I spent hours and hours trying to get a microcell to work so we could rely on cell phones @ home...finally got a tech who gave me the straight scoop..."Your phone will always seek the outside network...if there is a glimmer of coverage...or varying coverage that sometimes is decent most times not, your phone will NOT lock onto the microcell."....So there you have it..unless there is near "zero bars" a microcell won't do a thing for you....so we're back to not using cell phones...glad we didn't opt for expensive "smart phones" and data package contract since we now must go back to a land line phone and long distance plan for it!....ATT...get software set up so when phone "sees microcell" it says "I'm home time to lock onto my Microcell"...then it will be worth $200...now it's just a plastic paperweight!
spitpiloe wrote:I spent hours and hours trying to get a microcell to work so we could rely on cell phones @ home...finally got a tech who gave me the straight scoop..."Your phone will always seek the outside network...if there is a glimmer of coverage...or varying coverage that sometimes is decent most times not, your phone will NOT lock onto the microcell."....So there you have it..unless there is near "zero bars" a microcell won't do a thing for you....so we're back to not using cell phones...glad we didn't opt for expensive "smart phones" and data package contract since we now must go back to a land line phone and long distance plan for it!....ATT...get software set up so when phone "sees microcell" it says "I'm home time to lock onto my Microcell"...then it will be worth $200...now it's just a plastic paperweight!
That's not necessarily true. As someone else pointed out, I too have about 1-2 bars of coverage from the tower nearest me but I can always lock on to the MicroCell when I'm in my house or walking around my property outside. However, our AT&T landline is bundled with our DSL ISP (it's not AT&T) so we have always kept the landline and use that for all of our calls at home. The kids, OTOH, use their cell phones exclusively and they have never noted any problems. Unfortuantely, this is another example of how clueless support is. I really think that some of the support people really want to help, but they don't get the support and proper training from above. As was pointed out, it's critical that your MicroCell is next to a window with an unobstructed view of the sky for proper GPS lock. Next, you have to make sure if you run your MicroCell through a router that it, the router, is the only device performaing NAT, otherwise, you won't get a reliable connection, or any connection at all to your ISP which is essential for connecting to AT&T and then the towers.
Our Microcell "saga" lasted for a few weeks..first it wouldn't work at all....we tried different phones etc...escalated our "case" to "urgent care"...and they finally figured out that the software was telling the cell it wasn't at our addresss "GPS out of tolerance" or something like that...Once they got that corrected...we found one and only one ;phone that would connect..but only if you stood close to the MC and turned phone on and off..no "auto hand off" for sure. We tried I phones and other 3G phones the ATT store (great folks BTW) loaned us to try and help solve the problem. Once we got a phone to show "microcell"...it would then revert back to ATT Network on its own..sitting right here by the cell (less than a foot from my office window...so GPS signal should be super)...at that point I finally talked to a tech who basically said..GIVE UP...it's never gonna work if you have some network coverage in your house, it's designed for far rural or in super tall buildings in a city where no network signal (yes I know the map says good coverage...but there's no signal )....you have a tower behind you (shadowed by the hill..duh)...and your phone will always look for it and even a shaky signal from the network will take over the phone from the micro cell"...So we gave up!
We really wanted to join the wireless generation...but we need to make calls from home...so it's back to the old daze of Alexander Graham Bell for us!
