ATT micro cell signal booster

[mikefamig]

Follow up on the microcell for anyone interested....
 
I installed it yesterday and registered four devices. It works as advertised giving me 5 bars in my house and the signal carries about 50 feet away outside the window where the MCell is located. At that point the phone shows 3 bars.
 
It does not switch between MCell and GSM seamlessly though. When I walk outside of it's range it does switch to GSM smoothly (back to 1 bar) but when I walk back into the house it does not switch back to MCell. It does eventually but it takes a while to do it so I don't know what would happen if I was off hook. I did read a warning either online or in the owner manual that warned that you may get a dropped call when returning from GSM to MCell.
 
So I like the thing and it's a big help insisde the house but the roaming is not what I expected. Overall I'm pretty happy with it.
 
Mike.

 

[TonyNo]

Mine only transfers one way, so...

 

[mikefamig]

Mine only transfers one way, so...

That would be kinda terrible, what brand and model of microcell do you have?
 
Mike.

 

[tmbrown97]

Microcells are actually an FCC governed device IIRC and as such you can't just go buy whatever you want.  It is acting as a micro cell-site taking calls and transmitting over broadband.  As you've noticed, you have the 5 phones that can be registered, and the whole handoff issue apparently hasn't changed in the last 5 years because what you describe is what it's always been.  In fact, I almost never see them offered now - but in years past, AT&T would send them to anyone who complained enough.  Note - it's different per carrier... I believe the Verizon one would pick up any nearby phone and send it over your broadband.
 
If it's an issue of cell penetration due to building materials, then a repeater is a great way to go.  Wilson Electronics (I think they just changed names; don't recall new name) makes a ton of options.  If you have terrible service in the house but standing on the roof it's great, you can do a directional antenna with an amplifier and indoor antenna and as said somewhere above, for about $500 you'll fix that problem.  I've installed a few of these.
 
If only we had 803.11ac everywhere - none of this would matter!

 

[mikefamig]

I may have learned something interesting about the Mcell yesterday. I accidentally set of the Elk alarm when entering the house and I have rules set to send me text messages via "[email protected]".  This always worked well until last night when it took nearly a half hour to receive the text message and i suspect that it could have to do with the microcell. I also have the Elk dial my iphone and it also was very slow in arriving.
 
It occurs to me that the incoming text message and phone call is coming to my iphone from the internet to the Mcell and then to the iphone as opposed to GSM to the Iphone. I can't say for sure but this is the only thing that has changed recently.
 
So just something to consider if you are thinking of getting a microcell.
 
Mike.