EE wifi mini 4Gee?

[Billy_Bottle]

Hi

I have just bought one of the above mifi routers, used, without documents, or sim card, to use as a backup for my regular Huawei unit. I need to know how to either reset or unlock it. I have done a hard reset to revert both user and password to ADMIN, but obviously I cannot connect to it without a SIM. I am not an EE customer-yet. I intend using it with an EE SIM on a 1 month contract, but in the meantime need to know if the unit is actually working. How can I do this? It charges and the lights all work at various times, as expected. Also, I would like a full manual for it if available, not the quickstart guide, which I have. Any info on setting this up for future use welcome. There is no 'keep me' card, and that would be specific and personal to the previous owner anyway. Can these also be used on another network as is, with relevant SIM? Cheers folks!

[Billy_Bottle]

Peter

No, I cannot connect to the EE router (4Geewifi mini as pictured above), the connection I am using is an existing non EE one. I can not access the homepage for the EE one, I cannot connect at all. I am using a desktop PC with W10. 

The only thing that asks for a code is the page I get when following the stated links from EE help pages. I input and verify the IMEI number, successfully, it then takes me to a page with a box where it says above, here is your unlock code.  Then go to the next page. There is a space below to input the code, which will not accept any typing, and even the cursor is not even in the right place.

So I am trying to do this over the web, but can only get access with my current setup, not the EE one. Which is what I am using now, as the EE one is not able to be connected. I have done a hard reset on it as per thee quickstart guide, which should set all passwords to 'admin', but even so, I cannot connect. 

Do I need a valid internet connection in operation via the EE dongle to unlock it? If so, I am at a loss as to how I can get this. I'm not good trying to get screenshots I'm afraid.

Bah! 

[Billy_Bottle]

Peter, I forgot to say, the page after IMEI is verified, should say 'here is your unlock code', but the text box there remains blank. I have the code via email but cannot input it as the EE dongle won't connect, despite my PC detecting it as a wifi source.

[Peter_W]

Thanks for explaining here @Billy_Bottle.

From my understanding here, you should be able to put any SIM into the WiFi mini, even if it's locked, and it will produce a WiFi signal you can connect to.

Once you connect using the connection key and head to 192.168.1.1, a box will appear asking for the unlock code. 

I couldn't quite work this out from your initial post, but do you have the connection key as well as the admin password? 

This is separate to the admin password and is specifically used for connecting to the WiFi signal, but if you're not sure this thread may be helpful:

4GEE Mini: forgot wifi key, cannot connect to wifi - The EE Community

Peter

[Billy_Bottle]

Peter

As I understand it, according to EE, there are 2 passwords associated with the dongle. 1 to connect to it via wifi, and one to access the higher functions and setup via its homepage once so connected. But I do not have the original password as supplied. A hard reset is supposed to revert both to 'admin'. It does not. Or at least it will not accept such. Therein might lie my problem.

I have tried the thing with a working Smarty  sim, and the old defunct EE one, and all combinations of sim/password. Still nothing. Confusion reigns!

[Billy_Bottle]

Also link is no longer active.

[Alex_H · Accepted solution]

@Billy_Bottle  Yes you are right the device does have two separate passwords, one for the admin pages and one the WiFi connection key. It is only the admin page one that defaults to admin though, if it is the 4G WiFi Mini you have, one that does not have a removable back cover etc then the default WiFi key should be MYWIFI followed by the last 4 digits of the IMEI i.e. MYWIFI1234

Give that password a try and see if it is able to connect. The link @Peter_W provided has been archived from public view due to its age unfortunately, but someone had a similar issue and was able to resolve it and posted the following instructions in their post, so worth a try also if the default is not working.

1. Connect the device to a Windows PC (not a Mac) via a USB cable (make sure you use a USB cable that is capable of sending data as some USB cables do not send data and are only for charging devices).
2. Open up Windows Explorer and you should see a new drive appear next to your existing hard drive(s).  On my PC it shows up as "CD Drive (D:) Web Connection".  Click on this and then double click on "Autorun.exe" and follow the prompts to install the Web Connection software.
3.  Once the software is installed a web browser window should open automatically with this URL: http://ee.mobilebroadband/index.html.  In the bottom right box which starts "To manage settings on your 4GEE..." click on "log in here" and then enter, in lowercase "admin" as both the username and the password.  This will give you access to the router where you can change the wifi key/password to one of your choice.

Alex

[Billy_Bottle]

Hi Alex

I was going to check with a cable, but thought 'that isn't it', tried it and guess what? It IS! So, connected now, operating with my Smarty sim in place, net connectivity is working, can access router homepage as well.   Funny, it has not asked for an unlock code, and I can't see anything in the config pages to apply one; therefor it's safe to assume it was already unlocked then?  Strange it has resisted working with the Smarty sim since I have had this dongle, and tried it loads of times, isn't it?

Never mind, here we are and all good, thanx to you mate. I'm very grateful to all who had a crack at this for me, thank you!

Best regards!

[Alex_H]

@Billy_Bottle That is great news, glad to hear its working now and thanks for posting an update to let us know. If it was not already unlocked it is possible that establishing a connection has completed the unlocking but either way its definitely unlocked now if its working with the Smarty SIM.

Alex