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  #1  
Old 08-03-2013, 10:15 PM
SouperMan SouperMan is offline
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Default Bad T-Mobile coverage at home? Free amplifiers program

I have had poor reception inside my house with 1-2 bars of signal since I switched to a Galaxy Nexus and I can't use WiFi calling. I contacted customer service at 611 a few months ago, and was told to keep checking once a month until tonight; T-Mobile has signal amplifiers available.

These signal amplifiers from do not need a internet connection; it will boost the signal of the available reception to your house. You simply place the wireless antenna unit near the window and plug in the other unit in a central area near your house to provide coverage for even coverage for the entire house. This is unlike AT&T and some other carriers which was offering Femtocell which requires you to plug in a internet connection (Think: phone to femtocell to internet to AT&T).

These devices are free if you are in good standing with T-Mobile, they only work with T-Mobile and you must return the devices if you leave them, otherwise it is going to be a $500 charge. Also, you must have at least 1 bar of coverage in your house in order for this device to work. Have at it!

More info from T-Mobile is here.

Company who makes the product that can be purchased directly for $575; they also make it for AT&T.
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  #2  
Old 08-04-2013, 6:56 AM
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(There is only 2 places I ever go that has 1 bar of signal, and they are a 3 out of 4 corners businesses at a local intersection in Murrieta, and Hometown Buffet in Temecula.)

If I ever move to a place that this is an issue I will look this up.

Outside your house does data/calling work fine?

I understand their OLD policy was something along the lines of "can not guarantee service indoors"...

Last edited by the86d; 08-04-2013 at 7:00 AM..
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  #3  
Old 08-04-2013, 7:57 AM
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I have two cell phones (one T-Mobile and one Verizon) and the Verizon unit has weak signals inside. Does Verizon have such a device?
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Old 08-04-2013, 8:23 AM
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I.will be making this call later today or tomorrow, we just moved, had excellent coverage at the old house, Piss poor service inside the new house. Not even a bar inside and 1 maybe 2 when were outside.

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  #5  
Old 08-04-2013, 10:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the86d View Post
(There is only 2 places I ever go that has 1 bar of signal, and they are a 3 out of 4 corners businesses at a local intersection in Murrieta, and Hometown Buffet in Temecula.)

If I ever move to a place that this is an issue I will look this up.

Outside your house does data/calling work fine?

I understand their OLD policy was something along the lines of "can not guarantee service indoors"...
Outside the house, just adequate-about 3 bars. The funny thing is that I live in a area that has full 4G LTE coverage; which I cannot take advantage of as I do not have a LTE device. I live in a fairly dense enough area development has precluded to get more cell towers near by, hoping that when the device comes in it will boost the signal enough for me for at least decent and consistent data coverage. I'll do before and after posts of signal results when I receive the device.
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  #6  
Old 08-04-2013, 10:49 PM
SouperMan SouperMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by den888 View Post
I have two cell phones (one T-Mobile and one Verizon) and the Verizon unit has weak signals inside. Does Verizon have such a device?
As a matter of a fact, Verizon does and it's a Femtocell (needs internet). Not sure, but you might have to pay for this. Try calling customer service and see if they can help you out. Customer loyalty should still count for something these days.
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  #7  
Old 08-05-2013, 3:57 AM
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All my 4G (non LTE?) phones have zip along at about 6Mbps/3-4Mbps on 2-3 bar areas, on average.

LTE looks better, but I have no complaints but those 2 dead spots, and I think I had the same issue with VZW 3G in those areas, when I had VZW.
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  #8  
Old 08-05-2013, 6:18 AM
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Are you sure this offer is still valid? I see this on the website:

Quote:
Note: At this time, the T-Mobile Signal Booster offer has been suspended indefinitely. We apologize for any inconvenience and will update this document once they are available again.
Link:
http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4683
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  #9  
Old 08-05-2013, 6:40 AM
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T-Mobile is having issues. Coverage area has shrunk, service has hiccups, and customer
support in my area sucks. I told them to shove their hotspot and went with Verizon.
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  #10  
Old 08-05-2013, 7:21 AM
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Thanks, I will!

Quote:
Originally Posted by SouperMan View Post
As a matter of a fact, Verizon does and it's a Femtocell (needs internet). Not sure, but you might have to pay for this. Try calling customer service and see if they can help you out. Customer loyalty should still count for something these days.
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  #11  
Old 08-05-2013, 9:52 AM
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Verizon and Sprint also have similar devices, but I was told they have to be in a Window ([in]direct GPS required, so not in a wiring closet?), plugged into your LAN.

I have noticed recently that I have another dead-spot near work... a power-cycle, or quick-switch to Airplane-mode, and then back usually fixes it, but I had that issue all the time in that area with Nextel after Sprint merged (or was it absorbed?) with them at least a few time a week.
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  #12  
Old 08-05-2013, 10:26 AM
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I have the AT&T Microstation (femtocell) at home, coverage is very spotty for me at home (1 to 2 bars, easily dropped calls) but since using the Microstation it has been excellent. It is really nice to have the cell phone sound just like landlines. It has security features too, only registered phones can use your Microstation so you don't have to worry about neighbors standing close to your home in order to get better cell phone signals and making calls via your broadband internet.
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  #13  
Old 08-05-2013, 10:53 AM
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Very cool. I don't have T-Mobile because of coverage issues, but they were always bar none the best customer service I've dealt with.
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  #14  
Old 08-05-2013, 11:07 AM
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The Sidekick 4g had GREAT WiFi calling, almost landline quality but Samsung and T-Mobile screwed ("customized") Android so bad that it was interface was virtually unusable even for a minimalist, like myself.

The Relay 4g WiFi calling will spit garble in both directions every 1.5-2 minutes for about 7 seconds.

Has anyone had good luck with WiFi calling on some of the newer phones? (I have a MyTouch 4g Slide arriving for my son today, and wondering...)
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  #15  
Old 08-05-2013, 2:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sd_shooter View Post
Are you sure this offer is still valid? I see this on the website:



Link:
http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4683
Despite seeing that, I called in and I got my unit shipped.
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  #16  
Old 08-05-2013, 2:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the86d View Post
The Sidekick 4g had GREAT WiFi calling, almost landline quality but Samsung and T-Mobile screwed ("customized") Android so bad that it was interface was virtually unusable even for a minimalist, like myself.

The Relay 4g WiFi calling will spit garble in both directions every 1.5-2 minutes for about 7 seconds.

Has anyone had good luck with WiFi calling on some of the newer phones? (I have a MyTouch 4g Slide arriving for my son today, and wondering...)
Only if it was a branded T-Mobile device. I had it with my BlackBerry and the ill-fated G2X. If T-Mobile opened up and released SIP settings, most, if not all Android devices can take advantage of VoIP but I can sorta see why they wont.
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  #17  
Old 08-06-2013, 3:32 PM
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I got the thing from T-Mobile to try and get more service out of my Sensation4G, but it did nothing for me. You have to at least have 3G service where you are, to be able to use the thing. I get about one bar and maybe 1G on a good night.
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  #18  
Old 08-07-2013, 11:41 PM
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I assume this is only free if you have a contact with them? What about with the new plan where there is no contract?
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  #19  
Old 08-09-2013, 9:30 AM
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I have had T Mobile for the last 7 years and I have five phones on my plan. getting through to them to solve any kind of a problem is like getting through to God. then all I hear is their robotic customer service response with no help whatsoever. At the end of my contract I am gone
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  #20  
Old 08-09-2013, 9:42 AM
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Yeah, even though it will help coverage, I kind of been dreading the call. Had an issue with them a few months back, when we started with them something got screwed up in billing and we were getting charged double. We called every month and were told not to pay it and credits were coming, than finally the phones got shut off every month and we'd have to call for them to turn them back on, which meant explaining to the first contact, then trying to get a supervisor to review and find the original sin. Eventually we got a manager who fixed it all, it took us threatening to leave... I have 8 months left on this contract, will call for this eventually, but might find myself shopping soon.

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  #21  
Old 08-11-2013, 5:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbearbear View Post
I have the AT&T Microstation (femtocell) at home, coverage is very spotty for me at home (1 to 2 bars, easily dropped calls) but since using the Microstation it has been excellent. It is really nice to have the cell phone sound just like landlines. It has security features too, only registered phones can use your Microstation so you don't have to worry about neighbors standing close to your home in order to get better cell phone signals and making calls via your broadband internet.
How did you get it? Was it for free?
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  #22  
Old 08-15-2013, 8:40 PM
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Its so amazing that T-Mobile customers have accepted the fact the are given poor cell coverage and the WiFi calling overshadows the lousy service. Why pay monthly for a service that does not work on its own? Basically you need WiFi life support to make a call? And to top it off let me let you upgrade anytime you want twice a year by charging your a montly fee for that club! Still great service and customer service?
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  #23  
Old 08-15-2013, 8:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ambiguous216 View Post
Its so amazing that T-Mobile customers have accepted the fact the are given poor cell coverage and the WiFi calling overshadows the lousy service. Why pay monthly for a service that does not work on its own? Basically you need WiFi life support to make a call? And to top it off let me let you upgrade anytime you want twice a year by charging your a montly fee for that club! Still great service and customer service?
Great service? No, I had them way back when they had solid coverage. I tried them again a few years ago and dropped them 15 days later because service was patchy where my wife worked.

Great customer service? Dude, it is best in class. None of the call center hell that every other major company on earth seems to think is acceptable.
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Old 08-16-2013, 4:03 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ambiguous216 View Post
Its so amazing that T-Mobile customers have accepted the fact the are given poor cell coverage and the WiFi calling overshadows the lousy service. Why pay monthly for a service that does not work on its own? Basically you need WiFi life support to make a call? And to top it off let me let you upgrade anytime you want twice a year by charging your a montly fee for that club! Still great service and customer service?
I actually had about the exact same service with Verizon on 3g. I would miss calls in my office behind some concrete walls... I would have to hold my phone an awkward way to get clear voice. I would also not get calls on VZW either, but the WiFi calling helps above and beyond cell service at work. I had some dead spots with VZW in the sticks, but I don't go there enough to test T-Mobile in these same sticks... as I now have a range membership.

Last edited by the86d; 08-16-2013 at 4:07 AM..
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  #25  
Old 08-16-2013, 5:10 AM
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Femto > booster. It will be more reliable and give you better speeds.
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Damn it man! We could have got drunk, called a taxi and drop by Kest house with a mega phone.
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  #26  
Old 08-16-2013, 5:51 AM
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Can't boost what you don't have folks......T-Mobile is going to be looking at a class action suit one of these days.
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  #27  
Old 08-16-2013, 7:05 AM
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Absolutely hate t-mobile, I never had a signal at home and barely had one anywhere in my County.
Before I went to them their coverage map said it was "good" everywhere I went but I never had a signal.
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  #28  
Old 08-16-2013, 7:45 AM
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Just ordered one by calling 611, first lady transferred me to an "account specialist" and the second one had no problem sending me one. No cost, and even the return shipping if free if I want to send it back.

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Old 08-22-2013, 8:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sd_shooter View Post
Just ordered one by calling 611, first lady transferred me to an "account specialist" and the second one had no problem sending me one. No cost, and even the return shipping if free if I want to send it back.

Got the unit today, plugged it in. Away from the middle of the house, I now get 1-2 more bars more than before. In the middle of the house I get a full set!

Not bad for a totally free system. Before this I got one bar everywhere and calls were unreliable.
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