A year after PLDT/Smart released 3 CAT 6 Prepaid WiFi Modems, only the Greenpacket D2K remains available and is currently at 65% off. This Modem has been the most overlooked out of the three since the Boosteven and the Evoluzn modems are dual band compared to the single band D2K with the Boosteven CAT6 even having antenna ports. Despite having the least features, is the D2K modem still worth buying?
One thing unique about the D2K modem is it's design. Some might mistake it as a bluetooth speaker or maybe a humidifier. Other than that it offers no advantage over the other CAT6 modems of PLDT/Smart. It has no 5Ghz band, has less LAN ports compared to the evoluzn model, and it doesn't have external antenna ports like the boost even modem. This is most probably the reason why the other modems are sold out and this one is the only CAT6 modem available.
In terms of speed, given the same playing field it basically performs as well as the other two modems. But please do take note that your internet speed would ultimately depend on the signal quality in your location. I've encountered at least 2 viewers who shared that they can't connect to the internet with this modem due to signal problems.
One common question asked with these modems is if other sim cards would work. As long as it uses the smart network, it should work. The sim card slot is located at the bottom of the modem covered by a warranty seal. I tried using a Rocket Sim with this modem and now I have unlimited data for one whole month for only Php499. My initial speedtest gave me 12Mbps download speed and around 6Mbps upload speed. Moving it on the other side of our house, the download speed was faster at 42Mbps with 16Mbps upload speed. That's why it's important to check the best possible location for your modem to get the most out of it.
In terms of admin access to control the frequency bands, I already saw a preview of the full admin access and openline of this modem so we'll just have to wait for tutorials or maybe a paid service. On the other hand, there are several tutorials for the Boosteven CAT6 modems and you can even buy an openline unit online and with admin access.
Finally, at Php699 the Smart Prepaid Wifi D2K modem is already a good deal considering that the original price of this modem before was Php2,000. I would still recommend the Boosteven CAT6 if you chanced upon its availability but if you need an instant Wifi right now, this is currently the only one officialy available and can be a good option for online class and working from home.
