I do think its messed up that all Verizon stores/retailers do not offer this device over the counter. Inside, you must contact Verizon by phone and wait for them to ship it to you. Our experience did not go smoothly. Because of so many issues with our service, we were told we’d be given a discount and be able to purchase this suggested device for $99. The rep went on to say it would be sent via FedEx and arrive in 2-3 days. Because our home phone had not yet been hooked up yet, those 2-3 days seemed like eternity (especially since we have a home-based business).

When nearly a week passed, we called Verizon to inquire about our order. We were told that the order had been canceled. HUH??? What for? They said it was because they could not confirm the discounted price. Why didn’t anyone call, I asked. They had no answer for that. Finally, after speaking to three different reps, they put the order back into the system and apologized. They shipped it via FedEx overnight and it did finally arrive.

When opening the box, I happened to read we would need a broadband internet connection. I was NEVER told this by any of the reps I had spoken to previously. This was very misleading. I assumed it would communicate solely via GPS/satellite. Because we did not have our internet hooked up, we had to wait another 10 days!

The device really is worth having…IF you already have the internet. It’s VERY easy to set up. One AC cord for power, one ethernet cable to your router, and you’re good to go.

There are NO monthly fees of any kind. Just the purchase price of the unit. I get 4 out of 4 bars throughout most of the house and I’m certainly happy this equipment is available. Otherwise, my Verizon service would be useless here at home. Hope this info helps.

1. The AT&T model get’s 3G data connection. Note: I am confused about this because shouldn’t the device be using my internet connection? In the case of a site in NM. the user gets faster data speeds via the bonded t1′s then at&T 3g network.
2. AT&T’s device lets you let only numbers you want to have access to the device. (look I’m ok with 911 calls going out but that may screw up the police as they will come to my location rather then the callers) Note: all of this is a mute point if your property is big enough nobody else is going to ride your connection.

So my recap is this: should be locked down device that supports data speeds as fast as your local internet connection… Aka work like wifi.
If you home is a dead spot this is far easier then messing with a repeater. THose are great if you can run the wire and keep the outdoor antenna 50′ (as the crow files) from the indoor antenna… but it’s not fun.

Sean~

I do feel a little wrong that I am paying to extend their network. I can keep access to the device to my phones, but that just seems petty. I would happily take a larger one from them and share with more of the neighborhood.

$200 one time charge to be able to have a great strong signal inside the house is not too bad.

Jacob

How? First I had them put in a service ticket and they then verified my home has poor service (a few doors down and it’s 3G?!?). I had recently bought 2 Droids, work partially from home, have a $160/mo plan, a two-year commitment which will roughly equate to $4,000.00 over the next two years for Verizon. I told them I would push my complaint to the highest level to break my contract and they would thus lose this revenue if they didn’t provide me with a network extender for free (also threw in a bit about the cost of obtaining new customers rather than retaining current customer). They came down 60% and I took it.

Just a postscript to my previous post: You should NOT have to pay a $35 restocking fee according to Verizon’s stated policy:

http://verizonwireless.com/returnpolicy

It sounds like you may have a defective unit. How far out in the country you are has no effect whatever on GPS signals. In fact, there should be fewer obstructions to get in the way than if you were in a populated area. You should at least try exchanging it for another unit before chucking the whole thing.

As I stated earlier, you can get a 20% discount on all accessories, including the Network Extender by entering promotional code ACC20 on http://www.verizonwireless.com. I know it works, because that’s the way I bought mine.