Cell C shows connected, but 0 kbps

[Senast]

I saw there was a similar thread, but he/she was using a different operating system and network operator. My problem is also slightly different. That is why I did not post in there.

Ever since the beginning of April 2012, my modem receive little to none data. It connects flawlessly and display that its connected to HSUPA. The problem is though. When I open my browser i can browse for about a minute before i stop receiving anymore data. After the initial connection, the usage tracker display 0kpbs and then once a minute it spikes to around 85kpbs and drop back down to 0kpbs.

I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium x64 and the modem is one of the 7.2mpbs Huawei modems you get with the data bundles. Before April I use to get average speed of 500 kbps - 2 mbps depending on the time of day. Now I'm not getting any where near that.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

Edit: When I ran troubleshoot, it said my settings where configured correctly, but it appears that it cant communicate with the Primary DNS server. I've changed it to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (That's Google DNS, right?), but the spiking problem in speed still remains, though when running troubleshoot it does not give me the dns problem anymore.

 

[sajunky]

Yes. When you cannot communicate with DNS, what was DNS servers settings? Check using command prompt "ipconfig /all"

If it were numbers 10.11.12.13 and 10.11.12.14, then there was negotiation problem. These numbers are default (failover) numbers stored in your modem.

I expect signal problems. Your tower can be down and you are connecting to the distant tower. Check these things with MDMA.

 

[Senast]

These are the default values: My cell c connector app as well as the mobile broadband icon's signal bar is completely full. But my speed still keeps on dropping to 0kbps with a few spikes every minute.

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Tertio-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

PPP adapter Cell C Connector:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Cell C Connector
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 197.172.252.110(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 41.50.20.29
41.50.20.61
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 10.11.12.13
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 10.11.12.14
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Once I changed it to Google DNS, i managed to browse very limited and download files at around 4 kbps. My modem light is light blue. Most websites say "Server not found" Error. I will download MDMA now and check it out.

 

[zizebra]

Its a regular occurence with cellc towers. That's why I don't use cellc data any more, the guys failed to give a straight answer.

 

[Senast]

It just odd for me, because this is the first time this has happened to me in 5 months. Youtube is next to impossible. Browsing is extremely slow; I only see a page after a few spikes in the speed.

Below is the Google DNS

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Tertio-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

PPP adapter Cell C Connector:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Cell C Connector
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 197.174.178.235(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 10.11.12.13
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 10.11.12.14
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Mobile Broadband adapter Mobile Broadband Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Network Card #
2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-10-1F-2B-52
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Cell C app says my signal strenght is 100% :wtf:, but in MDMA the green bar is only filled till about a third.

 

[zizebra]

Tell you what, cellc transmitter is less than 500m from my place. But the speed is fine 1 day and another it just doesn't do anything. So I figured out, why should I get to lick cellc in order to give them my money...
Wish you good luck

Sent from South Africas most popular smartphone BlackBerry

 

[FrankCastle]

Its rarely DNS settingss.
Have you tried connecting in a different location.

 

[sajunky]

I would recommend try connection on different computer. The quickest way. Other way gets complicated and the following assumes no tower problems.
I am not familar with Windows 7 specific implementation, but there are things I don't like here:

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 197.172.252.110(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : [b]0.0.0.0[/b]
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 41.50.20.29
41.50.20.61
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 10.11.12.13
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 10.11.12.14
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

First irregularity is your default Gateway address. Dialup connection in XP will assign your own IP (which is also strange, but at least consistent with subnet mask). It should be remote computer, but it works for me...
Edit. Refreshing my memory: this is special address defined in RFC3330 means "this" network. It is used for bradcasting and onther means when node doesn't know its own IP address, it will put "this" as its own address. Whether assigning gateway "this" address is correct, not sure (perhaps depends on implementation), see requests below for Windows 7 users who have working connection.

Second is a question why you have Hybrid node type and WINS active. It won't work (even it is needed - which I doubt), as IP address is the failover DNS value received from the modem - means not working.

Maybe someone familiar with Windows 7 can shed some light here.

I recommend to test low level IP level communication first. Ping to the web site, then ping by known IP address. By example google.co.za, then 173.194.41.87. Or mybroadband.co.za, then 41.203.21.137. Similar results, then DNS problem is eliminated.

Can you send/receive Emails at normal speed? Particularly large attachments (100KB or more). If yes, TCP layer (and anything below) is working fine, look then at WEB browser corruption, delete history, revert to default settings.

 

[sajunky]

Searching google on the subject: default gateway 0.0.0.0 is definitely wrong. Quite many hits. Did you install Adobe CS3? Apple Bonjour service specific:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970313

Once again before following jungle try on other computer on the same location to rule out service provider problem. One thing is for sure, as long you have assigned 0.0.0.0, there will be no network access.

 

[Senast]

I tested two other computers, one running Windows XP Pro and another one that running Win 7 Home Basic. They both had the same problem with 0 throughput(They got their own cell c modems). I'm guessing it tower then? Its been over a week now that we been having these problems with the connections.

I did install Adobe CS5 recently, but I don't have apple bonjour on my pc. Also, i did not set my default gateway, the 0.0.0.0 value gets automatically assigned, together with my IP address. The first quote I posted had all the settings set to automatically obtain settings. I also dont even know how to set Wins and Hybrid settings. I didn't change any network settings until I ran into this problem, and the only settings I changed was dns. I haven't tried email at all. I use Gmail as my email client, instead of a dedicated application. I will check to see if I can get the gateway to change with that article you posted.

Here is the results for the pinging.

ping google.co.za
Ping request could not find host google.co.za. Please check the name and try again.

ping 173.194.41.87

Pinging 173.194.41.87 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 173.194.41.87:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

This was tested on the default dns settings. Now sometimes this work.

Edit: After deleting Route 0.0.0.0, I get the following results

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Tertio-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Mobile Broadband adapter Mobile Broadband Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Network Card #
2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-10-1F-21-64
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 197.107.142.53(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.252
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 197.107.142.54
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 197.107.142.54
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 41.50.20.29
41.50.20.61
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

But, after disconnecting and reconnecting it resets to 0.0.0.0
I still think there could be a tower problem involved, because the rest of my family who also uses the cell c modem, have the exact same problem on their pc's at the moment. :/

If its a tower problem, anyway of sorting it out?

 

[sajunky]

Do you have 0.0.0.0 when disconnected? Yes: Delete route before connecting, then connect again.

But, after disconnecting and reconnecting it resets to 0.0.0.0

This is expected, Did you have throuput during above session? This setting is fine, it should work. I see Netbios is enabled now. Disable it, only cause security risk.

Still have suspicion regarding WINS, but now it disappeared. I see Hybrid mode is common on Win7, no need to worry.

If other computers have the same problem, it could be tower. PM to Cell_C, he was helping many people.