Teacher
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17 Messages
5 years of flawless MicroCell service - now getting interference on calls?
We purchased an AT&T 3G microcell in September of 2010 because our new house was constructed of poured concrete - and it was impossible to get a signal of any kind when inside. The system has worked perfectly for nearly 6 years but for some reason we're now getting interference mid-call that is so bad that it's impossible to communicate with the other party and the call must be dropped. We're conducting business from our home so this level of performance is unnacceptable.
- Has anyone else had this problem and if so were you able to resolve it?
- Has the technology changed and if so do we need a new microcell? (Our microcell unit is 'grey and orange' and the unit depicted on the AT&T website is 'black' so we're left wondering whether or not it has become obsolete.
Please help us. Whenever we call support they have no idea how to support the Microcell.
OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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20.6K Messages
7 years ago
Glad that worked. The Android OS does take a little more care and feeding with the MicroCell.
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AlexanderGR8
Teacher
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17 Messages
7 years ago
FYI - AT&T sent out an update to their GPS database a few weeks ago. It corrupted the firmware on my MC3G unit and rendered it obsolete. They exchanged it and pushed the Android Marshmallow OS system update to our Samsung Note4 phones - (so we could have WiFi calling as a workaround). Microcell 4G arrived and everything was hunky dory -- until the AMOLED displays on our phones got fried and we have burn in / ghosts on our displays.
Does anyone out there have a fix for this? I've posted the question elsewhere in the forum as a new question but just thought I'd ask since you folks were so helpful.
Best wishes,
Kevin
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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20.6K Messages
7 years ago
@AlexanderGR8 - a little clarification please. How do you know AT&T pushed a GPS update to the MicroCell? Most, if not all, support personnel have no clue as to what MicroCell pushes AT&T has done. AT&T is very tight lipped about what the MicroCell firmware updates are for and don't share that information with the public. I haven't seen any issues with my MicroCell at all. Firmware pushes are not MicroCell specific but are global in nature so if they updated the GPS database to the point of rendering the MicroCell useless, I would have seen it. And there aren't any other complaints to that effect that I've seen. reported. Without knowing the particulars of your previous setup, etc, it's difficult to determine was actually caused your MicroCell to fail, if it actually failed at all. If your original MicroCell was five years old, it could have been as simple as a failing ac adapter, which can cause all kinds of strange things. 4-5 years seems to be the time when we start seeing adapter problems.
The MicroCell is still only a 3G device. It will connect to any 3G/4G/LTE handset but only uses the 3G protocols.
The "frying" of your phone screens has nothing to do with the MicroCell and probably has everything to do with the Android update. Do your "fried" phones still connect to the MicroCell?
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AlexanderGR8
Teacher
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17 Messages
7 years ago
Clarification:
* The AT&T Microcell support reps worked with me every step of the way. First rep had me download GPS coordinate software so I could read and give him the exact location of our unit. Then he told me he was pushing an update to my unit that should fix the original problem -- (could not find the unit via GPS). I followed his instructions, waited 90 minutes and then all the lights on the unit went out and it was making a humming noise. I called the MIcrocell Support team again and another rep explained what had happened and started the replacement process and pushed the OS update to our phones for Android Marshmallow (WiFi Calling). One or two weeks later our displays have been burnt in and ghosting appears on the screens. I agree with you that I think the burn in is from the OS update that was sent to us as a workaround to the failure of the MC3g and has nothing to do with the new MC4g unit. Our phones work perfectly with the new Microcell - but the display's screwed up now. That's the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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20.6K Messages
7 years ago
Nobody's doubting your story. It's the AT&T story that bothers me. There is no way to push GPS coordinates to your MicroCell. What AT&T can do on their end is called a GPS Bypass. What they basically attempt to do is "manually" put your GPS coordinates into the system to override what they are receiving from the MicroCell. That works in a lot of cases but is only temporary in that once AT&T peforms the mainteance on the system at night, part of that check is GPS verification, either from the MicroCell or the tower closest to the MicroCell. Those received coordinates may override the GPS Bypass and you're back to square one. What I recommend is that the user contact their local Emergency Services and see what they have as GPS coordinates for your E911 location (which is what the GPS check is for because it's an FCC requirement).
When AT&T sent you the replacement did they include the ac adapter? It sounds as if the ac adapter is starting to fail and that's what fried your first MicroCell (a possible power surge). I would check the adpater(s) with a voltmeter. It should read 16VDC +/- 0.5 with no load.
The Android issue is an entirely different matter, is not surprising for Android and is not related to the MicroCell.
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