To Airave or not to Airave...

[milominderbinde]

We have an Airave at home and it's great. We have almost no signal without it.

Here's the Sprint Airave link:
AIRAVE

Update. The EVO works percetly with the existing Airave. The new Airave's do data as well so this might help if you are having WiFi problems.

 

[spiicytuna]

I am getting an airave tomorrow so I'll report back as to what I think of it then. Where I am living I get spotty reception and lots of dropped calls. It's weird because I can be in the same place with 3-4bars and 2 minutes later I dropped the call. There are 2-3 spots to stand if I do not want to drop calls.

 

[akarol]

So the new Airaves are out? I'm going to call Sprint and see if they can get mine switched. What advantages does the new one have?

 

[mhespenh]

Are you all paying the $5/mo Sprint says they charge for it? Seems kinda silly to have to pay for a device to fix poor Sprint service, which has no cost to Sprint whatsoever since it's your internet...

Also, it says it's not available in my area... wtf reason could there be for it not to be available by geographic region?

 

[akarol]

I never got an answer. Is the new Airave out (provides 3G data as well). My area sucks for it.

 

[dpg]

we called and got the airave for free and the monthly fees waived. should be coming in sometime this week. not sure if its the data/voice combined, but i don't really need the data part since we already have a netgear doing the wifi data.

 

[ctwilliams]

I never got an answer. Is the new Airave out (provides 3G data as well). My area sucks for it.

The new one is the Airvana and is not out yet. When I was getting the Rave Sprint only would say it would be sometime this year...

The rave is voice and 1x data only.

 

[m2pilot]

So what magic is everyone using to get the air-rave free?

I get abysmal service at home, am inside my 30 days, and have 5 EVOs on a family plan. I called, and basically got told "No free air rave for you!"

So, I'm a tthe point now where I will have to call for cancellation before my 30 days are up -- we have no landline & I am not convinced I could get a 911 call through if someone got hurt. So we can't keep the Sprint service.

Sighh...

Why do cell phone companies work so hard to make you hate them??

 

[Darth Mo]

So what magic is everyone using to get the air-rave free?

I get abysmal service at home, am inside my 30 days, and have 5 EVOs on a family plan. I called, and basically got told "No free air rave for you!"

So, I'm a tthe point now where I will have to call for cancellation before my 30 days are up -- we have no landline & I am not convinced I could get a 911 call through if someone got hurt. So we can't keep the Sprint service.

Sighh...

Why do cell phone companies work so hard to make you hate them??

Most people have just explained the situation and have gotten them. I suppose it happens, but I don't see too many people scamming for an AiRave if the coverage is fine at their residence.

Just give them a call back and politely explain the situation again. Don't be threatening when you tell them you may have to cancel service as they're wary about that.

It's a little strange that you have 5 Evos so you're also paying the $10 fee and they won't flip you a $100 AiRave.

 

[cadmonkey]

Just call and ask to cancel service. They will transfer you to retentions and then you can be polite and explain your situation there. I have found this to be the only way to get anything resolved with sprint.

 

[Edge767]

I called Sprint and they gave us an Airave for free with no monthly fee. How? I called and told them that my reception was so poor that I was going to have to cancel all 6 of our lines since AT&T provided good reception in our area and most importantly, in our home. I also told them that since both my mother-in-law and I work from home and use our cellphones for work, we NEEDED the service.

Sprint quickly offered the airave, and we've been loving it ever since. It's nice to have 5 bars in the home at all times.

 

[Luce]

I got my airwave when I first got my Pre (ditched it asap for EVO). I did what everyone else did. Told them my phone was worthless in my house and would probably need to cancel. No charge and no monthly fee.

 

[jgladstone]

absolutely...go for it!

I live in KC and am acquainted with the head of retail operations (for the local Sprint Corporate Stores). At a social engagement ( a long time ago....before the Airrave was released) I told him that I was finally going to have to leave Sprint. I live in a part of KC where the city will not allow unsightly cell towers...and therefore my cell service SUCKS at home. He offered me a free Airrave device before I had ever heard of such a thing. Can you say 5 bars all the time now! I love the device! I've never experienced battery issues because I am using the Airrave. I had a blackberry 8330 prior to my EVO and could literally get 2-3 days out of it (and I use my cell as my sole office phone number) Obviously my EVO does not get that kind of battery life, however, I seem to be one of the few folks who feels that battery life on the EVO is entirely reasonable. Absolutely use the Airrave device...it is great. The ONLY problem that I had...was that I placed it on a file cabinet with my cordless phone base and router. I ended up having reception problems on my home cordless phone system. I moved the airrave to the other side of the room...and wallah...no more problems. This is a no brainer...and I don't understand how some posts say for you not to try this device. I have likely used this for as long as anybody has (I've been with Sprint for 12 years and had the Airrave pre-release). Go for it.

 

[masbirdies]

Same story here as everyone else...

The customer service rep told me I had to pay for both the device and the monthly. I know better to try and get freebies out of them so I asked to speak with account services. I told them how i had to go outside to get a signal so I would need to be shopping for a new company. They offered up the Airave for free without much hassle.

You do have to have high speed internet to use it though. Keep that in mind!

 

[jeffreykime]

I have 3mb internet service through my cable company. Is that fast enough for the airave? I get spotty service in my house and am going to start using it as a home office on a regular basis.

 

[meriwether#AC]

huh? the airave doesnt transmit a wifi signal.

the new airvana airave unit provides voice service(through your home internet connection) and also will give you 3G data.

your phone will react the same as it would outside in a high signal area.

When will this wonderful device be available?

 

[Luce]

I have 3mb internet service through my cable company. Is that fast enough for the airave? I get spotty service in my house and am going to start using it as a home office on a regular basis.

Yes that will be fine. That is about the same or even a little faster than my connection and my airwave works great.

 

[jeffreykime]

Thanks. I'm going to have to give customer service a call tomorrow.

 

[dpg]

ours has been great. been using it 3-4 weeks now. better battery life as well because the phone isnt searching for a signal all the time.

 

[m2pilot]

So I just got off the phone with Sprint again, and still no dice for me.

I can't get the airave + waved fee because -- get this -- I am still inside my 30 days... Policy is to not give free airave's and service for people in their 30 days.

Huh??

The rep was quite apologetic -- and he first tried to get the device for me before having the policy read to him. I find this bizarre. They would rather have me cancel the 5 lines of evo service. Strange.

I guess I'm going to visit the competition tonight & see what I can arrange.

What a bummer...