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As I've mentioned here and there in other topics, I recently moved to a small town where I get piss-poor Sprint coverage. In fact, inside my house, I'm roaming 100% of the time. I don't worry about it too terribly much because I use wifi for data at home, and voice calls are rock solid with whatever company it is that I'm roaming on (most likely Verizon).
However, when I leave the house, most places in town I can get *just enough* of a Sprint signal that my phone no longer shows me as roaming. Problem is, it's not enough of a signal to actually make a phone call or have any kind of data connection at all. It's only enough to yank me off of the great roaming signal I would otherwise have....
Obviously, compared to a totally useless Sprint signal, I would much rather have a rock solid roaming signal, but I can't find a way to get it other than to go into a building where the Sprint tower gets weak enough that the phone decides to roam.
Are there any good solutions, or is this just a headache I'm going to have to learn to deal with?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5405666&postcount=18
People posted it works, but you can't switch the setting on the fly with the phone -- you must connect the phone to your computer to do it.
Xerxes321 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5405666&postcount=18
People posted it works, but you can't switch the setting on the fly with the phone -- you must connect the phone to your computer to do it.
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Wow. I didn't realize so many people needed the same thing. I guess it makes sense, though, with Sprint's limited footprint.
That procedure is WAY too much of a hassle to be useful for my purposes, but at least I know it's possible. If I get some time I think I'll look into the feasibility of making an app that can do the same thing from the phone itself. Preferably just a little toggle widget like the HTC ones...
Well, take this for what it's worth, but on DamageControlv2.03, there were many of us that tried to update PRL through the menu and ended up with PRL 27392. It's apparently another carrier's PRL and it forced the hero to always roam. I could still make calls, so maybe that PRL would be a benefit to you? Of course, if you wanted to switch back, you'd have to do this.
Totally not a tested theory... just putting it out there.
doojer said:
Well, take this for what it's worth, but on DamageControlv2.03, there were many of us that tried to update PRL through the menu and ended up with PRL 27392. It's apparently another carrier's PRL and it forced the hero to always roam. I could still make calls, so maybe that PRL would be a benefit to you? Of course, if you wanted to switch back, you'd have to do this.
Totally not a tested theory... just putting it out there.
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Nah, definitely not worth the effort. I spend the vast majority of my time either at home with wifi, or in a nearby city with solid Sprint 3G....
It's just extremely frustrating when I make a 5 minute trip to the grocery store and my phone pathetically and futilely tries to grab that tiny little trace of a Sprint signal, making it completely useless. It would be nice if my wife could call and say "Hey, I forgot to mention we're out of ketchup..." and actually get the call while I'm at the store instead of getting a voice mail after I'm already back home...
But it's not bad enough that I'm willing to spend 10 minutes preparing for that 5 minute trip, and then another 10 minutes undoing it when I get home.
I hate to sound "picky", but I'm looking for a solution that is highly convenient. And I'm perfectly willing to code a widget myself, but would appreciate any nudges in the right direction as to what settings need to be changed, and any APIs that manipulate them....
What would be ideal is if there was a configuration file somewhere on the phone where I could adjust the minimum signal strength threshold so that the phone is more eager to roam than it currently is.
subliminalurge said:
Wow. I didn't realize so many people needed the same thing. I guess it makes sense, though, with Sprint's limited footprint.
That procedure is WAY too much of a hassle to be useful for my purposes, but at least I know it's possible. If I get some time I think I'll look into the feasibility of making an app that can do the same thing from the phone itself. Preferably just a little toggle widget like the HTC ones...
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If you do decide to do this, I would be willing to donate for this app. I live less than 2 minutes away from a major university, and my Sprint signal is lousy. Two bars if I'm lucky and dropped calls to go with it. Friends with Verizon have full signal.
Any update on this ? Any new app/method that would work ?
Maybe this should be in the Development forum - it asks for rather technical insight. I am using an HTC EVO 4G (not rooted or anything fancy - just as it came, except one temporary hack discussed later).
I am trying to figure out why the Sprint coverage in my area is just not up to par. I tried a little experiment - very unscientific, but it gave some interesting results.
First I downloaded a program called Antennas from the marketplace. It tracks which cell tower you are on based on the ID info being sent to your phone. Great little app, by the way.
Then, I drove around the area where I am having trouble -- only a couple of miles right in my town. The Antennas program showed my cell signal bouncing from tower to tower constantly. It never stayed on one tower more than a few seconds, and it seemed very unpredictable as to which tower would be next. Sometimes it would show me connected to a tower clear across town when there was a tower much closer, then it would bounce to the close tower for a short time, then off to another tower.
So, after my informal tower survey with Sprint coverage, I changed the PRL on the phone to use Verizon's towers. Then I drove around again, and got VERY different results. The signal stayed steady on one tower until I got closer to another one, then switched cleanly. Only once or twice did it bounce back and forth from tower to tower. For the most part it stayed with the tower that was closest to my location.
I am not sure where this gets me, but I would think Sprint could drastically improve both voice and data coverage if the phone stayed on one tower.
Any thoughts on what this might mean? Or, if the signal strength can be stabilized?
I wish I could help, but at least I can let you know you're not the only one. I only notice this at home.. and I live 3 blocks from a sprint store with a huge antennae on top. I would understand if I had a bad signal, but it even does it when I have 5 bars... and of course, it usually jumps to a tower that gives me 1 or 2 bars... and then 3 or 4 more towers before I get back to the tower that gives me 5 bars. Then it repeats. I haven't seen 6 bars at home, but I wonder if that would cause it to be happy and not jump to a different tower. I'm also curious if the new 2.x radio will change anything. I've been too lazy to update it and see..
How do you change radios? Are these software hacks for the radio ?
What is your db when its bouncing? Ec?
Wow same thing even though I have an antenna really close.
Are you rooted?
Swyped from my Evo 4G
Mine is bouncing between 3 towers within just a cpl of miles from me. Never stays on a single tower. Inside I get a horrid signal around -99 to -105...usually around -100 though. Outside I hit -85 but that's the best it gets until I hit one of the cities I'm between. It's disappointing to see those towers so close and have such a crap signal. I love VZW and their lower frequency but won't be leaving sprint anytime soon.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
-100-115 is very very marginal signal. If you see that very often that could be why you are bouncing. -85 is pretty decent signal so there should be no reason to bounce then.
jrun said:
How do you change radios? Are these software hacks for the radio ?
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I believe he changed to the Verizon/Alltel prl.
i have a good signal and mine jumps between 3 towers right around the corner from me, i didnt know they were that close.
good app! thx for the heads up
Jeffrey_L said:
Maybe this should be in the Development forum - it asks for rather technical insight. I am using an HTC EVO 4G (not rooted or anything fancy - just as it came, except one temporary hack discussed later).
I am trying to figure out why the Sprint coverage in my area is just not up to par. I tried a little experiment - very unscientific, but it gave some interesting results.
First I downloaded a program called Antennas from the marketplace. It tracks which cell tower you are on based on the ID info being sent to your phone. Great little app, by the way.
Then, I drove around the area where I am having trouble -- only a couple of miles right in my town. The Antennas program showed my cell signal bouncing from tower to tower constantly. It never stayed on one tower more than a few seconds, and it seemed very unpredictable as to which tower would be next. Sometimes it would show me connected to a tower clear across town when there was a tower much closer, then it would bounce to the close tower for a short time, then off to another tower.
So, after my informal tower survey with Sprint coverage, I changed the PRL on the phone to use Verizon's towers. Then I drove around again, and got VERY different results. The signal stayed steady on one tower until I got closer to another one, then switched cleanly. Only once or twice did it bounce back and forth from tower to tower. For the most part it stayed with the tower that was closest to my location.
I am not sure where this gets me, but I would think Sprint could drastically improve both voice and data coverage if the phone stayed on one tower.
Any thoughts on what this might mean? Or, if the signal strength can be stabilized?
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Click to collapse
How did you get it to work, my program doesn't work right
Aridon said:
-100-115 is very very marginal signal. If you see that very often that could be why you are bouncing. -85 is pretty decent signal so there should be no reason to bounce then.
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Yeah...even when I'm in the -80 range outside it will bounce back up to -95 or so. 3 towers within just a few miles and its like a pinball machine. Bounces everywhere haha. Shouldn't have a -95 plus signal outside that close to 3 towers (based on the antennas app)
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
we need a widget to force lock evo to the best available tower at the moment... i can imagine this would result in saving precious battery since evo won't be constantly looking/jumping towers.
frifox said:
we need a widget to force lock evo to the best available tower at the moment... i can imagine this would result in saving precious battery since evo won't be constantly looking/jumping towers.
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Is there a way to go in and lock onto a specific BSID or make a preferred selection? I have researched prl files a lot since getting this phone, but haven't seen a way to lock into a specific BSID. I am always locked on the SID of 4812, which is MEMPHIS. We just need to lock our strongest BSID location but I am clueless on how to do this, if we even can.
The software Antenna's i believe is not designed for CDMA so the results you get are sorta not valid
for those who see bouncing, make sure you update your PRL after you get your phone. sometimes, based on where you are when activating, the PRL may not load correctly. hope this helps
Yeah, def update your PRL. I looked on my phone today and it had a prl ending in 63, and when I updated it ended in 67.
I've been on 60667 since it's been out, and just modified it to try something out. The "antennas" app gives a rough idea of CDMA connections, but not as detailed as if you were using GSM. It still accurately verifies my SID, type of data connection, and BSID but that is all. If anyone happens to know if you can lock your BSID or any info on that I'd be interested.
I have 6 towers in a 1.9 mile radius of my home... I don't even want to see how much bouncing occurs... I got an Airave and wifi - done with the signal issues.
One thing to keep in mind is usually the device will be pinging at least 2 different towers just to maintain a connection should you go out side of the range of tower x then tower y will pick up. This prevents lots of call drops in moving situations.
Also if you are in range of a roaming tower I'm not sure how that equates but the device could be looking at that as well if your signal is < -zDB.
Not sure, just some food for thought.
Besides the fact that bouncing seems bad, is there any evidence that it actually does any harm?
Perhaps it only bounces because none of the towers give an acceptable signal?
Just a few notes in response to prior posts:
My signal tends to run between -90 and -100, so it is definitely weak. When I get into a stronger part of town I still get the bouncing effect. This morning it jumped from a tower giving -68 to -80 then back to -68, and another time -75 to -90, etc.
I realize the Antennas program might be off with CDMA tower locations, but it does accurately show ID #'s so I can see it switching back and forth.
Elsewhere in the forums are threads talking about Time Without Service (TWS) being a big battery drain. This is a problem for me, and I wonder if this is connected to the bouncing towers. Overnight I can get anywhere from 50% to 95% TWS on the battery use. And that is after trying to implement the CDMA Auto (PRL) fix found in another thread.
Believe me, if it wasn't for the good deal I get on Sprint's monthly service I would be gone in a heartbeat! I guess it's the ol' you get what you pay for. I loved the HTC Incredible on Verizon, but I just couldn't swallow the monthly charge.
Welp, looks like it's going that way...
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/15/sprint-evaluating-switch-to-lte-over-the-next-four-to-six-months/
...thing is, there hasn't been any new WiMAX phone announced this year, so either they're relying on riding that EVO and Epic wave to get new WiMAX customers, or maybe they do have something up their sleeve.
In any event, I don't see that many new customers signing up for Wimax, so to LTE Sprint will go. Now what do we do with our Evo at that point?
Other than the shifts but if they give me a choice to choose a new phone I'm in
Sent from my gingerbread evo 4g
It's like sprint is playing the "you can't get mad at me, i'm not touching you" while holding hand in front of face game with all these changes that piss everybody off without letting them go etf-free
Oh, they would have to provide us with a LTE phone if they do switch. At least offer us a pretty hefty discount. Otherwise, I see a huge class-action lawsuit headed over their way. I'd love for this switch to happen. WiMax is just not cutting it.
From the user comments of the linked article:
They're still going to roll out WiMax and then just add LTE functionality later on. Again, It's just a baseband card swap and a software upgrade. The phones would probably use a dual-mode WiMax/LTE chip (like the one introduced last year by Beceem). Sprint did a pretty good job of future-proofing their network and WiMax was a better/cheaper choice for "4G"... Verizon was having some major 3G/4G handoff issues in mid-December and there's still no word of that being resolved. That's a major issue for Big Red and could slow or kill LTE adoption (imagine having to either wait about 2 minutes or even having to reboot your phone whenever you go from 4G back to 3G). I'm not even getting into AT&T and Verizon's LTE spectrum limitations.
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m4rk0358 said:
From the user comments of the linked article: They're still going to roll out WiMax and then just add LTE functionality later on. Again, It's just a baseband card swap and a software upgrade. The phones would probably use a dual-mode WiMax/LTE chip (like the one introduced last year by Beceem). Sprint did a pretty good job of future-proofing their network and WiMax was a better/cheaper choice for "4G"... Verizon was having some major 3G/4G handoff issues in mid-December and there's still no word of that being resolved. That's a major issue for Big Red and could slow or kill LTE adoption (imagine having to either wait about 2 minutes or even having to reboot your phone whenever you go from 4G back to 3G). I'm not even getting into AT&T and Verizon's LTE spectrum limitations.
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But they would eventually have to actually flip the switch to LTE.. would they not have to pick one or the other?
As long as I got a huge discount on an LTE phone, I'd be okay with this. I like WiMAX, but for the dev community, LTE is going to be way better.
akarol said:
Oh, they would have to provide us with a LTE phone if they do switch. At least offer us a pretty hefty discount. Otherwise, I see a huge class-action lawsuit headed over their way. I'd love for this switch to happen. WiMax is just not cutting it.
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They're facing this scenario now, if they turn off the iDen network to use LTE. Some speculate that Sprint will lose a lot of money on this, but all they have to do is sell the spectrum that wimax is on now. T-Mobile would buy it...
AbsolutZeroGI said:
As long as I got a huge discount on an LTE phone, I'd be okay with this. I like WiMAX, but for the dev community, LTE is going to be way better.
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I'm also curious about the stuff I've been reading recently regarding how tightly controlled LTE access can be by carrier. Presumably the same restrictions would apply when tethering?
they will have pry my evo from my cold dead hands....
cyanogen/evervol-acies flavored gingerbread
drbadass said:
But they would eventually have to actually flip the switch to LTE.. would they not have to pick one or the other?
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Not really cause Wimaxx is just another channel or frequency. I mean they still have 2G/3G and now 4G, LTE will just be another channel that they will be able to accomidate
I say the only reason why the would make that switch is to keep up or ahead with the other carriers, t-mobile, att, Verizon so why not make the switch everyone gsm and running on sim chips mmm nice different phones on different networks sounds fun
Sent from my PC36100-EVO-using Tapatalk
drbadass said:
I'm also curious about the stuff I've been reading recently regarding how tightly controlled LTE access can be by carrier. Presumably the same restrictions would apply when tethering?
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This is what scares me. I know LTE is faster than wimax. (Job I work at sells both Wimax capable cards and LTE broadband cards now and I have installed both on computers, and speedtest wise, LTE was pulling 15 down and 1.5 up. Wimax in our area usually does 5-7 down, and 1 up.
But I don't want Sprint to be able to decide that what I do with the data access I am provided isn't what they think I should. The fact they can block sites, charge rates for sites, and so forth is very bothersome. It is the same crap certain ISP carries are looking to do.
It is this reason (among data caps) that I decided not to wait for the LTE thunderstorm phone(or w/e its called, im kinda tired ) and go with verizon over sprint.
I just with their Wimax was better in the Cincinnati, OH area than it currently is. Map shows I should have 4G outside everywhere but my backyard. And I barely get it in my front lawn where I should have a perfect signal.
Does anyone have a link to the story of how carriers can control access to the web using LTE. I read it but don't remember where. This is very disturbing that the carriers will have this much power over our web viewing habits
Don't worry fellow evonauts, they (probably) won't block your fetish adult entertainment.
But seriously, better speeds would be awesome, better coverage would be great but the capability to throttle or block what i want to do with my "unlimited" connection is unacceptable.
Here's some things to remember before anyone gets up in arms over this:
1. Between the Sprint, Clear, Comcast, and Time Warner brands there are millions of users on the Clearwire WiMax network, many of whom are in contracts based on WiMax devices or services. They're not going to just flip a switch in a few months and suddenly none of us have 4G anymore. I would not expect to see much further WiMax development beyond what's known about at the time of any LTE announcement, but by the time the WiMax network goes dead anyone posting here will have moved on to a newer phone.
2. There's no reason at all that this would need to be done as an on/off type switch. They install the hardware bits needed for LTE, then switch channels of their available spectrum over as dictated by utilization. AT&T's migration from TDMA to GSM after the Cingular buyout took years to complete.
3. The Evo Shift just came out and the Blackberry Playbook with WiMax has been announced and given a rough street date. Like most of us existing users, these users will likely for the most part be in contracts, meaning if Sprint does anything that significantly impacts the usability of those devices (such as terminating WiMax service) they'll need to either give us cheap/free upgrades to LTE phones or let us out of contract ETF-free.
tl;dr version: LTE is probably coming, since Sprint's rapidly becoming the odd man out in the 4G cell world, but there's no reason for current WiMax users to panic.
edit:
drbadass said:
I'm also curious about the stuff I've been reading recently regarding how tightly controlled LTE access can be by carrier. Presumably the same restrictions would apply when tethering?
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Click to collapse
ghodzilla5150 said:
Does anyone have a link to the story of how carriers can control access to the web using LTE. I read it but don't remember where. This is very disturbing that the carriers will have this much power over our web viewing habits
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Any ISP has about the same power. It has nothing to do with the last mile medium and LTE will change nothing about this.
Regarding tethering, there is no way to tell for certain by looking at the data transmitted whether a user is tethering or not when a modern smartphone is involved, since they're capable of doing anything a full PC could do with that data connection. Certain types of data may be suspicious and more likely to have come from a PC, but nothing could be proven to any reasonable standard as long as they have not loaded a "tattler" program in to the OEM ROM to explicitly identify tethering. Assuming a rooted phone, this could be removed and of course would not even be in AOSP-based ROMs.
Good rational post. Thanks.
wolrah said:
Here's some things to remember before anyone gets up in arms over this:
1. Between the Sprint, Clear, Comcast, and Time Warner brands there are millions of users on the Clearwire WiMax network, many of whom are in contracts based on WiMax devices or services. They're not going to just flip a switch in a few months and suddenly none of us have 4G anymore. I would not expect to see much further WiMax development beyond what's known about at the time of any LTE announcement, but by the time the WiMax network goes dead anyone posting here will have moved on to a newer phone.
2. There's no reason at all that this would need to be done as an on/off type switch. They install the hardware bits needed for LTE, then switch channels of their available spectrum over as dictated by utilization. AT&T's migration from TDMA to GSM after the Cingular buyout took years to complete.
3. The Evo Shift just came out and the Blackberry Playbook with WiMax has been announced and given a rough street date. Like most of us existing users, these users will likely for the most part be in contracts, meaning if Sprint does anything that significantly impacts the usability of those devices (such as terminating WiMax service) they'll need to either give us cheap/free upgrades to LTE phones or let us out of contract ETF-free.
tl;dr version: LTE is probably coming, since Sprint's rapidly becoming the odd man out in the 4G cell world, but there's no reason for current WiMax users to panic.
edit:
Any ISP has about the same power. It has nothing to do with the last mile medium and LTE will change nothing about this.
Regarding tethering, there is no way to tell for certain by looking at the data transmitted whether a user is tethering or not when a modern smartphone is involved, since they're capable of doing anything a full PC could do with that data connection. Certain types of data may be suspicious and more likely to have come from a PC, but nothing could be proven to any reasonable standard as long as they have not loaded a "tattler" program in to the OEM ROM to explicitly identify tethering. Assuming a rooted phone, this could be removed and of course would not even be in AOSP-based ROMs.
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Maybe I'm just misunderstanding something but I'm taking this switch from WiMAX to LTE as Sprint just has to change the cards on their ends and send us current WiMAX users a software update and we can use LTE.
rkjg24 said:
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding something but I'm taking this switch from WiMAX to LTE as Sprint just has to change the cards on their ends and send us current WiMAX users a software update and we can use LTE.
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Half right. The Wimax chip in the Evo is straight Wimax...no LTE capability.
Since the wiMax is actually from Clear as far as i know, Sprints choice shouldnt really matter in the long run. WiMax wont disappear so your "old" phone should work, and Sprint actually having its own 4G network means more than likely better battery life and better connection/coverage
Sprint has been talking up its network enhancements, tweaks, and modernization plans for a while now, but how do you actually know when your area is seeing some action? Thanks to a new Sprint sub-site, your days of wondering are over.
2011-11-22 13h19_54
To see if your area is getting any love from The Now Network, head over to network.sprint.com and enter your location. You'll immediately see a list of enhancements done in the last six months, as well as goals for the next six months and a nifty map showing exact locations where these enhancements were made.
At the current time, the new site only shows what's up with Sprint's 3G network, so if you're looking for LTE info, this isn't the place to go. Still, it's nice to see some visual confirmation of what's going on behind the scenes. Good work, Sprint. We like
Sourc:http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/1...-site-lets-you-see-enhancements-in-your-area/
Site:https://network.sprint.com/
Thanks, pretty cool of them to do this. Will keep a eye on this site!
Thanks for the heads up on this one. I'll keep my eyes on it for my area.
So I have no coverage at home. I am 0.1 miles from coverage. The coverage map shows my whole area as full 2G coverage. However from appx my location to the end of the road (not to mention many more areas) I have zero reception. Again, these are all areas that show good coverage.
I have talked at length with AT&T and StraightTalk and made no progress towards a positive resolution. I have even installed an app that is supposed to boost signal in hopes to squeeze out just enough juice to bust through the small dead area between myself and signal range with no success.
I have also purchased a MicroCell after AT&T said my ST phone should be able to ride off the MicroCell. The catch is I have to activate it on an AT&T post paid account. I have no friends who have AT&T as Verizon has pretty much cornered the market in my area.
I do, however, remember a friend whom I've since lost contact with being able to access the Internet at my house. I am almost certain they had an AT&T phone.
Does anyone have any experience with similar StraightTalk issues and have suggestions? I am not the expert so I will not bother with speculation. I am using CM 10.1 however I had the same issue on stock OS. I am using a StraightTalk SIM in case anyone might want to travel down that road. I have tinkered with the APN settings however I do not think that path will work because I went to detect networks and I see nothing, not even foreign networks.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
If you don't have a signal you don't have a signal, no app or software tweak is going to get you access.
If it was no internet or MMS the APN might be the issue, signal is very basic it either works or it doesn't and it's not the straight talk Sim if you get access down the street.
Getting your microcell activated is your best bet, maybe an at&t store could help?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Are there hills around you? Lots of trees? How far away are the towers? Those coverage maps are always estimates. YMMV.
Sent from my TARDIS
0p3nsrc said:
Are there hills around you? Lots of trees? How far away are the towers? Those coverage maps are always estimates. YMMV.
Sent from my TARDIS
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I'm in the mountains. I know that begs the response "well duh!" I was just hoping something I could try...
As far as the MicroCell goes: been there, done that. I would need someone who has AT&T to log into their account, add my MicroCell serial number and add my cell phone to the access list. If someone wants to work with me on that by all means let me know. I will thank you warmly and up your thanks meter if you post something to the ring of "I'm on it" as a reply.
Thanks guys 'n' gals.
Truthfully, activating your microcell on someone else's account would only cause problems in the long run. As a tech support rep of ATT myself, if you don't have the coverage your best bet is to just go with Verizon if you do have coverage with them. Would save you a headache, hours of phonecalls potentially troubleshooting the failure that is a microcell, and probably lots of wasted money you could've put forth towards something that does work.