HELP - 3G light is flashing, microcell was previously working fine

Hello Community!

One of the most common topics we see on the forums is regarding the Microcell.  Specifically, how to identify and understand the differences between the LED light indicators on the device as well as troubleshooting steps to resolve any issues.

The information contained below is a combination of the great community content, as well as information provided by our Advanced Technical Support team that supports the Microcell every day.

MicroCell LED Guide

Power LED

• Off– No power to MicroCell.
• Solid Green– Microcell has power.
• Solid Red– MicroCell is either still powering up or is in an error state. Please unplug the MicroCell from power and plug it back in. If the LED remains red, please try an alternate power outlet or alternate power cable. You can also test the ac adapter with a voltmeter. It should read 16VDC ± 0.5. If not, replace the adapter with one of the exact same power rating.

Ethernet LED

• Off– No Ethernet cable connected. Please make sure both sides of the Ethernet cable are firmly attached. One side should be plugged into the Ethernet port on the MicroCell and one side should be plugged into an Ethernet port on the modem or router. Ethernet cables should click when inserted into an Ethernet port. If the LED does not light when both sides are firmly attached, please try an alternate Ethernet cable. The MicroCell has been tested and works with Ethernet cables up to 15 feet long.
• Solid Green– The Ethernet cable is connected and the MicroCell has been assigned a valid IP address.
• Flashing Green– The Ethernet cable is connected but the MicroCell has not been assigned a valid IP address. Please power cycle the modem, then router, then MicroCell in that order. If the Ethernet LED continues to flash, please ensure DHCP is enabled on the modem or router. The MicroCell requires DHCP to work.

GPS LED

• Off– No location check is being performed at this time. The MicroCell is either unplugged or is going through activation.
• Flashing Green– The MicroCell is performing a location check. It is scanning both for GPS satellites and for local cell sites.
• Solid Green– The MicroCell has completed the location check.

Computer LED (only on white model MicroCells)

• Off– Nothing is plugged into the computer port.
• Flashing Green– Traffic is passing through the MicroCell.
• Solid Green– No traffic is passing through the MicroCell.
• If continued issues occur, it is recommended to not use the Computer Port because of potential issues with the connected computer’s internet settings.

Network or 3G LED

• Off– The MicroCell is not activated. It is either powered off or going through activation.
• Flashing Green– The MicroCell is not activated. It is going through activation or is experiencing a connectivity issue. Please wait 90 minutes after registration. If the 3G LED continues to flash after 90 minutes, please review the Firewall & Router settingsand make sure the modem or router are appropriately configured for use with a MicroCell.
• Flashing Red– The MicroCell has failed the location check. Please ensure the MicroCell is registered to the correct address. Please power cycle the MicroCell to trigger a new location check. It may also help to relocate the MicroCell to a location with a clear view of the sky. If the MicroCell fails the second location check, please contact AT&T Customer Care.
• Solid Green– The MicroCell is fully activated and is broadcasting signal.

We also have comprehensive Video content to help you navigate any issues you might be having:

• Microcell Activation
• Firewall and Router Settings
• Microcell and Linksys Router Support

Note: A failing AC adapter can affect any of the LED lights so it’s always a good idea to check the adapter with a voltmeter, especially if the MicroCell is a few years old or you have experienced numerous or unexpected power outages.

You can also find a full list of Microcell support by visiting our Microcell support site! 

Thanks again for all your fantastic questions and support, and please comment below if there is anything we’ve missed!

Katie, Community Specialist

I've been a MicroCell user for the past several years, and up until a few days ago, have never had any issues; but now, my MicroCell is unable to connect to the network.

The situation right now is that the top three status lights (power, ethernet, gps) will all light up solid green, while the bottom light (3G) flashes green and never solidifies.

Deactivating and reactivating on the website results in power up, software update, and location verification all completing successfully, but activation failing with FTC101.

Rebooting modem/router does not help, nor does restoring factory default settings, nor direct connection between MicroCell and modem bypassing router.

Disabling firewall on modem and/or router, enabling static NAT/single static IP address, and DMZ, does not help any, although the MicroCell was operating correctly in the past with no changes made from the factory default settings, so I wasn't expecting any of that to help much.

I took the MicroCell into town with me, and after changing the address, tested it on the DSL connection at my business with the exact same results.

I called AT&T tech support while there, explained all of the above, and they authorized a replacement.

I exchanged the MicroCell at the AT&T store in town and took the replacement back home with me to start over, and unfortunately, the replacement behaves identically to the original.

Attempting to communicate with support while at home has been problematic, as my phone is completely unusable without a working MicroCell; but I have been able to use Skype to contact them a few times, and have heard from them that the specific part of the activation process which is failing is when the MicroCell attempts to to establish the VPN connection.

I have contacted CenturyLink regarding the ports the MicroCell utilizes, and got the response that their policy is to not block ports as they do not want to break user applications, although they didn't actually answer the question about those specific ports.

Both of the internet connections I have tested on are provided by CenturyLink, I have no idea what that says about their answer.

At this point I really don't know where to go next from here, and would greatly appropriate any help or advice.

Had very similar problem.  Blinking 3G green light with other 3 lights solid green.  Went through all the troubleshooting with same results.  AT&T sent me replacement Microcell tower and still having same problem with replacement unit.  Have had my ISP out to check the cable and it is fine (30+MBS download). Best I can determine is there have been no software updates pushed to modem or routers in the house.  

fraggboy  -  the reason I x'd out the ip address is that I didn't think it was a good idea to post the address that was being used at the time I found the information. It's not secret but it does take a lot of digging to find and I don't think it would be that useful anyway to the enduser. The AT&T engineers need to verify for themselves what, and where, the problem is before they act on it. I'm not trying to be apologetic for AT&T but just realistic. Besides, that address was acquired a long time ago and it wouldn't surprise me if AT&T hasn't changed it since then because of security and other reasons.

NeptuneX - I will forward your complaint to the Admins but I would suggest sending a pm to CustomerCare (link in my sig) with your issue, how long it's been going on, your setup (including ISP), account information, the best way for them to contact you, and most importantly, your location. It has been my experience that ISPs are reluctant to tell customers if they've been doing any upgrades on their network boxes because quite often that doesn't require a system update to the enduser and is very transparent. Speed is only one small factor in a successful VoIP connection. A lot of things have to play nicely for your calls to make it troublefree to AT&T, especially when traversing a non-AT&T network.

Hello, everyone!

It sounds like you're all having issues with your MicroCells. As OttoPylot suggested, we'd be happy to look into this for you guys, so please click here to send us a private message.

In your message, please provide your name, phone number, email address, and the best time to reach you. You can expect a reply within two business days, so keep an eye on the little blue envelope icon in the top right corner of your screen.

In the meantime, feel free to message me with any other questions or concerns.

-Mariana

Thank you Mariana!

I'm south of you in San Jose and haven't had any issues. What is disturbing is that similar issues have been reported for the last few weeks elsewhere but the West Coast. Who is your ISP?

Send a PM to CustomerCare with your issue, what you have done to fix it, your account information, the best way for them to contact you, and your location. I've been working with the Admins and they are aware of this.

I have copied and pasted your message and sent it to the Admins.

Hello, Frogis!

Thanks for posting. As OttoPylot suggested, we definitely want to look into this MicroCell issue for you so click here to send us a private message.

In your message, please provide your name, phone number, email address, and the best time to reach you. You can expect a reply within two business days, so keep an eye on the little blue envelope icon in the top right corner of your screen.

In the meantime, feel free to message me with any other questions or concerns.

-Mariana

Thanks Mariana.

My primary residence is in Calif, my other home is in rural Idaho where there is no ATT coverage at all. My  Microcell was working great in Idaho for about 3 weeks then just stopped. My internet connection is point to point PPOE 6.5 MB dn / 2.75 up and ping times are around 30 ms. My ISP assures me there is no issue on their end. I use my internet connection for VPN / SSH login to Unix servers, streaming quotes from my brokerage and download movies and TV shows daily without issue. All status lights on the MC are steady state green and ATT support says it should be working. I have worked with several ATT support folks including tech support. Rebooted and restarted everything numerous times. After speaking with an ATT manager he had a replacement priority shipped to me. After activation I have exactly the same situation. I have opened a new case with support and I'm getting nowhere. All status shows it should be working but all 3 of my ATT phones have no service. I have a IPhone 5C, HTC and Pantech phones. All three were working before all three stopped working at the same time. I am a long time ATT customer but I am so furstrated I'm ready to dump ATT and switch to the competitor whose network has good coverage in my rural Idaho home as well as my Calif home and would not require the MC. I purchased the MC hoping it would be a workable solution as my work phone is on ATT. I am a tech guy, I do Computer System Engineering and System Administration and offten work remotely.

Edit: sent PM to Customer support with my phone number and best times to reach me.

The MicroCell, at least when it was initially released, had issue with PPOE connections. Whether that's related to your particular issue or not is hard to say.

So, when all of your phones stopped working, was the light status on the MicroCell still a solid green (power, ethernet, GPS, and 3G) or was any of them blinking?

Try a Complete Reset/Activation:

1. Turn off your phone
2. De-register the MicroCell on myATT and log off
3. Perform a hard reset of the MicroCell by holding in the reset button on the back for about 30 seconds
4. Re-register the MicroCell on myATT
5. Wait till the registration and updates (if any) finish
6. Turn on the phone

Rural areas have typically been difficult for the MicroCell because the GPS coordinates sometimes don't match the postal address (house address) that is in the locational database. The fact that you were able to register and have a functional MicroCell probably means that the location issue is not the cuase of your problems. However, there have been some recent issues where the database got corrupted and when AT&T did their nightly maintenance they couldn't verify the MicroCell's location.

I'm glad you pm'd CustomerCare because that was going to be my next suggestion. Just make sure you give them as much information that you can including you location.

I replied to your other thread but as far as I know, AT&T is not working on a new MicroCell that will support 4G/LTE. That would require new hardware.

I have an iPhone 5 that I leave on LTE all of the time. I have no problems with the phone dropping down to 3G to connect to the MicroCell when I walk into the house. We have other "flavors" of iPhones as well and none of them have any issues with the MicroCell.

Let's start with the basic questions:

MicroCell™ TroubleShooting Questions:

1. Do you have an active postpaid AT&T mobile account?
2. Do you have a combined modem/router or a separate modem and router? What are the model numbers?
3. Have you met the minimum requirements for router configuration as outlined in the Tech Guide?
4. What are your download and upload speeds?
5. What kind of internet service do you have (ADSL, cable, WiFi)?
6. Are you using the basic connection (modem -> router -> MicroCell) or the alternate connection (modem -> MicroCell -> router)?
7. What other equipment (computers, WiFi TV’s, Xboxes, Playstations, etc.) do you have connected to your network?
8. What does the light pattern look like on the MicroCell (power, ethernet, GPS, and 3G)? Are they all a solid green or is any of them blinking green or red, and if so, which one?
9. Does the ac adapter feel warmer than the top of the MicroCell where the vents are?
10. Are all of the cables firmly in place?
11. Have you checked your line speed, http://www.speedtest.net/ ? If so, please post results.
12. Have you checked to see if you line is adequate for VoIP, http://www.voipqualitytest.com/ ? If so, please post your results.
13. Have you checked the Technical Guide?

No LTE problems regarding my iPhone 5 and Mcell.....

Certainly LTE femtocells have been manufactured.  Fujitsu, Hitachi and others already have products.  The issue as I see it is when will AT&T, Verizon and Sprint et.al. be able to adopt the new technology.  They will have to incorporate new hardware on the backend to handle LTE femtocells.  It will also have to dove-tail in with their existing femtocell environment but most importantly will be the price. 

Unless they change their business model of selling femtocells and move towards a monthly fee structure, the price of a LTE femtocell can't be much more than the current 3G femtocell cost of $200.  I don't think early adopters are going to rush to AT&T to pay $300 or $400 for a LTE femtocell if they already have one.  Since they are used in the home, higher data rates are almost always shouldered by the WiFi system so buying one for more speed doesn't make much sense.

At any rate, LTE femtocells are coming......just don't hold your breath.