This article is specific to the C4R400 Router regarding how to change the frequency band used by the router (usually used to get better speeds):
The first thing to know is that we configure the router for "auto" when we first send it out to the customer. This is done because every customer location is different..... different towers with different bands (frequency bands) being broadcast. It is important to note that all towers WILL NOT broadcast on all bands. It is important to know which bands are available in your area (more on this later). Also note, if you lock to a specific band, the router will ALWAYS use that band until locked to a different band, or set back to auto...... this is important for people in a mobile situation (such as a full time RV person).
The first step is to know what bands are available in your area. There are 2 realistic ways to do this. One is by "trial and error" which simply means to try a band to see if it works, and just keep moving through the bands until you find the one that works, and works best for you. The second way is to try to look up the towers and bands in your area. To do this, you can use www.cellmapper.net website. First select your carrier (AT&T mobility, Verizon (not reseller), or T-Mobile USA) then enter your address in the "find location" box. If the map does not find your exact address, just put in the closest town/city and move the map to your location. Keep in mind, this map is not 100% perfectly reliable..... it is NOT OFFICIAL..... this map is "crowd sourced" which means it has the info that other users have added to it. But..... it is a good guide to get a good idea of what is around you.
Next, you need to know what carriers use which bands. For each carrier, the bands with a * are the PRIMARY bands (and usually the most congested). Here is a list for you:
| Carrier | 3G Frequencies | 4G Bands |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon | CDMA 800, 1900 PCS | 2, 4, 5, 13*, 66 |
| AT&T | GSMA/HSPA/HSPA+ 1900 MHz, 850 MHz | 2, 4, 5, 12*, 14, 17*, 29, 30, 66 |
| T-Mobile | GSM/HSPA/HSPA+ 1900 MHz, 1700/2100 MHz | 2*, 4*, 5, 12*, 66, 71* |
| Sprint | CDMA 800 MHz, 1900 MHz | 25*, 26, 41 |
HINT: for AT&T band 14 is usually the best, and for T-Mobile band 71 is usually best......... but not always.... just a hint.
Now that you know what bands each carrier uses, and presumably have looked up your area to see what is used in your area (not required)..... now it is time to lock the router to bands and test it for best speed.... The following steps are presuming you have not changed any settings on the router (default settings we sent it to you with)......
First..... log in to the router. To do this, open a web browser and go to 192.168.100.1 where you will see a router login screen. The default password is admin
(***NOTE: for the newer version 2 router, the address is 192.168.1.1 and when you login it may pop up a new tab that you need to close)
Next, presuming you currently have an active connection, you need to look at the upper left hand box that says "LTE connect status" and slide the connection to OFF.
Now we will use the top middle box that says "LTE Network Status" and click on the network settings. This will bring you to the next page that says "connection settings" where you will have 5 boxes on the left side..... choose "network settings" if it is not selected already.
Now in the middle of the screen you will see "set frequency band" as a drop down box that you can select. NOTE: if the box is greyed out and you cannot use it, then you forgot to slide the connection to "off" in the previous step.... go back and do that first. By default, it is set to auto, which basically is all of the bands together. In this drop down box you can select the specific band you wish to try..... then click apply. At this point you MUST restart the router.... you can either select the "reset connection" button..... or simply power it off and back on. You MUST do this each time you change the band for it to take effect.
Give it about 30 seconds to connect and run a speed test using www.speedof.me to see the results. PLEASE NOTE: please only use www.speedof.me for speed tests as it is most reliable for hotspots.
So..... You have now locked to a specific band and tested it. If it does not work at all, follow the above steps to try a different band. If it does work and you are satisfied, then you are finished. If not satisfied, then repeat the steps above with different bands each time until you find the one you like best. PLEASE NOTE: just because a band is good "right now" does not mean it will always be..... just like you are changing bands, other people do as well. You may need to do this again from time to time if you begin to experience problems.
Happy surfing!
