Anybody get a AT&T Microcell to work with an Apple Time Capsule router?

[CyberBob859]

I just got an AT&T 3G Microcell and went through the activation process fine.  I  got a text message from AT&T stating that the Microcell was activated and I was able to place a phone call on my iPhone 3G without a hitch using the Microcell.

But that was last night.

Today, I find the 3G light on the Microcell constantly blinking, and my iPhone cannot find the Microcell. I'm back to no bars again.

I tried power cycling the Microcell, and everything came back - including the 3G light blinking.  I disconnected and reconnected the yellow cable from the Time Capsule router, but still nothing.

So, I got it activated and made a phone call, but that was it.  I can't get it to work anymore.  I've been reading online that the Microcell may be finicky and doesn't work with some routers.  Has anybody got this to work well with Apple's Time Capsule?

[waldrondigital]

I would try setting a static DHCP lease and then forwarding the recommended ports to the IP you chose for the permanent/static lease.  I've heard others have had success with this.

However the MC is a pain and I still have yet to get two of them I bought working yesterday. 

With one device at home: My router is a Linksys WRT160N and I've tried every DMZ, disable/enable option, port forwarding, you name it... hasn't worked yet.  I get GPS lock and no activation.  I have not tried the OPTION C or putting it ahead of my router... this is really just a test environment for me.

With one device at work: Up to the glass window in a 6 floor business park, I've been waiting 5 hours with no GPS lock.

Disclosure: I do IT for a living.... if I can't get it up then I weep for the novices.

[NewfD90]

Motorola Cable Modem <--> MicroCell <--> Time Capsule.  Works great for me.  I think this is called Option C in the manual.  Just make sure and power them up left to right.

[Planet-Ed ACE - Expert]

Here is how my AirPort Extreme is set up which is like the Time Capsule but without the hard drive.

Open the AirPort Utility.  On the left double-click on the router your wanting to set up (some people have more than one).

Click Internet in the top menu and then the DHCP tab.  I changed the DHCP Beginning Address so it ends in 100.  Now under the DHCP Reservation you will want to click the + button.  In the Description I called mine "AT&T MicroCell 3G" without the quotes of course.  Check to make sure the MAC Address box it checked and then click Continue.  Enter the MAC address for the MicroCell.  You can find it on the bottom of the MicroCell.  I always enter mine using the colon between ever 2 digits.  So it will look something like this XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX when done.  Next for the IPv4 Address for the last part I set mine to 10 so on mine is 10.0.1.10 .. Now click Done.

Next click the NAT tab.  Click the Enable default host at: box and use the same 10 number like above.  Then click Update.  What the default host does is sets that IP address in the DMZ basically opening it up to all the ports.

After the router restarts I would unplug the MicroCell, wait a minute and then plug it back in to make sure it changes its IP address to what we set above.  Be patient as it can a little bit to get the green signal bar on the MicroCell to lock back up solid.

[jpsabo]

Same set up here (using Charter cable) and using the Apple Airport Extreme. But, my problem is that although the MC is all lit up, my iPhone 4's sometimes autoconnect and sometimes don't.

[CyberBob859]

Thanks Planet-Ed.  I did everything you mentioned, and so far, it seems to work.  The acid test will be if the 3G light stay on (without blinking) for more than a few hours.

My only difference is that I used the "192.168" instead of "10.0" for the beginning of the IPv4 address.  I didn't want to make too many changes to my network.  But, so far so good.

Thanks again.

[CyberBob859]

An Update:

I thought everything was working fine, but I came back home tonight to find the 3G light blinking again. Going through a power cycle (unplugging the unit, and then plugging it back in) got it working.

But, I don't want to do this every few days to get coverage in my home.

I followed the procedure mentioned by Planet-Ed a few messages above, with the only change being I used the "192.168" prefix.  I don't know if that's important, but otherwise, that's it.

Does anybody have any other ideas on how to get this working, because right now, I'm inclined to take it back to the store.

[biggnoggin]

You're better off setting it up in option C format like NewfD90 mentioned, not only are you going to get better performance in general you won't have to worry about configuring your router.

[blarrrrg]

i have mine like this

cable modem -> time capsule -> switch -> microcell -> computer

and it's working a-ok (minus the idiotic 50kbps internal cap)

[flybriz]

Is anyone running the microcell in between their cable modem and time capsule getting a double nat error on the TC? I'm reluctant to set my TC to bridge mode as it disables my guest network and likely causes issues with back to my Mac and possibly my sling box. The microcell is behind the tc right now and while it did register, it's dropping calls even more that the weak AT&T tower does in my area.

[bongoherbert]

For what it's worth, I've had it running with an early-model time capsule, no problem, in both 'A' (connected to router) and 'C' (before the time capsule) configuration with no problems. 

[shadyant]

Yes, I have a 1st gen time capsule and microcell and have successfully made it work using two different configurations...

1) Configuration A...an ethernet cable from the OUT port of your existing TimeCapsule router to the yellow ethernet IN port on Microcell...

I had similar issues like you describe where AFTER Microcell was already activated and working it would loose internet connection...which causes the 3G light to blink as you describe...but I've always been able to get 3G restored by doing a power cycle of my Microcell, modem and TimeCapsule... I just got tired of this happening to I changed to "priority mode" configuration C in the Microcell manual...

You plug an ethernet cable from the OUT port of your modem to the yellow IN port on microcell...then another cable from the black OUT computer port on microcell to the IN port of your TimeCapsule...

This puts Microcell first in line for internet and should avoid it loosing connections to internet...

If you still see issues then your internet speed is either not consistently strong enough to keep microcell connected OR you are transferring large files that cause microcell to drop below the 1.5Mbps minimum speed needed to sustain the connection... Running in priority mode should help with this if not resolve it altogether...

[okumuro]

Me too

I connect the MicroCell from one of the socket of the TimeCapsule.

It works fine, don't worry I think you just met the mess of the backstage system.

I believe they have fixed it, try it again.

Remember,

Go to the manage page, check your status.

If you are in Activation Error, you have to disconnet and re-activate again.

If you are in Activation Pending, you just need to reset (power off 10 minutes and turn back on) and wait for the activation. And if 2 hours passed you are still not online, disconnect and re-activate again.

[bongoherbert]

One interesting observation- (see the voice latency thread) 

Yesterday, I hooked the microcell up in the 'non-priority' configuration and experienced less voice latency. Not entirely scientifically done, of course, since my change could have correlated with any of a variety of other things, including moving the microcell away from the timecapsule a little more, perchance decreasing interference.

Anyway- good luck, maybe you'll have better success after all this other backend stuff settles down. 

If you continue to have trouble, I'd be happy to send you my exact configuration information to see if it would help. Just PM me.

[TucsonTinCup]

I can get the MicroCell to work in configs A and C as shown in the books.  However, when I have the MicroCell on, it interferes with a Cisco Power Line set up I have to get internet signal to another part of the house.  I have the Cisco power line connected to the Time Capsule and have tried both connecting the MC to the Time Capsule and to a Linksys switch connected to the Time Capsule.  The Cisco Power Line will not work unless it is connected to the TC.  I tried moving it to the Linksys switch without the MC connected.  All the wireless and direct cable connections to the TC work with the MC connected in either A or C config, except for the Cisco Power Line.  Any suggestions on how to solve this problem?  Thanks in advance.

[rydawg7]

I have a MicoCell with;

Moto modem to TimeCapsule to MicroCell,

all the correct lights solid green,

activation confirmed,

and the correct number on the account 

However, 

My Iphone 3gs is not finding the MicroCell - my phone has located other micro cells fine (at work) 

but no luck at home

do i need to do anything to my firewall or timecapsule settings 

thanks for any help 

[nsayer]

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rydawg7 wrote:

My Iphone 3gs is not finding the MicroCell - my phone has located other micro cells fine (at work) 

but no luck at home

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Have you tried turning airplane mode on for a couple seconds and then back off? If that didn't work, how about power-cycling your phone?

[keerock]

I have the exact same problem. Strangely it has worked for weeks at a time and power recycling would always get it working again.

Charter Ambit Modem > Airport Extreme > Microcell

ATT is sending out a replacement unit but I think it's Charter.

[cat76]

i tried this but my modem light blink red

[Otto Pylot ACE - Professor]

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cat76 wrote:
i tried this but my modem light blink red

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I'm assuming by modem light blinking red you mean the MicroCell's 3G light. A blinking red 3G light means one of two things. One, the MicroCell was updated overnight by AT&T and during the reset process, it didn't work properly so the MicroCell thinks there is a hardware failure or two, there is an actual hardware failure of the unit. You can try a hard reset which is holding in the reset button on the back for about 30 seconds. Before you do that though, tell us how you have it setup, etc.

[cat76]

I've  read in the book about the alternative connection of the Microcell, so I tried that.. My Motorola sb6121, I connected to the Microcell, either way yellow-or black, and then my time capsule,  but the connection light on the modem is blinking red, that means something went wrong ( when I connect the modem to the Microcell, either way) ..so I try to do the alternative connection but the modem doesn't work with the Microcell... Any ideeas why?

[Otto Pylot ACE - Professor]

By Apple Time Capsule router do you mean the Apple Extreme Base Station with Time Capsule or is this the standalone Time Capsule HD? The Time Capsule should have no effect on the router at all. A few basics...... the nominal connection is: modem -> router -> MicroCell. Priority connection is: modem -> MicroCell -> router. Either way will work. The priority connection is usually reserved for troubleshooting because it takes the router out of the pathway. If memory serves me correctly, the Time Capsule HD only is an enet connection to the router, correct?

Do you have internet service when the MicroCell is not connected at all? IOW, your modem light is not blinking red. Try to establish internet service without the Time Capsule or MicroCell. If your service if fine, the connect the MicroCell in priority mode, modem -> MicroCell -> router. What do the lights on the MicroCell indicate? Are they all green (which ones) or is any of them blinking green or red?

[cat76]

modem -> MicroCell -> router, this how I did it 2 nights ago...all the lights on Microcell were blinking green, but the connection light on the modem was blinking red...BUT that night, even the light on the modem was red, looked like everything was ok, couse the phone was working and the internet too. When I woke up in the morning, i had no internet connection, and the 3G light on the Microcell was blinking green. I connected the modem back to the  Apple Extreme Base Station (with Time Capsule) to use at least the internet, then i connected the Microcell to the Apple Extreme Base. When i came back home in the night, everything was working... My problem is the Microcell overall is working, but once a week the 3G light is blinking green and i have to restart the the Microcell again, and takes awhile to start working again, so to avoid this problem i tried to do the alternate connection, witch is in the book....By the way ..thank you for your help...

[Otto Pylot ACE - Professor]

Ok, I have an Apple Extreme Base Station too (no Time Capsule). Connection for me is nominal, modem -> router -> Microcell. Yours is setup in priority mode, which is fine, because it takes the router out of the chain. If your modem light (not the MicroCell) is blinking red, that indicates to me that there is a problem with your modem or ISP. What kind of intenet connection do you have and what are your speeds?

You may want to consider using the nominal connection and then trying port forwarding to a static IP address assigned to the MicroCell. That's how I have mine setup and it works very reliably.