Help with Verizon - Out of Service Area

[lots2seeinmyrv]

Any suggestions on what we can do? We have Verizon and just relocated to Maryland.

We are only getting 1x signal and hard to send a text picture or google anything on the phone, very slow. We are able to make and receive calls.

Spoke to Verizon and we "Are Out Of Service Area", they do not service this area.

They said "too bad for us" and we will have to pay a Termination Fee if we go with another carrier.

We also have a Tablet and get no service connection with that.

Contracts on 2 phones expire in November. Tablet already met contract, so no problem to take that off Verizon and switch.

Is there a signal booster or something we can do to get better than 1x ??

Thank you.

[vermilye]

docj wrote:

whitebb wrote:
I was in WV and had 1X on extended network. I had a Wilson booster and trucker antenna and booster. Still got 1x. Tried my wife smart phone on its hot spot. got same service.

Using a Wilson booster or any other kind of booster will not change a 1x signal into a 3G or 4G one no matter how strong you make it. They are totally separate kinds of transmission; they don't change from one to another because of signal strength.

While true, using a booster will increase a weak signal. There are many areas where the 1X signal is the strongest, and the 3G or 4G covering the same area may not be strong enough for a unamplified phone to use. Adding a booster may provide enough gain that the faster service will become available.

For example, I'm currently in Valley of Fire State Park, NV. Without a booster I get 1X service. Adding a Wilson exterior antenna & Sleek amplifier lets me connect to 4G LTE service.

[docj]

whitebb wrote:
I was in WV and had 1X on extended network. I had a Wilson booster and trucker antenna and booster. Still got 1x. Tried my wife smart phone on its hot spot. got same service.

Using a Wilson booster or any other kind of booster will not change a 1x signal into a 3G or 4G one no matter how strong you make it. They are totally separate kinds of transmission; they don't change from one to another because of signal strength.

[whitebb]

I was in WV and had 1X on extended network. I had a Wilson booster and trucker antenna and booster. Still got 1x. Tried my wife smart phone on its hot spot. got same service. Now local service told VZ that they were giving me 3G. I ask where, and I was 4 miles from their tower. I had 3 other folks who was getting same type of service. It took about a month of calling them and sending data test of upload and download test to get some results. Bottom line you have to raise heck or just ask out of your contract. Good luck.

[paulcardoza]

Why not just change your VZW plans to the minimum you can live with and buy a HOTSPOT from whatever carrier provides service in your area. Use that for your data needs.

[paulcardoza]

Except that while on vacation hold, the contract agreement period is also suspended. If you are due to expire on NOV and you do the vacation suspend for 2 months, your new contract expiration date is JANUARY.

ReadyToGo wrote:
I can give you one small out if everything else fails.
You can put the Verizon service on vacation hold until November at a cost of $10 a month. At least that will get you out of paying $200 or whatever for the termination of service.

[kjburns]

We just bought a house that's iffy for Verizon service. It's 4G at times and barely 3G at others. That's temporary since Verizon is erecting a new tower nearby late this year. The house was also not served by cable, so internet looked like it might be a problem. I talked to DishNet about setting up service with them and to my surprise, they set me up with a local DSL provider I didn't know about.

Something like this might be an option for you. I rarely text, relying on email more often. I don't know, but texting might work on a wifi connection from a cable or DSL line if you can get that. This is another option you might look into.

[BoonHauler]

What about 'roaming', can you add that to your plan?

Is there no other service available at your current location?

Just my 2 cents FWIW

[wintersun]

There are tower maps online and you can see if there is an AT&T or other carrier in the area. We have never had cell service where we live some 1.5 miles from the nearest switch (so no DSL either and broadband will never happen).

There are new Android phones that will switch between WiFi and cell and others that are 100% Wifi with the latter ones being dirt cheap to buy and no cost to use. If you have a land line that will support 125k data rates you could add a WiFi router and be able to use your cell phones at your house.

[wcjeep]

ReadyToGo wrote:
I can give you one small out if everything else fails.
You can put the Verizon service on vacation hold until November at a cost of $10 a month. At least that will get you out of paying $200 or whatever for the termination of service.

ETF is prorated. Suspending service might be the cheapest option. The Wilson Sleek is a great option. Given you are outside the service area not sure the Sleek would help.

Selling your current handset would help offset ETF fee.

[enblethen]

Sounds like from docj's reference that is the way to update 4G.
I would verify this with Verizon for your device.

[docj]

enblethen wrote:
Yloshrk says you can't update with a 4G. There must be someway to update your phone. You may need to call Verizon.
We have had to do over the air updates on ours which has improved reception.
We have also had to take one of them for an update at a store.

This was taken directly from a Verizon webpage:

Our 4G devices no longer support the *228 option. All updates are OTA (over the air) thru the sim card. We do recommend periodically shutting off your phone and pulling the sim card. This will also refresh your device as well as the Network.

[ReadyToGo]

I can give you one small out if everything else fails.
You can put the Verizon service on vacation hold until November at a cost of $10 a month. At least that will get you out of paying $200 or whatever for the termination of service.

[FlatBroke]

We are in AZ on the CO river and it uses CA tower. Half or more of our incoming calls go straight to voice mail. So does our friends who also have Verizon. We did the * 228 deal. Verizon won't acknowledge they have a problem.

[enblethen]

Yloshrk says you can't update with a 4G. There must be someway to update your phone. You may need to call Verizon.
We have had to do over the air updates on ours which has improved reception.
We have also had to take one of them for an update at a store.