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Any battery that is bulging is a problem.
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OK, it's a problem.
So , Pillar of the Community, what's the solution? My battery is less than 1 year old! Do I have to pay for yet another mobile Wi-Fi device?
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1 of 1 people found this helpfulI found a replacement for mine for $4.59 on eBay.
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Bulging batteries are indeed never good.
What modem are you using? Has the device been exposed to any moisture?
-Lauren
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No, it was never exposed to moisture. I had to buy a new one about a year
ago and now have to buy another new one. I resent that! There is no modem
involved; it's a plug-in device I use to connect my year-old Windows 10
system to the Internet via the 4G phone system. The battery keeps swelling
and causes problems connecting.
Today I ordered a new portable Wi-Fi device, my 3rd in 3 years. This is
NOT a pattern I wish to follow!
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Mr/Ms magenta5087730
<https://support.t-mobile.com/people/magenta5087730?et=watches.email.thread>
: you joined a thread that began with my post about a modem's battery.
What is your device? Mine is a plug-in device that I used to connect my
Linux computer to the Internet via the 4G phone system. Though not
literally a modem (modems translated TTL into noise that an old-fashioned
telephone line could carry) the community, including T-Mobile, has
appropriated the word for the devices that translate TTL into signals that
cell-phone networks can carry. If we know what it is, perhaps they can
help.
Batteries have life-times. One is a shelf life-time (even sitting on a
shelf unused it spoils) and a use life-time, which is measured in recharge
cycles. Is yours always charged up? If it's at home and connected to
power, it will be. If not, anything you can do to decrease charging cycles
can make it last longer.
Improper charging can also make it fail. Could there be a problem with its
power supply?
Just because the battery is bad doesn't mean you need a new device. Mine
is 5 years old. Except for the bulging battery it works as well as new. I
bought a new battery for $4.59.
On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 9:14 PM, magenta5087730 <no-reply@t-mobile.com>
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I referred to it as a modem since that's how it's referred to in the title you created for your post! Apologies for any confusion!
Do you have the device make and model so we can look to see if there is any sort of known issue or solution option? Are you purchasing these Wi-Fi devices from T-Mobile? Sounds like arthurpeabody has some advice regarding a battery replacement and is certainly correct in advising the need for a new battery doesn't mean need for a whole new device!
Thanks again!
-Lauren
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Hey, magenta5087730!
We really want to help out here but we need more info from you. Can you please take a look at the questions Lauren asked and then get back to us with the answers?
Lauren wrote:
Do you have the device make and model so we can look to see if there is any sort of known issue or solution option? Are you purchasing these Wi-Fi devices from T-Mobile?
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Hey magenta5087730! Just wanted to touch base once more and see if you'd had a chance to take a peek the questions Lauren asked -- Do you have the device make and model so we can look to see if there is any sort of known issue or solution option? Are you purchasing these Wi-Fi devices from T-Mobile?
Thanks!
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My device is a called "4G HotSpot Z64", made by ZTE and bought from
T-Mobile. The bulging battery may or may not have affected its operation
-- slow connection speeds, frequent drop-outs -- but given the cost of a
new battery I opted for a new device by Alcatel from T-Mobile, which works
very fast (at least for now!)
Thanks for your attention.
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Thank you so much for following up! It looks like the only known issue we had reported for that particular device was a WiFi connection issue that required a master reset -- no mention of physical issues with the hardware. It sounds like you've got a replacement that's working well now, so that's fantastic!
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1 of 1 people found this helpful
I have exactly the same device as @magenta5087730 . It started dropping connections after I noticed the bulging battery. I bought a replacement for $4.59 on the Bay of e ; now it works as well as new.
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I'd like to add my voice to the others. I have a ZTE - MF64 broadband modem. It's been acting flaky for some time but I only use it as a travel/backup modem for wifi. I noticed the battery cover was bowed up on the back. I took the cover off and put it back on thinking that would solve the issue but it popped back up again. I inspected it closely to see what was causing the cover to pop up and noticed the batter was clearly swollen and mishapen.
I will chase down the replacement battery option talked about in this thread but T-Mobile should note that this is a real issue and not an odd occurrence.