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[Equipment] Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
#1
Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
I recently switched from a DreamStation Auto which I used a Wi-Fi module to transmit my data to my doctor to a ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset due to the recall. I noticed that I get only one out of five bars of cellular reception throughout my apartment, and that my ResMed reports that it is configured to use T-Mobile as its cellular provider. This is a new machine with a 4G LTE modem. My apartment apparently gets weak T-Mobile reception according to my AirSense 10 Autoset, but good Verizon reception on my iPhone.

First, who decided to choose T-Mobile as the cellular provider? Second, if it is the DME who chooses the cellular provider, could it be changed to Verizon or AT&T? Third, If I find an area with a good T-Mobile signal, could the SIM card get a download to update it to get better reception by having a better list of towers that it has permission to connect to?

Personally, I wish that CPAP machines had an Ethernet port option. That way, we do not get all of the security or reception problems that Wi-Fi or cellular gives us.

Full disclosure: I am a computer security analyst that works for Verizon's managed security services business , which is a different business than the cellular business. The views discussed here are my own and not of my employer.
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#2
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
I’m in essentially the same situation, I’m on the bottom floor of my building and each of the floors have metal flashing in them which scatter and disrupt the signal, regardless of carrier. Perhaps the reception would be fine if there was a cell tower right next to my building, but what can you do? Of the major carriers here, Verizon gives the best signal strength, but then only about 1 bar a lot of the time. I would have  preferred WiFi at least as an option.

The data from the unit is making it back to ResMed, but slowly, it seems to take about 90 minutes. My unit also shows T-Mobile as the carrier. Perhaps ResMed should have included an option for an external antenna.

In your case, you could consider a cellular repeater, though mounting might be problematic in an apartment or condominium. I’ve tried ones from AT&T many years ago, and they didn’t seem to work well at all, but the technology may have improved greatly in recent years.
Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe, (Shakespeare in Love) "I don't know. It's a mystery."
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#3
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
ResMed's work with many cell providers. You can take it all over the world and so long as you are in a compatible cell, it will work.

I don't know how the device determines which provider when presented with multiple carrier signals. Strength, quality, preferred carrier list???

DME's don't configure the provider, and there is nothing in clinical mode to set the preferred carrier.

ResMed's typically don't get firmware updates. There was one OTA firmware update years ago, but none since and no ResMed provided mechanism to update OTA or through SD Card.
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#4
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
(07-04-2021, 10:04 AM)Dog Slobber Wrote: ResMed's work with many cell providers. You can take it all over the world and so long as you are in a compatible cell, it will work.

I don't know how the device determines which provider when presented with multiple carrier signals. Strength, quality, preferred carrier list???

DME's don't configure the provider, and there is nothing in clinical mode to set the preferred carrier.

ResMed's typically don't get firmware updates. There was one OTA firmware update years ago, but none since and no ResMed provided mechanism to update OTA or through SD Card.

The machine has either a physical SIM card (not the SD card) or an eSIM that identifies it and who the provider is for services. It will find the closest tower to use and as long as it can authenticate itself it will use that signal. The provider can be changed but without knowing the cell reception for other providers in the location it is located it is a guess which would be best.

Go to “My Options”->”About” and scroll down to the bottom. It will show you the cell provider, type of connection (4G or CDMA), and signal strength. 4G should work okay down to about -110 dBm.
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#5
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
I'd never checked my service provider. We have At&T 5G for our phones, but found T-Mobile 4G for my CPAP, with one bar, -120dBm connection. My DME and sleep doctor both can access it. We live rural and away from any strong connection from any provider.
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#6
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
(07-04-2021, 12:07 PM)SideSleeper Wrote: I'd never checked my service provider.  We have At&T 5G for our phones, but found T-Mobile 4G for my CPAP, with one bar, -120dBm connection.  My DME and sleep doctor both can access it.  We live rural and away from any strong connection from any provider.

-120 dBm is right at the edge of a dead zone signal level. It will possibly be better at certain times of the day so hopefully works out for you. Your DME could possibly change it to AT&T 4G as you probably have an AT&T tower closer given the 5G phone signal.
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#7
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
Mine shows as:

T-Mobile 4G,
Service: -11,4
Signal: -115dBm
Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe, (Shakespeare in Love) "I don't know. It's a mystery."
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#8
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
How would the DME do this? I’m assuming with physical access to the unit and ResMed software?
Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe, (Shakespeare in Love) "I don't know. It's a mystery."
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#9
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
(07-04-2021, 12:22 PM)Dawnstar Wrote: Mine shows as:

T-Mobile 4G,
Service: -11,4
Signal: -115dBm

Generally speaking for 4G signals:

Excellent >=-90dBm
Good: -91 to -105 dBm
Fair: -106 to -110dBm
Poor: -111 to -119dBm
Dead zone: >= -120dBm

Even at the edge of the poor to dead zone transition bits can still get through, just very slowly and likely a lot of retransmission.
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#10
RE: Poor cellular reception with AirSense 10 and T-Mobile
(07-04-2021, 12:28 PM)Dawnstar Wrote: How would the DME do this? I’m assuming with physical access to the unit and ResMed software?

Someone qualified to deal with the CPAP machine should be able to open it and replace the physical SIM with an ATT SIM or reprogram the eSIM if that is what it uses.
Simplicity is simple, complexity is complex. Don’t confuse the two.
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