Excellent product, but with two catches you need to know about... I live in the suburbs of Seattle, WA, I am in a condo surrounded by other condos so my signal at home isn't the greatest. I purchased this unit for $249.99 plus tax and it was shipped to my home. I installed the device but couldn't get it to work because I couldn't get a GPS signal. I called customer support and they informed me that I had to have a GPS signal to 'activate' the device and then I could place it where it was convenient. So I relocated it to the other side of my condo and ran a 25' ethernet cable to the box to 'activate' it. I was able to get it 'activated' and then relocated it back to my living room next to my WiFi router for conenience, it wouldn't work without the GPS signal at all. So, I bought a WiFi/Ethernet extender to plug in on the other side of the condo to allow the device to work. To be somewhat fair, having a GPS signal is a necessity because the device is in essense a small cell phone tower in terms of the FCC rules/guidelines so it isn't entirely Verizon Wireless' fault, but they didn't entirely represent the product in the manner that I thought was completely forthcoming, either that or they are just ignorant about their own product offerings, I'm not sure which but they need to educate their sales staff and technical support personnel to these things to better educate consumers prior to offering such a product for sale. I thought that would have been the solution. However, then I tried to go into the device to put in the phone numbers I wanted to 'white list' as the Verizon Wireless Technical Support person called it and I couldn't find out where to do that in the settings. I read over the downloaded manual (it doesn't come with the device which I think is silly) and no mention of 'white list' was mentioned anywhere. I called technical support back and they said it would take 24 hours for the network to 'refresh' and then I could change the 'white list' settings on the 'Network Extender' page on the 'MyVerizon' homepage. I waited a day and a half and it still hadn't 'refreshed'. I called technical support again and I was informed that the 'white list' feature is not yet enabled, they contacted their data team and called me back and informed me that the 'white list' feature is not yet available and they do not have an estimated date of availability for that feature either. I was told prior to purchase that all I had to do was plug it into my network and it would just work. I was also told that I could limit who used the device. Both of these things proved to be incorrect. I talked to both sales people in a Verizon Wireless retail store as well as through calling customer service to ask questions about the device. The bottom line is this... If you don't mind spending $249.99 + tax, placing the device in a location where it can get a constant GPS signal (facing south and near a window), potentially purchasing additional hardware (WiFi Ethernet Extender) to allow for the proper placement of the device, allowing the device to use a significant portion of your purchased internet data bandwidth, not being able to limit who uses the network extender device, and allowing Verizon Wireless to benefit but allowing additional customers to use your device at your expense then by all means buy it, but if you don't want to pay to allow persons other than you and your friends/family to use the device and potentially allow a security opening through the device to your home network via the network extender device then I would suggesting saving your money and finding an alternate solution. I truly hope that my review will help others to save some time, money, and headaches with regards to what this device can and cannot do and how it does and does not do what it should. Lastly, if you are in an area with absolutely no signal and you're desperate this may be your only option (assuming you have adequate internet bandwith which is required for the device to function as it is designed 10mbps up & 5mbps up) in which case you have to weight the pros and cons of purchasing, setting up, and dealing with the potential internet/intranet security risks to your personal home/office network as well as the potential ongoing cost of owning the device at the expense of potentially having your internet bandwith used by others not paying for it to ultimately benefit Verizon Wireless and their other customers at no cost to them. You're basically buying a small cell phone tower governed by FCC rules for Verizon Wireless.
I live in a rural area and the most I ever got at my house was 2 bars of 1x service. Verizon came out with wireless calling so that took care of the phone calls. Unfortunately things like Messenger still require using the phone network so sending a picture was out of the question. I wasn't sure this would work since we only have Verizon DSL service with 4.35mb download and .68mb upload. Verizon ended up sending me the extender for free so I had nothing to loose. I plugged everything in and as soon as it got set up we got full bars of 4G. Worked great for me.
The most valuable part of this video is the explanation of how to activate and register the extender with Verizon. However, once he takes you to the website, (which is hard to see on his PC), he says "click on this option". I am still trying to figure out what "this option" is, because the website has changed.
the description verizon website says "All 4G devices are compatible with this network extender." Does this include devices from other carriers? Are you effectively roaming if you use some other carrier?
If you already have WiFi, can’t you just use your phone and make calls through the WiFi? What good is the extender? I thought the extender was needed to get a better signal if you don’t have internet, like out in rural areas.
It will help your voice calls but you will still have issues sending and receiving text messages. Edit: sms text messages. iMessage to iMessage will use your Wi-Fi and android google messages will use the Wi-Fi as well… RCS I believe it’s called. But iPhone to android and android with RCS ability or just not enabled will still use sms messages which will NOT go over the Wi-Fi as it actually uses the “old” cell network. So.. the answer is yes and no and maybe. 😮
You can try activating it. I know that if they were not used for a extended period of time they may be removed and can be activated on another account. You can call Verizon with the mac ID and ask if its okay to activate.
So I can walk 50 ft away and still be connected to service??? I need to allow vz rf game cameras to connect to the extender like a vz cell tower? Or what should I get to do that??
Do you know if they're going to have "Restricted access" in the future? I have one with "Open Access" and it shows me 6-7 devices connected to it while I only have 2 devices. Basically my neighbors are benefiting of my Network Extender, Internet connection and electricity.
+bnccristi sorry no info on that. If you have it by a window you can try moving it to the middle of your home. Only thing is you may have to. Use the gps extension cable to lock on to a gps signal. It may not prevent them from connecting all the way but it may make their connection weaker or less likely to connect to it.
Man in the past I thought you could only operate the 3G Network extender "Open Access", did not realize it had a "Closed Access" capability. I had issues in my home with both AT&T and Verizon and the the one factor that pushed me to AT&T was that the AT&T 3G MicroCell (equivalent type device) does allow me to restrict access to a whitelist that I approve of. If I would have known the 3G device could do "Closed Access" I would have stuck with Verizon. I'm thinking of switching back and again the primary feature I'm looking for is "Closed Access". Would love to do the 4G version (this model) but it does not have the "Closed Access" feature! BOOOOO!!! I'm with bnccristi I don't want my neighbors jumping on a device I pay for, which is using my electricity, and taking bandwidth that I pay for to my ISP! I don't need this thing constantly taking away from and using my bandwidth when I'm not the one using it! So stupid they would not enable this simple feature!
Unclear? Do you want advanced calling on or off to use this device. When you say on and off they sound too much alike and it seems that you say it should be off but then you say it should be on?
@@efaro85 Verizon says that their system is down and they've have been receiving calls over the last 4 hours dealing with connection and account issues. They're going to call back later tonight, pacific standard time.
will this unit work with the new Iphone 7? I was in the verizon review section and many,many people who have the iphone 7 cant get theirs to work. family members who have the iphone 6 series have no problem. thanks
Mine works perfectly fine with my booster. I have a iphone7+. Sometimes it doesn't pick up as fast as I would like when I arrive home. All I do is turn airplane mode on/off and right away connects to my extender.
Is there any major difference between this and the SCS-2U01 besides 3G/4GLTE? I just need to make calls and receive texts but would rather not pay $250.
+Kenan Dokuyucu the main difference is one only does 1xrtt/3g and one only does 4g. To best answer the question, what phone models do you currently have? Then I can make a better recommendation.
I believe the 3g models are discontinued, but not sure on the 4g models. I would recommend contacting their tech support for help to see if it can be reactivated.
I have zero, I mean zero verizon service at a remote location. Oddly enough we have internet there and it is 50mb service. Would this unit then act as cell tower and give me phone service? I know older versions of these needed some cell signal that they would then repeat into the house. Sounds like this does everything thru the internet? thanks
This is basically a mini cell tower in a box. What type of phones do you have? If you have a newer device, try turning on wifi calling in the phone and try that first.
Adam Bednarz iPhone 5s - the company I work for said I need to figure out a way to get cell calls on my work phone which is a iPhone 6 - Verizon - so attempting to figure out how to get text and calls in an area where there is zero cell service
The iPhone 6 supports wifi calling so I recommend trying that first. Then you can use the Verizon message plus app to text over wifi as well. Try those before buying a network extender. Otherwise the extender should work for you as long as you're in a licensed area. Verizon can check for you.
I just noticed that i missed a part to your question. The iPhone 5s does not support advanced calling so does not have wifi calling like the iPhone 6. The iPhone 5s would need an older 3g or 1xrtt network extender to work. The iPhone 6 can work off an older 1x or 3g network extender but you would need to turn off the advanced calling. The iphone 6 can technically work with both the older 1x and newer 4g extenders. I hope this helps.
I've had issues with the GPS signal getting disrupted by nearby Wi-Fi - if you're having GPS issues (acquiring or losing signal lock) try moving the GPS antenna away from the Wi-Fi router.
I have a Samsung - model 320VL smart phone it is on the VERIZON network, purchased from TRAC PHONE. Does anyone know if this Samsung phone work with the Samsung signal booster - SLS-BU013 ? Thank you in advance for any help !
I just yesterday jumped through a bunch of hoops and now there is a 4G Net Ext on it's way to me---however---nobody in the people i was talking to stated anything about internet speed!! In my town using Centurylink i believe I am getting 1.5 and I reently called Centurylink and asked about my speed and they said this is as good as they can provide at present!? Does this mean i should not even "Unbox" this unit, send it back?--------Mikey in Sequim, Wa 98382
Great question but if it doesnt meet the requirements, then probably return it. I had a Wilson signal amplifier (weboost) installed for my brother in his shop because he couldn't get hi speed internet and it worked great for him. I would check out a weboost amplifier for your situation.
My unit has been setting up for over an hour and the unit is stuck on 8b of 14. I can't find anything online on what the hold up is on this. Anyone have any suggestions?
You do realize having this is just like connecting your phone to your wifi. Just turn on wifi calling if you have poor call quality and save your self the money of buying this
That is exact what I was telling the guys in the I.T department. Because if your using WiFi you can't be using 4g at the same time. I need a device that increases my 4g signal from the tower to my phone.
Not that simple. Benny, your idea would have worked if I could force my phone to use wi-fi. But I couldn't manually force wi-fi. My phone sensed a tower and wouldn't use the wi-fi. Unfortunately, the tower wasn't really close enough. I'd walk a few steps and my call would drop. I'm not sure yet if the extender will be a perfect solution, but it seems to be an improvement: I've got 5 bars when previously I had 0 or 1.
If you use Wifi calling, you're still relying on the cellular network to initiate the call, if your signal is bad enough, you sometimes won't even pick up the call in the first place. Also, I've noticed recently that my wifi calling was starting do drop packets, calls would get incredibly choppy.
WiFi calling might not always work in situations where the company you work for has a facility in a remote area, and the firewall for the company internet blocks WiFi calling.
Hi, I have an iPhone 7 and can't make or receive calls regularly from my house, despite having WiFi Calling enabled. Can you tell me about the built-in extender and what you did? Thank you
Excellent product, but with two catches you need to know about...
I live in the suburbs of Seattle, WA, I am in a condo surrounded by other condos so my signal at home isn't the greatest. I purchased this unit for $249.99 plus tax and it was shipped to my home. I installed the device but couldn't get it to work because I couldn't get a GPS signal. I called customer support and they informed me that I had to have a GPS signal to 'activate' the device and then I could place it where it was convenient. So I relocated it to the other side of my condo and ran a 25' ethernet cable to the box to 'activate' it. I was able to get it 'activated' and then relocated it back to my living room next to my WiFi router for conenience, it wouldn't work without the GPS signal at all. So, I bought a WiFi/Ethernet extender to plug in on the other side of the condo to allow the device to work. To be somewhat fair, having a GPS signal is a necessity because the device is in essense a small cell phone tower in terms of the FCC rules/guidelines so it isn't entirely Verizon Wireless' fault, but they didn't entirely represent the product in the manner that I thought was completely forthcoming, either that or they are just ignorant about their own product offerings, I'm not sure which but they need to educate their sales staff and technical support personnel to these things to better educate consumers prior to offering such a product for sale.
I thought that would have been the solution. However, then I tried to go into the device to put in the phone numbers I wanted to 'white list' as the Verizon Wireless Technical Support person called it and I couldn't find out where to do that in the settings. I read over the downloaded manual (it doesn't come with the device which I think is silly) and no mention of 'white list' was mentioned anywhere. I called technical support back and they said it would take 24 hours for the network to 'refresh' and then I could change the 'white list' settings on the 'Network Extender' page on the 'MyVerizon' homepage. I waited a day and a half and it still hadn't 'refreshed'. I called technical support again and I was informed that the 'white list' feature is not yet enabled, they contacted their data team and called me back and informed me that the 'white list' feature is not yet available and they do not have an estimated date of availability for that feature either.
I was told prior to purchase that all I had to do was plug it into my network and it would just work. I was also told that I could limit who used the device. Both of these things proved to be incorrect. I talked to both sales people in a Verizon Wireless retail store as well as through calling customer service to ask questions about the device.
The bottom line is this... If you don't mind spending $249.99 + tax, placing the device in a location where it can get a constant GPS signal (facing south and near a window), potentially purchasing additional hardware (WiFi Ethernet Extender) to allow for the proper placement of the device, allowing the device to use a significant portion of your purchased internet data bandwidth, not being able to limit who uses the network extender device, and allowing Verizon Wireless to benefit but allowing additional customers to use your device at your expense then by all means buy it, but if you don't want to pay to allow persons other than you and your friends/family to use the device and potentially allow a security opening through the device to your home network via the network extender device then I would suggesting saving your money and finding an alternate solution.
I truly hope that my review will help others to save some time, money, and headaches with regards to what this device can and cannot do and how it does and does not do what it should.
Lastly, if you are in an area with absolutely no signal and you're desperate this may be your only option (assuming you have adequate internet bandwith which is required for the device to function as it is designed 10mbps up & 5mbps up) in which case you have to weight the pros and cons of purchasing, setting up, and dealing with the potential internet/intranet security risks to your personal home/office network as well as the potential ongoing cost of owning the device at the expense of potentially having your internet bandwith used by others not paying for it to ultimately benefit Verizon Wireless and their other customers at no cost to them. You're basically buying a small cell phone tower governed by FCC rules for Verizon Wireless.
I live in a rural area and the most I ever got at my house was 2 bars of 1x service. Verizon came out with wireless calling so that took care of the phone calls. Unfortunately things like Messenger still require using the phone network so sending a picture was out of the question. I wasn't sure this would work since we only have Verizon DSL service with 4.35mb download and .68mb upload. Verizon ended up sending me the extender for free so I had nothing to loose. I plugged everything in and as soon as it got set up we got full bars of 4G. Worked great for me.
The most valuable part of this video is the explanation of how to activate and register the extender with Verizon. However, once he takes you to the website, (which is hard to see on his PC), he says "click on this option". I am still trying to figure out what "this option" is, because the website has changed.
the description verizon website says "All 4G devices are compatible with this network extender." Does this include devices from other carriers? Are you effectively roaming if you use some other carrier?
Great tutorial. Which phones will the 4G Network Extender work with. I have a Note3. Too old?
If you already have WiFi, can’t you just use your phone and make calls through the WiFi? What good is the extender? I thought the extender was needed to get a better signal if you don’t have internet, like out in rural areas.
It will help your voice calls but you will still have issues sending and receiving text messages.
Edit: sms text messages. iMessage to iMessage will use your Wi-Fi and android google messages will use the Wi-Fi as well… RCS I believe it’s called. But iPhone to android and android with RCS ability or just not enabled will still use sms messages which will NOT go over the Wi-Fi as it actually uses the “old” cell network.
So.. the answer is yes and no and maybe. 😮
I just found one of these at the thrift store. If someone else used it will it be locked to their account? Or can I use it with mine?
You can try activating it. I know that if they were not used for a extended period of time they may be removed and can be activated on another account. You can call Verizon with the mac ID and ask if its okay to activate.
if i make a new verizon account with a CDMA network extender will verizon allow it ?
So I can walk 50 ft away and still be connected to service??? I need to allow vz rf game cameras to connect to the extender like a vz cell tower?
Or what should I get to do that??
Do you have to register this devise with Verizon for it to work. Is it also best to buy from verizon, or is it OK to buy a good used devise.
Do you know if they're going to have "Restricted access" in the future? I have one with "Open Access" and it shows me 6-7 devices connected to it while I only have 2 devices. Basically my neighbors are benefiting of my Network Extender, Internet connection and electricity.
+bnccristi sorry no info on that. If you have it by a window you can try moving it to the middle of your home. Only thing is you may have to. Use the gps extension cable to lock on to a gps signal. It may not prevent them from connecting all the way but it may make their connection weaker or less likely to connect to it.
Adam Bednarz Does this 4g lte network extender increase quality of a jetpack? I would assume yes but maybe you could tell me?
Man in the past I thought you could only operate the 3G Network extender "Open Access", did not realize it had a "Closed Access" capability.
I had issues in my home with both AT&T and Verizon and the the one factor that pushed me to AT&T was that the AT&T 3G MicroCell (equivalent type device) does allow me to restrict access to a whitelist that I approve of.
If I would have known the 3G device could do "Closed Access" I would have stuck with Verizon. I'm thinking of switching back and again the primary feature I'm looking for is "Closed Access". Would love to do the 4G version (this model) but it does not have the "Closed Access" feature! BOOOOO!!!
I'm with bnccristi I don't want my neighbors jumping on a device I pay for, which is using my electricity, and taking bandwidth that I pay for to my ISP! I don't need this thing constantly taking away from and using my bandwidth when I'm not the one using it! So stupid they would not enable this simple feature!
@@garzjoe😳
I have a open floor plan in my house. Do it need to be right near a window if the modem router is about 15-20 feet away from the window.
The gps antenna needs to be near the window but the unit does not have to be. Depends on the length of the gps antenna cable.
how good is this setup if you are a gamer and want to game online?
Do you have to keep it plugged into the internet? I'm looking to use this on out of town property which does not have internet.
Yes it needs a broadband internet connection to work.
Besides being able to dial #48, there will also be an icon similar to the wifi icon above your cellular bars when you are connected to the extender.
Unclear? Do you want advanced calling on or off to use this device. When you say on and off they sound too much alike and it seems that you say it should be off but then you say it should be on?
On. This enables LTE, so presumably you already have it on.
I am stuck on step 8b of 14. Tried resetting the router and tried moving the GPS module. Logged into the extender and it's saying IPsec not reachable.
any resolution?
@@mcdoug18 nothing still, just spent good money on this and no luck getting it working.
@@efaro85 Verizon says that their system is down and they've have been receiving calls over the last 4 hours dealing with connection and account issues. They're going to call back later tonight, pacific standard time.
How tough is it to find a GPS signal from inside the house / next to a window? Anyway to disable this "safety" feature?
AirMaxPenny Why is safety in quotations? Do you not want 911 to know where you are?
Does it use your internet’s data?
Yes, all the data and voice calls will be routed over your home internet connection to verizons network.
My extender shows that I have to “call-in” but when I do call in, it keeps saying that I am not connected and to wait 3 minutes. PLEASE HELP
will this unit work with the new Iphone 7? I was in the verizon review section and many,many people who have the iphone 7 cant get theirs to work. family members who have the iphone 6 series have no problem. thanks
Mine works perfectly fine with my booster. I have a iphone7+. Sometimes it doesn't pick up as fast as I would like when I arrive home. All I do is turn airplane mode on/off and right away connects to my extender.
How far does the extender go or extend to
Its cover a house up to like 2000 sq ft or so.
Mine internet is with ATT&T do I plug it into the router? Thank you 🙏
Feya Z. Yes, you can plug it to any router. It’s purpose is to boost the internet.
Is there any major difference between this and the SCS-2U01 besides 3G/4GLTE? I just need to make calls and receive texts but would rather not pay $250.
+Kenan Dokuyucu the main difference is one only does 1xrtt/3g and one only does 4g. To best answer the question, what phone models do you currently have? Then I can make a better recommendation.
Adam Bednarz Galaxy S5, S7, and LG V10. I activated advanced calling over WiFi but it doesn't work. Have to go outside to make calls
I have one of these at work and recently it says it’s not active and has stopped working
I believe the 3g models are discontinued, but not sure on the 4g models. I would recommend contacting their tech support for help to see if it can be reactivated.
I have zero, I mean zero verizon service at a remote location. Oddly enough we have internet there and it is 50mb service. Would this unit then act as cell tower and give me phone service? I know older versions of these needed some cell signal that they would then repeat into the house. Sounds like this does everything thru the internet? thanks
This is basically a mini cell tower in a box. What type of phones do you have? If you have a newer device, try turning on wifi calling in the phone and try that first.
Adam Bednarz iPhone 5s - the company I work for said I need to figure out a way to get cell calls on my work phone which is a iPhone 6 - Verizon - so attempting to figure out how to get text and calls in an area where there is zero cell service
The iPhone 6 supports wifi calling so I recommend trying that first. Then you can use the Verizon message plus app to text over wifi as well. Try those before buying a network extender. Otherwise the extender should work for you as long as you're in a licensed area. Verizon can check for you.
I just noticed that i missed a part to your question. The iPhone 5s does not support advanced calling so does not have wifi calling like the iPhone 6. The iPhone 5s would need an older 3g or 1xrtt network extender to work. The iPhone 6 can work off an older 1x or 3g network extender but you would need to turn off the advanced calling. The iphone 6 can technically work with both the older 1x and newer 4g extenders. I hope this helps.
I've had issues with the GPS signal getting disrupted by nearby Wi-Fi - if you're having GPS issues (acquiring or losing signal lock) try moving the GPS antenna away from the Wi-Fi router.
I have a Samsung - model 320VL smart phone it is on the VERIZON network, purchased from TRAC PHONE. Does anyone know if this Samsung phone work with the Samsung signal booster - SLS-BU013 ? Thank you in advance for any help !
I’m stuck on step 6-14...why? Help!
Thank you for this video. I'm moving to an adobe house (with thick walls) and need better coverage.
My signal xtender is searchin gps what i have to do on this case
arent this device just using your internet signal?
I just yesterday jumped through a bunch of hoops and now there is a 4G Net Ext on it's way to me---however---nobody in the people i was talking to stated anything about internet speed!! In my town using Centurylink i believe I am getting 1.5 and I reently called Centurylink and asked about my speed and they said this is as good as they can provide at present!? Does this mean i should not even "Unbox" this unit, send it back?--------Mikey in Sequim, Wa 98382
Great question but if it doesnt meet the requirements, then probably return it. I had a Wilson signal amplifier (weboost) installed for my brother in his shop because he couldn't get hi speed internet and it worked great for him. I would check out a weboost amplifier for your situation.
My unit has been setting up for over an hour and the unit is stuck on 8b of 14. I can't find anything online on what the hold up is on this. Anyone have any suggestions?
I never made it past 8a and support has not been helpful
This device works in India ?
You do realize having this is just like connecting your phone to your wifi. Just turn on wifi calling if you have poor call quality and save your self the money of buying this
That is exact what I was telling the guys in the I.T department. Because if your using WiFi you can't be using 4g at the same time. I need a device that increases my 4g signal from the tower to my phone.
Not that simple. Benny, your idea would have worked if I could force my phone to use wi-fi. But I couldn't manually force wi-fi. My phone sensed a tower and wouldn't use the wi-fi. Unfortunately, the tower wasn't really close enough. I'd walk a few steps and my call would drop. I'm not sure yet if the extender will be a perfect solution, but it seems to be an improvement: I've got 5 bars when previously I had 0 or 1.
ashame for the price they didn't include POE.
good info, thanks.
I want purchase this device for my home
Just enable WiFi Calling work just as good
If you use Wifi calling, you're still relying on the cellular network to initiate the call, if your signal is bad enough, you sometimes won't even pick up the call in the first place. Also, I've noticed recently that my wifi calling was starting do drop packets, calls would get incredibly choppy.
WiFi calling might not always work in situations where the company you work for has a facility in a remote area, and the firewall for the company internet blocks WiFi calling.
I also have echoes too
I'm stuck on 11b trying to set this stupid thing up
ditto, here
you sound like Robert Downey jr
He kills thanos
Well, I was just setting mine up and called Verizon for help. Turns out I don't need it. The iPhone 7 Plus has an extender built in.
Hi, I have an iPhone 7 and can't make or receive calls regularly from my house, despite having WiFi Calling enabled. Can you tell me about the built-in extender and what you did? Thank you