Verizon 4G network extender in home.

[omawb]

The network extender is working, but for a few weeks, maybe since the update, the phone doesn't stay connected to the extender. I have to restart the phone several times to get it to connect again. I have factory reset the extender, but it continues to happen. The phone will be connected and I leave the house, coming back it won't connect automatically, which it used to do.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

The network extender is working, but for a few weeks, maybe since the update, the phone doesn't stay connected to the extender. I have to restart the phone several times to get it to connect again. I have factory reset the extender, but it continues to happen. The phone will be connected and I leave the house, coming back it won't connect automatically, which it used to do.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

It's been awhile since I've had to use a network extender, only thing I can think of is unplugging the extender then plug it back in to reset it maybe.

What I can remember of the extender is your phone connects to the extender then you go thru your home Internet for calls and messages. Have you tried using WiFi calling on your phone? I would think you would get the same results and skip extender.

 

[omawb]

It's been awhile since I've had to use a network extender, only thing I can think of is unplugging the extender then plug it back in to reset it maybe.

What I can remember of the extender is your phone connects to the extender then you go thru your home Internet for calls and messages. Have you tried using WiFi calling on your phone? I would think you would get the same results and skip extender.

Thank you for the help.
Finally decided to call Verizon and they are shipping a new extender.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Not personally familiar with the quirks of US mobile networks (thankfully), but haven't Verizon started forcing devices to use 5G,even when not really appropriate? Could that be what's to blame here?
Like, the device is detecting the vaguest hint of a very weak 5G signal and using that rather than the much stronger 4G signal that is available.

 

[omawb]

Interesting question, I have no idea!!!Thank you!

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

Not personally familiar with the quirks of US mobile networks (thankfully), but haven't Verizon started forcing devices to use 5G,even when not really appropriate? Could that be what's to blame here?
Like, the device is detecting the vaguest hint of a very weak 5G signal and using that rather than the much stronger 4G signal that is available.

From what I've read Samsung is blocking the options to choose 4G or 5G. I'm sure at the direction of the carriers

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

From what I've read Samsung is blocking the options to choose 4G or 5G. I'm sure at the direction of the carriers

Is that on unlocked devices or just carrier ones, though? Either way, that's my guess.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

Is that on unlocked devices or just carrier ones, though? Either way, that's my guess.

Mine was unlocked. The work around was blocked also. I didn't mess with the ODIN option so don't know about that route

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Mine was unlocked. The work around was blocked also. I didn't mess with the ODIN option so don't know about that route

That's definitely a US carrier thing, cuz I have this in connection settings:

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

That's definitely a US carrier thing, cuz I have this in connection settings:View attachment 358378

We don't have that option. I can only speak for unlocked Verizon, don't know what the other carriers are doing.

 

[notforhire]

We don't have that option. I can only speak for unlocked Verizon, don't know what the other carriers are doing.

unlocked on AT&T... that option is grayed out and no longer available to me

 

[notforhire]

apparently with TMO, you can force LTE by toggling off 5G in connection settings

 

[mustang7757]

We don't have that option. I can only speak for unlocked Verizon, don't know what the other carriers are doing.

T-Mobile has the option looks like Att and Verizon don't

 

[DLCPhototography]

Thank you for the help.
Finally decided to call Verizon and they are shipping a new extender.

Did your replacement extender work any better? I'm having the same problem, even with a brand new extender from Verizon. This is with my wife's Samsung A53, my prior S21 Ultra, and now my new S24 Ultra. I have been through troubleshooting with both Verizon and Samsung, but it has led nowhere. Sometimes they'll connect, but most of the time they don't.

 

[omawb]

Did your replacement extender work any better? I'm having the same problem, even with a brand new extender from Verizon. This is with my wife's Samsung A53, my prior S21 Ultra, and now my new S24 Ultra. I have been through troubleshooting with both Verizon and Samsung, but it has led nowhere. Sometimes they'll connect, but most of the time they don't.

It has improved with the new extender. There are still times when it's not connected, but it hasn't been as big an issue as before.

 

[DLCPhototography]

It has improved with the new extender. There are still times when it's not connected, but it hasn't been as big an issue as before.

Thanks for the reply and update. Glad things are better.

My current working theory is that when our phones are looking for 5G signals, and connecting to them even though they're weak, that it doesn't "see" the 4G signal from the Network Extender. On my wife's phone, when it does connect, the icon shows that it is using 4G, and when it doesn't connect, it shows a 5G signal.

The Verizon guy didn't think this would explain it, and I don't really know if it does. But there is a certain logic to it which makes it appealing (especially when there are no other working theories that do explain the problem.

Is your phone a 5G phone, and do you see this as well: when not connected, it's in 5G mode, and when it is, in 4G mode? You have to temporarily turn off WiFi to see the 4G or 5G label, since it otherwise isn't shown. And when you are connected to the extender, does your phone ever show 5G active?

Thanks again.

 

[omawb]

Thank you. Yes, my phone is a 5G model. Whether it is connected to the extender or not it never shows 5G active while at home. I have to drive into a city to see that.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Thank you. Yes, my phone is a 5G model. Whether it is connected to the extender or not it never shows 5G active while at home. I have to drive into a city to see that.

Very interesting - thanks for that.

This is consistent with my theory - at home, your 5G phone does not see any 5G signal, since it sounds like there isn't a nearby cell tower that sends it to your area. So when at home, your phone only sees 4G, sees the network extender, and then connects to it.

And then when you're in a city, it does see a 5G signal and connects to it.

So it really seems to me that when I'm at home, there is enough of a 5G signal, even though it's weak, that the phone's OS prioritizes connecting to a weaker 5G signal over a stronger 4G signal, and so it usually doesn't connect to the 4G network extender. Randomly the 5G signal in my home drops low enough that it then connects to the 4G network extender. But when the 5G signal randomly increases in strength, it then because it prefers it, it then connects to 5G, dropping the network extender connection.

 

[lmdroid]

If the extender has to connect to the internet, why don't you just use wifi calling. It seems wifi calling would be less complex. I have no cell service in my home, so I use wifi calling and have never had any problems.

 

[DLCPhototography]

If the extender has to connect to the internet, why don't you just use wifi calling. It seems wifi calling would be less complex. I have no cell service in my home, so I use wifi calling and have never had any problems.

That would seem to be the case, and yes I have tried that. But the thing is, I still experience occasional missed dropped or dropped calls, even when using WiFi calling.

I am still fighting this battle, and experienced a dropped call just 2 days ago, while I was connected to the Network Extender, and another one the day before, when I wasn't. Maybe it's just Verizon's crappy service at the heart of this all, I don't know. But missed and dropped calls are simply unacceptable, and which the Extender should theoretically eliminate when I'm sitting right next to it.

And even more aggravating is that sometimes when a call is dropped, and I call them back, the call immediately disconnects when I tap the button to call. And if the other party calls me, they are sent immediately to voicemail. This happened with my prior S21 Ultra, as well as my current S24 Ultra.

I plan on another call to Verizon tech support to see if this can be sorted out, but I'm not hopeful.