AT&T Microcell Booster - Does it work?
 

Anyone have any experience with them?

The new place we're moving to in August has no cell service so I'm going to need one.

Yeah, there is one downstairs in our CEOs office.

Are you talking about the dumb booster one or the kind that connects through your network and pipes cell calls through the internet back to AT&T? We have the latter.

I have the latter and it rocks. A++ would buy again.

I've also read extremely positive reviews of the performance of the Microcell. As the name implies, it's not a booster at all- it's a completely standalone miniature cell site which provides service to your cell phone by way of your high-speed internet connection, essentially turning your cell phone into a VOIP device.


What I find puzzling is this:

Using a microcell effectively reduces the traffic burden on AT&Ts wireless system, by moving load off of their towers and onto your own landline internet connection. Given that, you would think that the service would be free, and that minutes spent using it would not be deducted from your regular balance.

Why give a free service when they can ---- you and charge you for it? Besides, it's AT&T. They like ------- people.

+1, except we made AT&T give it to us for free. Corporate accounts FTW! I squeeze our rep a couple times a year for tickets to Sharks games when one of our T1s takes a ---- and its 72 hours for them to fix it.

The microcell is bauce. Cell reception in our office is bullshit so we got the cell to shut up our CEO. Its a shame I had to use my phone to set it up and I'm now whitelisted. The ironic part is that it's now connected to a 50mb Comcast cable line we added to the xfinity TV package that never gets used in the board room :giggle:

Ok thats good to hear guys.

When I called AT&T and asked about it the rep actually recommended I cancel my service with them, so I asked for a supervisor.

After some back and forth I was able to switch over to uverse, get my 1st month free, $200 back and its $10 cheaper a month than I currently pay with charter.

So basically I'll grab a microcell off ebay for $150ish and pocket the other $150.

My only problem is I specifically told the lady I wanted HD and now that I'm browsing my channel lineup, I don't see any HD. I called her back on her direct line and left a message. If the price goes up for HD after specifically asking for HD, I'll cancel.

At least I know the microcell works. lol

They work well, if you can get your head around the fact that they are using your internet bandwidth to put cell signal in a location they are already charging you for!

I may have one available if you want a used one. PM me.

I have the verizon version for the black hole of cell service we call home. Works great.

Well when I had originally called asking about the microcell I definitely put up a stink about having to buy one. I was trying to see if they would throw one my way, but that didn't exactly happen. Probably because 1) It was over the phone. 2) I don't have tits.

I got a call back from AT&T and asked them why no HD on my channel lineup when that's specifically what I said I wanted. According to the dude, Uverse's standard definition is 720p. Both our Panasonic TV's (same model) are a few years old and only go up to 720 anyways, so I guess that should be good. I just want to make sure I don't go from good looking channels to ---- looking channels for $10 less a month.

From the reviews I read and from what you guys had to say, I guess I'll be picking up a microcell soon. :bigtu:

jbresee- Sending you a PM.

THANK YOU. THAAAAAANK YOU.

This is the very same question I asked T-mobile since their phones have Wifi calling.

They don't give a damn. Most people dont think like this and they profit from it.

Its a great feature since I am often in buildings with global WiFi and no cell service, but come on. I should be at least charged my minutes at half the rate. Basically if im on WiFi, a 1 minute call is billed at a half a minute or something.

I've been with Sprint for a little over 10 years. Literally one day last October my cell service turned to complete trash. I wasn't getting calls, if I'd call someone it would ring two times and drop, no text messages, etc. Figured there was a problem with the ROM on my phone (HTC EVO 4g) so I flashed a few different ROMs, didn't resolve the issue. Upgraded and downgraded the radio, etc and nothing solved the problem. Decided maybe it was time to upgrade the old EVO to the Galaxy S2 E4GT. Happily came home with a brand new phone which did precisely the same thing. Did a quick google search and discovered that Sprint offered a CDMA femtocell device, so off to ebay I went.

$20.00 shipped later this arrived:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1340855932
Not my picture, obviously.

Called up Sprint and had them add the device to my account. But wait... They're actually charging me minutes if someone calls my phone, even though it's using MY goddamn internet?! I called back and pitched a bitch about that, they waived the $20 monthly charge for unlimited calling using the device. Score!

This wasn't enough. Let's just say, anywhere I am in the world with a wifi connection I can make and receive calls on my local KC 913 Sprint cell number. Google voice + $5.00 android application == Awesome. Launch the application on my Galaxy S2E4GT phone, the EVO 4G (which has NO cell plan) and even my Transformer Tablet. Someone calls my mobile number and all 3 devices ring, don't use any of my minutes and has great quality.


Only complaints about the femtocell device:

• Range around my house is NOT spectacular, however it IS in my basement office
• Requires clear view of the sky for an external GPS antenna (e911) however has a 20' antenna cable
• Calls will switch from the femtocell to the CDMA mobile network, but won't go from mobile network to femtocell device.
• Take a long time after network or power failure to be "ready" again
• '3g' data speeds through the device SUUUUUUUUUCKS!! (Use Wifi, problem solved)

Overall, worth the $20.00! Hope your device has equal or better performance!

You can do this exact same thing with Google voice and a local google voice number sans the device you mention and $5 application. Works for making and receiving calls.