Fast download but slow upload

[lawnmowerman]

In the last couple days, I'm suddenly getting very slow upload speeds compared to what I had before.

Starting yesterday, my download speeds are normal but my upload is slower than usual:

speed test.gif

Just in the last couple days, it's been consistently slow upload:

speed test results now.gif

Compared to the the last couple months and I assume prior to Tuesday (since I didn't notice the slow upload until Wednesday 12/9):

speed test results before.gif

I have a Mofi sim7, 25' lmr240 to two parabolic grid antennas (45+/-) about 20 ft. above ground, ethernet to Asus router (just using Mofi as modem), locked onto b4, VZ prepaid unlimited plan.

My signal strength seems fine, not better or worse than usual. Signal strength for main antenna:

main.PNG

Signal strength for main and secondary combined:

combined.PNG

While it doesn't show up on the speed test results, when I ping say google.com from my phone on WIFI, it's usually around 40-75 ms, but now is 60-275 ms.

I also have a cell phone booster connect to its own Yagi (the typical white cone type) that is on B13. It's usually slower speeds than the WIFI setup, but I've noticed when I turn WIFI off on my phone and run a speed test on cellular data, the upload is also slower than usual. Which would seem to eliminate the data plan as the source of the issue, since my phone SIM is completely separate plan/account from the SIM in the Mofi.

The signal for the booster and Mofi are coming from the same tower.

So it seems to me the tower is having trouble hearing me, just in the last couple days. Note I have no LOS; the tower is approx. 5 miles away on a mountaintop with tall, steep hills in between; the signal is actually coming over a hillside to my south and bouncing off hills to my north, and back toward my house; so my antennas are pointed north in that direction. It is physically impossible to point the antenna at the tower, since there is a very steep hill between me and it.

Is it weather-related? It was windy the last couple days, some snow. But that's never been a problem in the past. Do I just need to wait it out?

[toddw]

I would do a band scan and see what other bands you have, and test each one regardless of signal strength. Sometimes a weaker signal yields more because its higher Mhz, like a 20Mhz frequency.

I would also upgrade to LMR400, I have noticed on average a 2db improvement from 200 doing this, and that slight improvement can prove crucial to uploads.

Alternatively, you can build a router with a modem that supports carrier aggregation on the upload. My personal favorite is the Sierra 7411 for a solid price performance ratio.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Here is a crazy idea, bring your MoFi to the cell tower for a speed test!

That would remove the cabling and antenna from the equation.

I just completed a road trip with my family and my son was able to do zoom school in a mini van going 80mph. Never dropped a frame

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZY ... UTF8&psc=1

[lawnmowerman]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I would do a band scan and see what other bands you have, and test each one regardless of signal strength. Sometimes a weaker signal yields more because its higher Mhz, like a 20Mhz frequency.

Yep, did that when I first set things up while back. That's how I ended up locking onto B4 (weaker signal, higher speeds) instead of B13 (stronger signal, lower speeds). There are no other available bands.

I would also upgrade to LMR400, I have noticed on average a 2db improvement from 200 doing this, and that slight improvement can prove crucial to uploads.

I also had LMR400 originally but it was too stiff/bulky for where I needed it to go. I experimented with the LMR240 and found no discernable difference with the length I was using. And I didn't have the slow upload speed for months and months using LMR240, so I don't think it's that suddenly.

Alternatively, you can build a router with a modem that supports carrier aggregation on the upload. My personal favorite is the Sierra 7411 for a solid price performance ratio.

Yeah, I'm wondering if that would help at least offset whatever variable signal/speed fluctuations I'm seeing now outside my control (i.e., tower traffic, wind/rain/snow/humidity, signal reflection, etc.). But I'm hesitant to spend more money on another device, especially when the Mofi was working fine until this problem surfaced a couple days ago... I'm also not sure if CA would be an advantage over locking onto B4 as I'm doing now, given my situation: crazy bouncing reflected signal, with the only other available band being B13, which is usually congested and slow during day (1-3 Mbps).

[lawnmowerman]

Here is a crazy idea, bring your MoFi to the cell tower for a speed test!

That would remove the cabling and antenna from the equation.

I just completed a road trip with my family and my son was able to do zoom school in a mini van going 80mph. Never dropped a frame

Haha yeah I thought about that... Maybe this weekend!