How does an Airave work?

[Virtualbot]

Would Wifi calling make the Airave obsolete? I'm not exactly sure how wifi calling works, but it just seems like it'd be less of a hassle.

 

Yes and no.  Yes, as a Sprint customer, you can integrate your cell number with Google Voice and make calls using Groove IP over Wifi for no additional charge.  Groove IP does a pretty good job in logging into your Google account and can also replace your dialer with its own dialer within the app.

 

I also say no cause you have people, like my folks (I'm sure many like them), that don't want to upgrade to Android/iOS, sign up with Google [ie: open an account with Google], or they want to use a "dumbphone" to only make phone calls and text, but can't necessarily get a good signal.

 

For me personally, I have a Note 2, my number is integrated with Google Voice, but I still use an Airave.  I find it convenient to have so that my signal bars are always maxed out, my battery doesn't die as quickly, and it doesn't suffer from the loud "crackling" noises I've had happened to me when using Groove IP in the past.

[dcshobby]

I just got an Airave 2.5 (had the old model but it stopped working).   My 3G speeds on the old one were about 2.3mb at best.   With the 2.5 airave I am getting 2.51mb down and 0.73 upload.   

 

 

When my old airave was down for a few months I would get 4G speeds inside and sometimes get 4mb down from the Sprint towers.   This airave sometimes says it's on 4G with full bars, and will get 3-4mb down, but upload is usually around 1mb.      Do the 2.5 Airaves get LTE?       It just seems weird b/c I thought they didn't get 4G?     Even if it does get 4G, it makes me wonder b/c when I would get 4mb down with Sprint towers I barely had a signal.    This was done on the Speedtest app, so could that be why?   

 

 

I guess it really doesn't matter at the end of the day though, because I am going to be connected to a 70mb connection.   I was just curious though.    I also only got the 2.5 Airave b/c the old one bit the dust, and sometimes people come over and don't use the wifi, so the airave treated them nicely that they didn't ask for the wifi password, lol.

If you are receiving 4G in your home everywhere, you don't need the Airave. 4G is more fragile than 1X and 3G for calling so if you get 4G, your voice calling and texting should be just fine. You are better off not on the Airave and on the macro network. You will also save a few bucks in taxes because the Airave is considered a phone line and has some taxes and fees on it. People should use WiFi wherever they are

[matt7701]

Lately my phone or airave have been acting up.  The phone keeps switching form tower to airave full bars no bars, this never happened before.  I tried resetting the airave but the problem still occurs. NV maybe?

[mozamcrew]

Lately my phone or airave have been acting up.  The phone keeps switching form tower to airave full bars no bars, this never happened before.  I tried resetting the airave but the problem still occurs. NV maybe?

 

Does the phone work fine when you aren't around your airrave? If so my guess would be the airrave.

[matt7701]

Does the phone work fine when you aren't around your airrave? If so my guess would be the airrave.

Yes, its the airave but I dont know why.  It keeps connecting and dropping the signal...

[mozamcrew]

Yes, its the airave but I dont know why.  It keeps connecting and dropping the signal...

 

Do you know which version of the airrave you have? Version 1, 2, or 2.5?

I know most of them need to be able to get a GPS fix, so if you put them in a place where they cannot, then you have trouble

 

What happens if you just shut off the airrave? Do you have any Sprint coverage in the house?

[matt7701]

Do you know which version of the airrave you have? Version 1, 2, or 2.5?

I know most of them need to be able to get a GPS fix, so if you put them in a place where they cannot, then you have trouble

 

What happens if you just shut off the airrave? Do you have any Sprint coverage in the house?

GPS is fine I just plugged it back in today and it seems to be working now.  Why I don't know.  Why? I don't know.

[Cchs]

I am having the same problem. I received a new airave a few months ago. The last airave I had worked find except for power issues. However, this airave is a bit weird.

If I turn off my phone and turn it back on, my phone detects the nearest sprint tower instead of the airave downstairs. Also when I arrive home my iphone 5 refuses to detect the airave automatically like on my last airave.

This results in my having to place my phone on top of the airave for a few minutes and then it detects it. (Then later on it disconnects after a few hours)

Please help!

[ingenium]

The issue is that the nearby towers are broadcasting at 800Mhz. The current PRLs (as of 54016/55016/56016) always prioritize 800Mhz over 1900Mhz, so it won't switch to 1900Mhz unless the 800Mhz tower tells it to, or the signal is non-existent (like how the phone hangs onto a Sprint signal until it can't anymore before roaming).

 

Airaves seem to only broadcast a 1900Mhz signal. There's a rumor that a software update is being pushed out (though it has supposedly been pushing "soon" since August...) to make it broadcast an 800Mhz beacon telling the phone to switch to 1900Mhz, but to my knowledge this hasn't happened yet. I ended up modifying my PRL to put my airave at the top of my region above the 800Mhz towers (http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/2440-airave-evo-4g-lte-data-connection-but-not-voice/&do=findComment&comment=60555) and it worked great. If you use that guide, be sure to get the correct info for your airave and local towers (I used https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blueline.signalchecklite).

 

On the Galaxy S4, you don't even need root or the MSL to write the PRL, it can be stored on the SD card and written using a hidden interface. Other phones may be similar.

[gnoj]

The issue is that the nearby towers are broadcasting at 800Mhz. The current PRLs (as of 54016/55016/56016) always prioritize 800Mhz over 1900Mhz, so it won't switch to 1900Mhz unless the 800Mhz tower tells it to, or the signal is non-existent (like how the phone hangs onto a Sprint signal until it can't anymore before roaming).

 

That's not quite accurate. While 800 MHz is scanned for first, the PRLs that you listed actually place 800 & 1900 MHz on an equal priority. The effect of that being that if the phone lands on 1900 MHz, it will continue to happily use that band unless the signal is lost or you force the phone to rescan. If 800 MHz was at a higher priority, the device would frequently scan for that SID, as it does for Sprint signal when roaming.

 

Airaves seem to only broadcast a 1900Mhz signal. There's a rumor that a software update is being pushed out (though it has supposedly been pushing "soon" since August...) to make it broadcast an 800Mhz beacon telling the phone to switch to 1900Mhz, but to my knowledge this hasn't happened yet.

 

 

Later on when 1x800 is ubiquitous, new PRLs will be pushed that will place 800 MHz at a higher priority. At that point hopefully everyone's Airaves will also be updated to use that beacon signal as some already are.

[bucdenny]

Has the Airave been updated to support 800Mhz?

[ingenium]

Has the Airave been updated to support 800Mhz?

It has a beacon on 800mhz to tell devices to connect on 1900mhz. That being said, your phone will still sometimes bounce off onto the nearby tower anyway even if there's no LTE signal, I assume because the tower supports eHRPD unlike the airave.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6

[mozamcrew]

Frankly, if you have decent wifi in the house, I think that is preferable over the AirRave. Of course, that only works with newish smartphones.

[Student]

So I just bought a house and the neighbor has an airave...my phone marginally connects to it, then to the 3g/lte nearby. End result is really bad battery. Went there this weekend and battery stats where 25% cell signal searching.

So going to have to install my own airave

 

 

What's the status on airave and whitelist/blacklist? Was that ever fixed?

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[dnwk]

For the simple explanation, the Airave makes an IP connection to your MSC (i.e. "switch"), which is likely within ~100 miles of your billing address. Your MSC, not your handset, is the home location of your phone number. No matter where you are in the world, all incoming calls to your phone number are originally directed to your MSC.

 

AJ

 

I think that's relative to your area code not billing address.

[RAvirani]

I think that's relative to your area code not billing address.

Ye...

[ericdabbs]

Has anyone ordered a Sprint Wifi Connect router before?  I read that they are free (with security deposit) and they only prerequisite is that you must have a device that supports wifi calling. 

[tommym65]

Has anyone ordered a Sprint Wifi Connect router before? I read that they are free (with security deposit) and they only prerequisite is that you must have a device that supports wifi calling.

Yes. It was free. No security deposit. You own it outright in 1 year. Mine was shipped within hours, and worked perfectly out of the box. The only gotcha is that you basically must order it from the right network group -- their phone number is buried in the WiFi Connect thread somewhere, I'm too lazy to search for it. Do not -- I repeat, DO NOT -- I repetitively repeat, ABSOLUTELY! DO! NOT! -- try to order one from Customer Support, as you will get shunted to someone overseas who doesn't have the vaguest clue what you are talking about or how to order it.

 

(Edit:  VVV  Thanks, Tim!)

[lilotimz]

1-866-556-7310

[ericdabbs]

1-866-556-7310

 

I'll give that a shot once I activate my Note 5.

[chamb]

I'll give that a shot once I activate my Note 5.

After you activate your Note 5, turn on Wi-Fi calling and  make a few calls.  You should be able to do this even with an old router.

 

These calls may be choppy if your router is not doing the job correctly or fast enough.

Then call the number and tell them your wi-fi calling is poor(choppy). They will see you have the service activated and normally they ship the router immediately at no charge.

[ericdabbs]

 

After you activate your Note 5, turn on Wi-Fi calling and  make a few calls.  You should be able to do this even with an old router.

 

These calls may be choppy if your router is not doing the job correctly or fast enough.

Then call the number and tell them your wi-fi calling is poor(choppy). They will see you have the service activated and normally they ship the router immediately at no charge.

 

 

Thanks.  Activated my Note 5 this morning and did a test Wifi calling phone call on my current router and it works fine.  Time to order the Wifi Connect router.  Do you know how long does it take Sprint to send you the Wifi Connect router?

[tommym65]

Thanks.  Activated my Note 5 this morning and did a test Wifi calling phone call on my current router and it works fine.  Time to order the Wifi Connect router.  Do you know how long does it take Sprint to send you the Wifi Connect router?

Mine arrived 2 days after Sprint entered the order.

[WiWavelength]

I think that's relative to your area code not billing address.

 

Holy necro post, Batman!

 

Welcome to three years ago?

 

AJ

[chamb]

 

 

 

 

Thanks.  Activated my Note 5 this morning and did a test Wifi calling phone call on my current router and it works fine.  Time to order the Wifi Connect router.  Do you know how long does it take Sprint to send you the Wifi Connect router?

 

I had an old router when I activated Wi-Fi calling.  The Wi-Fi calling worked fine when I had very little other traffic flowing over the router.

But when the the internet traffic picked up, the calls got choppy.  My router worked fine otherwise, but the QOS on the router would not fix the choppy calls.  The new router from Sprint did.

The only issue I have with the Wi-Fi calling is the delay. The two people in the conversation are talking over each other because of the delay.  The Wi-Fi calling also just disconnects mostly at night and I have to restart it.  For some reason, it drops and when it does, it requires a manual restart.  Using a Galaxy S-5. My new router arrived in about 2 days and was totally Free.