Forum Discussion
My new TMO-G4SE Gateway REGULARLY drops internet! The older one NEVER EVER DID??? WHAT IS GOING ON?
Resumen:
- Modem appears to drop the internet completely, sometimes right around 9pm
- No clue how to diagnose it at all.
- T-Life app seems useless when this is happening
I see there’s a similar one above: “Modem drops internet service every night”. This could be my issue. BUT my previous modem, which I still have and might switch back to, NEVER EVER DROPPED INTERNET FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS!?! It WAS awesome. Now it's not.
I'm reading all sorts of threads about business practices with very unhappy customers and prioritizing service in what sound like an almost "bait and switch" strategy. That's very unseemly. I bailed on Frontier (fiber) and never looked back. But the problems are having me think I should dump both of these and go back to Frontier because this simple problem I have looks like a nightmare waiting to WASTE MY TIME! Shame!
I was sold the new modem by a CSR and felt like it was a shady deal, because it wasn't a swap but adding a new, so I don't know if I'm a "new" customer or and "old" customer for home internet! But for two month they were charging me for TWO modems! I got a credit for one month.
I was thinking the new modem was having problems and one customer said that after they thought it was a SIM card problem but then accidentally KNOCKED IT ON THE FLOOR and the problems went away?!?
I really feel like there is a complete drop of internet at around 9pm every night. Could this be some other customers suddenly clogging the bandwidth?? It isn't like a slower connection, it's a DEAD connection. I've done reboots and such, but sometimes I just wait and it comes back .
So I have no clue what to do without becoming a PhD in modems. Additionally the UI for interacting with the Gateway is so annoying and I don't know any way to put this in a place where I can really see what's going on!
When the gateway internet connection goes down, there's NO WAY to connect to it and the screen shows nothing useful. And I've got an "excellent" connection??
The T-Life app is useless when the modem drops. So I have no good way to diagnose the issue.
ANY SUGGESTIONS are appreciated!
¡Gracias!
Arcadyan firmware programmers in Taiwan are clearly not thoroughly checking out and correcting G4AR and G4SE firmware updates before releasing faulty firmware onto T-Mobile customers' gateways. Speak your complaints to T-Mobile loud and clear!!!!!! The gateways themselves are NOT the problem. The problem is incompetent Arcadyan firmware programmers!!!
Since you only have the T-Life app available to you, you cannot know what G4SE/G4AR Gateway Firmware Version is installed on your gateway. Until the last few days, v1.00.09 firmware was installed. As of Sep 9, to my knowledge, v1.00.12 firmware is now being installed between the hours of 1:00 am and 3:00 am on G4SE/G4AR gateways across the country. The Firmware version number IS available on the T-Mobile Internet app but NOT on the T-Life app!!! Call customer technical support, complain about T-Life, and DEMAND that the technical support agent access your gateway via internet and provide you with the gateway firmware version number installed on your gateway!!! I had terrible problems with v1.00.09 related to externo antenna use for weeks. V1.00.12 was installed on my gateway on Sep 9 and has corrected the major problems with my G4AR gateway. However, now some T-Mobile customers are having problems with the new v1.00.12 firmware related to interna antenna use. The v1.00.12 clearly has bugs that Arcadyan firmware programmers in Taiwan have clearly not checked out and corrected before releasing the faulty firmware onto T-Mobile customers' gateways. Speak your complaints to T-Mobile loud and clear!!!!!! See and other v1.00.12 Community posts:
Apparently the G4AR and G4SE use different firmware, with v1.00.12 on the G4AR and v1.03.14 on the G4SE the latest firmware. However, the firmware for both gateways likely shares much of the same computer code. If you are seeing 4G (or LTE) when you know you should be getting 5G service, the following is likely what is happening with v1.03.14 on your G4SE as I previously described in my G4AR topic posting:
Sep 10, 2024 - First Experiences with New G4AR V1.00.12 Firmware Update
"The first thing to note about v1.00.12, after sitting inactive for a while or after restarting the gateway, is that the gateway comes up in the 4G mode when the internet is connected. The gateway will automatically switch to the 5G mode (if available) when you begin any internet activity on your computer. "Advanced cellular metrics" on your T-Mobile Internet app for 5G will be "lined-out" until there is internet activity on your computer. 5G metrics will then be displayed until internet activity stops. 5G metrics again become "lined-out" when internet activity ceases. Why v1.00.12 does this, who knows? It's very annoying, but not harmful."G4AR v1.00.09 firmware caused problems with my External antenna that went away with v1.00.12. But another G4AR user began having internet disconnection problems with the Internal antenna after the switch to v1.00.12. I suspect you are using the Internal antenna in your G4SE and v1.03.14 is creating this same disconnect problem. The Internal antenna has 2 modes, "Omnidirectional" and "Directional", and the gateway decides which mode to use. If it chooses the wrong antenna mode, the signal may become too weak and cause an internet disconnection. I'm using an External antenna and am NOT having any internet disconnections with the new v1.00.12 firmware on my G4AR. Are you using the Internal or an External antenna?
With the speed you get, you should NOT need an external antenna at all. I only get a download speed maximum of 17 Mbps with a several hundred-dollar Waveform 4x4 MMIO Panel outdoor antenna installation. But an external antenna is the ONLY solution for me to receive a usable 5G signal at my location at the bottom of a canyon with no line-of-sight to a tower. You only need an external antenna only to bypass the problem with your new firmware. Your cheapest solution is the $99 T-Mobile external antenna which offers no real improvement in signal strength. It just allows you more placement flexibility to position an indoor antenna for best reception. An inexpensive 2x2 MIMO external antenna might also solve your current problem. Any external antenna with 2 or 4 male SMA connectors may work. If you really want to boost your reception and are willing to make a $250-plus investment, then the following is the best way to go:
The Best Mini External Antenna For T-Mobile 5G Home Internet -Waveform QuadMini 4x4 MIMO - Verizon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oqd2bVEE1g
Waveform QuadMini: Low-Profile Omni 4x4 MIMO Antenna
https://www.waveform.com/products/quadmini?srsltid=AfmBOoqi6oHCItZhMMHvovYr9sjSu1aaZhyfkZnCPSdjIvhPfqK-MB9QI'm having the same problem here in Atlanta. I've had this T-Mobile 5G Home Internet for four years and never had so much as a hiccup out of it - until now.
I have a fairly elaborate home LAN so I figured that somewhere in the mix I had a component going bad so i tried everything I could think of to no avail, so I finally decided to exchange my Nokia modem/wifi router for a new one. That was a terrible mistake. This new white router SUCKS. It's about as configurable as an AM/FM radio.Just as you say, the modem connects to the tower and for the most part the factory wifi SSID works, but the RJ45 ethernet outlets lose internet connectivity. Mine craps out at least once every hour. Just try to get into streaming a movie when you suddenly for no apparent reason lose your internet.
I had exchanged 2 white gateway both randomly cut off. Went back to the sagecom but today we had a lightning storm. Lights flicker gateway goes out and won't come on until I unplug it and turn it on again. The old gateway would just come back on. Shouldn't have tried to upgrade.
Arcadyan firmware programmers in Taiwan are clearly not thoroughly checking out and correcting G4AR and G4SE firmware updates before releasing faulty firmware onto T-Mobile customers' gateways. Speak your complaints to T-Mobile loud and clear!!!!!! The gateways themselves are NOT the problem. The problem is incompetent Arcadyan firmware programmers!!!
Ok, the modem just dropped again for five minutes?!? What is going on??? Why is it doing that?
Also I just looked at my advanced cellular metrics on my phone. IT ONLY SAYS LTE?!? Band b71? With a Poor SINR?
(I’m in a pretty dense population area in Los Angeles.)tell-me-y wrote:
Thanks, I’ve got the G4SE with what appears to be the latest firmware 1.03.14.
And it still flips out. Fortunately I do have the TMO Internet app still on my iPhone, I just didn't think it TMO would be so stupid as to make TLife so stupid. But it actually is a confusing mess! Advertisements and coupons instead of control? Eso no está bien.
And I'm looking at the display at it says 4G not 5G??? And when I look at the TMO Internet app It shows me cellular metrics for LTE but NOT FOR 5G???? What is the deal here???
tell-me-y wrote:
Apparently the G4AR and G4SE use different firmware, with v1.00.12 on the G4AR and v1.03.14 on the G4SE the latest firmware. However, the firmware for both gateways likely shares much of the same computer code. If you are seeing 4G (or LTE) when you know you should be getting 5G service, the following is likely what is happening with v1.03.14 on your G4SE as I previously described in my G4AR topic posting:
The Internal antenna has 2 modes, "Omnidirectional" and "Directional", and the gateway decides which mode to use. If it chooses the wrong antenna mode, the signal may become too weak and cause an internet disconnection. I'm using an External antenna and am NOT having any internet disconnections with the new v1.00.12 firmware on my G4AR. Are you using the Internal or an External antenna?
Great information and questions! Thanks! Yeah. I'm using internal antenna and it's choosing the type of directionality, but I believe actually I know exactly where the best tower is, so I could probably lock it on directional?
So if I got an antenna, where does it go and what does it look like. I've got my Gateway sitting in front of a window, but I really don't want to install an antenna outside… Or spend the $$.
As for 5G, so it definitely should be saying 5G on the display even though I am getting decent download (130Mbps ish)?
Thanks again @tell-me-yJosephus wrote:
I'm having the same problem here in Atlanta. I've had this T-Mobile 5G Home Internet for four years and never had so much as a hiccup out of it - until now.
I have a fairly elaborate home LAN so I figured that somewhere in the mix I had a component going bad so i tried everything I could think of to no avail, so I finally decided to exchange my Nokia modem/wifi router for a new one. That was a terrible mistake. This new white router SUCKS. It's about as configurable as an AM/FM radio.Just as you say, the modem connects to the tower and for the most part the factory wifi SSID works, but the RJ45 ethernet outlets lose internet connectivity. Mine craps out at least once every hour. Just try to get into streaming a movie when you suddenly for no apparent reason lose your internet.
I had the similar issues with the new, white router. Losing connectivity and new IP at least once every hour. Finally figured out that it stopped when at least one device is connected to the T-Mobile gateway's WiFi in addition to the LAN. Not what I wanted. Wanted only LAN use from T-Mobile gateway with Firewalla Gold doing its thing and all devices behind that. The connection drops stopped and T-Mobile gateway IP has stayed the same. Not sure if there's some background process that thinks it's ok to run when no wireless clients connected, or what. Firmware version 1.03.14.
