Huawei E620 show 3G, software connects GPRS

[jjoubert]

Hi,

I have a Huawei E620 Vodafone card as well as the Linksys router.
Everything works as expected when the card is plugged in to the router, or someone else's laptop, but when I plug the card into my laptop (HP Compaq nx6325), the following happens:

• Before I connect, the LED on the card flashes blue (I would assume this means 3G connectivity is available)
• When I connect, the LED turns solid blue (connected on 3G?), and Windows indicates network link speed of 1.8Mbps (which actually indicates HSDPA?)
• BUT, the Vodafone software shows that I've got only GPRS reception, and my download / upload speeds confirms this (much slower link download speeds)

Have anyone had a similar problem? I assume that this could only be a software-related issue, as the card works fine in another laptop, but then again, I installed the Vodafone connectivity software from the same CD on both laptops?
Maybe a Windows configuration / patch / setting?

Thanks for any help.

 

[vodacom3g]

Maybe delete the profiles on the VMC, just to make sure.

Then create a GPRS-Only and 3G-Only profile.

If you connect with the 3G-Only profile you shoud get a solid blue for 3G and solid cyan (more a dirty light-blue) for HSDPA.

Ignore the "connected at 1.8Mb/s" Windows message, it's window-dressing (pun intended).

Confirm your speed by running the test at http://speed.vodacom.co.za/test

Check especially your uplink speed. If it exceeds 64Kb/s , you're on HSDPA, if not you're on 3G. Downlibk below 384Kb/s probably indicates 3G.

It might be that you are on a 3G contract or the system thinks you are (especially if you're on pre-paid). If you should be on HSDPA, call 155 and get them to switch you to HSDPA.

 

[jjoubert]

I have created new profiles and it seems to work fine now!

I have noticed one difference between the new profiles I've created and the original one I created when I installed the card the first time.

The original one states my device as: Huawei E620/E621, while the new ones I created now, detected the card as: Huawei E600.
Although I do have the E620, the E600 seems to work better for whatever reason.

With the speed test (http://speed.vodacom.co.za/test/) I got the following:

(3G only profile):
Download Speed: 903 kbps (112.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 287 kbps (35.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

(3G preferred profile):
Download Speed: 191 kbps (23.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 290 kbps (36.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

Not sure why the download speed was so much slower the second time around, but it could be a temporary scenario - I will re-check later.

Thanks for your help.