LTE and Microcell

[cbflip2000]

Originally Posted by Stayfly2407

Heres the difference, at least where I live. Im in Va Beach, Va

Where in Virginia Beach are you getting LTE on AT&T? When did you first get it? I live in Virginia Beach but closer to Chesapeake and I have yet to see LTE in the area.

[adam044]

Originally Posted by Mrfatboy

Microcells don't hurt battery life. They only can help by giving your phone a signal to lock on to. A phone drains the battery more when there is no signal because it is constantly searching for one.

Ok maybe not yours but it did for me. I dont even use it anymore. Lasted about a week before I disconnected it

[George Knighton]

Originally Posted by adam044

Microcells eat your battery

Originally Posted by Mrfatboy

Microcells don't hurt battery life.

There are pages and pages of arguments about the 3G Microcell and battery life over on the AT&T Forums.

:-)

Nobody agrees about anything, but there is some anecdotal evidence that some 3G Microcells will consume more battery.

I have no issues with mine, except of course I'd love to be able to tether on LTE that's boosted by a Microcell signal.

[einmusiker]

Originally Posted by George Knighton

There are pages and pages of arguments about the 3G Microcell and battery life over on the AT&T Forums.

:-)

Nobody agrees about anything, but there is some anecdotal evidence that some 3G Microcells will consume more battery.

I have no issues with mine, except of course I'd love to be able to tether on LTE that's boosted by a Microcell signal.

I've thought about it too but in order for a microcell to work you need to have wifi, so no real point in tethering

[LoloBond]

Originally Posted by Stayfly2407

Heres the difference, at least where I live. Im in Va Beach, Va

There is no reason to be on LTE when you have 15 Mbps wifi...

[George Knighton]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

I've thought about it too but in order for a microcell to work you need to have wifi, so no real point in tethering

You're absolutely right, unless you're trying to confuse people for some reason or another.

[Mrfatboy]

Originally Posted by einmusiker

I've thought about it too but in order for a microcell to work you need to have wifi, so no real point in tethering

This is not true. A microcel plugs into a router/switch to get a internet connection. No wifi needed. However, I guess you could plug your microcell into a wireless bridge which wirelessly connection to your router. My guess it would increase lag in your conversations.

[scaredpoet]

Originally Posted by Stayfly2407

I stepped outside in my driveway to get 5 bars of LTE. When i go in the house LTE switches back to 4G

THe microcell isn't going to help you with this. First and foremost, microcells don't transmit LTE signals. They aren't built for it.

Why? Becuase even if it did support LTE, the data speed would *still* be only as fast as your cable modem connection. Microcells use your home internet connection to place voice calls and move data around, so it's only as fast as the slowest link... in this case, your home internet connection.

Even worse: If you use data through the microcell connection (and not Wifi), it counts against your AT&T data plan... EVEN THOUGH you are using your home internet connection. This is definitely an issue if you're on a capped plan, and could still increase your chances of throttling on a grandfathered unlimited plan.

This is why, if you're not getting a good LTE signal inside, then you still might as well use Wifi while in your house.

[vistadude]

I just got their new 4.0 microcell which replaced my 2.0 microcell. They no longer call it a 3G microcell because it broadcasts LTE, 4G, and 3G signals. When you're on a VoIP call, it uses LTE. When you're on a normal call, it uses 3G. The ping is improved a lot from 200 to 30.

[BlueMoonForever]

Originally Posted by vistadude

I just got their new 4.0 microcell which replaced my 2.0 microcell. They no longer call it a 3G microcell because it broadcasts LTE, 4G, and 3G signals. When you're on a VoIP call, it uses LTE. When you're on a normal call, it uses 3G. The ping is improved a lot from 200 to 30.

There is NO such thing as a new 4.0 MicroCell. AT&T is still using the same old one they've been using forever now.