Network Extender Problem

[wat]

I have had the Verizon Network Extender for several years.  I use it in a rural area.  It worked fine initially but now all our Verizon phones have trouble connecting to it, i.e.. Even when the phones are within a few feet of the extender they show only one or two bars.  #48 indicates they are connected to the extender, however if we move just a few feet away they drop the connection.  We are then unable to make or receive calls.

I should add that all lights are blue on the extender and our internet connection is good.  I brought the extender to our house in the city and even though we get good signals and connections without an extender in our house, the phones will connect and stay connected to the extender when it is installed at this location.

I should add that the rural location is on a lake and our phones will frequently show strong Verizon signals with the extender off.  However, we are almost never able to make a call or receive a call at this location unless the extender is working.

My guess is the extender emits such a low power signal that the phones are looking at towers across Lake Superior and seeing those signals as stronger than the extender signal. Again we can't connect to those towers even though the phones show bars from them.

Can the extender signal be strengthened or set higher by Verizon personnel?   It would appear that if that happened the phones would see the extender as the better signal.

[wat · Accepted solution]

Turns out my network system was assigned a "system id" that is way down the preferred roaming list of my Samsung.  The Samsung Droid would avoid it at all costs, therefore would not connect to my extender.  Once tech support changed the system ID of the extender to the same number as the area the extender is located in (318), the Samsung and all our other phones have been connecting without problems.  Thanks to Chris who received my Verizon trouble ticket and solved the problem.