MTN WakaNet 5G Router Review: Speedtest and real world performance test.

Staying connected is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. Whether you’re working from home, gaming, streaming your favorite shows, or just staying connected with friends and family, reliable internet is a must. MTN Uganda has entered the fast lane with its WakaNet 5G router, promising faster, more reliable internet speeds. But does it live up to the hype?

After using it for a month, here’s my deep dive review of the ZLT X100 Pro router — setup, performance, and whether it’s worth your money.

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Why I Picked Up the WakaNet 5G Router

Let’s face it — Uganda’s internet service providers aren’t exactly known for reliability. My primary setup is a home fiber connection from SprintUG and more recently Bluecrane communication, but like many people, I’ve had my fair share of power cuts from UMEME and slow connection speeds from my Fiber provider. So I needed a backup, something that would kick in when my fiber network goes dark or super slow or when UMEME does its thing. That’s where the WakaNet 5G router caught my eye.

The promise? 5G speeds, portable power, and an affordable price all in an “unlimited internet plan”. It sounded like the perfect secondary solution — and maybe even a primary one for those without home fiber or those off-grid. But could it really deliver on those promises?

Unboxing & First Impressions

The router itself is compact and clean-looking and it comes in black!. It’s not a design piece, but it feels sturdy and practical — built for function, not form. This is actually a 2nd generation of the MTN 5G router, or atleast a different model. It’s much smaller and compact in size than the previous version.

What’s in the box:

• The ZLT X100 Pro 5G router
• Power adapter
• Ethernet cable
• Quick start guide

On the front of the router, you’ve got a power indicator, Wi-Fi indicator, 4G and 5G signal indicators, and a signal strength meter. These are suppossed to show you the status of your mobile internet connection, specifically if you’re connected to 4G LTE or faster 5G network or if you even have signal or if the WiFi network is on or off. If anything isn’t working, this is the first place to look when troubleshooting.

But the kicker for me is that it runs on a power bank. This means you’re not stuck if the power cuts unlike my Fiber internet connection. You can power it directly through a wall socket or keep it running through a power bank for about 30 minutes to an hour. This can be very useful when you’re working on a report and then power goes off. With this router and your fully charged laptop, work won’t get interrupted.

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Setup and getting started

MTN made this setup ridiculously easy — even if you’re not tech-savvy.

How to get started:

1. Visit an MTN Service Center with your original national ID.
2. Pay UGX 130,000 — this gets you a 5G simcard along with the router plus a 10Mbps unlimited plan. If you want faster speeds, you can pay more. Visit their website for pricing.
3. Register the SIM card provided by MTN.
4. Pop the SIM card into the router.
5. Turn on the router — and that’s it. You’re online.

I did the set up the MTN service center in MetroPlex Nalya. I started using the internet even before leaving the service center.

Performance: Let’s Talk Speeds

This is the part you’re here for, isn’t it. Like you, I wanted to know if this device actually delivers fast, reliable internet. So, I ran multiple speed tests in different scenarios and across different times of the day.

On the 10Mbps package (UGX 130,000/month), I consistently hit 9.5–11Mbps for most of the day. It wasn’t blazing fast, but it was stable — and that’s what matters most for streaming and work calls. At other times, it could drop to 5Mbps.

I connected to a server in Frankfurt, Germany and various other locations around the world, such as London, Seattle etc. Why is this important? Because most of the content we access from Uganda is actually hosted outside of the country. So I always have the destination testing server outside of Uganda. Locally, Simba Fiber’s Uganda server gave me even more stable speeds, hovering consistently around 10Mbps as expected as its within the country.

What does this mean in real-world use?

• 1080p YouTube videos — smooth, no buffering.
• 4K YouTube content — surprisingly watchable, though expect occasional buffering.
• Zoom calls — stable with video on, no freezes.
• Online gaming — decent performance, though latency isn’t as low as wired fiber.

Data Cap & Fair Usage Policy

Now for the elephant in the room, the “unlimited” in the “unlimited internet” marketing phrase. Here’s the cold fact; there’s no true unlimited mobile internet in Uganda. So the reality is:

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• You get 10Mbps speeds for the first 500GB.
• After 500GB, MTN throttles you down to 3Mbps until your billing cycle resets.

But let’s be real — 500GB is pretty generous for most households. Unless you’re downloading massive files daily or running a home office with heavy data needs, you’ll be fine. In my own data usage audits, I find I hover between 500-700GB per month on my unlimited Fiber connection. So MTN’s data caps sound reasonable for everyday use.

Ports, Features, and Connectivity

The ZLT X100 Pro which is the 5G router that MTN provides isn’t just a plug-and-play device. It packs all the features you would expect from a typical router. This is great for nerds like me who want to squeeze out everything from their router.

Here are the key features:

• Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz) — better performance in crowded areas.
• Wi-Fi 6 support — faster, more efficient connections for newer devices.
• 1 Ethernet port — wired connections for better speeds on laptops or network switches.
• USB-C port — mainly for debugging.
• Signal strength LEDs — blue lights mean strong signal. Off means, no signal

The dual-band Wi-Fi is a standout. If you’re in a congested area, 2.4GHz will push the signal further, while 5GHz gives you faster speeds in less crowded spaces.You can choose to have both WiFi SSIDs for the respective bands or you can choose to combine them. From the web interface which you access from https://192.168.1.1, you have lots of router features such as DHCP, Firewall, VPN, Diagnosis, remote management etc.

Getting the Best Signal

Pro tip: Placement matters.

Don’t shove the router under your couch or in a closed corner. Place it near a window or door — somewhere unobstructed — to get the best 5G signal.

The LED indicators help here: blue lights mean strong signal; anything less and you might need to reposition. MTN’s 4G LTE is pretty well covered around Uganda, but 5G is still in only major cities and towns. So you want to check if your area has 5G connectivity before you purchase this device, otherwise, it will fall back to the slower 4G network. In Kira were I stay, we have good 5G network, so this router’s performance was always on point.

Final Verdict: Should You Get It?

The MTN WakaNet 5G router isn’t perfect — but it’s damn close for the price.

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Pros:

• Affordable entry price (UGX 130,000 with a plan). That comes with the simcard, router and the 10Mbps internet plan.
• Dual power (wall socket or power bank backup).
• Consistent, reliable speeds.
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 support for better WiFi performance.

Cons:

• Speeds throttle to 3Mbps after 500GB.
• No USSD recharging within the web interface — you’ll need MTN’s app or MoMo.

For anyone looking for fast, reliable backup internet — or a primary connection where fiber isn’t an option — this router delivers. It’s portable, affordable, and dependable. Would I recommend it? Yes. We also made a video review if you prefer watching, rather than reading:

Full disclosure: I paid for this device with own money. MTN had no part in influencing the editorial chooses and direction of this review.

Tried the WakaNet 5G router yet? Let me know your thoughts below — I’d love to hear about your experience!