No data through Microcell

Why are you turning off WiFi on your phone? I just leave WiFi on all of the time on my iPhone. Everything works inside my house on the MicroCell like it does when I'm out of range and on one of the towers.

Because your home IP/ethernet cannot speak to AT&T's MMS servers (for example)...you can only get MMS content through your AT&T connection (Microcell)...and with no data flowing over Microcell that means no MMS message contents on your phone.

Huh? I'm confused. Our cell phones (iPhones of various flavors, and old Samung, etc) have no problem sending/receiving text messages, iMessages, pics, etc. Our "guest" list is full so anyone who comes over and uses our MicroCell for cell phone doesn't have any problems.

Here's what I understand:  When you are on the Microcell you have both a data and a voice pipeline.  The data pipeline is akin to having a VPN connection from your phone to AT&T via the Microcell.  AT&T's MMS servers (where your MMS messages live until they are delivered to your phone) is only accessible from within the AT&T network...you cannot reach those servers from, say, your home computer's ethernet connection...because you are not proxy'd in to AT&T's data network.

Only the data connection that goes VIA the Microcell (and thus first connects to AT&T's back end infrastructure) is able to talk to those MMS servers.

Any other data connection you have, either via wired ethernet connection off your router or wireless/WiFi does _not_ connect to AT&T's back end infrastructure and thus cannot talk to the MMS servers and download your MMS messages/content.

Therefore, if your Microcell is not passing data along (in addition to the voice duties it normally does) you do not have a data connection to AT&T's back end infrastructure and thus no MMS messages for you.

Try this experiment:  Turn Wifi off on your phone, make sure your phone is connected to your Microcell and try opening up a browser on your phone and see if you can get to a web page like Google.  If you can, great! (I wish I was you!)...then you have a data connection via Microcell that works.  For me, when I disconnect Wifi and only have Microcell I cannot get to any web page or anything...thus I get no MMS messages. 

I'm fine with leaving WiFi enabled on my phone and normally would--as the speed you get through your WiFi connection totally blows away the small data pipeline the Microcell (should) provide.  But again, the one thing that the Microcell data connection can do that no other connection can, is talk to those MMS servers.  So the upshot is I cannot send or receive MMS messages while I'm on Microcell at home.  If I have WiFi on my phone, then my phone can do everything (make and receive calls, surf the internet)...but I cannot get those MMS messages.

I don't how to explain it any more clearly than that.

I tried your experiment and turned off WiFi on my iPhone. Safari didn't work which was interesting but the App Store did as well as most of my other apps. Apparently some seem to work ok without WiFi but browsers don't. So, if I understand your last statement then, even if you leave WiFi on, and are connected to the MicroCell, you still can't get MMS messages? That sounds like an issue with your phone because I can do anything with mine while at home, with WiFi on, without any problems at all. Text messages (with or without attachments), iMessages, etc all work fine on the MicroCell/WiFi connection.

It's true:  Wifi on, Microcell connected, can't receive MMS.  But it isn't the phone because as soon as I step out of the house and get back on regular AT&T towers, MMS messages send and receive just fine.  It's only when I'm on Microcell that I don't get MMS.

I did an experiment today where I moved the Microcell to be the first device after the cable modem and then plugged router into the "computer" port on the Microcell....    lo and behold, it fixed the issue -- Microcell only now let data flow and I was able to surf to any mobile web page with only Microcell (no wifi) connected.

Don't know if this will help or not, but I was curious so I tried a couple of experiements with my iPhone 5.  I found that when connected to my MicroCell, I can send/receive MMS (actual MMS, in addition to iMesssages) and browse websites with only cellurlar data or with only wifi on.

Browsing is faster on wifi but it still works with MicroCell cellular data only.

Bottom line, I couldn't duplicate problem kkaufmansd is having. 

edit:  FWIW, I ran one more test and found that if I select Airplane Mode and wifi on, although I can browse, email, etc., I cannot send or receive MMS messages in that configuration.

Yeah, that's one of those strange anomalies with the MicroCell which is hard to explain at times. For some it works and for some it doesn't. But, as we discussed in another thread, just leave WiFi on all of the time and your phone will pick which connection to use for voice and/or data.

I don't think you quite understand what he is saying, you can't receive txt or MMS messages or browse the internet.  Sure you can leave wifi on and get internet, but you can't get MMS or TXT messages!  I am having the exact same problem and it is annoying as heck.  The point of the Microcells are to provide you with the service to make your phone operate correctly, TXTS and MMS is part of the things you are meant to get.