Will our extenders work with 5G and 5G phones?

[randys12]

If I get the new iPhone 12 and there is 5G service in my area, will my extender work the same that it’s working now, will it only work if I turn the 5G off on my phone?

Can you turn the 5G off on your iPhone 12? I don’t know. 

does Verizon at this time know of any issues with the Verizon extender/5G network?

[randys12]

And I have another question, how do you use the My Verizon app on your phone to do the community, to do this board I can’t figure it out?

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello, randys12. Lot's of great questions! The iPhone 12 will be able to use the 4G network when 5G is unavailable. This means that your Network Extender will still be usable if the phone is only able to connect to a 4G network in your area. There isn't necessarily a 'switch' to disable the 5G network. 

This forum is only available from the website directly. 

HannahS_VZW

[randys12]

Thanks for responding, so if I have an iPhone 12 and the network in my area is 5G then my extender will no longer work at all?

In other words the phone won’t go to 4G unless 5g is not functioning, there is no way to turn the 5G off, and if reception here is as lousy with 5G as it is with 4G then we will have no reception and no way of getting reception?

[skerber]

I was told that the iPhone 12 is NOT supported by the Samsung 4g Network extender.  I am unable to connect to the extender even though I do not have 5G available from where I am at.  I have seen that folks have been successful getting connected by changing the channel that the extender  listens on.  From what I see the phone has problems with channel 13.  Once it was changed to channel 66 in this case it worked fine.  I do not see how I can modify this setting from within the Samsung extender's web app.

[vzw_customer_support]

I definitely want to see you be able to use your new phone, skerber. Let's gather a few details. What indicators do you see on your LTE network extender currently? What happens when you try to dial #48 from your new phone when in range of the extender?

LynnE_VZW

[dafesq]

I have an extender about 5 years old (the old one died after a couple of months).  All four lights are blue.  I have a Google Pixel 3, tried calling #48 several times and get message that I am not by a 4G extender, even when I set the phone on top of it one time and another at the end of the antenna cord where there's a box.  My phone is showing an "X" is the triangle box indicating strength of service.  I can make and receive calls, but they keep dropping.  Is the extender toast again?  My husband has the identical phone purchased at same time and doesn't have the "x"  and doesn't drop calls as much.  AT&T just put up a tower about a mile from our home.  That may not make a difference but maybe better service given tower proximity?  My zip code is 93444

[bookbean1]

I just got an iPhone 12 Pro at the end of the year.  I had to switch from using Galaxy S9 and I had been looking forward to upgrading to the newest Galaxy 21, but for reasons I won't get into, I needed to finally go the iPhone route.

I have been consistently experiencing dropped calls with the iPhone and I determined that my signal was just to weak at home.  Verizon has come through and provided me with the LTE Network Extender for 4G.   I just started using it yesterday and it seems to be working fine.

I had also purchased, but not yet installed a cell phone signal booster.  That will require getting assistance putting it up on the roof, running the cables, pointing in the right direction, etc.   Given that the Network Extender is working, I am shipping back the signal booster.

The extender seems to work fine with my Comcast xfi router. When I am in my car, the phone goes right back to 5G where available.  I do not have to do anything.   Inside the house, I was quickly able to connect using the #48 code.

So that's where I am at.

[randys12]

Are you saying Verizon gave you the network extender? I had to buy mine almost $300. 

Hearing that it works with your iPhone 12 is important, can you confirm is this the Samsung network extender?

Do you know the model number of your network extender by any chance?  Thanks 

[bookbean1]

The extender is on loan, as long as I maintain my service with Verizon.  They provided a return ship label and I kept all of the packing material.   It seems to be working fine for me with my new iPhone 12 Pro, with the latest 14.4 update.    I am not sure if this is a re-branded Samsung device.  Nothing on it indicates that it is Samsung.  The SKU is ASK-SFE116, if that helps.

So far, I am very happy with the extender.  My wife has an older iPhone (X something) and it also is working fine.   I reactivated my Galaxy phone with a phone number transferred over from a tablet device.   That phone is also working fine, 4 bars, and confirms that it is under the extender service when I dial in #48.

When I am outside of the house, 5G picks up wherever I happen to be that has service coverage for 5G.  No need to change anything.  Return home and the LTE kicks in again.  

[randys12]

This is a very helpful response, thank you, I looked up the SKU on verizon.com and cannot find the manufacturers name or model number so I don’t know if this is the same Samsung that I have, I don’t think it is, it looks different.    

So I guess if my new 12 doesn’t work with my extender I could buy one of these. 

Was this a as simple plug into the power connect the cable from the modem and turn it on?

Does it have a 10 to 15 foot long antenna that you can pull out which is really a long wire?

thanks

[randys12]

Had to replace my iPhone X Saturday, got it wet...Purposely did not get the iPhone 12  because of the fear the Samsung extender I have would not work with it because of all the reports.

Dont know if this extender,  ASK-SFE116, is new or if this  extender works with the 5G phones and was it built to deal with the 5G issue?

I got the iPhone 11 instead, and will get the 13 in September probably, but dont know if I will need the new extender or not.

Wi-Fi calling works but had dropped calls on that.

[gbhull]

This is an old thread, but the question remains, and I can supply a few answers to assist those who may still wonder if a Verizon 4G LTE Extender will work with a 5G phone.  

In my case, I have a Verizon 4G Extender (Samsung model) and iPhone 13 (mini and pro max), and the iPhone 13 works fine with the Verizon 4G LTE extender.  The iPhone (and android models) will always step down to the strongest signal.  So if a 5G signal is unavailable or weak and a more robust 4G signal is available, the phone will connect to the strongest signal.

It is possible with Apple iPhones to force them to use 4G LTE service only. in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data  then select LTE by touching this option.  This will limit the phone to using only 4G LTE cell service.  In this mode, it will not connect to 5G service until you change the option.  If you want the phone to automatically select the appropriate cell service option (including 5G), you should select 5G Auto.

The Verizon network extender does not connect to the Verizon cell towers.  Instead, it creates a local cell signal in your house and then connects via an ethernet cable to the internet. Your phone traffic is passed along an internet path to Verizon, which enters the phone system.

[kh_jenn]

Due to the age of this thread, it will be locked in order to keep discussions current. If you have the same or a similar question/issue we invite you to start a new thread on the topic.

[jav6]

---

@randys12 wrote:

If I get the new iPhone 12 and there is 5G service in my area, will my extender work the same that it’s working now, will it only work if I turn the 5G off on my phone?

Can you turn the 5G off on your iPhone 12? I don’t know. 

does Verizon at this time know of any issues with the Verizon extender/5G network?

---

The extenders do not interact with the wireless network.  They communicate to a VZW server via the internet which interacts with the wireless network.

[randys12]

What does this answer mean?  The extender is connecting to a server and not the towers?

Is yours working now by the way?

[jav6]

---

@randys12 wrote:

What does this answer mean?  The extender is connecting to a server and not the towers?

Is yours working now by the way?

---

Correct.  The Network Extenders NEVER connect to a tower.  They provide their own mini-tower cell signal for local wireless connectivity and provide connection to the VZW network thru the internet.  As far as I know, the 4G LTE Extender is working fine at my son's house.  Will verify tonight.

[randys12]

So the towers can be working fine for the people across town who normally get 4 bar signal without needing an extender, as in there is no local tower or transmission issue, but our extenders might not be working because they have nothing to do with that, they are connecting to a server via the internet?

If the answer to that is yes, then I suppose rebooting the  modem might sometimes work when this happens.  I have comcast and  the x6 Gateway (tried the Netgear AC3200 3.1 modem router  to save on monthly fees, couldnt get it to connect to the 5 ghz, returned it and am now going to just pay Comcast for as long as I have them I guess) and rebooting it always makes me a bit nervous, never know if it will come back or not.  Comcast goes down a lot, I had suddenlink for 20 years in a different location and it went down once a year vs once every 3 days now.

[randys12]

VZ support does not have to respond to me in this thread anymore, I am doing a main thread titled 10/22/2020 about the extender not working...I dont want to have more than one thread as I know that drives you crazy so I wont post on this one again, thanks.

[LLESUEUR]

LLESUEUR, Living in zip 35960 (week signal area for the last 20 years. Verizon provided me with an extender when we were on 3G many years ago. It worked within 300 feet of the house until they went to 4g and it did not work after that.  They refuse to provide me another one and say I have to buy my own. Obviously that would be a short lived solution because they are already moving up to the 5G. If i upgrade to a 5G phone the extender will not work. I have been with Verizon since before they were Airtouch and became Verizon, (over 20 years) however I am going to change to another cell service. They are not concerned about good service to their customers anymore. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We would never want to see you leave the Verizon family, LLESUEUR. We know how important it is to stay connected. Have you looked into purchasing a 3-rd party booster?

EllisandraC_VZE