iPhone 5 Not Working With ATT Microcell

Try a plain Reset: Hold down the home and sleep buttons, wait for the Apple logo, let go of the buttons.

Yes, Deggie, thanks, but I've tried that. Still have to either reset or turn airplane mode on and off (faster than a reset!)

AT&T sent me a Cisco 3G Micro Cell (MC) to solve a no ring problem.

The MC caused a new problem - where the other person on the call would stop hearing my voice. I called AT&T many times over 2 yrs about this new problem & their Reps denied the problem existed.

A Google search on: MC problems returns millions of entries.

With AT&T’s knowledge, I:

1. Replaced my iPhone
2. Ran the new iPhone in factory mode
3. Replaced my SIMM card
4. Replaced my router

None fixed the problem. I spent 60+ hrs trouble shooting for AT&T.

Last week I read a Forbes article there is a known problem between MC & iPhone.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/10/07/some-att-microcell-users-ar e-experiencing-problems-with-iphone-5-&-ios-6/

I called AT&T to learn a new black MC is available, which they sent me and seems to work without dropping calls.

I called Cisco today and found an engineer who said there WAS indeed a known MC firmware & iPhone problem but the black model fixes it.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/mobile-internet/att_micr ocell.html

Between Forbes & Cisco, AT&T was withholding the truth these past 2 yrs & knowingly distributing faulty MCs to the public.

If you are having MC and iPhone or Android problems, call AT&T and request a new Black Micro Cell immediately.

I switched to AT&T 4 months ago. Needed it because I travel to the Midwest allot.

I have never experienced so MANY DROPPED CALLS in my life.

AFTER I switched out my Sim card, New I Phone5s for a refurbished one and I ended up buying a Mobile Cell booster from Wilson Electronics for my car.

I still continued to have issues in Orange County California.

Now AT&T has sent me a black Micro Cell, which was defective, so they then sent me out a replacement which was a 3G Micro cell with no power adapter and the newer Micro Cell and the 3G Micro Cell do not have compatible AC adapters.

Now they are sending out another one, I am so disappointed in AT&T having been in Customer Support for over 20 years, they need to get a grip, they have major issues and need to correct them. I am thankful for Steven Shmerler's comments and if this 3rd Micro cell does not work, I am saying goodbye to AT&T.

Shame on you for dragging your customers through the dirt.!!!!!

If you continue to have issues - CONTINUE to request a credit on your bill until AT&T fixes it!!!!!

ATT has really gotten strict about refunds now. They will ONLY refund or reimburse you for things like mistakes in billing. No more inconvenience credits. I was on the phone with a top manager for over 2.5 hours and could not for the life of me get the credits I duly deserve even though I can prove that ATT has been sending out to the public Cisco Micro Cells that are incompatible with iPhones per Cisco! I've wasted well of 60 hrs on trouble shooting, replacing iPhones, SIMM cards, routers, etc. and I could not get them to budge. Trust me, I'm great at this and I could not get what I am due.

However, to you and EVERY ONE reading this: Cisco HAS solved the problem and now make a Black Micro Cell that has updated firmware that is compatible with iPhone and Android phones.

From my experience you will not get a refund, but you can get them to send you a new Black Micro Cell and you need to demand that it be free and that the return shipping for your white Micro Cell be paid for by ATT.

EVERYONE WITH AN IPHONE: CALL ATT AND DEMAND YOUR BLACK CISCO MICRO CELL.

Here's the problem I'm having. I have an iPhone5s as my personal phone and a Samsung S4 for work. I can talk on my work phone (Samsung) for hours without any issue. However, with my iPhone5s, if I talk for more than 15 mins (sometimes 5) mins....it disconnects from the Microcell. I have horrible reception in my house, which is why I got the Microcell in the first place. Anyone else having this issue?

@Gallo65.

Please read my posts, right before yours and 4 before yours.

It will explain it all. There IS a known problem that I got Cisco Tech support to admit after some cajoling: The white MicroCell has a firmware bug and iPhones don't connect to ATT cell towers as iPhones 'expect' to. Both of these will cause issues after 15 to 20 minutes intermittently. I like many, have had this problem for years and ATT has denied any problem exists for years and many many calls by me to their support team.

I spoke with a Cisco tech who, I lucked out, who was on the Microcell team charged with finding the problem and fixing it. Resulting in a new Black Microcell.

I've had this one now for about a month without any problems, disconnects or poor quality!

What annoys me is that this problem was a known issue all this time and ATT denied it all this time. The Cisco tech I spoke with said this is impossible because obviously ATT knew because Cisco was working to fix the problem on the device they put ATT's logo on.

Also I called ATT after this call with Cisco to get the Black Microcell and after all this time, I FINALLY got an ATT Tech who knew about this issue and admitted it openly stating that he had an iPhone 5 and Microcell and experienced the problem personally. SInce it was a MicroCell firmware plus the way iPhones are built issue, the only fix was to not use an iPhone or MicroCell. He needed the signal boost so retired his iPhone for a Samsung and the problem disappeared. That was before the Black MC was available of course.

In my view, ATT denying the issue all these years is tantamount to willful withholding of information which I feel is fraudulent, but I'm not a lawyer so might be wrong on the legal implications of calling this fraud. Regardless, it certainly was improper and really bad customer relations and support.

Accordingly, I filed a complaint against ATT with the FCC and, no surprise, got a call immediately from ATT's President's office to discuss the issue.

My advise is: Read the Forbes article about this the iPhone/MC problems. Call ATT and replace your white MC with the new Black one. And if you feel appropriate, you might consider a complaint to the FCC. You do it online, it's fast and so is ATT's response after they receive the FCC complaint.

Hope that helps Gallo. If you get the new Black MC, it would be great to hear your experience if it helped. Also any experience with ATT if you file a FCC complaint. I'm waiting to hear what ATT is going to offer me for compensation for all the down time and untold hours of testing, trouble shooting, calls to ATT tech support, hold times, etc.

ATT really has behaved horribly about all this. I'm happy to learn that they do respond to FCC complaints quickly and from the President's office. Sad that it takes a FCC complaint to get ATT to take care of their customers. But such is the case.

Good luck,

S

Hi,

I got my microcell yesterday (the black one) and after installing it, same thing happened to me. I had to disable the LTE in order to get the Microcell connected to my iphone 5. After reading a lot of solutions none worked... Toggle airplane mode on and off, resetting... etc. BUT I finally found one that did the trick!

Apparently the problem is not with the iphone 5 it is with the router. At least that happened in my case.

1-Go to this website http://www.scribd.com/doc/34017479/ATT3GMicroCell-Troubleshooting

2-Then scroll down to Router/Gateway settings for proper AT&T Microcell operation.

3-Log into your router (I have ATT) use the password to get into it, and then go to SETTINGS-LAN-WIRELESS. Then go to ALLOW DEVICES and enter the MAC address. What worked for me was allowing MAC address of Microcell. As soon as I put the MAC address (It has to be formatted like this: b0:C5:77:4E:57:4B) it worked! (REMEMBER TO USE THE FORMAT WITH THE "COLON" IF NOT IT WON'T WORK) You'll find the MAC address at the bottom of your Microcell.

Hope it works!

JC

WOW Juan. Nice work! When I think of all the hours I've done trouble shooting, I somehow never considered the MAC address idea. Brilliant! Interestingly no one at ATT or Cisco did either 😀

I'm curious. Which MC do you have? The old white one or new improved Black one? IF the new black one, you say "same thing happened to me." Could you tell us what that was? Dropped calls? Couldn't link your iPhone to the MC? If dropped calls, did both sides drop or just the other call, or just you?

Again for me: it was after 20+ minutes the person I was talk with would lose me totally instantly. No degrading of quality. My voice would just disappear. BUT I could hear them perfectly and if they never said "I can't hear you? Where'd you go? You there?" I would never know the lost me.

Please advise as much as you know. Thanks very much.

Steven

My problem is similar only it's with the 4s. Wife's 4s works fine with the microcell, mine was working fine then just stopped. deactivating the microcell did not fix the problem, nor going in an out of airport mode. I have read other forums that it's likely a bad simm card which is my next step with AT&T.

iPhone 4 & 4s...

I have been dealing with ATT (so called) Service/Tech Support for over a month on this issue...

• iPhones won't stay connected to MicroCell when in range i.e. dropped calls constantly & calls where people can't hear us speaking
• iPhones won't connect automatically to MicroCell when we arrive home i.e. must Power/Airplane Cycle
• iPhones lose MicroCell connectivity EVERY night

ATT has done nothing of any significance...

I initially had the problem with the old White MicroCell, and have continued to have the problem with the new Black MicroCell... I will attempt Juan's solution, and request a new Black MicroCell to make sure it isn't a bogus machine, and will report back...

This has been a ridiculous experience with ATT, and they are either severely incompetent or blatantly deceptive (likely a mixture of both...)

@Sattson. My sympathies. Having spent a ridiculous amount of time on this too, I think part of the issue is finding a truly knowledgeable tech person to assist us. Keep in mind that the Cisco MicroCell is a big band aid for when ATT can't provide a strong signal whether because of lack of towers or penetration like if where you're having connection issues is because you're in a building with lots of interference like very thick walls, not a lot of windows, or a lot of metal in the walls like in older buildings and homes that were plastered before sheet rock and studs.

The MicroCell in theory is a great idea by using your internet connection to get your signal out of your building or a caller into it to your phone to get around the obstruction problem. But ATT didn't design the MicroCell, Cisco did, so unless you can get to Cisco tech support as I luterckily did, ATT tech support is only going to get you so far. Getting made at them isn't going to fix their lack of deep knowledge about how it works and in particular how it works with iOS and iPhones.

You having an older device could be an issue. I have no idea if the Black MCs are backwards compatible and to what extent. I doubt ATT would. Unless you got to a real serious tech who knows more than most at ATT. I doubt Apple Tech Support could help either and being that you couldn't have AppleCare on an older phone, you'd have to buy a support ticket which might not gain you anything.

I just got an iPhone 6 and note new issues I didn't have with my 5 and a Black MC. I can walk out of the fairly small room where my MC and Router, just into the hallway and then back in and often lose connection even though going closer to the MC and Router.

I'm also in a new house and since my issues cleared up 95% with the Black MC, now that I'm having more issues I'm going to try the MAC address fix that Juan recommends.

So my recommendation is to try Juan's method and also start calling Cisco. They are not supposed to talk to ATT customers about the MC based on their deal and agreement with ATT. But keep trying, be persuasive, let them know how much trouble you're having and that ATT just isn't knowledgeable enough and the only way to get any solution will need to be with the company that designed and built it, not the company that paid to have it built.

Now that Verizon supports Voice and Data, but only on the iPhone 6, if you can afford one, you might consider switching to Verizon, if Voice/Data was your reason for being with ATT as it was for me. Verizon transmits on a better frequency than ATT that is better able to penetrate walls which is why when you see someone on an iPhone in an elevator, if you ask, more times than not, they'll tell you they're with Verizon. Especially if you can't hold on to a call and they are talking up a storm.

I'll report back too after doing the MAC method. But try Cisco too. Don't get angry with them, just know they can't speak to you and you have to be persistent and eventually you'll catch a break and find someone who'll knows and will talk to you.

Best,

Steven

I actually had an intelligent conversation with an AT&T tech today and it appears one of the major flaws of the microcell (mine is the black box with an iPhone 4S) is that your AT&T reception has to be very, very bad in order for the microcell to take over. If you walk into the room that has the microcell and you have 2 bars or more, the unit won't kick in, according to the tech. It has to be one bar or less. The problem is that even with 3 bars my service still suffers from callers unable to hear me, or dropped calls.

What's interesting is that I wasn't having this problem until just recently. When I first installed the microcell 8 months ago. It kicked in all the time and we had great service. Something happened, either when I updated my iOS or AT&T changed it local tower configuration that has made the microcell useless. By the way, both 4S iPhones in our household have the identical problem, yet my son's Samsung Galaxy works just fine with the microcell.

So the tech guy was able to provide me with answers; unfortunately the answers don't provide the solution.

@dwboston,

No offense to who you spoke with, but that's not at all how MC works based on every tech I've spoken to over the 4 years I've had one and my experience. When you get a MC you have to register it to see the devices you want it too. You can do this easily with the MicroCell app at the Apple's App store.

Just like ATT, the app is for iPhone so on an iPad it will only display vertically. Ugh.

That aside, you log in and select your iPhone, iPad if cellular, other ATT phones you might have and want on MC.

Then when you walk into the WiFi space that your Router covers, like your home or work, MC "should" auto connect with the registered devices and at the top of your iPhone, instead of seeing ATT LTE or some such, you'll see all 5 bars lit up and something like ATT M-Cell. I'm not at home so I can't tell you exactly, but it's obvious your phone is connected and you will get 5 bars.

None of this has anything at all whatsoever to do with signal strength. Your phone and MC will pair if you've set your MC to do so. That's it.

You may have to power cycle your MC, unplug for 15 secs and plug in and it can take up to 60 minutes to reporovison they tell you but I've found it to be much faster, as in minutes. May be 15 max. But your mileage may vary.

So I hate to disparage you, but the knowledgeable tech you spoke to wasn't. At least not about how MC works and when. If you call ATT tech support again, you'll get another tech and should get the story I just typed. If you don't? As for Tier 2, or a supervisor and say you are getting contradictory info and need to speak to a final authority. Again, I caution you to stay away from ATT tech support, they are typically neither technical nor supportive. CALL CISCO. They make the MC and they know it. Seriously, why would you call Microsoft about your iPhone. Why call ATT about a Cisco product?

Please don't read into my tone, I really want the best for you and hope this helps. If you read an annoyance, it's directed to ATT, definitely not you. I'm sorry they are putting you through this. It took me a year to sort things out using ATT. I stopped using them and got it fixed via Cisco and recommend try the same.

Best,
Steven