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ZTE MC801A Review

Main router/Access point (openwrt bt hh5a)

Can you WRT the BT Hub?
Where can I find information about it? I am getting rid of my 5G connection from Three and rather go ADSL via BT and they supplying that router I think, if is the same. openwrt would come handy to fiddle with more settings for my network.

Thanks in advance.
 
I come with an update.

So, if you are using the "3internet" APN and have the PDP type of "IPv4" set - then if your account has been migrated to "the new IPv6 network" (as in your SIM is set to connect to their new 5G mobile network core (MNC) data centre), then you will typically be limited to 120 Mbps.

There will be no Carrier Aggregation (ZTE shows this always as "No CA" irrespective of load) so I believe this is probably the limit from a single connection - there may not even be any deliberate limit beyond this technical limitation of a single 5G connection to the mast.

However if you switch to "IPv4v6" then your MTU will drop from 1380 to 1352 (due to the additional size of the IPv6 packet that encapsulates your IPv4 packet) and you will not get a public IPv4 address (instead the network performs DS-Lite so IPv4 packets get wrapped into IPv6) and more importantly 5G Carrier Aggregation will be active which will unlock significantly better speeds (depending on congestion).

Obviously having to infer a lot here but I wonder if the IPv4 PDP is just for legacy devices and devices which have compatibility issues with things such as CA. It's a pity that this seems to be the only way to get a public IPv4 address on Three. Could also just be a bottleneck of the 5G IPv6 MNC having to reach back into the 4G MNC SGSN/PGW/GGSN.

A lot of people get confused by the 192.0.0.2 address you get allocated, confusing it with the 192.168.x.x private network (RFC1918) range.. but this is the correct IP for DS-Lite (RFC6890) and outside the other private network range.

The IPv6 address I believe is public but I'm struggling to get DHCPv6-PD to work (perhaps ThreeUK don't support it). That's a different topic.
Brilliant info here thanks - random Googler ended up here trying to troubleshoot VPN through a UK users Three supplied MC801A

My user is on Three, has been happily using a software/SSL VPN (W10 & Watchguard) the few times a week she's worked from home the last couple of years. Last week this stopped being able to connect. Currently working through troubleshooting to see if we can fix, before we recommend she switches providers (thinking a software/firmware update on the MC801A has b0rked the functionality).

From what I've read so far (Three Community pages) there are 2 APN's users will find themselves on, one of which (three.co.uk) is behind CGNAT so can't port forward. I don't know if I can just swap my user to the other 3internet APN which isn't... Anyone heard of this?

Reading back through many pages here to see what people have tried when on Three - I'm techie but not too much around mobile stuffs :)
 
Brilliant info here thanks - random Googler ended up here trying to troubleshoot VPN through a UK users Three supplied MC801A

My user is on Three, has been happily using a software/SSL VPN (W10 & Watchguard) the few times a week she's worked from home the last couple of years. Last week this stopped being able to connect. Currently working through troubleshooting to see if we can fix, before we recommend she switches providers (thinking a software/firmware update on the MC801A has b0rked the functionality).

From what I've read so far (Three Community pages) there are 2 APN's users will find themselves on, one of which (three.co.uk) is behind CGNAT so can't port forward. I don't know if I can just swap my user to the other 3internet APN which isn't... Anyone heard of this?

Reading back through many pages here to see what people have tried when on Three - I'm techie but not too much around mobile stuffs :)
Welcome along to the forums RoadyUK. 👍

There are actually three APN's but as you said, only the '3internet' APN isn't behind CGNAT.

three.co.uk
3internet
3secure


3secure Details

Username: 3secure
Password: secure

You should be able to edit the APN settings OK on that router, I used to have that model, but can't remember where the specific APN settings are now unfortunately.

I'm sure someone will help you locate the APN settings though.:)
 
Brilliant info here thanks - random Googler ended up here trying to troubleshoot VPN through a UK users Three supplied MC801A

My user is on Three, has been happily using a software/SSL VPN (W10 & Watchguard) the few times a week she's worked from home the last couple of years. Last week this stopped being able to connect. Currently working through troubleshooting to see if we can fix, before we recommend she switches providers (thinking a software/firmware update on the MC801A has b0rked the functionality).

From what I've read so far (Three Community pages) there are 2 APN's users will find themselves on, one of which (three.co.uk) is behind CGNAT so can't port forward. I don't know if I can just swap my user to the other 3internet APN which isn't... Anyone heard of this?

Reading back through many pages here to see what people have tried when on Three - I'm techie but not too much around mobile stuffs :)
You need to turn the internet connection off on the main page to edit APN details
 
Dont know if this has already been posted, as only read last few pages, but


Seems lots, now more recently myself, have been having an issue with web pages not loading and having to refresh, files failing to download/looping or unable to access services like Xbox. Seems its been ongoing for several months, mostly ignored until more recently by them acknowledging they've seen a few reports of it now. I noticed I'm also getting a ipv6 address now too approx the same amount of days its been going on (presume not a coincidence)
 
Seems lots, now more recently myself, have been having an issue with web pages not loading and having to refresh, files failing to download/looping or unable to access services like Xbox. Seems its been ongoing for several months, mostly ignored until more recently by them acknowledging they've seen a few reports of it now. I noticed I'm also getting a ipv6 address now too approx the same amount of days its been going on (presume not a coincidence)
This had/has been affecting my work on a daily basis and it's infuriating. TLS sessions for any kind of traffic are randomly affected so the biggest impact is when I'm running something from the command line, git push, package updates, terraform plan/apply that sort of thing. I've had to purchase an ADSL service and route my work traffic through that, it's that bad.

While not having had the time to fully investigate this at the network level, given some of the SSL library errors I see, I believe this is fallout from Three's poorly implemented site blocking/content filtering.

At a guess I can imagine in a world where TLS 1.3 is more and more prevalent, to keep on side with the Home Office (who manage the UK Governments block list), they've had to implement (badly, probably from some over promising vendor) more invasive DPI and traffic sniffing because SNI in the client hello handshake is now encrypted.

I suppose alternative explanations for screwing with TLS sessions are less palatable to discuss, so I won't go there.
 
Brilliant info here thanks - random Googler ended up here trying to troubleshoot VPN through a UK users Three supplied MC801A

My user is on Three, has been happily using a software/SSL VPN (W10 & Watchguard) the few times a week she's worked from home the last couple of years. Last week this stopped being able to connect. Currently working through troubleshooting to see if we can fix, before we recommend she switches providers (thinking a software/firmware update on the MC801A has b0rked the functionality).

From what I've read so far (Three Community pages) there are 2 APN's users will find themselves on, one of which (three.co.uk) is behind CGNAT so can't port forward. I don't know if I can just swap my user to the other 3internet APN which isn't... Anyone heard of this?

Reading back through many pages here to see what people have tried when on Three - I'm techie but not too much around mobile stuffs :)
Just to circle back to this... After a couple of weeks of messing around (I didn't actually get the device back in front of me to change the APN settings!) my (non technical) user eventually contacted Three support. They toyed around with sending her a new router, then hadn't got any in stock (damn thought they might change the device) and she went into her local Three shop to complain. Probably totally confused them, but miraculously the next day it began working again and has continued to do so.

So current thinking either some network 'glitch' or APN routing issue which got solved. I wouldn't expect them to update firmware on a home router to fix something for a single user overnight (could be doing a disservice to Three support) and I'm a little sceptical that my non-technical user was able to speak to someone in a small town Three store who knew enough to get it remotely fixed but there we are...! ;)
 
Just to circle back to this... After a couple of weeks of messing around (I didn't actually get the device back in front of me to change the APN settings!) my (non technical) user eventually contacted Three support. They toyed around with sending her a new router, then hadn't got any in stock (damn thought they might change the device) and she went into her local Three shop to complain. Probably totally confused them, but miraculously the next day it began working again and has continued to do so.

So current thinking either some network 'glitch' or APN routing issue which got solved. I wouldn't expect them to update firmware on a home router to fix something for a single user overnight (could be doing a disservice to Three support) and I'm a little sceptical that my non-technical user was able to speak to someone in a small town Three store who knew enough to get it remotely fixed but there we are...! ;)
I found a few days ago that I got my speeds back 600 to 900 Mbps down, by accidentally resetting the router to factory defaults (rather than restarting it) when I was getting really slow speeds <5 mbps.

When I was having problems (speed seemingly capped <120 mbps), I tried *all* the APN variants, and also had PDP type set to "IPv4". I originally set IPv4 as I was having connectivity issues at the time (possibly VPN, I can't remember). Now I find that using the defaults, or manually keeping three.co.uk APN with "IPv4v6" set gives me the full speeds, but with none of the connectivity issues I had before. Interestingly, if I manually set IPv4, I go back to the slow speeds, even though the IPv4v6 setting doesn't seem to be giving me an IPv6 IP address. Could be firmware bug, or some other issue about how the handshake is done at the mast?

I haven't played around with other manual APNs as I am afraid of "breaking" the settings again. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I suspect some people's problems began when Three started enabling IPv6 or changing the handshake routine. The slow speeds started for me when there were reports on three's website of engineering works in my area. That lasted a few weeks, and once they were over, I didn't get my speeds back (until this recent accidental factory reset). I wonder if it may have taken a few months for the IPv6 handshake to be properly set up, either that, or could be a bug with the router firmware.

Based on the above, the "remote fix" for your non-tech savvy user may have simply been a remote factory reset that fixed it.
 
I found a few days ago that I got my speeds back 600 to 900 Mbps down, by accidentally resetting the router to factory defaults (rather than restarting it) when I was getting really slow speeds <5 mbps.

When I was having problems (speed seemingly capped <120 mbps), I tried *all* the APN variants, and also had PDP type set to "IPv4". I originally set IPv4 as I was having connectivity issues at the time (possibly VPN, I can't remember). Now I find that using the defaults, or manually keeping three.co.uk APN with "IPv4v6" set gives me the full speeds, but with none of the connectivity issues I had before. Interestingly, if I manually set IPv4, I go back to the slow speeds, even though the IPv4v6 setting doesn't seem to be giving me an IPv6 IP address. Could be firmware bug, or some other issue about how the handshake is done at the mast?

I haven't played around with other manual APNs as I am afraid of "breaking" the settings again. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I suspect some people's problems began when Three started enabling IPv6 or changing the handshake routine. The slow speeds started for me when there were reports on three's website of engineering works in my area. That lasted a few weeks, and once they were over, I didn't get my speeds back (until this recent accidental factory reset). I wonder if it may have taken a few months for the IPv6 handshake to be properly set up, either that, or could be a bug with the router firmware.

Based on the above, the "remote fix" for your non-tech savvy user may have simply been a remote factory reset that fixed it.
I think they are preparing for the Vodafone merger... I bought a Zyxel V2 and it had many connection issues so I went back to my ZTE MC801A with the latest Three firmware and I'm getting good speeds and pretty solid.
I agree...if it aint broke...
 
I found a few days ago that I got my speeds back 600 to 900 Mbps down, by accidentally resetting the router to factory defaults (rather than restarting it) when I was getting really slow speeds <5 mbps.

When I was having problems (speed seemingly capped <120 mbps), I tried *all* the APN variants, and also had PDP type set to "IPv4". I originally set IPv4 as I was having connectivity issues at the time (possibly VPN, I can't remember). Now I find that using the defaults, or manually keeping three.co.uk APN with "IPv4v6" set gives me the full speeds, but with none of the connectivity issues I had before. Interestingly, if I manually set IPv4, I go back to the slow speeds, even though the IPv4v6 setting doesn't seem to be giving me an IPv6 IP address. Could be firmware bug, or some other issue about how the handshake is done at the mast?

I haven't played around with other manual APNs as I am afraid of "breaking" the settings again. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I suspect some people's problems began when Three started enabling IPv6 or changing the handshake routine. The slow speeds started for me when there were reports on three's website of engineering works in my area. That lasted a few weeks, and once they were over, I didn't get my speeds back (until this recent accidental factory reset). I wonder if it may have taken a few months for the IPv6 handshake to be properly set up, either that, or could be a bug with the router firmware.

Based on the above, the "remote fix" for your non-tech savvy user may have simply been a remote factory reset that fixed it.
Yup I had that issue a few months ago. My wireless had no issues but wired only getting around 100-150 or so - posted on here a few times about it, and had to factory reset it every 3-4 weeks as it kept coming back, even if I didnt change anything......It went on for several months, but touch wood hasn't happened for the last few for me
 
###### the demise of three | vodafone takeover
Many thanks to this forum thread and its people for invaluable knowledge!

Between heating and eating I choose... reliable and fast internet. Three-branded second hand (hopefully not stollen) ZTE MC 801A for £120 from CeX in conjunction with £14 monthly contract from ID Mobile let me into a savings mode over the first year. That's compared to VirginMedia £45+/month contract. Yes, all the haggling tricks, published by MSE, have been used over the years with VMO2.

The introduction of the 5G mast in my area TW8 was well advertised by the providers. All of a sudden it cannot be connected to for the past couple of weeks or so. Well, if Google cannot find it, most likely, it doesn't exist. And yes, TW8 is a VMO2 monopoly when it comes to the wired internet, with no plans for any new FTTP developments in the future.

Upon LTE cell lock removal, ZTE MC 801A has started roaming between nearby 4G and 4G+ masts. Its current spot is one of a very few places in the house capable of having a marginal 5G connection. It's likely to be sub-optimal for a permanent connection to the best 4G+ signal. Download speed has dropped, while upload has increased. Two weeks on, nobody is screaming like if nothing has happened. The monthly internet consumption is between 1TB and 2TB.

Would it be correct to speculate that Vodafone + Three merger was set to eliminate duplicate 5G masts? Has the regulator not seen consumer price increases as a result of the merger?

Would it be correct to say that EE fair use policy and 5G pricing will never compete with 2TB / £14 / month?
 
Ciao, ho pensato di registrarmi per aggiungere qui alcuni input molto importanti.

Ho appena preso uno ZTE MC801A e ho giocato con l'antenna esterna e ho riscontrato problemi. In quanto non fa differenza.

Ora so perché....

Se hai collegato i cavi dell'antenna come nella foto di Antec, o hai impigliato il cavo o addirittura hai lasciato che il peso del cavo di un'antenna esterna Poynting XPOL (che è piuttosto pesante) tiri sui terminali... ROMPERETE le prese TS9 su i giunti di saldatura! Il risultato è un'antenna esterna che non fa alcuna differenza per il segnale, o può fornire un segnale migliore se si tengono/sostenete i connettori in una posizione particolare.

L'ho imparato nel modo più duro, non ho la mano pesante, è un design scadente che ha tolleranza zero verso qualsiasi forza applicata ad esso. Quindi anche un connettore TS9 stretto potrebbe rompere i giunti di saldatura semplicemente tentando di collegarlo; Il modo in cui le prese si collegano al PCB non è rinforzato, come ad esempio un connettore SMA che di solito è infilato attraverso un involucro e fissato con un dado. Questo non ha tale rinforzo, quindi il PCB e i giunti di saldatura sopportano tutto il peso anche della minima forza di deformazione sui cavi collegati. Chiunque si occupi di riparazione di circuiti stampati confermerà che una piastra di saldatura SMD inevitabilmente si frattura e fallisce se sollecitata in questo modo.

Purtroppo sul mio ha strappato il circuito stampato dai terminali su entrambi i terminali ed essendo in un'area ristretta non è facile ripararlo fai-da-te a meno che tu non sia bravo con la saldatura SMD.

Se sei abbastanza fortunato da non averlo rotto, è molto probabile che lo romperai in un secondo momento semplicemente spostando l'unità o tirando i cavi dell'antenna.

Pertanto consiglio vivamente di utilizzare cavi leggeri a coda di cavallo per collegarli all'MC901A e fissarli al corpo dell'MC901A con fascette per cavi o nastro adesivo per alleviare qualsiasi tensione sui connettori.

Non posso sottolineare quanto sia infastidito da questo dato che ho sprecato una giornata cercando di ottenere un segnale migliore da un'antenna collegata a terminali rotti!

Potrebbe spiegare perché alcuni di voi ottengono scarsi risultati con le antenne esterne: i giunti di saldatura fratturati sono difficili da vedere senza una lente d'ingrandimento, ma se i terminali oscillano, anche solo un po' è probabile che i giunti di saldatura si siano rotti. Scusate se qualcuno lo ha già pubblicato e me lo sono perso, ma vale la pena ripeterlo IMO.

TLDR: i terminali dell'antenna sul retro dello ZTE MC901A si rompono molto facilmente, se hai problemi con l'antenna esterna probabilmente sono rotti.
Si puo risolvere o almeno tentare inserendo un micro cacciavite a taglio nelle 4 fessure del connettore e allentare la "morsa" che il connettore fa per entrare in quello del router.
Perche in effetti questi connettori vengono venduti dai fornitori, un poco stretti, e che forzano per inserirsi.
Basta un paio si decimi di millimetro ottenuti con una leggerissima torsione del cacciavite di precisione, e non si dovrebbero avere problemi..
 

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Hello, I'm from Italy and I've been using this router with T-Mobile firmware (Wind3).
I need the bridge mode but as everyone already knows it doesn't work very well.
What I'd like to understand is this:
why do I read 12/12/2022 about my build (B16) while B22 is from 2021???
Can anyone explain it to me please?
HW version:MC801AHW-1.0.0
WEB version:WEB_DETMOMC801AV1.0.0B14
WA INNER version:MC801AV1.0.0B16


Thanks
 

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Hi, I recently bought another MC801A to set up for an inlaw (already have one of our own) but I've noticed that when I first power it on the router off (or this just 5G is off) , the SIM in it has no credit could this be why it is displaying as off?
Our house one doesn't behave like this.

1725306451407.webp
 
Hi, I recently bought another MC801A to set up for an inlaw (already have one of our own) but I've noticed that when I first power it on the router off (or this just 5G is off) , the SIM in it has no credit could this be why it is displaying as off?
Our house one doesn't behave like this.

View attachment 18394
I'm not sure I understood your questione but, anyway, if the router has no possibility to connect (that is if the SIM has no credit), obviously the connection is off.
That is the main and only connection, even if you read 5G.
If you can put that on, there is no data flowing of course.
 
I have a Three branded one which I use with an ID mobile unlimited monthly contract.
I believe it has software version: B15;

1727608624249.webp


Is it possible to flash it to a lower version which makes the mentioned 'hidden' menu available particularly for band selection?

Also, in the network information, the 4G cell ID is populated but the 5G field just shows ' - - ' ;
1727608840837.webp


I suppose this could be part of Three's 'software'? (status LED's suggested it had a 5G connection when the screenshot was taken)

Thanks,
 
Hi, thought I register to add some very important input here.

I've just got hold of a ZTE MC801A and been playing with and having external antenna issues. As in it makes no difference.

Now I know why....

If you've connected antenna cables like in Antec's picture, or snagged the cable or even let the weight of the cable of a Poynting XPOL exterior aerial (which is pretty hefty) pull on the terminals ... You WILL BREAK the TS9 sockets at the solder joints! The result is an external antenna that makes no difference to the signal, or may give better signal if you hold/support the connectors in a particular position.

I learnt this the hard way, I'm not heavy handed, it's a poor design that has zero tolerance to any force applied to it. So even a tight TS9 connector could break the solder joints merely by trying to plug it in; The way the sockets attaches to the PCB is not braced, like say a SMA connector which is usually threaded through a casing and secured with a nut. This has no such bracing so the PCB and solder joints takes the full brunt of even the slightest strain force on the attached cables. Anyone into circuit board repair will confirm that a SMD solder pad will inevitably fracture and fail if strained in this manner.

Sadly on mine it tore the printed circuit away from the terminal pads on both terminals and being in a tight area it's not easy to fix DIY unless you're good with SMD soldering.

If you're lucky enough to not have broken it -yet, it's very possible you will break it at a later date just by moving the unit or tugging the antenna cables.

So I strongly advise to use lightweight pig tail leads to connect to the MC901A and secure them the body of the MC901A with cable ties or duct tape to relieve any strain on the connectors.

Can't stress how annoyed I am with this as I wasted a day trying to get a improved signal from an antenna that was attached to broken terminals!

It may explain why some of you guys are getting poor results with external antennas: The fractured solder joints are hard to see without a magnifying glass, but if your terminals wobble, even just a little bit it's likely the solder joints have broken. Sorry if anyone has already posted this and I missed it, but it is worth repeating IMO.

TLDR: The antenna terminals on the back of the ZTE MC901A break very easily, if you have external antenna issues they are probably broken.
Hi Anyroadup, as you have a photo of the ts9 sockets do you have any idea where I could get a couple of these as I connected an external antenna to it and it broke off, any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have been problems with a ZTE MC888 dropping ip connections; another thread comment mentioned reducing the power to used to power wi-fi, (there is a setting in the advanced section of wi-fi properties. Worked like a charm, great!. Also fixed my problems with Lightroom, double bonus
 
I have a Three branded one which I use with an ID mobile unlimited monthly contract.
I believe it has software version: B15;

View attachment 19562

Is it possible to flash it to a lower version which makes the mentioned 'hidden' menu available particularly for band selection?

Also, in the network information, the 4G cell ID is populated but the 5G field just shows ' - - ' ;
View attachment 19563

I suppose this could be part of Three's 'software'? (status LED's suggested it had a 5G connection when the screenshot was taken)

Thanks,
This is normal. 5G Cell ID is not revealed in just the same way cell IDs are not shown on tower maps. I think it is because conspiracy theorist plonkers we going out vandalising 5G towers during the covid lockdown, but I am happy to be corrected if there is some other less bonkers explanation.
 
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