Slow Downloads/Disconnects--What is the Problem???

patetc · EVDO User Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 40

I am using a Kyocera KPC650 data access card in my laptop. My connection info is 1xEVDO Digital Data and 1xRTT coverage.

For the last two days my download speeds have been ranging from less than 1 KB/sec to 1.50-2.00 KB/sec . I previously been able to consistently get download at speeds of 15+ KB sec no matter what source I was downloading from. This is ridiculous!

I am in Northwest Michigan and am very dissatisfied with the Alltel service in my area. They keep saying it will get better but can't give me any sort of time frame and now it's much, much worse!

I get frequent disconnects from Alltel and have to reconnect to a "Friendly Network" and almost immediately get disconnected from that.

Is anyone else experiencing these download problems?

Pat
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PatETC

doggie · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 24

I signed up for the Alltel data plan and couldn't activate the card in Ely, NV, one of their coverage areas. That was Friday, June 15th. The card was working but wouldn't activate. I could connect but couldn't get GMail or Ebay and what sites I could get were very very slow. It was worthless. They gave me a case number.
I'm a road warrior and need service so I called them back on Monday, June 18th and cancelled. Trying to get a refund was like pulling teeth. I signed up with Verizon and have no problems in their territory but roaming on the Alltel network in NV is worthless. It doesn't matter what card you use. Some websites come up some of the time but some don't. I would hate to think this problem is nationwide but the problems you have in MI sound just like what I am experiencing in NV.

Capt.Dan · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject:

We are starting to have the same kind of problem now for about a week now. It first started by not letting us get on-line at all and the card would try to redial about 5-6 times and would say the user name or password was invalid. Calling Alltel got it to connect but once in awhile it still ?hangs up? .
The forum sites I often go to are slow to post and if it is say a couple of minutes. you click send at the end of posting and you might not get the message to post! I've called Alltel'[no jokes'] and they are as stumped as I am. I am wondering if it may have something to do with the newer type a air-cards and our KPC-650 air cards not working well together or some kind of conflict with the firmware updates or maybe the 40007 prl is screwed up??
One other thing is could the KPC-650 be getting confused with the new Type a KPC-680. Maybe some kind of issue with the two cards maybe?? I almost forgot, I am at the present time in the Tucson, AZ area and am on Alltels tower in DO Firmware Version is PN1.0.04 1 Mar. 08,2006 17:36:01 . I'm connecting at 650KBPM down and 134 up.

doggie · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 24

I had (and continue to have) the same problem in NV with both the Kyocera 650 and the Sierra PC 5220 I roam on with my Verizon account. Based on ping speeds I'd say they don't have enough bandwidth to serve their customers. Then again, the fact that I can't even load some web sites points to bad routers. In any case, my dilemna continues.

ansar · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:16 am Post subject:

I believe Alltel only has 1xRTT roaming agreements with Verizon.

doggie · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 24

Capt Ron · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject:

Sounds to me like your security level is set to high on your browser.

ansar · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject:

Does Alltel have EVDO coverage where you are having problems?

It sounds like you are on 1xRTT. I am guessing your browser is timing out before the websites finish loading.

doggie · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 24

I wish browser settings were the case Ron. The settings I have worked great with Sprint and Verizon on 1x. I changed them to see if that helped any and nothing I could do would improve the situation.

Ansar, no EVDO, this is rural NV.

I have done tracerts which indicate a problem at my second hop and I downloaded and installed PingPlotter today. It indicates a constant 100% packet loss at the 2nd hop. Here is a copy...

Target Name: my.ebay.com
IP: 66.135.202.135
Date/Time: 6/27/2007 2:06:04 PM to 6/27/2007 2:07:34 PM

1 365 ms 331 ms 1446 ms 2200 ms 571 ms 4417 ms 1415 ms 773 ms
4395 ms 2277 ms h16.16.142.205.ip.alltel.net [205.142.16.16]

2 * * * * * * * * * N/A [-]

3 585 ms 560 ms 1385 ms 2144 ms 654 ms 4986 ms 1654 ms 761 ms 4972 ms 2491 ms 113.sub-66-174-217.myvzw.com [66.174.217.113]
4 633 ms 599 ms 1383 ms 2109 ms 663 ms 5004 ms 1617 ms 780 ms 4952 ms 2469 ms 65.sub-66-174-31.myvzw.com [66.174.31.65]
5 650 ms 622 ms 1366 ms 2085 ms 691 ms 5028 ms 1836 ms 795 ms 4911 ms 2447 ms 98.sub-66-174-31.myvzw.com [66.174.31.98]
6 684 ms 633 ms 1346 ms 3791 ms 701 ms 5047 ms 1808 ms 813 ms 4893 ms 2411 ms 241.sub-66-174-31.myvzw.com [66.174.31.241]
7 708 ms 1625 ms 1322 ms 3747 ms 739 ms 5087 ms 1768 ms 852 ms 4870 ms 2387 ms [64.200.192.237]
8 726 ms 1646 ms 1303 ms 3731 ms 758 ms 5103 ms 1760 ms 876 ms 4835 ms 2352 ms sntcca1wcx1-pos14-1.wcg.net [64.200.240.113]
9 747 ms 1666 ms 1279 ms 3680 ms 1765 ms 5122 ms 1701 ms 894 ms 5104 ms 2331 ms [64.200.249.142]
10 765 ms 1666 ms 1263 ms 3658 ms 1736 ms * 1671 ms * * N/A te-3-2-70.car4.SanJose1.Level3.net [4.68.110.25]
11 803 ms 1695 ms 1609 ms 3618 ms 1727 ms 5806 ms 1651 ms 1703 ms 5342 ms N/A ae-42-99.car2.SanJose1.Level3.net [4.68.18.196]

Destination not reached in 35 hops

mjhampstead · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:48 am Post subject:

My friend, CM, has Alltel DataLink in Charlevoix. The Alltel Rep says that the towers are being upgraded this late summer. She can also get a signal in Cross Village, further north and north of Petoskey.

Have you done the thing to sync your card to the local cell tower?

I'm downstate in Jackson County and also use the $25.00/month usb DataLink and I love it. I am in EVDO territory, have synced my phone to the tower. Since the tower was fixed, I now consistently get 600 to 800+ kpb on speedtest.net.

mjh
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mjh

patetc · EVDO User Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 40

Not sure how to sync with the local tower.

They've been promising an upgrade to the local system for the past year--nothing yet.

Pat
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PatETC

mjhampstead · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:35 am Post subject:

Pat,

Ask your local Alltel Rep. Since I use the DataLink, it is probably differentthan your aircard. I think I dialed #228 and waited for the sync to happen. It did make a difference.
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mjh

LordFlux · EVDO User Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 46

I've been having the same problem with my KPC650 for about 2-3 weeks now... it will connect, I'll get transfer speeds less than 1kbit, it will work for about 10 minutes, then I will get disconnected. I'm in an 1xRTT area......

However -- tonight, I connected and noticed that my pages were loading a good bit faster. I started up my XBox360 and downloaded Bomberman Live in about 10 minutes... very strange indeed until I started a download using GetRight and noticed I was downloaded at 38kbit a second. Apparently the connects/disconnects were being caused by the upgrades on the tower. I'm still getting random disconnects and certain pages not resolving, but I'm hoping these issues will be ironed out once the upgrade is fully complete.

patetc · EVDO User Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 40

I'm experiencing the same thing. Download speeds range from less than 1 KB/sec to 15/16 KB/sec. Sometimes pages and email loads ok, other times not at all.

No satisfactory response from Alltel other than I'm probably in a bad area (wasn't that bad before) or they're working on the problem (it takes 3 weeks???). The company that is supposed to be working on it is not Alltel, it's MTSO-stands for Mobile Telephone Switching Office. The MTSO is the switching office that connects all of the individual cell towers to the Central Office.

There is also no way to contact them to see when or if it will be fixed.

Where are you located? I'm in Leelanau County Michigan.
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PatETC

LordFlux · EVDO User Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 46

I'm in central Georgia, about 10 miles out from Dublin, GA.

Like I said, the problem has been going on for about 2-3 weeks and I finally just pulled out my old 28.8k modem because I was tired of dealing with the disconnects. But the connection has been consistent for the past 3-4 hours. I'm downloading a 630MB file and it hasn't disconnected me, although I think the speed is back down to 1xRTT speeds (can't know for sure... my KR1 router doesn't tell me if it's 1xRTT or EVDO and the XBox360 doesn't give me any kind of transfer speed stats).

I did print out my tracert log and took it to the local Alltel store and told them about the problems I was having. The lady that helped me seemed somewhat knowledgable and told me she would get it looked into. I then e-mailed Alltel my tracert log and once again, explained the problems I was having. So I don't know if my problems were fixed because I said something last week to Alltel or if the problem was caused by an upgrade to the towers. I do know, though, that the 40MB file I downloaded using GetRight was transferring at a faster speed than I'm normally used to seeing (between 35-40k... normally see 10-15k).