Alternatives for Network Extender activation when GPS not available

[SStutz5]

I bought the Samsung extender months ago and need to use it in a location where there not only isn't any Verizon coverage to speak of. It's a residential area that is so heavily wooded that GPS signals will not get through to the antenna, even when it's placed outside the house. I spent even more money and bought a 3rd party antenna hoping it would be more sensitive but it made no difference. And yes, the extender works fine in a location where there is a clear line of sight to the sky.

While I understand the reasoning for the GPS location requirement, is there an alternative for activation? It is in a static location with a fixed street address and I could even give the exact coordinates of the room it's in (since the useful and realistic GPS receiver in my cell phone works fine near a window). It seems ridiculous that Verizon won't activate one without the live GPS signal when the same purpose can be accomplished with coordinates. Can the location be entered manually while on the phone with customer service? Otherwise the extender and Verizon network are useless at this location. Thanks.

[MiiHere]

How long did you wait for it to get a signal?

[Weth]

What part of the country do you live?   Do you have the antenna in a south facing window?  I will also second the question of how long did you have it seaching?  

[bizzareone · Accepted solution]

The network extender is dependent on the location (GPS) the device MUST be in a Verizon network coverage are in order for it to work.

The Network Extender is activated only in areas where VZW is licensed to

broadcast

What are your GPS numbers(send in private message) Maybe I can look up if the extender will work in your area

[SStutz5]

Thanks for the quick replies. We have worked with the extender for many weeks, many hours at a time, leaving it for 24-48 hours at a shot. Dozens of resets. Multiple windows in east, south and southwest directions. Even on the 2nd floor facing southwest. The home is within Verizon's range in west Michigan but we only get 1x to 3G signal strength in various parts and corners of the home. It's a known area where Verizon has limited coverage, which is why we need the extender within the home. When standing near a Southern facing window, my Galaxy s3 got a signal within seconds but the extender's antenna would NOT pick anything up. I even got GPS signal on my phone easily by an east facing sliding door but again the extender got nothing. We used the extension cable and put the antenna out on a deck about 15 feet away and still nothing due to the number of tall trees surrounding the home. I took the extender to another home in the city and it got a signal within 10 minutes. I know it's working okay.

While I can get signal on my phone, I'm not really blaming the extender's insensitive receiver for the problem. I'm just trying to find an alternative to fulfill the Emergency 911 location requirement since that's the only reason the whole GPS part exists. I'm asking Verizon if they can just register it manually with it's physical street address (which is really all emergency vehicles would need to find a 911 caller) or even the exact coordinates of the living room where it's sitting. Thanks again for the input.

[MiiHere]

It sounds like you're attempting all the right things to fix the problem. Have you looked into 3rd party extenders also? I know there are other choices, but when I've looked I couldn't find one that had as good of a rating as Verizon's. That's not to say if you spent a bit more you couldn't find one, I was just trying to stay within the price range Verizon charges.

If you can please do report back what they can do. I'm sure this will help many in the future.