Verizon Wireless Pantech UML290 LTE Wireless 4G Modem a piece of crap! Fort Worth, Texas

I now live in a rural area where my only connection to the internet is by wireless service.  I had a 3G wireless modem from Verizon that never once caused a bit of trouble.  In December my wife visited a Verizon store in Phoenix to upgrade her phone and while there the sales reps talked her into the new 4G Pantech LTE USB modem, model UML290.  I have had nothing but problems ever since it arrived.

The first session with the new modem was the longest I was ever able to connect, about 4 hours.  The the modem started disconnecting itself at random intervals.  Sometimes the software would respond as if I had hit the disconnect button and other times it would respond as if someone had physically removed the modem from the USB port.  Often the modem would not connect with the internet at all.

I am about 75 miles north of Phoenix and there is no 4G service where I live.  I get a good 3G signal, however, as the cell phone tower is about 2 miles from me in a direct line of sight. 

I returned the modem to a large Verizon store in Phoenix with the hope of getting some technical assistance.  Not only did they not have any sort of diagnostic tools, they did not even have a PC in the store with the operating software installed.  They could not even demo the unit! 

Then I called customer support and got the usual run-around that it must be something wrong with my PC.  I had to go through the drill of answering inane questions such as, "Is your computer plugged in?"  "Try uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it."

I kept a detailed log of what time I connected, how long I was able to work, and why the session ended.  Sometimes I disconnected when I was done, but most of the time the modem or the software disconnected me when I did not want to.

After nearly a month of frustration I returned to a different Verizon store in Phoenix in a rather unpleasant mood.  Fortunately, I found a sympathetic ear who immediately ordered a replacement unit that arrived at my home less than 24 hours later.

The new unit worked great.  For a day.  Now I am back to the old guessing game as to how long my modem will stay connected.  The replacement unit is just as bad as the first modem. 

My advice to anyone looking for a wireless modem is to stay away from the Pantech UML290.

I plan to go back to the Verizon store, return the 4G modem, and reinstate my old 3G modem.