Jump to content

Official Magic Box discussion thread


lilotimz

Recommended Posts

22 minutes ago, ingenium said:

That's the original software that it launched with. It's likely saying limited connectivity because it's unable to use it, and is probably falling back to LTE.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

Then it has never been updated.

Mine never moves from WiFi. if I reboot, it never completes the boot up process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

Then it has never been updated.

Mine never moves from WiFi. if I reboot, it never completes the boot up process.

The update hasn't pushed yet. 

Basically the unit cannot establish a connection whatsoever back to Sprint over IPSEC. 

TLDR: Sprint™ speed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 5:54 PM, lilotimz said:

The update hasn't pushed yet. 

Basically the unit cannot establish a connection whatsoever back to Sprint over IPSEC. 

TLDR: Sprint™ speed

Yeah, I realized that after my Magic Box auto-restarted itself overnight and got stuck at the configuration screen. I had to change it back to LTE Backhaul and restart it again for it to get back to normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

In our situation, the  magic box works only as well as an Airave with about a 20Mbit backhaul.  But it's not the speed we are worried about.  We need coverage at the city-block level.  And because Sprint has crippled the functionality by disallowing active data hand-ins, it pretty much ruins every advantage the MagicBox brings to the table, for our situation. 

 

I have done the tests - our MagicBox is the strongest Sprint signal on our entire block.  It just so happens, it's also the only really usable signal.   The good news is that we put it on our top floor, by the window, and it does get good B25 backhaul there (~-105db).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see a major difference in the gen3, gen2 and my outdoor version. I do hear a small fan running inside this outdoor version.. and the display has some slight visual differences... far as performance, it actually does perform better for me in the fringe area that I live in. I'm carrying my gen3 with me to different places, and using my gen2 mostly at my fire department. ea21a2e61628a21f70fd2d1a29671166.jpg0608adf8b438927ccb4470331de566b8.jpgcd38b82743e9b2c00da48b734592bf89.jpg

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW...I forgot to mention...this particular version has a management wlan that disappears after a set amount of time. (if it's  anything like our radios running AirOS8 in the WISP I work with, then the management wlan is only active for 7 or 15 minutes, depending on if it's default or purposely set to 15.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, belusnecropolis said:

Of all the magic boxes I have torn down I do not recall seeing a cooling fan. Is this an s1000 you are referring too?

 

I'm not sure...I posted the pic of the model # if that is telling. I got this one through a different channel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, jonathanm1978 said:

What is S1000? Is that still in the magic box 54* series?
The above photos are the MB with the fan inside. Also, the pic shows the one that has the startup management wlan.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

Thanks good pics. The s1k is an outdoor locally backhauled femto. Industrial magic box if you will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/16/2019 at 11:45 AM, jonathanm1978 said:

I'm not sure...I posted the pic of the model # if that is telling. I got this one through a different channel.

The posted one is the GEN 1 OG (AU545) release model with the E-Ink display. Gen 2 is the same unit with a LCD display with ID AU544. There's also a hospitality version AU546 that has better aesthetics and water resistance.

I wonder if they modified that unit you got with active cooling as all the MBs and radios these days are passively cooled using heatsinks. 

3 hours ago, belusnecropolis said:

Thanks good pics. The s1k is an outdoor locally backhauled femto. Industrial magic box if you will.

S1000 is an indoor LTE femto cell produced by commscope / airvana. Same LTE unit that's inside Airave 3's. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was told by Mr. Schnelbacher that i was being sent a water resistant magic box... definitely hear a fan inside.
I have somehow acquired 3 magic boxes now... does anyone know for sure how long they can go without being connected before sprint will bill it and turn off the sim?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was told by Mr. Schnelbacher that i was being sent a water resistant magic box... definitely hear a fan inside.
I have somehow acquired 3 magic boxes now... does anyone know for sure how long they can go without being connected before sprint will bill it and turn off the sim?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


Are they showing up on your account? If not, they are likely on an engineering or some other account at Sprint. Those units seemingly can go indefinitely without being powered on. I had one off for 6-8 months before I put it back in service and it came up fine.

For a unit on your account, I think it's like 2 weeks or so before you start getting calls and texts from Sprint telling you to return it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Has a firmware update been pushed out to fix issues that were going on with the newest Magic Box Gold yet? I think it was supposed to enable wired backhaul too...
No. There was a beta firmware that one person was able to get pushed to their MB, and it added some things to the non-relay backhaul options, but it still was not working. They're seemingly having trouble getting it to work for some reason. Sprint is apparently having lots of software configuration related issues lately, between this and VoLTE rollout issues.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So..weird issue with MB (MB2, MB Gold, and MB "water resistant" versions). I've verified this issue is not just related to a single tower either.. and not just the 3 magic boxes that I have to tinker with...

Until yesterday morning, all 3 MB that I have, and a family member who has one, was working fine. No issues. I've been using magic boxes for over a year now (since they launched, I've had one in the same spot and it's worked fine)...

I wake up yesterday morning to no LTE on my note 9.. and shortly thereafter I'm informed by 3 of my 4 children that "hey the magic box isn't working, I have no data"

...so I go out and check on the demo magic box ...the "water resistant" version...which has been fine and worked since day one when I sat it in it's place..(so, 2 months without a hiccup).

I started resetting it. I tried 2-3 factory resets, and the thing is, it seemingly connected. I am still getting 2 of 3 boxes checked green ..the 3rd box won't establish or finalize...

On the box it tells me that GPS is locked (green checkmark), Relay Connected (green checkmark), but the 3rd one, LTE connecting just stays...

So far it's been sitting on that all day. A factory reset now and then, still has the 2 checkmarks green for GPS and Relay Connected...but LTE connecting doesn't appear.

The gold edition has the menu when it's two-thirds complete in the setup...so you can cheat to see how the signal looks before it finalizes if you hit menu, then hit network settings (where the backhaul options are located)..

I've taken it to a place where there is ample B25 and 2nd carrier B25...and under the Network Settings when it gets 2/3 done, it tells me that signal is excellent... But it just never finishes. I'm guessing the point where they are stopping is at the B41 radio starting broadcast..

Can anyone tell me what Sprint may have done in this area (S, SE of Bham, AL) that would render me unable to use the magic box? I've talked with Sprint today, the boxes are provisioned properly...so it's not on my end that I can tell...

 

(to verify it's not just on the tower that I use for donor site, I took my magic box to my fire department and left it for 8 hours, and the tower for that area is in Shelby county -- across the river. So it's not just the tower that I hit from my house, it's also doing it on the tower in another county that is slightly NE of me)...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, jonathanm1978 said:

So..weird issue with MB (MB2, MB Gold, and MB "water resistant" versions). I've verified this issue is not just related to a single tower either.. and not just the 3 magic boxes that I have to tinker with...

Until yesterday morning, all 3 MB that I have, and a family member who has one, was working fine. No issues. I've been using magic boxes for over a year now (since they launched, I've had one in the same spot and it's worked fine)...

I wake up yesterday morning to no LTE on my note 9.. and shortly thereafter I'm informed by 3 of my 4 children that "hey the magic box isn't working, I have no data"

...so I go out and check on the demo magic box ...the "water resistant" version...which has been fine and worked since day one when I sat it in it's place..(so, 2 months without a hiccup).

I started resetting it. I tried 2-3 factory resets, and the thing is, it seemingly connected. I am still getting 2 of 3 boxes checked green ..the 3rd box won't establish or finalize...

On the box it tells me that GPS is locked (green checkmark), Relay Connected (green checkmark), but the 3rd one, LTE connecting just stays...

So far it's been sitting on that all day. A factory reset now and then, still has the 2 checkmarks green for GPS and Relay Connected...but LTE connecting doesn't appear.

The gold edition has the menu when it's two-thirds complete in the setup...so you can cheat to see how the signal looks before it finalizes if you hit menu, then hit network settings (where the backhaul options are located)..

I've taken it to a place where there is ample B25 and 2nd carrier B25...and under the Network Settings when it gets 2/3 done, it tells me that signal is excellent... But it just never finishes. I'm guessing the point where they are stopping is at the B41 radio starting broadcast..

Can anyone tell me what Sprint may have done in this area (S, SE of Bham, AL) that would render me unable to use the magic box? I've talked with Sprint today, the boxes are provisioned properly...so it's not on my end that I can tell...

 

(to verify it's not just on the tower that I use for donor site, I took my magic box to my fire department and left it for 8 hours, and the tower for that area is in Shelby county -- across the river. So it's not just the tower that I hit from my house, it's also doing it on the tower in another county that is slightly NE of me)...

Your address shows "available" here?

https://www.sprint.com/landings/magic-box-eligibility/index.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, though said:

It probably doesn't, see my quote below...

 

4 hours ago, jonathanm1978 said:

I've been using magic boxes for over a year now (since they launched, I've had one in the same spot and it's worked fine)...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Usually Sprint says my address doesn't show up as available for the magic box. 

 

When Magic Box launched, I called to get one..at THAT time, my address was eligible for the Magic Box and had the proper freqs, according to their map. So they sent one. That magic box worked fine for over a year..then I wanted the gen2...so I swapped. That magic box worked fine...until the Gen2 got wet and I needed to swap..then I got the Gold...and it worked fine...

Fast forward..I've added a 2nd MB, plus gotten a MB on a demo account by emailing Mr. Schnelbacher...and they've all worked..until Saturday morning. 

While my address may not show up as eligible, the MB does work here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, jonathanm1978 said:

Usually Sprint says my address doesn't show up as available for the magic box. 

 

When Magic Box launched, I called to get one..at THAT time, my address was eligible for the Magic Box and had the proper freqs, according to their map. So they sent one. That magic box worked fine for over a year..then I wanted the gen2...so I swapped. That magic box worked fine...until the Gen2 got wet and I needed to swap..then I got the Gold...and it worked fine...

Fast forward..I've added a 2nd MB, plus gotten a MB on a demo account by emailing Mr. Schnelbacher...and they've all worked..until Saturday morning. 

While my address may not show up as eligible, the MB does work here. 

My address also shows as "not available", however I was able to get 2 of them. If you boot them up in a working location, then take them back to my address, they work, but temporarily. After a while, they will do exactly what you are describing.

I have since moved them to other locations where they are listed as "available" on that site and they work as they should.

My 'guess' is that you lucked out in getting them to work as long as you did, but recently the loophole has been plugged?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • large.unreadcontent.png.6ef00db54e758d06

  • gallery_1_23_9202.png

  • Posts

    • Since this is kind of the general chat thread, I have to share this humorous story (at least it is to me): Since around February/March of this year, my S22U has been an absolute pain to charge. USB-C cables would immediately fall out and it progressively got worse and worse until it often took me a number of minutes to get the angle of the cable juuuussst right to get charging to occur at all (not exaggerating). The connection was so weak that even walking heavily could cause the cable to disconnect. I tried cleaning out the port with a stable, a paperclip, etc. Some dust/lint/dirt came out but the connection didn't improve one bit. Needless to say, this was a MONSTER headache and had me hating this phone. I just didn't have the finances right now for a replacement.  Which brings us to the night before last. I am angry as hell because I had spent five minutes trying to get this phone to charge and failed. I am looking in the port and I notice it doesn't look right. The walls look rough and, using a staple, the back and walls feel REALLY rough and very hard. I get some lint/dust out with the staple and it improves charging in the sense I can get it to charge but it doesn't remove any of the hard stuff. It's late and it's charging, so that's enough for now. I decide it's time to see if that hard stuff is part of the connector or not. More aggressive methods are needed! I work in a biochem lab and we have a lot of different sizes of disposable needles available. So, yesterday morning, while in the lab I grab a few different sizes of needles between 26AWG and 31 AWG. When I got home, I got to work and start probing the connector with the 26 AWG and 31 AWG needle. The stuff feels extremely hard, almost like it was part of the connector, but a bit does break off. Under examination of the bit, it's almost sandy with dust/lint embedded in it. It's not part of the connector but instead some sort of rock-hard crap! That's when I remember that I had done some rock hounding at the end of last year and in January. This involved lots of digging in very sandy/dusty soils; soils which bare more than a passing resemblance to the crap in the connector. We have our answer, this debris is basically compacted/cemented rock dust. Over time, moisture in the area combined with the compression from inserting the USB-C connector had turned it into cement. I start going nuts chiseling away at it with the 26 AWG needle. After about 5-10 minutes of constant chiseling and scraping with the 26AWG and 31AWG needles, I see the first signs of metal at the back of the connector. So it is metal around the outsides! Another 5 minutes of work and I have scraped away pretty much all of the crap in the connector. A few finishing passes with the 31AWG needle, a blast of compressed air, and it is time to see if this helped any. I plug my regular USB-C cable and holy crap it clicks into place; it hasn't done that since February! I pick up the phone and the cable has actually latched! The connector works pretty much like it did over a year ago, it's almost like having a brand new phone!
    • That's odd, they are usually almost lock step with TMO. I forgot to mention this also includes the September Security Update.
    • 417.55 MB September security update just downloaded here for S24+ unlocked   Edit:  after Sept security update install, checked and found a 13MB GP System update as well.  Still showing August 1st there however. 
    • T-Mobile is selling the rest of the 3.45GHz spectrum to Columbia Capital.  
    • Still nothing for my AT&T and Visible phones.
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...