What is happening with 3G?
MicroCellEarl's profile

Teacher

 • 

17 Messages

Wednesday, October 18th, 2017 1:26 PM

Microcell not working

Hi Everyone,

 

I've used the white/orange ATT Microcell for almost a decade. Outside of the occasional restart, the device has performed well; without it, we have 1 bar of signal strength in our Wayne NJ home. A couple of weeks ago, we no longer had 4-5 bars of strength and the term "Microcell" was no longer visible on our iPhones. After recycling the unit, resetting it, cycling my router, etc., it still didn't work. However, it had all 4 lights solid green. Opened a ticket with ATT and they could find nothing wrong. So, thinking that my 10-year old MCell had given up the ghost, I bought a new one on Amazon - the black Cisco unit ($240). I transferred my family configuration to the new MCell on the website, got  4 green lights, email confirmation that my MCell was "activated and working", but no MCell service.

 

I use a pair of Linksys WRT-1900AC routers. Although I hadn't deliberately opened the ports outlined in the MCell manual before (the original unit worked anyway), I did so. Still no joy. Contacted ATT again. They told me to give them a couple of days, after which they let me know that "everything was working again". Indeed, I had MCell reception on my iPhone 7+, but neither my wife nor my daughter had MCell service. This situation happened in the evening; by the next morning, MCell was once again absent from my iPhone.

 

So, I contacted ATT again last night, updating my escalated support ticket. They told me that they could find nothing wrong, but will investigate "another aspect of the Microcell" and let me know.

 

I'm sorta at my wits end here.... ATT consistently recommends using WiFi calling, but that won't work in many areas where there is insufficient WiFi coverage. And that suggestion is nothing more than a band-aid, seemingly to get me to go away. My sister lives 8 miles from my home, has ATT and the same Cisco MCell unit and things are working fine for her.

 

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions? I've constantly had to follow-up with ATT - there is no communication coming from their end unless I initiate the conversation. 

 

I don't know where to go next with this

Teacher

 • 

17 Messages

5 years ago

Akcalifornia

I can tell you what I did to fix my MCell problem----nothing. I fiddled with the unit and checked and re-checked that my configuration was set correctly on the website. Nothing I did worked, so I gave up and used WiFi calling. No one could resolve my MCell issue. I forgot about it.

This went on for a few months (I don't recall how long). Then, one day, I got an email from ATT, one of those emails you get when the MCell cannot confirm your location. Out of the clear blue sky. So I power-cycled the unit and, lo and behold, the MCell started functioning!

I want to reiterate that during those few months I didn't touch the MCell or the website config. I moved on with my life.

This resolution told me that the problem was on ATT's end. It wasn't a low voltage wall wart, or blocked ports, or the physical location of the MCell (which had not changed from when it HAD been working), or poltergeists or any other out-of-left-field solution. It was ATT. Many one-off solutions are just that, one-offs. They do not solve the majority of the issues because, IMO, ATT changes, adjusts, or fat-fingers something on their end and there isn't a communucations channel between the folks who did that and the customer support staff.

Since that time, I've had to power cycle the unit on 2 occasions when it appeared to have forgotten where it was located, but in each case the unit immediately began working again. It's been working fine for months, but I've probably just jinxed it.

I wish you luck with your issue.

Earl


ACE - Expert

 • 

23.9K Messages

5 years ago

@MicroCellEarl - the MicroCell, and subsequent support, is far from perfect. That's why I started my Tech Guide, Quick Tips, and Cellular Booster Guide.

 

Location is key in a lot of circumstances, so is how you have it setup, your connected devices, ad naseum. And there are cases where it just doesn't work. Especially in rural areas, brand new developments, or apartment/condo units.

 

For most users, the service worked as designed. I used mine for years, switching ISP's, different routers, different phones, etc. and I had very few issues. The number of users who have had issues, as reported here, is a small representation of the total number of users who have had no issues. Of course that means nothing if you are one of the users who have issues.

 

However, the MicroCell is on borrowed time. It's time to move on to the new technologies, and that sucks because it may require that the customer purchase a new phone, or switch carriers.

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.