MiFi6620L drops wifi to my Nest after last update, how to fix it?

[Hitechtx]

I was using a MiFi6620L at my cabin to control my NEST thermostat.  I has worked quite well since I got it almost a year ago.  I leave is connected to the AC power all of the time and also use it as an access device when I am at the cabin.

It seems after the last update the MIFi loses connection to m Nest thermostat after a day or so.

I monitor the cabin temperature and turn on the HVAC as needed and alsoebefore I leave to get to the cabin.

If this is how it is supposed to work after the las update it no longer suits my needs.

Is there a way to revert it back to the lod software version to see if this really created the problem?

Any other suggestions on how to keep is connected would be appreciated.

I am not eligible to upgrade to the new LTE router until next year.

Thanks!

[vzw_customer_support]

Hitechtx,
I can relate to how important it is to maintain a connection. No worries, help is here. Let’s take a look at things for you.
Is the device only used at your cabin? Have you tried using your Jetpack elsewhere? Please describe what happens. What zip code is the cabin in?
Since the software cannot be reversed, let’s work together to determine what is causing the concern.

KatiM_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Hitechtx]

KatiM,

I only use the jetpack at the cabin, which makes troubleshooting difficult.

It is in the 75076 zip code and I usually get 3 bars of signal strength there.

After I lose connection to the NEST, and I go to the cabin, I have to power cycle the Jetpack to reconnect the WiFi devices.

When I am at the cabin for 2 to 3 days, I use jetpack for internet access and it never loses connectivity.

Maybe you can answer my question?

How is the Jetpack supposed to behave when always connected to AC power and there are long periods of time where there is no data activity?

Was the behavior changed in the last software update?

Is there a way to remotely access the Jetpack? Maybe telnet or a TCP port?

Thank you for your quick response,

JeffM

[vzw_customer_support]

Hitechtx,
I appreciate the details. Let’s keep digging.
Everything looks just fine in that zip code, and there are plenty of cell sites supporting the area. I checked to see if the device may possibly be going into dormant mode to help save on data usage, but nothing came back as a result as a default. However you do have the option of looking into settings on the device. To do so you would need to be within range of the device then from a laptop, navigate to http://my.jetpack or navigate to 192.168.1.1 sign in then review the settings.
By chance are you at the cabin now?

KatiM_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[7e18n1]

> How is the Jetpack supposed to behave when always connected to AC power and there are long periods of time where there is no data activity?

Doesn’t your Jetpack tell you the battery is fully charged and to disconnect it from external power? A Jetpack is a battery operated device, designed to be portable and moved around. A Jetpack is not designed to be operated or connected to external power 24/7. If you insist on using one in the manner described it will fail with near predictable regularity (as you have observed). You can nurse the device to extend the time between failures by understanding why it fails and taking steps to manage failures.

Your Jetpack does not work without the battery. So, turn the Jetpack off and disconnect it from external power and then remove the battery. Gently polish the electrical contacts on the battery and Jetpack. Remove the SIM Card. Reinstall the SIM Card and the battery. Power up the Jetpack and wait two minutes. Perform a hardware reset using the Master Reset Button. You have to clean the battery terminals at the first sign of trouble. If you do it the way I described then you reseat all the movable electronic parts which are the primary failure points. After you do this a couple times you might see it working 6 or more weeks between disruptions. A Master Reset is only necessary with reseating doesn’t appear to work.  
 

> Was the behavior changed in the last software update?

This may be coincidence. Any time firmware is updated the hardware should be power cycled and reset. If this was not done then it just compounds the problem. 

> Is there a way to remotely access the Jetpack?  Maybe telnet or a TCP port?

No! A Jetpack’s user interface has no provision to be accessed via the internet.

[Hitechtx]

Why does it fail?  I seemed to have missed that part where you helped me understand why it fails.. 

It works.  That is not the problem.  It only disconnects when at idle. Usually 24+ hours after I leave it's location.

I see no warning in the documentation about leaving the unit plugged in 24/7.

It should be robust enough to be plugged in 24/7.  I should be able to use it as I have described.

Is it so poorly designed that it will overcharge if plugged in 24/7?

If this thing does not perform as it has been, how do I return it for a refund?

From the documentation

"

7

Power Management

Your Jetpack will work from its charged battery alone, or when the device with the installed battery

is plugged into a power source.

•

Battery

— Charge the battery by plugging in the wall charger. While the battery is charging

the battery charging icon displays. When the battery is fully charged, the battery icon is solid.

•

USB wall charger

— You can use the Jetpack when the battery is installed and the charger is

plugged into a wall socket. Please ensure the wall socket is located near the equipment and

is easily accessible. The MiFi battery charges while it is plugged into the charger.

•

Universal charging

— You can use the Jetpack to charge external devices such as

smartphones and tablets, to help keep you powered and connected longer."

[John_Getzke]

> Why does it fail?

There are two likely causes for the Jetpack to fail to connect to the VZW network:

1. Something has changed in the environment where the Jetpack is operating

2. Something on the Jetpack is malfunctioning, requiring maintenance/warranty support

One cause suggests a coincidental change in the environment. Could be a tweak to the towers, could be new interference in your environment, could be a lot of different factors.  Sometimes you can work around interference problems with the assistance of antenna and amplifier combos.  The way to isolate an environmental problem is to remove the Jetpack from the environment and retest to compare results.  This process is generally known as a site survey, taking samples of wireless performance in different locations.  If the Jetpack performs fine somewhere else then you know its something with the original environment.

The other cause is a hardware or software failure on the Jetpack.  In both cases VZW would need to get involved to review your warranty support options.  Jetpacks are covered for a year by default in most cases, something like this would likely result in a device swap or replacement with another model.  To speed up the call to VZW I'd suggest going through the environmental isolation steps mentioned above to help verify to the rep that its a Jetpack problem.

> It only disconnects when at idle. Usually 24+ hours after I leave it's location.

Jetpacks of all varieties have a long history of becoming unstable after prolonged periods of continuous use.  Something about them tends to break down in a 24/7 usage scenario sooner or later.  Thus it is still considered a best practice to power on and off the device only as needed to help keep it running in top condition.  They were designed as a mobile and temporary hotspot solution so its best and most consistent to use them in that kind of a scenario.

> It should be robust enough to be plugged in 24/7.

Should be, but in most troubleshooting cases we discover that they don't perform consistently well under those situations.  VZW has many other products that are better suited for 24/7 scenarios such as USB modems+Router, 4G LTE router, and LTE Internet Installed.

> Is it so poorly designed that it will overcharge if plugged in 24/7?

In my experience overcharge is rarely the problem.  At least I do not recall a single instance where we traced the problem back to an overcharging situation.

> If this thing does not perform as it has been, how do I return it for a refund?

Contact VZW phone, chat or store reps and review your options.  If you are outside of the warranty period then your best chance is to suggest that this problem is firmware related.  Exceptions to the usual warranty support process tend to get made when they can be proven to be related to firmware problems.  You might have enough info to convince them from what I have read so far, but a better case would be to isolate out the environmental problems first.

[Hitechtx]

Thanks but....

I want to know if the jetpack is programed to drop the wifi connection after a period of inactivity?  Also has this operation changed in the last last firmware update?

Surely someone at Verizon knows exactly what was in the last update, not the overview of the update but the details.

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

Understanding your Jetpack settings, Hitechtx,  is important especially when you are visiting your cabin. Here is a copy of the User Guide for you. http://bit.ly/1m5m8Zb

The Jetpack is factory set to turn off after 30 minutes of sleep. You can change this setting, within the power management of your Jetpack. Here is how:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/devices/knowledge_base.html/ 122353
Once you change this setting to Never you will be back in business with your Nest.

The current software does not cause your device to time out. All software updates fix minor issues and your current software did not change anything with WiFi.

AllisonC_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport

If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Hitechtx]

AllisonC,

Thank you very much.  This is what I needed to fix the problem. Evidently the Jetpack reverted to factory defaults after the last upgrade and was going to sleep like you suggested.

Verizon should be testing the upgrades to ensure the settings on the device are retained and not changed when an upgrade is performed.  All of the rhetoric about using it in a method it was not designed for was really starting to irritate me.  The self proclaimed "experts" on the forums need to shut their mouths.  I understand they are trying to help, but they should at least read the problem history before telling me I am using the Jetpack in a method that it was not designed for.  I work for Verizon and test high capacity transport equipment.  If an upgrade changes the provision-able parameters on a transport box, the load fails and it goes back for a re-spin.  I would suggest Verizon perform the same diligence and test the upgrades to ensure the user changed parameters are not re-set to factory defaults.  I understand it may not be as important as a terrabit of traffic like a transport system could impact, but it is still creating a customer experience that is not acceptable when you revert to defaults after an upgrade.

One again thank you for helping.

Thanks,

Jeff