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New Novatel MiFi 4510L is having problems connecting while traveling (driving)

I was on the road traveling for several weeks using my Hot Spot to work. I upgrade in Jan 2010 because my old PC card didn't fit in my new laptop and was able to keep my unlimited data. I had to reboot the Hotspot often...sometimes 3 or 4 times before it would work with my laptop and Verizon iPhone. It finally failed altogether so I called Verizon and second level support tried to help me get connected, but to no avail. Reluctantly I decided to give up my unlimited data and go with a new MIFI 4510L because I was told my Hotspot was no longer available. Since I was no where near a Verizon store, I was shipped the MIFI 4510L overnight. I need internet while traveling to do my job.

The MIFI worked for the three days while I was stationary or if I was connected when we started traveling in our RV. (I'm not the driver!) When we were on an interstate with good 3G coverage I couldn't get connected and called Verizon and they could not get me connected and said it was probably a bad sim card. We weren't any where near a Verizon store so could not replace the sim card. I'm not sure it's the sim card because the MIFI worked fine with both the iPhone and laptop while we were in the same location for the next 5 days. Sometimes I would have to reboot sometimes more than once to get connected.

Today we were on the road again and I could not get connected to the iPhone or Laptop while driving even though I had full bars in 3G. Sometimes I could see the MIFI on the laptop but it wouldn't connect and sometimes it didn't even show up. I knew we were in a coverage area because the iPhone worked on it's own 3G but would not connect to the MIFI. We were driving though Las Vegas where it was showing 4G and could not get connected. I called Verizon again and tech support said I was in coverage area and they are telling me now I have a bad unit and go in to get it replaced.

Three times today I could not turn off the MIFI unless I took out the battery. Even after removing the battery the light on the side went out but I still could see the tower/bars and the battery.

I'm stationary now and as you can see I can connect.

My hotspot worked while mobile but not the Mifi. Do others have issues connecting while on the mobile (driving)?

Has anyone else had issues with turning off their MIFI?

Thanks in advance.

Utahtea

Comments

ipodjockey

Not to discourage you but there are some major problems with the firmware on this particular hotspot. I would try to get your money back as soon as possible. I don't think we will be seeing a fix for these issues.

where

You aren't the only one reporting issues with powering down. Though based on the posts here, it isn't that common, and the quick fix is to pull the batter out. Curious why you needed to turn it off three times in one day. Maybe there is a better way to accomplish what you are trying to do. Usually, when I can't get it to power off is when it is acting up and I want to perform a cold restart, but not a hard reset...

As to the travel - YES. The device seems to have real issues with different towers. Probably the root cause is Verizon's network, but the device has problems properly handling those network issues. Mine is the opposite problem. I can't get it to connect or stay connected or even work while connected when stationary at home in any mode, even though I am a half mile from the tower and get strong signal. Yet when I travel, I have noooooo problem with it. Last week I rode from Houston to Seguin and it never once dropped the connection. But when I get home, the problems return. I had mine replaced three times and then latest one came with the newest firmware update and I still have issues on this tower. Yet they tell me they have visited the tower several times and reported no issues ...

utahtea2

ipodjockey wrote:
Not to discourage you but there are some major problems with the firmware on this particular hotspot. I would try to get your money back as soon as possible. I don't think we will be seeing a fix for these issues.

Can't say that's what I wanted to hear! :smileysad: Unfortunately, we were on the road and there were 9 days I didn't have service and so my 14 day period is up. I'll be home today and go to my Verizon store.

Thanks for the reply.

utahtea2

where wrote:
You aren't the only one reporting issues with powering down. Though based on the posts here, it isn't that common, and the quick fix is to pull the batter out. Curious why you needed to turn it off three times in one day. Maybe there is a better way to accomplish what you are trying to do. Usually, when I can't get it to power off is when it is acting up and I want to perform a cold restart, but not a hard reset...

As to the travel - YES. The device seems to have real issues with different towers. Probably the root cause is Verizon's network, but the device has problems properly handling those network issues. Mine is the opposite problem. I can't get it to connect or stay connected or even work while connected when stationary at home in any mode, even though I am a half mile from the tower and get strong signal. Yet when I travel, I have noooooo problem with it. Last week I rode from Houston to Seguin and it never once dropped the connection. But when I get home, the problems return. I had mine replaced three times and then latest one came with the newest firmware update and I still have issues on this tower. Yet they tell me they have visited the tower several times and reported no issues ...

ok, so this morning I was connected to the Mifi as we left the campground. Even was able to reply to one post. I was in the middle of replying to this post when the light on the Mifi went solid green with no bars. Now I know I'm in a coverage area because we travel up and down I-5 ALL the time and I had 3G on my iPhone but could not connect to Mifi. I couldn't turn it off either without removing the battery.

To answer your question where, I was turning on and off the Mifi to see if I could get it to connect because that is what was working when I was stationary.

I just called Verizon and had them activate my old 5 Spot and what do you know, I have internet.

I am SO MAD! Here I gave up my unlimited for NOTHING! I know from reading the froums that you don't get back unlimited once you give it up. Please tell me if I'm wrong. Is it possible that Verizon was seeing I was heavily using my 5 Spot this month and did something to keep me from getting connected? I've read that they can do things to keep you from using to much data...is that true? I feel like I was targeted to give up my unlimited.

I really wouldn't mind if the Mifi worked because it will save me $10.00 a month, but from all that I've read I'm "bleep" out of luck!

where

utahtea2 wrote:
To answer your question where, I was turning on and off the Mifi to see if I could get it to connect because that is what was working when I was stationary.

Firstly, you may have the problem I had; how long are you depressing the power button to turn it off. The manual states that you must press and hold the Power Button for 5 seconds until the display turns white and the LED turns amber. I've found that you need to hold it a little longer. But mine usually powers down before I've held it for ten seconds.

Also, I've found that there are better ways to attempt to get it to reconnect. The best way is through the HTML interface. From the browser menu, the Wireless WAN (WWAN) menu is the best place to do that. Just click connect to attempt to reconnect rather than power cycling it. If it doesn't connect, you can browse to Advanced | Diagnostics | System Log to see why. What does it say there if it doesn't connect? And browse to Advanced | Diagnostics | Modem Status to see your LTE signal strength. What is it when it won't connect? And also, does it demonstrate the pattern that mine sometimes does - when I click connect, it endlessly cycles through "Connecting" "Disconnecting" "Connecting" "Disconnecting" ... (seen from the WWAN menu).

Back to the WWAN page, what is your WWAN Preferred Mode: Global or LTE only (your only two choices if your light was green). For some reason, they hid it under the "More" button like we wouldn't be smart enough to know how to use it if we saw it plainly there... If you are on LTE only, try Global now the the firmware patch has pretty well addressed the switching issues.

Let us know how it turns out ...

utahtea2

where wrote:
utahtea2 wrote:
To answer your question where, I was turning on and off the Mifi to see if I could get it to connect because that is what was working when I was stationary.

Firstly, you may have the problem I had; how long are you depressing the power button to turn it off. The manual states that you must press and hold the Power Button for 5 seconds until the display turns white and the LED turns amber. I've found that you need to hold it a little longer. But mine usually powers down before I've held it for ten seconds.

I know you have to hold it till it turns off...and it was well over 10 seconds. The last time I was timing it and it was well over 20 seconds and would not turn off.

Also, I've found that there are better ways to attempt to get it to reconnect. The best way is through the HTML interface. From the browser menu, the Wireless WAN (WWAN) menu is the best place to do that. Just click connect to attempt to reconnect rather than power cycling it. If it doesn't connect, you can browse to Advanced | Diagnostics | System Log to see why. What does it say there if it doesn't connect? And browse to Advanced | Diagnostics | Modem Status to see your LTE signal strength. What is it when it won't connect? And also, does it demonstrate the pattern that mine sometimes does - when I click connect, it endlessly cycles through "Connecting" "Disconnecting" "Connecting" "Disconnecting" ... (seen from the WWAN menu).

Back to the WWAN page, what is your WWAN Preferred Mode: Global or LTE only (your only two choices if your light was green). For some reason, they hid it under the "More" button like we wouldn't be smart enough to know how to use it if we saw it plainly there... If you are on LTE only, try Global now the the firmware patch has pretty well addressed the switching issues.

Let us know how it turns out ...

Did I mention I'm not technically inclined? I'm not totally sure all that you have said and right now the mifi is inactive because I had Verizon activate my old 5 spot until I can get into a store tomorrow.

I do know that when I would mouse over the wireless connection for my mifi the strength was showing as excellent when it would show up. What was happening towards the end, was the mifi would show up. It would try to connect and fail, then try again and fail. Then all of a sudden it totally disappeared. I tried opening and closing the Open Network & Sharing Center. I even tried finding the unit using my computer "Access Connections" Sometimes it would find it and sometimes it wouldn't.

I will let you know what happens when I take my old 5 spot, my new mifi, my iphone and my laptop computer into Verizon store tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

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