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4G/3G connection drops regularly - NG33 Corby Glen

Firedog
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

Out in the sticks, I use a 4G modem/router (TPLink Archer MR200) for my Internet connection. It points towards a mast 2km away (eNB ID 512876 - LTE, I think). The connection is fair (50-75%) most of the time, but it drops several times a day for long enough to require a modem power cycle to re-establish it. The times of the outages vary, but around 08:30, 16:30 and 23:30 I can almost guarantee that a drop will occur. It looks as if each time a new netadmin comes on shift, he starts by resetting something (or the cleaning lady needs to plug in her hoover 😏).

Template info: 

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

This is a static MiFi setup. 

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

NG33 4LF

3) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone?

Not tested; using a new SIM made no difference.

4) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs?

The connection drops on all devices connected to the router. There is no apparent change at the modem - the same lights show.

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

The modem is set to '4G preferred' and is always using 4G when I check.    

6) When did you first notice this issue?

When I moved the modem to point at this tower when the signal from the nearest one (eNB ID 511966 - LTE) stopped a couple of years ago.*

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

Intermittent: at least three times daily, within an hour of 08:30, 16:30 and 23:30.

 

* I would much prefer to use this line-of-sight tower, but it looks as if it's designed primarily to serve a stretch of the A1, so polarized north-south. I'm east of it and can no longer get a usable signal from it.

3 REPLIES 3

Andy
Moderator
Moderator

Hi @Firedog 👋 Sorry to hear of the drops you've been facing, I have taken a look at the mast that we would expect you to connect to, and it`s not showing any downtime over the last week and looks to be running normally. One other possibility, especially if it`s happening around specific times are environmental factors in or around your property which could be a factor, can you think of anything that may be happening around the times you have given which could be causing any interference? Looking closely at your coverage I can see you are in a slightly patchy area for coverage which could be causing some issues. And finally do you know anyone else locally on Vodafone that is also experiencing any kind of drops around the same times?

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Andy.


... can you think of anything that may be happening around the times you have given which could be causing any interference? 

I have thought about this, but because I'm usually sitting at my desk when this happens, there's little going on. It's a pretty constant environment, with nothing but farmland between me and the mast. One thing I haven't ruled out is the electricity smart meter. This is a Secure Liberty 110  (https://www.smartme.co.uk/documents/liberty100_family.pdf) only about 1m to the side of the modem. I think this uses the O2 network (GPRS), so it's probably connecting to the same mast and transmitting its ZigBee signal into the same space as the router. I have tried changing the router's wifi channels, with no apparent mitigation of the fault. 

 


... do you know anyone else locally on Vodafone that is also experiencing any kind of drops around the same times?

Sorry, no. I suspect the few neighbours I have all use OpenReach copper wire for their broadband connection, waiting for a long-promised upgrade to fibre. Even if they have Vodafone phone connections, I don't suppose they'd notice these brief outages.

 

Of course, today there has been no interruption since 08:04 this morning according to the modem log. Just like the rattle in your car that refuses to sound when the mechanic takes it for a test drive. Still, I'm keen to hear any ideas you may have.

 

One last point: O2 have been sending me alerts frequently over the past few weeks about mast works going on nearby and apologizing about service interruptions. Is there any way I can get a similar service from Vodafone, specifically about the tower I'm pointing at?

 

Thanks again.

Beth
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @Firedog! You're able to sign up for alerts to your postcode through our Network Status Checker here, you'll just need to select My alerts under the postcode search section

I would recommend reaching out to our Social Media team here if you haven't already as they have account access and will be able to do a full review of your account and then we can raise a network case to the team if needs be to get this investigated further for you 🙂