Microcell 3G flashing

[gbjerry]

I have had a Microcell for about a year and have had no problems with it other than the occasional failure to do anything on the first call out.  Suddenly I have a flashing 3G light and have rebooted and reinstalled it according to instructions that came with the unit.  I can think of no issues or occurrences that have happened that might have caused this.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  The Microcell is the ONLY way I can use my iPhone 4s at home.  

Thanks.  Jerry H

[dasbrennt]

Hi,

I've the same issue. Is it regionally based? I'm in the Boston MA Area. I've tried the same things with no resolution.

[gbjerry]

I finally spoke with ATT help and the usual fixes did not work.  Now the the tech people are going at the problem from their side and are optimistic that a resolution is near.  From what you say, this would be the best route for you to take as well.  I have done everything that can be done from my side.  It is now in  their hands from  their side.  I wish I had more immediate good news gut that is as good as it gets now.

Good luck.  Give them a call.

Jerry

[douggerard]

I noticed my microcell was also blinking the 3G (bottom) light yesterday after working fine for almost a year.  I, too, have done everything including moving the unit to a different ISP in the same building, de-registering and re-registering,  all to no avail.  AT&T is sending me a new unit. 

BTW, I'm in CT.

[Otto Pylot ACE - Czar]

The flashing red light is usually attributed to either the unit has failed or an update was applied and the unit failed to reset properly so it thinks it is broken. Apparently AT&T/Cisco has been updating various regions around the country for the new 4G iPhones that were just introduced (educated guess on my part) and the update didn't go well. You can try the hard reset on the back of the unit (little hole on the back labeled reset) and see if that wakes up the unit. It that doesn't work, you'll have to call support

[ocx15]

I'm in Boston, too, and mine has been blinking green since yesterday.

Anyone having any luck with the problem?

[dasbrennt]

I've had no luck here in Boston. I get no signal without the device. I've struggled with AT&T with little or no service for 9 months since moving here from Indiana. It is likely time to stop giving AT&T my money and break the contract. Why pay for no service in a major metropolitan area?

[douggerard]

My 3G light is blinking green, not red.  I tried the reset button as well.  We'll see if the replacement unit works.  I suspect a failed update and AT&T said they pushed an update about a week ago.  It could be that my microcell has not ben working for that time since I was away, etc.

[YegorY]

Troubleshooting Steps offered to me by AT&T SUBJECT: AT&T 3G MicroCell Firewall and Router Settings for Advanced Installations SYMPTOM: AT&T 3G MicroCell is unable to communicate with the AT&T data network. FIX: Overview If the AT&T 3G MicroCell is not working after connected to the router/gateway, first try the basic troubleshooting steps contained in the User Guide. If the 3G MicroCell still will not connect to the AT&T network (as indicated by a continuous blinking 3G light), then use the following instructions to check the router settings and change them, as needed. Please contact the router manufacturer or the ISP provider to obtain assistance with configuring the router settings. Normally, just plugging the 3G MicroCell into the router/gateway is all that is required. However, sometimes router/gateway settings have been changed or the 3G MicroCell will not connect properly. This section will show how to change the settings for some popular modems/routers to enable the 3G MicroCell to connect successfully. Procedure NOTE: Please be advised that the router manufacture or the ISP provider will not provide support for AT&T 3G MicroCell, but they can assist with configuring the router settings. DHCP is on Data is not restricted from passing through ports 4500 and 500 (AKA Port Blocking). MTU size is set to 1492 MAC address filtering is either turned off or allowing the MAC address of the AT&T 3G MicroCell IPSec Pass-Through is Enabled Block Fragmented Packets is Disabled If using multiple routers, the 3G MicoCell must be connected to the first router connected to the broadband modem If the 3G MicroCell is connected to a router that is connected to a modem and both the router and the modem have NAT (Network Address Translation) enabled, disable NAT either in the router or the modem. Ensure the modem / router is using the latest software (firmware). Please see the manufacturer's documentation. TCP/UDP Ports NOTE: All ports listed need to be configured for inbound and outbound connections. 123/UDP: NTP timing (NTP traffic) 443/TCP: Https over TLS/SSL for provisioning and management traffic 4500/UDP: IPSec NAT Traversal (for all signaling, data, voice traffic) 500/UDP: IPSec Phase 1 prior to NAT detection (after NAT detection, 4500/UDP is used) 4500/UDP: After NAT detection, 4500/UDP is used Internal Only Additional Troubleshooting Ping or perform an NSLookup on femtocell.wireless.att.com. If the address does not resolve to 12.230.x.x, manually map the name to the IP address returned or change to an alternate DNS server that includes the entry. Temporarily Disable Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI). If this resolves the issue, re-enable SPI and contact your router / firewall manufacturer for assistance troubleshooting the conflict.

[caetano424]

Had the same problem.  FIrmware upgrade on my Linksys (Cisco) router restored functionality to Microcell.

[pjard]

So mine is flashing red but working perfectly.  I'm not sure I should mess with it.  Thoughts???  By the way, the unit is in New Hampshire.

[Otto Pylot ACE - Czar]

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pjard wrote:

So mine is flashing red but working perfectly.  I'm not sure I should mess with it.  Thoughts???  By the way, the unit is in New Hampshire.

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it! It it stops working, try a power reset first.

[Otto Pylot ACE - Czar]

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YegorY wrote:
Troubleshooting Steps offered to me by AT&T SUBJECT: AT&T 3G MicroCell Firewall and Router Settings for Advanced Installations SYMPTOM: AT&T 3G MicroCell is unable to communicate with the AT&T data network. FIX:

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This is outlined in the MicroCell Troubleshooting Guide link that I posted. There are also port forwarding instructions for some router models as well as Apple Extreme Base Station instructions.

[pjard]

Mine stopped working overnight, I'm swapping it out tomorrow.  I do have a question though, does the unit need to remain near a window after the initial activation?

[ecuddy1]

mine was working fine, and now the 3G is flashing green as well.   I'm in Rhode Island.   any solutions that are easy to follow?  i already tried re-setting...   

[Otto Pylot ACE - Czar]

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pjard wrote:

Mine stopped working overnight, I'm swapping it out tomorrow.  I do have a question though, does the unit need to remain near a window after the initial activation?

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Some have had luck moving it after activation but I wouldn't. The MicroCell resets after an update (which can happen at any time without advance notice) and will need to be by a window for GPS lock. No lock, no luck. And it's just one more thing to deal with if the update doesn't go well. You could get an extension antenna for GPS. Those seem to work well.

[douggerard]

My replacement Microcell arrived and I installed it today.  It activated well and works fine.  The previous one had failed last week with a flashing green 3G symbol and NO amount of re-booting, re-activating, pressing the reset button could fix it.  I suspect it had a failed pushed update as others have surmised as well.