Huawei B535-232 4g/LTE Router Issue

[smithbill17]

Oh my, such a heartfelt response! You can almost feel how sorry they are Bill.

What did she explain exactly?

Nothing, only that they had applied a credit to my account (which I can tell you would hardly buy a round of drinks)

 

[m60kaf]

Does 3s broadband seem to be whizzing along tonight or is it my imagination?

I sat down specifically tonight to assess how bad it was because I was going to take up mse Virgin 100MB offer - and Im like actually its OK!

last night i spend half an hour trying to get a peep from spotify multiroom on Alexa ... Working perfect tonight?

 

[smithbill17]

Does 3s broadband seem to be whizzing along tonight or is it my imagination?

Your imagination I'm afraid - mine is "whizzing along" at a massive 8.4Mbps down & 3.2Mbps up.

 

[Buggerlugz]

Nothing to write home about, hovering around 30mb for me right now.

 

[roden]

Strangely very fast and wizzy for me tonight to. 30ms ping. 65mbs indoors. 98mbs on window ledge. Best ever for me. Also very snappy. Bet it won't last

 

[XtractorFan]

Great Bill, you must be feeling a warm glow about the refund, makes it all worthwhile
I've sent my B535 and sim back for a refund - couldn't face a 24 month contract even @ £17/month. They demand an arm and a leg to cancel once it's up and running.
So I've got an £18 Smarty sim (30 day contract) and a B535-235 from Amazon @£99.99 to play with - I really like the Huawei combined with LTE-H Monitor, lots to play with.
But the 3 network is cr@p - if I use my Plusnet (EE) sim I've no issues, but the cost is too high (no decent deals) for a backup solution.
My current Broadband comes via a WISP (Boundles Networks, Yorkshire/Lancashire area) it's only 10Mbps and since the lockdown started and everybody started 'Zooming from home' the contention has rocketed.
It's OK for email/browsing, but Amazon Prime Video and NowTv @720p buffers a lot at peak times.
So I had high hopes for the 3 4G option.
It's weird, I usually use a Roku box (Ethernet) but on 3 4G it stalls, buffers and fails to connect most of the time.
But I dusted off my 4K Fire Stick (stopped using it as it doesn't support NowTv) and connected it via WiFi to the B535 - it works well!
No buffering and connects first time - even watched a few things in 4K......
I guess the 4K Fire Stick firmware is more 'forgiving' of a high latency network?
Wish I could find out why

 

[smithbill17]

Great Bill, you must be feeling a warm glow about the refund, makes it all worthwhile

Well, given that the credit i'm supposed to be getting (still no sign of it on my account) is enough to buy a round of drinks, and over my 2 year contract with Three I will have paid them nearly £500, i'm not sure i'll be feeling any "warm glow" given the effort I had to go to.

So I've got an £18 Smarty sim (30 day contract) and a B535-235 from Amazon

Err, you do realise that Smarty is Three? Its just a 'budget' version of the same network. So i would've expected you to have exactly the same issues on Smarty as you had on Three (if you don't, then that would be worthwhile to know for the future when my Three contract is due to end).

 

[m60kaf]

The annoying thing here is up to March we all seem to be pretty happy - its something happened 1st March

I am wondering if they are throttling based on monthly or daily usage

I have another 3 sim I might try that

 

[benparker]

Your imagination I'm afraid - mine is "whizzing along" at a massive 8.4Mbps down & 3.2Mbps up.

Not read the whole thread but did you try a different room? I was getting about 9 Mbps and in another room 30mbps.

 

[m60kaf]

I have another 3 sim I might try that

Nope a hardly used 100GB data SIM - same problem OK, OK, OK, Delay black screen for 5 sec loads, OK OK

Turn on VPN - Perfect

Three just isnt working right for months

 

[smithbill17]

Not read the whole thread but did you try a different room? I was getting about 9 Mbps and in another room 30mbps.

Hello, I've tried lots of things, antennas, network analysers, different routers etc etc. The problem is Three. But thank you for the suggestion, everyone's input is helpful.

 

[roden]

We need to keep a lookout for other sim deals. I'm moving this week so might try to get a few testers and see what's best?

 

[smithbill17]

We need to keep a lookout for other sim deals.

It's always worth checking out mobile deals using USwitch, Compare the Market etc. However, presently you won't find a better data/price deal than that offered by Three.
O2 & Vodafone currently have 100Gb phone SIMs at £20/month. iDMobile has an unlimited data phone SIM at £20/month on a 1month contract, but they also use Threes network.

 

[XtractorFan]

Err, you do realise that Smarty is Three? Its just a 'budget' version of the same network. So i would've expected you to have exactly the same issues on Smarty as you had on Three (if you don't, then that would be worthwhile to know for the future when my Three contract is due to end).

Yes, I know Smarty is 3 and so is SuperDrug - but I don't need to commit to a 24 month ball & chain @ £17/month, or 3's £30/month pay monthly.
I've no doubt the issues will remain.
I did complain about the issues and received a call back from a 'technical expert' who said they were OK so long as I got >5Mbps.
He did waffle something about my mast being like that for the 'next few months' - so maybe they will cripple it further with 5G soon'ish.
The same mast (5.3Km away courtesy of CellMapper) hosts EE, so like others I'll keep looking for a better deal with another non 3 MNVO.

 

[benparker]

Yes, I know Smarty is 3 and so is SuperDrug - but I don't need to commit to a 24 month ball & chain @ £17/month, or 3's £30/month pay monthly.
I've no doubt the issues will remain.
I did complain about the issues and received a call back from a 'technical expert' who said they were OK so long as I got >5Mbps.
He did waffle something about my mast being like that for the 'next few months' - so maybe they will cripple it further with 5G soon'ish.
The same mast (5.3Km away courtesy of CellMapper) hosts EE, so like others I'll keep looking for a better deal with another non 3 MNVO.

I'm sure 5G has a separate mast. Could have sworn I saw a new one close to where I live that I don't remember seeing before.

Also Lyca seem to have an unlimited data rolling contract for £25. It uses O2 so not sure how good that is.

 

[XtractorFan]

I'm sure 5G has a separate mast. Could have sworn I saw a new one close to where I live that I don't remember seeing before.

Also Lyca seem to have an unlimited data rolling contract for £25. It uses O2 so not sure how good that is.

Thanks, hope you are right about the masts....
Cellmapper shows that O2 have a mast near the 3 one, but only Band 20 - that band is slow on 3.
May get an O2 sim for my phone and see if I get any signal.
Just checked Lyca 'UK Plan Unlimited' @ £19 online, hmm...

 

[XtractorFan]

I remembered that Giffgaff ran on O2 - I'd already tested that SIm in my phone giving an iffy signal....
But just in case I popped it into the B535, but it only got a 3 bar signal and band 20, so not really usable.
Looks like it's only 3 or EE that will work for me at this distance.

 

[smithbill17]

Nperf.com is also quite useful for checking out coverage in your local area (including 5G).

 

[XtractorFan]

Nperf.com is also quite useful for checking out coverage in your local area (including 5G).

Hmmm, just looked. It only seems to cover 'populated' areas - possibly taking readings only on main roads?
I'm out in 'the sticks' - where there be monsters
Nice speed test though, thanks.

 

[MrDave]

You can get unlimited Vodafone max deal for £13 month with cashback deals at the moment if its a better network for you, you might need to factor in VPN costs for online gaming due do being strict NAT.