microcell issues wth wireless ac router

[jvf]

Hello,
Decided to upgrade to ac a few months ago and got a TP-LINK (can't remember model number). We are members of the unfortunate few who can't get cell service at home and are forced to get microcells (AT&T for my household). The TP-LINK refused to let the microcell connect to the Internet. Several calls to TP_LINK and AT&T tech failed to resolve the problem so I sent the TP-LINK back.

Perhaps it's not ac specific but other wireless routers we've used have not done this. Has anyone had and resolved this problem? If not, I'll just have to try routers one by one until something works.

Thanks,
jvf

 

[CaptainSTX]

Hello,
Decided to upgrade to ac a few months ago and got a TP-LINK (can't remember model number). We are members of the unfortunate few who can't get cell service at home and are forced to get microcells (AT&T for my household). The TP-LINK refused to let the microcell connect to the Internet. Several calls to TP_LINK and AT&T tech failed to resolve the problem so I sent the TP-LINK back.

Perhaps it's not ac specific but other wireless routers we've used have not done this. Has anyone had and resolved this problem? If not, I'll just have to try routers one by one until something works.

Thanks,
jvf

I have used microcells from both AT&T and T Mobil. I had the AT&T connected to a Linksys E2500.

Currently I have the T-Mobil microcell connected to my ASUS N66. It was straight forward and other than assigning it a static IP on my LAN I did nothing but plug it in.

 

[sfx2000]

I have used microcells from both AT&T and T Mobil. I had the AT&T connected to a Linksys E2500.

Currently I have the T-Mobil microcell connected to my ASUS N66. It was straight forward and other than assigning it a static IP on my LAN I did nothing but plug it in.

Sometimes you need to open the ports if uPNP is disabled at the router...

Big thing with MicroCells - they use GPS to determine if they're in an area where the provider has licensed spectrum, and they also use GPS to gain system time, which is essential for their operation for 2G/3G/4G/LTE - so if the Microcell doesn't have good visibility to the sky, it won't find GPS, and as such, won't work...

 

[Xelas]

Sometimes you need to open the ports if uPNP is disabled at the router...

Big thing with MicroCells - they use GPS to determine if they're in an area where the provider has licensed spectrum, and they also use GPS to gain system time, which is essential for their operation for 2G/3G/4G/LTE - so if the Microcell doesn't have good visibility to the sky, it won't find GPS, and as such, won't work...

^ Seconded. It can take a significant amount of time for the microcell to get GPS lock as well - I've had an AT&T microcell for a couple years now, and whenever it loses power, it can take up to 15 minutes to come back up even when sitting near windows on the top floor of a house with no outside obstructions. It took the thing, IIRC, over an hour to come up the first time I booted it up.
You can also try assigning it a static IP (via the router's DHCP reservation system) and then sticking it into a DMZ to see if that helps the issue.