Locking to EDGE

carveone

Just in case anyone out there didn't know (and for google searches!):

You can lock your network to EDGE rather than having it "preferred 3g". In meteor's "broadband to go" software you can do it in the Tools/Options/Network menu. I believe it might then stay locked so you can exit that atrocity* of a program and connect via "Network Connections" like a rational person :rolleyes:

Other software like MDMA also lets you do this.

Why would anyone do this?

At my house I can just about see the mobile tower from my window. A 3G lock is not an issue. Plus it's faaast! 450KB/sec last night. Ok, at 1am but still...

In my parents' house, the 3G reception is right on the edge (no pun intended) causing relentless switching between EDGE and 3G. Each switch causes connections to time out and drop and the average speed is just unusable. I thought I'd lose my mind just trying to check my freaking email!

I'm on EDGE right now and it's fine as long as Flash is off (Why oh why would anyone have that advert facilitating thing on by default!) and I'm not doing any large downloads.

* atrocity: because it logs every single modem command continuously to the disk. On a netbook your battery life goes out the window. Not to mention the constant disk hits gets on my tits after a while. Kudos to meteor for the option to lock though.

Sponge Bob

You may need an AT command ( modem command) that you enter in extra settings in the dialup icon and will override an earlier init string. You can also turn off command log this way.

Clone the dial up networking connection icon, call them different names and insert the at command on the one you wish to lock to not the other. You must dial the cloned connection manually as only one of the pair can be the 'default'

Then when on a faster network dial the other connection.

Course we don't know make model of modem do we or operating system so we cannot really help

On a huawei 220 the extra command would be

^MODE:5,7

for full set of speeds

^MODE:3,3

for GSM and EDGE

^MODE:3,2

for GSM and GPRS

carveone

Thanks Sponge Bob. That's a nice idea to clone the connection and lock each to appropriate networks. And the AT MODE commands will be useful to those on linux.

I intended to do something like you suggested before but I was too lazy I guess it's easy to call up the Meteor software to make the modem commands for you and then kick it out and use DUN. At least the software doesn't do something evil on exit like a modem reset.

Ta.

Kriebie

carveone wrote: »

In my parents' house, the 3G reception is right on the edge (no pun intended) causing relentless switching between EDGE and 3G. Each switch causes connections to time out and drop and the average speed is just unusable. I thought I'd lose my mind just trying to check my freaking email!

Did you try locking to 3G - not to EDGE? It is probably good enough even on a weak signal, but the frequent automatic (and in my case apparently unnecessary, I even have downloads of >400kB/s with a marginal 3G signal) automatic switches practically kill the connection. If locking to 3G does not work out, then lock to EDGE.

carveone

Thanks Kriebie. I didn't need the speed right now so I preferred a reliable connection to a fast one. But it's a good point - might try it out in a different room where the 3G signal is more than 10%.

Kriebie

carveone wrote: »

where the 3G signal is more than 10%.

Sometimes I only have 6% or 9%; still the connection does not drop and speeds are still good/reasonable.
I hope the trees that are blocking the signal will soon be felled though, before I only have 0% left...

jay93

in certain areas of my house i get 0% 3G but yet it can still get speeds of 2mb/s ..when i move upstairs with the laptop i get 99% 3G and can get 4.5mb/s or more if im lucky

ghosttown

You guys seem to know your stuff, so hopefully this is correct place to post !
I use a 220 HSDPA USB MODEM from 02.
Recently when I turn on, it connects to EDGE at 236.8 Kbps.
For the last year, it always connected to WDMCA at 7.2Mbps.

Now my download speed is much slower, can't view flash websites etc. Even large email attachments take longer.
I work from home, and would really like to get back to the 7.2 speed....

Is it an O2 problem ? Shuould I try get a new modem ? Or is there something else i can do ?

Thanks

Sponge Bob

ghosttown wrote: »

Recently when I turn on, it connects to EDGE at 236.8 Kbps.
For the last year, it always connected to WDMCA at 7.2Mbps.

It is a signal problem. O2 ( possibly) oversold their network. Therefore there are more punters between you and the mast so the cell shrinks its 3g coverage as it is designed to do.

You may get the 3g signal back at night when they go to bed.

ghosttown

Thanks Spongebob, so is it like the germans on holidays with the towels ???
If I get up and log in early will i get best signal and keep it for the day ?

Or if O2 have oversold, should i be looking at another provider ?

Thanks

Kriebie

Contact O2, there may be a local problem. When I contacted them with troublesome reception, the first thing they advised me is to lock the modem to 3G only - but I had already found out that that works better than the annoying automatic switching, which is the default behaviour.

Sponge Bob

It could be the students home with the mammy ( O2 oversold to students for sure) , did the problem start late may , wait another month so

mk6705

ghosttown wrote: »

You guys seem to know your stuff, so hopefully this is correct place to post !
I use a 220 HSDPA USB MODEM from 02.
Recently when I turn on, it connects to EDGE at 236.8 Kbps.
For the last year, it always connected to WDMCA at 7.2Mbps.

Now my download speed is much slower, can't view flash websites etc. Even large email attachments take longer.
I work from home, and would really like to get back to the 7.2 speed....

Is it an O2 problem ? Shuould I try get a new modem ? Or is there something else i can do ?

Thanks

Just so you're not under any illusions, you'll only ever be able to get any fraction of 7.2 Mbps (Once it's not top heavy of course. You won't get anywhere near 7.2 Mbps usually, and this can go from high to low all day every day. Typically you'll get 1 Mbps or less using mobile broadband.