2degrees 4G RBI 50x slower than mobile 4G to the same tower?

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kenkeniff

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#268636 29-Mar-2020 18:52

Since getting 2degrees 4G RBI installed a few weeks ago I was getting fairly consistent 30-40Mbps Down/Up however since the COVID-19 lockdown and the release of 2degrees uncapped data offering speeds have plummited to almost unusable 0.75Mbps Down and anywhere from 1.75-30Mbps Up.

After doing some testing and locking the Huawei B618 to 4G I noticed that my Samsung Galaxy S8+ was getting 50x the speed to the same tower with similar RSRQ, RSRP & SINR.

As @SaltyNZ stated in a previous thread;

SaltyNZ:

All the fixed wireless access traffic is treated as fixed broadband for the purposes of network management. That means that although the mobile core handles the access, it is forwarded through the fixed network infrastructure to reach the internet, rather than the mobile network gateway.

I'm wondering if this is then an issue with the backhaul config (which can hopefully be improved?) rather than just tough luck overcrowding on the tower??

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#2449710 29-Mar-2020 19:57

The uncapped data offering I am sure was only for fixed line connections and not Wireless 3G / 4G

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#2449713 29-Mar-2020 20:01

Try your phone SIM in the 4G modem and see what you get. Could be a different combination of carrier aggregation.
@linux the uncapped data on RBI is off peak midnight to 9am.

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#2449719 29-Mar-2020 20:18

coffeebaron: Try your phone SIM in the 4G modem and see what you get. Could be a different combination of carrier aggregation.
@linux the uncapped data on RBI is off peak midnight to 9am.

2D is offering their own service, not using RBI.

Both the phone and Modem have different Pcells, the B618 will only do 2CA, while that phone will do more.

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kenkeniff

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#2449774 29-Mar-2020 21:43

coffeebaron: Try your phone SIM in the 4G modem and see what you get. Could be a different combination of carrier aggregation.

Tried a mobile SIM in the RBI modem and just get "Profile invalid" so looks like it's SIM-locked, also had to call to get the IMEI activated when modem first arrived.

hio77:

Both the phone and Modem have different Pcells, the B618 will only do 2CA, while that phone will do more.

I guess that's both good to know and unfotunate if this is simply a result of carrier aggregation capability of the Huawei B618.

The next question would be is there alternative hardware I could utilise (becides tethering from my mobile) which would support maximum CA on 2degrees for max speeds?

Given I support essential businesses (in the health sector) decent connection is pretty important to me at the moment and thus I'm approved for ordering from PB Tech etc any hardware as needed.

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#2449793 29-Mar-2020 22:28

Depends on what 2d allows really.
You probably could reboot and land on another band combo.

I'm surprised PB will allow you (I'm assuming you asked) they told me a flat no must be through the corporate account (to be clear I was shopping for something essential for my wfh)

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coffeebaron

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#2449798 29-Mar-2020 22:40

kenkeniff: Tried a mobile SIM in the RBI modem and just get "Profile invalid" so looks like it's SIM-locked, also had to call to get the IMEI activated when modem first arrived.

Most likely modem is not locked, SIM probably is though.
There should be an option in the B618 to create another profile. Create this with 2degrees standard APN, then your phone SIM might work in modem.
Would be interesting to find out if it's just the modem causing the reduced speed, or if it's the different traffic path that it takes for Rural Broadband.

NB: change settings on modem at your own risk.

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kenkeniff

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#2449808 29-Mar-2020 23:11

coffeebaron:
Most likely modem is not locked, SIM probably is though.
There should be an option in the B618 to create another profile. Create this with 2degrees standard APN, then your phone SIM might work in modem.
Would be interesting to find out if it's just the modem causing the reduced speed, or if it's the different traffic path that it takes for Rural Broadband.

NB: change settings on modem at your own risk.

Oh good point.

So I put the mobile SIM back in the RBI modem and changed from the RBI APN "snapws" to "direct" (and tested the same result with "internet" APN) and noticed the modem locked to a different cell and significantly increased bandwidth;

APN direct / internet (mobile SIM)
PCI 25
CELL_ID 1745926
RSRQ -9.0dB
RSRP -92dBm
SINR -1dB
PLMN 53024
Down 24.11Mbps
Up 38.53Mbps
Ping 28ms

Tracing route to 122.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.122]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms homerouter.cpe [192.168.1.1]
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 296 ms 277 ms 303 ms 172.21.49.178
4 285 ms 272 ms 293 ms 172.21.42.21
5 298 ms 305 ms 298 ms 146-0-148-118.nzcomms.co.nz [118.148.0.146]
6 308 ms 261 ms 246 ms 2-0-148-118.nzcomms.co.nz [118.148.0.2]
7 221 ms 34 ms 44 ms 125.48.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.48.125]
8 48 ms 37 ms 25 ms 121.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.121]
9 44 ms 37 ms 40 ms 122.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.122]

Trace complete.

Then I swapped the RBI SIM back into the modem and was immediately back to the other cell with significantly slower speeds;

APN snapws (tried direct / internet but got "Profile invalid")
PCI 12
CELL_ID 1746946
RSRQ -9.0dB
RSRP -92dBm
SINR 8dB
PLMN 53024
Down 1.64Mbps
Up 33.49Mbps
Ping 142ms (higher latency with fewer hops!)

Tracing route to 122.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.122]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms homerouter.cpe [192.168.1.1]
2 118 ms 114 ms 140 ms 39.7.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.7.39]
3 182 ms 135 ms 135 ms 121.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.121]
4 182 ms 154 ms 154 ms 122.32.69.111.static.snap.net.nz [111.69.32.122]

Trace complete.

So not sure what to make of this if there's something on the profile 2degrees can / will optimise on their end?

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#2449834 30-Mar-2020 07:14

Approx where are you? I wonder if 2degrees Cell Lock their Rural Broadband to RCG towers only, or maybe the first tower it locks onto when first connected.

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SaltyNZ

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#2449866 30-Mar-2020 09:03

Someone from the RAN team will have a look at this. As you might imagine though, they're pretty swamped at the moment so quick outcomes are not promised. :-)

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kenkeniff

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#2449899 30-Mar-2020 09:52

coffeebaron: Approx where are you? I wonder if 2degrees Cell Lock their Rural Broadband to RCG towers only, or maybe the first tower it locks onto when first connected.

Kamo.

Doesn't appear cell locked as for the last couple of weeks I seem to have been on 1745926 at full speed but now seems to be favouring 1746946 at the reduced speeds (even though my mobile seems to connect at full speed possibly due to increased CA).

When I first reboot the modem I also lock onto other random cells like 1730821 at even less speed/reception but eventually roams back to 1746946.

SaltyNZ:

Someone from the RAN team will have a look at this. As you might imagine though, they're pretty swamped at the moment so quick outcomes are not promised. :-)

That would be great thanks, let me know if there's any other info you need.

Failing that would you be able to please advise what hardware (modems and/or dongles) fully support all 2degrees bands and carrier aggregation (either with mobile SIM or RBI) so I can at least reach the same speeds as my Samsung S8+?

Hardware I currently have on hand;

2degrees Huawei B618s-65d RBI Modem + RBI SIM
Dual SMA/CRC9/TS-9 3G/4G MIMO External Antenna (so any other dongle / modem which supports this would be good)
2degrees FritzBox 7490
2degrees Huawei E173 3G dongle (works with Fritz)

i.e. The HUAWEI 4G E8372 dongle seems to support the external antenna but not sure if it's supported by Fritz, or supports full 2degrees CA?

duffles

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#2449908 30-Mar-2020 10:05

Since you're getting different speeds with different SIMs, I am curious if you have simply hit your data cap on the Rural plan.

Your speeds are slower with your FWA SIM, then when you use your other SIM they return to a semi normal state.
Might pay to check your usage and see if you've simply been rate limited?

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kenkeniff

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#2449909 30-Mar-2020 10:17

duffles:

Since you're getting different speeds with different SIMs, I am curious if you have simply hit your data cap on the Rural plan.

Your speeds are slower with your FWA SIM, then when you use your other SIM they return to a semi normal state.
Might pay to check your usage and see if you've simply been rate limited?

Don't think that's the case.

Plan shows "2degrees Broadband 170GB Rural Wireless", "Unlimited Data remaining", "used 90.11 GB (0%)".

The modem connects to a different / faster cell with the mobile SIM (1745926) than the RBI SIM (1746946) - although the mobile phone also connects to 1746946 but at a significantly faster rate.

Currently it looks like the RBI SIM favours 1746946 which is getting overloaded but due to limited carrier aggregation capability of the Huawei modem it can't aggregate accross other cells.

Solution looks like to try lock the modem to 1745926 if possible which may have more bandwidth, or replace with a modem / dongle which fully supports 2degrees CA.

coffeebaron

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#2450042 30-Mar-2020 13:28

An external antenna might help too, as it will give you better signal strength on the less congested higher frequently bands.

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kenkeniff

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#2450046 30-Mar-2020 13:34

coffeebaron: An external antenna might help too, as it will give you better signal strength on the less congested higher frequently bands.

Yes already using an external antenna as above (which does improve stats over not using it) - positioned on the side of the house where the 2degrees tech advised we'd get best signal from when it was first setup.

kenkeniff

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#2451616 31-Mar-2020 15:50

So at around 9am this morning the RBI modem stopped connecting altogether and hasn't been back up since (4G mobile is still working fine).

Connection stats show:

CELL_ID271219
RSSI-97dBm
RSCP-113dBm
ECIO-16dB
PLMN53024

And after rebooting:

CELL_ID270509
RSSI-81dBm
RSCP-92dBm
ECIO-11dB
PLMN53024

@SaltyNZ is this possibly related to RAN team making some changes or unrelated issue in the area?

Obviously not easy to get through to them directly at the moment to any assistance would be most appreciated.

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