Voyager
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3 Messages
Microcell After Power Outage
Our power goes out for a few minutes or a few seconds from time to time, probably more than it should. It's not generally out for more than a few minutes.
After the power goes out and comes back on, the wireless light on the Microcell shows red and it does not work. If I unplug the power cord then plug it back in, the unit connects and works just fine.
And, until I unplug and plug the power to the unit, I may get an email from AT&T about Activation Failure (Error 102). Again, after restarting the unit, things work just fine.
Is this normal behavior for the Microcell after a power outage?
Thanks,
Mark
Avedis53
Professor
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2.2K Messages
10 years ago
I would say that this could be considered as normal. A flashing red 3G light either means a system failure or that the Mcell did not reset properly after the power came back on. I'm guessing the latter since a power cycle brings the Mcell back on properly.
Voltage sags and spikes that typically accompany a brief power outage can be damaging to any electronics that are plugged in at the time. If you have frequent power outages, you may want to consider using a UPS to protect electronics that remain on all the time (ie. Mcell, computers) or at a minimum a surge protector.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
10 years ago
Even though we live in an area with very stable and consistent power, I keep my MicroCell, router, and modem on a small APC Battery Backup.
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Signaladviser
Guru
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1.1K Messages
10 years ago
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
10 years ago
See my Tech Guide (link in my sig) for troubleshooting techniques.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
10 years ago
What is a TNT service and who are you?
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bmarkjones49
Voyager
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3 Messages
10 years ago
Thanks for all the replies. I would have thought that after a power failure the unit would just boot up and begin working again, just like you would expect of a router or any other networking device. In looking at the replies it appears this is not the case with the Microcell - after a power loss and after power is restored, it must be power cycled again for it to work. Do I have this right?
Thanks,
Mark
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Avedis53
Professor
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2.2K Messages
10 years ago
Absolutes aren't the norm for the Mcell as it can be somewhat finicky from time to time. After a power outage, it may come back online when the power is restored or it may take a power cycle afterwards to get back online. All power outages are not the same. Voltage spikes or sags that typically accompany an electrical power outage are not uniform and could possibly impact the Mcell's ability to simply bounce back when power is restored and subsequently require a power cycle to straighten out it's primative brain.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.2K Messages
10 years ago
Not necessarily. My MicroCell comes right back up after a power outage. It does have to go thru the activation procedure (GPS lock, downloading any updates, and then registering on the mobility network) but that usually only takes about 10 minutes max. Depending on the nature of the power outage and whether there was a spike or not, you may have to power cycle again in case something didn't completely clear-out and needs another restart.
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