770 S hotspot isn't set to 4GLte after a reset

[jlowe0527]

I have an AT&T Aircard 770S hot spot.  A couple weeks ago I started getting "AT&T Free Message: Your attempt to connect to data service was unsuccessful.  Please try again later." 2-3 times a week.  At first, power cycling the hot spot did the trick but this Monday it didn't.  I called AT&T and after several unsuccessful troubleshooting attempts, the rep finally suggested a factory reset.  I backed up the config file, did the reset and restored from the backup.  When it came back up, my plan was set to Unl, which I later found out meant Unlimited (which I'm not) and only 4G, not the 4G Lte it's always been.  The rep created a ticket & said I would hear back in 72 hours.  I did not.  I have mobile hot spot on my cell phone as a backup so I started using it in the meantime.  On Wednesday, I got the same data message.  I called & the rep said there wasn't anything he could do because the only issue he saw was that the local tower was busy.  I asked about my hotspot & he told me to go to a corporate store and have them check the APN & the SIM card.  He knew nothing about APN but did change the SIM card.  It did remove my Unl status but it's still only set for 4G. He gave me a phone number to Advanced Technical Support but they weren't open.  I called yesterday but was intercepted because I have a pre-paid plan.  The rep that answered said he contacted Netgear & Advanced Technical Support but had no updates; and they would contact me w/i 72 hours.  I have NEVER heard from anyone and it's been well over 72 hours.  So, 2 questions:

1)  DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THE HOTSPOT TO SEE 4G Lte AGAIN?

2)  I got the data error message again today w/my cell phone hot spot.  Isn't that an indication that there's something wrong with the local data network???

Thanks in advance!

[devin07]

It would help to know what 4G/LTE speeds your hotspot's cellular data modem is capable of. If it's on the same wireless carrier as your phones, and your phones have very similar 4G/LTE modem capabilities to what your hotspot has, it would help to know what online speed test results your phones get via their 4G/LTE modems.

It could be that you're already getting all the speed you can get, and improving the signal strength won't improve speed. It's hard to know that without knowing the relevant technical details of your equipment.