dmc271's Posts

SeaJohn: Your 3M DL and 1M UL are below advertised specs.  I would call to complain.   For me, in downtown Stillwater, my TB has seen the following top speeds...   (1) July-August: 30+ Mpbs DL and 15+ Mbps UL  (2) September: 20+ Mbps DL and 10 Mbps UL (3) October: 15+ Mbps DL and 6-8 Mbps UL (at night, speeds are cut in half) (4) November: 6-12+ Mbps DL and 4-6 Mbps UL (at night, speeds are cut in half)   But, at night, the speeds tank. TB gets 4 Mbps DL and 2 Mbps UL. I hate to think how slow it will be before they upgrade the backhaul/tower.  At this rate, I'll be getting 3G speeds in January.   4GLTE on Verizon used to be much faster than HSPA+ on AT&T. Now, at least here, there's no longer a clear winner.   Speeds are back to slow as usual (these are on the UML290)...    

Ann154: Thx for the suggestion.  I actually do have a ticket open with support. They said they'd call me back in 24-72 hours. We'll see...  (Last time it took them 3 weeks to call me back, and then the engineer just said "There were no problems found in your area.")   I'm going to keep a log of speed tests. Perhaps I'll keep updating this thread.   Again, like clockwork, as we approach 11pm, speeds are beginning to return to normal...          

Happens all the time, not just to you, but to almost every TB user based on what I've read online. If I go into an elevator, I'll lose 4G, it will switch to 1X, and then only one or more of the following will restore 4G:   (1) toggle mobile data on/off (2) toggle to 3G then back to 4G using LTEOn/Off (3) turn radio off, then back on using LTEOn/Off (4) reboot   Usually one of the above will work.   In reality, it's quite ridiculous to expect people to do this. VZW has sold us all a clearly defective product (phone+network).   Other, more radical solutions include:   (1) battery pull + SIM card pull (2) SIM card replacement (3) new phone (4) change carriers  

Ann154, thanks for the report.  What concerns me the most is that the 4G network is less than a year old, and its already slowing down to a crawl; to speeds that are below minimum stated specs. In other forums, people are reporting noticeable slowdowns as well.  Actually, nearing 3G speeds.     What happens one year from now?  Maybe VZW will earn the same reputation for poor network performance as AT&T.   Here's what I'm getting tonight (8:30 CST)...       Right on schedule, it slows to a crawl. Yes, I am connected to 4G, even though the DL speed is more in line with 3G speeds.   The above is with the UML290. Slower speeds, and pings in the 400+ ms range on the Thunderbolt.   Was seeing 20+ Mbps this morning. <sigh>    

I use the Wilson 301135 with generally good results. You have to mount the thing high though! If I had to do things over again, I'd probably buy the outdoor version (the 301157) or the Wilson Yagi.   You can see some pics of my setup and speed test results here.   Be sure to get the proper cables. LMR-400 is supposed to be really good for long runs.   Best of luck,

3G and 4G are both out here in Stillwater, OK. Same answer from tech support--nationwide outage on 3G/4G with no ETA on a fix.   Oddly, for some reason, my Pantech UML290 reconnected to 4G about 20 minutes ago. My Thunderbolt can't get anything but 1X. Perhaps it's because my UML290 connects via a Linux-based dialup script.   Hope they get it fixed soon.  

susan53024: Does this happen only when 2+ people connect, and what exactly happens--can't connect to any sites?     What I noticed with the hotspot was that using multiple threads of access to the internet (for example, having many tabs open at the same time in my browser) would cause internet connectivity to stop on both the computer and the phone. The 3G/4G icon would still show, but I couldn't access anything.   For me, the solution was to turn off Auto Sync before using the hotspot (Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and Sync, and then uncheck Auto Sync). You might want to give that a try.   Some other solutions include:   (1) Connect to the hotspot using only one computer. Then, if one computer can connect, you can use Connectify (freeware) to turn that one computer into a hotspot. Other computers would access the internet (over WiFi) through that one computer.   (2) Try using a direct USB connection instead of a wireless connection. For me, this made no difference, but it's worth a try.    (3) Cancel the hotspot plan on the TB, and instead go with a dedicated 3G/4G modem+router or mobile hotspot device (e.g., the Novatel or Samsung). My Pantech UML290 plugged into a separate router--though by no means perfect--is much more reliable than using the hotspot feature on the TB. Plus, with this setup, you can connect an external antenna to boost your signal (all devices except the Samsung have an external antenna connector; the Samsung has one, but it's below the battery, which makes it unusable AFAIK). You can do the 5GB plan for $50 or the 10GB plan to $80, and then drop your phone plan to $30 for a combined total of at most $110. (Verizon: the shared data plans would come in very handy for this scenario!)   Best of luck,    

This has happened to me in the past. I've seen a few others report similar issues. I'll assume you've already tried the standard solutions (reboot, battery pull, reseat the SIM card).   Have you tried connecting to the hotspot with another computer? Have you tried a direct USB connection rather than a WiFi connection?   For me, the solution was to turn off Auto Sync before using the hotspot feature (Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and Sync, and then uncheck Auto Sync). Don't know why this worked, but it did.   If the above doesn't work for you, it could be a network-related issue. To test this, try the following:   Can you ping sites from your computer when the browsing ability is down?   If no, then it sounds like a DNS issue. In this case, try accessing a website by using its IP address rather than its domain name. For example, 206.112.186.66 is the IP address of lowes.com. If you can access a site via the IP address but not via the domain name, then it's a DNS problem. Call VZW tech support to report it. Use different DNS servers (e.g., Open DNS) in the meantime. If you can still ping sites, then it's not a DNS issue. So, next, try using a proxy server--such as proxify.com--to access the web.  If the the proxy server works, then you should call VZW support to report the problem, since it's clearly an issue on their end with specific sites. When calling into support, let me forewarn you: Give yourself an hour or more for them to walk you through the usual steps (reboot, battery pull, reseat the SIM card). Also, if they assign you a trouble ticket, don't expect to be called back within the promised 48 hours (it's more like 2+ weeks). Instead, you have to be assertive and keep calling them back.    

The easiest way to do this is to get a wireless router that supports your 4G modem (e.g., Cradlepoint, Nexaira, WiFi Ranger, etc). Which modem are you using? The Pantech UML290 is most widely supported, but I believe the others are as well. These will cost anywhere from $110-$200.   Some cheaper alternatives:   If your computer (the computer to which the LTE modem is attached) is running Windows 7, you can use a freeware program called Connectify that will turn your computer into a wireless hotspot.  This computer, of course, must have a WiFi card.   Alternatively, for better range, or if you're not using Windows 7, can you use an Alfa WiFi adapter, whose software allows it to be configured as a wireless hotspot.  See http://evdotips.blogspot.com/2009/05/wireless-3g-router-for-3900.html   Or, you can use Windows Internet Connection Sharing along with a regular WiFi router. See http://evdotips.blogspot.com/2008/02/internet-connection-sharing-with-router.html   Best of luck,

VettePilot,   Unfortunately, if I were to download the latest version of VZAM and connect my modem to my computer, VZAM will install the latest firmware on the modem, which my router doesn't support.   With the Thunderbolt, the issue seems to have been localized to OK and TX. But, also, it seems to have been fixed now, and I can access Google sites on my Thunderbolt just fine <knocking on wood>. It was supposedly a DNS issue.   Might it also be a DNS issue with your UML290?  To test this, can you access Google via its IP address? 74.125.91.99

I am 6-7 miles from the tower, but according to the coverage map, I'm in a 4G area (not extended 4G).  According to the VZW rep that I spoke with before buying the Thunderbolt, I should have "an excellent 4G signal."   The simple fact is that before the update, I had a usable 4G connection. Now, after the update, it struggles to lock on to 4G.   Yes, I could move to the city or wait several years for Verizon to add more towers. However, neither of these are realistic solutions to what is obviously poor software development.

kballard72 wrote: Unrooted thunderbolt, only the extra is go launcher.    Ever since yesterday afternoon, it has flipped mobile internet off and on. What was the change? firmware 1.7 successfully violated my phone.  Same here. After the update, 4G reception has noticeably decreased; it drops quite frequently now.

Just wanted to share my experience...   My TB charges more slowly over USB when connected to a computer as compared to the suppled AC-to-USB adapter, but it does eventually charge.   However, I foolishly tried to charge the TB over a netbook's USB port, when the netbook was running off just its own battery. What happened was that the charge went the other way... I think current was flowing from the TB's battery to the netbook's battery because the TB's battery level kept getting lower.  Also, the TB's battery widget reported the battery's health as "Overheat."   In hindsight, it seems so obvious. The safest bet would be to use a externally powered USB hub.   Cheers,