4G LTE 4510L hotspot/mifi device won't stay connected

I just got the device today, called the number, followed the instructions, got everything put together and turned on. I was able to get everything to turn on and connect to my iPad, but the connection on the MiFi device itself continually switches from connected to dormant.

Sometimes, after restarting the MiFi device, it won't even connect. It will just say connecting until I turn it off. Anyone have any suggestions or did I get a bad device?

Accepted answers

EdW_VZW

Hi Pikko,

I am glad that you were able to get the 4G LTE 4501L device working again. As far as being locked in a non-existent LTE signal, the device would try to out onto the network to establish a connection depending on your coverage area. Here is a helpful link that can be accessed to see if the area where you are located in using the 4G LTE 4501L device has 4G coverage or extended coverage. The link is: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST. Please fill in the location areas, select 4G on the radio button and then the red box search. If the coverage area is on a boarder line of 4G coverage and/or extended 4G coverage, that maybe why the device is in the a non-existent LTE signal state in trying to connect.

All comments

danab

I have the same problem. Wintel on XP. Device disconnects for no reason about every five minutes. Had the original Mifi 2200 and after half day of troublshooting it worded non-stop. "Upgraded" to the mifi 4g LTE and the stinkin thing drops out every five minutes.

pikko

It goes to "dormant" from connected about every 5 seconds. Can't even browse a single web page. Very upsetting.

pikko

... I'm glad VZW has a nice trial/return period. I'm going to give this thing a workout from hell this week. I plugged it in to my PC at work to charge it for an hour or so, thinking maybe the battery just needed some juice. Finally got it to work.

Now it just tries to lock on to a "non-existent" LTE signal. Maybe some network problems in my area?

pchelper

I had the same problem till I reset the device with a paper clip. Now it just goes dormant two or three times a day so I connect to http://192.168.1.1/ then use the password admin. The pull down diagonostics from the menu allows tou to recycle the device from you pc. Then you have to right click on the netywork icon on the far lower right of your screen and click on troubleshoot. This sets thing back to normal.

EdW_VZW

Hi Pikko,

ilocano

I found the solution to connection dropping problem after 1 week of research and trial/errors. Step 1: Call verizon support at 866-221-4096. Step 2: Press 6 for MIFI device. Step 3: They will ask you to remove SIM card, wait 10 seconds, then put it back in. After doing this, it never dropped again. The tech person said by removing the SIM, it resets the cell towers it's connected to. He even called me 15 minutes later to make sure. He did say that he did something on his side too so not sure if calling is required. I hope this helps some of you.

WarpNine

Sound like good news! I hope that is the solution. I did the 'SIM-dance' you described just to see if it works. If not, I'm going to call up support tomorrow and go through it with a tech.

Thanks for the post! (post again tomorrow and give us an update)

mrollins

After 3 new 4G sim cards, and one replacement MiFi 4510L, I am still having problems with the device disconnecting from the network (EvDO only - no LTE in my area). I have tried everything under the blue moon, reset, reset, lick your finger and hold above your head while holding the device in your hand...lol. I have tried everthing and nothing seems to work. I have spoken with technical support 3 times over this issue and haven't gotten very far obviously. See below:

System Log> HTML Version 25.
07/08/11 09:42:11pm> Current Time
07/08/11 09:41:32pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:41:31pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:40:56pm> NWPM_EVENT_CALL_CONNECTED
07/08/11 09:40:56pm> HDR/EvDO Connected
07/08/11 09:40:47pm> NWPM_EVENT_CALL_END
07/08/11 09:40:47pm> HDR/EvDO Disconnected
07/08/11 09:40:47pm> [RUIAUTO] Invalid packet state
07/08/11 09:40:40pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:40:25pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:40:23pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:40:15pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:40:07pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:37pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:32pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:19pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:17pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:10pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:39:01pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:38:52pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:38:37pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:38:30pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:38:15pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:37:35pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:37:30pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:37:10pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:37:05pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:58pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:54pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:48pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:39pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:25pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:23pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:17pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:36:06pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:59pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:57pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:52pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:35pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:26pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:19pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:04pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:35:03pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:34:51pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:34:43pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:34:17pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:34:09pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:34:02pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:33:56pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:48pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:41pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:32pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:30pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:21pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:32:10pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:41pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:37pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:20pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:17pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:07pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:31:04pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:42pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:40pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:32pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:30pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:22pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:20pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:03pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:30:00pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:29:34pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:29:32pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:29:16pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:29:13pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:28:35pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:28:31pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:28:09pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:28:07pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:59pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:57pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:20pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:17pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:04pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:27:03pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:26:51pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:26:44pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:25:04pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:25:03pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:24:14pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:24:13pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:23:58pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:23:52pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:22:58pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:22:56pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:22:46pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:22:38pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:21:23pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:21:22pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:20:53pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:20:51pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State
07/08/11 09:20:26pm> HDR/EvDO Out of Dormant State
07/08/11 09:20:25pm> HDR/EvDO in Dormant State

I understand that the dormant state isn't necessarily the issue, but it is actually disconnecting from the network obviously shown above! Get Novatel to get off the hind ends and create a firmware update to fix this issue!

lfirwin

I called VZW Tech support today, and they basically had me do the same thing. Crossing my fingers that it works.

Couple things to note:

Prior to calling tech support, I was monitoring the diagnostic logs. I noted that the time stamp on teh log entries was way off what the current date and time was. After the call, the date and time stamps on the logs are now correct.
The tech had me take the battery out while the power was on. I noticed that the e-ink display still showed the battery and signal strengths as well as how many people were connected. These were static, but odd that the display was showing anythign with the battery out.
After the call, the modem is still going into dormant state, but when accessing the internet now, the modem comes out of dormant state without any manual intervention.

Don't know if those observations help at all, but I thought I'd share what I found while troubleshooting with the tech support person. She did do something on her end, and I'm not entirely sure what she did. It seems to be working fine right now. We'll see if it remains in the current satisfactory condition.

I'll report back tomorrow, and then the next day.

I use this connection for work and it's the only practical solution for internet connectivity in my area so I'm pretty reliant on a consistent, reliable connection.

lfirwin

One other note - I had the M2200 prior to this unit and had similar issues with it. I'm now wondering if I could have saved myself some money and called tech support to see if the same solution would have fixed that as well.

Of course, hind sight is 20/20.

ChristinaB_VZW

The Mifi 4510L is designed to lose connection with a device after 30 minutes of dormancy.

This is so you do not use your dataallowance while not using the device.

However, you are able to change the settings on the device, but it can drain the batterymuch quicker and use more data. Below I have provided the information on how to change the power settings.

Access the Administration Page.
From the Home screen, navigate Advanced > Power.
From the Battery Power section, select an Enter Standby Mode setting then select Apply.
- Never
- After 2 minutes idle time
- After 5 minutes idle time
- After 10 minutes idle time
- After 20 minutes idle time
- After 30 minutes idle time
- After 40 minutes idle time
- After 50 minutes idle time
- After 60 minutes idle time

I hope this information is helpful. Have a great day!

lfirwin

Hmmmmm. If what ChristinaB is saying is true, then when I set the above setting to "Never" then I should never see the connection status as "Dormant". Unfortunately, that is not the case.

The above setting, I believe, is to power off the device after so many minutes of inactivity to save the battery and maybe some bandwidth.

My setting is on Never, and it still wiil get connection status of Dormant if I'm reading a web page for an extended period of time.

That is to be expected. It is also to be expected that when I access another web page, the device comes out of dormancy without manual intervention.

This what was not happenning for me. After talking to tech support and having them do something on their end it appears to be working as advertised now. I'll keep this forum posted on how long it lasts.

-J

I'm having a similar issue.

I just purchased a 4510L a couple days ago and it seemed to work fine at home. I'm trying to use it at work, and it's not staying connected at all. I'm using it on battery (which I wasn't at home) here at the office. It's showing full connection (5 bars) without any issue. The web interface shows the status as "Dormant" right at the moment, but my phone won't connect to any websites on the wireless connection, nor connect to services like GChat (it's an android phone).

I have noticed the internal web interface also loses connection every 5 minutes or so, though it comes back.

When the 4510L is first booted I connect to sites fine, I even ran speed tests. After a couple minutes without fail, though, it's disconnecting and trying to reconnect or sitting in Dormant status and not flipping to active to allow test traffic.

I'd appreciate any assistance with this issue, I'm testing this as a possible VOIP solution so there's publicity involved; it's intended for a writeup for a prominent tech magazine.

John_Getzke

Hello J,

The best tools that we have at the moment are three levels of resets. Start at level 1 and work your way down to see if your situation will improve. It might take a few resets at each level to notice a difference.

Summary:

Level 1 - Power on/off

Level 2 - Remove Battery & SIM card

Level 3 - Restore Factory Defaults

Description:

Level 1 - Press and hold the power button until the device powers off. Let it sit for 30 seconds or so and power it back on.

Level 2 - Press and hold the power button until the device powers off. Remove the back cover, batter and SIM card. Allow the device to sit for 60 seconds. Reassemble and test your connection

Level 3 - Leave the device powered on. Remove the back cover. Press and hold a paper clip to the small Reset button next to the battery. Wait for the E-Ink display to flash all icons (about 5-10 seconds) and release the Reset button. Reassemble your device and test your connection.

It shouldnt make a difference if the device is plugged in or running off battery power. The device will go dormant after a certain timeframe of inactivity. However, as soon as you request new internet packets the connection should "wake up" and let you surf.

Post back and let us know if you still need more help.

-J

Thanks for the reply, John, I really appreciate the rapid response.

Level 1: I let the device sit off for 10 minutes or so. When I booted it up, I let it sit without trying to connect any devices to it until the green light was solid (in what I assume is dormant - verified by logging into 192.168.1.1 and checking). I have connected my phone to it and while the wireless symbol flips to green (which signifies a connection to Google services) Google Voice is giving me the following error: Network error: Could not reach Google servers. Please ensure talk.google.com and port 5222 are open in your network firewall.

The browser in Android also shows Web page not available, and my iPad will also not connect to anything after gaining an IP address from the mifi (though the internal interface at 192.168.1.1 is up, as I said before; showing Dormant status).

On to Level 2.

Level 2: Battery/sim pulled for 2 minutes. (I’m doubling at least your estimates to make sure whatever it is we’re resetting gets reset, just to be sure). Interesting to note the little sim push down clip is in a weird place. Immaterial to this issue, though. Again I waited until the light was solid green, to be sure no handshaking/auth was occuring when the request for an IP address was sent. Interesting to note that post-SIM pull the device stayed blinking for longer than it did with just the power recycle before it went to dormant status. GChat connected, as did Groove IP; but when I clicked a link in an email to listen to a voicemail the device stayed in Dormant status and I received Webpage not available. in the Android browser. Groove IP has disconnected and gchat no longer sends. I’d estimate I had internet for 45 seconds.

On to Level 3, alas.

Level 3: While the device was powered on, I used a paperclip to depress the reset button, waiting until all 5 icons flashed and then unpressing the button. The device reset to factory defaults and I used the information on the bottom to re-connect the wireless once it was back up and running. I connected fine, but the device connection within a minute or two as with the other two levels of fixes.

Ideas?

jwjames83

I just got this device after returning the Samsung piece which I thought was junk. Turns out this one is having almost the same exact problems as I was having with the Samsung: eventually the connection stalls.
I started to notice that it didn't matter if I had stayed connected for a few minutes or several hours, there was one thing in common I noticed of it stalling: how quickly I was trying to use the internet. To me, this translates into the number of socket connections that are being made within 'x' amount of time.

As a test - I connected to my "home automation system" (I use the MiFi primarily when I'm on the road) and left it in diagnostics mode. It makes a single TCP connection on port 1319 and essentially plays ping pong where the device issues a querry, the computer issues a response to maintain a connection. I connected to the system when I went to bed and it was still running fine, as was browsing the net, when I woke up - granted that was only 4.5 hours, but much better than 10 minutes of browsing I was typically getting.

So this got me thinking of course - what kills it? Here are just two observations.
1) When the connection stalls, it only stalls for NEW connections. I'm running that ping-pong connection I described earlier almost all the time; I notice that my browswing will come to a stop, but I can still work with the existing connection. However, once I disconnect and attempt to reconnect that is when I see it's "dead."

2) I'm used to a quick 18mb connection at home and when I'm browsing for information I maybe have several tabs of Chrome going all at once. If I do that with the MiFi that seems to kill it. However, If I slow down and wait for each connection to end gracefully, I stay connected much longer (not indefinitely however.)

The thing I believe is happening is the MiFi cannot / will not accept a certain number of connections within 'x' amount of time. I'm looking to see if there's any settings I can change in my registry (Windows 7) that will limit the number of TCP connections automatically. If I could set this low enough (say 5?) and I can keep a solid connection, we know what the problem is.

So in summary, I believe the problem lies with the number of concurrent socket connections made and when it hits that limit, the modem portion of the MiFi locks up. In the meantime, I'm going to write a quick program that'll disconnect & reconnect the modem automatically if it stalls.

WarpNine

I think the update will solve our problem (hopefully). You are not alone, we are ALL suffering in the same manner. The curse of 'new-tech' I guess. I'm counting my blessing because mine only does the infamous 'dormant-dance' when the battery gets low. By the way, the battery meter lies as well. I stopped having the major freeze up issues by following adice I got from this thread. Establish a good 4G LTE, power down, connection, then pull the SIM and replace it. I also set mine to force 4G LTE all the time instead of auto-switching to 3G.

Not sure when the update will be available. Not even sure how we will be notified when it becomes available. Wouldn't it be nice if Verizon's Service worked as well as their billing system? I always get that on time every month without fail...

sweetpea3829

Actually, right now mine is working consistently! I didn't do anything different though. Actually, I did now that I think of it....I deleted the wireless printer off the wireless network. But, I was still having the dormancy problem shortly after that so I don't know.

I had some random stretches with the MBB where the dormancy issue seemed resolved.

It is interesting to me that the dormancy issue occurred with both devices (both the MBB and the MiFi). For what it's worth, we are in a 3G only area. I mean, occasionally the device will indicate a very faint 4G signal, but I don't think I even get 4G for calls around here...or anywhere close to around here for that matter.

Hey...at least mine is plugged in all the time so I don't have to worry about battery issues.

WarpNine

Oh wow dude! That really sucks! I was anxious to try the update, but resisted the temptation. Thought I'd sit back, watch this thread, and see what happens. I haven't seen a post yet that says it worked perfectly. I am a software developer by trade, so I'm very careful with 'updates'. Especially firmware updates (which can't be rolled back).

Good luck man! Keep posting!!

RGUERI1

NO IMPROVEMENT WITH UPDATE, MAY BE WORSE THAN THE PREVIOUS FIRMWARE. HAVE "ATTEMPTED" TO POST SINCE YESTERDAY, BUT HAVE NOT HAD STABLE ENOUGH CONNECTION TO DO SO. NOT SURE WHAT THIS FIXED BUT IT HAS TO BE JUST LESS THAN NOTHING.

I USE MY CARD DAILY IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA, WHICH IS 10+ MILES AWAY FROM A 4G ZONE. HOWEVER, UPON BOOTUP THIS MORNING THE CARD SEEMED TO BE IN THIS INFINITE LOOP ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT TO 4G. IT WOULD NOT EVEN TRY TO STEP DOWN TO 3G. I HAD TO END UP USING THE RESET BUTTON TO GET OUT OF IT.

I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE MAJORITY OF MY DISCONNECT ISSUES SEEM TO OCCUR WHEN MY CARD IS PLUGGED INTO THE WALL CHARGER, NOT AS MUCH WHEN IT IS RUNNING OFF OF BATTERY.

VERIZON NEEDS TO GET THIS STRAIGHT, I HAVE TURNED QUITE A FEW FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON TO THEIR AIR CARDS DUE TO MY PAST EXPERIENCES, BUT THIS HAS ME EATING MY WORDS.

barmazz

I tried to ignore the update this morning and it was ok for awhile but then would only let me access the update firmware page

I got stuck in an endless loop - login, click to download, then it would disconnect on that page but wireless connection said connected; spent over an hour with this and on the phone with customer support.

Customer support no help - all the tech support are busy can you keep holding. no i can't stay on hold all day

In store staff no help - sorry - there is a problem with the update - tech support is working on it

what do i do in the meantime with no internet connection? just keep checking to see if you can download it or call customer support

finally got it to download using someones unsecured connection and guess what

IT WON'T INSTALL - tried numerous times, tried turning off computer and mifi, etc. and it won't work at all now.

Ignore the update message as long as you can but realize that you may be out of service for awhile.

(i am using someone else's computer this afternoon - the only free wifi near me as a McDonalds that is about 10 miles from my house)

WarpNine

This is freakin' INSANE!!! I say that Verizon should immediately stop billing ALL the MiFi customers until they fix their issues (with an option to 'opt-out' of the contract). If they continue to ignore the plea of the PAYING customers, a class action suit is called for.

Any lawyers out there?

rav3nn1ght

Update does not work. There should be some compensation until this is resolved.

WarpNine

THE UPDATE DOES NOT WORK!!! THERE SHOULD BE SOME COMPENSATION UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED!!!

Let's get this issue on Facebook and Twitter. Once it starts affecting their 'income', maybe they will actually put someone on the issue that knows what they're doing? Ya think?

EdW_VZW

Hi Barmazz,

I am sorry your having trouble installing the update. I would suggest doing a reboot of the computer and then power cycle your 4510L device to refresh your connection to the internet. Where you able to get the update to processed on your 4510L device? Do you have an Anti-Virus program running on your computer? If so, an option would be to disable it for just a short time to complete the update. After the update has been installed, re-enable your Anti-Virus program. Here is a link to information about the software update to use as a reference. Please post back if needed to inform us if you were able to complete the software update. I hope this helps.

overlord2015

I know the way you feel. It goes beyond insanity at times. You must remember though that this technology is a constantly developing technology. Anything to do with electronics is always in a changing state. I know it's a pain where the sun don't shine but C'est la vie. I used to be in Television. I was happy with B&W televisions and then came color. New things to learn, new problems to confront. Blah, blah. Now look where we are. We can talk around the world on a hand held machine with video and audio in real time. My nails are shorter too with the problems I'm having with this 4G LTE which Verizons commercials state is a gift from God.

Right! Talk to you later....

overlord2015

Well here I am back again at it. Right now I'm on CDMA mode. Much more stable. I guess that 4G LTE is throwing a fit. This morning I got a NETWORK ERROR. The error states that there is another computer on the NETWORK with the same IP as mine. Interesting but nothing new. O'boy, I'm really having a grand old time with my 4G LTE. Mybe it's it's terrorists. Ha.

Well it hasn't disconnected me yet while writing this replay, that's good. Later.

AHepburn

You can add my name to those who are extremely unhappy with this piece of crap. I bought the 5410 back on Aug 1 and it worked fine for a week. Then we went to an area that was 3G instead of 4G, and when we got back home the 4510 was stuck in 3G mode. Tookk it to a local store and the tech fixed it by doing a firmware update. Now, after doing the new update last week it seems to drop the internet connection about every 5 minutes or so.

I'm using Firefox V6.0.2 and it has a handy little icon that spins counterclockwise when uploading and clockwise when downloading - it seems to dislike the uploading task. When it stops working I can open a new tab and go to a different site and it sometimes works, other times it hangs too. Ant then the network icon down at the bottom of the screen (Vista) will show a local connection only, instead of an internet connection.

I might go back to the store and have them try and do something again...

WarpNine

We all need to band together and do what it takes to make them pay attention! Anyone have any press connections? Any lawyers out there? Let's get this on Facebook and Twitter!! They are advertising this crap for $49 and call it the greatest thing since sex!!! As Rachel Maddow would say, "BULL-PUCKY"!!! They are NOT going to do SQUAT until it begins to cost them money!!

RGUERI1

UPDATE: THANKS TO NO HELP FROM VERIZON, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOME R&D ON MY OWN. I HATE TO POST THIS PREMATURELY, BUT HOPEFULLY SOME OTHERS CAN DO A LITTLE TESTING WITH IT.

I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY 4510 IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, CONSTANTLY DROPPING CELL SERVICE AND WIFI/LAN CONNECTION. JUST FOR THE RECORD, I AM IN A "3G ONLY" AREA, SO I HAVEN'T TESTED ANY OF THE 3G TO 4G SWITCHING ISSUES. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT IF I CHANGE MY WIFI SETTING TO 802.11B & 802.11G (TURNING OFF 802.11N) MY WIFI/LAN HAS HAD ONLY 1 OR 2 DISCONNECTS, IN THE LAST 24 HOURS! WHICH IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM 5-10 PER HOUR. I ALSO SET THE CHANNEL AT 2, WHICH SEEMED TO BE THE MOST COMMON WHEN IT WAS SET TO AUTO.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS JUST A TEASE, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE MUCH MORE STABLE. MY SERVICE IN THIS AREA FLUCTUATES SUBSTANTIALY, EVEN ON MY AT&T CELL PHONE, BUT THIS SHOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE WIFI/LAN CONNECTION. MY EXISTING 2200 AIRCARD NEVER DISCONNECTED.

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR SOME FEEDBACK, I WILL BE QUICK TO POST IF THINGS CHANGE TODAY.

rherman

I too have had a dramatic improvement in going to back to b/g wireless. The N simply won't stay connected for me on 2 different laptops. I generally consider this device very stable on b/g especially since the firmware upgrade.

Vince_C

Received a brand new MiFi 4510L today.

I charged the battery for a while, and then decided to monitor this device for a while before activating it.

I logged into the device console, set the WWAN to EDVO only, and changed the WLAN to G. We will probably never have 4G here and 3G works... I don't care for the instability of Wireless N either... OH FYI, if you are running wireless N DO NOT USE WPA2/TKIP. Just don't do it... It will cause instability for wireless N. Use WPA2/AES for wireless N. I do not know if anyone posted that information, but check your settings if your on wireless N...

So all should be well with the world and my BRAND NEW MIFI 4510L RIGHT? HAH

I monitored this device for a while before and after a firmware update. I did not notice any difference in how this device DROPS THE CELLULAR SIGNAL like certain individuals were murdered during the burning age... Needless to say, the female population in certain towns were WIPED OUT...

The MiFi 4510L must be in very bad shape when someone like myself will not even bother to activate it before RETURNING IT...

VERIZON, STOP RIPPING PEOPLE OFF!

RGUERI1

MAKING A LITTLE PROGRESS:

I USED MY AIRCARD OUTSIDE OF MY OFFICE, FOR A FEW HOURS YESTERDAY, AND NOTICED THAT I DISCONNECTED FROM WIFI MUCH LESS THAN WHEN INSIDE. I AM LEANING TOWARDS THE NUMEROUS FLUORESCENT LIGHTS THAT ARE IN THE OFFICE OR SOME OTHER INTERFERENCE THAT IS AFFECTING THE WIFI CONNECTION.

I WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED.

richardadykstra

Is this a network of buddies? Or are there real techs who can help who are reading this post? Everyone seems to have the same problem I am having and no one is being helped!

Namely, my 4510L goes "dormant" for no particular reason. Right in the middle of searching thru some pages, it dies!

I got the download that others mentioned, it became available sometime earlier this month. Doesn't help. Still goes "dormant"; even says so at the top red bar.

What's the deal with this piece of s....?? I'm close to throwing it out the window.

John_Getzke

Richard,

You happened to comment on one of the longest threads in this forum. Unless you want to start your own thread then take a moment to read through the history of this issue. There are many troubleshooting steps available to help you imrpove your disconnection problem. See if any of the posted suggestions will help you. Let us know what you have already tried and then we will suggest anything else which may help.

Your device goes "Dormant" because it is designed to do so. All MiFi's will go dormant after a few moments of no internet activity. Once activity is detected your MiFi should come back out of Dormant Mode after a second or two. You cannot turn this feature off.

AI_IT

I'm sending mine back tomorrow. LIMITED 4G connectivity (I was told it was the largest 4G network(**bleep**)). During a critical VPN connection then 4510 kept going into a dormant mode. I cannot seem to acquire a 4G connection for any period of time. I was able to connect to 4G in NYC once today for about a minute. I like my Gobi but I now need access while traveling with my MBP. I have achieved better quality tethering my AT&T iphone.

Wyojen95

I have made all the suggested changes and also downloaded the firmware. I can't even connect. As soon as it tries, it goes back to disconnect mode. I'm trying with an Ipad...does that make a difference? Will take it into town tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. Shouldn't though, I've got three bars here.

Husband will be home with laptop tomorrow.

John_Getzke

Wyojen95 wrote:
I have made all the suggested changes and also downloaded the firmware. I can't even connect. As soon as it tries, it goes back to disconnect mode. I'm trying with an Ipad...does that make a difference? Will take it into town tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. Shouldn't though, I've got three bars here.

Husband will be home with laptop tomorrow.

It sounds like your Wireless Password is not being accepted by the MiFi. I am not familiar with iPads so I wont be able to provide you with the steps to delete and remake your wireless passwords for that device. You should be able to find them online if you have a different computer available.

You asked if the iPad makes a difference or not. The iPad is compatible with the MiFi 4510L and should be able to connect. However we need to clear up the cached password on that device before you can complete the connection. I'd bet that if you tried to connect with a different device you would be successful.

If all else fails try to restore the defaults of the MiFi:

Power on the MiFi
Remove the back cover
Press and hold the Reset button next to the battery for 10 seconds
Watch the MiFi E-Ink display to see if all the icons are displayed
Release the Reset button
Reassemble the MiFi
Test your connection

Your MiFi will reset its wireless password to the one which was displayed on a sticker on the back of the device when you first recieved it. I can provide you with steps to retrieve that password too if you cant find it.

cowboystuff2002

This thing is an extreme piece of CRAP!!!! It goes off line more than it's online. 80% offline and 20% on, maybe.

It does it so fast, you can't tell if you are online or offline. It's definitly not worth what verizon charges a month for it.

I've done the upgrade, turned on and off and on, did the reset. This is the way it is on one PC. Add a second and it's worse. Add a third PC and it's just not bearable. Almost offline entirely.

4G's a joke! There is no 4G. I've gone fron upstate NY to central Florida. No 4G and only 3G when it works.

The light can be blinking and it's off line. I'll be looking at a different company starting next week if it's not fixed.

WarpNine

Mine was a pile of crap for the first 3 or 4 weeks I had it, but it's working fine now. I hope I didn't just jinx myself?!?! If you have 4GLTE in your area, try setting it to 4GLTE only. That worked for me. It seems to have the most trouble cycling between 3G and 4G.

One other thing. Actually, there is no '4G' really. I'm told that the 4G standard is defined at 100mbps download and 50mbps upload minimum. No service (including Verizon) delivers that speed yet...

Good luck! I know how you feel. Been there... Done that...

cowboystuff2002

I haven't seen how to set it as you say. I also haven't seen how to set to verizon only and quit searching.

I also tried to ftp photos to my lab in Ohio and it won't stay on line long enough to do it. You can't interupt an ftp, you have to start over.

I took it off n also.

I've got it working pretty good right now on my laptop with built in wi-fi. I have Netgear in my desktops.

John_Getzke

WarpNine wrote:
One other thing. Actually, there is no '4G' really. I'm told that the 4G standard is defined at 100mbps download and 50mbps upload minimum. No service (including Verizon) delivers that speed yet...

You are correct.

There is no true 4G service at the moment but that is not what Verizon is advertising. We all like to call Verizon's service 4G out of habit and because its easier for the public to understand. Verizon is providing a 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) service which is a transition technology inbetween 3G and 4G. It allows Verizon to setup the infrastructure for a faster cellular network that will eventually support true 4G.

John_Getzke

cowboystuff2002 wrote:
I haven't seen how to set it as you say. I also haven't seen how to set to verizon only and quit searching.
I also tried to ftp photos to my lab in Ohio and it won't stay on line long enough to do it. You can't interupt an ftp, you have to start over.
I took it off n also.
I've got it working pretty good right now on my laptop with built in wi-fi. I have Netgear in my desktops.

Use 4G only

Power on the MiFi
Connect to the MiFi
Navigate to http://mifi.admin
Sign into the MiFi
Click the WWAN tab
Click the More link at the bottom of the page
Change the WWAN Preferred Mode to LTE Only
Click Apply
Test your connection

I see you lowered the device to B+G only. That is a good step for improving performance with this device. Some additional suggestions would be to conduct a site survey in your area. If you have multiple wireless signals they may be causing interferance with your device's connection. Try the following steps and change your wireless channel to one that is not being used.

Disappearing SSID:

1. Use a Site Survey tool like "http://tools.meraki.com/stumbler#q="

a. Find wifi networks in the area where you are having a problem.

2. See which channels and 802.11 protocols are least used.

a. In my case only channels 1,6 and 11 were being used and all were 802.11 B or G.

3. Make a note of above.

4. Connect MiFi to Verizon in non congested area

a. The SSID should be broadcast

5. Navigate to http://mifi.admin.

6. Change wifi settings to something that will work in your congested area.

a. I chose the 802.11n protocol and wifi channel 4.

7. Try MiFi in congested area.

To change the Wireless Channel:

1. Boot up the MiFi

2. Connect to the MiFi wirelessly

3. Navigate to http://mifi.admin

4. Sign into the MiFi with your Router Password

a. By default the password is "admin"

5. Click the Wi-Fi tab

6. Change the Channel to 4

a. If you happen to know 4 is taken then try 7 or 10

7. Click Apply

8. Test the connection in the congested area

Harikrishna

Hi ChristinaB_VZW,

I have the same frequent disconnect issues even though I changed time settings to "Never". Called TechSupport but no luck. Appreciate your help !!

Thanks,

Harikrishna

cowboystuff2002

After I complained so loudly the other day, made those changes and like magic, the next day all of a sudden it's operating at 4G and is working great. Knock on wood.

WarpNine

Keep in mind that the entire 4G LTE network from New York to L.A. was up and down all day yesterday. Also, bouncing from 4G to 3G was not working either. Even the 4G smartphones people have in my office were down. Before yesterday, my hotspot was working perfectly for the past month... Just an FYI...

wherder

WarpNine wrote:
Keep in mind that the entire 4G LTE network from New York to L.A. was up and down all day yesterday. Also, bouncing from 4G to 3G was not working either. Even the 4G smartphones people have in my office were down. Before yesterday, my hotspot was working perfectly for the past month... Just an FYI...

Has nothing whatsoever to do with the issue. These symptoms and this (unacceptable) behvior is exactly what many of us experience starting with the very first time the device is powered on until now. In other words, either the network itself is always done (for months) or this issue has not a darned thing to do with the network outage.

Furthermore, many of us have to set the 4150L to "LTE Only" in order for it to select LTE mode in any case, so the bouncing "should" not be happening. Bearing in mind obviously, that we should not have to set the device to "LTE Only" to begin with - but are only forced to do so because the device cannot properly discriminate and select the correct network/protocol to use in normal operations.

WarpNine

I didn't say that the device was 'defect-free'. Nor did I intend for my statement to be taking as the 'cure-all' for all the issues. As I stated, it was just an 'FYI'...

I've doing all the tweaks and adjustments to get my hotspot to work for the past 6 months. My hotspot is set to 'LTE Only' as well. Paying $57 per month, should this be necessary? No! But on the other hand, I am a realist. I post on this forum for people who are frustrated and want to get 'something' for what they are paying for. Since there are so many problems with the device, I thought I'd just make sure everyone was aware that for a short time, the network was totally dead and not to adjust any of the band aids, duct tape, and spit on their hotspot to compensate....

wmhjr

No problem - I was not criticizing you. Like you, just trying to make sure there was transparency with the (multiple and continuous) issues surrounding the 4150L.

To be honest, were it only that I had to set the device to "LTE Only" and deal with changing the config whenever I'm possibly not in an LTE area I'd be OK. However, that's not the case and the device VERY frequently locks up and requires reboot. I've actually video recorded the whole "dormant", disconnect, then cannot reconnect via the admin console thing and will be uploading it for others to see just how broken it is.

WarpNine

Your problem is VERY common with this device. I went through the exact same thing for the first 3 weeks. If you look back on this thread, you'll see just how **bleep** I was!! lol!!

Then, someone posted a suggestion that defied logic. I didn't see how it would make a difference, but what did I have to lose?

I did a hard reset, removed the battery and the SIMM, count to 30, replace the SIMM (after making sure its clean), replace the battery, power it up, and reconfig. Mine has been working fine ever since.

Go figure?

WarpNine

I haven't heard anything that $ucks that much in a long time. If everyone would stop paying their bill, it might get their attention. Money has a way of doing that... There has got to be a breach of contract law suit in here somewhere. Sounds like a class action to me. Any lawyers out there getting screwed along with us?

jolemc

WarpNine wrote:
Your problem is VERY common with this device. I went through the exact same thing for the first 3 weeks. If you look back on this thread, you'll see just how **bleep** I was!! lol!!

Then, someone posted a suggestion that defied logic. I didn't see how it would make a difference, but what did I have to lose?

I did a hard reset, removed the battery and the SIMM, count to 30, replace the SIMM (after making sure its clean), replace the battery, power it up, and reconfig. Mine has been working fine ever since.

Go figure?

Have you heard of a real fix for this because I'm ready to switch back to the PC card I had. It's tough to work all day with a connection that is dropping. Actually mine says in every way I'm still connected, but nothing works. I even tried the count to 30 fix and no such luck. What a dud this thing is!!!! And verizon will not even admit there is a problem.

John_Getzke

WarpNine wrote:
There has got to be a breach of contract law suit in here somewhere. Sounds like a class action to me. Any lawyers out there getting screwed along with us?

According to other threads a class action lawsuit is not possible, read the fine print in your contract. Disputes can only be settled in small claims court.

John_Getzke

Fresh off the presses!

http://community.vzw.com/t5/4G-Discussion/Please-read-Interesting-article-on-the-4G-LTE-signal-issue...

An article by Andriod Police addresses the 4G LTE disconnection issues. It looks like the explanation described in the article matches the symptoms of the "Dormant" problem perfectly. The good news is that we may now have a cause for the problem. Let's hope that Verizon can get to the bottom of it soon.

The bad news is that there still is no permanant fix for this kind of issue, nor are our MiFi's alone in the problem. We also don't know why some users have the issue and others do not. It appears to be a combination of both the new 4G SIM cards and the authentication network protocols that Verizon is using at the moment. Anything without a 4G SIM card has been uneffected.

Time will tell if Verizon can fix this problem without sending out new equiptment to everyone.

cowboystuff2002

Verizon's 4G, 3G and all wireless service has really sucked for almost a week now.

I called them this morning (on my TRACFONE LOL) and was told they are having a national problem and she couldn't tell me when it might be fixed.

I told her I paid a lot for this service and am I gonna' get a credit on my bill for dormant service and she couldn't answer that.

I also told her this crap service has destroyed my netgear usb plug in, on my desktop and she couldn't respond to that either.

Right after talking to her I got an email stating I had used about 90% of my monthly allowance. That's a joke too!

Just expressing my **bleep** off feelings.
Larry

WarpNine

Oh wow!!! This REALLY $ucks bad!! They admit they are in breach of contract but still expect us to continue paying as though everything is fine? This cannot be legal!! I was also told that a class action suit is not possible. All 'complaints' must go through small claims court.

We should create a social network for all Verizon customers and act as a group. If everyone didn't pay their bill for a month, I think it would get their attention....

debush

Well i have tried every trick that has been discussed on this forum and still having issues.Will barely get 4G and 3G comes off and on.On the WiFi home page i am reading -89 for 4G also 4 bars on MiFi.Still will not connect to 4G.VERIZON SOLD ALL OF US A LINE OF BULL....Tried for 3 days to get thru to tech support,waited hours and no one gets on....VERY DISCUSSED with this company.Now i can't even run my company because of these D,,,A,,,,.So i am stuck for 2 years with this JUNK SERVICE.At least when i had Sprint 3G i stayed connected to the internet and could work.......Even when i had Hughes net it always connected.I live in area where this is my only way of getting high speed internet(LOL) may as well go back to dial up.....