New MR6500 Need Advice

[MoTo77]

I just got MR6500 as a refurb to use as a travel router when I'm travelling internationally and need to use a physical SIM.

Here is my device info:
Firmware Version: NTGX65_10.04.22.01
Firmware Build Date: 2023/01/11
Hardware Version 1.0
PRI Version 01.21
WebApp Version: MR6500-1A1NAS_05.00.63.00
Modem Version: MPSS.DE.1.0-02593-OLYMPIC_GENALL_PACK-1

After reading some of the threads here, I'm kinda concerned about this thing. So I have some questions:

1. I'm still under the return period. Should I keep this or is it going to be a headache? I haven't found many other good options.

2. Firmware: Device shows "Current software is up to date." But it does seem that there are newer versions out there (12.xx).
Is 10.04.22.01 the firmware that I should be running? Should I try to upgrade/downgrade? Is that even possible? What does "fused" actually mean?

3. Is there anything that I should do to prepare this for international use outside the US? (As in making other bands available.)

[Rich Hathaway]

1. I'm still under the return period. Should I keep this or is it going to be a headache? I haven't found many other good options.

You should be fine.

2. Firmware: Device shows "Current software is up to date." But it does seem that there are newer versions out there (12.xx).
Is 10.04.22.01 the firmware that I should be running? Should I try to upgrade/downgrade? Is that even possible? What does "fused" actually mean?

10.04 is good, you still have full MEP function on that platform, even though it does not sound like you will be using it.
if you upgrade you will lose it, it won't upgrade if you are outside the US.

3. Is there anything that I should do to prepare this for international use outside the US? (As in making other bands available.)

That is up to you, you should check your carriers and the bands they use so you can know if this device will work on them, also your device will need to be unlocked if its not already, which requires MEP if you are going to do it without an AT&T code.

[MoTo77]

Thanks! I'm in the US at the moment--I just travel a lot. It just says no upgrades available, but that might be because it has a T-Mobile SIM? (So yes it is unlocked.)

Settings->Software usually says "up to date." Sometimes it says there was a problem updating the device. (From what I've read, some people are saying that their unit updated without their knowledge. Is there a way to prevent that?

What is MEP?

Is there any reason that you would not unlock every band? Are only a certain number of bands able to be unlocked at a time? I travel to many different developing countries, so I never know what bands are being used.

[Rich Hathaway]

Yes, updates can be killed on these devices, you have to enable the ports first and then disable it from the root in the nv.
MEP means multiple enabled profiles but since its beginning, it covers a lot more now than just profiles and unlocking.

generally by default slot one is set by the factory to "ALL BANDS" However like I said in another Sierra device thread today, the term all bands is only meaning all the bands the carrier it is branded to uses or sometimes a few others but does not really mean all the bands it can possibly see.


look at my post in this thread it is post number 7 it is about bands in these devices
viewtopic.php?p=27889#top

[jjones1980]

What are the commands once the ports have been enabled (I had this done via your service) but am unaware of the commands to disable auto firmware update from within a telnet session with root access and there doesn't appear to be a GUI option to disable it.

Thanks

[Rich Hathaway]

Telnet and AT commands are not an avenue to accomplish this, (that I know of)
It needs to be done from within the nv, and while there are always more than one way to skin a cat the nv is the only way I can see to get it done.

[MoTo77]

But if I don't put in an AT&T SIM card then it will never update? (Because its likely that I will never have an AT&T sim card in this.)


I think the band info you posted is far beyond my knowledge or capability. I don't really understand it and probably won't without a step-by-step guide. Hopefully, enough foreign carriers use the same bands to get by.