@HenrikEkman 

 

My unit continuously switches between bands "B1,B3,N28" and "B1,N28", changing about every 1 minute or so.

 

Signal strength is current showing as poor, yellow, although I am still getting over 100 MBits down all the time. A couple of weeks ago it was mainly green. I did allow the unit to perform the latest software update, either this made things appear worse or O2 reduced their signal levels. When I get a chance I will move the unit around the home, and possibly consude4 external antennas.

  @Bee_24 

 

Now after few tests - few observations:

 

At least with my case, one potential element is that I likely am in a low signal strength location (5G, N28), but relatively good 4G (B3) and Deco may face more Deco toggling between two frequencies that are in my case (I'm not an expert) in such different frequencies and their network/cell design that it is difficult to know on the Deco's "human readable UI" what a generic signal strength means for each of the frequencies/technologies.

 

• 5G NR frequency bands - Wikipedia5G NR frequency bands - Wikipedia

• LTE frequency bands - WikipediaLTE frequency bands - Wikipedia

 

For example:

I do know that I might be on the edge of good/weak 5G - but 4G is OK.

If I now go to the position in A in my house - I get stronger signal (UI below) - more green in the indicator. But if I check in there the with the app that Deco is "agressively" dropping out and taking in the channel N28.

 

But if I go to a location B - there is less green in the indicator - and they are yellow - I can get more stable connection both on B3 and N28 almost all the time.

 

THIS leads to me thinking:

1) Deco signal strength signal is not selective to guide the end user for the best location for cases there 4G and 5G are both exists but the 5G is "on the edge". A combined indicator may lead the end user to locate the unit with more green (more bars) that eventually is "a worse location" as it guides to a position there is actually more toggling between 5G - in and out constantly.

 

2) As this toggling happens in these circumstances more aggressively it may lead to:

 

a) Dropouts that facilitates "the red light issues" to occur - from which the recovery requires reboots or other activities. Unless thru Deco app to "stick to 4G only"

b) Incapability of reading the SIM card information or frequent reboots may facilitate the issues with operation with the SIM card that may lead to a "permanent" red light state overrided by the SIM error. And recovery from that requires a factory reset maneuver.

 

 

 

• But what I wrote does not explain suggestions in this forum to "disable" automatic operator selection and to choose it manually
• The test firmware I uploaded yesterday has been working (no red light issue) during 12h hours. But of course I do have "daily reboot" enabled and still continued finding better signal strength in my house. That is difficult as the signal strength is not selective for 5G and 4G but a shared indicator.

Is it possible to share the new firmware you are testing so I can test on my side at the same time (via private message). I had 5 bars on reception but still got "red light". Thanks for your feedback on the progress. I am in contact with support too but the technician is on business trip next week. So I would love to test a new firmware.

Dear TP-Link team,

 

Please find my latest observation:

 

1. I rolled back my Deco X50-5G to the latest official SW 1.1.2 Build 20231117 Rel. 56879 with help of the Deco App
2. And I found the unit being quite unstable because of low signal on 5G (I believe)
3. I switch the Network mode form "5G preferred" to "Only 4G" and Deco turned to "Green LED" and started working in a very stable way - all bars in the Deco App (signal strength) are green, B28 and B3 (4G+) with RSP -81 dBm
4. Deco works fine ~1h hour with solid green
5. Then I may have played with the setting "Operator" Automaric / Manual
6. In the end I I turned on "Network mode" to "5G preferred"
7. Then after few seconds my Deco App says - no SIM card (interesting - please see the screenshot below:

 

 

Sceen above - translation from Finnish to English

Local phone number "-"

Network type "No SIM-card"

Roaming "-"

Frequencey "Nothing"

 

 

8) This time Deco "recovered" and after maybe 10 seconds, the Deco App showed the SIM card information again. And this time the Deco stays "Green LED" even it still in status "5G preferred" and Deco works in a stable way.

 

MY GUT FEELING:

* Is there a sequence of reading the SIM card information when the Deco switch from 4G to 5G? Or vice versa?

* If so, temporarily a "no-SIM card" status is seen. Is it possible that this sequence sometimes "jams" and the Deco looses the connection to the SIM card forever ?

* And likelihood of this sequence / toggling is more probable when you (the end user) is operating on with a 5G enabled SIM, but the signal strength is low on 5G that forces the Deco to toggle between 4G+ and 5G more often than usual

* I hope this sequence helps your team to reproduce the issue in the lab - at least I would recommend to do such a stress test 

 

IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT SW

* In the Deco App section "to find a right location for Deco": 

1) Correct wording in the instructions that says "... in which location the unit can receive the best 5 GHz signal..."

* This is not true with 5G and 4G they are NOT on the 5GHz frequency. 5G is different than 5GHz - this can be only related to user interface translation into Finnish.

* Target with the Deco X50-5G is I believe first to

a) Find the right place for the 4G and 5G (at window in your house)

b) and only after that, you should start thinking the obstacles that prevents WIFI to have a good signal strength all over in your home.

 

Your current instructions are OK for the WIFI only router but NOT for a unit having also the 4G or 5G funciton. When you first have the 4G/5G mobile working followed by WIFI on 2.4/5GHz - you are on the right track. And the instructions actually have to say:

* Find the right window for your 4G and 5G (can be by the separate things that creates confusion)

* Then think if your router is located in "a feasible good" location for cover you whole home (almost line of sight or just light manterial walls in the line of sight). If there are blackouts in your home (WIF) buy a satelline Deco X50 on WIFI6. 

I believe this overall guidance starts people first locating the DECO X50-5G to the right position (ensure good mobile first).

 

 

 

 2) Highlight in the "were to place your Deco page" the value the end user must look at (like RSRP: -84dBm) to verify signal strenght. Desibels typically does not say anything for non-engineers unless you tell more. Or is there also Signal to noise ration to look at?. Clarify the value what to read and how to read it. Which number is better than the other? What is good enough, what is poor, what is excellent. Perhaps to use colour coding too?

 

3) Develop the page in in the app in a way you can see signal strength separately for 4G and 5G so you can understand what is truly happening, especially if the 5G is having poor signal strength. And if necessary, to  manually to disable 5G if toggling between 4G and 5G taking Deco's resources and making interruptions at the time of switching. Create a diagnostic mode / page - that Deco validates both of the modes (4G and 5G) and give signal strength results separately for the 4G and 5G. By having the good settings, improves end user experience, as it seems that Deco toggling between 4G and 5G creates interruptions that should be be avoided

 

4) One antenna installation field engineer asked some help on the phone - Don't you have in Deco a setting like?:

a) 4G only,

b) 5G only, (MISSING IN DECO)

c) 5G and 4G

The answer is "no" right now there is no such setting b) - but this kind of "5G only" would be useful at last for diagnostic purposes to "find out how 5G is working in my location". As 4G may not be in the same location as the 5G base stations masts (?) or depending on the antennas/directional antennas they are using. 

 

Especially if I pay extra for 5G SIM but actually Deco cannot really use it - it would be good have tools to separate these things at least for the diagnostics purposes (find the right spot for your DECO). These kind of settings (a/b/c) are available for other 5G routers. I see your DECO's design logic - make it "easy like in Apple" and to not give unnecessary details for "non-engineers". But when you are in trouble, these are the things - if done right - could be done by the end user. Just moving wisely your router at the right windown in your home. Just five right instructions with supportive web UI/app.

 

5) Consider to have a configurable diagnostic mode for the big LED on the front panel to run "a fast mode" where it very dynamically (in a second resolution) indicates is the Deco on the 4G or 5G or in search of networks. With help of that dynamic LED, I could "monitor" if  my Deco is "toggling" between 4G and 5G and having some issues that may need some attention. Not the only way to do it is refresh the App on iPhone and to see what is going on. Just like the Deco app can in some cases show "orange" for "network unstable". RIght now, if I set my Deco on 5G preferred, it stays white - giving no indication that it's struggling with the networks and falling back to 4G.

 

Rgrds, Henrik

 

 

 

 

 

 

  @antonypg by the way - the way I got my Deco more stable almost a similar context - set the Deco to use 4G only. The LED should turn permanently green and my wild gues is that:

1) You well get more green bars

2) More stable connection

3) More stable data transfer (maybe not the highest speed "as such" but as the unit stops toggling between 5G channels, you will experience "less delays, and more responsive internet"

 

For curiousity - please share your experience.

TP Link Team

 

* A red light death occured with my unit today - in a perfect 5G and 4G environment, in Helsinki City Centre there all networks are strong

* Deco app says - "No SIM-card detected"

* I reboot the Deco X50-5G via Deco App - and it recovered, I keep on trying if I would get the logs for you

 

Conclusion: "The red light death also happens in perfect network environment - with strong 5G and 4G in the Helsinki city centre (Operator Telia)

 

My next step - I will return my unit to a local retailer for warranty replacement as you suggested. Let's see what happens then...

 

Rgrds, Henrik

  @HenrikEkman 

 

I gave up the tests, each time I tested I got "red light" with no apparent problem in the logs.

 

I will send back the unit, the problem will remains at least for a few people in this thread. I'll keep my 4G router which is really stable. I would have loved to use 5G speed but it seems it is not working as expected yet.

HenrikEkman wrote

TP Link Team

 

* A red light death occured with my unit today - in a perfect 5G and 4G environment, in Helsinki City Centre there all networks are strong

* Deco app says - "No SIM-card detected"

* I reboot the Deco X50-5G via Deco App - and it recovered, I keep on trying if I would get the logs for you

 

Conclusion: "The red light death also happens in perfect network environment - with strong 5G and 4G in the Helsinki city centre (Operator Telia)

 

My next step - I will return my unit to a local retailer for warranty replacement as you suggested. Let's see what happens then...

 

Rgrds, Henrik

 

Thanks.

JC

My X50-5G has now changed to a more solid "B20,N28", although sometimes it also lists B1 and B3.

 

Signal strength is showing as strong, so I guess it is tied more to the 4G signal and the addition of B20.

 

Been running now for about a month with no Red lights. I highly recommend setting the Carrier as this fixed all my problems, but maybe I am also lucky having O2 as a carrier and being relatively near to a mast.

 

Not an ideal fix but it looks like TP-Link need to update the software to completely restart the cellular part of the router if a Red light appears.

  @antonypg 

 

I changed carrier to O2, but no way in app manually select bands, not sure what to do, there is diffrrent way to overwrite auto band selection??

 

Many thanks.

  @m7svk I configured the Carrier selection, but I have left the Bands on auto.