So in my house i have anywhere between 2-4 bars of service (using a 6 signal bar meter) on my HTC Thunderbolt (same thing happened on my Samsung Fascinate, and my HTC Incredible). I use my phone as my primary source of internet via wireless teather or klink. (no DSL/Cable available). I get data speeds between 50k-120k, and never have any issues with data interruptions. I play world of warcraft for many hours straight without ever having an issue.
I can't hold a conversation on my phone in my house....anywhere. My calls consistently break up, and unless i go outside it will likely even drop. Outside where i get 3-5 bars of service it's still not great. The person on the other end constantly is asking me to repeat myself because of the breakups. I don't understand how data can be so good, and phone service can be so bad. Does anyone know why this would be the case?
Just got an email from AT&T saying that I'm eligible for a free 3G microcell - which supposedly will always give a set number of devices full service in the house it's placed in.
I normally get pretty good service in my house (even in Wisconsin), but that's not always the case everywhere I go.
At any rate, am I able to take this thing when I go places (say, to uni, which will happen once again in the fall) and use it where ever?
Thanks!
What's the email saying exactly and do you have a screenshot of that email? I work at att and don't know about that yet but different dept
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cookw24 said:
Just got an email from AT&T saying that I'm eligible for a free 3G microcell - which supposedly will always give a set number of devices full service in the house it's placed in.
I normally get pretty good service in my house (even in Wisconsin), but that's not always the case everywhere I go.
At any rate, am I able to take this thing when I go places (say, to uni, which will happen once again in the fall) and use it where ever?
Thanks!
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Yes, you can take it anywhere that has high speed internet. But it needs to be registered to the location you are going to use it at, and it has to be placed near a a window to get GPS reception. If you take it from one place to another, you have to update the info on the website to reflect where it's located.
Also, it takes up to 90 minutes to activate when it's turned on.
harlenm said:
Yes, you can take it anywhere that has high speed internet. But it needs to be registered to the location you are going to use it at, and it has to be placed near a a window to get GPS reception. If you take it from one place to another, you have to update the info on the website to reflect where it's located.
Also, it takes up to 90 minutes to activate when it's turned on.
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I have one thing to add to your post which was great. It does need to be near a window to get GPS HOWEVER once it gets GPS it can be moved. I put mine near a window with a long cord (router isnt near window at all) and it locked on GPS. I then unplugged it and moved it next to my router and it powered back on and locked GPS as it did prior. That's a little tip if you don't have a window near where your router is installed.
if you already have good service, 2 bars plus you dont need/want it; it will just make your phone go crazy.
Mustang302LX said:
I have one thing to add to your post which was great. It does need to be near a window to get GPS HOWEVER once it gets GPS it can be moved. I put mine near a window with a long cord (router isnt near window at all) and it locked on GPS. I then unplugged it and moved it next to my router and it powered back on and locked GPS as it did prior. That's a little tip if you don't have a window near where your router is installed.
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It doesn't always retain it's GPS info if it's unplugged. If you dont' have a window nearby, you are better off running a long cat5 and power cord to it, and then moving it without unplugging it.
Or, you can buy an external antenna for like $25 that gives you a 25 foot cord.
I imagine they will give you the microcell if you agree to the unlimited service they try to sell you with it. I can't remember exactly, but it was something like $25/month for all calls made through the microcell, and they don't come off of your minutes. I've got one at home because I live in a dead area and rarely have reception unless I step outside my house, plus I don't live in a 3G area anyway. Problem is, when I walk into my house, it won't automatically switch over to the microcell unless it loses the signal from the tower. Works pretty good in the house, though, but my phone will lose connection to it intermittently with it for unknown reasons. Not a perfect solution, but it's better than missing all of my calls when I'm home.
I dont know if anyone else has experienced this. I got a microcell last week and use it with an unlocked samsung vibrant. My apartment does not get very good reception at all (rarely even get one bar) and when connected to the microcell it chews through my battery. Previously, even with poor reception, I would go through 1-2% of the battery per hour with use. When connected to the microcell, i go through 4-6% of battery per hour without any use at all. I do not know a great deal about the microcell where this could be a firmware thing or it could be that I am using an unlocked phone from another carrier, but just something to watch for.
I have one of these. If you use it, don't expect H+ speeds off of it. You get 3G speeds on data. And if you don't have a good broadband connection, voice can get choppy. But there is a benefit to having and using it. For $20 a month (I think), you can get unlimited family domestic calls on it to any phone regardless of whether it is a land line or cell phone. But I have the $30 unlimited texting and cell phone calls now on my family plan, and make so few calls to land-lines, that I no longer use that service.
lol how weird, i work for an at&t shop and i just got a call by someone questioning an email they got about a free microcell.. i was browsing thru xda at the time and was on this thread, crazy..
i have one at my house, its cool if you really have absolutely no service where you live.. the only down side to this device is; if you are currently connected to the microcell and are in a call, if you leave your house the call will drop as you are leaving the microcell and reconnecting to the normal cell towers..
if you are never "in-call" while moving in and out of the area of your house than you wont notice this and it will be a cool device for you to have.
Don't take your MicroCell to the Grocery store!?!? Step away from the cell phone...
harlenm said:
Yes, you can take it anywhere that has high speed internet. But it needs to be registered to the location you are going to use it at, and it has to be placed near a a window to get GPS reception. If you take it from one place to another, you have to update the info on the website to reflect where it's located.
Also, it takes up to 90 minutes to activate when it's turned on.
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What a huge inconvenience it would be to travel with this thing.. maybe if you're going to be somewhere for over a week (Still wouldn't take it with me) . but if you're just going to a buddies house for the afternoon... please leave your MicroCell behind.... lol
For some reason, I can't download while on Mobile Data and connected to the MicroCell. Upload appears to be fine, but as far as browsing the net at home when im too lazy to open my lap top.. No Bueno... Wifi still works so it really just irritating more than anything.
Mine seems to be hit and miss for calls. Sound great when they come through but seem to drop.after 10 min or so. Other than that I have no issues with it. Just that data speeds suck but when I'm at home.WiFi works just fine for that
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Got a free microcell where I moved into have no service so called in had then put a note on the account so I can pick one up, I had to speak to a manager but I just went on and on and finally got it done and picked it up in store free no contract extension, hope it helps
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Mustang302LX said:
I have one thing to add to your post which was great. It does need to be near a window to get GPS HOWEVER once it gets GPS it can be moved. I put mine near a window with a long cord (router isnt near window at all) and it locked on GPS. I then unplugged it and moved it next to my router and it powered back on and locked GPS as it did prior. That's a little tip if you don't have a window near where your router is installed.
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Click to collapse
how do you get it to stay locked on to gps? ive taken mine outside multiple times and after a while it locks on to the location, but after i unplug it and place it inside it loses all the information
thanks
I have absolutely NO Service where I live and too have a Microcell- I have noticed as previously mentioned if while talking inside and then going outside- the call will drop.
Also there are some moments where I will receive a voicemail notification & the phone never rang. Other times- I am not connected so I put the phone in airplane mode for a few seconds and then back to reconnect to the Microcell.
The Microcell definitely improved the ability to talk to others when before I had to go outside to get some bars. It's hot outside- it gets old having to talk to anyone- outside- so I am grateful AT&T hooked me up with a FREE Microcell.
The rule to the Mcell is they drop calls going from micro to macro. Apparently its not a smooth transition like tower to tower..also speeds are veal but that's what you get limited speed but increases signal
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Friend of mine has one of these and his is hit or miss all the time he tells me. I would like to get the email offering me a free one! I would try it out just to see if he was doing something wrong! lol
I'm trying Tmobile signal around town for a month. So here's what I want to do. I want to drive around town and see where I have HSPA, 3g signal. The phone tells me what signal its getting but I dont want to be taking my eyes of the road that often. So does anyone know of an app that will color in a map that will show you this data? Or one that will make a sound when signal is dropped. I just want to know what kind of signal I would get around town. Maybe a music streaming service that will stop playing when signal is lost. Any ideas?
Another concern I have is that I went to my uncles ranch this weekend and had no kind of signal. Ranch is about 15 mins out of town and about 200 yards away from a highway. As soon as I hit the highway I can get some signal, but not while in the ranch. I have a nexus 4 and don't know if another phone would have better signal.
I also just read straight talk has gotten 4g lte, would anyone recommend that. My son loves to watch the angry bird video clips, and I read somewhere that you couldn't stream any videos with straight talk.
So I take the train every day to work and I've noticed that in the morning I usually have a solid 3G signal the whole way but on the way back I barely get 2G and browsing is practically impossible a lot if the time.
I know that signals can somewhat rubber band and be slow to hand over. However half way through my trip I stop at a station and the train sits there for about 5 min yet my phone (Nexus5) will still not attach to 3 or 4G (rebooting does not help). In the mornings going the other way I don't have this problem and always get at least a good 3G signal. What gives?
Olley!! said:
So I take the train every day to work and I've noticed that in the morning I usually have a solid 3G signal the whole way but on the way back I barely get 2G and browsing is practically impossible a lot if the time.
I know that signals can somewhat rubber band and be slow to hand over. However half way through my trip I stop at a station and the train sits there for about 5 min yet my phone (Nexus5) will still not attach to 3 or 4G (rebooting does not help). In the mornings going the other way I don't have this problem and always get at least a good 3G signal. What gives?
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Ask your carrier. They most likely drop speeds to allow more users to use their data but that's only a guess. Only your cell provider will be able to answer this.
Hey all - so I'm grandfathered unlimited on Verizon and *love* my unlimited 4g. At my girlfriend's house (right near an interstate), the data is absolutely rocking. But at my house, about two miles away, I usually have decent signal (half or a bit better), but the internet seriously struggles. For instance right now I've got my phone on Pandora and am wifi hotspotting to my laptop, where I'm FB Messenging. Every 30 seconds or so, my laptop says that my hotspot has no internet connection, and I have to wait 30 seconds or so for it to come back. I've just paused Pandora and at least I can chat uninterrupted now. Seems like I should at least be able to do these two things successfully...
Is there anything at all I can do to help it?
Many thanks!
thetastycat said:
Hey all - so I'm grandfathered unlimited on Verizon and *love* my unlimited 4g. At my girlfriend's house (right near an interstate), the data is absolutely rocking. But at my house, about two miles away, I usually have decent signal (half or a bit better), but the internet seriously struggles. For instance right now I've got my phone on Pandora and am wifi hotspotting to my laptop, where I'm FB Messenging. Every 30 seconds or so, my laptop says that my hotspot has no internet connection, and I have to wait 30 seconds or so for it to come back. I've just paused Pandora and at least I can chat uninterrupted now. Seems like I should at least be able to do these two things successfully...
Is there anything at all I can do to help it?
Many thanks!
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You'll probably have to move in with your girlfriend
Maybe the area in which you live is extremely congested or there aren't enough/any cell towers nearby.
Nothing you can do about that.
Haha - fair enough!! Just so weird that the connection just stops working even though I've got decent service showing. Is there any merit to any of the "signal booster" stuff you can buy? Can't really see how any of that could work...
thetastycat said:
Haha - fair enough!! Just so weird that the connection just stops working even though I've got decent service showing. Is there any merit to any of the "signal booster" stuff you can buy? Can't really see how any of that could work...
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They're of no use whatsoever. Even worse than all those "cleaner" apps out there (thats supposed to say something).
If you live in an apartment/building with multiple walls/thick walls, that might impact signal strength and speed. You'll probably have to check out various locations inside your house (or even outside) and see where the reception is best. Near open windows good.