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Hand-Off, Reconnect To Verizon LTE Can Take 2 Minutes
CWmike writes "Verizon Wireless admits that laptop users with USB modems on its new high-speed LTE network may experience up to a two minute delay when switching over from a 3G coverage zone. 'Hand-offs can take up to a couple minutes, but that was expected and a fix is in the works,' Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson told Computerworld. Also, to get back on LTE once already having been in an LTE zone, one tester said it was necessary to unplug the modem and plug it back in again. Nelson said that was not necessary, although he did say it could take up to two minutes to reconnect to LTE. Nelson said Verizon was working with a modem maker on the hand-off problem, but didn't say which maker. Business Insider said the hand-off problem occurred with an LG model. 'We're working with the modem maker for quick update, but no ETA yet.' Nelson said. A Mac OS version was also said to be close."
My Verizon 3G service that I use for my business (no wired DSL or Cable available) was out the other day and while I was on the phone with Verizon figuring it out, they were trying to upsell me on this. With a 5GB data limit, I wasn't about to since I routinely go over it on the 3G. I just switched back to Clear who swears they got THEIR reliability issues sorted out in my area.
This means it now takes 2 minutes longer to exhaust your monthly quota.
Designers have to strike a balance; if it polls the towers too often and tries to connect via 4G, it would drain the battery and possibly slow down the connection. Switching from a 2G to 3G network on AT&T is similiar, although usually its about 30 seconds
You wouldn't say "A glass water" would you?
I will now.
When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
first off, this piss poor service that was just advertised. Two minutes to reconnect?? Sounds like it isn't ready for prime time...
Next, look at the per use charges. I'd rather have a slower connection with much hire quotas (or no quota) than a super fast connection with a tiny quota. Good luck to anyone who wants to watch videos.
As it is cell service is a huge rip off, and LTE is even more of a rip off than 3G. But what do you expect from providers who charge a fortune for delivering simple text messages and the rate hasn't gone down as their networks are upgraded...In fact ATT's rate went up (they used to be free to receive, but after the Cingular merger the double charging started....).
Yes. These should have been sorted out in Beta.
While I can't say it takes two minutes, the handoff between the WiMAX network and 3G is very rough.
For starters, since they're literally two separate networks, you will lose any open TCP connections because the IP address changes. If you are in a marginal 4G coverage area, you can have it bounce between the (poor) 4G signal and 3G network. The Overdrive hotspot has settings for fine-tuning how quickly it will try to switch and how often, but most of the time unless I'm in a known-strong 4G coverage area it's better to just lock the device at 3G and not even let it try to swap. Similarly, if you're in a strong 4G area the reverse is true.
Secondarily, I have nothing but problems trying to use any Sprint 4G device in Seattle. Both my hotspot and my Evo 4G phone do weird things (often crashing entirely), but only in that market (I've had no trouble in other markets, especially my home market of Portland). The Evo 4G will actually crash about 20% of the time I switch the 4G on up there.
I think that they really need to work on making the two networks as seamless as possible. I know that's not going to be easy from a technical perspective, but it kinda shows that the technology is not quite ready for prime time.
Logically, by the engineers who built and tested them
...and who utterly failed to convince marketing and sales that it could even possibly be an issue, let alone an embarrassing, glaringly obvious one.
"What are you talking about? The calendar says we ship today. Are you really trying to second-guess the calendar?"
Try getting 35+Mbps down and 5-8Mbps up on Sprint when their WiMAX capacity is under-engineered on average. VZW has all their LTE cell sites on FIBER with a shit-load of capacity.
Read the summary or article again, it is talking about switching from 3G to LTE (4G?), not from No Service to LTE. Typically it doesn't poll as often AFAIK.