Forum Discussion
Full configuration of DHCP and other network services
Is there a way to get into a configuration screen for the KVD21 5G Gateway? Ideally, I'd like to connect my gateway to an existing TP-Link router to supply wireless and DHCP. I can work around the wi...
Users do not have the ability to disable the DHCP on the gateway. The gateway cannot be configured in bridge mode either. Users can connect a second wireless router and have a double NAT solution but that is the only solution. If you go out watch the Nater Tater YouTube video you can see the workaround he has for disabling the wireless on the Arcadyan gateway. It is possible but T-Mobile does not promote this. Still it is a possible path to take. Nate clearly provides the information and it is not difficult.
You can use the T-Mobile home internet mobile application to see the cellular metrics and if you experiment a bit more with the placement maybe you can get an additional bit of signal strength. The LED bars on the front of the gateway are just a general reference. If you want to know more you need to look at the cellular metrics. I can post a chart I have that explains the values. With my gateway I focused upon improving the secondary signal which is always the 5G NR where you will get the download traffic. The 4G LTE can drop a little and it will only impact uploads for the most part. The key to getting it to have better performance is to improve the signal quality RSRQ and SINR, signal to noise ratio. The RSRP, radio signal receive power is good to know but a clean quality signal will perform better. A strong signal with lots of noise and poor quality will still not perform well.
The gateways usually perform better close to a window and higher up. The key is to find a good location where there are not obstructions between the gateway and the cellular source if possible. Keep in mind you might find a location that seems odd that it reports a better set of metrics but it could be that there is a signal reflection. The cellular signals can bounce off buildings and still reach places it might not otherwise. If you have metal screens avoid being behind those. Avoid appliances and reduce the wall surfaces as much as possible. Putting the gateway on a long extension cord and taking it for a walkabout the house is a good way to fine tune the location.
The T-Mobile gateways do have WI-FI 6 technology and they seem to do quite well. There are not many knobs to turn but if you don't understand all the tech then that works. The only clients that can fully take advantage of the WI-FI 6 capability are those with the same newer wireless adapters. Prior generation adapters will only do what they can do. I use the T-Mobile gateway here without any additional router and I get good wireless coverage in our 2 story 3300 sq ft home. There are a few weak spots but they are not that important to cover anyway.
When it comes to boosters they currently only make the 3G/4G LTE boosters and not the 5G with MIMO technology. If you can find one it will be expensive. A decent cellular signal booster can run $400-$600 dollars and they are not worth the cost in my opinion as they are not really made with the broadband cellular gateways in mind. For cell phones they can be helpful. If you have 3 bars that is actually not bad. Try and see if you can improve the location of the gateway first.
Chart to understand the cellular metrics:
