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The AT&T 3G MicroCell Owner's Thread
- Thread starter pcguru83
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Hah, lucky you. I got a $25 credit on Monday, strolled into the AT&T store to buy the MicroCell on Tuesday, & mailed in my $100 rebate today. It's pretty great that I only ended up paying $25.00 for it.
I picked one up today after some debating but like others thought, with a 30 day return policy it is worth a try.
Set up was simple and got the activation text withing 15 minutes. The lady at the store said "Exactly 90 minutes" over and over again.
The only thing remarkable was either the warping of my mind that MR has done or it's the insight I've gained from here (I want to believe the latter). One employee of 4 heard of the signal issues regarding the iPhone 4. No one believed upload speeds weren't exceeding 100kpbs until I showed them my Speedtest results or ever heard of the application (or idea of one). No one was aware of /today's/ press conference. I know they're AT&T but feel like they should have some more clues. That or MR puts me ahead of the game
Then I never got around to making a call to check it out, but 5 bars in most of my apartment except my bedroom (furthest away), it'll dip to 4.
Set up was simple and got the activation text withing 15 minutes. The lady at the store said "Exactly 90 minutes" over and over again.
The only thing remarkable was either the warping of my mind that MR has done or it's the insight I've gained from here (I want to believe the latter). One employee of 4 heard of the signal issues regarding the iPhone 4. No one believed upload speeds weren't exceeding 100kpbs until I showed them my Speedtest results or ever heard of the application (or idea of one). No one was aware of /today's/ press conference. I know they're AT&T but feel like they should have some more clues. That or MR puts me ahead of the game
Then I never got around to making a call to check it out, but 5 bars in most of my apartment except my bedroom (furthest away), it'll dip to 4.
I picked one up today after some debating but like others thought, with a 30 day return policy it is worth a try.
Set up was simple and got the activation text withing 15 minutes. The lady at the store said "Exactly 90 minutes" over and over again.
The only thing remarkable was either the warping of my mind that MR has done or it's the insight I've gained from here (I want to believe the latter). One employee of 4 heard of the signal issues regarding the iPhone 4. No one believed upload speeds weren't exceeding 100kpbs until I showed them my Speedtest results or ever heard of the application (or idea of one). No one was aware of /today's/ press conference. I know they're AT&T but feel like they should have some more clues. That or MR puts me ahead of the game
Then I never got around to making a call to check it out, but 5 bars in most of my apartment except my bedroom (furthest away), it'll dip to 4.
Let us know how it works for you.
Well, I tried priority mode, didnt work still garbled/skipping calls. I was reading the forums over at AT&T and a user there suggested turning off cellular data.
It is under Settings>General>Network>Cellular Data Off
I tried to make some calls last night with cellular data off and my calls were clear, turned cellular data back on and made the same calls again, they were garbled.
It is worth a shot... hope this helps someone.
It is under Settings>General>Network>Cellular Data Off
I tried to make some calls last night with cellular data off and my calls were clear, turned cellular data back on and made the same calls again, they were garbled.
It is worth a shot... hope this helps someone.
what internet service and package do you have?
I have AT&T DSL [U-Verse isn't in my area] and i have the elite package and i also have LogMeIn on my computer. When i'm remotely connected to my comptuer the bandwith get soooooooo sucked up that when i make a call to someone in my house it sounds like they have me on speaker with a lot of background noise and i can't make out anything they are saying because there's not enough bandwith to push all the voice through.
--
Here's a Q&A off the AT&T website and what's "recommended for best performance."
Q. Does AT&T 3G MicroCell only work with AT&T broadband service? Is there a minimum broadband Internet speed required?
A. No. The The device works with other broadband service providers as well as AT&T's. Downstream speed of 1.5 Mbps and upstream speeds of 256 Kbps are recommended for best performance (satellite broadband is not compatible).
Upload speed is i think what you need to look at the most....... because your voice gets "uploaded" through VoIP.
Today's phone calls between my girlfriend and I, different networks.
Call 1: Garbled
Call 2: Didn't connect but I suspect this was because we were trying to call eachother back and jamming the line.
Call 3: Crystal clear and perfect. Sensed a tiny delay but I think it was just me thinking 'the pauses sound like nothing, it's so clear.'
Speedtest is either being goofy giving me 500kbps down/50kbps up when I get almost 2000kbps down outside the range. But MR loaded fast, perhaps a fluke.
Where are you doing your speedtest from? Computer with Ethernet or wireless? Cellphone on wifi or AT&T MicroCell?
I'll post screen shots later but still getting 500kb down, 50kb up on 3G microcell. I get 1000-2000kb down 80kb up on AT&T 3G. 500kb down and 2000kb up on the linksys wifi router. (which seems slow). All speedtests done on my iPhone 4.
Run a speedtest on a computer connected to your router via ethernet and let me know the results. and also let me know what website you are using.
Exactly!
Just returned mine after 30 days. I'll buy back if problems can be solved, but until then landline > garbled cell calls.
I have had mine for a week now and can say that most of the time things are great. I have only had one conversation that was garbled. I know it is not bandwith as I have FiOS with speeds of 35/25.
I am not getting ride of this thing, as I had zero bars in the my house and for the most part this has solved my issue.
I am not getting ride of this thing, as I had zero bars in the my house and for the most part this has solved my issue.
I have read about some competing issues here:
1. Background data apps can be still communicating to the 3g tower, thus blocking the efficient handoff to the M-Cell when you come within range of it. Doing the Airplane Mode toggle would obviously kill the b/g data and allow it to pick up the M-Cell. This makes a lot of sense to me as IO4 allows multi-tasking, so this issue would be less apt to show up on 3.1.x
2. Unlinking and relinking your M-Cell sometimes fixes everything
Hrm ....
1. Background data apps can be still communicating to the 3g tower, thus blocking the efficient handoff to the M-Cell when you come within range of it. Doing the Airplane Mode toggle would obviously kill the b/g data and allow it to pick up the M-Cell. This makes a lot of sense to me as IO4 allows multi-tasking, so this issue would be less apt to show up on 3.1.x
2. Unlinking and relinking your M-Cell sometimes fixes everything
Hrm ....
rami.g
I have comcast as my ISP. Recent speed tests ran from my iphone on wifi produced upload speeds of 2641 and 2733.
I would love this thing to work properly but I am still having no issues once I switch cellular data off during or prior to a call. I have no garbled calls when cellular data is turned off.
Thanks
HOPTOAD
I have comcast as my ISP. Recent speed tests ran from my iphone on wifi produced upload speeds of 2641 and 2733.
I would love this thing to work properly but I am still having no issues once I switch cellular data off during or prior to a call. I have no garbled calls when cellular data is turned off.
Thanks
HOPTOAD
I just packed up my Mcell to take back but I might give this one last try. With cellular data ON, do ALL your calls have garbled issues or just sometimes? With cellular data OFF, you have NO issues?
It should be working. My upload speed is about .5 mb/s or so and I don't have problems. The only time I have problems is when my Internet is getting used hard core as in downloading a movie or something.
I'm pretty sure you've tried power cycling your router and MicroCell, right?
Big day:
Got home and standing outside range of the MicroCell called 800MYAPPLE just to listen and it was fuzzy. Data speed was unusably slow 50kbps down/5kbps up. Came inside range of MicroCell called MYAPPLE back and the automated voice was very clear.
Called AT&T and got a very nice rep. and I discussed how my service is becoming unusable in my area. I live in a big city and but towers have gone down and some are being built in October. On the AT&T map there is a two block valley of less than good service so it's just my area. We discussed the MicroCell and how that's really the only thing I can do to make phone calls any more in my area because of the coverage.
All in all it was a 46 minute phone call, perfectly clear, never dropped. He explained there was nothing he could do about the MicroCell (I was planning on returning it and toughing it out until October when the new tower is up). But he credited my account a large portion citing the slow data and poor phone calls. The credit pretty much pays for the MicroCell too. He said in October when that tower goes up I shouldn't need it.
So keeping it for now.
Got home and standing outside range of the MicroCell called 800MYAPPLE just to listen and it was fuzzy. Data speed was unusably slow 50kbps down/5kbps up. Came inside range of MicroCell called MYAPPLE back and the automated voice was very clear.
Called AT&T and got a very nice rep. and I discussed how my service is becoming unusable in my area. I live in a big city and but towers have gone down and some are being built in October. On the AT&T map there is a two block valley of less than good service so it's just my area. We discussed the MicroCell and how that's really the only thing I can do to make phone calls any more in my area because of the coverage.
All in all it was a 46 minute phone call, perfectly clear, never dropped. He explained there was nothing he could do about the MicroCell (I was planning on returning it and toughing it out until October when the new tower is up). But he credited my account a large portion citing the slow data and poor phone calls. The credit pretty much pays for the MicroCell too. He said in October when that tower goes up I shouldn't need it.
So keeping it for now.
So, do I have this right? You have crappy native 3G coverage, the M-Cell is doing a good job for you, but you're thinking of returning it. So you call ATT to complain that the only way you can get service is by using the device you want to return? The device specifically engineered to alleviate the very problem you have?
And they gave you credit for that?
Lotta people smoking dope lately. Anybody else feel like we're in basket falling REAL fast?
Umm no. I had great coverage but towers went down (which I said) and will again once they're up again (which I said). They gave me credit for the dropped calls, slow data, and poor reception (which I said) and that is nothing new, companies do it all the time. I told him I was shocked with how much they gave me, they didn't have to but it was his manager doing the calculations, not me demanding anything. Its called customer service and I've been with AT&T for nearly a decade. I even offered to return it once the towers are fixed. They did me favor and I will choose them as my future carrier.
I e-mailed a manager at my local AT&T store requesting one free due to a "dead zone" in my apartment. Said I felt it was the least they could do since I spend upwards of $300/month on U-Verse + Wireless combined. He called me up the next day and said sure, no problem.
I love my free Microcell. The only issue I've had with my ip4 is that in my apartment I had a very poor signal. Now, I have no issues. I now have 4-5 bars upstairs (where the Microcell is) and 2-3 bars downstairs. The only issue with it is that its time zone is off, so I have to uncheck the "set time automatically" setting on my phone, otherwise it thinks I'm in CST instead of EST. This is a known issue when your Microcell is routed across time zones.
If you're having signal issues with your Microcell, try moving it as far as possible from your wireless router / RG. There seems to be a little bit of interference between them. Once I moved it 5-6 feet away, the signal improved drastically.
I love my free Microcell. The only issue I've had with my ip4 is that in my apartment I had a very poor signal. Now, I have no issues. I now have 4-5 bars upstairs (where the Microcell is) and 2-3 bars downstairs. The only issue with it is that its time zone is off, so I have to uncheck the "set time automatically" setting on my phone, otherwise it thinks I'm in CST instead of EST. This is a known issue when your Microcell is routed across time zones.
If you're having signal issues with your Microcell, try moving it as far as possible from your wireless router / RG. There seems to be a little bit of interference between them. Once I moved it 5-6 feet away, the signal improved drastically.
