I have one of these:
Model: B593s-22
Hardware version: Ver.B
Firmware version: V200R001B180D15SP00C00
I am using it with a Hutchinson 'Three' network SIM card in the UK. The SIM is enabled for 4G but is also capable of 3G connection.
If I select Network Mode = 3G in Admin Panel > Internet > Network Connection, I get Internet data service, incoming voice calls via the RJ11 phone ports, and outgoing voice calls over the RJ11 phone ports. Great, no prob so far.
If I select Network Mode = 4G in Admin Panel > Internet > Network Connection, I get really fast Internet data service. However, I can no longer make incoming calls to the RJ11 phone ports, nor can I make an outgoing call via the RJ11 phone ports.
I had hoped that this router would have been capable of providing a substantially permanent 4G Internet connection whilst simultaneously allowing for the making and receiving of voice calls over the RJ11 phone jacks. Seems this is not possible - it seems that if the router is set to 4G then it will simply not make or receive voice calls at all.
I'd hoped maybe, the 'Auto' setting would work by usually selecting 4G, but switching to 3G temporarily if an incoming or outgoing voice call were detected, before automatically switching back. My router doesn't exhibit this hoped-for behaviour - whether this is due to the router itself or, maybe I have borderline 4G coverage, I don't know..
Is an automatic drop-back to 3G when a voice call is in progress, or simultaneous use of both 4G and 3G whilst a call is in progress, not technically possible? I'm aware that certainly in the UK as of yet, the 4G network does not support voice calls on any of the available networks (Vodafone, 3, O2, EE) so some form of fallback or dual-mode is required to allow the seamless / automatic existence of permanent voice call making & reception capability.
At the moment it seems in order to use both 4G and have the facility for voice calls, both 'on' at the same time, I have to keep manually switching the router to 3G to make a call, then back to 4G to reenable fast Internet. (assuming I'm happy not to be reachable on voice whilst I am surfing 4G).
This seems clunky. Can this be addressed in a future firmware upgrade? Am I simply missing a setting somewhere?
EDIT
SORRY - on closer testing I can see that actually, if you set Admin Panel > 'Internet' > 'Network Connection' > 'Network Mode' to 'Auto', then, if the router is sitting in 4G mode when a call comes in or the handset is lifted, it DOES automatically drop back to 3G to take / allow the call.
It does not, however, automatically recover to 4G mode by itself - it stays in 3G mode until forced back manually to 4G. It will then stay in 4G mode until the next voice call occurs. Still seems a bit clunky.. or, is borderline 4G coverage possibly to blame at my location?
I have one external yagi antenna connected to external antenna port #1, and the antenna config set to 'auto'. The unit injdicates it is using the external antenna on port #1, and the builtin antenna on the other. I only generally get one bar of signal, sometimes 2. Same for both 3G & 4G.
EDIT
I replaced the directional yagi beam antenna on port #1 with a horizontally omnidirectional colinear antenna for 800MHz with allegedly circa 8dBi gain. I get a more solid 2 bars on 4G now, and when a voice call occurs, it drops back to 3G before... recovering automatically to 4G after the voice call completes.
So, it seems it's all down to signal strength. Problem fixed.
