application, you can manage connections, adjust Internet speed and limit, block devices, create black and white lists.

Setting up network, password, signal strength, encryption type, etc.

General settings menu

Advanced settings

Now let's run some user tests. The most important question is, of course, increasing the speed of the Internet via WiFi, which is what the router was bought for. At the moment, my main smartphone is Oppo F7, which on the previous router had the following indicators: in the 2.4 Ghz range, the download speed was 45 - 50 mbps, in the 5 Ghz range - up to 95 mbps. With the new router, the speed at 2.4 Ghz did not increase much; it was already almost at the maximum possible. But at 5 Ghz I have already reached my tariff plan, having received a maximum of 200 mbps.

Signal quality and coverage range have also changed, especially in the 5Ghz range. Previously, I could only get maximum speed in the room with the router or in the next room, and then the signal level dropped and the speed dropped accordingly. For example, in the kitchen I could already get a maximum of 40 Mbps, which actually equalized the speed with the frequency of 2.4 Ghz. Upon entering the entrance, the smartphone lost the network and switched to 2.4G, and the flight below, where there was a smoking area, the 2.4 Ghz band also periodically dropped out. These are the indicators I took using WiFi Analyzer from the previous Mini Wifi Router:

Room with a router

Back room (2 walls)

In the corridor and entrance, 5 Ghz was already periodically falling off and the smartphone switched to 2.4 Ghz. And the flight below was already falling off and 2.4 Ghz. On the street I only received 2.4 Ghz and only strictly under the balcony.

And here are the indicators from the new Mi WiFi 4 router: Room with a router

Back room (2 walls)

At this stage, it is clear that the signal level drops slightly and evenly on both ranges. The speed within the apartment is maximum everywhere. But in the entrance it is already falling more strongly, because a load-bearing concrete wall is being added.

Having gone down one flight, the 5 Ghz band is already barely catching. But at 2.4 GHz there is complete order here.

On the street near the entrance (I live on the 8th floor), as well as within 50 meters from it, only 2.4 Ghz can be received. The second range no longer finishes. All tests were carried out with the “standard” signal strength settings. If you don’t go into details when comparing numbers, even if you walk through different rooms of an apartment with a WiFi signal detector, you can notice the difference with the naked eye.

To summarize, I would like to note that Xiaomi managed to release another high-quality router, which expanded its already wide range of devices. I got everything I wanted from it in full, I’m 100% happy with the update. Like other brand products, this one is aimed primarily at simplicity and ease of use. Do you know which router is considered good? The answer is the one they forgot where it stands. And this is true - after connecting and setting up the device, all you have to do is remember to periodically wipe it from dust. Everything else can be done directly from your smartphone.

To reduce the cost to $37.99, you can use the coupon MDC5446

To increase data transfer speeds, special devices are designed - Mi Wi-Fi 3 routers, which are offered by the famous Chinese brand Xiaomi. The company's products are characterized not only by impeccable quality and excellent functionality, but also by enormous capabilities. We will talk about what Xiaomi routers can do and how to configure them correctly in our article.

Technical capabilities of Mi Wi-Fi Router 3

There is an impressive hardware hidden inside the device, which makes it possible to ensure uninterrupted information transfer. When using the IPoE and PPPoE protocols, the gadget produces solid speed indicators - as much as 90 megabytes per second. This was made possible by installing a hardware accelerator, which is equipped with the MT7620A chip with a frequency of 580 MHz.

When switching to L2TP and PPTP modes, the speed will be slightly lower. However, this does not play a significant role, since these modes are used quite rarely.

By connecting via VPN, you can simultaneously use Wi-Fi and the local network provided by your provider at excellent speeds. Numerous tests have demonstrated that there is no drop in speed performance under such operating conditions.

The device has two wireless radio units. The first, according to the manufacturer, operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz (up to 300 Mb/s), and the second – at 5 GHz (857 Mb/s). They allow you to increase the number of threads from 1 to 8, while maintaining a good total speed - up to 160 Mb/sec.

Setup instructions

In our article we will look at how to properly connect and configure not only the third version of the router, but also models such as Mi Wi-Fi Router 3c and Mi Wi-Fi Router 3 ac 1200.

First, you need to go to the resource miwifi.com (its interface is presented in Chinese, so it’s worth using an online translator) or use the Play Market services to download the Mi Wi-Fi application (it is Russified).

If you decide to choose the first option, then in the top menu on the left you will find the “Download” button. Click on it, after which the process of saving the application begins.

Then you should enter the necessary data, which includes passwords for your home Wi-Fi and admin panel. After this, you will only need to wait a little, since the product will carry out the setup activities automatically. When they are completed, a corresponding message will appear on the display informing you that the Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 3 is awaiting a reboot.

Once this process is complete, you will have access to a control panel with several tabs. Here you will find a tab with the status of the gadget, its memory status, additional and general settings. We need a tab under the third number, which provides access to the general settings of the Xiaomi Mi WiFi Router 3c router. Here you need to fill out all the available fields, so that in the future the device will connect to the network automatically.

Also in the tabs you can:

• Add and edit black and white lists;
• Set ranges for IP addresses;
• Update the firmware to the latest version;
• Create a backup;
• Activate/deactivate VPN services.

Please note that changing the QoS indicator (this is smart speed) is not recommended, since the speed limits of the device can be significantly reduced.

Alternative firmware: is it worth installing?

To increase the technical capabilities of the Mi Wi-Fi Router 3, you can try installing an alternative version. You won’t be able to find it in a ready-made version, so you’ll have to work hard to create an open source source. This allows you to recreate a shell prototype in order to maximally adjust the functionality of the device to your own needs.

Advantages of installing alternative firmware:

• Improving the performance of the gadget;
• Increasing speed limits;
• Stability of work;
• Ability to make changes as needed;
• PPTP/L2TP support;
• Choice of English or Russian interface;
• Editing scripts to create key events.

Disadvantages of the alternative shell:

• It is not always possible to achieve the desired result, i.e. not all necessary functions may become available;
• There is a possibility that the device will become completely inoperable and it will be necessary to restore information from flash memory;
• Remote control of services may be disrupted when interacting with mobile phones.

Mi Wi-Fi+ signal booster: is it possible to work together?

Yes, of course, if you want to significantly increase your existing coverage area and also ensure stable signal reception. This is an excellent option for use in urban environments, especially where there is a large concentration of wireless networks.

The only condition is that you should not use the signal amplifier and the Xiaomi Mi WiFi Router 3 ac 1200 router on a regular basis at the same time. This is due to the fact that speed indicators can decrease noticeably.

It is impossible to live without access to the Internet today. At the same time, not only the very fact of having the Internet, but also its quality is of great importance. If pages load slowly and the connection keeps dropping, it's just annoying.

Why is wireless internet slow?

Wi-Fi network speed is influenced by many different factors. This includes the power of the transmitter, its location, and obstacles in the path of signal propagation. But sometimes the biggest impact comes from interference from other devices and networks.

Wireless networks use two frequency ranges - 2.4 and 5 GHz, and most gadgets operate in the first. As a result, devices interfere with each other, resulting in reduced data transfer rates.

Sometimes you can correct the situation by simply searching through the channels. We have already written how to do this. But this method does not always help, since there may simply not be any free channels left. And then there is only one option left - switching to the 5 GHz band, which is still very little used. However, for this you will need a new modern router.

Why Mi WiFi Router 4

We will not try to impress you by listing all the technical characteristics and supported standards. For most regular users this is completely unnecessary. Suffice it to say that this is a fresh model that was born in the spring of this year. This means that everything is in order there with the support of new technologies.

In addition, Mi WiFi Router 4, like all Xiaomi products, looks great. It's a cute little white plastic gadget that will look great in any setting.

The only negative is the lack of holes for wall mounting. However, if you really need it, then picking a couple of holes in the ventilation grille on the back cover will not be difficult.

Well, the last reason is the excellent ratio of price and consumer properties of the device. Finding a more sophisticated router, of course, is not at all difficult, but it will cost much more. You can try to save money, but then you will have to limit yourself to some unknown Chinese rattle.

How to connect a new router

Everything is very simple. First, connect the device to the network, and then insert the cable from your provider into the connector marked in blue.

After this, you should install the special Mi Wi-Fi application (Android, iOS) on your smartphone. Next, you need to enter your account information in Mi services or create a new user. In most cases, router settings are configured automatically. All you need to do is set the network name and password, and then enter these data on all devices to connect.

If you need to enter the data provided by your provider manually, you will have to connect to the router via the web interface. To do this, enter 192.168.31.1 in the address bar of your browser and press “Enter.” The router control panel will open in front of you, where you can make all the necessary settings.

Yes, the web interface of the Xiaomi Mi Router 4 is currently only available in Chinese, but for an experienced person it will not be difficult to understand it. We hope that an international version with localization for different countries will also appear soon.

What's the result?

The testing results of Mi Router 4 exceeded all our expectations.

All devices connected to the 5 GHz network showed a more than fourfold increase in data transfer speed. In the screenshot below you can see for yourself that the initial download speed was approximately 15-20 Mbps, and after replacing the router it exceeded 80 Mbps (top three lines).

As for outdated devices, they easily connected to the second network from Mi Router 4 at 2.4 GHz. In this case, the speed increase was not so impressive, but still noticeable. And most importantly, the connection has become more stable and stable, without dips or breaks even under peak loads.

If you want to radically improve the quality of the wireless network in your apartment, then Xiaomi Mi Router 4 is an excellent solution. It has a modern appearance, works reliably and costs only 2,509 rubles. Just nonsense compared to the savings in time and nerves that you will get as a result.