Thanks for the Forum!

[MattB29]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the information here on setting up a modem router. I have just got in a WG3526 and I am going to attempt to make it work with a EM7565 modem. I would have liked to buy it from Wifix but they have had online ordering shutdown for quite some time now. It was my first time to buy directly from China and I had no idea if it was reliable thing to do. Leap into the dark.

The first thing I accomplished from the information you folks provided was flashing new GoldennOrb firmware to the router using the Firmware recovery Thread. It worked a treat although I had to modify somethings since I use openSUSE 15.1 instead of Windows as my OS. Tomorrow I will be adding the adapter card and modem and see if I can get online with it. I have a data only sim from Red Pocket with 1GB to play around with.

My main system has been a Netgear LB1120 running from a Cricket data plan of 20GB/month ($35). The IMEI for the Sierra modem I intend to use checks out as supported by Cricket so if I get this new router/modem up and going I will swap it into it. It should prove interesting to see if I can get more speed and better connection. I presently get 2-3 bars on the LB1120 at around 5-10mbs down and 3-5mbs up.

I have been a user of wireless internet as my home internet, either from a mobile hotspot or the LB1120, now for years. never made use of a unlimited data plan so I am no stranger to watching my usage.

I know I would have got nowhere without the information provided from your good people here. My Thanks.

[Didneywhorl]

Welcome to the forum! All the info here is put in place by people just like you and I. We just show up and ask questions and post our findings when we solve problems.

[MattB29]

Thanks for the welcome.

I have installed the Red Pocket SIM and am online but only as HSPA I will need to figure out how to force LTE.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Matt, you echoed my sentiments exactly. I really feel blessed to have found the people here and I really look forward to learning a lot.

About your HSPA issue - is the Red Pocket plan an ATT plan? do you have a phone that is compatible with the Red Pocket SIM you have?

[MattB29]

Yes it is a AT&T plan. I have used them before with my LB1120 to get 4G LTE in the past. I can try out this new sim in a spare phone I have to see if it connects 4G. BTW I have started a Thread in the Sierra modem area with questions concerning setting it up.
ETA: The sim does give 4G connection on the phone (data only)

[MattB29]

Still on HSPA+ but I have a bit faster connection now. Results of
at!gstatus is

Code: Select all

at!gstatus?
!GSTATUS: 
Current Time:  491		Temperature: 45
Reset Counter: 1		Mode:        ONLINE         
System mode:   WCDMA      	PS state:    Attached     
WCDMA band:    WCDMA 850  
WCDMA channel: 4384
MM (CS) state: IDLE           	NORMAL SERVICE 

WCDMA L1 state:L1M_DCH        	LAC:           6406 (25606)
RRC state:   CELL_DCH       	UTRAN Cell ID: 06f55493 (116741267)
RxM RSSI C0:   -92		RxD RSSI C0: -94
RxM RSSI C1:    --- 		RxD RSSI C1:  --- 


OK

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

Matt, I apologize for rehashing what you posted already but do I understand correctly:

1. This Red Pocket ATT plan gives full 4G LTE data connection on the phone
2. When plugging into a modem, it falls back to HSPA+

[MattB29]

No problem.
To try to explain it all better. Red Pocket sells data only plans good for a month at a time utilizing AT&T as the carrier. They are supposed to be LTE. and not speed limited although they are not prioritized like a normal AT&T customer.

After first setting up my new router/modem build it was not connecting LTE (4G) but only HSPA+(3G). This was due to AT&T not properly allocating Red pockets sim for 4G usage in anything but a phone. I had to contact red Pockets customer service and they apparently fixed the issue. AT&T is a pain sometimes.

Today I am running LTE and doing various testing. So far I am about 9-12Mbps D/L and 4.4Mbps U/L as tested at testmynet.com. This is not as good as I am getting from my normal setup using my Netgear LB1120 on Cricket (also AT&T) that was hitting 20.3Mbps U/L and 12Mbps D/L .

So far my LB1120 with its Cat 4 modem is beating the WG3526 with it's Cat 12 modem. I am attempting various antenna positions to see if I can get some better numbers.

[LoveMeSomeCALTE]

I had to contact red Pockets customer service and they apparently fixed the issue. AT&T is a pain sometimes.

OK, thank you for clarifying. Should I understand that now, after contacting Red Pocket's customer service your HSPA woes above are behind you?

This is not as good as I am getting from my normal setup using my Netgear LB1120 on Cricket (also AT&T) that was hitting 20.3Mbps U/L and 12Mbps D/L

This is interesting! I thought all Cricket LTE traffic were throttled at 3Mbps?

[MattB29]

I am running LTE now. Are all my woes behind me? We will see.

Crickets Simply Data plans are not throttled. Red Pocket are supposedly not also but AT&T is sneaky bastards. As of March this year Cricket introduced 40GB for $50/mo. and 20GB for $35/mo, I am on the 20GB plan. It is like a firehose compared to my previous 5GB Red Pocket plan. Red Pocket now has a 20GB Data only plan for $40/mo.

Another thing I am noticing with the new setup is it seems to go idle and takes some time to get working again when I am not using the computer. I also notice it does not seem to connect until I go to the Routers control panel with my browser after powering up. May need to find some setting to connect on boot and stay ready.

[MattB29]

Playing about with this today it seems the stock antennas give the best overall internet speed. That is not as good as I already had with my Netgear LB1120 running a Cricket Simply Data plan. Why the Red pocket AT&T setup is not as good as the Cricket AT&T setup I do not know. I could swap in the Cricket sim to the WG3526. but I am hesitant to do that while my main system works without issue. Moving sims into other devices seems to be a chancy thing nowadays.

So far I am not impressed with the EM7565 router setup build. It may just be another in a line of experiments that did not work out. I am still thank full for all the information here at this forum. You never know until you try.

[MattB29]

Reading up on Crickets Terms of Service I find they prohibit moving sims from one device to another without going through a upgrade process. I do see that the IMEI for my Sierra modem is accepted by them and I could order a sim and account for it. I may do that at some point.

One thing I notice in the Terms is
"Cricket's Data Services may not be used in any manner that has the effect of excessively and disproportionately contributing to network congestion, hindering other customers' access to the network, or degrading network performance by maintaining a sustained or continuous wireless data service connection or active wireless Internet connection. For example, this includes, but is not limited to, server devices or host computer applications such as continuous Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, or automated machine-to-machine connections; "auto-responders," "cancel-bots," or similar automated or manual routines that generate excessive amounts of traffic or that disrupt user groups or email use by others; use of data services as a substitute or backup for private lines or full-time or dedicated data connections; peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing services; and software or other devices that maintain continuous active Internet connections when a connection would otherwise be idle or any "keep alive" functions. Cricket's Data Services may not be used with high bandwidth applications, services and content not optimized to work with Cricket's wireless data services and, therefore disproportionately and excessively contribute to network congestion. This includes, but is not limited to, redirecting television signals for viewing on computing devices, web broadcasting, and/or the operation of servers, telemetry devices, or supervisory control and data acquisition devices."

I do none of these but I suspect those that used the unlimited AT&T iPad plans offended mightily.