Hello GL.iNet Support,
I'm using a GL-XE3000 (Spitz AX) router with the following setup and have encountered unstable and significantly lower throughput than expected when connected to a 5G NSA tower.
Device Info
- Model: GL-XE3000 (Spitz AX)
- Modem: Quectel RM520N-GL
- FW:
RM520NGLAAR03A03M4G
- FW:
- Firmware:
0704release5
- Carrier: Orange Romania
- SIM: Orange SIM in Slot 1
Configuration Steps Performed
- Band masking enabled in the GUI:
- LTE bands selected: B1, B3, B7, B20
- 5G NSA band selected: n1
- Also tested with various AT commands directly:
AT+QNWPREFCFG="lte_band",1:1,3,7,20
AT+QNWPREFCFG="nr5g_band",1:1
AT+CFUN=1,1
Verified 5G NSA and Carrier Aggregation is active:
AT+QCAINFO
+QCAINFO: "PCC",1600,100,"LTE BAND 3",...
+QCAINFO: "SCC",429610,1,"NR5G BAND 1",...
- This confirms:
- NSA connection is active
- NR band n1 is aggregated
- Ran speed tests via
speedtest.net
andiperf3
.
Observed Behavior
Despite perfect signal (RSRP -67
, SINR 13+
, NR RSRP ~ -61), speeds remain low and unstable
Throughput fluctuates heavily between 15–60 Mbps, with rare bursts up to 120 Mbps.
AT+QCAINFO
consistently shows LTE Band 3 operating at **10 MHz bandwidth.
Even during active downloads, Carrier Aggregation appears only briefly and **doesn't improve throughput consistently.
iPhone connected to the same tower (Band 3 + n1 NSA) consistently reaches 130–160 Mbps.
Analysis
- It appears that the modem is limited to 10 MHz bandwidth on Band 3 (despite Band 3 normally supporting up to 20 MHz).
- The modem does not aggregate other LTE bands (like Band 7), even though they are enabled and used by Orange.
- NR Band n1 is active, but offers only limited bandwidth (likely 10 MHz), and does not compensate for the LTE bottleneck.
- CPU and system resources are not the issue (95% idle).
- Multiple attempts with LTE+NSA band combos and restarts yield the same results.
Request for Clarification / Help
- Is there a known limitation or configuration in the RM520N-GL or GL-XE3000 firmware that restricts LTE Band 3 to 10 MHz only?
- Can the device be forced to use 20 MHz on LTE Band 3, or to aggregate LTE Bands (e.g., B3 + B7)?
- Is there any newer firmware (router or modem) that improves 5G NSA behavior or CA activation?
- Would enabling 5G SA provide better stability/performance, and is this supported in the UI?
Thank you!