800 Voice Now Live - Phones not connecting to Airave anymore

[Sim-X]

So Sprint lit up 800 voice last night on a few towers near by. My signal levels are greatly improved but I still would like the phones to connect to the Airave since I have it for even higher signal strength. Phones are hopping on evdo still via the airave but voice it's using the tower. The setup in my office there is multiple Sprint phones on multiple accounts. It would always default to the airave before but now they are using 800 so is the repeater worthless now for voice?

[COZisBack]

So Sprint lit up 800 voice last night on a few towers near by. My signal levels are greatly improved but I still would like the phones to connect to the Airave since I have it for even higher signal strength. Phones are hopping on evdo still via the airave but voice it's using the tower. The setup in my office there is multiple Sprint phones on multiple accounts. It would always default to the airave before but now they are using 800 so is the repeater worthless now for voice?

 

I believe if you're using a PRL with a higher priority for 1900 that will fix the issue, but I'm not 1000% sure.

[koiulpoi]

Are they having any troubles with 800 Voice? If there's no issue, why bother? For voice, there's really no difference between "enough bars" and "full bars".

[chamb]

So Sprint lit up 800 voice last night on a few towers near by. My signal levels are greatly improved but I still would like the phones to connect to the Airave since I have it for even higher signal strength. Phones are hopping on evdo still via the airave but voice it's using the tower. The setup in my office there is multiple Sprint phones on multiple accounts. It would always default to the airave before but now they are using 800 so is the repeater worthless now for voice?

So many people wish they had your problem.  And it may not be a problem but actually a good thing.  If your 800 signal is at least decent and it works for you, just continue to use it and be be happy.  It is desirable in most cases. You do NOT need 6 bars for your phone to work well.   If the 800 gives you one or two bars and your phones do not drop calls, that is all you need and your service will be fine.   6 bars on your phones will not result in better calls than you are going to get with one or two bars on your 800 service.

Actually, your calls should sound better over 800 than an over an Airave.   Much of the time you have a delay issue on an Airave making it somewhat difficult to carry on the conversation.  800 does not have this issue.

 

Also, if you have 800 , this probably means your EVDO is also upgraded.  That is something we can not be sure about, but it probably has. 

if so, your EVDO is probably slightly better than it had been.  You may or may not need an Airave anymore. Try turning your Airave off and see what happens to your EVDO.  The signal may be weaker than on the Airave, but the EVDO may work fine.

An Airave may be a unnecessary complication you no longer need. (Maybe)

[Sim-X]

Thanks for the replies guys, I was just more so curious than anything. This is the first day the phones have been on 800, I'm at -85 dBm on 800 where before it was much higher than that unless of course it was on the airave.

[digiblur]

So Sprint lit up 800 voice last night on a few towers near by. My signal levels are greatly improved but I still would like the phones to connect to the Airave since I have it for even higher signal strength. Phones are hopping on evdo still via the airave but voice it's using the tower. The setup in my office there is multiple Sprint phones on multiple accounts. It would always default to the airave before but now they are using 800 so is the repeater worthless now for voice?

 

Not necessarily useless.  I assume these are not the 2.5 Airave's right?

 

I have helped a couple people with this very issue.  The big problem stems from if the user had a 800SMR site activated somewhat nearby the Android phones with BC10 support in the PRL will attempt to use this site over the Airave. PRLs do not make the network decision based on signal strength either.  So you could have  -60 1X signal from the Airave and have a -105 1X signal from the distant 800SMR site.  No matter what you do you could have dropped calls. 

 

To fix the issue you would need to create a custom PRL with your airave SID/NID combination above the 800SMR scan.  That way you would have the best of both world.  Airave in the house and 800SMR scan first when out and about. 

[WiWavelength]

This is the first day the phones have been on 800, I'm at -85 dBm on 800 where before it was much higher than that unless of course it was on the airave.

 

Higher or lower?

 

AJ

[Sim-X]

Higher or lower?

 

AJ

 

Before 800 without airave -105 or worse in parts of the office some parts dropping calls or losing reception

[WiWavelength]

Before 800 without airave -105 or worse in parts of the office some parts dropping calls or losing reception

 

Yeah, -105 dBm RSSI is lower and basically the edge of CDMA1X usability.

 

AJ

[chamb]

Thanks for the replies guys, I was just more so curious than anything. This is the first day the phones have been on 800, I'm at -85 dBm on 800 where before it was much higher than that unless of course it was on the airave.

 a -85 is a very good level  to have.  That should work perfect for you.   I have that in my home and can even do down in a basement and still have a very usable signal.  Your experience may not necessarily be the same, but I am betting you are in fine shape.

[Sim-X]

Awesome, the improved reception will be nice without having to rely on the airave although I have had very good luck with it over all.

[COZisBack]

An issue I've always had with the two Airaves I've had (2.0/2.5) is that if the internet were to go out (because TWC sucks), my phone will not switch off the Airave and will just not function.

[Rukin1]

I just unplugged mine.

[BlueAngel]

Haven't turned my Airave 2.5 off in a few months but I am afraid too I don't think 800MHz is turned on in my neighborhood. If I could get better voice calls in my house and send texts I would turn it off, I use WiFi at home I don't need 3G.

Edited August 2, 2013 by BlueAngel