Hi all…

If you’ve read through some of my posts of late, you’ll know how pleased I’ve been to have finally found a solution to my campo internet problems. This was via a 3G modem from Telefonica and so pleased was I that I could average about a 1.7mb connection from home, I even recently upped the up/down contract limit to 10gb per month.

Now to the problem…

In the last 48 hours, I connect as normal, but I get the “Limited Connectivity” yellow warning triange icon showing. This stays in place and my connection speed is only 1 or 2kb, making it impossible to load anything at all in my browser. Signal strength is normal and having checked all of my settings thoroughly, nothing is wrong anywhere else.

To make sure it wasn’t a fault somewhere with my PC, I checked with my laptop in my house, same problem. To ensure that it wasn’t a location specific problem, I drove a couple of km from the house to where I have a clear and uninterrupted view of the Sierra Parapanda, where all the main telecoms masts are for this part of Granada and is only 10km or so from where I live. Same problem, even at 100% signal strength.

My final “test” was asking my neighbour’s daughter, who is an abogado and likes the tranquility of the campo at weekends, to use her laptop. Again, same thing.

So, just to make sure it wasn’t a fault with the modem, I nipped to my local Movistar shop and bought a replacement modem for ?70. Same problem…

What I can connect to on all three computers, is the GPRS option. It seems to me that when I try to connect via 3G, it’s not connecting to the Telefonica server as normal. This leads me then to suspect that there’s possibly a fault with the local 3G network and it wouldn’t surprise me if an engineer has done some work up at the Parapanda and forgot to flick a switch or something, which a friend of mine encountered once as the source of a similar problem back in the UK once.

I’m using the following modem and software…

Model:    E169
Manufacturer:    huawei
Firmware:    11.314.13.03.18
IMEI:    352835030855848
Escritorio Movistar version 7.0.3

Operating systems on all three PC’s was Windows Vista.

So, I contacted Movistar/Telefonica…

Last night, after passage from pillar to post, they told me their customer service systems are being upgraded and they can’t access my data. (I’m sure we can all laugh at these customer service “upgrades” later 😉 ). By midnight I got the usual “call during normal hours” recording.

Today I tried again and after nearly an hour holding, got through to an assistant who at least logged the issue, but said that the technical section’s systems were being upgraded now, so although they can access my data, they can’t source any faults. She said I should try again tomorrow and gave me the logged report number.

Am I going mad? It all worked perfectly a couple of days ago. What do the boffins think?

Sorry I don’t classify myself as a boffin but just thought I would throw this in -

we got ourselves into a mess changing from Telefonica ADSL to Orange ADSL as a stop gap solution we bought an Orange USB 3G gizmo and connected to the net very easily until the fixed line arrived.

We were amazed at the speed and download times using 3G - I would say as fast or even faster than a fixed line - obviously you need good network coverage and signal (we are in the middle of Torrevieja so it is good).

Although these things are not cheap (there are all sorts of deals - complicated as usual with anything based on mobile technology) if you are an occasional internet user and you also have a mobile for making calls maybe you don’t need a fixed tele line and ADSL.

Just a thought…...........now over to the boffins…...

Heath
If it wasn’t for the fact that you said you had tried your neighbour’s system I’d would have thought you’d been capped…
fb

It’s a strange one foxbat. I certainly know I’ve not reached my monthly usage limit. My limit is 10GB per month, billing cycle running from 18th to 17th of each month. I’ve only used 5 GB so far this month. If I do hit the limit, it would normally restrict my speed to a maximum of 128kbits. I’m contracted for “up to” 3mb speeds, but average anything up to 1.7mb or even 2mb if I’m really lucky and wrap the USB extension cable around my leg, thus acting as an “earth”. 😉

I’ve done everything I can possibly think of, such as testing on three different PC’s, taking my laptop to a place that’s in direct line of sight to the Parapanda and the antennas, 100% signal strength. No joy. All the settings are fine, so nothing has changed there.

What’s really stumping me is that the modem connects as normal, but there’s just no traffic. The info section of the modem software show 323bits downloaded every time and I get the yellow warning triangle and “Limited Connectivity” on the network icon in my toolbar.

Interestingly, I can connect to GPRS, which runs at a maximum of about 56kbits. Sufficient for emails and low graphics content browsing, but not much else. This is why I’m convinced there’s a fault locally with the 3G network, or the server which 3G Movistar users connect to, as it actually seems that my modem isn’t connecting to it as per normal.

Hopefully I’ll get some answers tomorrow, that’s if they’re not messing about with their own systems still…

ROB1305 - Thus far I’ve been really impressed with the speeds I’ve been able to get with 3G, considering my rural location. I’ve even been able to play some online games, such as Ultima Online, which I’ve re-visited recently. Latency is fine, even considering that I access UO from an American server.

Well, an update…

Got hold of them again today and after going through the usual motions of try this, that, or the other… they accepted that there is a local fault with the 3G network in my area and that they are now looking into it.

What’s made it difficult for them to be aware there’s a problem, is I’m the first and only person to make them aware. Just shows how few people within range of the Sierra Parapanda antennas must use 3G for internet use.

I’ll let you all know if and when they fix the problem…

😊

My friend - you are a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others,  one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress - in other words:

a pioneer! Keep up the good work.

Heath,

A pioneer indeed!

I think some of the problem of lack of users may be that the coverage map for our area still shows GSM only no 3G or 3.5.

http://www.cobertura.movistar.com/contenedor/coberturas-moviles/com.telefonica.coberturas/coberturas.html#busqueda

In the last couple of months there has been a marked improvement in Movistar coverage where we live in that it is no longer necessary to walk down to end of the street and sit on the ‘promenade’ (remember?) to be able to make a mobile call. At least we can now make calls from inside the house!

This may be due to the upgrade Movistar carried out to the Tx. masts at Parapanda.

When we were looking at alternates to Telefonica we considered Iberbanda for WiFi, bearing in mind that they too have a mast at Parapanda (12kms line of sight) and also one on top of the hills above Cacin (6 km line of sight), but they say quite definitely no coverage for our village.

In any case, given the high cost of installation and high monthly charges we abandoned the idea. The nature of our internet usage means we would probably crash through the cap limit within the first 24 hours!

Anyway hope they get it sorted for you!

fb

You want to keep it that way, the more users in your area the slower your speed will get as you all share the outgoing connection from the cell site.

John

Well, the latest update…

foxbat - I think that the technical department of Telefonica is still using that map, when in fact it’s outdated… reason I think this? I got a call from their technical department this afternoon to tell me they don’t have a problem at their end. I can’t get 3G coverage in my area (Agicampe, which is at the front of the hills behind Loja and Huetor Tajar), so it’s entirely a coverage problem.

My response was, why then have I been able to connect to 3G and 3.5G over the last several months? If it was a coverage problem, why would the modem even detect 3G, let alone 3.5G, over GPRS, which it clearly wouldn’t do if there was a coverage problem in my area.

They then proceeded to go on about coverage problems in Loja and Ventorros de San Jose, nearby but not actually in my area, therefore completely irrelevant. I made this clear and that my location isn’t the same and is in much better range for the Parapanda.

I explained that it’s not coverage that’s the problem at all. My modem connects to the 3G network fine. What it doesn’t connect to, is the Movistar server network, which is why I believe that there is a fault with their system locally, ie, at the Parapanda. I pointed out that not only is this problem apparent with my desktop pc at home, but I have driven to an area within range (clear line of sight & less than 10km) of the Parapanda with my laptop, which has 100% 3G coverage and can be confirmed on Telefonica’s websites as such, but still have the same problem. They have a fault somewhere locally, I’m trying to help them to identify it, so that they in turn can help me.

“You don’t have coverage in your area…” their response again.
“But I’ve just told you, I went to a 100% coverage area and the problem is the same”, I replied.
“We don’t see a fault from here”, they said.
“Which is why I’m reporting it to you, it’s obviously at the Parapanda. Has there been any maintenance or changes made up there in the last couple of days?”. I asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a coverage issue, simple as that. You’re in an irregular coverage area”. After which point they hung up. This conversation was of course completely in Spanish.

Not one to be fobbed off so easily, I contacted customer services again. The chap that I spoke to this time was more helpful and more knowledgeable than the previous representatives and agreed with me that if my modem can detect the 3G network, it shouldn’t be a coverage issue. If it can detect and connect to 3.5G, it’s certainly not a coverage issue, as there’s no way my modem would detect 3.5G if coverage was an issue. He then offered to contact the technical department to try and get to the bottom of the problem. Unfortunately both he and I were kept waiting, until in the end he suggested I try again later or tomorrow, as we could be waiting and waiting.

So, no further on, but the IT savvy Guardia Civil Captain boyfriend of my neighbours daughter, also agrees with me that I’m right about there being no problem with the coverage. He too thinks it’s definately a local fault to do with the repeater station at the Parapanda. So, he kindly phoned Telefonica again on my behalf, explained who he was and why he was helping me, there’s obviously an issue, etc, but conveniently their customer service system was down again, so they couldn’t even access my data. He wasn’t particularly impressed either.

Meanwhile, the GPRS setting works, although it’s only dial-up speed, it’s sufficient for the moment to access emails and forums, albeit very slowly. Again, if it was a coverage issue, I wouldn’t even be able to connect to GPRS…

At this stage, I’m hoping that if Telefonica are messing around with their systems, that the problem will sort itself out by next week, though I will be calling them again tomorrow to keep pressing the issue.

Obviously I’m beginning to get very frustrated now. But I shall persevere and keep at them!

On a side note, given the problems, I’ve revisited the idea of satellite internet and other options.

The cheapest overall package I found was NET2 - installation of the system is ?450 + IVA and 2mb is ?69.90 + IVA per month. As with any satellite option though, it’s (in my opinion) a very costly option for what bandwidth you can get, not to mention the restrictive download limits. The NET2 one was a mere 350MB per month before speeds would be restricted. I would hit that in a couple of hour’s use, let alone a month. Others that I’ve looked at offer 2GB monthly limit before penalty of either cost or bandwidth restriction, but I could hit that in a few days. Pretty much rules out this option for me. If anyone can point me in the direction of a satellite system that’s less than ?500 to set up, around ?50 per month for 2mb or more, with a download cap of no less than 10GB per month, I’m all ears, though I doubt such a package exists…

As for WiMax options from Iberbanda or CableSur, unfortunately my house is only just below a clear line of sight position for the Parapanda base station. Both have confirmed after my enquiries, that I would physically be able to connect, but as the signal strength would be below their recommended settings, they couldn’t guarantee the service, so refuse to install. I have permission from neighbouring land owners to construct a small mast to mount the required antenna, but then the signal strength loss because of the cable distance required means that again, they refuse to consider this option.

I’ve heard rumour of a new Telefonica rural system that allows broadband use, designed to replace the trac “Domo” GPRS. If anyone knows anything concrete about this, I would love to know!

Well, good news! It’s working again.

I still contacted Movistar customer services though, to notify them it was working. I also took the opportunity to thank the customer service team for their efforts on my behalf, but to log a complaint against their not so user friendly technico team and to claim a discount from my next bill for the lost days connection, as I wasn’t going to let that one go!

I asked them if they could confirm that the cause of the problem was a local issue at the Parapanda base station, as I had suspected (due to my inquisitive nature). They agreed that my fault report was correct, because over the weekend following my call, they had received several other complaints from other areas served by the same base station. They apologised that the technico team had treated my report with contempt and for hanging up on me so abruptly. After putting me on hold for a short while, they also said that they will give me three months free service and refund the ?70 I spent on the new modem.

So, a good result all told (this time!) and what a change for them to make me such a generous offer to compensate for my inconvenience.

Result!