4G Mobile Broadband Dongle & 4G Tethering - Cutting out on regular noticable intervals

[FJVF]

Hi Community,

This is my first post so not too sure how to structure one of these. Forever, I've been experiencing issues with tethering 4G from my phone for a faster internet connection. I have a 20GB phone contract so I regularly use this to take advantage of the faster upload speeds for time sensitive tasks.

I've noticed that after 2GB of data usage (which I use in around 1.5 hours), every single time without fail the 4G will drop completely and I will not have any 4G signal at all without waiting at least 5 minutes. This happens regardless of device (tested on iPhone 7+, Samsung Galaxy S4, S6 and S8), and cuts out my active live connection to a server which really throws off operations.

As a (hopeful) solution, I decided to purchase a 50GB Mobile Broadband Dongle (Huawei K5160) from Vodafone hoping that this would resolve the issue and stop the disconnecting, but it doesn't and the same cut outs appear at the exact same times. This is annoying as I'm now forking out more money per month for something which I hoped would fix my issue and allow me to seamlessly work online.

I was just wondering, is anyone else experiencing this issue, and are there any solutions to this? I would love to solve this issue or I may switch to another provider for both my phone contract and my mobile broadband as this seems like a network issue as opposed to a device specific issue, unless there is a setting I'm completely missing!

Many thanks,

F

[FJVF]

Bump - Unsure if bumping is against the rules but any suggestions appreciated from staff!

[JohnJ]

@FJVF Please complete the following questions so we can raise this with our network specialists.

1) Have you tried switching your devices off for 15 minutes? this will give the network time to refresh?

2) Have you recently gone through any porting from another network?

3) Does the issue happen in just one location? If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service?

4) What is the full postcode (e.g. ST1 1AA) of where the issue occurs?

5) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM cards in different devices?

6) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs - please provide screenshots?

7) Does this happen on 2G, 3G, 4G or all?

😎 When did you first notice this issue?

9) Is the issue permanent or intermittent? If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs?

Please let us know how you get on 

[FJVF]

Hi @JohnJ

1) Have you tried switching your devices off for 15 minutes? this will give the network time to refresh?

Yes, my dongle and mobile phones are routinely switched off. The issue of disconnecting after 2GB persists and has persisted for a while. After switching off network access is regained but this doesn't resolve the issue of disconnecting initially. I'd like an uninterrupted connection.

2) Have you recently gone through any porting from another network?

No

3) Does the issue happen in just one location? If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service?

Any location.

4) What is the full postcode (e.g. ST1 1AA) of where the issue occurs?

I will PM you this answer.

5) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM cards in different devices?

Yes, I've tried the same SIM card and also my new 4G Mobile Broadband data SIM in my dongle, iPhone 7 plus, Samsung Galaxy S4, S6 and S8 and it is persistent. The issue occurs regardless of plan or device.

6) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs - please provide screenshots?

4G Internet access is completely lost. Screenshots cannot be provided at this time, but include 404 pages, "not connected to internet" page on Chrome and also my server connection hitting 0kbps upload until it regains access to the Vodafone network (takes around 3-5 mins).

7) Does this happen on 2G, 3G, 4G or all?

I only use 4G so cannot comment on the others.

😎 When did you first notice this issue?

When tethering for the first time about 12 months ago. Support told me this was because I was using a mobile phone to tether, but since buying a dedicated plan and a dedicated dongle the issue still exists, ruling out that possibility and making it look like more of a Vodafone network issue.

9) Is the issue permanent or intermittent? If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs?

Permanent, as in the issue is guaranteeable and predictable after expecting it over time. The time of the day doesn't matter, as long as I've used 2GB of data in one session (which takes me 1.5 hours to use with what I'm using it for, and I need to use it for longer than this up to using approximately 5-6GB total). Network access is patchy after the initial disconnect too.

Thanks,

F

[Mark]

@FJVF I see you've advised this happens in all locations, if this is the case it would indicate the issue is more to do with the device or SIM rather than the Network.

To confirm this, we would need to check the coverage in your local area. I can see you've advised you sent your postcode to @JohnJ via a Private Message, as we're unable ot reply to Private Messages, please check the coverage in your local area using our Network Coverage Checker. You've also advised that you've only tried using your devices on a 4G service, please try switching to a 3G service and let us know if the issue persists.

Many devices also have a internal capping facility, to help avoid going over your plan allowance and incurring extra charges. Make sure this hasn't been activated by checking the settings on your device. If you're unsure how to check this, advise which device you're using and we'll be able to porvide instructions.

[FJVF]

Hi @Mark, I have tested this in the BS1, BS4, BA1 and BA3 postcode areas with the same outcome. The coverage checker shows that 4G is available in these areas indoors and outdoors.

Unfortunately testing on 3G is not possible as it doesn't provide adequate upload speeds for my requirements (I need around 3.5Mbps, 3Mbps in use and 500Kbps overhead) which the 4G plan provides, and also would take a lot longer to reach 2GB.

I have used multiple devices (Huawei K5610, Samsung Galaxy S4, S6, S8, iPhone 7 Plus), so I doubt this is a device issue. I have also purchased two separate SIMs with two separate plans and tested on a third Vodafone SIM unrelated to my account (family member), with the same outcome, so I also doubt this is a SIM issue.

I have checked my Vodafone caps on my account and all are disabled (other than adult filtering). If you could provide instructions for how to disable any potential local caps on a Huawei K5610 (provided by Vodafone) and an iPhone 7 plus that'd be brilliant thanks. Last month I only used 11GB of my 50GB plan, so wasn't reaching near the contracted limit.

Thanks,

F

[Gemma]

@FJVF - This is very strange!

As it’s happening in several locations, different devices and you’ve tested a new SIM, we’ll need to look into this further.

Please leave this with us and we’ll do our best to get an answer for you. We’ll let you know if we need any further details. 

[FJVF]

@Gemma Thank you very much. I look forward to your response soon.

I'm looking to hopefully get this resolved soon, so the sooner the better as I am currently testing different providers. If a different provider works for me then I will be cancelling my plans with Vodafone, as the mobile dongle is a 30 day rolling contract and I am very close to reaching the end of my other phone contracts.

Many thanks,

F

[Gemma]

@FJVF - We’ve not forgotten about you. As soon as we’ve any information, we’ll post back.

I’m sorry for the delay.

[Gemma]

@FJVF - Thanks for your patience with this! 

We’ve been advised that there shouldn’t be any reason for your 4G to drop, as soon as you get to the 2GB.

In general, your signal can go between the different frequencies that we offer, although as confirmed above, it shouldn’t be as soon as you’ve used 2GB.