ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
Tension113
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just received mine today.. Haven't had much time to mess around, but the first thing I noticed is the 14 users list filled up within minutes.. Which is to be expected living in a townhouse complex..

In the Web UI I see it mentions closed, hybrid, and open, with no way to change them? Am I missing something here?

I imagine once I leave my house and return home, my extender will already be a full capacity.. Hopefully there's a way to turn on the closed mode that seems to be built in... Otherwise it will be pointless to keep this if my neighbors get more use out of it than I do..

Labels (1)
0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
Tension113
Enthusiast - Level 2

Just an update on my progress with this..

Yesterday it took me about 4 hours to get this thing activated.. It took 9 Verizon reps until I found one that understood what I meant, when I said I needed to get my Network Extender activated.. Gave him my mac id and a few mins later, I was activated.. Unfortunately, it seems like most Verizon reps don't even know what this extender is or how it works..

As for it being locked to open mode.. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with them today.. Being sent up the chain to more advanced techs.. The first tech told me if I change my wifi password, neighbors won't be connected to it.. Which is not how this unit works..  The last tech agreed that it does not make any sense to force people into using open mode only. But apparently, that's where it stands.. There is no option for me, or for them, to switch it to Hybrid or Closed mode.. I was told there are no other options, at this moment, unless I want to get the business extender for 3 grand..  

I wish I could keep this thing, because my signal is improved greatly with it, but I'd rather not share my internet connection with the neighborhood.. or potentially not be able to connect to the extender because all the slots are full.. 

So.. returning this and going back to missed and dropped calls for now, I guess..

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

@Tension113 ,

I am sorry to hear that there was so much trouble involved with setting up and using the newest network extender model. Previous models have had an option to set up a whitelist that would only allow numbers you choose to connect, and at this time that is not an option available with this current model. As you had said you already were preparing to return to unit since it will not work how you need it to, I would like to recommend using Wi-Fi Calling instead: https://www.verizon.com/support/wifi-calling-faqs/ . It's similar to a network extender in that it uses a Wi-Fi connection, but there are no additional devices to set up outside of an already-established internet connection. 

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
KimeryJ
Newbie

WI-FI calling doesn't really work where i am.  I have good internet speeds too, over 200 mb/s.

I had them send me an extender as well.  i live in a small community with spaced out houses and mine always shows 4-5 connected.  I would hate to think about what would happen if you lived in a multi story apartment where there are multiple people in a very small area.  They need to give the ability to lock these down to who you want to be able to connect.  I also am not trying to be my whole neighborhoods verizon tower via the internet provider i pay for.

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
Stubbbsy
Enthusiast - Level 1

Is this feature in the pipeline? Seems important for those of us who live close to others, but also have a data cap to preserve. Also seems like a potential network security issue?

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
couchleg75
Newbie

This happened to me and drove me crazy…but I figured it out! The webpage is messed up under the device section of your account. You have to click “Closed Mode” (or “Open” or “Hybrid” — whatever you want) and then highlight the corner of the confirm button. The button is glitched out. You have to go slowly around the corner and you will see it change colors letting you know it’s now clickable. If you don’t do this, clicking the button in the middle will revert it back to the previous mode. Hope this helps someone. This made me spend hours of my time trying to figure out. These devices are so flakey.

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
DBC5591
Newbie

My device management page shows open access only. Is there any other Web page I can look for the open/hybrid/closed settings. 

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
couchleg75
Newbie

Did you log into your My Verizon account through a web browser on a computer? These options are listed in the My Devices section.

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
GraniteStateColin
Enthusiast - Level 2

On the 3G Network Extenders, you would set it up through the device itself, by logging inot the its local IP#, using its onboard webserver. The 4G LTE model also has a built-in webserver, but as others have said, it doesn't let you change to anything other than Open. However, with the LTE model, you can login to your Verizon account (like to see you bill and devices), go to Devices, then select the LTE Network Extender. From there you can change the mode from Open to Hybrid or Closed mode, and set up an access list who will have access in Closed or preferred access in Hybrid mode, where you just need to enter phone numbers to limit access.

But here's the big kicker: so far, I can't tell that setting that up does anything. My LTE extender appears to ignore that and still let everyone use it, even if set to closed with only phone number added for access. 

As others have pointed out, this is so horrible, it renders the LTE extender useless. In my case, because it's Open and consumes a lot of Internet bandwidth (basically giving an LTE-level Internet connection to any phone in the area), with my limited bandwidth, the abuse of letting others use my connection prevents me from streaming TV shows or joining video conference calls, which I must do for work. Obviously any device that stops us from being able to watch TV or from joining calls for work is too destructive to be usable. I'm still hopeful that we'll work this out though.

With 3G, sharing the Internet isn't so bad, because 3G connections are modest. But sharing multiple LTE connections can very, very quickly consume 100% of your Internet bandwidth.

0 Likes
Re: ASK-SFE116 Extender Locked in open mode??
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hello, GraniteStateColin. When you access the Network Extenders admin page, are you able to view the connections there? *Cassie

0 Likes