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Down/Up Speeds w/ ZTE hub

terra3
Organizer

Not naive and I have a couple decades experience as a user of wireless internet, but I can't get over an issue I'm having in moving to a new acreage:

 

I can't achieve anything but 1) very good download speed (12 - 18 MB/s . . . considered very good for my area) and dismal upload speed (< 1 MB/s), or 2) mediocre 4 - 5 MB/s for both and not consistent over time.  Nothing I do will still have reasonable download speed with 'workable' upload speeds for routine web functioning.

 

Any idea what the issue(s) may be?  I'd understand it more if I couldn't achieve any higher speeds at all for either down or up, but again, one scenario is having those reasonable download speeds so location shouldn't be a factor.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all.

10 REPLIES 10

David8
Just Moved In

Currently experiencing issues myself for the past month. Speeds as low as 2.8mb/s download and 333 kb/s go on for periods of 5 minutes at a time. Have yet to get a straight forward answer from Telus as to what the problem is, meanwhile they will still bill me like I'm getting the speeds the contract said. I've lived out in the country for a while and the ZTE hub was the best option for me and the speeds aren't the greatest on some days but for the last 5 months I'd say it has been a straight toilet. Can't have 1 day without issues connecting, resetting hub etc...

 

I have called telus and they directed me to the forums... '

I seem to have resolved the speed problem by disabling the 5g in the hub settings and only using 2.4G. Getting 20mb download and 2mb download which is significantly better than before. I was also having issues with devices stating LAN cable not connected randomly and this seems to have stopped after this setting change as well. 

PotatoFarmer
Organizer

I've got some Ripping speed out of mine 130/30 30ms, I have some quick questions. I will answer them too for example

This may not get similar results, but it will help optimize what you can get at your location.

I have installed and fixed many of these for rural customers in my area. The average is usually 30/5 for these units, but i have made some absolutely SPEED.

 

Telus does not really explain the install that well.

 

 

What model of ZTE do you have?

I am using ZTE MF275T, newest version.

 

Where in the house is the hub located?

Mine is upside down in a upstairs window, reason being the rest of the house gets 20mbps or less.

 

How did you find this location was best?

First used an iPhone app called "OpenSignal" by tapping the arrow symbol it shows the direction of the connected tower to your LTE phone.

Then tried to find a window as high and as near to the apps direction. Then moved it around the window while watching the hubs signal dB until I had the best signal. -80 being best, -120 being worst. ended up with -100dB

 

Are you using it over wifi from the hub?

No, I have wifi on the ZTE hub fully disabled and have it connected by cable to a ASUS higher powered router more centralized in the house.

 

Are you using 2.4 Ghz?

No this will cap my speed test around 30/40 Mbps no matter what. Use 5Ghz for high speed devices, 2.4GHz for long range or Legacy devices.

 

How are you connected for the speed test?

Hardwired to the HUB with a newer laptop with a GB Ethernet port. Older laptops may cap out lower due to their built in Ethernet port. Though i get the same speeds on 5GHz wifi within 20ft of the router unobstructed.

 

Do you have a wifi extender?

No each time one of these is used it halves your speed or causes network switching and latency issues

 

What is your ZTE hubs signal dB?

-100 dB, the smaller the number the better. -80dB is about as ideal as it gets for LTE.

 

Are you using some form of Antenna on the Hub?

Yes LTE paddle antennas on both external antenna connections, I still want to upgrade too an outdoor panel MIMO antenna.

 

How are the paddle Antennas Oriented?

Out of phase 1 Vertical, 1 Horizontal. found this was the best through guess and check.

 

Did you put your hub in a corner or in a desk or TV stand already full of electronics, power supplies, and stray EMF?

No its in an open window all by its lonesome, closest electrical device is 12ft away

 

Do you have a cellphone booster?

No, unless you are in a very very very very weak area or the booster is set up properly they do more harm then good. Screaming your signal at the tower will cause it to drop your connection. If the Booster is not set up properly and feeds back, it will just shut itself down and will not boost anything.

 

How long did it take you to find your signal, install, and setup your box?

About 3 hours, 2 that i was just playing with the antennas trying to find the best signal.

 

 

 

Hopefully this helps.

 

I had a booster installed mostly for cell service as I was unable to make a call at all inside the house. Yard is surrounded by trees, booster yagi antenna is currently squeezing through a small tree gap at the best tower. This whole area also sits on a hill and the closest tower is just high enough to reach here. Why telus hasn't addressed this area yet is beyond me. There's at least 300 people in a subdivision near by plus other aceages. More than enough customer base to warrant another tower or repeater in this area.

I believed it to be my only option for internet so I of course went will a telus hub (mf279t) because I refuse to believe current satellite options are worth their price. However it's been very hit and miss.

Next step for me is some tree removal i think. I thought about a MIMO setup but I already shell out money for the booster so I could at least make calls.

Using older ZTEMF275R.  Don't use wireless off of hub; only use wireless from router connected to hub.

 

System worked fine over the years.  Moved in September to more rural area and continued to work fine.  Then in Oct more dismal service.  Downloads varied quite a bit more with some pretty low (3 MB) rates, but more troubling was uploads that are consistently poorer than they used to be. Having chronic upload speeds of 2 - 3 MB at 'best' with averages during most of the time (a.m. or p.m.) less than 1 MB.

 

Again, same system, same positioning that was good in both locations I've used them.

 

Only thing changed is the performance of the service.

 

I'm perplexed.  All I could think is the system is more taxed than ever and Telus hasn't kept up with demand.

Had Telus remedy situation 'slightly' today by pulling battery from hub, letting sit, then inserting and powering up.

 

Again, 'slightly', as within 10 minutes back to the same situation and this evening issues with (again) not so much download that varies quite a bit through day, but dismal upload speeds.

 

Uncertain what to do any longer.  Perhaps like back in the days of dial up then meager local wireless and then this ZTE that cured pretty much everything for a few years, wait until the 'next' big thing comes along . . . .

 

By the way, a note for those like myself who don't fiddle much with things:  I pulled the battery out of the ZTE and left it out as it was swollen.

Well I'll be f . . . . . .

 

I made a note to pull that battery out sometime today but had forgotten until just a few moments before posting my last comment.

 

Well . . . . for the f of it, ran speedtest and I'm getting 24 Mbps and 4 Mbps upload; that is pretty much the best it has been at this new locale and nothing like the dismal performance I'd been suffering for the past month or so.

 

So in the end, the battery 'is' the issue?  I don't know for certain, but it certainly seems that way . . . .

 

I'll follow up after a few days.  And if it does appear to be so, I'll follow up with Telus.

I spoke too soon . . . .

 

Ping ms
35
Download Mbps
11.98
Upload Mbps
0.39
 
Back to the chronic norms re: upload speeds today . . . . . I give up.

Ping ms
28
 
Download Mbps
4.99
 
Upload Mbps
0.81

And to be honest, leapfrogging from one wall to the other every day (or even sometimes multiple times a day) . . . a distance of 6 feet or so . . .

 

Ping ms
24
 
Download Mbps
23.70
 
Upload Mbps
13.22