Will my 5510L Jetpack ever have useable 4 G connection ?

I have two 4G devices on my plan, A Samsung ATIV phone, and the 5510

l Jetpack, and they are both worthless. I'm trying to figure out why for $ 285 a month I can't even do basic things like check email.

Right now my 5510 Jetpack has a -96 dbm, In 4G only mode, I've tried pulling the sim card, and resetting everything ( I do it everyday ) If I switch it to Auto, I am stuck in 3G all the time, I live in a residential neigborhood, less than a mile from a tower.

The phone is no better, 2 bars in 3G, Rarely shows LTE, if it does, its only 1 bar, Can't call tech support, because I can't keep a call going long enough to get off hold.

Got rid of my land line, when I made the mistake of getting these.

Any suggestions ?

Accepted answers

John_Getzke

Hello,

Jumping into the fray a little late so I apologize if I missed something already tried.

As I read through your posts it sounds like your MiFi 5510 is suffering from a physical performance problem and should be replaced under the warranty. You seem fairly savvy in performing site surveys and have concluded for us that your poor performance is consistent from site to site in multiple locations. VZW should be able to cover the replacement free of charge if you continue to work with a phone rep and you are under the 1 year warranty.

All comments

unknown

I suggest you pull up the Verizon coverage map and look at your area on the 4G LTE map. You can only get 4G coverage if the tower near you has 4G service.

Start here.... And put your zip code in. You can zoom in on your neighborhood. If you are in a 4G zone, and still not getting service, then talk to your local Verizon service center.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST&zip=06035&city=Granby&state=CT

bubba9459

Ok, I tried that, It shows that I have 4G service, and the map is as accurate as Google earth, So it knows where I am. but still the same problem, right now, I have - 101dbm, It took me almost 20 minutes to get the coverage locator to load.

Thanks for your help, But I have No idea what my local Verizon service center would be ? The Verizon company store ? if so, They are NO help, They only want to sell new stuff, just like they did 5 months ago, when I was so fed up with my 3G, and I was stupid enough to upgrade to the 4G that I'm stuck with now.

I guess, I could try calling tech support from a pay phone, but that seems pretty redundant.

Thanks

unknown

Yes, the maps are good. We have to trust (gulp) Verizon that they are also accurate.

May I suggest doing a search on a computer to see if the hot spot is in need of an update. This can only be done if connected to a computer.

The 5510l is not a top of the line hot spot, but firmware update may improve its function.

May I ask, are you on a prepaid plan, or a share everything? I decided not to switch to prepaid because it did not appear it offered 4G LTE, but that may just have been how I read the plan offered.

I find it odd you get poor 3G service as well. Unless you are in a dead zone, you should get minimum service. 2G service will allow texting. 3G should be adequate for a phone call. That does make me think the phone is faulty or you are in an unmapped dead zone. If you are in a dead zone, you will not be the only one effected. If your home is in a valley it might account for it, but only while in that valley.

If none of these pan out, you should start making a stink. Maybe the SIM card was provisioned wrong, you did say the local store is not "well staffed"? Try to call support. (Sorry, not trying to rub salt in it). Keep drilling the discrepancy between the map and the lack of service.

Good luck!

Verizon_Support

bubba9459,

We certainly want you to be able to our 4G network. I am sorry to hear you are having so many issues connecting and even when making a phone call. What zip code are you located in? How long have you had this issue? Have your devices or SIM card ever been replaced? Please try going into the admin page>Jetpack settings>advance>network ensure preferred network technology mode is on automatic (LTE/CDMA). Let us know if this helps.

KarenC_VZWSupport

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

Verizon_Support

We want to ensure you are able to get a good signal on that 5510L Jetpack, bubba9459. Does it work better in other locations in the house or even away from the home?

As lizdance mentioned, are you on a prepay or postpay account?

http://vz.to/1e06rYY

TamaraH_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

bubba9459

Always about the same signal anywhere on my property, in house, in garage, on my deck, in the yard, Anywhere from -94dbm / -102dbm,

I've never tried it away from home, I didn't buy it to travel, I bought it to replace my landline connection, because when I was in the Verizon company store, It was working as fast as my landline, and I was assured by the sales rep, that it would stay that way, since my address was in a 4G LTE covered area.

" We " tried all the normal web pages I view on a daily basis, news, email, etc. It was all good.

I am in a 4G LTE coverage are according to the map, I am not in a valley, under tree cover, etc,

This is a normal postpay account.

Thanks

bubba9459

I am in zip 45238, I haven't been able to get a good 4G signal out of the Phone, or the jetpack since I purchased them in July ? The poor call quality issue, has been there since I have been a Verizon customer.

I went to the Verizon store that day, because I was so tired of my two year old 3G phones poor performance, Same issues, poor call quality, little, or no data service. I was told, that since my phones were so outdated, that was the problem, So I purchased a new phone, and decided to purchase the Jetpack, since it worked so great in the store. Hoping to replace my landline, and combine bills.

The phone, or sim cards have never been replaced, Can't get through to tech support via phone, I get placed on hold, and then the call gets dropped. I would not even attempt to go to the store again. ( Because I would get the same line, Your 6 month old phone is outdated, You need a new phone ?)

The Jetpack is in Automatic, which forces it into 3G more often than 4G, Right now, I do have 4G ( 2 bars, with -97dbm )

Phone has 1 bar LTE, switching back, and forth to 3G ( Don't know how to check signal on phone )

I get home from work at about 3pm, from 3pm until after 6-7pm, the Jetpack is useless, after 7pm, it starts to get better, usually by midnight, I'm able to look at email, news websites, facebook, etc, Slowly,

Thanks

Paul

bubba9459

I give up trying to use this, I'm stuck in 3G now @ -83dbm, Not bad for a 3G signal, But I am paying for 4G

I drove up to my local Mcdonalds, to use their free WiFi ( works great ) There is a cell tower in their parking lot by the way, So I checked the signal on my Jetpack, -94dbm in 4G ( But that was under the tower ) Same story for the phone, 2 bars of LTE, Is it a Verizon tower ?, I don't know, and I don't really care, you share the network don't you ?

While I was on Mcdonalds free WiFi, and able to access the internet, I looked at Verizonwireless.com / Something that is very hard for me to do from home ( Less than 1 mile away )

I looked at the 4G routers that are currently available ?

How about you trade out my 5510L Jetpack, for a Verizon 4G LTE Broadband Router, with the same contract, And give me the Proband 46 Signal booster that is recommended for use with this router in low LTE signal areas ?

The 4G Broadband router coverage area map page, also says I'm in a covered area ?

Thanks

Paul

bubba9459

Today, just to amuse myself, I took the jetpack 5510 with me on a roadtrip, I took the I-275 loop around Cincinnati ( about a 40 mile trip ), I stopped every 5 miles to check the signal, I could never get better than - 96dbm while standing by the side of my car.

I also made a stop in Downtown Cincinnati, - 102dbm, On a Saturday, In the heart of the downtown business district, I'm sure glad I was just checking the signal, and did not actually need to use it to do some work ?

So what is it ? My device, my location, a solar flare, snow buildup on your tower, did Zombies eat all the wires at Verizon HQ ?

Or, is it the dreaded Network congestion ? On a Saturday afternoon ?

I'm at a loss here ?

From your website " The 4G Signal should be greater than -58dbm, a value of -96dbm indicates No signal. Move to another location , preferably an outdoor location. "

I have tried other locations, all over the city, Nothing,

So, If I go to the Verizon store, and buy another new 4G Hotspot tomorrow, Everything will be PERFECT ? Right ?

Because that's what your salesperson will tell me ?

Please help me decide what to do, Because my bill is due soon, and I need to decide if I need to pay it ?

Ann154

A signal of -96 dBm is a usable level. The -102 dBm was closer to unusable. I don't think I have seen a signal better than -65 dBm for the 4G LTE network and it was definitely full bars in the phone's notification bar.

bubba9459

I love it,

Just got an email from Verizonwireless

Hey Paul, the advanced Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Router is waiting for you.

Activation fee waived, Save $ 35, Only $ 99.99 w/ a 2 yr. contract

Well, I ran the 4G coverage map, again, and it says I'm covered,

John_Getzke

Yup, holding the bill hostage will not grant you any tech support. Everyone has to pay their bill, if you don't then VZW will call collections on you and damage your credit score. You can litigate if you want but you still need to pay the bill first and reclaim the costs later as an individual in small claims. Its not like a deal you made with a buddy for rent, you signed a contract to pay your bill and VZW will hold you to it until you terminate.

All Jetpacks come with a 1 year warranty. You would be covered for a SIM card replacement if that's what you wanted to do. VZW should also be able to send you a replacement Jetpack based on the details you have documented for us here. If its as easy to reproduce as you documented here then phone support shouldn't put up too much of a fight on the replacement options.

bubba9459

You're right, I just keep paying the bill.

bubba9459

Another evening of slow 4G,

Opensignal.com has a pretty good map of my situation. I'm about 1-2 miles from any weak signals, 4-5 miles from any good signals, and about 8-10 miles from any strong signals,

Yes, I understand that their system is based on data submitted by people running the opensignal app. So either there is no one in my neighborhood using the app, or there is just no good signal in my neighborhood to start with ?

I have a Windows phone,(No app), so I can't try it. I will try it on the 3G tablet tonight, maybe that will give me some kind of idea.

John_Getzke

I'm not familiar with Opensignal.com. Looks like a neat website that can show coverage statistics for the area. I'll have to read up on it and continue to check it out in the future.

However, even the most basic 4G LTE speed tests should put you between 5-12 mbps, major areas can go well beyond that. When you say "slow" are you documenting a statistic like this for us to compare against? Most folks use speedtest.net to evaluate the browser speeds. If your device is claiming that it is 4G LTE connected then it should be able to at least get close to 5mbps or higher. Otherwise I'd assume the device or network is malfunctioning. Most of the time demonstrating the speedtest statistics to a VZW rep will warrant device replacement under the warranty or SIM card replacement at the very least.

Considering you have a phone and jetpack that are reporting the same problems perhaps there is a performance issue in your neighborhood. When there is a tower problem then only VZW can resolve it.

bubba9459

If Speedtest results are what Verizon goes by then I guess I'm done, I can run that all day long, and most of the time I get good results based on the small packet of information they are sending, ( Some of them are even too good )

I've spent my afternoon running speedtest, , I will post the results at the bottom of this post. I've wasted 2GB of my data running speedtests tonight ( There are some out there that will send a realistic test, say 500mb ) but I can't list them. testmy . net

My best download speed of the night so far was 13.92, but still, I am unable to load the most basic web page like craigslist, or FB, Took over 5 min. to load Verizonwireless

speedtest is showing I'm getting 13.92 down, and 11.26 up with 1 bar, at -98dbm ? What would I get at 5 bars and a good signal ?

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51 ms 7.38 D 10.96 U @ 5pm

41ms 9.81 D 9.84 U @ 6pm

57ms 6.42 D 9.87 U @ 6:30pm / took over 1 minute to load speedtest

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:30 pm started speedtest

7:37 pm Failed to load/ refreshed

7:39 pm Tried again

7:41 pm Timed out

7:43 pm Started speedtest

7: 45 pm 73ms 15.16D 11.33 U

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

57ms 7.40 D 8.92 U @ 8:00 pm

57ms 12.13 D 11.35 U @ 8:31 pm

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9pm test failed to load until 9:10 pm

9:10pm 151ms 0.44 D Test incomplete

9:11 pm 40ms 11.66 D 13.99 U

9:30 pm 170ms 1.8 D 10.3 U

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ALMOST OUT OF DATA, and I'm tired of running speedtests !

John_Getzke

Speedtest.net is a more universal benchmark for internet speed/performance. When you can consistently post results from speedtest outside of the expected ranges for 3G (1-3 Mbps down) or 4GLTE (5-12 Mbps down) then VZW will normally react. SIM card resets are usually the first troubleshooting steps followed by SIM card or total device replacement.

Your speeds are within the ranges when you can get speedtest to respond. Something else is getting in the way and causing your device to fail to load sites, perhaps redirecting your traffic in an unusual way. It all seems to point towards a device failure and VZW should be replacing it for you.

I'd continue to push for device replacement under your VZW contract and warranty. Any issues that persist after the device has been replaced is then on the VZW network in your area.

bubba9459

Another night of Slow 4G speed with my Jetpack,

Tonight after 21 days of frustration, I was finally able to connect with Verizon customer service via. Chat. And a Very understanding representative named Daniel, was willing to listen to my complaints, and offered to send me a new SIM card, ( Thank you Daniel )

To the people my local Verizon company store, You can !@#$%^&*, I can't post it because it will only be deleted by the moderator.

Thanks also to JG, The signal amplifier cradle will be here on Tuesday, I think that will help me a lot

bubba9459

Found this on my local News, Don't waste your money ? ( Granted it is from November, but it explains my situation perfectly )

Won't let me post a link ? Ok

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Verizon Wireless gets top ratings in almost every customer survey, whether it's from Consumer Reports Magazine, JD Power, or other publications.

When it comes to customer service, Verizon usually can't be beat.

But some of it's customers are not very happy, after finding their phones are running slower than they should be. Some say they recently purchased4G LTE devices, only to find them rarely working on the LTE network.

They were left to wonder, Who's to blame ? is it a problem with the phone, the cell towers or something else ?

Verizon admits " Downgrading " Some Customers

Verizon's Chief Financial Officer this week said it's networks are under pressure from the incredible amount of data 4G LTE phone owners are using. He said 4G users average six times more data than a 3G user.

As a result, he says, some 4G users are getting bumped down to the older 3G network, especially around bigger cities, during the afternoon, But it can happen it other areas too.

He says Verizon is working on upgrades, and is confident the problem should be fixed by New Years Eve.

As always, don't waste your money.

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bubba9459

Yes, it's a newspaper article, but it makes since

I have a 20Gb data plan, That should just be a little stain on Americas largest network ?

But I am paying for it, and I expect to be able to use it, Right now I can't, I have serious doubts that the new SIM card will have any effect, but I will try it, I will even buy a new Jetpack, or router, if it works ?

As for tonight, My new signal amplifier is here, I went from a 2 bar - 96dbm, to a 4bar - 70dbm,

speedtest.net 41ms ping 13.86 up 4.86 dn

Still no difference as far as usability goes, Webpages do not load, Jetpack is not transmitting, or receiving

Still in 4G only mode, if I switch to auto, I go right to 3g, and never get out without a restart.

bubba9459

After 33 days of constant complaining, My new ( Certified Like New - replacement ) Jetpack is here, Thank you VZW customer service,

I am starting out with my new ( Used ) replacement device, Tonight, I hope it works better than the old one.

Speedtests are good, Let's see how it performs, over the next few days.

Verizon_Support

Great! We're here if you need further assistance.

MarquiaF_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

bubba9459

4 days with my used replacement Jetpack

Used Jetpack, new SIM card = Same old, Same old, BS

This Jetpack is still worthless, Still no connection, It's 10:53 pm on a Tuesday night, and I have nothing, Once again, I am forced to use my phones internet sharing to post this comment.

First it was, your SIM card is bad ? Got a new SIM card, Nothing

Your Jetpack is defective, Got a new / used replacement, Still nothing

Use your phones internet sharing mode ? Yes, that works, but it is SLOW

Tired of dealing with this problem ? YES

Bye, Bye Verizon, Time to try another carrier