- #Verizon mifi 4510l antenna install#
- #Verizon mifi 4510l antenna pro#
- #Verizon mifi 4510l antenna mac#
But I was still paying for the bandwidth even though it isn't being used at all and she was back to dial-up. My mom isn't technically savvy enough to do it either and her English is poor so she depends on me for her tech-related issues and I was simply too far away to do anything more. While I was in Alaska there wasn't a lot I could do to troubleshoot the unit, other than what I outlined here. This frustrated me because I went to great lengths to make sure the service there was good before committing to the device and the plan, which doesn't expire until December of this year. I also had her try it with the antenna disconnected, and connected, rebooting it between configurations. Performance-wise, it was slower than any EvDO I've ever used and worse than dial-up. But according to the admin information you can access using a browser connected to the MiFi at 192.168.1.1, under the WWAN tab it said it was connecting to the WAN at nothing better than EvDO, and often at 1x. She hooked it up just as it was and turned it on, but again, it was slow to the point of being unusable. So with the FW updated and the knowledge that the hardware was working properly, I sent it back to mom. So that eliminated the possibility of both a firmware and a hardware issue. It connected to the WAN instantly at 4G, as well as on the LAN side to my MacBook Pro, and worked flawlessly. Well, both before and after the firmware update, it worked fine. Second, I wanted to eliminate the 4510L MiFi unit itself as the problem so bringing it to Alaska, in a totally new environment, would tell me if it was a hardware issue depending on whether it worked here or not. It WAS running v2.16.07 and I updated it to v2.28.02. Turned out it was not so I updated it to the newest FW. Since my iPhone works great here I decided to have her send me the MiFi so I could try two troubleshooting steps.įirst, I checked to see if the firmware was up to date. She installed it and it worked great, but the MiFi was still useless.Įven though there is no Verizon service in Alaska, their partner here, Alaska Communication Service, serves Verizon customers when in Alaska. I never did get it work properly before I had to leave to complete my journey to Alaska but once here I ordered a new battery for the unit and had it sent to her. I discovered the battery in the unit was dead but it's always on the charger since it never moves. I tried resetting the MiFi several times and checking all the connections. Nope, the performance with either computer, whether either or both were connected, was abysmal.
#Verizon mifi 4510l antenna pro#
I started by connecting my MacBook Pro to the wireless to see if it was computer related. I was passing through again in April so I stopped by to see if I could figure it out. The MiFi was dropping its connection with the WAN and when it was connected, it was slow as hell. Then in April of this year (2013) she started having problems. Everything worked as planned with no issues whatsoever and she was thrilled with the performance even from a 3G connection.
#Verizon mifi 4510l antenna install#
In March of 2012 I received the purchased MiFi and on my way from So Cal to Alaska (where I live and work Spring through Fall), I stopped by my mom's to install the new MiFi using the previously installed antenna. BTW, my primary cell/data carrier is also Verizon and I have been a customer of theirs for over 15 years. Knowing everything worked, I returned the rental and bought a Verizon 4510L and committed to a 5GB plan for her. Not as blazing fast as 4G, but MUCH better than dial-up and plenty fast for her needs.
#Verizon mifi 4510l antenna mac#
Cal., installed everything, turned it on, connected her Mac to the wireless LAN being broadcast from the rented MiFi and bang, we were in business. Once I received everything, I made the 600 mile drive from So. I didn't want to rely strictly on Verizon's "coverage map" before committing to a device and plan so I bought a good outdoor antenna and rented a Verizon 4510L to test it. When the 4510L came out I discovered it had a external antenna port and antennas were available, and she is in what was advertised as a Verizon 3G service area, her house being less than 200 feet from the main highway through the area and where the Verizon service was concentrated. My senior citizen mother lives in a rural area in Northern California and I had been looking for something better than dial-up for her for a long time when these MiFi units came on the market.