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Cradlepoint PHS300 Hardware Version 1 vs 2: Is Yours 4G WiMAX-Compatible?

Cradlepoint's battery-powered PHS300 router is one of the most popular routers for 3G and 4G WiMAX users, but did you know that Cradlepoint has two versions for the PHS300 - and only one of them is WiMAX-compatible? The "Hardware Version 1" PHS300, which has been available since late 2007, is the original version of the router and is only capable of working with 3G devices - even with firmware updates, a PHS300 with Version 1 hardware is not capable of supporting a 4G WiMAX connection and never will be. Version 2 has new hardware that allows it to support the new 4g WiMAX modems. 3gstore has been exclusively selling/shipping the Version 2 PHS300 since it became available last year, but if you bought your PHS300 more then a year ago or bought it from another retailer, you might have one with the Version 1 hardware, which means it can't be used with the new WiMAX modems like the U300, U301 and CLEAR USB modems.

If you're not sure which version you have, it's easy to figure out. Check out this quick and easy list to determine if your PHS300 has Hardware Version 1 or Version 2:

• The logos are different: the PHS300's with hardware version 1.0 have the Cradlepoint symbol and "Cradlepoint Technology" is written in white; version 2.0 eliminated the symbol and the word "technology" is in yellow:
  
  
  Left: PHS300 w/ Hardware Version 1; Right: PHS300 w/ Hardware Version 2


• The "Power" LED's are different, too: The Hardware 2.0 PHS300's "power" LED looks like the universal power symbol, while the older 1.0 versions had a lightning bolt (see above picture)
• The default password is printed on an easy to read label just beneath where the battery door is located on the unit for the Hardware Version 2.0
  
• The battery is much more easily removed on the Hardware Version 2.0 - older units will require using a flat blade of some sort in order to remove the battery
  
• The bar-coded label that can be found underneath the battery will also indicate if the unit is Hardware Version 1.0 or 2.0

If you purchased your router from 3Gstore and have any questions please call our esteemed technical support at 866-347-8673. If you would like to purchase the PHS300 router with Hardware Version 2.0 for 3G and 4G compatibility, you can order it at 3gstore.com/phs300