WE-826 T2...Sim card does not stay in the slot

[MitchDudley]

New build...got the point where I was insert the sim card....

weird...i try to put the sim card in the slot, but the card goes in and immediately kicks out. I was expecting it to click in place.

Any suggestions.

[JimHelms]

Are you using a Standard (full) sized SIM card or a SIM Card adapter?

If using an adapter, make sure the SIM Card is seating properly into the adapter--after first removing (i.e., sanding) the tits/tabs on the sides of the SIM card.

I have also noticed that some of the adapters are thinner than others (thinner than the actual SIM card). On these, I would recommend placing a strip of clear scotch tape over the adapter (opposite side of the metal pins on the SIM Card). This also applies to some of the more generic 3 in 1 SIM cards.

[MitchDudley]

I got the sim to finally stay. followed the steps...got the following error....not sure how to progress....help please!

Mon Oct 14 19:36:03 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT!SELRAT?
!SELRAT: 00, Automatic
OK

Mon Oct 14 19:36:04 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CFUN=1
OK
ATI
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: EM7565
Revision: SWI9X50C_01.08.04.00 dbb5d0 jenkins 2018/08/21 21:40:11
IMEI: 353533100178089
IMEI SV: 8
FSN: UF921274230215
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
OK
AT+CNUM
ERROR
AT+CPBR=?
ERROR

Mon Oct 14 19:36:05 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT!SELRAT?
!SELRAT: 00, Automatic
OK

Mon Oct 14 19:36:06 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CIMI
ERROR

Mon Oct 14 19:36:08 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CRSM=176,12258,0,0,10
+CME ERROR: unknown

Mon Oct 14 19:36:10 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=0
+CME ERROR: SIM failure

Mon Oct 14 19:36:11 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
OK

Mon Oct 14 19:36:13 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","vzwinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CFUN: 1
OK

Mon Oct 14 19:36:22 2019 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGS=?;+CMGL=?;+CMGR=?
ERROR

[MitchDudley]

additional info...not sure if this is helpful or not...

Device Information
T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=480 MxCh= 1
B: Alloc= 0/800 us ( 0%), #Int= 1, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev= 4.14
S: Manufacturer=Linux 4.14.63 ehci_hcd
S: Product=EHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=101c0000.ehci
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr= 0mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 4 Ivl=256ms
********************************************************************************************************
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=480 MxCh= 4
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=05e3 ProdID=0608 Rev=85.37
S: Product=USB2.0 Hub
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=100mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 1 Ivl=256ms
********************************************************************************************************
T: Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=02 Cnt=01 Dev#= 3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1199 ProdID=9091 Rev= 0.06
S: Manufacturer=Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
S: Product=Sierra Wireless EM7565 Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X16 LTE-A
S: SerialNumber=UF92127423021505
C:* #Ifs= 4 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=500mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=qcserial
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=01(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
I:* If#= 2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=qcserial
E: Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 10 Ivl=32ms
E: Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
I:* If#= 3 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=qcserial
E: Ad=85(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 10 Ivl=32ms
E: Ad=84(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=03(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
I:* If#= 8 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=qmi_wwan
E: Ad=86(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 8 Ivl=32ms
E: Ad=8e(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E: Ad=0f(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
********************************************************************************************************
T: Bus=02 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=12 MxCh= 1
B: Alloc= 0/900 us ( 0%), #Int= 0, #Iso= 0
D: Ver= 1.10 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0001 Rev= 4.14
S: Manufacturer=Linux 4.14.63 ohci_hcd
S: Product=Generic Platform OHCI controller
S: SerialNumber=101c1000.ohci
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr= 0mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub
E: Ad=81(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS= 2 Ivl=255ms

[MitchDudley]

I'm not a betting man, but I've got my money on a faulty sim reader.

[MitchDudley]

1. checked the connections to the modem multiple times.
2. removed tit/tips on sim card adapter, as well as cleaned sim card
3 loaded firmware and reset back to OEM (both have same error)

it's late....try again tomorrow....

[JimHelms]

I'm not a betting man, but I've got my money on a faulty sim reader.

A bad SIM Card reader is certainly a possibility. You can check whether it is reading the SIM Card with the following commands:

Code: Select all

AT+CPIN?
AT+CNUM

[MitchDudley]

Here's the results....

AT+CPIN?
+CME ERROR: SIM not inserted

AT+CNUM
ERROR

[JimHelms]

It is not reading the SIM Card. Contact us via one of the contact forms on the store.

[bjames]

One needs to take care when inserting a sim card into this router. It only takes once to insert the sim card in the wrong direction to destroy the clicking spring that locks the sim card into place. I know this from personal experience.

[JimHelms]

One needs to take care when inserting a sim card into this router. It only takes once to insert the sim card in the wrong direction to destroy the clicking spring that locks the sim card into place. I know this from personal experience.

You are correct. I too have done this--being in a hurry and not paying attention.

It is also important to make sure the SIM Card is fitting correctly into a SIM Card adapter when used which often requires removing the little tabs off the SIM Card using an emery board or piece of sand paper. The SIM Card should fit freely into the adapter--not tight but not too loose.

For future reference on SIM Card installation:

SIM-Card-Installation .jpg

[CarbonCopy]

Hello, I received this WE826-T2 router brand new from thewirelesshaven.com and I have this exact problem where it will not see the SIM! Brand new, never crossed the tabs, went right in place and clicked without any issues. The reader is bad according to all your provided information! How do I get a replacement? I pulled the SIM out of my HotSpot and now have it back in the HotSpot (Working as it always did).

[JimHelms]

Hello, I received this WE826-T2 router brand new from thewirelesshaven.com and I have this exact problem where it will not see the SIM! Brand new, never crossed the tabs, went right in place and clicked without any issues. The reader is bad according to all your provided information! How do I get a replacement? I pulled the SIM out of my HotSpot and now have it back in the HotSpot (Working as it always did).

What modem are you using? The reasoning is that if you are using a M.2 modem and an Mini PCI-E to M.2 adapter, it will act the same way if the adapter is defective--and there are a lot of these type of adapters on the market that will detect and power the modem but will not see the SIM Card in the router slot.

Send an email to the store for instructions.

[LTE7B]

I am having the same issues. Does anyone know what this means? Is my sim reader the issue? The Sim works fine on my ZTEmf279 hotspot. Trying to run an EM7511 on a WG3526-P. I followed all instal steps slowly and correctly.

Thanks!

!SELRAT: 00, Automatic
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:32 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CFUN=1
OK
ATI
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: EM7511
Revision: SWI9X50C_01.11.00.00 5ba42f jenkins 2019/06/28 09:51:52
IMEI: 353587100229284
IMEI SV: 10
FSN: YT926772610115
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
OK
AT+CNUM
ERROR
AT+CPBR=?
ERROR

Mon Feb 24 20:36:33 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT!SELRAT?
!SELRAT: 00, Automatic
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:34 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CIMI
ERROR

Mon Feb 24 20:36:36 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CRSM=176,12258,0,0,10
+CRSM: 144,0,"98101440720125981602"
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:38 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=0
+CME ERROR: SIM failure

Mon Feb 24 20:36:39 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-34),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:41 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","broadband","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CFUN: 1
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:46 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=1,"IPV4V6","nxtgenphone";+CFUN=0;+CFUN=1
OK

Mon Feb 24 20:36:55 2020 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGS=?;+CMGL=?;+CMGR=?
ERROR

[JimHelms]

I am having the same issues. Does anyone know what this means? Is my sim reader the issue?

First, I would check out each of the steps in the the TROUBLESHOOTING guide--especially those related to SIM Cards and Adapters.

[LTE7B]

Hi Jim,

I have gone through the troubleshooting guide... I believe I am stuck at the stage of "CHECK TO ASSURE THE ROUTER IS DETECTING THE EM7511"

I get this message:

Thu Aug 16 07:52:46 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Thu Aug 16 07:53:53 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)

Yes, it also says "SIM Failure," but shouldn't the router first be able to have a successful connection/ communication with the Sierra modem?

I have tried both available WiFix firmwares on the Google Drive link. Is one just newer?

I have tweaked with different APNs for AT&T: "broadband" as recommended, and "nxtgenphone" which was on my last at&t provided device. Would this cause the modem communication error?

I tried 55, I tried 54

I messed with the sim card, adapter, edges/angle, (it is the metal sim adapter and emery board kit from The Wireless Haven.

The pigtails can only click onto the modem one way... heard clear clicks and they are not on the GPS port....

Is this a software issue or a hardware issue? If its software, I can keep tweaking with advice.

Reminder, this is on a WG3526-P with EM7511 and At&t sim.

Thank you.

[JimHelms]

Hi Jim,

I have gone through the troubleshooting guide... I believe I am stuck at the stage of "CHECK TO ASSURE THE ROUTER IS DETECTING THE EM7511"

I get this message:

Thu Aug 16 07:52:46 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Thu Aug 16 07:53:53 2018 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)

This is perfectly normal. The modem is being read and is attempting to connect to the network.

Yes, it also says "SIM Failure," but shouldn't the router first be able to have a successful connection/ communication with the Sierra modem?

Same as above for the communication with the modem.

I have tried both available WiFix firmwares on the Google Drive link. Is one just newer?

I have tweaked with different APNs for AT&T: "broadband" as recommended, and "nxtgenphone" which was on my last at&t provided device. Would this cause the modem communication error?

I tried 55, I tried 54

All of this is good, but wasted effort if the router is not reading the SIM Card properly.

The test for this, as pointed out in the troubleshooting tutorial, is to run the AT Command:

Code: Select all

at+cpin?

If the at+cpin? returns anything but "READY" your issue is SIM Card related.

In the event, it returns an ERROR, then try running this command to see if it is reading the information on the SIM Card.

Code: Select all

AT+CNUM   

If that returns an ERROR, then we need to first look and make certain the SIM Card is installed in the adapter correctly, with the metal pins on the SIM Card installed into the adapter where they are NOT being covered with the tape that holds the SIM Card in place.

While you may be saying, well yeah, you would be surprised at how many people install the SIM into the adapter and install the adhesive strips on the wrong side of the SIM Card adapter and covers the metal pins.

I messed with the sim card, adapter, edges/angle, (it is the metal sim adapter and emery board kit from The Wireless Haven.

The pigtails can only click onto the modem one way... heard clear clicks and they are not on the GPS port....

Is this a software issue or a hardware issue? If its software, I can keep tweaking with advice.

Reminder, this is on a WG3526-P with EM7511 and At&t sim.

Assuming the SIM Card is installed into the adapter correctly, then that narrows it down to one of three culprits.

One, the SIM Card is defective (though I seem to recall you installed in into another device and it works okay.

Two, the Mini PCI-E to M.2 adapter is defective (which is always possible and a common trait on some of these type of adapters though we have only seen one of these adapters be bad). This also assume the adapter is installed all the way into the Mini PCI-E slot and secured properly--likewise for the modem installation.

Three, the SIM Card slot reader is not reading the SIM Card. The slot could be defective, or the PINS could be bent if the SIM Card was ever installed upside down.

My bet is the Mini PCI-E to M.2 adapter.

[LTE7B]

Thank you Jim. I will do some more tinkering and let you know. Thanks again for the quick reply.

[LTE7B]

So...

"at+cpin?" command results were:

"at+cpin?
+CPIN: READY
OK"

But...

"AT+CNUM" command results were:

"AT+CNUM
ERROR"

The Sim is taped properly on the back, not on the front, not touching the gold chip. Chip is laying perfectly flush in the adapter. The Sim does work. It works immediately in my other AT&T hotspot device. (no adapter)So, after opening the router back up, and disconnecting a few things, from what I can see with a bright headlamp is that the Sim reader pins look fine, not bent? and that 3 pins lay/ touch on the 3 sections of gold on the Sim chip while the 4th pin lays/ touches on the metal sim adapter? a ground? idk.

the modem feedback is still giving me:

Wed Feb 26 17:33:28 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:33:53 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:34:04 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:34:29 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:34:41 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated

I noticed that when the modem is inserted into the adapter, it wants to sit up at an angle from the tension. It doesnt lay flat without help/ pressure from the mounting screw. Same with the modem adapter itself, when inserted into the router board, it was propped up at an angle and needed a little pressure to lay flat once mounted/ screwed into place.

Also noticed that the modem has a little LED that is blinking red.

I also re-went over all of your initial router set up steps/ tutorial anyway, and have updated the WiFix firmware to the latest version again. If the info helps, I payed for the latest firmware update pre-shipping on the modem. The modem is the latest sierra cat12 with band 14. Not sure if that would cause anything.

Also my 5"/10" pigtails swivel nicely/ securely on the modem connectors and are not attached to the GPS port.

I don't know what else to do. Is it the chip reader? Is it the chip adapter? Is it the modem adapter? Is it still software?

Is it true that the modem adapter "bottle necks" (and defeats the purpose) of the Cat 12 potential anyway?

Heard that rumor... curious if it's true.

Please let me know what to do next. Maybe I need to exchange or return hardware.

Thanks Jim.

[BillA]

I don't know what else to do. Is it the chip reader? Is it the chip adapter? Is it the modem adapter? Is it still software?

Is it true that the modem adapter "bottle necks" (and defeats the purpose) of the Cat 12 potential anyway?

Heard that rumor... curious if it's true.

Please let me know what to do next. Maybe I need to exchange or return hardware.

Thanks Jim.

If your modem adapter has a built-in sim tray, try that instead of the one in the router.
Might be a stab in the dark, but you'll never know till you try it.

[LTE7B]

If your modem adapter has a built-in sim tray, try that instead of the one in the router.
Might be a stab in the dark, but you'll never know till you try it.

Bill, I thought the same thing. I saw the port when I took the modem back off. Well I just went ahead and tried. No bones. Was definitely hopeful though. I received the exact same errors and responses to prompt commands. Good idea though. Thanks for the reply.

So this makes me think it may be the modem adapter. But I dont have nearly as much experience as all of you. willing to keep trying stuff, but really hoping to have something running soon.

I have two directional Yagis at 45s in MIMO. lmr 400 and adapters. Upgraded to Cat 12 in order to channel lock and take advantage of band 14 etc on AT&T. Went this route instead of a Mofi4500 or Pepway.

Is this worth continuing to tinker?

[BillA]

Bill, I thought the same thing. I saw the port when I took the modem back off. Well I just went ahead and tried. No bones. Was definitely hopeful though. I received the exact same errors and responses to prompt commands. Good idea though. Thanks for the reply.

So this makes me think it may be the modem adapter. But I dont have nearly as much experience as all of you. willing to keep trying stuff, but really hoping to have something running soon.

I have two directional Yagis at 45s in MIMO. lmr 400 and adapters. Upgraded to Cat 12 in order to channel lock and take advantage of band 14 etc on AT&T. Went this route instead of a Mofi4500 or Pepway.

Is this worth continuing to tinker?

One of the best ways to diagnose these issues is by the process of elimination, instead of trying to tweak everything all at once. On rare occasions I've seen sim cards act weird, it may work in one phone but not another or router.
If you happen to have another sim card from one of your personal phones even if it's by a different carrier (or borrow one from your family or neighbor), try that in both the router and adapter's sim slot (make sure to insert it while it's completely powered off). That would at least eliminate the sim card issue, so you could move on to the next test.

[LTE7B]

So first, good idea.

This new Sim is not throwing error codes. I'm getting a lot of "OK" now.

But the modem is still not connecting:

"Wed Feb 26 17:33:25 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:34:06 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:34:18 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:35:04 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:35:15 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated"

Any ideas?

I will put the Sim in the modem slot again...

[BillA]

So first, good idea.

This new Sim is not throwing error codes. I'm getting a lot of "OK" now.

But the modem is still not connecting:

"Wed Feb 26 17:33:25 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:34:06 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:34:18 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated Sierra_Wireless_EM7511_Qualcomm®_Snapdragon™_X16_LTE-A)
Wed Feb 26 17:35:04 2020 : Retry Connection with Modem #1
Wed Feb 26 17:35:15 2020 : Attempting to Connect Modem #1 (Sierra_Wireless,_Incorporated"

Any ideas?

I will put the Sim in the modem slot again...

It may not be connecting due to an incorrect APN if the test card is from a different carrier.
Make sure to try the test sim in both slots.
Anyway try these commands:

AT+CPIN?
AT+CNUM
AT+GMR
AT!GSTATUS?

[LTE7B]

It worked in the modem adapter sim slot as well... (thats interesting) modem still not "connecting." now trying different APNs... next I will try your provided commands. Thanks!

[BillA]

It worked in the modem adapter sim slot as well... (thats interesting) modem still not "connecting." now trying different APNs... next I will try your provided commands. Thanks!

I'm glad you're one step ahead.... what the test sim carrier? I can provide you with the correct APN.
Have you tried both sim slots? Which slot worked and which did not? So other can learn from it too.

If for some reason you can't send commands from the command window, you can try it from root via (specify the correct USBx):

socat - /dev/ttyUSB2,crnl

[LTE7B]

I am up and running!

Thank you so much for your help. I will test and tweak/ fine-tune for the next few days and see what happens. I will head into AT&T tomorrow and try to get a new Sim.

REALLY appreciate your help, logic, and quick responses.

PS: I will need a PC (non Mac) to channel/ band lock correct?

Thanks again!

[BillA]

I am up and running!

Thank you so much for your help. I will test and tweak/ fine-tune for the next few days and see what happens. I will head into AT&T tomorrow and try to get a new Sim.

REALLY appreciate your help, logic, and quick responses.

PS: I will need a PC (non Mac) to channel/ band lock correct?

Thanks again!

No problem, you could use either machine as long as you're doing it through the web interface.
Have you tried both sim slots? Which slot worked and which did not? So other can learn from it too.
Common APN's for ATT are (I prefer nxtgenphone):
phone
nxtgenphone
broadband

[LTE7B]

Both slots seem to have worked. (Which is cool to know that the internal slot is also usable). It seems to be the SIM card that was the issue ::JIM ROLLS EYES:: possibly along with the APN. It's odd because the SIM that doesn't work, works fine in my other device. The APN I used was NXTGENPHONE.

I'm going to try and get a replacement SIM tomorrow from AT&T and see what happens.

[LTE7B]

getting 30-70 down right now and 6 to 12 up with my MIMO yagi setup. no channel locking yet. tower is 5 miles away.

A little better than I was getting on my ZTE hotspot. Hoping this Cat12 modem is a huge upgrade.

Can anyone confirm the rumor that using an adapter effects the Cat12 modem potential?

[BillA]

getting 30-70 down right now and 6 to 12 up with my MIMO yagi setup. no channel locking yet. tower is 5 miles away.

A little better than I was getting on my ZTE hotspot. Hoping this Cat12 modem is a huge upgrade.

Can anyone confirm the rumor that using an adapter effects the Cat12 modem potential?

Those speeds are pretty normal with ATT.
Personally I prefer setting the modem to auto-scan since newer modems/firmware are pretty good at scanning for the best signal anyway. While you might be able to improve it a little by band locking, at the same time you could also make it under perform due to a non-optimal setting, and dynamic carrier/tower management (change in bands and propagation). Wireless performance depends on a bunch of variables, and while you can try tweaking it, at some point it's best to just leave it alone before making it worse.

A simple speed test will probably not reflect the full capability of your CAT-12 modem, but during large file downloads especially with multiple streams/segments through a download manager, 3xCA could be beneficial (depending on the carrier/tower control).

There's really no bottleneck at the modem/adapter, the major limiting factor is the overall speed of the current LTE network, including network congestion, network management (aka throttling).

[LTE7B]

Got a new SIM on the way home from work today. All is well. Speeds are consistent. I agree, I will likely let things be for awhile before dabbling into band locking. So far it likes to sit in 66 at 10mhz. Getting ish 30 down and 8 up.

BTW, running 100 feet (per antenna) of coax. Curious just how much I'm hurting myself with those lengths. Its LMR400, but loss is loss. My choice is, get it up in a tree using 100 feet and have clear line-of-sight, or, go shorter but shoot through dense trees. Currently getting those mentioned speeds while mounted on the roof and shooting through trees. Curious how much the extra height/ line of sight in the near future will/ would help. If it wont make that big of a difference, I may sell these 100' runs and go shorter. Definitely would be easier/ cheaper than my plan to run POE out to a tree and climb the thing with coax! Iv'e seen -81 dbm tonight. Not too shabby.

From your experience, any At&t tips or tweaks for this particular router set up running WiFix? Things have been running smooth for at least a few hours now... it's about time to get greedy and mess something up while playing around...

[BillA]

Got a new SIM on the way home from work today. All is well. Speeds are consistent. I agree, I will likely let things be for awhile before dabbling into band locking. So far it likes to sit in 66 at 10mhz. Getting ish 30 down and 8 up.

BTW, running 100 feet (per antenna) of coax. Curious just how much I'm hurting myself with those lengths. Its LMR400, but loss is loss. My choice is, get it up in a tree using 100 feet and have clear line-of-sight, or, go shorter but shoot through dense trees. Currently getting those mentioned speeds while mounted on the roof and shooting through trees. Curious how much the extra height/ line of sight in the near future will/ would help. If it wont make that big of a difference, I may sell these 100' runs and go shorter. Definitely would be easier/ cheaper than my plan to run POE out to a tree and climb the thing with coax! Iv'e seen -81 dbm tonight. Not too shabby.

From your experience, any At&t tips or tweaks for this particular router set up running WiFix? Things have been running smooth for at least a few hours now... it's about time to get greedy and mess something up while playing around...

High frequency signal loss especially above 1Ghz, even in low loss coax is quite significant on longer cable runs of over 30 feet (about 10 meters), in fact it increases almost exponentially with the cable length. As a test I would attach the "stick" antennas which came with the router, and run some speed tests while indoors placed onto a window sill, and moving it around to all four sides of the home. It's possible that you might get better speeds with the included antennas, maybe not, but you'll never know till you try it.

While a strong signal usually translates into better speeds, it's not always the case, other parameters such as RSRP/RSRQ also come into play, along with propagation, polarization, and reflections.

If you really have to move the router/modem close to the external antennas, you could power it via POE or simply run a cheap long extension cord to the box (thin is fine since not much amperage is required at 110V), then plug in the router's power adapter which will supply plenty of amps to the router/modem.

There really aren't too many tweaks in the router to improve ATT's speeds specifically. It's always a good idea to keep both the router and modem firmwares updated once in a while. Sometimes the wrong band lock settings can be worse than leaving it on auto-scan, so maybe try both methods. Besides having a good strong/quality signal via the shortest possible antenna cable, one of the best ways to improve your speeds is by upgrading the modem to the highest available CAT# you can afford. So, start saving up for that shiny new 5G modem, because that's where the real speed increases will happen. But, no matter how good your equipment and signal is, the bottleneck is most often due to carrier network management, which includes throttling based on your plan, and most significantly congestion at peak times of the day.

As a last tip, try not to obsess over trying to squeeze out the very last drop of Mbps (this ain't no Maxwell House coffee! LOL), it's just not worth wasting too much time over some insignificant gains. As long as the data works for your normal daily internet activities without much buffering, that's all that matters.

[JimHelms]

You can check the efficiency and expected loss for the LRM400 using THIS calculator.

[LTE7B]

High frequency signal loss especially above 1Ghz, even in low loss coax is quite significant on longer cable runs of over 30 feet (about 10 meters), in fact it increases almost exponentially with the cable length. As a test I would attach the "stick" antennas which came with the router, and run some speed tests while indoors placed onto a window sill, and moving it around to all four sides of the home. It's possible that you might get better speeds with the included antennas, maybe not, but you'll never know till you try it.

While a strong signal usually translates into better speeds, it's not always the case, other parameters such as RSRP/RSRQ also come into play, along with propagation, polarization, and reflections.

If you really have to move the router/modem close to the external antennas, you could power it via POE or simply run a cheap long extension cord to the box (thin is fine since not much amperage is required at 110V), then plug in the router's power adapter which will supply plenty of amps to the router/modem.

There really aren't too many tweaks in the router to improve ATT's speeds specifically. It's always a good idea to keep both the router and modem firmwares updated once in a while. Sometimes the wrong band lock settings can be worse than leaving it on auto-scan, so maybe try both methods. Besides having a good strong/quality signal via the shortest possible antenna cable, one of the best ways to improve your speeds is by upgrading the modem to the highest available CAT# you can afford. So, start saving up for that shiny new 5G modem, because that's where the real speed increases will happen. But, no matter how good your equipment and signal is, the bottleneck is most often due to carrier network management, which includes throttling based on your plan, and most significantly congestion at peak times of the day.

As a last tip, try not to obsess over trying to squeeze out the very last drop of Mbps (this ain't no Maxwell House coffee! LOL), it's just not worth wasting too much time over some insignificant gains. As long as the data works for your normal daily internet activities without much buffering, that's all that matters.

Thanks Bill and Jim. I agree that it takes self control not to obsess. This all started because we live in a beautiful (yet isolated) area of the PNW. My wife just finished school and is about to start her business which requires a lot of video chatting with clients. So the compromise of living rural was the lack of hardline internet, as well as lack of line of site to the tower.

I did notice though, there is a lot of buffering going on. Speed tests show excellent and fast ping, but youtube cant keep up with anything past 720hd.

There is definitely some lag going on. Even in web browsing, yet still fast "speed tests." Right now the modem is generally living (auto) on At&T band 66 on an EM7511.

Any ideas?

[BillA]

Thanks Bill and Jim. I agree that it takes self control not to obsess. This all started because we live in a beautiful (yet isolated) area of the PNW. My wife just finished school and is about to start her business which requires a lot of video chatting with clients. So the compromise of living rural was the lack of hardline internet, as well as lack of line of site to the tower.

I did notice though, there is a lot of buffering going on. Speed tests show excellent and fast ping, but youtube cant keep up with anything past 720hd.

There is definitely some lag going on. Even in web browsing, yet still fast "speed tests." Right now the modem is generally living (auto) on At&T band 66 on an EM7511.

Any ideas?

While it could be caused by less than optimal speeds/latency, here are some possible solutions.

YouTube buffering is "normal" (if you wanna call it that), since most carriers throttle popular video streams such as YouTube on purpose to about 1Mbps to save on their bandwidth. Every bit of data which goes through their server is being snooped on via packet filtering, and as soon as they detect a YouTube stream, they'll throttle it which in turn causes the YouTube server to automatically downscale the video stream to 480p (yeah not cool, we're not in 1999 anymore watching the 'ol boob tube!).

There are several solutions to bypass this restriction:

1. After the start of each video, you could manually select a higher resolution which will stick throughout the video, but then you'll have to reselect the higher resolution as soon you click on another video. Being able to play a video at a higher resolution at least temporarily might be just a glitch, so check out the next two permanent solutions.

2. Some carriers actually offer a means of disabling video throttling from your online account.
ATT calls it "Stream Saver" which you should be able to toggle on or off.
Tmobile calls it "BingeOn" which you should be able to toggle on or off.
Not familiar with Verizon's or Sprint's settings, so if anyone knows it, please post it here.

3. You could run a cheap plain old proxy in your browser, by including at least googlevideo.com to be proxied if using a proxy manager like Proxy SwitchyOmega (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... jomclgjgif).
To my pleasant surprise, I found that there's no need for a more expensive and severely speed limiting full blown VPN to bypass the video throttle restriction, at least with YouTube.

Happy BoobTubing, sorry YouTubing!

[LTE7B]

Thanks for all the info!