MR1100 reception/connection problems

I just bought a Nighthawk M1 MR1100 and am having an issue with it going from 4-5 bars of AT&T LTE signal reception to zero bars and no reception pretty often and for seemingly no reason. I have it sitting on my desk which is where it has stayed and I never know when I look at it if it'll be at full bars or nothing. There's an AT&T tower that's just on the other side of the hill from me and my AT&T phone has 4 bars consistently. 

What's even stranger to me is that I'll often have internet connectivity even when the device says it has no reception and the signal strength indicator in the browser interface reads 'N/A'. Stranger still is that when the device says it has no signal I'm getting upload speeds of between 7-9 mbps whereas with the LTE signal strength at 4 or 5 bars my upload speed is consitently between 2-5 mbps.

The firmware is up to date running 12.06.11.00.

Any ideas as to why the signal strenth is fluctuating on the device when the signal on my phone, which is using the same LTE Band12, is consistent, and why I'm still getting internet sometimes even when it says there's no signal? Also, any suggestions for fixes other than returning it for a new one?