Poor cellular service despite microcell and 5 bars

Good Afternoon @Frenzel,

I’m sorry to hear both iPhone 6 plus models are having poor cellular service; I would be happy to assist you with this.

You mentioned that you had moved to a slower speed Internet with Comcast, have you performed a speed test? If not; please go to http://www.att.com/speedtest/ to ensure that speeds are compatible for running your MicroCell. The minimum broadband speeds of 1.5Mbps downstream and 256Kbps upstream are the requirements.

If your broadband speeds are up to par, please send me a private message by clicking here.  Please provide the following:

• First and Last name
• E-mail address
• Wireless Phone Number
• If the MicroCell alpha tag is displayed on both phones or not.

Thank you,

Charise

I have sent Charise a private response including my phone numbers and other personal information, and am hoping she can help.

If you are reading this, I'll just let you know that my internet speed seems adequate, my phones indicate they are connected to the microcell, and the indicator lights on the microcell indicate good health.

I'll add a comment here when this problem is solved.

Ok, my problem is "solved".

Turns out the microcell is what was degrading my service.  Silly me, I thought that since it connected to my cable internet service, it actually sent the call signal over the internet connection.  Nope.

It apparently connects to a local cell tower and amplifies the signal.  To do that, it must be placed close to a window facing the cell tower.  In my case it is about 10 feet from the window, and that's fine for getting the required GPS signal, but inadequate for phone service.  To do that at my house, we're talking about draping cables everywhere.  Maybe not a technology problem , but definitely an esthetic one.

So my latest approach has been to disconnect the microcell altogether.

Guess I'll be making lots of calls on facebook messenger, they seem to know how to send a signal over my internat connection.

No. You are wrong. The MicroCell does not use the local tower to transmit voice calls. It uses the local tower to establish what is called the "cellular neighborhood" for handing-off calls. It also uses the tower location to establish and verify your physical address for E911 and maintenance.

The MicroCell is a VoIP service so all calls are routed, via your internet service, to the AT&T Mobility servers and then out to the cellular network.

The MicroCell, according to the instructions, must be placed within 18" of a window with an unobstructed view of the sky. This is for GPS connection only. It has nothing to do with sending/receiving calls.

Poor voice quality is mainly due to the internet providers connection being poor. Jitter and lag being too variable for consistent voice. Your internet connection may be fine but VoIP requires a very clean and stable line.

Experience has shown that the actual minimum download speed for the MicroCell should be a stable 3.0Mbps. 1.5Mbps, as stated by AT&T, is a laboratory setting and not based in reality. However, the more devices you have that are sharing your internet at one time even 3.0Mbps may be pushing it.

We would need more detailed information on your setup to help you.

Thank you for your reply.  I'm happy to be wrong on this one.

If the window is only required for GPS, I'm good to go.  The GPS indicator comes up quickly and stays green.  The window is about 8' away, but it's very big.

I just spoke to my friend in Spain using Facebook messenger, and he reiterated that my voice quality was far superior than when he calls me from around the corner and my microcell is involved.  Not sure why the microcell can't do as well as facebook messenger over my wifi.

So what now?

Thank you for your interest

I thought Facebook retired Facebook Messenger as they posted that they would stop it from working on March 3, 2014? 

The minimum acceptable broadband connection speeds recommended by AT&T are unrealistic for the typical home network IMHO.  If you expect to have a reliable, usable cellphone connection via the Mcell with 1.5 Mbps download/256 Kbps upload bandwidth and are operating anything else on your home network (computer, Xbox, smart TV, et.al.), I think you will likely be disappointed.

What are your subscribed download and upload speeds from Comcast?  Is it Comcast's Performance Starter package with 6 Mbps download speed?

I'm curious about your call quality.  Is it just your voice that callers are saying is so bad?  Do the caller's voices sound OK to you?

From what little the OP has posted, I'd have to say that their internet connection has issues.  The symptoms described are indicative of voice packet delay and/or loss.

Facebook Messenger voice communication and the Mcell are two completely different animals so just because you have good call quality with FM doesn't automatically mean your Mcell call quality will be the same.

We will need line quality testing results from you to help diagnose the problem.

Please run these and post the results:

For testing your internet speeds:      https://www.speedtest.net

For testing your VOIP quality:           https://www.8x8.com/resources/tools/voip-test

(Post your the results listed under the "Advanced" tab for the VOIP testing)

I agree with Avedis53. Please post your VoIP results, your internet speeds, and how many devices are sharing your internet.

Your download speed is marginal at best and your upload speed is inadequate for consistent Mcell call quality.

Definitely want to see your VOIP test results.  I suspect they will re-enforce my suspicions.

The fact that callers are having trouble hearing you is not surprising given your upload speed.

Make sure to run the VOIP test several times during the day to see how much variability you may be experiencing in the test results.

You may need to reconsider your level of internet service with Comcast or at least have them test your line to see what is going on.

Still need to know your subscribed Comcast speeds as stated by Comcast.

Yep. And my guess is that her speed fluctuates a lot as well. Certainly sounds like a Comcast issue.