Frequent 4G Disconnects in Oklahoma

[dmc271]

I have noticed that my 4G LTE connection will randomly disconnect as others have also mentioned.  I'm located in North/Central Oklahoma.  This happened several times over the last few days. I am using the Pantech UML290 modem on Windows XP Service Pack 3. It's locked into 4G mode (only way I could connect).  I have all power-management disabled (both the USB hub and the modem itself).

Often, when I lose the connection, the VZAccess Manager software won't disable the "PANTECH UML290 WWAN" network connection listed in Windows' Network Connections panel.  Instead, it justs lists that the connection is unplugged (shows a red "X" next to the icon). On the other hand, when I intentionally disconnect by pressing the "Disconnect" button in VZAccess Manager, the "PANTECH UML290 WWAN" network connection is automatically disabled (meaning, it's grayed out).

When the random disconnects occur, I often can't reconnect. It will either show "Searching for LTE Network" or I'll get the infamous WMC604 error. At this point, it takes several reboots, several attempts at unplugging/replugging the modem, and several attempts at restarting VZAccess Manager to get things working again. In other words, getting back online requires more black magic than science.

Can someone please help?  This is quite annoying, to say the least.

Some additional questions:

(1) For anyone who has tried a panel antenna, did this improve your connection's reliability or just your speeds?  I have a rather weak signal (-89-92 dBm), but I do get one bar, and I can connect and stay connected for at most 3 hours (longest I've tested). My 4G speeds are 4 Mbps down and 0.5 Mbps up.

(2) Some have reported that they use the Nexaira Business Class II with the UML290. Has this improved your connection's reliability?

I'm considering getting both the antenna and the router, if they help me stay online. The speeds aren't a concern for me; faster is certainly better, but speed is nothing if I can't stay connected (and can't reliably reconnect).

Many thanks,

Damon

[bigounce]

YES I am in Oklahoma and am using the 290 modem - have disabled power management on usb hubs and on network connections. Have settings forced to 4g and cant get reliable service either. Either their coverage map was to agressive or this device is garbage. I have been in contact with a very nice manager at the local store and they are supposed to send a tech out to my house to check coverage. That was a couple of weeks ago. I try to work from home in the evenings and some nights it is great and other nights it is like HELL. Disconnects in less than a minute. I wonder if a flat panel would help but at this point I am going to return this under the 30 day limit if I dont get an answer. I am paying them to BETA test their product. UGH.

[dmc271]

Thanks for chiming in...

Can you tell me your usual signal strength (RSSI and SINR)?  Mine have been low today (-91 RSSI and 9 SINR), but I've managed to stay connected for the last eight hours. Perhaps there's no relation between these numbers and the disconnects; perhaps its a bug in VZAccess Manager, or a bug in the modem.

I agree with you... I very much feel like a beta tester. 

I'm sorry to hear of the no-show tech... My usual connection is through a local WISP here in Stillwater, but their service has been so unreliable ever since I signed up (basically unusable at night--oversubscribed tower).  When LTE became available in Oklahoma, I jumped onboard quickly, but perhaps too quickly.  I've become used to no-shows on service calls and false promises with my WISP and other local bozos. (For example, the Dish Network installers put a hole in my ceiling when the guy took a mis-step in my attic!) From Verizon though, I'd expect better.

BTW, whereabouts in OK are you, and how close is your tower? I'm about 6 miles from my nearest tower.

[robertmaloney]

was experiencing the same issues before getting the Wilson panel antenna.   I'm in a challenging coverage area, so I went from 6Mb down, at best, to 20Mb more consistently, after the antenna.   And I dont get the dropped connection as often.   I have the Nexaira BC2 router, and it works like a champ.   It has a keep-alive feature that will restart the wireless card.   I do get the "LCP Connection Terminated By Peer", and Nexaira said that was a Verizon security thing, which will drop the connection.    The router sends me emails when the connection is dropped and restored, and that occurs about 3-5 times a day now (was worse a few weeks back).

[dmc271]

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robertmaloney wrote:

was experiencing the same issues before getting the Wilson panel antenna.   I'm in a challenging coverage area, so I went from 6Mb down, at best, to 20Mb more consistently, after the antenna.   And I dont get the dropped connection as often.   I have the Nexaira BC2 router, and it works like a champ.   It has a keep-alive feature that will restart the wireless card.   I do get the "LCP Connection Terminated By Peer", and Nexaira said that was a Verizon security thing, which will drop the connection.    The router sends me emails when the connection is dropped and restored, and that occurs about 3-5 times a day now (was worse a few weeks back).

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Thanks for the info!  I'm going to the Nexaira BC2 today; will then test; and then try the panel.

The "LCP Connection Terminated By Peer" being a security thing sounds reasonable, but also inconsistent.  I left my computer running all yesterday and last night, and I stayed connected for now going on 19 hours.  Maybe there's some websites (or other online activities) that trigger the disconnect? All I used yesterday was Remote Desktop, browsing some basic websites, and using DropBox. It's very odd... like I said black magic! 

Question 1: When using the router, did you have to disable the SMS usage notifications?

Question 2: When using the router, did you lock your modem into 4G mode ahead of time? I have to do this, otherwise, it keeps switching between 4G and 3G and even 1X.

Thanks again!

[bigounce]

I am south of Norman - I dont know about the tower for sure. Looked up on antennalocator.com and there is an Alltell tower located about 5 miles from my house. When I drove to it though I dont think the 4G is turned on at the tower as my reception got worse setting right next to it.

[bigounce]

I get about 7-10mb down. I took it to my office in Moore and I a got 14mb down.

Verizon tech support online is a joke. Emailed a file with my settings and asked about error wmc604 and finally got a email back that I needed to open verizon access manager and use the detect device button. That was all they could offer - I dont know how you could get this error message outside the verizon wireless access manager and yes my modem was detected.  I had already resolved the wmc604 error by looking at the community board. I still get lousy connection and constant disconnect though.

[dmc271]

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bigounce wrote:

I get about 7-10mb down. I took it to my office in Moore and I a got 14mb down.

Verizon tech support online is a joke. Emailed a file with my settings and asked about error wmc604 and finally got a email back that I needed to open verizon access manager and use the detect device button. That was all they could offer - I dont know how you could get this error message outside the verizon wireless access manager and yes my modem was detected.  I had already resolved the wmc604 error by looking at the community board. I still get lousy connection and constant disconnect though.

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Thanks for the info---your speeds are great, which suggests to me that the disconnects aren't correlated with signal strength.

Cheers,

[dmc271]

I'm sure anyone reading this thread would be very grateful if someone from Verizon would please chime-in about what may be causing the disconnects?

Many of us here have been long-time Verizon customers (certainly over a decade for me). I think it's safe to say that all of us want to help you get this fixed and are willing to provide diagnostic information as needed. If we really are beta testers, use us!

Here's what I summarize from the responses in this thread:

(1) It's possible to stay connected for at least 20+ hours and get acceptable speed (though clearly on the low end) with a negative 90ish RSSI and a 9-10 SINR. This suggests that the disconnects are not caused by a weak signal. However, it doesn't rule out the possibility of the signal randomly becoming weak right before the disconnect. (Wish the software would log this.)

(2) When using the BC2 router, others have reported a more reliable connection, but still some disconnections from time to time. This suggests that the VZAccess Manager software is largely--but not entirely--to blame for the disconnections. 

(3) The ability to re-establish a lost connection is more reliable with the BC2 router. This suggests that VZAccess Manager is largely the culprit for not being able to reconnect.

(4) But, the BC2 (and therefore the modem) sometimes needs to be rebooted in order to reconnect. This suggests that the modem is also partly the culprit for not being able to reconnect.

What else have I missed?

Has anyone using the LG modem experienced the same disconnections? If they have, then this would tell us it's a tower problem (in addition to VZAccess). If they haven't, then this would tell us it's a modem problem (in addition to VZAccess).

Thanks!

[bigounce]

my range is -69 dBm to -83dBm

my SINR range is 29.00dB to 18dB

[bigounce]

dmc,

Have you got your router connected yet?

Have you noticed any change in the reliability of your connection? (i.e dropped and dormant connection)

Was your connection only improved with the antenna if you got one?

Thanks

[dmc271]

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bigounce wrote:

dmc,

Have you got your router connected yet?

Thanks

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My router is supposed to arrive this weekend.  (The slow mail service in this area probably means that I'll get it next week.)

I'll update this thread when I get a chance to test it out.  I have no other real broadband options. so I have to get this working one way or another.

Cheers,

[toughbook]

Could one of you guys put a link up to which Panel Antenna you are using please? I have been thinking about getting the new Cradlepoint CTR35. Here  is the link.

http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=450_316&products_id=2736

It is supposed to be the latest one out for the LTE, and has some some pretty neat features.

Thanks

[dmc271]

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toughbook wrote:

Could one of you guys put a link up to which Panel Antenna you are using please? I have been thinking about getting the new Cradlepoint CTR35. Here  is the link.

http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=450_316&products_id=2736

It is supposed to be the latest one out for the LTE, and has some some pretty neat features.

Thanks

---

toughbook, I believe they are using the one here.

I'm very tempted to get the antenna too.  Been disconnected twice tonight; both times required: (1) a reboot of the computer, (2) restarting VZAM (at this point, it just says "Searching for LTE network"), (3) unplugging and then reinserting the modem, (4) finally VZAM finds the LTE network and I can connect. But, I'm not sure this song and dance works every time.  It's quite ridiculous to expect people to do this.

Cheers,

[dmc271]

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dmc271 wrote:

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toughbook wrote:

Could one of you guys put a link up to which Panel Antenna you are using please?

Thanks

---

toughbook, I believe they are using the one here.

Cheers,

---

Well, I just ordered the antenna since it's on sale. Using Google Checkout, you can save an additional $5.00, which will cover the shipping cost ($3.99 for FedEx ground).  Might prove to be a waste of money, but compared to the monthly cost of 10GB plan, it's not really that much! 

Cheers,

[mdpearo]

Hello,

I'm new here but just got the Pantech yesterday after being fed up with AT&T.   

Was able to get the Pantech connected without any problems.  Was online for about 2 hours and did not have any drops.  Using speed test, got 8-16 Mbps download and 1-3 upload, which compared to AT&T, I was thrilled.  I'm located south of OKC.

I've already ordered the Cradlepoint CTR35 so anxious to see how it works.

Melissa

[bigounce]

Applied new pantech 290 update on XP laptop - I was getting 4G in the house now I have to sit outside to get a signal.

[dmc271]

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bigounce wrote:

Applied new pantech 290 update on XP laptop - I was getting 4G in the house now I have to sit outside to get a signal.

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bigounce,

That's crazy!  Seems like the update has lowered your modem's sensitivity by adjusting the antenna's gain or something.  And you had a strong signal at home too. Very weird.   I'm now too scared to apply the update.

You might try just reverting to the original VZAM software that came with your CD to see if that helps. Verizon really needs to post a tool to downgrade the firmware as needed (just like virtually all modem/router suppliers offer).

[dmc271]

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mdpearo wrote:

Hello,

I'm new here but just got the Pantech yesterday after being fed up with AT&T.   

Was able to get the Pantech connected without any problems.  Was online for about 2 hours and did not have any drops.  Using speed test, got 8-16 Mbps download and 1-3 upload, which compared to AT&T, I was thrilled.  I'm located south of OKC.

I've already ordered the Cradlepoint CTR35 so anxious to see how it works.

Melissa

---

Welcome Melissa.  Sounds like you're getting good speeds.  Please let us know if you experience any disconnections; they appear to happen at random times.

[azbruski]

I'm in a fringe area in Arizona.  I purchased the panel antenna and the Nexaira BC2 router and went from no/poor connection to a decent, somewhat reliable connection, although the speeds are typically all over the place.  As for reliability. the elimination for VZ Manager (connecting via the BC2) seems to have taken care of dropped connections.  At times I will loose internet access overnight, but a simple reboot of the router brings it back.  I'm seeing speeds similar to yours although at times much faster.  As with you reliability, not speed, was my issue which the panel/router resolved.

[dmc271]

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azbruski wrote:

I'm in a fringe area in Arizona.  I purchased the panel antenna and the Nexaira BC2 router and went from no/poor connection to a decent, somewhat reliable connection, although the speeds are typically all over the place.  As for reliability. the elimination for VZ Manager (connecting via the BC2) seems to have taken care of dropped connections.  At times I will loose internet access overnight, but a simple reboot of the router brings it back.  I'm seeing speeds similar to yours although at times much faster.  As with you reliability, not speed, was my issue which the panel/router resolved.

---

Great info--many thanks! I'm going to try just the router first, and then I'll follow-up with a panel as needed. My signal is very weak, but I'm not sure this correlates with the disconnects.  We'll see what just the router does...

Quick question on the router: Have you run into the issues reported by RockinRon in this EVDO forums post? Also, do you have the router's keep-alive feature on?

Thanks!