LB1120 - 4G LTE Modem - No Connectivity (Bell LTE in Canada)

[dma999999]

Just got one of these, specifically for the bridge mode. For use in Canada on the Bell Mobility LTE network (which I understand is supposed to be compatible. Had the SIM in a Huwei hub provided by Bell, which worked just fine.

Anyway, put the SIM in the Netgear, powered on and connected directly to my PC with Ethernet. Log in and it indicates that I'm disconnected. Interestingly, it shows me an SMS, so at least those are coming through.

I check the APN settings and notice it's set to pda.bell.ca. Check on the Bell site, and for turbo sticks it's supposed to be set to inet.bell.ca. So I change it. Still no connectivity.

So I try manually selecting the network. When I scan, it usually shows me three networks. Bell, Rogers, and sometimes Telus but other times EXT. I have no idea what EXT is. The first time I do this, it shows Rogers as current. So I think that must be the problem. I select Bell and wait. Nothing happens. Try it again. This time after the scan it shows "EXTUS" (whatever that is) as current. Try selecting Bell again. No change. See screenshots below.

Also tried turning it on and off between the change in settings. Didn't make a difference. Still disconnected. I'm pretty sure it isn't a problem with the SIM card, as it worked on the Huawei and I seem to be geting some basic connectivity (i.e. the SMS message and the ability to scan for networks). 

Has anyone else experienced the same issue? Not sure what else I'm supposed to do, short of returning the thing. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

[dma999999 · Accepted solution]

My bad. Apparently this is an issue with the carrier (Bell). Unlike SIM cards for phones, those for data only devices are locked to that device's IMEI and serial number and can only be changed through Bell.

Thought I'd perhaps mention it here in case someone else runs into the same issue.

[dma999999 · Accepted solution]

My bad. Apparently this is an issue with the carrier (Bell). Unlike SIM cards for phones, those for data only devices are locked to that device's IMEI and serial number and can only be changed through Bell.

Thought I'd perhaps mention it here in case someone else runs into the same issue.

[solodino]

I am also thinking to purchase a LB1120 for Bell LTE. After you called Bell to associate your sim card with the Netgear modem, did it work eventually? Thanks!

[dma999999]

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is do not bother calling to do this. They take you through a silly verification process that seems to be designed to preclude them from helping you.

What I ended up doing is going to Bell store and they just unlocked the SIM altogether, so that it can be used with any device. After that was done, everything worked just fine. Note however that I had already completed the 2 year contract (which I entered into because they had initially provided me the device I had been using for free). If you're just getting set up with Bell, might want to make it clear that they need to unlock the SIM for you when you first get it. I can't imagine it would be a problem if you're not getting a subsidized device.

If you already have a device, you can also do the transfer on-line through the Bell website. However, that functionality was only enabled for me once I had finished my 2 year contract. If you plan to do this, make sure you still have access to your existing device and that you can see SMS messages transmitted to it, and ensure you have the IMEI of the LB1120 on hand, as it will send an SMS to validate the transfer request. Personally, I wouldn't bother because an unlocked SIM is way better, but just FYI in case you don't want to visit a store.

Hope this is of some assistance.

[solodino]

Thanks a lot for your reply!

In my case, I have Rogers mobililty Internet already but the signal strength is not always consistent. I got a month-to-month plan with Bell to test their signal, with the hope that I can use the Rogers device and Bell helped me to bind the Bell sim card to the Rogers device but we haven't had much luck yet. That's why I am looking to buy this modem. I prefer a simple modem rather a consumer grade LTE router the carriers sell to you, so I can connect it to my router directly.

From your experience, I guess unlock the sim card is the best way to go. I will update once I manage to have it work.

Thanks again!