My Experience With a TP Link MR3220 Router

I live in a very rural area with the only options for high speed internet being either satellite or wireless internet service.

Several months ago my neighbors began using Millenicom a provider of wireless internet as their ISP. When my contract with my current provider was up, I decided to switch to Millenicom as well.

I knew I wanted a router but with limited selection for a 3G router, the fact that my neighbors were successfully using a TP Link MR3220 and that it was very reasonably priced I purchased one too. The MR3220 was easy to set up and my laptop connected immediately. However, I had problems connecting to the internet.

I could watch from the router admin page and look at the router system logs and over and over, the router would indicate that it was trying to connect and then within seconds would indicate that it was trying to identify the modem only to end with a message of unknown device. (A Novatel USB 760, which is listed on the box as a compatible modem, and the same modem my neighbors are successfully using with the TP Link MR3220.)

After unplugging everything, restarting the router numerous times and getting the same results every time, I sent off an email to TP Link tech support. I received an error message when I sent the email, so being unsure if it was sent or not I decided to just call tech support.

Calling tech support was just another frustration as the lady who I spoke to had a very heavy Asian accent. Now I’m from the southern United States, so I’m sure that my southern accent was equally frustrating for her, but I really hate when companies market their products to U.S. consumers and then use foreign telephone support.

As you can imagine, the phone call was a lot of “I didn’t understand what you said” and “excuse me” and “huh” on both our parts. After trying to explain and getting no where, she asked for my email to communicate that way. I agreed, gave her my email and waited.

Here is her email:

Please kindly do the following steps then save the system log and send it to me. I will submit this problem to our R&D to do some tests.

1）Reset it to factory default settings;
2）Configure the router to 3G only mode, and then type in the correct APN, Dial No. parameters;
3）Check the “connect automatically” option for the connection mode;
4）Plug your 3G modem into the 3Grouter, and restart the 3G router;
5）Wait for 5 minutes, and then save the sys log to send it to us.

I did what she asked, and waited.

The next day I received an email from someone else in reply to the email I had sent tech support that I wasn’t sure had gone through.

Here is her email:

If your modem is not in the list according to the region & ISP & 3G modem, it means we have not test it yet.

We will test this 3G modem if we can get it in the future. (It’s on their list.) However, it is not on the list doesn’t mean it is not compatible. It may compatible with the router without the test. Now we can only try our best to help you check this out.

Firstly please check some basic settings on the router and make sure you’ve configured them right.
If you have done some steps, just skip that. See below:

1. Upgrade Router’s firmware to the newest one on our official website. Then reset it.

(Download page: http://www.tp-link.com/en/support/download/?model=TL-MR3220;version=V1#tbl_j)

2. Choose “3G only” as Internet Access.

3. On “3G” Page, choose your region and your ISP, then double check if the default parameters (such as APN and dial No. etc.) are correct. Contact your ISP for this information if necessary. To manually type in, please choose “Set the Dial Number and APN manually”.

4. Plug in your 3G modem card, restart the router. Wait for a minute or two. See if it can work normally and get on the Internet.

So basically, she told me to do the same thing the other tech support person did, with the exception of providing a system log. So, since I had already done everything they asked numerous times, I waited to her back from the first tech support person who requested the system log. In the meantime, I went and took a look at my neighbors setup and it was identical to mine.

I wish I could say this story had a happy ending, but it did not. I NEVER heard back from the first tech support person regarding the system log. After waiting a few days, I returned the modem and went in search of one that would work for me. Now, I may just be an exception, but the lack of customer service I received from TP Link would make me think hard about buying a TP Link product in the future. I still don’t know why the MR3220 would not work for me, as my neighbors were and still are successfully using one.

Via usbwirelesscard