Comments on: Sprint AIRAVE Reception-Boosting CDMA Femtocell Review

By: johnnycakes

johnnycakes — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 19:41:05 +0000

Same here. Got a free unit & no monthly charge, although I did pay an $18 activation fee. It works as advertised & solved my issues at home. I must say after 18 years with ATT & it’s various BellSouth mutations and a 2 week stay at Verizon, I was scared to death to sign up w/Sprint based on my research of their many customer service complaints. We’ve been with them since 7/10 and have had zero things to complain about. Phone works, email gets to me, etc. What else can you ask for?

By: John

John — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:09:49 +0000

I just talked with Sprint and they are giving me one of these for free and waiving the monthly fees if I stay on the network.

I read in another article that they are now giving these things away like candy to get people from leaving. They also stated that my area qualified as poor reception based upon their records. If this thing doesnt work, its going in the trash and I am back to a landline.

By: jimpivonka

jimpivonka — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:33:36 +0000

http://www.nextel.com/assets/pdfs/en/services/sprint_airave_faqs.pdf says that thoughe the AIRAVE does not support data services provided through EVDO an EVDO enabled device will continue to receive Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO) services directly from the Nationwide Sprint Network even when the voice service is being handled by the AIRAVE:

“22. Does AIRAVE support Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO)?
AIRAVE does not currently support Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO) data speeds.
Your mobile device will continue to receive Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO) services directly from the Nationwide Sprint Network while within range of the AIRAVE.

By: sandlapper

sandlapper — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:02:24 +0000

Here’s the fine print Sprint doesn’t tell you… If you have a marginal voice signal, which is the reason most people get this gizmo, you will LOSE YOUR DATA CONNECTIVITY when you use the Airave. Yes it will boost voice calls as advertised, but say goodbye to Blackberry email service in your home or web access with your phone.

Connecting to this device changes my network from 1XEV to 1X, and none of my family’s phones get any sort of data connection when we’re on it. Leave the house and get back into strong Sprint coverage areas, no problems.

I talked with Sprint’s Blackberry and Airave support people, they had no solution. I knew it did not boost the data connecitons, and I was getting a decent data signal without it. But it is unacceptable for this thing to DISABLE my data connection.

The airrave is not ready for prime time.

By: Artie

Artie — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:12:01 +0000

I recently made a call to Sprint’s retention dept. They’re sending me one of these to try risk free for 30 days. Then, after that, if i don’t return it, I’m apparently locked into a 2 year contract on the device. Didn’t have to pay the $99.99 to get it. Additionally….I was told by the operator that there was no monthly fee that I had to pay. I’m gonna give them a call back in a few days to make sure I got the right information…and if I didn’t…to try to make it go my way ;)

By: rossgrady

rossgrady — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:25:25 +0000

@Tim:

The $4.99/month plan doesn’t give you free airtime; it uses your plan minutes. You can pay another $10/month for unlimited minutes for one phone. If you want to use multiple phones, it goes up to $20/month (and the website’s a little weird, making it seem like it’s $20/phone, which doesn’t make any sense).

@original author: the GPS may well be to lock the device to the USA, but it’s also so they can comply with E911 regulations, *and* (apparently) to give them a clock they can lock to, perhaps to help with the handoffs to the cell towers, I dunno, I’m not a cell network engineer.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:18:54 +0000

Actually, from what I have read on other sites…
Using this device, does NOT use Sprint minutes. If this is true, it is a pretty big feature, people like me could then change plans to one that is $20/month cheaper, and just get this device for $5/month. That means better quality for $180/yr less. People with family plans could save more. It is kind of hard to believe that is true though.

By: peter35

peter35 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:00:15 +0000

Just wanted to add that Gotreception.com (http://www.gotreception.com) is a great resource for finding out where reception problems are most likely to occur.