iPhone Not Connecting to Microcell

Same problem except original #/iPhone connects all the time but secondary #'s I added (1-iPhone and 2- Samsung Impressions) have the connection problems.

New microcell user in North Carolina and I'm having the same problem - my iPhone & my wife's are dropping the microcell connection constantly.

The issue seems to be data, not voice, from what I can tell.  I've tested calling and the connection is steady.  But as soon as I try to do something with data (e.g. web page), the connection drops & goes back to the nearest 3G tower. Also, when I try to run the speedtest.net iPhone app, if it holds the connection long enough, my upload speed is basically at 0.  But, if I go to speedtest.net on my laptop, I have a 1 MB upload speed; so it's not my DSL connection.

Same problem happening for me.  3G Microcell is Activated but my iPhone (setup as my primary access number on the Microcell) and sitting right next to the cell does not connect at all. Rebooted, turned network on and off, etc.  Any advice to help trouble shoot?

Same here. I have two iPhones in the house and they both do the same thing. They can make calls fine, but randomly are not able to receive data though the microcell. I usually have to turn airplane mode on and off for it to start working again. For the record, one iPhone is the 3GS, and one is a 3G.

I've had a 3G MicroCell for about 3 days.  I picked up a replacement for the MicroCell because the original one didn't usually recover when it crashed.  This replacement does recover, however, neither of my iPhone 3GS phones will reconnect to the MicroCell once it recovers from a crash.

The only way I can reconnect to the MicroCell is to either reset the Network Settings (SETTINGS-GENERAL-RESET-RESET NETWORK SETTINGS) and it forces the iPhone to re-establish the wireless connection.  

I am in a non-3G area for now and although I'm supposed to be in a prime signal area, my neighborhood is apparently an unplanned semi-dead area with only 2 bars outside.  I get 1 to 2 bars inside.  The MicroCell is in the center of the house, connected to a broadband network that measures 24.4 mbps download and 3.1 mbps upload, which is pretty blazingly fast.  

When connected to the MicroCell, I have excellent results, but if the MicroCell 'glitches' and goes down, I've not seen the iPhones reconnect.  When I leave home, the MicroCell disconnects and the iPhone connects to the macro cells and when I return home, it reconnects to the MicroCell.  I could care less about handoff from MicroCell to macro cell when I'm on a call; I can just finish my call, but I can't tolerate the iPhones not reconnecting inside the house if the MicroCell goes down and recovers.

I only switched from Verizon to AT&T because I wanted the iPhones, but I've never had satisfactory service at my home.  I've been waiting...sort of patiently for the 3G MicroCell to be available in my area.  That happened on Sunday and I got the first MicroCell in the area, but there appears to be an issue using it with the iPhone 3GS and that's the only reason I have for buying the MicroCell.

I carry a Blackberry that is on the Verizon network for my company phone and I still have a Vonage VOIP phone at home.  I can rarely place a call back to the other iPhone 3GS at home that is even intelligible without the MicroCell, but without the iPhone automatically reconnecting to the MicroCell, that's dicey.  I really don't like the clunky user interface and the tiny screen on the Blackberry, but it's what we use at work.  

I can only assume that this problem is an iPhone software issue that has never been dealt with at Apple (I didn't find any topics on the Support site at Apple.) so I feel like I'm kind of an orphan with this problem, except perhaps on this forum.

Who is surprised that the AT&T/CISCO MicroCell doesn't work with an iPhone? We bought one today and it will probably be returned tomorrow. Furthermore, I've not found a single person on the web reporting positively on this combination; the best report was someone who had to cycle through airplane mode to get it to connect. We have 2 of the latest 32GB iPhones at the latest software levels.

Our results with a weak 3G signal (2 bars):

1. does not find M-Cell even after rebooting the iPhone
2. turn "Airplane Mode" on and then off
3. usually finds M-Cell within 30 seconds, sometimes takes up to a minute; no bars but works
4. stays connected to M-Cell for 1-2 minutes
5. switches to "2/3 bars  AT&T  WiFi"
6. stays this way forever, well, up to 20 minutes when we ran out of patience
7. repeats with step 2

Our results with a strong 3G signal (5 bars):

1. finds M-Cell after rebooting the iPhone
2. usually finds M-Cell within 30 seconds, sometimes takes up to a minute; no bars but works
3. stays connected to M-Cell for 1-2 minutes
4. switches to "5 bars  AT&T  WiFi" for 3-10 minutes
5. "searching"
6. repeats with step 2

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@billferreira wrote:

Furthermore, I've not found a single person on the web reporting positively on this combination;

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Most people don't come to a Support forum to post success stories... but here you go...

My IPhone 3GS connects to my microcell EVERY TIME without fail.

Walking into the house, or after the few times I've rebooted my MC... 100% no problem.

And it has never switched to the AT&T tower (macrocell) when i'm in my house. I have to walk ~100 feet from the house and then it switches.

I have 2-3 bars of 3G coverage at my MC.

(I have data through-put issues, but no connection / handoff issues whatsoever).

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@DreaminZ wrote:

 

Most people don't come to a Support forum to post success stories... but here you go...

 

My IPhone 3GS connects to my microcell EVERY TIME without fail.

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Same here.

I live on the third floor of my apartment building in a 2br/2ba apartment.  The MicroCell is in my bedroom on the outer edge of the building (the outside stairwell comes up the center between the apartments).

I get M-Cell signal all the way down to the first floor.  Everywhere in my apartment and on the balcony at the stairwell I get full bars.  When coming home my iPhone 3GS and iPad 3G connects to the MicroCell as I get to the stairwell at the first floor.  I've never had it not connect or not stay connected.  I've been making and receiving calls all week without any issues.

I can't say much for the data side.  The first weekend I left WiFi off on my iPhone and the data worked all weekend but after that I switched the WiFi back on my iPhone as its faster.  If I have WiFi in the house I might as well use it as its faster than cellular data.

But its been a very pleasant experience after the first hour of setting it up.

Glad to see that some people have been successful. I'm attempting to use it with an Apple AirPort Extreme and cannot find any configuration information for this router. Yes page 6 of AT&T's troubleshooting document does describe the general settings but they are not in "Apple speak". Does anyone know of a document which describes how to change the settings in the AirPort Extreme through Apple's AirPort Utility?

Yes I've found several forum messages either relating problems and stating "I got it working" but all are free of any information about how to set it up.

Thanks,

Bill

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@billferreira wrote:

Glad to see that some people have been successful. I'm attempting to use it with an Apple AirPort Extreme and cannot find any configuration information for this router. 

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Try this method for the AirPort Extreme.  I just changed mine to this configuration.

Open the AirPort Utility.  On the left double-click on the router your wanting to set up (some people have more than one).

Click Internet in the top menu and then the DHCP tab.  Change the DHCP Beginning Address so it ends in 100.  Now under the DHCP Reservation you will want to click the + button.  In the Description I called mine "AT&T MicroCell 3G" without the quotes of course.  Check to make sure the MAC Address box it checked and then click Continue.  Enter the MAC address for the MicroCell.  You can find it on the bottom of the MicroCell.  I always enter mine using the colon between ever 2 digits.  So it will look something like this XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX when done.  Next for the IPv4 Address for the last part I set mine to 10 so on mine is 10.0.1.10 .. Now click Done.

Next click the NAT tab.  Click the Enable default host at: box and use the same 10 number like above.  Then click Update.  What the default host does is sets that IP address in the DMZ basically opening it up to all the ports.

After the router restarts I would unplug the MicroCell, wait a minute and then plug it back in to make sure it changes its IP address to what we set above.  Be patient as it can a little bit to get the green signal bar on the MicroCell to lock back up solid.