Help need with 4G USB modem. Worked fine for years. Recently speeds have permanently crashed.

firkin · 22-07-2022 03:39PM #1

I have a Huawei E3272 USB modem connected to an OpenWRT router that used to get reasonably good speeds. For the past three or more years I've set it to connect via 3G only and I used get 3mpbs up to maybe 5 or 6 Mbps.

Some times of the day would be very slow but usually I'd get half a day or more with useable speeds.

Since mid July speeds have absolutely crashed. Now I can only get 0.20mbps at a push. I can never even get 1 mbps now.

I contacted Three but they say its probably a modem issue. (They don't support my modem)

Nothing has changed at my end.

My wild guess is that Three have changed their firmware connection requirements that a modem firmaware update might fix?

But that's a guess.

Any one know anything about USB 4G modems?

smuggler.ie · 22-07-2022 04:37PM

E3272 is quite weak and dated hardware - with 4G router youd be able to get more stability and speed. Same LTE CAT4 category B593 would cost you few €, later models (like B525) could be 50-75 perhaps, but its few CAT up the scale

Unlikelly this is to do with any firmware (that would not be updated for years now) nor requirements on Three side.

Could be to do with either dongle at its end of life or changes that Three might have done on mast/frequency side of things.

firkin · 22-07-2022 04:47PM

Thanks for the reply.

Frequency changes could be the issue. Do they do that?

Thanks or the B593 recommendation. I had a 3 router/modem before and there was no firmware/security support at all. Wasn't impressed. I really like my OpenWRT router. I 'd rather not have to move from it. Open source and secure. Are there no stand alone 4G USB modems available any more?

smuggler.ie · 22-07-2022 05:15PM

I do not recommend B593 as such either - also old tech, just comparing two units. I would say B593 have more "power" than E3272. I still have one but no longer in use.

You could keep and use your OpenWRT for all the features there you need, just upgrade your modem. B818 has "bridge mode" - i believe it would provide(does for me), course you still depend on coverage/congestion and bands/signal available in your area. Most 4G routers (nearly all Huawei anyway) have external antenna option, that might benefit in some situations.

smuggler.ie · 22-07-2022 05:24PM

Dont take it as given - you might not get that, rather as a target to seek for

firkin · 22-07-2022 06:16PM

F***king hell 180mbps !!!😲

This is my disaster:

The weird thing is sometimes like above I get decent (I use "decent" in a relative sense here) upload speeds, which makes me believe it's not quite my modem at fault.

muffinhead · 23-07-2022 03:45PM

Any reason why have you set it to 3G only? What sort of speeds do you see when it's set to 4G only?

firkin · 25-07-2022 10:15AM

4G is just as bad. Worse in fact, as the connection dies after a few mins. It wasn't always that way. When I got the E3272 it worked very good (compared to what I'm used to). 4G was new back then. On 4G I used get something like 14-20mbps. Over time that got worse as 4G users increased. (Three had some kind of cheap all-you-can-eat offer for pay-as-you go. I think that was the straw that broke my 4G camel's back.)

Somewhere along the way I realised setting it to 3G gave decent (for me), reliable speeds of 3-6mbps.

Then a few weeks back it just dropped off a cliff. I get the feeling (just a feeling) Three have changed something on their end.

Any one know if QMI protocol could be part of the issue? This says its a new way of connecting to the network. Maybe Three have switched over to that and my modem lacks it?...I'm clutching at straws here.

EDIT I'm only looking into QMI as i write this and I'm not so sure its 'new'. A blog about it, referenced on that OpenWRT Wiki page is dated 2010!!

muffinhead · 25-07-2022 01:37PM

Using a 4G router I have found band selection useful when it comes to maximizing speed and avoiding slower frequencies.

Would something like this work for your setup?

https://forum.openwrt.org/t/luci-js-app-luci-app-modemband-set-lte-bands-for-selected-4g-modems/122014

firkin · 25-07-2022 07:06PM

Oh wow. That looks really interesting. Thank you.👍️

Are there known slower frequencies generally or is it something you figure out at your own end?

I'm using a customised version of OpenWRT called ROOter. I don't think I can install packages from the OpenWRT repositories. Maybe I could side load it. (That almost sounds like I know what I'm doing. I don't! 😄)

muffinhead · 26-07-2022 07:37AM

In my own experience I have found B3 (1800MHz) to be faster than B20 (800MHz) in terms of 4G speeds. However you would need to test for your own setup and discover what works best for you, in some cases the strongest signal isn't always the fastest.

MarkR · 26-07-2022 07:46AM

Can you try the modem SIM in an android phone and check your speed? If that's ok, I think you can use an old phone as a usb modem, see if the issue is with the modem or router?

firkin · 26-07-2022 12:12PM

I got a loan of a Huawei E5573 MiFi device (Wi-Fi, battery and modem all in one). I was getting up to 20mbps on 4G and that was with it attached to the router via USB. I was surpirsed it worked but it does. (I think its called a hostless modem.)

On ROOter there's a LUCI menu where I can send AT commands to the modem.

I'll try and figure out the AT command to change frequencies.

smuggler.ie · 26-07-2022 01:37PM

Indicative, sort of, that is your modem at fault, i guess.

Get loan of propper 4G router, higher CAT - the better - you might get even better speeds

There is LTE H-monitor that enable you to force bands on huawei routers, not sure if it works with USB dongles/MiFi (require install on PC or direct to router)

Other options available

firkin · 26-07-2022 05:00PM

I think I figured out the AT commands to change LTE bands.

For example I think this sets it to LTE and LTE band 3

AT^SYSCFGEX="03",3FFFFFFF,2,4,4,,

I went through all the bands 1,3,7,8 and 20. It wasn't able to connect on any of them.

smuggler.ie · 26-07-2022 06:26PM

I am not familiar and perhaps wrong, ~~but isn't "3FFFFFFF" stand for ALL BANDS~~, yeah ignore that

this might come handy if not seen yet

http://download-c.huawei.com/download/downloadCenter?downloadId=100630&version=432889&siteCode=cn&view=true

firkin · 26-07-2022 06:52PM

I've been struggling to get my head around this.

I think the 3FFFFFFF is for the 3G radio?

For the LTE radio all bands would use this 7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.

Like:

AT^SYSCFGEX="03",3FFFFFFF,2,4,7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF,,

But I could be all wrong on that.

Thanks for that reference document. Very useful. Thanks.👍️

smuggler.ie · 26-07-2022 07:04PM

Here is some vid how-to(i guess modem direct connect to PC), but by the end i was not convinced that changes he applied have had effect. @6:30 after AT^SYSCFGEX=? return was defaults and after AT^SYSCFGEX? he got error 50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdEZWndP5SQ

Dont know what to make of it.

see comments - some extra info

firkin · 26-07-2022 08:04PM

Thanks for that video.

His example underneath in the comments would seem to agree with my take that 3FFFFFFF isn't relevant to LTE.

For forcing modem to LTE and band 40 and disable roaming:

AT^SYSCFGEX="03",3FFFFFFF,0,2,8000000000,,

I think it's only the "03" and the 8000000000 are the key settings for LTE.

After I set my frequencies I also ran AT^SYSCFGEX? and it returned the new setting I had entered. (No error 50)

There is an AT^RESET option that I'm thinking of trying.

I'm not quite sure what it does. I don't want it to wipe the modem or SIM!

Also the comments finally explained what "band" 800C5 is (which is my default setting)

Apparently its - EU bands (LTE Band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20). I couldn't find what that was anywhere.

smuggler.ie · 26-07-2022 09:14PM

This is all interesting and all that, as an experiment... and i love it, but after all you still dealing with dated and weak hardware.

If looking for speed improvement get higher LTE CAT device, even phone, as was suggested above. There are apps that allow to force band (GUI, no coding needed)

firkin · 27-07-2022 09:52AM

New better hardware is clearly the answer (to all of life's problems😉). But this is where I'm at: National Broadband Ireland is about 3 - 4 months or so from being launched in my area. I'll move to that when it comes.

While the Huawei B818 is impressive I can't justify spending the money(~€280) on it for 3 months use. If I can confirm my modem is broken I could afford maybe up to €40 for a new modem. But I'm not flush with cash at the moment.

So that's why I'm trying to work with what I've got.

(I don't need super high speeds. I'd be happy to just get back to the 3mbps that I had)

smuggler.ie · 27-07-2022 11:43AM

I see, and its good for you that NBI coming. Sure thing, 3-6mth not worth significant investment into mobile.

smuggler.ie · 27-07-2022 12:03PM

So you back to SQ1 with what you got.

What way is it set - where is modem placed? inside/outside/window/attic...

As your modem is weak reception, consider relocating. back in the day i had those things(E122, then E270, E5220 some other) on 2m USB cable outside my window, in the plastic botle for weather proving :D... those were days...

Locate your nearest mast and if avail , move modem to that side of the house/flat.

firkin · 28-07-2022 12:03PM

I had it in the attic with a patch antenna on the roof.

I've tried moving it around the house to different locations.

I tried locking to specific 3G frequencies last night. No breakthrough.

I learned AT^RESET just reboots the modem.

It doesn't reset any settings (or frequency changes) on the modem or SIM.

Handy if the modem is having difficulties connecting to the mobile network.

I think I'm going to have to write this down as a faulty modem (even if in my heart I believe it's really Three's fault 😉)

Thanks for the help.

Help need with 4G USB modem. Worked fine for years. Recently speeds have permanently crashed.

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