Top MB6800 with AT&T's new Sierra AC881

I just tested the The new AT&T Sierra Wireless AC881 with the Top Global MB6800. With the initial test the card would not work. It had the same issue as the AC875 where the 3G light would go in and out and not keep a connection. I updated the internet access category after logging into the router and inputting this information under the phone number: *99#. After rebooting the router the 3G light came on and stayed on. I did a speed test through speakeasy.net and got these results:
Download - 1703k
Upload - 240k

I also did a speed test with the card in directly in the laptop and got these results:
Download - 1612k
Upload - 359k

I was thoroughly impressed with the speeds and even more so that it works great in the router with minimal tweaking.

Here is a pic with the Sierra AC881 in the TopGlobal MB6800 with the power light green, the WLAN green, and the 3G green.


Here is a screen shot of the speed test with the AC881 in the MB6800.


Here is a screen shot of the speed test with the AC881 directly in laptop using the communication manager 6.5

TopGlobal MB6000 with AT7t's new Sierra AC881

I also tested the MB6000 with the new AC881 and I had to use the same fix as the MB6800. The speeds were about the same. Again I am very impressed with the speeds of this card.

881u & Mb6800

By the way this also works for the USBConnect 881 (881U) with the MB6800. This is not the case with the MB6000 since unlike the MB6800 it does not have a USB slot for data modems.

New firmware to eliminate this fix

There is a new firmware version to eliminate this fix. Click here to download the firmware and install guide to allow the Sierra AC881 and 881U to work with the MB6000. You will need to have the Serial Number of you router ready, it is located at the bottom of you router.

Sierra Wireless 881 USB powers down?

I'm having a strange problem with my AT&T Sierra Wireless 881 USB card and the MB6800. When I first start up the MB6800 with the card in the USB slot it works fine - not very fast, but we don't get 3G here (Northeast Tennessee) until August.

However, after about 30-60 minutes (it seems to vary) the lights on the 881 go out and the 3G light on the front of the MB6800 then flashes as it tries to reconnect. Eventually it gives up, and seems to think that the 881 has been removed (at least on the management console) but the 3G light doesn't go red. Rebooting doesn't help. Nor does taking out the 881 and putting it back in. The only fix I can find is to put it in my laptop's USB port, wait for the lights to come back on, and then put it back in the MB6800. That buys me another 30-60 minutes, and then it all happens again.

Anyone had this problem? Any ideas what's wrong? The 881 card works fine as long as it stays in my laptop - I left it on all night last night downloading with no problems. It's just the MB6800 it doesn't like.

MB6800 with 881 issue

First we need to find out what firmware version you have on the MB6800. Do you know how to get to the configuration portal of the Router? You may need a firmware update. Click here for the latest firmware version on upload instructions for the firmware. You will need to have the Serial Number for your router handy.It's located on the bottom of the router. If you have any question please respond back, or you can give us a call at 480.218,.1877 x 115.

I already upgraded the firmware on the router to the latest version on the Top Global website because I saw on other forum posts that that was a frequent recommendation. I've got 1.1.5-3 on the router now (although it only says 1.1.5 on the web management screen).

I also tried something else that I saw on the forum, which was to set the dial up # to *99***1# instead of just *99#, but that didn't seem to make any difference at all.

MB6800 with 881 issue

Yeah the fix you saw in the forum was a fix that was used before they released the firmware to allow the 881 to work with the router. What I am going to do is to escalate this issue to topglobal's tech support. If you can send me an email with your contact information I will have our TopGlobal Rep address your issue.

Don't worry about this. I decided to take the aircard back to AT&T and swap it for another one on the off chance that I had a faulty card. It seems that I did. The new 881 card has been up and working in the router for over 3 hours now, so I don't think my problem was with the router or the config at all.

Sorry for wasting your time. However, it may be useful for others to know that if they have a card that works in a laptop, but not in the MB6800, then there is at least a possibility that it's a faulty card. Thanks for your time.

MB6800 with 881 issue

Thanks for the heads up on this, glad to here that it got taken care of. If you have any other questions please let us know.