Question

KVD21 gateway dropping LAN connection or cell connection?


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I have just joined T-Mobile Home Internet. For my situation, I am using Asus Mesh WiFi Router in my setup, so I have only one LAN connection to the KDV21 gateway. For only 10 days since setup, I have experienced twice the connection on the LAN port has stopped. From mobile app, the gateway showed everything as normal with good signal strength and quality. So, I am not sure the connection were dropped over cell connection, or LAN ports just stop working. Restart will resolve the issue. Since I have disabled KVD21 WiFi, I can not isolate if the dropping connection only isolated on LAN ports. Either way, just wondering if others here were also experienced dropping connection on LAN ports, or it is common to dropping on cell connection while still indicated with good connection on mobile app (as well as indicated on gateway screen. I got 4 bars all the time).


10 replies

Userlevel 5
Badge +8

@hhzhao do you have your devices connected to the gateway or mesh unit?  Make sure the only Ethernet cable plugged into the gateway is from the mesh router. Then plug your hub or devices into the mesh hub. 
 

Good luck!

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Yes. I only have my mesh router connected to KVD21 gateway. When KVD21 lost connection, I also verified by connecting a laptop directly to the other Ethernet port, I was able to get the IP address, but no internet access either. Yet, the display on the KVD21 still indicated normal. Restart KVD21 is the only solution to regain the internet access. Since there is no advanced network tools and utilities available to manage the KVD21, I have no way to knowing if there is the random faulty on the LAN ports switch side of issue, or it’s the modem issue, or just routing issue on KVD21 to cause losing connection.

Userlevel 5
Badge +8

It might be a good idea to check the settings of the laptop. Does the LAN connection show the gateway (192.168.12.1) as the primary DNS? Have you tried to connect the laptop to the mesh router by wifi?

it seems like a settings issue. I would double check the settings from the gateway to mesh router to laptop.  

Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Yep, all the time, randomly.  The last couple of days, my upload was closed to zero on the gateway.  It was so bad that even my Google Voice messages failed to send.

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Yes. All mesh connected devices communicate each other no problems up to the point to KVD21. That is why I am using laptop to directly connect gateway to validate there is no access to internet. Yes. The default gateway setting with directly connecting to KVD21 is on 192.168.12.1. After rebooting, it is working as expected. My point is: the issue is within gateway, where it is an isolated case of bad hardware, or it is some wide spread software or functionality issue that other user had experienced. I am a network engineer myself, but there is no option for me to dive into KVD21 itself to do further monitoring or logging etc.

 

@hhzhao 

I am having the exact same issue.  Today, I called tech support and they assured me that my unit was working fine on their end.  I requested that they remotely reboot it, the tech agreed.  Then the tech came back and said that he was having trouble communicating with the device.  The same device that he just assured me was “working fine”.  I insisted that I have a defective device and requested a new one.  It is arriving on Wednesday(ish).  

I have had their service for over a year now and overall it has been good, for my purpose.  However, now that it is constantly requiring rebooting I am questioning if T-Mobile is up to the challenge.

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@buffaloman74 

Good to know that you have the unit replaced with similar situation. Since I only had my service and unit for about 10 days, I will keep eye on it for a little bit. I will keep the forum posted if I encounter any more issues. Besides that, my connection, speed have been consistent between 250 and 350 Mbps down and 20 to 35 Mbps up, ping time around 20 ms. I am about a mile away from the tower, connections with b2 and n41 with good signal strength and s/n ratio.

Userlevel 5
Badge +7

At the risk of stating the obvious, make sure that the router is in Access Point mode. You can't shut off DHCP on the Arcadyan KVD21 5G gateway, or at least not easily, and there can only be one DHCP server on the network.

 

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That’s not the issue here. There is not much you can do with KVD21 as far as router management. The only thing that most users will able to do is to disable its WiFi function which can reduce some of the KVD21 resources. As for external router configuration, I have tried in both AP and router modes. Both have its own advantage and disadvantages. With AP mode, you losing most of external router management ability, other than better WiFi coverage, you are pretty much depend on KVD21’s routing capabilities and performance. My experiences were slight lower on the speed range and better ping times. With external router configured as router mode, you can utilize all the router function to configure it with your specific network needs. Many users concerned double NAT situation since you can not make KVD21 as a bridge, but if you are not a among user or with some heavy port forwarding requirements, double NAT has little affecting for internet accessing. With my experience with ASUS Zenwifi Pro XT12 mesh router configured in router mode, my speed consistently in upper end of speed range with slightly longer ping. The other benefit of double NAT, it is more secure for my home network since I have no way to knowing what or how KVD21 capable in terms of router security.

I am experiencing the same issue.  Started the service 5 days ago, and twice I have had to restart the KVD21.  All of the displayed metrics show good, but no internet connection using laptop, tablet, phone.

From the posts above sounds like I need to have T-Mobile send a replacement.

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