Handyman

On 7/31/2019 at 1:37 PM, Handyman said:

3Mbit/0.6Mbit DSL is my only option, so let us say that, for now, WiFi backhaul would be preferable, but it is unavailable.

 

Well, just like that we now have 400Mbit Cable Internet in our area.  Unfortunately, the ping times/latency seems rather high at 50+ms, but the speed is 100+x what we had before.  I would consider hooking the Airave3LTE back up if it were able to do live handover of active data sessions, at least on the LTE side.  The MagicBox doesn't even do that.

8 minutes ago, ingenium said:

I've heard that now that the Airave 4 is released, they intend for Magic Boxes to be used for businesses, and Airaves for home users. So I guess they're finally starting to implement this policy.

You could possibly claim that you don't have home internet, or that your internet is WiFi only provided by a landlord and you don't have access to a router to plug the Airave into. So then the Magic Box would be your only option.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

3Mbit/0.6Mbit DSL is my only option, so let us say that, for now, WiFi backhaul would be preferable, but it is unavailable.

On 6/12/2019 at 2:52 PM, alphaalphagamma said:

Request the magic box gold, and ask for the voice amp add-on.  They are both available, we just ordered and received both for a friend.

Having some pushback from Sprint on this: "It's only being offered for business partners."  Hmmm.

7 hours ago, RAvirani said:

^ This. This is correct. 

So, to get it correctly for Sprint cell users, all devices are currently roaming onto TMo towers via the MOCN.

At some point, they will issue a firmware update so that capable devices will use TMo natively?  When this happens, will the old Sprint network not be accessible any longer, be considered roaming, or become integrated fully (i.e., active data handovers)?

On 5/21/2019 at 4:03 PM, ingenium said:

The LTE side does not do a DNS lookup, and uses the hardcoded IP 68.31.0.1. So setup a firewall rule to block access from the Airave IP to 68.31.0.1. Then power cycle the Airave. The LTE side will be unable to connect, leaving you with CDMA only.

 

So I put in the filter and unfortunately, it did not stop it from connecting up to LTE on reboot.  Just for kicks, I did try blocking 68.31.0.* and 68.31.*.*, but that only stopped the CDMA side from establishing a connection :/.  Guess I am going to have to do a packet capture and see where the heck it is getting its info on boot.

Or maybe better yet, see if I can get Sprint to send me an MB Gold with the 1xRTT boost module... I am getting 60mbit/5mbit consistently now on my MB3.

Looks like we may have fallen into the "Have magic box, used to work well when it would get B26 backhaul, but now has intermittent issues as it has been forced to connect to B41 backhaul, and we are now also in the coverage black hole for MB support (where it is 'available for subscribers' via the MB address website)."

We are 2.24 mi from the donor site, and as I understand it, Sprint reduced the radius to within 2 miles of the donor site for elegibility for a MB. Additionally, we do not have complete line of sight to the donor site.

We have NOT received any requests from Sprint asking us to return our MB. We get 30-50Mbit downlink but only maybe 500-1Mb uplink, and SpeedTest will sit there for 10-20 seconds and sometimes error out on the uplink test.

I think almost all the issues we have on our phones at home relate to the uplink issue.  We have to reboot the MB sometimes as well (it is on a UPS, we don't like outages!).

Any chance that we might get a MB Gold, or at least some way of getting the 1xRTT addon for our 3 iPhones?   Or even an internet connection?   We do not have broadband available at our home.

Addendum: I have Calling+ enabled on my S9+. and experience no issues at all while connected to the MB with calls.

1 hour ago, Terrell352 said:

Sprint was on the ball with updates until April. This phone has never went this long without a update before. I guess after it’s first birthday they dial back updates. But that doesn’t explain why the Note 9 has also not been updated since April.

Was told that Google may be the one who is to blame, although Pixel has June's already...

On 6/3/2019 at 9:44 PM, Terrell352 said:

Something odd is up we are almost 2 months without so much as a security update. That's never happened before. At this point the next update has to be VoLTE or they are waiting for the final outcome for the merger before any more software updates go out.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

Sad state of affairs - these are just supposed to be security patches to prevent hackers...

On 5/17/2019 at 11:56 PM, ingenium said:

I ended up having to disable LTE on the Airave (via a firewall rule), leaving it CDMA only. Of course they broke it in what's seemingly the last update to the 3...
 

What firewall rule will disable the LTE on the AR3?  I have a magicbox and only have need for 1x from the Airave (We have 3 iPhones and 1 S9)

If you know a way to disable 3G, that would also be nice, if possible.

Guess I'm gonna have to do some testing

Sprint LTE/TMO AWS native (non-roaming-indicated) coverage confirmed in Oxford, OH.

Has anyone verified that active data sessions, including VoLTE and/or Calling+ will soft-handover to and from TMO AWS?

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).

Seeing activity on the old Nextel tower in W College Corner, IN, since TMo put their site low on the totem.  Wondering if this is the work of Sprint.  Sidemount support structures being added below the Nextel antennae platform on top.

On 10/27/2018 at 2:57 PM, shannonbrian said:

I used volte in Philly and Baltimore it works very very good. Sound way better then hd voice in my opinion.  Bad part I'm in Delaware market so I'm in between areas . Kind of tease .

How does it sound over WiFi?

I've experienced mixed results with CallingPlus on my S9+.  Much of it is that the person on the other end "loses me" quite often, even though I might hear them fine.  Sometimes, driving through the same area doesn't necessarily repeat the bad experience.  One time the call is good, the other time it breaks up.

We do live a bit out in the country and calls do seem better while connected to WiFi, a MagicBox, or in the city.  It's in the country that we have issues (i.e., no cell tower within a mile of the location).

Sprint has been bolstering its network with small cells (basically, magic boxes on light poles) in our area, but the problem with that is that they only do this in the city, not out in the country were continuity sites are badly needed.

Interesting.  I will have to do some experimentation---while everyone else in the house is asleep

(yes--we are data-heavy users as we can only get 3Mbit DSL at our house!  60+/40+/20/10GB average monthly on our 4 phones).

On 9/29/2018 at 4:24 PM, dkyeager said:

Active smartphones in cars are followed by MIMO which can bring the Band 41 to your Magic Box, which then locks onto that signal. Unlike a smartphone, the Magic Box does not let go.  Just do not unnecessarily reboot the Magic Box.  

Soooo, could I, by driving home with my S9+, bring B41 to my MB?

MB went down a couple evenings ago -stuck in reboot loop.  Checked here and no one had posted about the outage yet, so I performed a factory reset.  Back to the reboot loop.  It was up and running when I got up to go to work the next morning and seems to have been working ever since.

We live out in the country, found a prefect position for the MB.  3 bars at -112dbm connect.  Getting up to 20mbps down and  up to 8mbps up on devices.  The only internet we can get at our house is 3mb/0.6mb DSL, so we rely on this for our phones/data plans.  LTE signal is nonexistent otherwise in the basement, 1 bar lower floor, 2 bars upstairs and 2-3 outside.  With MB, it's 5 bars on our entire 2 acre lot.

1 hour ago, jefbal99 said:

I had the opposite experience, I had to send my Airave back to get a Magic Box

Just received a MB in addition to existing AR3LTE.  No request to return yet.

On 9/10/2017 at 11:11 PM, shaferz said:

I'm waiting on a new shipping label to send ours back.  We are iPhone users here and did not have a consistent experience with our MB.  Still waiting on an update on a replacement unit.

MagicBox doesn't work for phone calls unless you have LTE Calling Plus enabled, which is not yet supported on iPhones and many other phones.

34 minutes ago, Tengen31 said:

I'm interested in the pixel whenever I upgrade next

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Pixel - great phone but no LTE Calling Plus or WiFi Calling.  BIG gotchas...

1 minute ago, mmark27 said:

Beta Programme is closed, closed, closed. 

It'll be out soon enough, we're talking days to week(s), not months. Seems silly to jump to a worse phone just for Oreo. 

How many times have I heard that line!  Lol.  Hope you're right.  But... It might not hurt to wait til the cookie is cracked before upgrading, since there might be issues going from 8 to 7 back to 8....

5 hours ago, Tengen31 said:

Still no update. Is pissing me off. Motorola or the pixel are looking good right now.

Have you tried joining the beta program? Are they on 8 yet?

Could be a drawback for me -- I am currently on 8.1 regular release with my Pixel. Just no Calling Plus or WiFi Calling on Sprint.

This might be a reason to go with the Z2Force.  Still haven't made the purchase.  Won't be before Friday evening.

So, no case needed for the S8 Active?  Are the S8's on Android 8 yet?

Just now, danlodish345 said:

I would stick with the S8 that you want...I’m getting the S8 active this evening... I need durability lol

Just a wild guess... It'll probably be worth considerably more than the Z2 in 18 months as well.