Database Users

Can someone plse explain difference between GPRS & GSM

Being a newbie and only having an XDA1 I keep hearing the words GPRS and GSM banded about. Can someone plse tell me the differences between the two>???
Thanks john

GPRS is short for General Packet Radio Service, a standard for wireless communications which runs at speeds up to 115 kilobits per second,
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) 9.6 kilobits. so 11 times slower
GSM is mostly used for voice calls and SMS
GPRS for DATA-transfer ie MMS,surfing,email,...
GSM is usually charged by time ie minutes/second
GPRS by amount of data ie KiloBytes,Megabytes
You can surf or check email with GSM but then you'll have to use your GSM as a modem with a dial-in connection.
That's what i think, maybe I'm wrong but I'm sure the experts will correct me.

M4io said:
GPRS is short for General Packet Radio Service, a standard for wireless communications which runs at speeds up to 115 kilobits per second,
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) 9.6 kilobits. so 11 times slower
GSM is mostly used for voice calls and SMS
GPRS for DATA-transfer ie MMS,surfing,email,...
GSM is usually charged by time ie minutes/second
GPRS by amount of data ie KiloBytes,Megabytes
You can surf or check email with GSM but then you'll have to use your GSM as a modem with a dial-in connection.
That's what i think, maybe I'm wrong but I'm sure the experts will correct me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right.
GPRS is a data transfer protocol which runs OVER the GSM network. GPRS is a digital based protocol which is why high speeds can be achieved compared to GSM.

GPRS & GSM
Yep. generally speaking.........
Both can be used to surf the net (WWW) but generally GPRS is cheaper and faster.
GSM will dial up a server for your email and surfing. Your calls over GSM to a server generally cost 10 pence per minute, although it can be free depending on your personal tariff with your network (O2, Orange, Vodaphone, T Mobile, 3....)
GPRS is connected by your service provider, and you pay for what you download, by the KB, prices range fron £1 a megabyte to £7 depending on the supplier.
Coverage varies from mobile to mobile and area to area and of course network to network, for both GPRS & GSM.

Hi
For the networks, supporting GPRS meant a relatively simple firmware update to all but the oldest base stations. GPRS is pretty crude, if offers higher data rates at the expense of network capacity and makes poor use of the available spectrum (compared to W-CDMA G3 modulation schemes).
A basestation will have available to it a number of standard frequencies for GSM comms, say 50 channels, these channels will be different to the channels used on the neighboring base stations.
Each of these channels is split up into 8 time slots. In a GSM config, a mobile gets 1 timeslot, so 8 calls can take place 'at the same time' on the same channel. The base station and mobiles decide who is gonna transmit and when. This happens so fast that as far as the user is concerned they have a comms channel to themselves. This is TDMA Time Domain, Multiple Access.
Interestingly the time slots are so narrow that if you have phone A on located 20KM from the base station on timeslot 8, and phone B next to the base station on timeslot 2, then phone A will transmit its data before phone B, with the data arriving at the base station in correct time-slot order!
Mobile networks also support time-slot and channel hopping to get around network interference problems, and more importantly to counteract the issues of dopler shift when the mobile is moving at speed.
GPRS works simply by making more of these timeslots available to a single mobile. The fact that data is bursty means that the base station can hand out timeslots fairly efficiently. The 2 current systems for GPRS are class 8 and class 10
Class 8 offers 4 download timeslots and 1 upload timeslot
Class 10 offers 3 download timeslot and 2 upload timeslots
Each slot offers from 9.6K to 21.4K depending on network configuration (basically thats the width the RF channel, perhaps also the no of slots that the channel is split into - cant remember). In the UK I beleieve that each timeslot runs at 14.4K. You will however not see that since some of it is used for error correction.
O2 defaults to class 10. I dont know whether this is locked at the network level and I never tried changing it.
Class 10 will hence give max 43.2K down / 28800 up and
class 8 is 57.6K down, 14.4K up
You can knock 20% of those figures for error correction duties.
It would be possible for GPRS to run in 7/1 mode to give 7x14K4 = 100.8K down / 14.4K up. I dont think any networks or devices support such a configuration though!
Its been a while since I worked in this field so this info may be out of date by now. GPRS is not that much faster than HSCSD (high speed circuit switched data), but its much more efficient in its use of the bandwidth.
Ever been up a mountain miles from nowhere, had a screen full of signal bars but never managed to make a call?? Its a limitation of GSM (or rather the config of the network). A phone must be able to respond within the correct timeslot, if the phone is too far away then it can miss its slot altogether, hence full bars, but no calling! In the UK, the network setup means that the limit is around 25KM, in australia, they have extended this to around 100KM in rural locations.
Roll on EDGE - 2.5G++ its a new modulation scheme for GSM that makes *much much* better use of the spectrum. Should give us 256K on the move - i.e it will be pushing into 3G terratory bandwidth wise. Trouble is, GPRS was a firmware update for most base stations, EDGE is gonna require hardware. I would not be surprised though if we did not see networks giving up on taking 3G coverage beyond 70-80% of population, and rely on EDGE/GPRS to cover the dregs.
Nigel

Is there a way I can still get my GSM calls when I am connected to GPRS ?
As a matter of fact I do when the GPRS is Idle. But when there is some data transfer happening and a call comes in, It goes off to my voice mail !!!
Isn't it supposed to put the GPRS on hold and take the call ?
Any settings or any ideas ?
regards,
Arun

How is the EDGE functionality?

Is EDGE everything it's cracked up to be? Can you share the speed of EDGE with a laptop using the Wireless Modem? Any info would be appreciated.

Since no one bothered to answer me, I'll answer myself. After receiving my Qtek 9100 yesterday, I configured my device as I had lways done for T-Mobile's GPRS service. Since T-Mobile's EDGE upgrade was free to their internet service users, the setup was the same as their regular GPRS service (internet2.voicestream.com).
The speed is just as fast as it's supposed to be. The new wireless modem utility is easier to use than HTC's older version, and it uses the same USB Modem Dialer program on the laptop. The speed on the laptop seems just as fast as the speed on the device itself, but the speed was inconsistent when I tested with pcpitstop.com (35 kbps-108 kbps).
I have T-Mobile's unlimited internet plan, so I left the internet connected all night on my laptop. It did not drop, and the speed was still fast the next morning. I'm very happy so far with the Wizard.

I even didn´t know that the Wizard/MDA Vario supports EDGE!
But T-Mobile is not offering EDGE in Germany so far. They won´t, cause nobody will need it. And soon their will be a new Service after UMTS/WCDMA, HSDPA will allow speeds up to 7mbit until the year 2010. In the beginning it will only be possible to reach speeds up to 1,8mbit.. but it is enough! :wink:

Verizon in the U.S. is offering high speed wireless. Edge doesn't even come close, but at least it's faster than their old service.
I guess I'll have to buy a new device when they roll out a faster service here... :shock:

my jasjar is slow as hell. what sim card do u have?

littleman
JasJar only supports GPRS (comparable to dialup) in the USA it does not support Edge or the UMTS 1900 as required in the USA if it did and had 850 I would purchase one in a sec.

Edge seems to be working pretty good for me here in Kuwait. I use it both on my KJAM directly and with my laptop connecting to the KJAM over bluetooth. I've gotten speeds in the range of 128 kbps - 170 kbps which is pretty good.

3G vs HSDPA

Guys, I just want to confirm that my Ameo really is running on 3.5G (HSDPA). Is there some icon or way to confirm that? I see the 3G icon at the top but bandwidth test returns 1.1 mbps and I expect more from HSDPA. Or does T-Mobile need to set a switch on their end? I have the web-n-walk plan.
Thanks,
Krip

1.1 is HSDPA, not UTMS

When connected to normal 3G network my Dopod U1000 shows a 3G icon, after HSDPA network covered it will show a H icon.

simdao said:
When connected to normal 3G network my Dopod U1000 shows a 3G icon, after HSDPA network covered it will show a H icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi, since you can connect to the HSDPA, can you kindly do a test for me for this problem?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=302827

Am i on HSDPA....
As soon as you get higher bandwidth than 384 Kbps then you are on HSDPA regardless of what the icon on your phone reads, most networks have the feature enabled to register the "H" icon whebn you are using HSDPA but not all. The message is part of a SIB broadcast and is set as a parameter on the BTS cell that covers you - if this message is not enabled then you will only ever see the "3G" icon
As for speed 1.1 Mbps is about average if you are in a well populated area, the restriction comes mostly from the capacity available in in the BTS site serving you, most operators only have around 2x E1 (approx 4 Mbps) for the entire site so if you have more than 1 user on HSDPA then you will only get around 1 Mbps each - this dynamicaly adjusts if there is more bandwidth available for you to use. To get the higher speeds then you must be in a cell that uses 16QAM modulation (Tytn has this feature) and T-Mobile has this enabled on every site in the network but not all operators do!

normal 3G is 384Kbps download Hsdpa on T-mobile is restricted to their max network speed of 1Mbps but there are rumours of them soon going to 3.8 mbps, but the athena maxes out at 1.8 mbps anyway, so if you want full speed get a USB dongle.

web and walk plus
Im not sure if you are aware but to enable the hsdpa you must be on the "web and walk max" package in the uk.
If you are on the standard W&W package you will not benefit. I have the MAX W&W and can now enjoy the faster hsdpa connection, further more I can get faster speeds using my ameo and wifirouter linked to my laptop than I actualy get via my usb tmobile dongle.
In a nutshell, dont pay extra for the slower hsdpa dongle, not when you can pay £5 extra for the W&WMAX and enjoy wireless connection at a higher speed. I usualy use my laptop with the ameo tucked away inside my suit jacket, and often have people wondering where my dongle is!

hedgemonstahinz said:
Im not sure if you are aware but to enable the hsdpa you must be on the "web and walk max" package in the uk.
If you are on the standard W&W package you will not benefit. I have the MAX W&W and can now enjoy the faster hsdpa connection, further more I can get faster speeds using my ameo and wifirouter linked to my laptop than I actualy get via my usb tmobile dongle.
In a nutshell, dont pay extra for the slower hsdpa dongle, not when you can pay £5 extra for the W&WMAX and enjoy wireless connection at a higher speed. I usualy use my laptop with the ameo tucked away inside my suit jacket, and often have people wondering where my dongle is!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true, I have both W&W added to my phone account and W&Wmax on a data card and both sims are capable of full 1mbps HSDPA in either device

Restricted network speeds on T-Mobile
ice_coffee said:
normal 3G is 384Kbps download Hsdpa on T-mobile is restricted to their max network speed of 1Mbps but there are rumours of them soon going to 3.8 mbps, but the athena maxes out at 1.8 mbps anyway, so if you want full speed get a USB dongle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there, T-Mobile does not have any restrictions on download speeds apart from your service level (wnw max, plus etc) almost all wnw users can use the maximum speed available to them (apart from the newer users). The network is fully 3.8Mbps already and has been for around 9 months, within the next 8 weeks it will be 9.6Mbps capable (with a new datacard or release 6 mobile device) and within 6 months they should be around 10.7Mbps capable - most of the restrictions that users see (speeds not higher than 1.2Mbps etc) come from lack of capacity in the BTS site or transmission backhaul, the system automaticaly restricts bandwidth per user so that all users can be served at the same time, and it's not often nowadays that you only get 1 data user per BTS site!! not in built up areas......:-D

W'n'W Std = £7.50/month - No HSDPA (except on some older contracts) 1Gb FUP no tethering
W'n'W Plus = £12.50/ Month - HSDPA - speeds vary depending on congestion - Athena limited to 1,8Mb max 3Gb FUP No VOIP tethering allowed
W'n'W Max = £25? / Month As plus but with VOIP
Unless someone wants to correct me that's how I believe it stands (the old W'n'W Pro for £10/month was only available for a few months)
T do not limit speeds but the 1.8/3.6/7.2 etc are maximums which are shared so you are unlikely to ever get 'full' speed.

My 3G vs HSPDA test from San Antonio
I have a AT&T Tilt. Freshly programed with the 6.1 AT&T Rom. Minimal upgrades like color KB etc.. I have a Panasonic CF-74 connected to the PDA via USB. I ran 4 test each using 3G and HSPDA.
Here is what I found. Using the stock Internet Sharing provided on the PDA.
Active Sync 4.5.
Web site used: http://www.speedtest.net
3G test 1 2 3 4
ping 323ms 165 182 167
DL 1.33mb 1.01 1.35 1.10
Up .34 .80 .52 .24
HSPDA test 1 2 3 4
ping 292ms 189 640 113
DL .99mb .85 .72 1.01
Up .06 .31 .02 .41
It seems to me that 3G is faster.
I rebooted both laptop and pda after each test.
I connected to google once before running each test.
I waited 5 minutes after each boot up.
I used Keiser Tweak.
Nothing was syncing

Hmm,
I'm located in Singapore.
For some reason, after my HTC TP2 switch to 3G instead of HSDPA..
The Opera and Youtube speed is sooo much faster as compare with HSDPA.
When I was on HSDPA, the Opera is slow loading and Youtube a few time with reload for buffering.
Where else, on 3G.. the download speed is so much faster.
The first clip of the video start to play.. I can see the progress bar is on the
way to complete the video loading.
This proof 3G is better in Singapore with Starhub connection.
I still wonder
BTW, this is what I change in the Registry.
Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet Settings
On the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then add the following registry values:
Value name: MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server
Value data: 32
Base: Decimal
Value Name: MaxConnectionsPerServer
Value data: 16
Base: Decimal
Exit Registry Editor.
then softreset and do a speed test

hsdpa
I need the help. But there is no such option under "advanced network" on the htc tilt 2(Enable/Disabled hsdpa option).What programs recomended for me
__________________

anyone know i this will work with t-mobile's new HSPA network?

heavyio said:
I have a AT&T Tilt. Freshly programed with the 6.1 AT&T Rom. Minimal upgrades like color KB etc.. I have a Panasonic CF-74 connected to the PDA via USB. I ran 4 test each using 3G and HSPDA.
Here is what I found. Using the stock Internet Sharing provided on the PDA.
Active Sync 4.5.
Web site used: http://www.speedtest.net
3G test 1 2 3 4
ping 323ms 165 182 167
DL 1.33mb 1.01 1.35 1.10
Up .34 .80 .52 .24
HSPDA test 1 2 3 4
ping 292ms 189 640 113
DL .99mb .85 .72 1.01
Up .06 .31 .02 .41
It seems to me that 3G is faster.
I rebooted both laptop and pda after each test.
I connected to google once before running each test.
I waited 5 minutes after each boot up.
I used Keiser Tweak.
Nothing was syncing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i used samsung galaxy s wen showing H icon instead of 3g on att usa california, it gave results of 4.1mbps,
i used sonyericsson x10 on att showing 3g icon (it never shows H icon ever though), on att usa california it gave me max speed of 3.97 mbps

heavyio said:
I have a AT&T Tilt. Freshly programed with the 6.1 AT&T Rom. Minimal upgrades like color KB etc.. I have a Panasonic CF-74 connected to the PDA via USB. I ran 4 test each using 3G and HSPDA.
Here is what I found. Using the stock Internet Sharing provided on the PDA.
Active Sync 4.5.
Web site used: http://www.speedtest.net
3G test 1 2 3 4
ping 323ms 165 182 167
DL 1.33mb 1.01 1.35 1.10
Up .34 .80 .52 .24
HSPDA test 1 2 3 4
ping 292ms 189 640 113
DL .99mb .85 .72 1.01
Up .06 .31 .02 .41
It seems to me that 3G is faster.
I rebooted both laptop and pda after each test.
I connected to google once before running each test.
I waited 5 minutes after each boot up.
I used Keiser Tweak.
Nothing was syncing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm getting similar results with my Samsung Captivate on a customer ROM. 3G seems to produce faster results than HSPDA.

i used this tweak on windowsphone
works great!

3g network bands

I am wondering if 3g networks require the phone to have 2 of the same bands or just one? for example, If I had a phone with 3g frequency of 1900/2100 would it still work with at&t or rogers (850/1900)?

3G would not work. Your phone needs to support whatever frequency is in the area. Lets say you are on AT&T, and AT&T uses 850 & 1900, but in your region they only use 850, then the phone must support 850 in order to properly use 3G signals.
For the most part there is no way to unlock frequencies or change frequencies on phones either.
Jason

So basically your saying that depending your location, it may or may not work?

Emulating a BTS for VoIP
@myrandex,
I wonder if it would be possible to have a USB 3G modem acting as a BTS.
I have 3cx on my ntb and, since I am roaming 95% of my time around Europe, I would like to set-up a USB modem to connect with my HTC Pro (which has the WM6VOIPFull installed) and hook-up to my 3cx via SIP and route my calls via Internet.
I can sort of do it now with WiFI, but battery drain and range really suck!
Right now I'm considering swapping pre-paid 3G SIM cards whenever I go to a new project; usually I stay 3-6 months - not enough to justify signing-up for a post paid (10.00 euros/month!!!!) and sure enough to break my bank account (*400 euros last month alone!*).
So PLEASE, I'm BLEEDING, if you know of any software that would make a USB or another htc (I have an old one around) to act as a BTS and stablish a data connection (with routing) to my hand set, that would ROCK!!!
I've been searching for 3G gateways and routers, but what they do is connect SIP-to-GSM/3G and vice-versa using the 3G network, not much help for me
So, the word is out! Let's see how many telco gurus are on xda (shhhh).
Thanks,
HZ

hzmonteiro said:
@myrandex,
I wonder if it would be possible to have a USB 3G modem acting as a BTS.
I have 3cx on my ntb and, since I am roaming 95% of my time around Europe, I would like to set-up a USB modem to connect with my HTC Pro (which has the WM6VOIPFull installed) and hook-up to my 3cx via SIP and route my calls via Internet.
I can sort of do it now with WiFI, but battery drain and range really suck!
Right now I'm considering swapping pre-paid 3G SIM cards whenever I go to a new project; usually I stay 3-6 months - not enough to justify signing-up for a post paid (10.00 euros/month!!!!) and sure enough to break my bank account (*400 euros last month alone!*).
So PLEASE, I'm BLEEDING, if you know of any software that would make a USB or another htc (I have an old one around) to act as a BTS and stablish a data connection (with routing) to my hand set, that would ROCK!!!
I've been searching for 3G gateways and routers, but what they do is connect SIP-to-GSM/3G and vice-versa using the 3G network, not much help for me
So, the word is out! Let's see how many telco gurus are on xda (shhhh).
Thanks,
HZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's possible to do what you're mentioning right now, but perhaps someone could create a hack if they really worked at it. To be honest that may not be worth the effort, the labor spent on creating such a system would probably outweigh the costs of getting the device with the correct bands
And, to answer the OP's questions, there are definitely plenty of users with devices that only support one of the 3G bands their carrier uses.
For example, a lot of people import the Telstra HD2 for use on AT&T's 850 band, even though it doesn't have 1900 support.
There are some cities where AT&T doesn't have 850 support, but a lot of recent 3G expansion/upgrades have resulted in additional 850 band usage, especially in markets like NYC.
You should check to see if AT&T uses 1900 in your general area, and any other place you intend on using the phone. Worst comes to worst, you'll still have EDGE...Some areas support both 850/1900 and devices toggle between them depending on which is less congested, etc. 850 tends to have better in-building reception, so if your device only supports 1900, and the network is spaced out for 850, you might not have as good 3G coverage in some areas, even if 1900 is technically supported.
All that in mind, if you're going to go with a "half-band" 3G solution, 850-only is probably better, as it correlates with AT&T's most recent 3G expansion/upgrades, and yields better indoor coverage when available.
Just a combination of my two cents and observations above. As always, YMMV.

@gsvnet
Nice reply to mkeras2, complements the one from myrandex very well.
Now to the BTS subject,
Actually, the idea of using a usb dongle doesn't seem so bad, these things have two way radio as any cell phone, it's just a matter of setting one as the end-point (broadcasting/polling) and the other (hand set) as client. I wouldn't mind having a tweak in the registry to set the radio to "allways connected" to a fixed "FakeNetID" and bypass PAP/CHAP authentication with the BCS (after all there would be no access to the GSM network, just to my PC/Internet/SIP Server) and I would only need data traffic, no messing around with CoDecs and the "hooking" of voice channels. A simple app could easily set/reset the registry, but I wonder if the radios would complete handshake and establish a connection.
I'm not sure about range with these radios without any high gain antennas and amplifiers, but I just need a few hundred meeters of access, pretty much as a good WiFi Router. And it would probably be perfectly legal as well (the devices are anyway).
After that it would be just routing.
BTW, I would love to get my hands on one of those new microcells. That's exactly what these things do, but with multiplexing and all the heavy security to authenticate and register to the GSM network.
They are being tested in the UK (I believe the first in Europe so far).
I live in Holland, but am currently in Luxembourg and have been recently working for 3+ months in Switzerland, LUX, NL and hoping around in Germany, Belgium, UK and Spain (vacations!!! ahhhh)...
So I'm curious to know what kind of plan Telcos will make available with the microcell.
If I am able to take it with me and plug it in whatever IP access point I have around, this would solve my roaming problem.
I don't mind paying to have access, don't get me wrong, but my NL plan gives me unlimited data access (national) for e10.00/month and I just went looking for a plan that WAS available from Vodafone UK (I use Vodafone NL), which allowed 5GB of data roaming in the EU for circa 50pounds/month, but it seems they no longer offer this plan.
During the last 2 months I was charged 300 and now almost 400 euros for roaming. As I said, I have a 60.00euro plan + 10.00 for unlimited national data.
I also know that in other EU countries you can get unlimited data plans for fair money as well, the problem is that I never know for how long I will stay in any given assignment/country. By the end of the year I would have some 5 or 6 annual subscriptions (still cheaper than roaming!) but I must have proof of residence in all those countries, bank account, etc, etc, etc... I don't LIVE in these places, I just work there for rather longer periods... and BTW, I'm a micro entrepreneur, so no way to push this onto "The Boss"... Thats me!
So I believe the charges imposed by Telcos for roaming are just not fair... Outrageous, actually.
I don't even mind paying for the Telco's CapEx (buying the microcell and using MY Internet connection), but at least I would have a sense of control and partnership/sponsorship.
And my mother told me to be a doctor... Decided to go into IT... Yeah!
Any info on these microcells and any ideas and buzz on Telcos' plans are very appreciated.
Cheers,
HZ

Suggestions on 4G LTE stick for use with Android HU and AT&T in the US

So I have a free spot on my family plan and was thinking I could just get a BYOD sim and stick it in a 4G LTE stick for use with my Android HU. All the ones I have seen has compatible miss all the relevant bands for US use, specifically for AT&T. Does anyone in the US have any suggestions?

I second this thread for Verizon.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

So I finally got my dongle and SIM card and it is working and pretty much without any extra apps or root.
I purchased the HUAWEI E397 4G usb dongle 100M data card Unlocked 4G LTE MODEM B397Bu-501 - the important part is the -501 at the end they have several models with different band compatibility and the 501 was the one with AT&T compatibility.
On my Eonon GA2167 after I installed the stick the Cellular Networks entry showed up automatically in the options, I was able to edit the APN data there (you will likely want to be connected to wifi when you do this, if it's trying to provision data you wont be able to select APN data). I just copied the APN data from my phone and it worked. Using Cricket (AT&T).
I had some trouble getting it to work at first, it would recognize the USB stick allow me to edit APN and then connect to the network but I had no data connectivity. Eventually it started working. Not sure if this was after I copied every APN setting (previously I had just entered name, apn and the MNC and MCC) once I added the MMS/MMSC data and APN type it started working a little after that. But it could also been on the network side since it was a new SIM I had just activated hours earlier and had been inserted into 2 other phones (to help try to activate it).
Anyway if someone wants a stick that works on AT&T bands in the US this should work. The headunit only shows a 3G connection and reports WCDMA with signal check lite, but I think that's due to the firmware of the HU not being setup for 4G LTE, with a speed test I get about 8-9 Mbps down and 6-7 up, not super fast but I believe that is LTE speeds since HSPDA doesn't support uploads that fast, also the stick itself shows a cyan LED with is meant to be for LTE connected network. Either way its way faster than the wifi connected to the hotspot on my phone (not sure if its the wifi antenna or what but wifi performance is very subpar on this unit). Also it connects quicker on startup (and does so automatically) than wifi.

jakejm79 said:
So I finally got my dongle and SIM card and it is working and pretty much without any extra apps or root.
I purchased the HUAWEI E397 4G usb dongle 100M data card Unlocked 4G LTE MODEM B397Bu-501 - the important part is the -501 at the end they have several models with different band compatibility and the 501 was the one with AT&T compatibility.
On my Eonon GA2167 after I installed the stick the Cellular Networks entry showed up automatically in the options, I was able to edit the APN data there (you will likely want to be connected to wifi when you do this, if it's trying to provision data you wont be able to select APN data). I just copied the APN data from my phone and it worked. Using Cricket (AT&T).
I had some trouble getting it to work at first, it would recognize the USB stick allow me to edit APN and then connect to the network but I had no data connectivity. Eventually it started working. Not sure if this was after I copied every APN setting (previously I had just entered name, apn and the MNC and MCC) once I added the MMS/MMSC data and APN type it started working a little after that. But it could also been on the network side since it was a new SIM I had just activated hours earlier and had been inserted into 2 other phones (to help try to activate it).
Anyway if someone wants a stick that works on AT&T bands in the US this should work. The headunit only shows a 3G connection and reports WCDMA with signal check lite, but I think that's due to the firmware of the HU not being setup for 4G LTE, with a speed test I get about 8-9 Mbps down and 6-7 up, not super fast but I believe that is LTE speeds since HSPDA doesn't support uploads that fast, also the stick itself shows a cyan LED with is meant to be for LTE connected network. Either way its way faster than the wifi connected to the hotspot on my phone (not sure if its the wifi antenna or what but wifi performance is very subpar on this unit). Also it connects quicker on startup (and does so automatically) than wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this info! Where did you buy yours?
Has anyone tried this on a Joying_JY-UM135N or JY-UM135N2?
When I look at this listing on aliexpress, further down, it lists a number of "Network Bands", including the -501. How should I interpret this? Does the modem support all those bands, or do I have to specify when ordering? When I search for "huawei e397" on Amazon, it shows me a -53 version. Is this the same as the -501, or different? I'm also curious as to why the only hit I get on aliexpress is a listing in the Netherlands. ??

GaryGood said:
Thank you for this info! Where did you buy yours?
Has anyone tried this on a Joying_JY-UM135N or JY-UM135N2?
When I look at this listing on aliexpress, further down, it lists a number of "Network Bands", including the -501. How should I interpret this? Does the modem support all those bands, or do I have to specify when ordering? When I search for "huawei e397" on Amazon, it shows me a -53 version. Is this the same as the -501, or different? I'm also curious as to why the only hit I get on aliexpress is a listing in the Netherlands. ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are 5 different variants (2 off which offer CDMA/EVDO for 3/2G). They are all the same base stick but vary depending on bands supported.
This website details each on and the bands its supports: https://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-e397-4g-lte-mobile-internet-key.html
I bought mine from Aliexpress, you will want to make sure you specifically get the -501 for AT&T I believe the -53 supports some T-Mobile bands.
You might want to hold off till I can report more tho. After initially getting it working, it is proving to be inconsistent, I'm not sure if its a low power issue (I have ordered a Y USB cable) or something else. The -501 don't support the full compliment of AT&T bands and I'm not sure if that is the problem, it is missing band 2 for 3G and Bands 2, 4 and 12 (though 17 is kind of part of 12). I know in my area they use Band 2 for both LTE and 3G and I'm not sure if that is my issue. I seem to struggle to get it to work at home but if I am driving around town it will pop up and connect, FWIW once its connected its solid even at home until I disconnect and try to reconnect.
I will update has I make progress.

I have the exact same head unit and have the exact same issue, except I live in Australia and I'm pretty sure I have a spare Telstra (AU telco) dongle lying around, so it literally just works right out of the box? I thought these do support 4G, or at least I thought I saw it advertised like that (or maybe those are the Android 8.0 ones). What else have you done with your head unit OP, not many ppl it seems have this model and look to modify it lol.

It supports 4G speeds, when I get a connection in a 4G area on a band my dongle supports, the icon on the headunit shows 3G, but I get 4G speeds. I thinks its just a case of the limited firmware not supporting the icons and reporting for 4G but since all data transfer is handled by the stick then it works at those speeds.
A bit of an update. I bought a USB Y cable in case lower power was an issue, for the first 4 times after getting the cable things worked right away at boot up with no interference, that was a couple of days ago, since then it hasn't happened since. I am likely going to order a Momentum 313U, its AT&T branded and supports its full compliment of bands, but no idea on Android support. The only 2 things I could find about Android support was a generic listing on Aliexpress showing what appeared to be a 313U and stating it was an Android device and a Pilipino website saying it wasn't recognized by an Android Tablet (I think that's what google translate was telling me).
Failing that I will order a Huawei 303C, it supports the full compliment of AT&T 3G bands and is on the confirmed working list. No 4G but I think AT&T still has full coverage of HSPDA in my area along with LTE.

I have the exact same head unit from eonon and purchased the AT&T usb velocity stick off their site and plugged it into the USB port and it does not recognize it. The led is lit up on the stick but nothing on the head unit. It would be nice since this one has external antenna ports and supports LTE. Is there any software I need to install on the head unit?

Another update: I ended up buying a Huawei E303c stick, works on all the AT&T 3G bands and I haven't had an issue with it at all. max download speed has been around 3 Mbps but that is enough for voice commands, Pandora and navigation so I'm happy. I got closer 10+Mbps with the 4G stick, but I only worked some of the time (I think due to AT&T using multiple 4G bands in my area and the stick not supporting them all).
Anyway the Huawei E397 is up for sale and I'll suffer with 3G speeds.

jakejm79 said:
Another update: I ended up buying a Huawei E303c stick, works on all the AT&T 3G bands and I haven't had an issue with it at all. max download speed has been around 3 Mbps but that is enough for voice commands, Pandora and navigation so I'm happy. I got closer 10+Mbps with the 4G stick, but I only worked some of the time (I think due to AT&T using multiple 4G bands in my area and the stick not supporting them all).
Anyway the Huawei E397 is up for sale and I'll suffer with 3G speeds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got a Huawei E303c stick for AT&T. I plugged it into my generic Atcgfheny Oreo head unit and it shows no 3G icons. It blinks a blue light, but not connectivity on the head unit. Is there something else I need to configure? I can't find any settings in the menu.