Forum Discussion
NOK 5G21 Gateway Battery Backup
How does the battery backup option work on the High Speed Home Internet NOK 5G21 Gateway device. When the device gets unplugged or losses power, the device configures to battery operation, then the WiFi is disabled. I also tried using Ethernet. Neither connection method works.
In the manual it says “During battery operation, neither Wi-Fi nor Ethernet connections are supported.”
What is the use to have battery backup if WiFi nor Ethernet connections are supported? How can I use the device during battery operation?
It just replaces the original power supply and plugs into the barrel connector on the back of the gateway, NOT the UPS plug on the device.
That is correct. I was sold on the idea that it has a battery backup to operate during a power outage. While the battery has its use it's pretty useless when you can't monitor the signal from the phone application.
I was wondering the same thing. The battery would be great for moving your device around the house, checking for the best signal. But soon as you unplug it it shuts off and reboots, when it comes back on it has no wifi or internet connection. It does show Bars, but that's not alot of help, since there are cell 2 connections
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Yes, I was trying to move around my house on battery to test 5G signal but then I couldn't log into the thing without wifi! Makes no sense at all. I really thought mine was defective until seeing I'm not alone.
Supports the phone jack that is not enabled or used? Just a thought. Many of the cable gateways that subscribers have voice service and use a connected "landline" phone use the built in battery to provide a connection when the power goes out. This supports lifeline and other services.
I also thought the built-in battery would support the gateway cell connection when the AC power was out but like you have discovered it does not. Disappointed in this.
I was excited to see the back up battery, but it doesn't allow the unit operting when power is unplugged. What's the purpose of the back up battery???
The battery inside the router is so you can move the unit around to find the best cell signal for the router and to remember settings. If you want bttery back up to use if the powder goes out then you can call T-Mobile, they will send you out a UPS battery back up for your router free of charge. The battery back up they send you will run the router for 12 hours.
No UPS or battery back up to the battery from T-Mobile. Battery is to see if the signal is ok, that is it. Why have a battery in it if it only checks signal, when you unplug it, it tells you nothing, even if power outage. It is very confusing. A battery to charge the battery, but that is not included. NO UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) from T-Mobile. There, said it twice.
Was unsuccessful in finding the price and availability of a Nokia UPS device for this gateway. Therefore, I just bought a generic battery backup on Amazon.
APC UPS Back-UPS Connect, VoIP, Modem and Router Uninterruptible Power Supply Battery Backup (CP12142LI) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HFML55/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_glt_fabc_X990RDRTR56XA2V5089J?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It turns out that the battery backup not only won't keep WiFi or Ethernet connections going, it won't keep the connection either. In other words, when you get power back it will have to establish a new connection.
Mine was working fine, and after a few weeks without problems, I decided to unplug it and then plug it into a UPS. When it came back up, it wouldn't get a secondary signal (no 5G). This went on for days, and T-mobile was no help. Rebooting made no difference. Finally, almost a week later, the system got messed up and the network was unusable. I couldn't do much other than resetting the device with a pin. After that, it established a connection with 5G, which has been working fine going on two weeks now. It wasn't a hard reset so it wasn't a settings issue.
My advice is to plug it into your own UPS and not reboot it or unplug it unless absolutely necessary. Anything I read about location or signal strength was not relevant, because if location had been a problem, it wouldn't have worked flawlessly for weeks until unplugged without being moved. And it wouldn't have stayed on 4G until some random event after a reset, and then go back to 5G even though it wasn't moved.
For those who think that maybe it's in a borderline area with respect to 5G, my download speeds with 5G are up to 600, usually a bit under 500 being typical, and upload speeds are up to 65, with around 40-50 being typical. And that's with no data errors when testing. It works great with 5G but will lose its signal even with the battery if not plugged in.
That means, in theory, that the battery serves one purpose, which is to allow you to see signal strength as you move the device around when unplugged.
