Tutor
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11 Messages
MC Activation Website "temporarily unavailable" for TWO WEEKS!!
ATT sent me the microcell. It "seems" to be just fine, but can't test it yet because I can't activate it. The activation website gives me the message,"We apologize for the inconvenience, but our system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later. " I have been trying for two weeks.
I am now stuck in a TECH SUPPORT "DO LOOP":
Have had THREE sessions with (VERY NICE) online support personnel who each try to activate for me and who get the exact same message that I do when I try to do it. Each time, they just reopen the case. Wait a couple of days, then send me a message saying it is fixed. Then they try to activate it for me (AGAIN) and get the same old message (AGAIN). REPEAT.
They say they have no way to do anything with the actual activation website. SO NOW WHAT???
Any suggestions about how to locate the individual who can twist the arm (or ear) of the guy/gal who can FIX the website??
Tech support certainly doesn't seem to have any ideas. There is no indication that they are elevating the issue or doing anything at all really. I get the impression that they are waiting for me to give up and go away. (I am thinking of doing just that.)
Why do they have me call in and attempt to activate it for me "because it is fixed"... when it is obviously NOT fixed and they can all see that by merely entering the information in the case report?
Oh well. Wait another week, ship it back, and rethink the whole ATT scenario, I guess.
Frustrated
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
8 years ago
If all it needed was an updated SIM card it sounds to me like it was an IMSI issue. The MicroCell needs a valid IMSI number before it will recognize the device as a valid AT&T device. Basically the IMSI code is converted into a phone number that is then approved as valid. No phone number, no activation. The process is explained in the Tech Guide (see link in my sig). What is confusing is that outside of the MicroCell range, the phone will work. But the tower protocols are a bit different. Every carrier does this. Some phones have the IMSI/IMEI codes on the SIM cards, some phone have the IMSI code embedded in the ROM of the phone.
Quite often the IMSI issue arises from phone not orignially designed for the North American market or a phone that was jail broke and something in that process altered the IMSI coding. The admins did ask me about the phone but I didn't have your phone type available. This also comes up from time to time with Android-based phones after an update which does something to process of the phone transmitting the code.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
8 years ago
I haven't heard anything about the activation page being down but I'm not doubting what you are saying. Two weeks is a very long time. I would try a different browser. Sometimes cookies or other tidbits in a browser interfere with the myAT&T site and false error messages are generated.
Can you explain your setup, who your ISP is, and what kind of internet service do you have (DSL or cable)?
Which MicroCell did you get and is this your first time with a MicroCell?
Unfortunately this is a holiday weekend so support is going to be severly limited.
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Avedis53
Professor
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2.2K Messages
8 years ago
I had no trouble logging into the Microcell Account Management webpage this morning but I didn't try deactivating and then reactivating my Mcell. I used IE 11. Definitely try another browser than the one you were using and see if the problem still exists.
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CoastRanger
Tutor
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11 Messages
8 years ago
NO CONTACT! NO SOLUTIONS! NADA!
It is now New Year's day. Been working on this since Dec 15th. No further communication or contact of any kind from ATT.
Still not able to get the website to accept the activation information. ( And yes I keep trying.) Still get the same message. "We apologize for the inconvenience, but our system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later." which I have been getting the entire time .
The chat support was not able to activate it... got the same message. TWO more tech support reps tried to activate it on their computers during phone sessions and they received the exact same error message. The website accepts my CORRECT information from the several computers, browsers that have been used... but will not process it.
It appears that I have been cut adrift... with NOTHING as a solution.
(A guy down the road has ATT with the same Microcell 3G that I have. His works fine. He had no problems.)
I have five bars and steady green lights... except for the blinking 5 bars.
Speedtest gives upload speed of 0.9 MBPS and download of 15.4 MBPS
NOT HAPPY!
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
8 years ago
There's not much that can be done today, Jan. 1st, because of the holiday weekend but I will link your post to the Admins first thing Monday morning and we'll try from that angle. In the mean time I would suggest sending a pm to CustomerCare (link in my sig) with your problem, any trouble tickets assinged to you, your account info, the best way for them to contact you, and your location, if you haven't done so already.
Usually in a case like this, it's a browser/cookie issue but I see you've tried multiple browswers to no avail.
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dumbnose
Contributor
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2 Messages
8 years ago
I have exactly the same experience. It has been over three weeks for me. I get the same error message. I've spent lots of time with tech support. I even got a message saying they fixed the issue. But, I just tried again and it still isn't fixed. So frustrated. Not sure what to do next.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
8 years ago
Send a pm to CustomerCare (link in my sig) with the problem, any trouble tickets assigned to you, what you have done to correct it, your account info, the best way for them to contact you, and your location. There is a sporadic issue with the Registration/Activation page that IT is trying to nail down and fix, so the more "written" complaints they get, the more active the issue becomes and once that magic "tipping number of complaints" is reached Senior Management will get actively involved. The fact that the issue is spordic, and not affecting everyone, makes it that more difficult to fix and fix only once.
What we have are two reports from Oregon and one from Washington so it seems to isolated to the Pacific Northwest.
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dumbnose
Contributor
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2 Messages
8 years ago
I sent them a message on the 7th. They still haven't replied. I checked the site again, and it is still broken. What terrible service and such a waste of money. I should really switch to Verizon. They apparently have better service.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
8 years ago
You are certainly well justified in your complaint. I linked your post to the Admins, again, and they should get it tomorrow (Tuesday). There is some re-organization going on so something like this probably got re-prioritized or lost in the shuffle, but that's no excuse. I'll follow-up where I can.
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CoastRanger
Tutor
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11 Messages
8 years ago
Probem SOLVED:The SIM CARD WAS TOO OLD! FINALLY ACTIVATED!!! - 2 months later! Woo Hoo.
Thank you to all who replied.
Turned out that it was TECHNICAL STUFF in that the SIM card in my Rugby 3 was too old! (How was I spozed to know that? The SIM card had a 3G logo on it.)
After many many support calls and follow-ups at various levels, Advanced Technical Support guru, Denise, combed through it and solved it. She sent me an updated SIM card and ALL IS WELL. It took me 20 minutes and I am at 5 bars.
One observation: One step in the activation process involves a software update to the Microcell software. It failed the first time and I had to reset it... but I also noted that my network was very busy doing a backup. I killed the backup and the rest of the activation went without a hitch. Am thinking my connection was too busy the first time.
One really funny-sad observation is that the majority of tech support people tried to contact me ON MY CELL PHONE (voice and text). (Did they not understand that it does not work at home and that is WHY I needed to get the microcell working?) I did not get the messages until I went to town... and then had to call in ... wait.... talk to yet another support person... and review it all over AGAIN.
Because they seemed unable to understand the repeated instruction to call my land line, the whole process was delayed by at least 3 weeks.
All in all... it was frustrating. But each support person REALLY tried hard and they have almost as difficult a time penetrating all the layers of support to get to the level needed as I did. I think I'll stick around for awhile.
..CoastRanger.
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