WE826 T-2 with Sierra MC7455 on verizon much slower than factory 8800L modem

[smallmunster]

I just bought a WE826 T-2 and a Sierra MC7455 to use with an unlimited Verizon data plan (government issued) and the speeds are much slower than the factory supplied mifi. On the 8800L Mifi I can get speeds around 30 to 40 down and the WE826 is at 10 down. This is sitting in the same spot.

I originally tried the Goldorb firmware and couldn't get any internet. Switched back to the OpenWRT and the wireless was working albeit not real fast. I tried using the internet through the LAN ports and it is also not working currently.

The only settings I changed are putting in the APN (VZWINTERNET) and syncing the time to the connected computer.

I was hoping to use the WE826 to provide internet to the building it was in as well as shooting it across a lake to another building with an antennae connected to a LAN port. The Mifi 8800 doesn't provide any LAN ports. I checked the internal connections and they seem tight. I am new to this and have no idea if there are any other settings that need to be changed? Any tips would be appreciated.

[swwifty]

Can you share your signal stats?

[JimHelms]

Did you follow THIS build tutorial?

The OEM OpenWRT uses PPP to run the MC7455 which is severely limited on speeds.

Download and install the GoldenOrb firmware in THIS tutorial, and be CERTAIN to UNCHECK the box to Save Settings while you are uploading the new router firmware.

Once it is installed, Hard Reboot (power off, power on) the router, and then reset your MC7455 to OEM status following the same tutorial.

Reboot again, and set your APN, Password and Time Zone, and hard reboot the router again following the first listed Tutorial.

[smallmunster]

I have been working in this at home and followed the tutorial. Things seem to be working, but my signal is much worse at home so I will have to try it again when I go back in next week. Mifi is about 8 mbps down at my house and the lan port was the same when I was connected. The wireless test half that.

When I am connected it show I am connected to two networks, ROOter and one that is named verizon_8800L (ROOter). Is this normal or is something wrong?

These are the stats from my house:

Code: Select all

AT!GSTATUS?
!GSTATUS: 
Current Time:  730		Temperature: 38
Reset Counter: 1		Mode:        ONLINE         
System mode:   LTE        	PS state:    Attached     
LTE band:      B4     		LTE bw:      10 MHz  
LTE Rx chan:   2100		LTE Tx chan: 20100
LTE CA state:  INACTIVE    		LTE Scell band:B4     
LTE Scell bw:10 MHz  		LTE Scell chan:2350
EMM state:     Registered     	Normal Service 
RRC state:     RRC Connected  
IMS reg state: No Srv  		

PCC RxM RSSI:  -75		RSRP (dBm):  -102
PCC RxD RSSI:  -72		RSRP (dBm):  -100
SCC RxM RSSI:  -81		RSRP (dBm):  -105
SCC RxD RSSI:  -78		RSRP (dBm):  -100
Tx Power:      0		TAC:         C416 (50198)
RSRQ (dB):     -13.5		Cell ID:     0300EC20 (50392096)
SINR (dB):      0.8


OK

[smallmunster]

Went to work and started over and followed the above tutorial. Stayed in QMI mode, tried to switch to MBIM before and it stopped everything from working. Verizon mifi download was 30. WE826 is around 4 to 5 mbps. Sitting in the same spot. Below is the status.

Code: Select all

AT!GSTATUS?
!GSTATUS: 
Current Time:  11556		Temperature: 38
Reset Counter: 1		Mode:        ONLINE         
System mode:   LTE        	PS state:    Attached     
LTE band:      B4     		LTE bw:      10 MHz  
LTE Rx chan:   2350		LTE Tx chan: 20350
LTE CA state:  INACTIVE    		LTE Scell band:B4     
LTE Scell bw:10 MHz  		LTE Scell chan:2100
EMM state:     Registered     	Normal Service 
RRC state:     RRC Connected  
IMS reg state: No Srv  		

PCC RxM RSSI:  -88		RSRP (dBm):  -111
PCC RxD RSSI:  -85		RSRP (dBm):  -113
SCC RxM RSSI:  -94		RSRP (dBm):  -115
SCC RxD RSSI:  -97		RSRP (dBm):  -121
Tx Power:      22		TAC:         C416 (50198)
RSRQ (dB):     -12.4		Cell ID:     0300E80D (50391053)
SINR (dB):      9.4


OK

[smallmunster]

Without anything else to try I am thinking about adding better antenna's than provided with the router. Any recommendations on which ones to try? The Cisco antennas that are listed as an upgrade only have 2db gain. Is that correct? Is there a better set up to try?

[smallmunster]

I have discovered that the wireless output of the router is usually significantly less than the LAN ports. I took the unit up to the building where I want to use it and with the right placement the wired connection would consistently be around 25 mbps download. Wireless internet would anywhere from 1 to 15 mbps sitting in the same spot (widely variable most of the time).

I have it on my desk in a poor reception area (different building) and wired it will run between 5 and 8 mbps most of the time. Unplug the ethernet and connect wirelessly and it is between 0.5 to 1.5 mbps.

Would an access point plugged into a LAN port give better wireless speeds than the supplied antennas?

As an experiment I connected to my office Frontier DSL connection. Wired was around 12 to 13 mbps, wireless (through an access point) was 11 to 12. Very little drop compared to the WE826.

[swwifty]

I have discovered that the wireless output of the router is usually significantly less than the LAN ports. I took the unit up to the building where I want to use it and with the right placement the wired connection would consistently be around 25 mbps download. Wireless internet would anywhere from 1 to 15 mbps sitting in the same spot (widely variable most of the time).

I have it on my desk in a poor reception area (different building) and wired it will run between 5 and 8 mbps most of the time. Unplug the ethernet and connect wirelessly and it is between 0.5 to 1.5 mbps.

Would an access point plugged into a LAN port give better wireless speeds than the supplied antennas?

As an experiment I connected to my office Frontier DSL connection. Wired was around 12 to 13 mbps, wireless (through an access point) was 11 to 12. Very little drop compared to the WE826.

I saw something similar when I used the Mofi 4500 device (which is basically the same thing as the WE826).

Anyways, I recall seeing else where on this forum, that some users fixed this issue by lowering the transmit power of the AP on the WE826. You might try that and see what happens. If I recall correctly it somewhere around 15 dBM or less.

Alternatively, if that doesn't fix it, you could connect another AP via ethernet to it, to solve this problem.

[smallmunster]

After more experimentation I have figured some things out.

I found a ubiquiti nano m2 and used it as an access point. Speeds are the same as plugged into LAN ports.

I was messing around with the router and found that when I took off both 2.4G antennas the speeds went from under 1 mbps most of the time to 5 to 8 (similar or the same as the LAN ports in my office). Do nothing but put the two antennas back on and back to under 1.

I tried lowering the power to 15dBM and 10 dBM and that didn't solve anything.

I have no idea why, but the 2.4 g antennas are killing the output speeds.

[swwifty]

One thing I just realized is the Band 4 downlink frequency you are connected to is 2350mhz (I looked this up here: http://www.rfwireless-world.com/calculators/LTE-EARFCN-frequency-converter-calculator.html by putting in the LTE rx chan, FYI normally it doesn't come out the same number) is really close in frequency to 2.4ghz ISM band.

I suspect they are probably interfering with each other when you are downloading, hence the poor performance on Wifi, but not on wired. This is called adjacent channel interference, and quite common (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjacent- ... terference) This is also why you see better performance when you physically took off the 2.4ghz antennas. You could try and change the channel to channel 11, if you haven't already (As that is the top of the band, maybe it will not interfere with the 2350mhz downlink channel?) Or if the WE826 T-2 supports 5ghz, use that?

Did you setup a Nanostation M2? I have a few of those for connecting buildings on my property, I wouldn't use them as a in house AP though. I have two Ubiquiti AC lites that are great.

[smallmunster]

The router is already on channel 11. I used the M2 since it is all I have at the moment, but I plan on getting an actual access point if I can't get this figured out.

Also it is not always Verizon band 4, currently connected to band 13 and it is the same when I attach the antennas.

[smallmunster]

Just for current information:

Current signal info as it sits on my desk.

Code: Select all

Network :    LTE
CSQ :    20
Signal Strength :    64%
RSSI :    -73 dBm
ECIO :    -15.9 (RSRQ) dB 
RSCP :    -107 (RSRP) dBm 

Connection Monitoring Status : Disabled

Code: Select all

Cell Information 
MCC MNC :    311 480
RNC/eNB ID :    300E8 (196840)
LAC/TAC :    C416 (50198)
Cell ID :    01 (1)
Channel :    5230
LTE Band :    B13 (Bandwidth 10 MHz)

_________________________________________
Google Speed test connected to LAN port: 15.9 DL, 1.15 Up
Speed test without both antennas (2 feet away, has very little range without antenna): 16.2 Down, 0.66 up
One antenna attached: 0.81 DL, 0.2 up
Both antenna attached: 0.38 down, 0.07 up

[swwifty]

that is really bizarre. I wonder if that wifi chipset is just faulty or something.

[JimHelms]

This is strange behavior. Just to think out loud:

One, your antenna stats, while usable, are far from optimal. This requires the modem to work harder by increasing its power to compensate--which requires additional power from the router and on down to the power adapter. The MC7455 by itself can require up to one amp of power when under load.

When the WiFi is connected (which ultimately requires more power), it kills the throughput to the LAN.

I wonder if the power adapter is not providing enough juice to the router and modem? The power adapters that the factory provides with these units are far from being quality adapters.

Do you have a 12V 2 (to 3) AMP power adapter you can try on the unit. Most routers and similar devices use the same 2.1 mm tip barrel connectors.

This would be something simple to test. The lack of sufficient power can and does cause strange issues.

[smallmunster]

It comes with a supposedly upgraded 2000mA ac/dc adapter from when I bought it from thewirelesshaven.com. I don't know that I have one that is any more powerful.

[JimHelms]

It comes with a supposedly upgraded 2000mA ac/dc adapter from when I bought it from thewirelesshaven.com. I don't know that I have one that is any more powerful.

The WE826-T2 routers are ordered from the factory with 12V/2 Amp power adapters as opposed to the 12V/1 Amp they normally ship with. That should not be confused with an upgraded adapter, or an adapter of higher quality. Most of the higher quality adapters are priced in the $10 to $20 range.

Also, I am not saying the power adapter is necessarily your problem although I have seen my share of cheap power adapters go bad. Only that it would be an easy fix to try.

[smallmunster]

I tried a ktec 2.5 amp adapter from my office business class frontier modem with the same results.

[MattGoodrich]

I would like to resurrect this thread.
I have basically the same issue with the same setup.
Speeds are slower over wifi than over Ethernet and I can increase the speeds by moving the wifi antennas to point away from the cellular antennas.
Also, I get over double the speed from my Verizon hotspot than over this router/modem combo.

[MattGoodrich]

I would like to resurect this thread as I have the same issues with speed with Verizon using this router/modem package.
Internet is half as fast as it is using the Verizon hotspot from the same location.
Also using wifi is slower than using ethernet.

[JimHelms]

I would like to resurect this thread as I have the same issues with speed with Verizon using this router/modem package.
Internet is half as fast as it is using the Verizon hotspot from the same location.
Also using wifi is slower than using ethernet.

The 8800L hotspot is a CAT18 device with 4 x MIMO and 5 x Carrier Aggregation.
The MC7455 modem is a CAT6 device with 2 x MIMO and 2 x Carrier Aggregation.

The 8800L also have more available bands to choose from.

[JimHelms]

The first place to start in analyzing performance is the cellular tower signals.

Run the following AT Command and post the results:

Code: Select all

AT!GSTATUS?

[smartdave]

I will add to this a little from my own issues.

I have a verizon sim card on a data plan. I have this installed in a we826-t2 w/em7455

The speeds are horribly slow. Honestly I am not concerned about it because I have an ATT card sitting in a M2M that I am actually using. However I was testing this before my data plan gets turned off.


This same 826 with an ATT sim runs around 40-50Mb/sec. So there is nothing wrong with the hardware.


The EM7455 is running in MBIM mode and the firmware is GoldenOrb_2019-11-16 Wifix.

I have turned off the WIFI and this is running over ethernet. I have not touched anything other than the APN.

speed tests show me with 600-999ms ping times.

I am using these antenna's -> https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... tenna-kit/

Not sure what else to try/config


AT!GSTATUS?
!GSTATUS:
Current Time: 2647 Temperature: 72
Reset Counter: 1 Mode: ONLINE
System mode: LTE PS state: Attached
LTE band: B2 LTE bw: 15 MHz
LTE Rx chan: 1025 LTE Tx chan: 19025
LTE CA state: INACTIVE LTE Scell band:B13
LTE Scell bw:10 MHz LTE Scell chan:5230
EMM state: Registered Normal Service
RRC state: RRC Connected
IMS reg state: No Srv

PCC RxM RSSI: -78 RSRP (dBm): -131
PCC RxD RSSI: -75 RSRP (dBm): -110
SCC RxM RSSI: -72 RSRP (dBm): -98
SCC RxD RSSI: -69 RSRP (dBm): -95
Tx Power: 23 TAC: 3B02 (15106)
RSRQ (dB): -17.4 Cell ID: 00E79522 (15176994)
SINR (dB): -9.2