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Neighbors network extender does not allow me to connect to the internet

I work in a neighborhood with poor Verizon cellular signal. One of the neighbors near where I work recently must have added a Verizon network extender which my phone now automatically connects to. When my phone is connected to the network extender I have no data connection even though it shows a good number of bars on my signal strength indicator. I have no idea which house has the extender and so asking whomever it is to block outside access is not possible. I have searched this forum for answers and have tried changing my advanced calling feature to off and HD voice only. This does not disconnect the network extender. I have also tried to change my network from global to one of the other settings. This also does not disconnect the extender. I use a Samsung Galaxy note 8 with Android 9. This is unacceptable given the amount I pay for service.

Comments

TomsMotoG7

Did your neighbor share the password with you? Otherwise you are probably locked out.

jav6

@TomsMotoG7
wrote:
Did your neighbor share the password with you? Otherwise you are probably locked out.

I don't believe there is any password required to connect to the cellular signal of an extender. If it's an old model network extender, it might not provide data for internet access. The phone calls do go over the extenders external internet connection.

Verizon_Support

You shouldn't connect without dialing #48. Advanced Calling will stop your phone from connecting if your phone has that ability. However, you cannot stop the connection otherwise. You will have to find that person and ask them to call Verizon to turn down the transmission power.

CheyenneS_VZW

jav6

@vzw_customer_support
wrote:
You shouldn't connect without dialing #48. Advanced Calling will stop your phone from connecting if your phone has that ability. However, you cannot stop the connection otherwise. You will have to find that person and ask them to call Verizon to turn down the transmission power.
CheyenneS_VZW

@vzw_customer_support
, @cheyennes_vzw
Are you sure? I was ALWAYS connected to my network extender WITHOUT dialing #48. #48 was only used to CONFIRM whether or not I was connected to the extender. Can you verify that?

FirefighterBgRG

#48 only confirms the connection. There is no password required to connect. Phones will automatically connect to extenders as they act and look to the phone as if it was just another cell tower (but the phone still knows it is connected to an extender versus a cell tower, because it has the symbol above the signal strength meter). The down side of this is that while a normal cell tower also gives you a data connection that is robust, a Verizon network extender does not. So what happens is that my phone automatically connects to the unknown neighbors Verizon network extender and thereby gets a good voice connection, however the data is unusable. Verizon asking me to go door to in the neighborhood where I work asking people whom I don't know to contact Verizon and turn down the power on the extender seems like they want me to fix a problem they caused. Verizon, whom I pay for service could allow my phone to have a simple software switch which would not allow connection to that particular extender.

FirefighterBgRG

Just to be clear I am not saying I am connecting to my neighbors wifi wifi extender. I am connecting to my neighbors Verizon Network extender. They are two very different things. A WiFi extender extends a WiFi data network. A Verizon Network extender uses the neighbors wifi network to connect to the Verizon Cell network over the internet and looks and acts like a Cell tower would. So the Verizon network extender would be used in places where you have weak cellular signal. The problem is that when I am connected to the network extender it does in fact increase my cellular signal and improves my voice call quality. However it does not improve data quality. I have virtually no data connectivity while on the extender and the phone gives me no choice in whether I connect or don't.

Verizon_Support

We apologize for any misunderstandings or confusion. There is no password required for a phone to connect to a Verizon Network Extender. #48 is used only as a test call to check whether or not the phone is indeed connecting to a Network Extender. You mentioned that your calls are better when it is connecting and that the only problem is with your data. What signal are you getting at the top of your phone when this happens? Does it show 4G, 3G? Are you connected to your home Wi-Fi?

ChristopherM_VZW

FirefighterBgRG

to answer the questions. When I am connected to the neighbors Verizon network extender I have 4-5 bars of signal strength there is a 4G icon at the top, however the data throughput is almost completely unusable. There is no WiFi available in that portion of the building I am in. Prior to the neighbors Verizon network extender I would get 1-2 bars of signal strength and it would bounce between 3G and 4G. I would get marginally acceptable data.

Verizon_Support

I appreciate the additional details, FirefighterBgRG. We would like to investigate this a bit further, please meet us in a Private Note.

AnnaG_VZW

MythShop

Verizons network extender equipment and policy is trash when it comes to functionality and security and they will NEVER help you with this issue. It's their equipment, their service that you pay for, and they allow another Verizon customer to ruin your services and tell you it's YOUR responsibly to fix it. What's stupid about this is they allow people to obtain a network extender where Verizon signal is perfectly fine and ruin it for everyone within 100 feet. I have been through, under, around and inside every dang tech, troubleshooting and phone manual and jack squat can be done besides confronting your neighbors. And there's no guarantee that the neighbor will even do anything or that it will work.

MythShop

Oh, and don't forget what a network extender really does. It eats into your home broadband that you pay for to provide yourself with Verizons service that you also pay full price for. It's like paying Verizon twice so they can provide you service. Idiocy. If you can make calls but have bad data, you don't need the network extender if you already have home wifi! Just turn on wifi on your phone!

[Deleted User]

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