When Peplink brought out the Pepwave MAX BR1 Mk2 cellular integrated router in November of 2017 (our news story) - it improved upon the original MAX BR1 by adding a faster Cat-6 LTE modem with support for more cellular bands, 802.11ac local Wi-Fi, and gigabit ethernet.
The MAX Br1 Mk2 has been a Top Pick option ever since it came out.
The original MAX BR1 was renamed the "MAX BR1 Classic" and remained in the Peplink's product line for $549, a substantial discount over the $669 Mk2. But with the limited LTE modem there was little reason to recommend the Classic.
Now Pepave has let us know that the Classic is getting a minor update - and the new mid-2019 edition of the Classic will be getting the same Cat-6 LTE Advanced cellular modem found in the Mk2 - all without a price increase.
Here are the key differences between the most interesting versions of the MAX-BR1:
| "Original" Classic | Mid-2019 Classic | BR1 Mk2 | MAX Mini | |
| LTE-A Carrier Aggregation | No | Yes (2x 20Mhz) | Yes (2x 20Mhz) | Yes (2x 20Mhz) |
| Performance Category | Category 3 (Max Theoretical Speed: 100Mbps Down / 50Mbps Up) | Category 6 (Max Theoretical Speed: 300Mbps Down / 50Mbps Up) | Category 6 (Max Theoretical Speed: 300Mbps Down / 50Mbps Up) | Category 6 (Max Theoretical Speed: 300Mbps Down / 50Mbps Up) |
| LTE Bands | 2, 4, 5, 13, 17, 25 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12/17, 13, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12/17, 13, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12/17, 13, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41 |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n | 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n | Dual Band 802.11 b/g/n/a/ac | 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n - WiFi-as-WAN costs $100 extra! |
| Ethernet | 3x Fast (100 Mbps) | 3x Fast (100 Mbps) | 2x Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) | 2x Fast (100 Mbps) |
| List Price | $549 | $549 | $699 | $399 |
According to Peplink, all of these routers are capable of just 100Mbps routing throughput - so even though under ideal conditions the LTE-A modem might be able to go faster, you should never expect to see cellular speeds over 100Mbps passed through to your local network with any of these.
Still - the new mid-2019 Classic is an interesting option for those who may not need the full capabilities of the Mk2, and who need a bit more than what the MAX Mini has to offer.
This is a quiet update rolling out to the market now - so anyone shopping for a MAX should make sure that they are getting the latest LTE-A capable Classic and not leftover old inventory.
For more on the full Pepwave MAX BR1 lineup, see our gear guide page.
Mobile Internet Resource Center (dba Two Steps Beyond LLC) is founded by Chris & Cherie of