Question

new 5g gateway won't connect to the internet


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Just got my new gateway to replace the 4g one I've had since June.

After setting it up, the app shows that it is connected to the internet, but I have no connection. Tried my phone and laptop. Both connect to the router but have no internet access.

 

Of course, t mobile support has a 3+ hour wait! So I'm hoping that someone here might have a tip.

 

I've tried restarting it, even doing a factory reset (twice) and no luck. 

 

The display on the gateway device itself shows a strong connection.

 


11 replies

Userlevel 5
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Does the laptop misbehave when hardwired?

It may be some bad cached data in the configs?  Especially if using the same ID’s and such on the new router.

Have you tried forgetting the network on the phone, then reconnecting to it?  This may force a new lease for the IP and such.

Can do a similar thing in Windows by opening a command prompt and running the release/renew commands:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

 

(Not familiar with how to do it on a MAC, but a similar method should exist)

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Thanks for the response.

I have tried:

  • Two different laptops - wifi
  • One laptop wired
  • Renewing IP lease
  • Forgetting/reconnecting on phone

In each case, it connects to the gateway (shows a network connection) but has no internet connectivity. Can’t resolve hostnames, ping IPs, etc.

I’m using a different network ID than my previous router, so shouldn’t be config clashes there.

I may just have to deal with the many-hour wait times (or call-backs) with T-Mobile. Not sure how their customer support took such a nosedive recently...

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I suspect that the SIM isn’t activated on the network.  But t-mobile isn’t making it easy to activate it since it is replacing an existing gateway.  I’ll update tomorrow night when I’m next home...

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

Did you try the SIM in the old gateway in the replacement just to make sure it was that while you waited on Support?  At least then, you would be eliminating the possibility that it might not be that before getting through to Support.

same issue, the new sim needs to be activated by them. Would have been nice if they stated that.  Getting the run around now from ‘support’ on my speed.  50mb down. Same I was getting with the 4G LTE

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Following up here. It was an issue of requiring the SIM to be activated, which I couldn’t do through their web page since it was a new line.

1.5 hours on hold to get in to support to get the SIM activated tonight. Yikes!

I am also seeing no significant improvement in speeds over the 4G gateway that it replaced, and the speeds are lower than what I see on my 5G phone. Hopefully that will improve over time.

Same behavior on my side.  Baffling that they would ship it w/o activating it.  Jumping on hold with tech support now to get it activated.

Thanks to you both for your posts. 

OMG! I am having the same problem. 

 

Been waiting now for 2 and a half hours! Let me know if you found a solution. 

App shows I have internet but no device can connect to the internet. They show connected - no internet when at same time T-Mobile internet app shows that gateway is connected to internet.

On a weaker tower at 11 miles away, everything works as it should. Just a bad, slow, link.

Even though the tower I can't get internet connected is only 2 miles away and the tower that works OK is 11 miles away, I found that if I get close (1/2 miles away) to the tower without internet connection, it then  works great. Both towers ALWAYS show they have internet access. I don't understand.

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Took me 4 Attempts to get a Gateway 5G that worked longer than a week.  Meaning it took nearly 5 weeks to get connected for more than a few days.  Bring it back to the store, hook up new one, fails in a week.  Took it back to the store.  Worked a few days.  Took back to the store.  Arranged with TMobile to send me their very first 5G model after 4 hours  phone calls.  Received it at my home and bingo.  The tower was directly across the street in a Chruch Parking Lot.  Maybe 300 feet from me.  Then /I moved 3 miles and the closes tower was 2 miles away and service would be good but not great then weak then back to good several times an hour.  In the evenings some times it would not hardly connect until 10pm or so.

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