Koti » Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 and MR2100 supported 4G CA Combinations

Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 and MR2100 supported 4G CA Combinations

Most of the mobile device manufactures don’t tell you of supported 4G LTE CA (Carrier Aggrecation) combinations on their hardware specifications but these are very important to know because they are the key factor to get best performance on your device and network.

We are not quite sure why manufacturers are so reluctant to publish this information but one of the reason could be that it is quite complicated. Many devices have carrier policy which will tell the modem to limit combinations because if device supports over 128 combinations the modem will slow down. Therefore it is better to limit CA combinations per mobile phone operator.

MR1100

Tested device is EU-version and running NTG9X50C_12.06.03.00 firmware. If you like to do band locking for this device, check our article here.

Supported 4G bands are 1,3,7,8,20,28,38,40,41.

Combos are moved to cacombos.com

MR2100

Tested device is EU-version and running  NTGX24_10.13.12.00 firmware. At the moment, you cannot check the current running CA-combination on AT-terminal as you can in MR1100. This issue might be resolved in the future with the new firmware release though.

Supported 4G bands are 1,3,7,8,20,28,38,40,41

Combos are moved to cacombos.com

 

These CA combos may change in the future with new firmware updates. Combinations may also vary on different consumer markets or networks.

Update 26.5.2020: Combination table is moved to cacombos.com

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29 thoughts on “Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 and MR2100 supported 4G CA Combinations”

  2. juho
    Reply

    If your mobile phone operator supports CA in your area and you have CA capable device, it is automatic function. For example running speedtest should automatically enable CA.

    1. Sebastiii
      Reply

      Hi KOSH,
      Thanks for the script you have made, didn’t tested it yet.
      I have an issue with MR1, it’s the CA aggregation that stop working after a while, in France, I connected to 3CA (LTE All or any manual band added to MR1)
      Then on telnet, I can see PCC with SCC1 and SCC2 when downloading data, on FREE provider 4G, the aggregation is not always activated but only when download data (not in upload).
      I don’t know if it’s the same for other provider still, after a while, MR1 is not using all CA configured but something, it stay on PCC only and most of the time with PCC + SCC1 but no more SCC2.
      Only way to have it back is to manually change “Band Region” to another settings and back to “LTE All”.
      This is really weird bug !!!
      Btw, you have a very nice installation 😛

  8. KOSH
    Reply

    Unfortunately, the router always uses the Band with the best RSRP as the PCC Band.In most cases it is the band with the lowest frequency band B20 than B3.B1.I had the same problem and had to amplify band 7 (2600MHz) which is on the internal hidden pins. Since then, Volume 7 has always been the PCC Band. look at RSRP in at!gstatus?

    old constellation
    https://www.lte-anbieter.info/lte-forum/attachments/antenne-4-jpg.3880/

    new constellation
    https://www.lteforum.at/attachments/img_20200410_142243-jpg.24430/

    https://www.lteforum.at/attachments/1586521947633-png.24368/

    https://www.lteforum.at/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedtest.net%2Fresult%2F9267325550.png&hash=e2e16bd0282fc5b5e4fe4eb21d5878d1

  9. Sebastiii
    Reply

    Thanks KOSH,
    The way I’m forcing B7 as PCC is to switch between band B7 to LTE ALL if not ok B7 to again LTE ALL and again and again and most of the time, it can stay on B7 🙂

    But the other issue I was seeing is that after a while it can be 15 min or 2 hours, the aggregation failed, I mean it’s set on LTE ALL but aggregation is not getting other band on only 1.

    Image at starting router :
    B7 or what ever as PCC
    B3 and B28 as SCC1 and SCC2 or what ever band.

    After 15 min (same IP wan address and the router didn’t reboot)
    B7 always as PCC and then :
    – Full aggregation available (SCC1 and SCC2) – this is normal case
    – No more aggreation available – this is wrong
    B3 or B28 as SCC1 – this is wrong too.

    To solve this, I juste BandRegion to one other and back to LTE ALL and after a while it happen again 🙁

    I don’t understand why !!!
    This is visible only in term of download bandwidth and of course with telnet at!gstatus?

    To make this test, I must start speedtest, this is the only way where full aggregation is taking full band otherwise without download data (strong one) most of the time the router is on PCC, this is the logic in France for sure on FREE 4G providers

    I suppose the logic in Netgear failed somehow because of that but I don’t know 🙁

    Just to confirming, all aggregation is done only when downloading data (strong one, linux ISO / speedtest for ex) as soon as I’ m stopping donwload, the Netgear is back as onlt allocate PCC but as soon as I’m starting again donwloading, it allocates SCC1 and SCC2 but at random time, this is no more working and it stay only with PCC or PCC + SCC1 and only Bandregion change fixed it (reboot router also).

    So not sure why ?? Does on your side all PCC and SCC and allocated with download anything ?

    The second issue, I’m seeing is that in pass-through mode, when interrogating the Netgear webpage or it’s model.JSON page, the bandwitdh decrease a lot but not only with that also testing multiple connection like torrent does that too instead in router mode where the impact is minimal. Not sure, it you’re already seeing this too ?

    Thanks 🙂

  10. KOSH
    Reply

    Btw, you have a very nice installation 😛

    THX SEBASTIII

    That was my first Script ever but everyone starts

  12. Sebastiii
    Reply

    Hello KOSH,
    I understand about PCC (always selected by best signal) 😛

    But we misunderstand here, what ever the value of PCC band, after a while, the aggregation didn’t work anymore.

    I’ve set the router in “LTE ALL” so 3CA here, and I’m getting PCC + SCC1 and SCC2 at “AT!GSTATUS?” (what ever the band is for PCC, I don’t care here).

    After a while, it can be 15 minutes or more like few hours or 1 hour, it’s completely random, when I look at “AT!GSTATUS?” because I can see the bandwidth lower than with my normal with 3CA, there is no more PCC + SCC1 and SCC2, only PCC or only PCC with SCC1, it’s totally random here too and I can confirm that router didn’t reboot by itself and it is always at “LTE ALL” as setting.

    To have it back 3CA working again, I need to manually change band to another one (different from “LTE ALL”) and back to “LTE ALL” after doing this, 3CA is back, also, if I want, I can reboot the router too but switching band is faster.

    Like you said, when I’m doing this, the router pickup the best signal band for PCC and aggregate my 2 others band (SCC1 and SCC2)

    And after a while, it’s doing it again and I must do the same manipulation.

    I really don’t know if it’s a Netgear issue alone or an issue with the 4G LTE provider that cut the aggregation randomly !!!

  13. KOSH
    Reply

    @SEBASTIII do you use a external directional antenna to get always the right Tower ? Aggregation only work if all Bands are in same CELL-ID

  14. Sebastiii
    Reply

    @KOSH Hi, yes like I said all is working until aggregation stop working RSSI signal is -55 and RSRP -82 for B7 and better signal for B3 and B28 👍 and of course all is in the right Tower and same CELL-ID. It happen also on 2CA. So must be an issue with Netgear and my provider. Like I said, CA for my provider is cumulative when there is some download bandwidth used if none only PCC is active. But when I starting to download something aggregation take other bands for the same tower/CELL-ID. But after a while Netgear didn’t use it anymore. Maybe this is the issue with my provider? In your country, does it work the same? Does the bands are dynamically aggregate when you download something or it always active when nothing is downloading?

  15. KOSH
    Reply

    Hmmm
    I still think you have a second tower with the same Provider that acts as a jammer with the same Bands

    Do you have an external Antenna ?

  16. Sebastiii
    Reply

    Hi,
    Yes I have External antenna but does the same without, I’m pretty sure it’s a bug in firmware because when it happen the router didn’t disconnect for a while (the same WAN IP and the same PCC Band PCI LAC etc.) it just doesn’t give SCC1 and SCC2 randomly after a while !

  17. KOSH
    Reply

    @SEBASTIII new Firmware 12.06.12.00— 26.05.2020
    Bug Fixes:
    Added CA combo: 1A2+3A2+7A2+28A2

    Please tell us if CA work now 🙂

      1. Sebastiii
        Reply

        Hi 🙂 how did you find new CA on MR1100 ? (validated one)
        Also, the issue is always present CA failed to work after most of the time one hour but I’m looking at it all 30 mins but it’s random and can happen at anytime !
        I’m seeing : PCC + SCC1 or PCC only while 3CA is set (same WAN IP), changing the band and back to 3CA make PCC + SCC1 + SCC2 working again for a while until it failed again.
        This bug is really strange !!

        1. minh
          Reply

          I validate CA Combinations support from UE Capability Information message.

          Even device support example 3CA, the network still could have different kind parameter how CA activate. That is bit more complicated. Of course could be also device issue but very hard to know.

          1. Sebastiii

            Thanks for your answer 🙂
            Then how did you get UE Capability Information message on MR1100 ?

  19. Sebastiii
    Reply

    Hi 🙂 ah this is great 🙂 I’m hoping it will work better.
    BTW, how did you read : CA combo: 1A2+3A2+7A2+28A2 ?
    Thanks 🙂

  21. mzaher
    Reply

    HI 🙂
    Is there any way to make IMEI Repair for this device (MR1100) using the Telnet commands, because our 4G provider blocked all the FDD bands and now it only runs TDD 2300 band which is so slow here?

  23. Christian
    Reply

    Great article!

    Is this the correct syntax AT!BAND=04,”LTE CA (28/7/3)”,0,8000044

    how to write 7C-3?

    /C

    1. minh
      Reply

      You can include multiple bands like 3 and 7 this includes 7C-3 combination then but I recommend keep just default configuration. Network should give to you best aggregation by default.

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