Official Samsung 3G Network Extender SCS-2U01

[larryEDJr]

When I dial #48, I get the beeping and the iphone shows 5 bars plus a dot where the LTE or 3G symbols are. That lasts for about 10 seconds and then the 1-2 bars reappear along with the LTE or 3G symbol. So It seems that the iphone is dropping the extender connection.

[powertoburn]

I just installed a Verizon Samsung extender and am using it with a new iphone 5. My problem is that the iphone does not stay connected to the extender. The phone drops back to 1-2 bars on the cellular service. Is this typical? Is there a solution? Do I need to shut off the LTE service when at home?
Thanks

The iPhone 5 prefers to display the LTE signal strength even if it is a weaker signal then 3G EVDO. However, when you are on a call it will switch to the network extender. You will know it switched cause the bars on iPhone 5 should increase and you will not have a 3G or LTE or "O" where next to Verizon unless you have Wi-Fi on. You will also hear double beeps when you answer or place a call.

The #48 recording repeats itself for about 10-30 seconds then the phone will switch back to displaying LTE signal strength. However, the phone is still connected to the network extender for voice calls or 3G data.

If you are still having weak coverage with network extender then i would call Verizon to boost the power of the extender. My extender only used to work well in one room and as soon as I left it the signal would quickly drop and I will be back on cell tower again especially when upstairs. After Verizon boosted the power of Network Extender I now receive 3-5 bars of signal strength in my home.

Also, in my home I find if I turn on WIFI the battery lasts a lot longer. The phone constantly switches between LTE 1-2 bars and 3G 3-5 bars for me.

I have discovered 3 issues with my NE.

With location aware apps like Maps, Facebook, Foursquare it will display my location for Santa Clarita, CA or Saugus, CA even though I am in Monterey Park, CA no where near Santa Clarita.

Other issue is when I am in a call there is an audible clicking sound heard every few seconds. Sometimes it is just one click other times it is a succession of clicks. It sounds like someone picked up the extension of an landline telephone. The voice quality is unaffected though just the annoying clicks.

Final issue is on phones running the Android operating system if I dial numbers with +1 (area code) I get an error message from Verizon. This only happens when I am connected via network extender.

[powertoburn]

I have discovered the iPhone 5 will drop calls if "managed access" is enabled so I have to set to open access and it won't drop calls. My iPhone 5 number is registered under managed access but I kept on getting dropped calls with the "call failed" error the past few days.

[larryEDJr]

I was going to try "managed access". Now I wont. I heard that there is a fix coming for iphone 5's and the extender. It's probably a software upgrade for the extender. I will try having Verizon boost the power to the extender as well.
Thanks for you help

[larryEDJr]

billh0415
billh0415 is offline Likes small screens

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Resetting my Netgear router solved this problem for me. The sad part is I returned two previous Network Extenders that wouldn't connect because neither I nor Verizon Support remembered to mention this. I now have recoreded that step so I won't forget it again. Thank you!!


Did you just power down your router or do some other reset steps? I'm having iphone 5 connection issues to an extender
Thanks

[larryEDJr]

By shutting off the LTE service, I was able to connect and stay connected to the Verizon extender. There is differently a need for a software upgrade from Apple. The iphone 5 prefers the LTE service even when weak.

[tsduke03]

REmember LTE is only data. When you make a phone call the iPhone will never use the LTE.

[powertoburn]

REmember LTE is only data. When you make a phone call the iPhone will never use the LTE.

Even though LTE is purely data, the iPhone 5 has troubles handing off to network extender if LTE is on. Sometimes it will hand off to a nearby tower and bypass the network extender. Even tech support says to turn LTE off when using the network extender and they promise a software fix is forthcoming.

There is also the issue if you leave LTE on then when you are on a call within 15 seconds the call goes silent.

The network extender is just incompatible with the iPhone 5 and have to do workarounds to make it work. Not sure if it is an iOS software issue or Network extender software issue!!!

[tsduke03]

That's odd. I have no issues with 2 iPhone 5's.

[powertoburn]

My sys light turned green for a while which means it applied a firmware update. I will see if this resolves any issues with iPhone 5 I have been experiencing.

I just happened to unplug the ethernet cable from my network extender so I could add a longer cable when I plugged it back in it was fast blinking red then solid green then blue.

I think the difference in experience with iPhone 5 and network extender is probably due to various firmware on the network extender and on the iPhone 5 if you are running iOS 6, 6.0.1 or the 6.1 betas.

[powertoburn]

Tech support called me yesterday and said there is a software fault with my network extender and that it needed to be replaced. I should be getting my replacement on Thursday and I hope the clicking sounds go away.

[king3pj]

Even though LTE is purely data, the iPhone 5 has troubles handing off to network extender if LTE is on. Sometimes it will hand off to a nearby tower and bypass the network extender. Even tech support says to turn LTE off when using the network extender and they promise a software fix is forthcoming.

There is also the issue if you leave LTE on then when you are on a call within 15 seconds the call goes silent.

The network extender is just incompatible with the iPhone 5 and have to do workarounds to make it work. Not sure if it is an iOS software issue or Network extender software issue!!!

Any update on this from iPhone 5 users? I just moved to a new house with very spotty Verizon coverage. My next door neighbor has one of these network extenders that my iPhone 5 always connects to outside and sometimes does inside. When I am connected to their extender I don't have any dropped calls. When I don't hear the beep and connect to the native tower I constantly drop calls. I am also getting a lot of voice mail notifications even though my phone isn't ringing. I won't ever have landline or VOIP service in my house because I have unlimited minutes on a number I have been using with Verizon for over 10 years. I need to have reliable cell service in my home.

I planned to go buy my own extender for rock solid service in my house. When researching it a little I found this thread and see that it may not work reliably for me because I am an iPhone 5 user. I'd hate to spend $250 before I even know if it will work.

Also, my modem and router are in the entertainment center on the bottom floor of a tri-level house. The square footage is only about 1900 sq feet. Under normal house conditions will the signal reach the bedrooms on the top floor? I am assuming it will because I am sometimes able to connect to my next door neighbor's extender. If not I suppose I can run ethernet through the walls to set it up on the main floor but I'd really like to avoid that.

One more thing... How often do you have to get the GPS lock? I don't think I will be able to get a GPS signal near my router on the bottom floor without running the GPS cable out the window. Once I have the initial lock can I bring the cable back inside and wrap it up behind the extender? I'm hoping that as long as I don't have an internet or power outage I won't have to keep the cable outside after I get the initial GPS lock.

[billh0415]

I have an iPhone 4, so cannot address the iPhone 5 and LTE issues. But I can address the issue about GPS lock. The GPS signal is picked up by the Network Extender, not your router. As long as the Network Extender can get a GPS signal, it will work. I have mine near a window and don't have any problems--and I don't use the external antenna. It only has to reset GPS when it loses the GPS signal, usually because of a power failure.

I also learned a key trick on this forum. I went through several Network Extenders, most on warranty, before I figured out how to get my Network Extender to work after a power outage. I have a lot of devices on my network, so it is an onerous task to clear my modem and router of the Network Extender's MAC address after every little power glitch in my rural community. And if I didn't do that, the Network Extender would never finish it's boot sequence. I figured out that if I gave the Network Extender a reserved address in my router, I could delete and re-enter the reserved address to clear my router and now I can get the Network Extender back on line in minutes after a power failure. Hope you find this useful.

[king3pj]

Even though LTE is purely data, the iPhone 5 has troubles handing off to network extender if LTE is on. Sometimes it will hand off to a nearby tower and bypass the network extender. Even tech support says to turn LTE off when using the network extender and they promise a software fix is forthcoming.

There is also the issue if you leave LTE on then when you are on a call within 15 seconds the call goes silent.

The network extender is just incompatible with the iPhone 5 and have to do workarounds to make it work. Not sure if it is an iOS software issue or Network extender software issue!!!

Any update on this from iPhone 5 users? I just moved to a new house with very spotty Verizon coverage. My next door neighbor has one of these network extenders that my iPhone 5 always connects to outside and sometimes does inside. When I am connected to their extender I don't have any dropped calls. When I don't hear the beep and connect to the native tower I constantly drop calls. I am also getting a lot of voice mail notifications even though my phone isn't ringing. I won't ever have landline or VOIP service in my house because I have unlimited minutes on a number I have been using with Verizon for over 10 years. I need to have reliable cell service in my home.

I planned to go buy my own extender for rock solid service in my house. When researching it a little I found this thread and see that it may not work reliably for me because I am an iPhone 5 user. I'd hate to spend $250 before I even know if it will work.

Also, my modem and router are in the entertainment center on the bottom floor of a tri-level house. The square footage is only about 1900 sq feet. Under normal house conditions will the signal reach the bedrooms on the top floor? I am assuming it will because I am sometimes able to connect to my next door neighbor's extender. If not I suppose I can run ethernet through the walls to set it up on the main floor but I'd really like to avoid that.

One more thing... How often do you have to get the GPS lock? I don't think I will be able to get a GPS signal near my router on the bottom floor without running the GPS cable out the window. Once I have the initial lock can I bring the cable back inside and wrap it up behind the extender? I'm hoping that as long as I don't have an internet or power outage I won't have to keep the cable outside after I get the initial GPS lock.

To Follow up on this. I went to the local Verizon store and picked up a Network Extender yesterday. After some initial headaches because the rep didn't activate the unit when I bought it even though he told me he did I got everything working. I am having absolutely no problems with my iPhone 5 and the Network Extender.

The phone usually only shows 1 bar of service in my house even with the NE installed. I am guessing this is the weak LTE signal it is picking up even though I connect to WiFi at home. This gives the impression that the iPhone is connecting to the native tower instead of the NE. However, every time I make or receive a call I hear the NE tone and the bars shoot up to 4 or 5.

I still have people working on my house so I have made and received about a dozen calls since the NE was installed yesterday throughout the 3 levels of the house. One of these calls was over 45 minutes long and all of them connected through the NE with 4 or 5 bars regardless of how many were showing on the phone before the call.

Unless there are problems I haven't seen yet the issue with the iPhone 5 is just a problem with the phone showing the native LTE signal bars instead of the NE 3G bars even when connected to WiFi. In other words it is just a display problem and not a problem with the actual functionality.

[tsduke03]

The iPhone 5 will always show LTE signal if it's strong enough. Even if there is 5 bar voice/3g available. Once a call is initiated the signal meter should show NE signal. The same holds true when on native towers too.