Slow 4G connection only, but only sometimes -- SOLVED

DWomack wrote:

Just got the Gateway last Saturday. Speeds were terrible.  
 

Overnight the firmware updated to 1609.  Performance is better.  100 down and 10 up. Band b41. No 5G. 
 

Did factory reset last night.  This morning I was b2, then b66.  Speeds still bad. Moved it upstairs. Now I am back on b41 with 100/10. 

I think cellmapper has issues. 

I think the major problem is people look at the cell towers as omnidirectional.  They are anything but.  They are phased arrays that can steer the energy beaming it where they want. 

I have ordered a panel antenna kit from waveform.  We'll see how that works.

I am north of Ringgold GA  

Retired electrical engineer that did control systems used to make cookies.

 

Dennis

 

IMO Cellmapper at least in my area is next to useless none of the tower data is even close to accurate.

What I have done is just drive around with my phone and do testing at the tower and out towards my home. The can is really fussy in rotation makes a big difference. Since I got the new firmware my can will not hold the 5G signal as the SNR is near 0 so it stays locked on LTE b66 I get 60-70 ish but seems stable. Note I am in a Ultra 5G coverage area so I have no idea why my can does not get att the very least an ok 5G signal. I am on the fence about the external antenna as I don't know how much it will really help. Testing with my phone very close to the towers only shows speeds in the 100 ish area. There is only one tower that is 3.5 miles away that gives 200ish speeds but my can will not ever lock on that tower as there are 2 closer towers one half mile, one 1 mile, oh yea another 2 miles. So if my 5G phone is not getting the speeds next to the towers I don't see how the can can.

 

One very odd thing is once in a while in just one window of my home the can and my phone can get 500+ speeds. It does not last sometimes I see it for minutes sometimes longer but then it's gone and speeds in that window drop to10. Makes me think of the old days on CB and shortwave when signals would bounce off the atmosphere and I would be talking to someone on the other side of the world.