Mobile Broadband - 2G areas unexpected loss of signal?

[Bloomsburyman]

I Have a K3760 dongle on a monthly contract which I use in London and my home in Wales. In London it gives me fast 3G speeds; in Wales only 2G (GPRS). For the past two years the coverage in Wales has been excellent (though of course slow because it is GPRS) with connection being immediate and it has never dropped the connection (unlike central London where it was doing this up to six times a day last week!). But something happened last week and it is now impossible to connect to the internet via the dongle. I called Vodafone 191 support and was told that Vodafone does not guarantee coverage in my part of Wales and therefore there was nothing to discuss. Reflecting on this, I called again and found someone who was much more positive and friendly and helpful (and Welsh!). She explained that there was a mast two miles away and no technical problems reported and anyway I was talking to her on my HTC Tattoo so there must have been coverage and I was picking up internet stuff on the Tattoo. I explained that I had told her colleague that we are talking about mobile phone technology not voodoo so this could only be explained as some sort of technical hitch or decision to reduce the service, which I thought unlikely as mobile phone companies, one assumes, are in the business of trying to IMPROVE service rather than take us all backwards. But Vodafone will not admit to there being any technical issue so the mystery of coverage suddenly being denied after two years without a hitch remains. I then drove to the nearest market town where I have often used my laptop before. To my surprise there was nothing here either, so a substantial slice of Mid Wales (postcode LD8) has had its Vodafone mobile broadband coverage cut off. I then drove another 12 miles into 3G territory (in England) and everything was fine so there is nothing wrong with the dongle, SIM and laptop. I now went home again and entered the Vodafone Mobile Connect software and clicked on "connections" and "home" and scanned for coverage. It showed that only T Mobile and 3UK were offering mobile broadband coverage in my area now. I am still baffled and have two questions: why has coverage suddenly been terminated in my area after years of perfectly satisfactory performance? and why can I access the internet on my smartphone from the local mast but not get any life in my datacard?

Does anyone have any answers?

[Retired-Martin]

Hi NG Murray

I have to admit that this is a strange one.

If you are getting the signal on your phone, you should be getting a signal on the datacard, as it uses the same signal.

At this point I would recommend a repair, or if it is an old version upgrading it to one of our better dongles.

I think the main question is how long have you had the datacard? as these were used years ago, and the equipment has got much better now.

However you say you can use this in London, so it works but the signal is much better in London than in some parts of Wales, that is why I think you can get signal on the data card

If you can let us know the following:

1. How old is the datacard?
2. The model of this?
3. The main postcodes that you use this in Wales, so we can check the signal in that area.

We can then try and narrow down a resolution for this, as by the sounds of it, something isn't quite right.

Thanks

Martin
eForum Team

[Bloomsburyman]

Thank you so much for replying. My dongle contract was taken out in February 2009. I'd be happy to upgrade it if that were possible. The model is K3760 and the postcodes that concern me are LD8 2PF (or perhaps just LD8 for simplicity which is quite a slice of Eastern Powys in Wales).

[Retired-Martin]

Hi NG Murray

Thanks for your quick response here, I was expecting the dongle to be older here and the version that you have should be working for you.

I have checked the site and it is not a good signal at all, but if you get it on the phone it should on your dongle too.

A few things I would like you to try are:

1. Put the SIM from the dongle into the phone, and if you can browse the internet on the phone with this for about 20 minutes as this will also force an update on the SIM.

2. On the default settings, the signal option will normally be 2G/3G. So the dongle will automatically try and get 3G every time it connects. Can you change this to 2G only please. This will make sure that it is only trying to connect to 2G.

I am going to email one of the engineers that I personally know, to see if the power has been turned down, as I can't see this information. I don't believe that we would do this, but I would like to check either way.

Please keep me informed on this, as I am watching this post and would love to see that this is working again for you.

Martin
eForum Team

[Retired-Martin]

Hi NG Murray

I have been contacted back by the engineer I know, and they have checked the cell site in that area, and this is working as normal. The power hasn't been turned at all, which I thought would be the case.

He also checked a cell site that partial covers the surrounding area and that is ok to.

Martin
eForum Team

[Bloomsburyman]

Hi NG Murray

I have been contacted back by the I know, and they have checked the cell site in that area, and this is working as normal. The power hasn't been turned at all, which I thought would be the case.

He also checked a cell site that partial covers the surrounding area and that is ok to.

Martin
eForum Team

[Bloomsburyman]

I have tried putting the SIM into the phone but admittedly not for as long as 20 minutes. But everything works so well 12 miles away that I cannot see how there can really be anything wrong with my laptop/dongle/sim. I have also tried adjusting to GPRS only. What puzzles me is that it has worked perfectly for years and now, suddenly, there is no connection. There has to be a technical explanation for this. But if there is no solution I suppose I will have no option but to terminate my contract with Vodafone and switch to T Mobile. I am sure you don't want me to do this but what options do I have?

[Retired-Martin]

Hi NG Murray

The last thing we want you to do is leave. But I believe that I have covered everything that is possible

The only explanation that I can think of why this has deteriorated, is that the more people that use the network, it decreases the range and availability of the signal that you use.

So the customers who are located closer to the cell site that services this area will keep getting the good signal. Where you are located on the outskirts of this signal this is where it deteriorates.

Martin
eForum Team

[Bloomsburyman]

I see what you are saying (though in a sparsely populated rural area this is surprising) and I appreciate that you have done everything you can to deal with this new situation that has arisen in the last week and you have been vastly more helpful than 191. Thank you.

My contract expires at the end of January so I will move to T Mobile then.