Cellular Service

[retrieverman]

I’ve been using cellular game cameras for about 10 years and have never had a service problem any where on my place, but this year, I’ve got two of my regular spots that only have intermittent service, two spots that have absolutely NO SERVICE, and one that still has good service. These are 3g ATT cameras, and I know that eventually they intend to phase out 3g devices but supposedly not for a couple more years. I can’t figure out what’s going on.

Is anyone else in or around Alfalfa county having cell service problems?!?

 

[MacFromOK]

AT&T gave us a new phone a couple years ago because 3G (we had a "go-phone") was being phased out.

I'm surprised you haven't had problems sooner.

 

[dennishoddy]

In our travels, we run into existing 3G service occasionally. Unless one can get 3 out of 4 bars reception or higher it’s pretty useless.
We bought a We-Boost cellular/data mobile booster that is a huge asset rolling down the road or in the RV, but it won’t help the OP’s issues. It will amplify the weak 3G signals to something usable for us though.

 

[MacFromOK]

Hmmm... our "go phone" may have been 2G. So ignore my previous post. Sorry. :/

 

[retrieverman]

In our travels, we run into existing 3G service occasionally. Unless one can get 3 out of 4 bars reception or higher it’s pretty useless.
We bought a We-Boost cellular/data mobile booster that is a huge asset rolling down the road or in the RV, but it won’t help the OP’s issues. It will amplify the weak 3G signals to something usable for us though.

I’ve been living in my barn here in TX for over a year, and there was ZERO service inside the metal barn. I got a WE-Boost and am getting 4 bars inside, and I’m seriously contemplating getting one for my truck too.
Actually Spartan sells a cell booster for their cameras really similar to what I have mounted on the outside of my barn for the WE-Boost, but it would be expensive to buy one for each camera.

I’ve thought about buying one of the new 4g Spartan cameras to see if there’s a difference.

 

[SMS]

I’ve been using cellular game cameras for about 10 years and have never had a service problem any where on my place, but this year, I’ve got two of my regular spots that only have intermittent service, two spots that have absolutely NO SERVICE, and one that still has good service. These are 3g ATT cameras, and I know that eventually they intend to phase out 3g devices but supposedly not for a couple more years. I can’t figure out what’s going on.

Is anyone else in or around Alfalfa county having cell service problems?!?

You might be hitting another carrier's tower with the AT&T device. Verizon's 3G sunset period is more aggressive and pretty much ends this December....that or the 3G from AT&T is already phased out in your area.

 

[retrieverman]

Hmmm... our "go phone" may have been 2G. So ignore my previous post. Sorry. :/

ATT quit servicing 2g devices on December 31, 2016, because at the time, I had 4 2g cellular cameras and was forced to “upgrade” to the 3g Spartans. I actually started buying 3g cameras in late 2015.
ATT isn’t supposed to shutdown 3g until 2022 (Verizon in 2019), but I believe they may have already started the phase out process.

 

[retrieverman]

You might be hitting another carrier's tower with the AT&T device. Verizon's 3G sunset period is more aggressive and pretty much ends this December....that or the 3G from AT&T is already phased out in your area.

I thought that they may be hitting another carrier’s tower, but the fact that some are working makes me question this. I tested all my cameras at my house a couple miles south of my land, and they all worked there so probably not a camera issue. I first wondered if there may be a tower that’s not operational. ATT bald face lies about whether tower are working or not. I’ve got an acquaintance who is a technician for them here in TX, and he told me there are two towers down in my area. I was at the ATT company store a while back and asked about towers being down, and they denied it. I told them what the technician said, and they did reluctantly admit the towers were down.

 

[dennishoddy]

I’ve been living in my barn here in TX for over a year, and there was ZERO service inside the metal barn. I got a WE-Boost and am getting 4 bars inside, and I’m seriously contemplating getting one for my truck too.
Actually Spartan sells a cell booster for their cameras really similar to what I have mounted on the outside of my barn for the WE-Boost, but it would be expensive to buy one for each camera.

I’ve thought about buying one of the new 4g Spartan cameras to see if there’s a difference.

We got the we-boost for RV’s which includes the hi gain antenna inside the RV, high gain antenna outside and includes the mobile antennas inside and out for our pickup. All I have to do is swap the base unit out from the RV to the truck to boost our signal significantly.

 

[dennishoddy]

I thought that they may be hitting another carrier’s tower, but the fact that some are working makes me question this. I tested all my cameras at my house a couple miles south of my land, and they all worked there so probably not a camera issue. I first wondered if there may be a tower that’s not operational. ATT bald face lies about whether tower are working or not. I’ve got an acquaintance who is a technician for them here in TX, and he told me there are two towers down in my area. I was at the ATT company store a while back and asked about towers being down, and they denied it. I told them what the technician said, and they did reluctantly admit the towers were down.

If your looking to see how well AT&T signals are working in your area, download an app for iPhone called “Mark the spot”
It’s a direct app to AT&T maintenance services to report service issue.
We live on the fringe of their service and use it often when our service gets slow. We get responses back admitting they have issue and are working to repair them.
We also get responses saying the issues are fixed.
They will ask you to allow them a 30 minute service diagnostic test which we always allow.
Less than a minute including some drop down questions and we think it really helps because it bypasses customer service going directly to those that can fix things.