Drastic drop in speed!

Radar · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

Have not been on in a long time. But, over the past couple of weeks I have noticed a dramatic drop in my speed. I'm running a Novatel U727 in a CradlePoint MBR1000 (with the latest firmware 1.5). I have disconnected the modem and have rebooted the router without any success. I am wondering if I should physically pull the modem out of the router to update the PRL. Or can you do that while it is in the modem? I didn't think you could, but I have been wrong before! According to the router my signal is about 50% and my RSSI is 80. That is typically about where they stay. I used to get about 800kbs down and about 200kbs up. Here is my latest speed test:

Any suggestions are appreciated.

My electric company has started to roll out high-speed through the power lines. I will be able to get 1mbs for $49.99. It cannot be available soon enough!

Alex · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:09 am Post subject:

i'd suggest you do testing without router to see what your u727 gets while attached to computer. use latest connection manager to ensure that any prl update that may be needed, is completed.

start from scratch and answer the questions listed as bullet points in this article: http://3gstore.com/RSSI

once you've established new baseline, repeat tests with u727 in router.

if there is a diff while in router, would suggest you save router config and then reset to factory and restore settings, then retest.

if after all that, you still see diff with modem attached to router... since you got yours from 3gstore, it would be time to call our tech support and report your findings... referencing this forum post to whoever you speak with.

thanks for being a 3gstore.com customer!
_________________
EVDO :: EVDO News :: EVDO Antennas/Routers/Amps :: Verizon EVDO :: Sprint EVDO :: Why Buy from 3Gstore?

Radar · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

Thanks for your reply Alex. I will try that today... hopefully.

Radar · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

I went up and went through everything with the data card plugged directly into my computer. I have the booster antenna, and the blue Wilson amplifier. If I unplug and plug in the cable that goes into the data card nothing changes. I used to see a drastic difference. Now the only question is how to pinpoint the problem. On my first data card the little plug that you attach the cable to broke. We checked that plug today with a toothpick and it is not loose at all. I think the problem lies somewhere from the plug that goes into the data card back to the booster antenna.

Alex

Radar · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

Alex · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

so you're saying for instance that with no cable attached you have -80 RSSI and when you attach the adapter cable to the jack, the RSSI remains -80?

there's an easy test to eliminate at least one item.

disconnect everything from the adapter cable, and attach the adapter cable to the jack on the modem.

if your RSSI doesn't shoot to something like -110 (which would indicate no signal at all) then the adapter cable is likely to be bad.

if it DOES shoot to -110 or so, then you know two things: the adapter cable and the rf jack are probably still OK.

hope this helps.
_________________
EVDO :: EVDO News :: EVDO Antennas/Routers/Amps :: Verizon EVDO :: Sprint EVDO :: Why Buy from 3Gstore?

Radar · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

Sorry Alex, I did not know you had replied. I thought I would get an e-mail notification, but anyway here is what happens.

If I plug in the modem to my laptop with or without the adapter cable plugged into the modem my RSSI stays at 107. That leads me to believe that the adapter cable is probably bad.

hllon4whls · EVDO Newbie Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 2

Same equipment and same thing happened to me. My 727 was HOT. I could pull it out, let it cool and get good speeds again. As soon as it warmed up, same slowness.

I bought a 720 from ebay for $27 shipped to my door. I ordered on Tue and got on Friday. I logged into myverizon and swapped the esn. Bam. Few updates and an activation later and I am blazing. Got mostly 2+mb at work and some high 1 to low 2mb at home.

I know my signal is lower at home because I am about 200 yards from the serving tower at work.

I just noticed that your service is with sprint. It could be the anything including a lack of internal bandwidht thats hurting performance.

ko4qc · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Posts: 117

I use Verizon (3-4 years now)and the signal/performance changes constantly.I will have 4 bars of BBA one minute and one bar within minutes of each other....from one extreme to the other without moving the USB720 an inch...EVERY SINGLE problem I have ever had that I thought was air card related resolved itself..EVERY problem I have ever had with performance was VERIZONs fault!!....performance has been pretty good lately...going on 28 GB DL this billing cycle...:>)

hlaclair · EVDO User Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 41

We've been having the same issue with our sprint card for the past week or so. We have the Novatel Merlin S720 card. It's been dismally slow lately and we don't know why. I'd like to hook up directly to my PC instead of through my ZTE Bavo Modem, but I can't locate my DUEL ExpressCard to PCMCIA adapter right now.

Are we positive it's not a network problem with Sprint?

onedavester · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:48 am Post subject:

Mine has been slow for about two weeks as well. Can this all be a coincedence? (I Never drop off EVDO)

hlaclair · EVDO User Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 41

Makes me wonder if they've somehow limited those of us still on the unlimited plan? We average between 5 and 7 GB per month...so nothing gigantic. We're halfway through this billing cycle and are only at 1.1 GB because of how dang SLOW it's been. I can't even run a speed test, play scrabble on FB, or do much of anything.

hlaclair · EVDO User Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 41

Well, unfortunately, it appears to be my modem. I found my DUEL adapter tonight and my connection is about 10 times faster hooked directly to my computer rather than thru the router (ZTE Bavo). In fact, if I connect to the wireless network, while also connected directly to my sprint card, I get the same dismal results.

My router appears to be toasted. Grrrr.....

ebiz · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:27 am Post subject:

I've been experiencing a slowdown in Reno as well. It has been a Rev A area for 2 years and until a few weeks ago, I was getting 1.4 MB downloads on average. For the last three weeks the results have been about half that.

I have used Sprint Connection Manager (Novotel) v3.10.014 with my EX720 for the past couple years since it seemed more stable with Vista 64-bit.

I'd love to think Clear was upgrading the area to 4G, but I doubt that is it as Reno just isn't that big a Sprint market.
_________________
Vista64 & EX720