does at&t offer free microcell signal booster

@Avedis53 - there are issues with the Lithium platform right now. Double and triple posts showing up inconsistently so maybe it's Lithium (hopefully) and nothing more.

The problem is the wifi calling feature on the IPhone 7 makes the phone go crazy.   It burns through battery at an insane rate & it causes the cell signal to be worse than it is without the wifi calling turned on.  The apparent solution is to turn the phone to airplane mode when using wifi calling. To me this is annoying and a bother.  In my area Verizon is just superior to at&t in signal strength so I may have to go that route. 

@ OttoPylot

I hope it's only a Lithium problem.  Nothing more frustrating than to write a response and have it disappear.

@ Dmull147 

Given the number of posts on other forums concerning iPhone 7 rapid battery drain, I'm not so sure that WiFi-C is the issue in your case.   How old is your iPhone 7?  Have you turned off WiFi-Assist to see if that has any impact?

FYI, when using WiFi-C, the cellular signal strength indication is meaningless.  You should look at your phone's WiFi signal strength indication instead to monitor your connection..

Have you tried any of the suggestions posted concerning rapid battery drain on iPhone 7's?  Sounds like a phone problem more than a carrier problem to me.

I got the phone a few days ago.  I'm talking about cell service when there is no wi-fi. If the wifi calling feature is simply turned on, even though it's not being used, the phone often loses cell signal and the battery gets sucked right down.  Yes, DRAMATIC difference in battery life since I turned off wifi calling. Acts like a normal phone now.  Absolutely directly related to the wifi calling being on.  My comment about at&t service in my area was because two locations I often work at I have very, very minimal service (while Verizon signal is booming in both those locations). As I result I need to use wifi calling at those locations.  It's a hassle if I have to turn things on and off when arriving and leaving those locations.  A microcell in those spots would alleviate that because obviously the wifi calling feature is not worked out yet. 

@Dmull147 - the phone will always preferentially seek a cellular signal when one is detected. That is an Apple design and why we recommend you put the phone in Airplane Mode to disable the phone's cellular radio when you are in range of a MicroCell that the phone has been registered to. The same will hold true if you are out of MicroCell range and out and about. If there is no detectable cellular signal, but a detectable WiFi signal, WiFi-C becomes a very handy option. But if both are present, the phone will be constantly switching back and forth for the stronger signal unless you enable Airplane Mode if you want to use the WiFi signal only.

When WiFi-C was first introduced, the majority of comments was why couldn't the phone be told which signal to use, or lock on to automatically. Apple has been silent about this and AT&T CS really hasn't a clue. This is all covered in my Tech Guide (link in my sig line).

Ok thanks for the response.  So it would seem I'm best off just using wifi calling when I'm in the areas with poor cell signal and wifi.  I will just have to go into airplane mode then turn wifi back on and turn wifi calling on ...... definitely a little bit of a pain.  My though was with a microcell I could just leave wifi calling off and the phone would pick up a cell signal from the microcell without having to turn things on and off. 

@Dmull147 - If you don't need the MicroCell at home for other non-WiFi-C capable phones, then WiFi-C for poor in-home coverage is they way to go. Call quality and reliability is much better. However, if you have other phones that are not WiFi-C capable, then you'll need to put your phone into Airplane Mode if you want your phone to use your WiFi for calls instead of cellular (MicroCell). Otherwise, just leave WiFi-C disabled on your phone and use it only when away from home if needed. I don't use WiFi-C when I'm away from home because I've never been without a cellular connection so I don't know how well it works, but when I've tested it out at home it has been just fine.

I am inclined to believe the problem is with your phone.  I've read a lot of posts on other forums about iPhone 7 and 7+ being returned because of rapid battery drain.  A lot of the people within the return period got a new phone and the drain problem went away.  

You didnt say whether you have WiFi Assist enabled or not as I asked.  You might try turning that off to see if it makes any difference.  You could try turning off LTE also.

@ Otto - I've used WiFi Calling in a number of places other than my home and it works just fine.  

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@Avedis53 wrote:

 

 

@ Otto - I've used WiFi Calling in a number of places other than my home and it works just fine.  

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@Avedis53 - good to know. I haven't had much of an inclination to mess with WiFi-C when I'm out and about. So there's no issue with leaving WiFi-C enabled and switching to cellular when that signal is stronger? Do you have to enable Airplane Mode like one does when in range of a registered MicroCell?

I have WiFi-C enabled all the time.  I've found no reason to activate Airplane Mode to avoid switching between cellular and WiFi-C.  Since WiFi signals are stronger inside structures as opposed to outside, in areas of weak cell tower coverage, a WiFi-C connection has been stable for me when I've used it in other interior locations with access to WiFi.  According to AT&T, moving in and out of WiFi coverage while on a WiFi call will disconnect unless your account has HD Voice coverage.  Even with HD Voice, 911 calls will disconnect if moving in and out of WiFI-C coverage and HD Voice is not available everywhere quite yet. 

Of course, access to a WiFi signal in other locations is usually restricted to guest networks and most require a password to access.  Still, if you are in an area of poor cell tower communication but can log onto a WiFi network, WiFi-C does work well.  Try that with a Mcell!