Forum Discussion
New Gateway
I got just got T-Mobile last week for my home and my parent's home. My parents have an iPad and security cameras. My home has a gaming system, security cameras, streaming tv, computers, etc.
My question is about the gateway. I was given the Nokia (I think they call it trashcan) and I noticed on the T-Mobile website the newest model is the Arcadian. I called the store and the guy I talked to has never heard of the Arcadian. I then called the T-Mobile 800 number and the rep said she could send me the Arcadian. Has anyone compared them?
My only complaints so far...The app is horrible! I constantly get a spinning icon or a screen telling me to set up my network when it already is. I have uninstalled the app several times. Is this is the only way to find out which direction the tower is located and to update the gateway? I am in an older home with limited outlets and I know it is not a good idea to use extension cords.
As "Oregon" stated you can use speedtest.net to run tests and move the router about. That is helpful but locating the tower and knowing the reporting from the cellular signals is also important. If you get the RSRP, RSRQ, SINR values and the PCI info for the cellular signals then you can dial it in. You have to understand how the metrics work and how each value relates to the signal but a few searches on the web can help explain how the values work.
If you get a clean signal i.e. with improved signal to noise ratio then you should see improved performance. If you see the SNR signal to noise ratio is poor then you know it may be a challenge. If you locate the tower and have good distance to the tower without too many obstructions or line of sight then the SNR can be improved and the other metrics should as well. To some degree. It takes a little experimentation to dial it in.
You might get lucky and find a good spot right away and get great download and upload speeds with low latency then it is not so important to go into the nitty gritty as to how it all works.
I haven't compared the two. You can find the optimum placement for your gateway by using a smart phone to do a speed test using 5G instead of Wi-Fi. Once you find the fastest speed, move your gateway there. In my home upstairs I can go from 9.06 to over 400 by just crossing the room.
The mobile application is NOT super helpful. You can manage the Nokia gateway from the web UI with the local LAN going to the 192.168.12.1 gateway IP. You can possibly get the application to work but it is a little tricky and I dont find it all that useful myself. Before I had that mobile app fully satisfied for its setup it would crash and hang up my iPhone 12 Pro. I uninstalled it and only recently put it back on to see if it was any better than a year ago. Some parts of the mobile app work ok but others not so much. Dont expect it to report the devices on the LAN, unless you are really lucky.
You can use the web application and see the cellular information from the local LAN. If you post the metrics for the internet connections and the info on the cellular signals I can possibly help you improve it a little. You need to get good exposure to the tower so if you have the PCI information that is reported for each cellular signal you can use cellmapper.net to locate the tower. Cellmapper.net is ~80% complete and can provide location information about the cells. You can filter for 4G and 5G NR and even more granular but using either 4G LTE or 5G NR is best to start. Dont filter too much or you might get nothing. Cellmapper.net is free and on the web. If you know the router receives n71 for the 5G or n41 5G signaling then you can look for the PCI physical cell identifier in the information provided by the search of the area for the T-Mobile towers.
Do not assume the Arcadyan gateway is better than the Nokia. Maybe maybe not. The Arcadyan GW management interface is much more limited. The Nokia GW has a bit more configuration and much more verbose reporting. I have the Nokia and have been using it for 15 months and mine works quite well. Some people clearly have issues with them but not all of them are problematic. Is the Arcadyan router/gateway better? Well, it is too early to know for sure. Some people have had better results but still it is maybe not the silver bullet to kill the wolf.
With the Nokia you can web into the 192.168.12.1 interface and see the signals and signal strength via the web interface. The Arcadyan it is a little more obscure to do so but possible. More work by T-Mobile engineering needs to be done with updates to make it better and more friendly. If you want more information watch Nater Tater YouTube videos and get his low down on the routers. Very informative and helpful.
You can also post the router metrics to the community conversation and get responses about what others know about what the router is reporting. It never hurts to ask the questions.
As "Oregon" stated you can use speedtest.net to run tests and move the router about. That is helpful but locating the tower and knowing the reporting from the cellular signals is also important. If you get the RSRP, RSRQ, SINR values and the PCI info for the cellular signals then you can dial it in. You have to understand how the metrics work and how each value relates to the signal but a few searches on the web can help explain how the values work.
If you get a clean signal i.e. with improved signal to noise ratio then you should see improved performance. If you see the SNR signal to noise ratio is poor then you know it may be a challenge. If you locate the tower and have good distance to the tower without too many obstructions or line of sight then the SNR can be improved and the other metrics should as well. To some degree. It takes a little experimentation to dial it in.
You might get lucky and find a good spot right away and get great download and upload speeds with low latency then it is not so important to go into the nitty gritty as to how it all works.
This is a lot of reading for so early in the morning! lol
I think I am going to run in a T-mobile store today. Not sure they can help, but about the web application you mention….I can access it, however I have both my gateway and I have my mom's gateway on my account. If I am looking at this mishmash correctly, I think only one gateway shows.
Here is a speed test I just did from my Macbook. If weather plays a part, it is raining and very windy. A camera is the only other thing I have connected to the T-Mobile internet at the moment.
With those speeds clearly the gateway is working fairly well. I suspect it is on n71 for 5G NR but that is still a good solution. Heavy rain can cause some degradation of the cellular signal.
Re: with the two in the account they should be able to confirm that in the account. The T-Mobile application for account management works well for me and is pretty stable. The home internet app they have is not so good. It never works for me on my iPhone. Once in a blue moon with planet alignment just right.
Just got a Gateway to change to T Mobile internet. I can only get a "good" connection (need excellent for work). My old internet setup used a coaxial from outside the home. The Gateway does not have that type of connection. Am I stuck with the old internet provider/does TMobile have a different set up/ anyway to change the coaxial to ethernet connector??
