Cellular Troubleshooting steps…..
Besides VSAT, and lately Starlink, Cellular System are one of the main systems used for Internet usage. However, sometimes these connections can become problematic, leading to slow speeds, high latency, and dropped connections. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you get your cellular connection back up and running.
Check your signal strength and coverage
The first thing to check is your signal strength and coverage. A weak signal or poor coverage can cause slow speeds and dropped connections. Try moving the vessel to a different location if possible, to see if that improves the signal strength. You can also use a cellular signal strength meter or an app to measure the signal strength. This is for sure not the most preferred option and often not possible but need to mentioned. Sometimes it can be helpful to check the carries websites, or use at https://www.nperf.com (Network coverage) to check the coverage in the area. Be aware that this websites might not reflect the reality.
Check for network congestion
If the signal strength is good but you’re still experiencing slow speeds and high latency, it could be due to network congestion. Cellular networks can become over-saturated during peak usage times, or at locations with many ships around especially. To check if the network is congested, you can use a tool like Ookla’s Speedtest or Fast.com to measure your connection speed. If the speed is significantly slower than expected, or the latency jumps very high could indicate a high network congestion.
Router Band Selection
Make sure your router is set up correctly and is using the appropriate cellular network settings. Some routers can be set to use specific frequency bands for better performance. Higher frequency bands typically have more bandwidth available, so it’s worth trying to force the router to use particular bands only.
Read more about Band Selection: https://www.navistrado.com/high-low-bands/
Note:
Also try different servers as some might don’t have the bandwidth or just heavy traffic at present.
Cellular Repeaters
One of the main issues that can arise from using a cellular repeater system onboard a ship is signal interference. If the onboard repeater system is not set up correctly, it can cause signal interference and disrupt the cellular signals of other nearby devices.
Surely you are not able to switch of the repeater on the boats around you but, you can try switching of your repeater for testing.
For sure there is reason why repeaters need to be switched off while close to land anyway.
Check for other interference
Interference from other devices, such as other cellular devices, Wi-Fi networks, or microwaves from Radars, can also cause problems with your cellular connection. Try turning off other devices to see if that improves your connection. Check the Installation and make sure the router is located away from any large metal objects, as this can also cause interference.
Check for firmware updates
Make sure your router is running the latest firmware updates. Firmware updates can often fix bugs and improve performance.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several things to consider when troubleshooting cellular connection problems on onboard ship routers. By checking your signal strength and coverage, network congestion, router settings, interference, and firmware updates, you can get your connection back up and running in no time. Don’t forget that higher frequencies have more bandwidth available, so it’s worth trying to force the router to use particular bands only for testing.
