3G/HSPA/LTE Routers

kernel said:
Is it possible to send us the modem so we can test with it? I take it the modem works fine when connected directly to a notebook?
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We can possibly make a plan, I will PM you - you are in Joburg ?

Yes, the modem works fine in a notebook, and has now been up for almost two hours in the MR3420, a record thus far - this time has not given errors yet.

The issue is that when an error arises it virtually freezes the router, you have to power down (not reboot, problem seems to remain).

It's probably just a minor bug in the communication between the router and the modem - maybe only when the traffic load is high ? Just speculating here, don't know.
 
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Jola said:
We can possibly make a plan, I will PM you - you are in Joburg ?
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They are based in Bedfordview. If you have time, I would take a drive there and spend the afternoon testing that modem.

I'm sure that would help you and others with the same modem.

But of course this boils down to you having the time. I think this modem is going to be popular in the near future.
 
Hi all! Found this forum while searching for the "lost" MR3420 firmwares and as the MR3420 seems to be as popular over there as it is here (Sweden) i thought i should register. As english isnt my native language you'll have to excuse me if i dont make sense from time to time :erm: With the introduction out of the way ............

Jola said:
There does not appear to be new firmware for the modem, it is one of those Vodafone-crippled units that hardly ever get new firmware because Vodafone is too lazy to release any.

The unit is actually a Huawei E372, but I have not been able to install the E372 firmware, I need some sort of password to do this.

I have been in contact with dbg and TP-Link, but don't really expect much to come of that.
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Unfortunately i've read reports on a swedish forum that E372 doesnt work on MR3420. With the currently available firmwares that is because i'm quite sure that one of the now removed firmwares stated E372 support. If there is any way of finding any of the recently removed firmwares you probably could get the E372 to work with MR3420.

Bundu said:
Hey Kernel - Myself and my GF each have one of your routers and we're very happy, but what's up with the firmware updates on the website and the modem compatibilty lists for the 3420?
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I wonder that as well. Its quite confusing when firmwares gets added then removed and then added again but renamed. And as far as i can tell with the removal of firmwares the modem compability list is decreased. Normally a product like this gets more compatible with time, not less compatible. It would have been much better if TP-Link would have kept the all the firmwares in chronological order and just "killed" the links to the troublesome firmwares.

All this firmware and compability mayhem is a shame coz the product really is great and really good value as well at 300kr (about 47USD). It seems to work really well with Sierra 306/308/310 and Huawei E220/E1750/E180/E1820/E367 and ZTE MF680.

If anyone has access to the "missing" firmwares i would really like to get my hands on them! Should be at least 3 firmware revisions that no longer is available from TP-Link.

/MmmMagnus
 
Maybe it would have been better if all the modem drivers were in those separate BIN files.

The only removed firmware that I have is the 17 June 2011 version - this one was really good with my E1820 modem !

But it was no good with the K4605 !
 
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Jola said:
Maybe it would have been better if all the modem drivers were in those separate BIN files.

The only removed firmware that I have is the 17 June 2011 version - this one was really good with my E1820 modem !

But it was no good with the K4605 !
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Well there was one firmware dated 201106** that had some issue with sim pin code. That firmware was not initially removed. Then there was a firmware dated 201107** that according to the info was the same firmware as the previous but with the sim pin bug fixed. Then they removed the 201106** (sim pin bug) and a short while after that they removed the 201107** (sim pin fixed) as well. Then they added a version dated 20110617. Thats the one i'm using now and it works great. Its called 3.12.19 Build 110617 Rel.39329n. Then they removed that firmware as well and now the most recent is the 20110418 that doesnt support E372.

However, the 20110617 is available from the Turkish/Spanish/German etc. websites. It's really confusing!

I bet the firmware needed to get get E372 (and maybe K4605) working on the MR3420 is the "missing" firmware dated 201107** (the sim pin bug fixed one)

/MmmMagnus
 
Hmmm, all very confusing.

Is there any point to me going to Bedfordview for testing if there is such massive confusion WRT the firmware versions ?

Maybe TP-Link need to sort this out first !!!

BTW : Anyone got that July firmware, would love to test that ?
 
Jola said:
It doesn't work, gives an error when it is supposed to create the BIN file. Tried a few times.
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I also initially got an error then but I had to install Python that came with the tool. Did you do that?
 
Jola said:
Hmmm, all very confusing.

Is there any point to me going to Bedfordview for testing if there is such massive confusion WRT the firmware versions ?
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Well, theese Uniterm direct fellas are ZA distributors right? If anyone they should be able to help you and maybe even get us the 201107** firmware. Pretty pleeeease kernel ;)

Maybe TP-Link need to sort this out first !!!

BTW : Anyone got that July firmware, would love to test that ?
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Well, TP-Link really needs to sort out their support staff in asia. A user on the swedish forum i mentioned earlier was in contact with them about E372 and the "missing" firmwares. But according to the support staff there was no such thing as removed firmwares. And an hour on the phone with them didnt get the MR3420 to recognise E372. So it kinda seems like they dont know what they are doing. Its a shame really, TP-Link has got a really nice product whilst the support is just so so. Dovado has got the slightly less stable routers but great support. They even have a representative frequenting the swedish forum i mentioned.

Perhaps Uniterm/kernel has access to the july firmware?

/MmmMagnus
 
ajax said:
I also initially got an error then but I had to install Python that came with the tool. Did you do that?
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Yes, I did install the Python that came with the tool. However, I only have an old clogged-up computer with XP, and they insisted on XP, so some of the issues may be related to that.

My main computer is Win7 64-bit, so the stuff wouldn't run on that.

Maybe I will try a Win7 32-bit notebook, maybe it will work.

In the meantime the MR3420 crashed again, that April firmware is no good, I am reflashing the MR3420 with the 17 June 2011 firmware even though this version does not have the K4605 support - I may have to go back to the E1820.

But I am seriously starting to think of a new router, this thing is just too unstable !
 
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kernel said:
Is it possible to send us the modem so we can test with it? I take it the modem works fine when connected directly to a notebook?
Click to expand...
Hi Kernel,
I bought and collected the router on Monday from your Bedfordview office, struggling to get it to work with K3565-Z usb modem. Can i bring them and have one of your tech check it out? I get the:
3G Modem connecting error, please check the dial number and APN​
error.
 
OK, well I am back on the June 2011 firmware, this is the one that was pulled from the website - it has been the most stable firmware for me, not sure why they pulled it.

Weird thing, when I previously had this installed it wouldn't recognise the K4605, but now it does ! Not sure why this happened, maybe the modem drivers for the K4605 remained loaded somewhere in the ROM from the previous April 2011 firmware installation.

So I have now been running on the June 2011 firmware for 3 hours with the K4605 driver loaded and working - so far so good.

I will just play it by ear and see how it goes.

Can't explain all the funnies, just hope that TP-Link comes out with a stable firmware supporting all of my modems as soon as possible.
 
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MmmMagnus said:
Well, theese Uniterm direct fellas are ZA distributors right? If anyone they should be able to help you and maybe even get us the 201107** firmware. Pretty pleeeease kernel ;)



Well, TP-Link really needs to sort out their support staff in asia. A user on the swedish forum i mentioned earlier was in contact with them about E372 and the "missing" firmwares. But according to the support staff there was no such thing as removed firmwares. And an hour on the phone with them didnt get the MR3420 to recognise E372. So it kinda seems like they dont know what they are doing. Its a shame really, TP-Link has got a really nice product whilst the support is just so so. Dovado has got the slightly less stable routers but great support. They even have a representative frequenting the swedish forum i mentioned.

Perhaps Uniterm/kernel has access to the july firmware?

/MmmMagnus
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Shew, the forum has been busy over night. I've asked our techs to let me know if we have the missing firmware, if we do we'll put it on our website and I'll post a download link.
 
sy-uname said:
Hi Kernel,
I bought and collected the router on Monday from your Bedfordview office, struggling to get it to work with K3565-Z usb modem. Can i bring them and have one of your tech check it out? I get the:
3G Modem connecting error, please check the dial number and APN​
error.
Click to expand...

Yes thats not a problem, give our offices a call, 0861 999 500 and speak to somebody in technical support who will be able to arrange this.
 
kernel said:
guys try this firmware and post results / let us know if its any better.
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This is the firmware that I am now using again.

When I originally used it, it was 100% stable with the E1820 so was a good option, but it did not support the K4605 - when using that modem it either just stayed on "Unrecognised Modem", or selected a generic "3G Modem" which was unstable.

I flashed my MR3420 back to the 110418 firmware, which suddenly had K4605 support, but this was not stable, and every time that the modem crashed it required a power down to get it working properly - IMO this was the "3G Freeze" that this version of the firmware was known for. BTW, this is the latest version of firmware currently available on the TP-Link website for the MR3420 - bit of a concern, isn't it ?

Anyway, I then went back to the 110617 firmware, which has been stable for me, but without the K4605 support. However, the re-installation seems to have retained the previous K4605 support, so right at the moment everything seems to be working fine, I have now had the K4605 up for more than 11 hours with Cell C.
 
Damn, after 13 hours the MR3420 crashed, and after a restart it now sees the K4605 as a "3G Modem" again !!!

So much for my theory about the K4605 driver - this must be a logic fault !

Thinking more and more about a new router - but what ???
 
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