TP Link MR3420

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midnightcaller

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Hi,
I bought a TP link3420 yesterday to use for shared internet connectivity at home. I need an always on 3G connection for incomming connections to the router.
Using a E173 moodem with vodacom sim. I set it up and connected my devices quiet easily via LAN port. However, I notice that overnight the router dropped the 3G connection.
In addition, I struggle to connect to router after about 2-3 hours over wifi.
Going to test the device further over the weekend and provide feedback.

Anyone else out there with this device, I would love to hear about your opinion of the device.
 
I had the same problem with my 3420 and k4505z. I had 2 of these modems and they both would disconnect. I always thought it was a hardware problem with the latest modem.

Then last week I got a E367 and it's been running pretty much 24/7.

Update your firmware. If it's still doing that try a different modem.
 
Here's the experiment I did today.
I updated the firmware in the morning around 8am.
Connected to Internet and left for the day. No one was at home using the Internet. Came back at 4pm and the lights showed that Internet was disconnected.
Tried to login to router from laptop. Explorer just hangs.
Rebooted router and then I was able to login to router.
Next step is to borrow another modem and try the same experiment.
My netgear dgn2200M v2 never did this. Only reason I gave up on nether is because I couldn't get dyndns working on it(telkom locked down the firmware )
 
Had the same issue, MR-3420 & a Huawei E220. Previously I had the modem plugged into the home server linux box with no problems. In the exact same position. Noticed that if I looked closely the signal led, it would dim slightly a couple of times a second. On further investigation (googling) Huawei's 1gen 3G modem all seem to use the 2.25mA high power USB specification. Long story short I had a small powered USB hub laying around. Hooked it up inline with the modem. Not a problem since powering the modem independently.

I also had a USB extender cable to try and get better signal. Using a shorter cable made a noticeable difference too, I am pretty sure breaking the router apart would show a poorly designed supply circut.
 
I got an E367 with a MR3420. Latest firmware. So far it appears to be working well.
Thanks guys for posting your comments/experiences.
This was valuable information for me
 
Take it back to DBG i am sure they will give you a replacement unit, they are quite good when it comes to that.
 
Hi,
I need to buy a 3g router for a friend.
I am using this Tr3420 without any problems with E1820.

Is this still the best value for money router? Are there any better routers in the same price range?
 
Fed Up.

I have finally decided to give up on this router (I have version 1).

Have been using it for the 3G connection about a year now and it keeps losing connectivity to the 3G stick (Huawei E1752). I've tried all sorts of permutations with the software but no luck. There are quiet a lot of hardware fixes proposed out there, from buying an external fan to getting a separate power supply for the router. These solutions work for some, for others not.

This router is quite reasonable from a price point of view but the frustration that comes with getting the bloody thing to work properly is just not worth that saving. I'm so pissed off at this router that I'm considering going wild and getting the Asus RT-N66U! The only thing holding me back though is how the 3G stability for that router is, not the price (+- R2400). Unfortunately most 3G router reviews out there don't focus too much on the 3G tests, they mainy focus on wired internet connections.
 
I have the same issue with my Version 1 MR3420. It seems to be related to 1 of 2, or both, issues:
1, the router does get very hot and that causes strange behavior, to solve this I either flip the router upside down or have it stand on its side (of you can wedge it between something to enable a draft to flow from the bottom vent it adds in cooling), using a USB extension to remove the heat from the dongle as well.

The 2nd solution seems to come from poor USB port contact between the router and the dongle. To mitigate that I use one of the antennas to gently wedge against the connector and that seems to have done the trick. The combination of both options have had the router up and stable for 17 days at it's peak. We have sporadic power cuts in our area so it hasn't run for longer than that!

That said, the HW Version 2 router is light-years ahead of the V1 router. My brother has one at his varsity hostel and that has run non-stop without hangs/reboots since he got it 4 months ago.
 
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Thanks for the response lcbxx.

I've tried the 1st solution but not the second. I'll give that a try as a last shot. I've nearly smashed this router against the wall because of its instability, maybe there is some (little) hope for it yet. I'll update you on whether this worked for me as well.
 
I have a version 1, for over a year now with a 8ta e367. Works extremely well. Make sure to go to network settings and under 3G change connection mode to connect automatically. Only problem I ever had was not being able to log into router after some time, just reboot and all is well. It's delivered sterling service. Cell C sim in E367 is a completely different matter but I certainly like my TP Link.
 
I've tried a couple of modems in the tplink
The worst I've had is the k4505z, while the speeds are good it would disconnect every so often, and only a reboot or unplug would allow the modem to be detected.

I recently have been using a e367 and in about 2 months I had to restart twice, so its much more stable. Its actually a good combination imo
 
I had a MR 3220 v1 for a couple of years, with an MF668 and a K4505Z. Worked okay with both, but had a tendency to lock up quite often. When it's WiFi radios started playing up I bought the MR3420 v2, which is working really nicely.

I just hope that TP-Link update the firmware so that the E3276 can be used.
 
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