Mobile Hotspot (ZTE MF62) Issues

[thinknow101]

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I just purchased a ZTE MF62 mi-fi device and decided to see if it works better with Globe, Smart, or Sun prepaid options. So far here are the results using Globe. I'll be testing the others soon.

My set-up is a MacBook with an unlocked ZTE MF62 mi-fi device. The device was in 3G mode and showed 4 bars on the reception icon. I tested both wi-fi mode and USB connection to the Mac.

GLOBE TATTOO Prepaid

I decided to test their Supersurf 50 plan which allows unlimited surfing over a 24 hour period. Overall browsing worked fine, but I couldn't stream YouTube videos without it constantly stopping and spooling. Downloads within Safari reached 45 kB. However, torrents were the problem: down was less than 15kB (5kB DL/10kB UL) for most of the day. I tried various settings including manual IP and forwarding ports, but nothing made much of a difference. Given that the torrent speed improved to more than 30kB after midnight, I assume this function is being severely throttled.

Just wondering if others have had a similar experience or if anyone has any advice on tweaking settings for improved torrent throughput.

[jlaloon]

have you tried forcing the modem to 3g only?the default settings usually is 3g preferred

[thinknow101]

have you tried forcing the modem to 3g only?the default settings usually is 3g preferred

Thanks, it looks like the problem was with Globe. Smart works fine with speeds up 6.75MB/s, although it can really vary. Smart is pretty slow now on a Saturday afternoon. Such is the life of a prepaid user.

[rage30]

Where did you by the unit and how much did it cost?

[thinknow101]

Where did you by the unit and how much did it cost?

I bought this for P5380 when it was available through Yugatech Deals. I don't know who the actual seller is since it arrived without any contact info.

[rage30]

Just an update. I just unlocked my old mifi. And fortunately it worked here in malaysia. Just bought their sim and plug it and everything worked out fine.

[Bluewire]

Got my unit thru Yugadeals too. I observed that this unit easily heats up when connected with multiple devices(5 devices all are just doing facebook). It will eventually stop working and you need to switch off the device and wait for few minutes to cool down. Compared to my Huawei E5, from Yugadeals also. E5 is more stable and does not heat up easily. Wifi signal of ZTE (b, g, n or combined) is not that good. You can get wider area coverage but when you are away for three meters or more, internet speed slows down even with full wifi signal. I have been searching for any work around for this problem, zte website does not contain the device product info and even firmware updates, too. It has this FAQ list for ZTE MF62 only. Personally, this device is not worth buying for. Huawei devices are more stable. You can actually contact the supplier of this Yugadeals Product at [email protected] for any inquiries or complains.

[thinknow101]

The device does stop working occasionally, but I'm not sure if it's the Smart or Globe 3G that stalls, or if it is indeed the unit. Does anyone with a Huawei device experience this problem?

However, a few times, after a long period of use (downloading at high speeds) the device has shut down completely. I know it's not the battery because the device is connected to my Mac with the provided USB cable. Sometimes it won't turn on again until I take out and put back the battery.

[brint]

I am using ZTE MF62 bought from eBay in the USA. I brought it home and I am using Globe Visibility Sim.


The fastest download speed I got was in Fairview at 5.5 mbps and I can stream youtube without any problems. MF62 web admin console shows I am on HSPA+ network.


In Sampaloc area near UST, fastest download is at 4mbps and I can stream youtube without any problems. Networks shows HSDPA.
In Eastwood, fastest download is at 2mbps. I can stream youtube with some pauses. Network sometimes shows HSPA+ sometimes HSDPA.
In UP Diliman campus and Technohub Area, fastest download is at 2.5 mbps and I can stream youtube with occasional pauses. Network shows HSDPA+.


There was one time that I the device needed a power cycle as I was not getting any data even if the device shows connected. I've been using the device for 1 month now.


I am on Software version WEB_LIVEWIREHKMF62V1.0.0B02
And firmware version BD_LVMF62V1.0.0B01.


Huawei E5 vs MF62:
To conserve battery on the E5, I tried to tweak it to disconnect to the 3G network every 60 secs if there's no data activity and Wifi is set to drop connection after 5 minutes of inactivity. Although , the MF62 does not have the versatility of setting 3g and WiFi timeout settings just like the E5, I noticed that the MF62 has longer battery life by 1.5-2 hours.
Both does get warm on heavy data use. But the MF62 is warmer on light data use.

I was supposed to test the unit with a SmartBro Prepaid sim. But there was poor signal of Smart in my location at that time so I decided to switch to my Globe sim again.

[maq03]

I tried connecting my unit to my laptop so I could change the SSID and password. When the web UI loaded, it won't accept the password I have in the unit itself. But the same password though, works when I try to connect a device. Can someone please help me? Thank you so much!!