AT&TMicro Cells

I really, REALLY hope you are right! We use one in NYC and it is great....I have been trying to get AT&T to allow a VI address for two years now.....begged, pleaded, wrote and called.....everything. (See previous posts here with customer service transcript.) It would be excellent news.

so what if your ineternet service goes down, you're kind of screwed again?

Jim Dandy, please let us know if you get it working / activated with a VI address. We have had customers wanting to use this device for years. It allows them to use their cell phone over their Broadband VI connection in their house, where they may not have good AT&T signal, or where they don't want to go over the AT&T bandwidth usage limit.

so what if your ineternet service goes down, you're kind of screwed again?

If the internet goes down you are no worse off. Your cell phone simply sees the MicroCell as a extra cell tower. If its signal is stronger it uses that and the traffic goes via internet......if not, it uses whatever AT&T signal is present. (For example, when you leave the house, your phone automatically finds the regular cell tower and switches.). The cool thing is that except for buying the box itself, there is no extra charge, although they do have some low-cost plan so that the internet minutes are not charged against your monthly minutes. Works really well in NYC where, believe it or not, the AT&T service is not as good as it is on STX.

I will keep you advised. Still waiting for AT&T to create a "street address" to match the GPS cordinates of the MicroCell unit.

They have promised to make this happen by Friday.

To clarify a couple of other points on how this device operates:

Calls transfer out, but don't transfer in. What his means is that if you start a call indoors on the MicroCell then walk outdoors and the signal from a nearby cell tower is stronger the call will be handed off.

The reverse isn't true so if you start a call outside using a tower it will not automatically hand of to your MicroCell if you walk indoors.

The minutes you use on the MicroCell are counted against your plan minutes. In my case I don't care as I have 6,000 roll over minutes and most of the people I call are on AT&T so calls to them are not billable and I therefore continue to accumulate roll over minutes.

AT&T does offer an unlimited MicroCell plan.

it must work for anyphone in range, I was out house shopping and noticed I had 5 bars at a house I was looking at and zero signal 50 meters down the road from it, I assume they had something like this in place.

Jim Dandy, what is the cost of the Micro Cell?

For those of youthat have weak AT&T cell service in your home or office or get tired of waiting for the techs from PR to visit the USVI to fix things when towers are down for days, for $199 your problem is solved.

Picked up a MicroCell at the AT&T store at Sunny Isle this afternoon.

Here you go Poodle.

 

Only AT&t phone numbers that you have expressly permitted in the device's setup can connect using your MicroCell. When I was setting it up I added the phone numbers of friends and family that use AT&T and visit us in the USVI. When you type the phone number in it tells you if it is AT&T and if it can be added.

I think there is a limit of 15 numbers.

The MicroCell cost $199. And you can return it within 30 days if it doesn't work for you or you change your mind. AT&T does charge a restocking fee.

Still waiting for my "street address" to be created. Promised by the 15th then I can test how well it works.

There is a dedicated support group for this product and they are knowledgable, friendly, available and articulate. Setup is very simple except if you lack a valid street address. Don't need any technical skills to hook the device up. Just run the included color coded cable from the MicroCell to an available Ethernet port on your router and if you don't have a router their is an alternative installation where you can plug the MicroCell into you modem or BBVI radio and then plug a single computer into the MicroCell. Then plug the MicroCell into AC and you are good to go after you log into your online AT&T account and type in the unit's serial number, street address and permitted phone numbers.

oh ok...here's my big DUHHHHHHH...Thanks, hope ya got a good laugh! I just somehow missed that...must have been pre-coffee!

Coffee is key. Must have that first few cups (or pot in my case) to function.

Friday afternoon...........drumroll please..........

Still waiting. They added my address to their data base Friday afternoon, butthen told me it may take up to 24 hours to propogate through their IT systems.

I this works, you are my hero. If not, it has still been an impressive effort -- you have gotten FAR further thsn anyone else who has tried !! Keep posting your progress. This could be huge here in the VI.

AT&T is still working on Saturday afternoon to get my address with GPS coordinates into their data base.

As I said in the previous post the dedicated MicroCell staff that support this product have been involved with it since AT&T launched the product and are knowledgable, friendlyand located on the Washington, State.

AT&T has dealt with the same issue of no street addresses in Alaska so they do have a proccess to make MicroCells work when they can't do a verification through the USPS address data base. It just takes some time and MaBell was never known for moving quickly. They also told me that there is another MicroCell working within 1,000 feet of my location so I'm not the first MicroCell on St. Croix.

If you decide to purchase a MicroCell and don't have a good street address, just be sure you have an accurate GPS position in decimal degrees when you call AT&T for assistance in activation. It will get the project off to a quicker start. You can use the compass APP on an Iphone or Ipad, but you will have to convert the result from degrees, minutes and seconds to decimal degrees. If you take your position using a Garmin GPS it may report it in degrees and decimal minutes. Again you will have to convert it . You can also use Google Earth, just set it to show your position in decimal degrees.

Even though I have spent some time on this project I figure it will be worth not having to call AT&T and report it when their cell towers on the island are down and AT&T won't believe you and instead have you do the telephone hokey pokey and turn your phone off then spin all around then turn your phone on, etc,etc,etc.

As long as I have gas for my generator and BBVI can keep their service up I am looking forward to having more reliable phone service not dependent on the off island service techs showing up on STX to put AT&T back in service.

As far as addresses go, I tried ordering something, but, they verified the shipping address with the ACTUAL USPS addressing system.

I gave them the address I was given by the VI USPS and it was wrong!!! After months of calling USPS in PR, I finally called DC and got my CORRECT address as listed with the postal service. Seems the VI USPS is just lazy in just giving out the right address.

My actual address as listed by the postal service verify program is Estate Hermon HL, NOT just my box number and Hernon Hill as given to me by the Richmond post office.

Okay....I'm hooked on the story. Any updates ?

I Have 5 Bars!!

AT&T got my address created on Sunday afternoon and I was able to connect to my MicroCell on Tuesday and get five bars in my home and up to several hundred feet away from it when I am outside.

That being said it hasn't worked out to be a perfect solution for me.

What the issue is that some smart phones aren't always so smart. They do not automatically connect to the strongest 3G signal automatically. When I turn my phone on in the morning at home it connects to the MicroCell and all is good. When I go to town then come back home my phone remains connected to an AT&T cell tower on which I may have just 1 - 2 bars of signal in the recesses of my home away from windows. Even if I stand next to the MicroCell there isn't an immediate hand off to it. Eventually a hand off happens or I can force it by turning the phone on and off.

I have an Iphone 4GS and my wife has a 3GS. (Both with the latest software and new SIM cards) In doing some research on line this seems to be a problem with some Iphones. Perhaps other smart phones are smarter than Apples?

I don't know what will happen when the AT&T tower nearest my home crashes, hopefully I will get a clean hand off and not have worry about if and when the techs from PR will arrive to fix the problem.

I would suggest that anyone that has weak signals from AT&T give the MicroCell a try. Be patient if AT&T needs to create an address for you. Try the MicroCell and see if it solves your problems. If not you can return it less a restocking fee.

The set up is simple and if you need technical support it is readily available seven days a week from very knowledgeable dedicated MicroCell support staff based in the USA. No script jockeys telling you to constantly turn things on and off.

Before you try a MicroCell be sure you have the following:

Internet service that is reliable and provides 1.5Mbps down and 256kbps up . BBVI works for me.

3G phones with AT&T SIM cards. Two of my other older phones use 2G/Edge service and the MicroCell does not work with them.

The MicroCell needs to be installed close enough to a window so its built in GPS can see enough satellites to accurately determine its position.

YOU DO NOT NEED A ROUTER. If you don't have a router you can plug your Internet connection directly into your MicroCell and then your computer into the second Ethernet jack on the MicroCell. If you have a router you can either plug the MicroCell in a LAN port or install the MicroCell in front of your router.

A heads up for anyone wanting to try a MicroCell the Sunny Isle store is out of stock and the store on STT supposedly only has one.

Good luck!

Success (tu)

Here's something much faster than a phone reboot to try:

put your phone into "airplane mode" for a few seconds then take it back off, you should connect to your station then (litteraly wait like 3 seconds or so, if you turn it back on and you do not see "searching..." in place of your bar indicator you did not wait long enough, but 3-4 seconds should be more than enough).

Smart phones are very smart, however they can only follow their instructions, and those instructions are to not jump cell towers unless the signal is basicaly gone or rapidly headed that way, this puts less stress on the towers, so it's a good thing (for the phone companies, haha).

Hope that helps!

I have heard of the airplane trick to force a connection. I just tried it three times with my wife's 3GS and it didn't work.

As for software on smart phones if you look at the complaints of no hand offs they all seem to come from Iphone users. Dumb 3G and Android phones don't seem to have the issue.

Garbage in garbage out. Apple apparently has had this problem all the way back to Ver 5 software and it has carried forward to Ver 6.

I bought an iPhone because the OS tends to be more reliable. But I miss my Droid. I can do what I want with it where as Apple is so stingy it makes it hard to do certain things with them.

But the Creator knows his fan base doesn't care about usability.

You are indeed the man ! Thank you for documenting this so well.

I have heard of the airplane trick to force a connection. I just tried it three times with my wife's 3GS and it didn't work.

As for software on smart phones if you look at the complaints of no hand offs they all seem to come from Iphone users. Dumb 3G and Android phones don't seem to have the issue.

Garbage in garbage out. Apple apparently has had this problem all the way back to Ver 5 software and it has carried forward to Ver 6.

Ahh, I'm using a 4gS, perhaps hardware plays into it as well.

If you are all into hacking (modifying / tweaking in non-standard ways) then apple is a bad platform, I agree.