MoFi sim7 vs WiFiX NEXQ6GO

[DogTho]

Been using this MoFi sim7 since Aug last year. My provider gave me a WiFiX NEXQ6GO with a Quectel EP06a modem in it. Initially using the MoFi with the 3 paddles on 50' of LMR400 above the roof. Tower is 7 miles away pretty much LOS with some trees, TMob B4 or 66 seems best 20MHz wide. Provider also loaned me a MiMo panel. So yesterday I replaced the paddles with the MiMo panel. That was better. Signal strength didn't go up much (hangs around -103 to -108) but speeds went from ±20 to generally over 30 Mbps Sometimes holding 40. Switched out the MoFi with the WiFiX and with carrier aggregation, speeds generally ±20 using same panel antenna. When the weather warms up, I may swap out the panel with a couple LP in MiMo config. Anyhow, my speeds have gone up considerably with the new antenna but I wonder why the MoFi is working better than the WiFiX. The WiFi doesn't matter to me, I have everything on cat5.

[toddw]

The EP06 is going to bounce between bands 2, 4, 12 and 66 on tmo. If memory serves correct, band 12 on tmo is 10mhz wide, band 4/66 is 20mhz wide. Its possible its auto flipping and including band 2, which is I think (don't quote me) 5mhz wide on tmo?

So I would try excluding band 2 as a first start via the Quectel band lock spreadsheet, then go to Misc, and send that AT command.

Or limit it to only band 4/66 which will keep it to 20mhz wide bands only. I'm not sure if it will CA up those two bands.

[DogTho]

I did see it CA while on 4, forget which band but maybe 2(10M) or 12(5M). Those BW are with the last scan I did with the mofi. But it also listed 66 as 10M. I seem to get conflicting info with the band scans sometimes. I'll try just 4/66 CA and see what it does. First thing today is get tape on the connectors before the snow/ice. I can always switch out the routers inside. But I was getting peaks over 50Mb and almost 40 average with the mofi this morning. It's dropped back to below 30 this noon. I'll play around with one and the other, at least I have the antenna up.

[Didneywhorl]

Curious who your provider is.

[DogTho]

https://wcminternet.com/

[DogTho]

OK, I tried CA with B4/66 (AT+QCFG="band",0,20000000000000008). Could not see any CA in the status page, tried B4/71(AT+QCFG="band",0,400000000000000008) because 71 is real strong and 10MHz, same thing, no CA shown on status page during download. I almost think since 4 and 66 are the same freq, they may be just mirrors of each other? However the speeds seem to vary from 17-35 or so with the panel antenna, at least better than 10-12 with the MoFi paddles.

I wonder if I should try 71/4? Or maybe 4/2/71.
B2 is 10
B12 is 5
B71 is 10

[DogTho]

Oh, wait, the WiFiX doesn't do 71.

[toddw]

Well WiFix supports anything the modem can see, its the EP06a that does not support 71. But you could try 2/4/66 and it may CA up that combo.

[DogTho]

That's what I meant, the EP06 won't see 71. Now if someone can figure out a bandscan for the modem.

[Didneywhorl]

That's what I meant, the EP06 won't see 71. Now if someone can figure out a bandscan for the modem.

Its coming

[toddw]

Sweet, I know the command to find neighbors but you have to run it a bunch of times manually to get an idea of what the router is seeing.

[BillA]

Sweet, I know the command to find neighbors but you have to run it a bunch of times manually to get an idea of what the router is seeing.

CA depends on both the modem's make/model and the CA combinations allowed by the carrier (each one is different and also varies by location).
You can force any CA combination allowed by the modem (not all combos are supported), but may not be supported by the carrier at your location. One can waste a bunch of time trying different combos, but at the end of the day I found that leaving the modem on auto-scan performs better in the long term (carriers can change band assignments dynamically therefore you might lock yourself out of the best possible bands).

[toddw]

CA depends on both the modem's make/model and the CA combinations allowed by the carrier (each one is different and also varies by location).
You can force any CA combination allowed by the modem (not all combos are supported), but may not be supported by the carrier at your location. One can waste a bunch of time trying different combos, but at the end of the day I found that leaving the modem on auto-scan performs better in the long term (carriers can change band assignments dynamically therefore you might lock yourself out of the best possible bands).

I have found that in metropolitan areas, this works well, leaving it in auto. However, in rural areas, I have found through a lot of testing, that this is case by case. For example, two of the towers I use, leaving in auto is fine.

All the rest where I am at (Rural), I can't do it. The reason, the dreaded Band 12 for Tmo\ATT is over loaded, saturated and flat out unusable, and Band 13 on Verizon. Since these are lower frequency bands, with better penetration (leaves), the router will pick these. Even parked next to the tower on these bands yields crappy results. For Tmo, I have really good success with band 2, 4, 66 and 71 with modems that can CA them. With ATT I have had good success with band 2, 4, 29 and 66. With Verizon, band 5 seems to perform well where I'm at.

5G started popping up where I'm at, and I'm seeing N71 combined with B66 getting past the 100mbps mark. So I'm hoping as they start using 5G for the back bone on the tower, that the other bands will benefit and can go back to auto and no worries. Interesting enough, the two towers I'm able to use in auto are both 5G.

YMMV depending on where you are...

[Adm1jtg]

about ca combinations.... direct from The Wireless Haven page for ep06

2×CARRIER AGGREGATION (“CA”) BANDS:

B2+B2/B5/B12/B13/B26/B29;
B4+B4/B5/B12/B13/B26/B29;
B7+B5/B7/B12/B13/B26/B29;
B25+B5/B12/B13/B25/B26/B29;
B30+B5/B12/B13/B26/B29;
B66+B5/B12/B13/B26/B29/B66;

[toddw]

Also, the EM06 adds support for B41 and can do 41+41 CA.