Breaking Free of Bad Coverage

Scribbled by Lethal Illness @ 11:03 PM on February 5th, 2011.

A few months ago I asked “Does the iPhone 4 change everything? Again?” and while I determined it truly did there was one thing that hasn’t changed since the original iPhone was released in June 2007 – AT&T’s shitty coverage. Actually, I can’t lie that AT&T actually isn’t that bad on Long Island. In fact, it is way better than both Sprint and T-Mobile were ever for me. However, one thing all three carriers as well as Verizon have had in common through my experiences are that not a single damn one of them can ever provide me with service in my house nor studio. Well, that was until now!

If you’re up-to-date on your technology and check out an abundance of tech sites daily then you might have noticed that Cult of Mac and 9to5 Mac both ran a post on free MicroCells. If you aren’t keeping up with tech blogs then the posts were about an AT&T customer that got an email from AT&T stating that they would like to offer the customer a free 3G MicroCell as a “way to say ‘thank you’ for your continued loyalty”. I was that lucky individual that received the email, so I rushed to AT&T and was handed a free 3G MicroCell after confirming with the friendly associate that I wasn’t being charged for the hardware nor the service for having the 3G MicroCell. Was it legitimately free? I say yes, the catch is that if you don’t stay a customer for the next 12 months you have to either give it back or pay a prorated cost to keep it. I just bought an iPhone in June so not only I’m locked in for 2 years but I’m not willing to pay cancellation fees for another over-crowded network. My guess is that AT&T is bribing customers to stay with them with a $200 hardware that boosts your signal in your home. Sweet, especially being I wasn’t even contemplating switching!

AT&T 3G MicroCell w/ e-mail

Appearance & Durability

After unboxing my new free yet very useful toy, I noticed that although the design may look a tad childish it is indeed pretty sleek and attractive. There are 5 green LED status indicators on the front’s gray Y-shaped design while both sides have a shiny thick white plastic coating with AT&T’s 5 signal bars giantly embossed. Underneath the MicroCell still following the Y-shaped design is a thick rubber orange bottom. Opposite of the rubbery bottom that keeps the device in its spot very nicely the top ingeniously features air holes similar to the devices Y-shaped design. Hands down, I think this is one of Cisco’s best designs and executions.

Top of the 3G MicroCell

The MicroCell isn’t flimsy but neither is it durable enough to be thrown across a football field at tomorrows Super Bowl. It definitely will withstand a drop or two, just don’t make a habit of dropping it too much if you like how it works.

Installation

When that same friendly sales associate at the AT&T store was ringing it up he babbled on about hooking it up and while I honestly wasn’t really paying attention to him, he seemed to be going on for 5 or 10 minutes about this thing. Whatever he said, I think he definitely wasted his breathe because this thing is dead simple to hook up. I have faith that the most computer illiterate would be able to hook it up within 3 minutes.

Before you even unbox the MicroCell all you need to do is head over to AT&T’s 3G MicroCell frontpage and log in to your “mobility” account or create one if you don’t have one. After logging in they just ask you agree to typical terms of service agreements and ask you to enter in the devices serial number located on the bottom. After that all you have to do is unplug your modem and router and plug the ethernet in your router and turn them all on. After up to 90 minutes (mine only took 10 minutes) it connects to AT&T and provides service to anyone you choose (up to 10 phone numbers) via your mobility account. I don’t think it gets simpler than that.

3G MicroCell Connected and Working

Alternatively, if you don’t have a router AT&T has included a second ethernet port to go to your computer while you plug the modem into the MicroCell. I find that pretty smart on AT&T’s part because some people, particularly ones that don’t have many devices (think people in boondock type areas), don’t have routers because they don’t need more than one computer hardwired to the internet.

Performance

This thing doesn’t have anymore functions than just one; to boost your cell phone’s 3G signal. Does it do that? It indeed does. Putting it halfway across my studio still gives me 5 full bars of beautiful 3G connection.

The MicroCells’ performance goes hand-in-hand with its purpose. The MicroCell isn’t meant to [or at least I assume] be used for your smartphone’s data consumption. People think because the MicroCells name has 3G in it that it gives them the ability to use their data at home without being charged for it being that their connected to their internet. It’s not though, it only connects to AT&T’s tower and tell it “give me a little signal” and multiplies that signal. That being said, the MicroCell doesn’t give you unlimited data and usage of that 3G signal [unless you still have an unlimited data plan from before AT&T axed it], just the ability to use it with your existing plan. The 3G MicroCell is aimed at people with shitty cell reception in their home that use their cellphone as a main line. Being a business owner I use my cellphone as a business line and the 3G MicroCell works to my advantage being I will never lose another potential client’s call due to having shitty reception in my studio.

iPhone 4 Signal - Before & After

Thoughts

Originally I had some concerns being that cellphone towers are generally blamed to cause cancer. While the myth isn’t confirmed nor busted, I was still a bit concerned about the type of radio waves this thing would emit. Though after some research I felt much more comfortable knowing that it only emits 5 milliwatts of radio waves which is equivalent or less than most wireless baby monitors which emit 5-10 milliwatts alone.

While I think the design is attractive it could use a few changes to make it that much cooler. For instance, instead of the thin orange plastic outlining the embossed bars on the sides of the MicroCell they could’ve made them see-through with a thin blue LED matching the amount of signal it’s receiving or putting out. The other thing I would also change is the color of the LEDs from green to blue. AT&T’s colors are blue, white, and orange and while gray is a neutral color in the middle for design it would’ve made a ton more sense to match their branding colors with blue rather than green.

Side of the 3G MicroCell with Protective Film

Overall, I think the 3G MicroCell is a wonderful product and a great addition/solution to my studio and its signal deflecting madness. However this product generally goes for $200 plus a monthly fee if you want to add unlimited talk-time which I opted out of. I’ve known about the MicroCell since I’ve been an AT&T customer and I never really even considered shelling out $200 just to get the service I should be receiving in my studio. Would I ever bought it, probably not. After using the MicroCell would I have? Probably not, only because of my standpoint on I should already have the service, why should I have to pay more to help your network service me. Being that I received mine in a bribe not to go to Verizon it is a wonderful product and totally worth my gas to go to the AT&T store to get it. Aside from that I think it is overpriced for what it does. Would perfect service in your home/office be worth $200 for you?