Carriers broadcast their networks on several Bands, or ranges of frequencies. They offer different bands in different areas depending on signal, tower, and population density. The different bands offer differing speeds and coverage ranges. The bands with the highest frequencies offer the highest speeds, but smaller coverage areas. Below is a table of the most common bands/frequencies used in the US. In short, the higher the frequency and output power on that frequency the faster the speeds. Understand that even if your on the highest frequency with the highest power, that doesn't always mean its the best one to be connected to. Wireless frequency Interference does play a role here, so if you are really far from a tower or have your LTE modem behind walls/ metal/ stone/ brick, you likely would have better performance on a lower frequency in which can penetrate that material more effectively. See more about signal here
| Carrier | 4G LTE Bands | Frequencies (MHz) |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T (Blue) | 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 30, 66 | 1900, 1700 AWS, 850 CLR , 700 AC/PS, 2300 , 1700/2100 Ext AWS |
| T-Mobile (Pink) | 2, 4, 12, 66, 71 | 1900, 1700 def, 700 a, 1700/2100 Ext AWS, 600 (5G Freq) |
| Verizon (Red) | 2, 4, 13, 66 | 1900, 1700 AWS, 700 C, 1700/2100 Ext AWS |
Scanning for available Bands
First, you'll want to use the "Bandscanner" function to identify which bands are even visible to the MOFI where you have the device setup.
Log into the MOFI's web browser by typing in the following IP into Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer's web browsers' URL bar: 192.168.10.1 . Hit enter to have the we browser search that IP address. It will bring up the MOFI's User interface so long as you are connected to the MOFI's wifi or hardwired into the device with a LAN cable.
The default username is root and the password is: admin
In the left-hand menu, Select Network --> Mofi Internal Modem --> BandScanner
Click Start Scan
Note the available bands after the report finishes. You are more than welcome to take a screenshot or send us these results and we can help you pick which one would likely work the best.
Locking the MoFi to a Frequency Band
Next, let's try locking to the different bands. You'll test each of the available bands by selecting a band then once the device reboots, you will then do a speed test at www.nperf.com to determine the speed of the currently selected band. You will repeat this step on each of the available bands and then once you know the speeds of each one, you can lock it onto the one that performs the best.
Note: The strongest band is not always the fastest (this is read on the RSRP and is read in -XXX dbm. The higher the number the worse the signal is, and the lower the number, the better it is)
- Log into the MoFi's web browser at 192.168.10.1. The default username is root and the password is admin
- In the left-hand menu, Select Network --> Mofi Internal Modem --> BandLock
Select the band you want to lock onto and click next and follow the process to lock the band.
Wait for the MoFi to come back online and then browse to the website www.nperf.com . Click the large "Start Test" button to perform the test and take note of the upload and download speeds. Repeat this test several times with several minutes in between to get a good idea of consistency. For reference, in order to seamlessly stream an 720 p HD video, an internet connection capable of at least of 5 Mbps download speed is recommended and for 1080p HD you'd want around 10 Mbps for download speed.
Repeat steps 1-4 for each available band in your area and finally lock the MoFi to the band that reported the most consistently fast results.