Unexplained Skyrocket of 5G Home Internet Usage
I called T-Mobile support about this, but they really didn’t have any answers for me, so wanted to see if anyone else had experienced anything like this. My TM 5G Home Internet usage skyrocketed without any change in our household’s usage behavior during this current billing cycle (May 2023). We have the Nokia 5G21 Gateway. In March we used 66.55 GB, April was 9.23 GB and May is 417.31 GB. I’ve checked all the devices connected to our home network and have been able to identify them all, so I don’t think anyone is tapping into our network. We aren’t experiencing any decrease in speeds or dropping of the network, so maybe I don’t have any reason to be concern, the jump in data usage was just alarming, since we only really web browse, stream video and connect smart home devices. We don’t do anything that would send massive data outwards, either. A few things I noticed in my usage reports over the last few months was the number of reports jumping from 8 in March and 1 in April to over 3,000 in May. Also, the previous reports showed as “Mobile Internet,” whereas May’s report shows all as “Internet Access.” So those were both odd.
Arcadyan vs. Sagemcom to replace Nokia
I have the Nokia 5G21, and it’s been more than satisfactory. Usually close to 100 mbps down, and 20-30 mbps up. The biggest complaint has been occasional signal drops. I have a Eero 6 mesh wifi, and I run a double NAT--almost everything runs through the Eero first. On the Nokia there are 12 wifi bands, and I can turn them all off. Lately it’s been locking up a few times a day and I’ve had to reboot it to get back online. I just got off the phone with T-Mobile and they’ll replace it under warrantee. But it sounds like my local store has only the Sagemcom and the Arcadyan. Or I might be able to get a Nokia shipped. My first priority is not to loose any signal strength or quality. Which device is more likely to be able to reproduce the service we currently have? We connect to B66 and n41 bands, and all three devices say they connect to those. But the sagemcom lists many more bands than the Arcadyan or Nokia which might be better/stronger than what we’re currently getting? Other priorities: Can I turn off the wifi broadcast through the web GUI or app, as I can with the Nokia? Or will either mesh with a dual band Eero 6? Still no bridge mode, right? Here are screenshots of typical signal strength on the Nokia:
Why did my Nokia gateway stop receiving 5G signals?
My Nokia home internet gateway has been working well since I got it last year. I usually get 2 bars of 4G signal and 2-3 bars of 5G signal. And my speeds vary throughout the day, but are generally around 50-75mbit during peak hours and over 100mbit during off-peak hours. This week my Nokia gateway stopped receiving any 5G signal. I’ve rebooted many times, but it doesn’t connect to any 5G towers. As a result, my speeds have fallen dramatically. My peak speeds are now in the single digits and my off-peak speeds are usually around 25mbit. My gateway hasn’t moved. I spent days finding the perfect location that provided the highest SNR for 5G. Is there something wrong with my gateway? How do I get my 5G signal back?
My Gateway is showing 0% battery
My Nokia gateway is showing 0% battery and it’s been showing it for several days now. It had been fluctuating from the single-digits up to mid-80, but now it’s all the way down to zero. I know that the battery doesn’t have that much of an impact on the gateway’s operation, but i am wondering if it’s a symptom of a larger issue, and whether my unit needs to be replaced. To be clear, the unit works OK without any apparent issues so far; just the annoying 0% battery level in the display. I am using a small power strip to power it and that has another device (a Google Mini) attached to it. Could it be the cause of this issue? Nokia gateway, hardware version 3TG00739AABA, firmware version 1.2103.00.0338
