Mobile broadband connection problem

[GC_Miles]

Hi all,

I have a K3770 USB dongle connection to my laptop running Windows XP. I'm using the Vodafone connection manager to set up and log onto my internet connection. The laptop is running some kit at an unmanned site and the internet connection needs to be running continuously for data retrieval. I have the connection manager set to autodetect and connect to the internet. However, after some period of time (varies from several hours to a couple of days) the connection fails and the connection manager does not reconnect, even though there is a strong signal there, in fact it seems to revert to 'prompt to connect'. Even after robooting the laptop the connection manager still will not auto reconnect, someone has to set the manager back to auto connect each time.

I am also currently only getting a GPRS connection due to the location of the site but I don't mind this too much as I am not surfing.

Has anyone else had this problem before and found a way round it? I don't mind about the speed being slow (GPRS is OK for me) Just I need to avoid having to go back to the site to manually reconnect everytime this problem happens!

Thanks in advance...

[Ben_H]

Hi GC_Miles,

This could be down to one of two things:

1) A faulty SIM that is cutting out mid-service. How old is your SIM card in the device and have you had a replacement since the issues started?

2) 'Shrinkage' in your coverage can occur during busy periods. When a cell site distributes network on any given radius, this radius shrinks to a smaller area closer to the mast the more traffic that passes through. If you've found the disconnection happening around common times such as rush hour or lunchtime, this could be a cause. If you'd like to give me the full postcode of the building the connection is being used I'll be happy to check the strength and traffic of the nearest site(s) for you.

I hope this helps but if you need any more assistance don't hesitate to ask!

Cheers, Ben 

[GC_Miles]

Hi Ben_H,

My SIM card is only 1 month from new, as is the K3770 modem.

So far I have only noticed the connection cutting off in the daytime so it could well be that 'shrinkage' is causing the problem. But shouldn't the modem automatically reconnect when the traffic reduces again? I have 'always best connected' switched on and set to automatic connection in the VMB application. The postcode is CB6 3TB if you wish to check strength/traffic. The signal strength always shows 'excellent' on the VMB app whenever I'm at the site but I'm never there when the connection breaks! I'm only getting GPRS signal but this is fine for my data transmission.

Thanks again for any info ...

[Retired-James]

Hey GC_Miles,

Many thanks for getting back to us.

To be honest when it comes to the network it should reconnect when the signal available again without you having to manual reboot everything.

Looking at the area I can see that it is covered by a single site due to its remote location and from the stat I can see that there have been a few call issues going through the site over the past 24 hours however, all of the data connections seem to be fine.

If you go into the connection settings in the VMB software and change it to 2G or GSM only do you notice any difference in behaviour?

Also so we can look into this for you please can you let us know any logs of when this has occurred so we can get a better understanding with a few definite examples of this, we can then collate these examples to look at any patterns of what could be causing this issue.

James