Re: Samsung Wireless Extender 2: does it support WEA broadcasts?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

dwatson808, thank you for continuing to work with us. The Network Extender simply boosts the signal on your device. Reverse capabilities and WEA are linked to the phone and phone settings. Therefore, the Network Extender will not impact your capabilities to receive these services. Does this help answer your question?

DavidC_VZW

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Re: Samsung Wireless Extender 2: does it support WEA broadcasts?
dwatson808
Contributor - Level 1

It would help if your description of what the extender does was correct. That your description is inaccurate makes me suspicious of the rest of the answer.

A “booster” receives weak radio signal from the wireless network and rebroadcasts them, in a local area, amplified. So, with a booster, the wireless phone gets whatever the wireless network broadcasts to whatever devices are associated with that cell at that point in time. If the local cell broadcasts Reverse 911 or WEA traffic, the booster will receive and retransmit these just like any other traffic.

That’s not what the extender does. The extender does not receive broadcast radio from the wireless network, weak or otherwise. It connects to Verizon’s network via the Internet. Anything the extender broadcasts has to be sent to it over the Internet specifically destined for the mobile devices connected at that time to that extender. So, the Verizon network has to be willing to route traffic destined to a geolocation (e.g., Reverse 911 or WEA), not a phone number, to (an) extender(s) in that geolocation, for the extender to broadcast to its currently associated mobile phones.

A Cisco/AT&T 3G Extender (they called it a “microcell”) did everything the 3G network could do EXCEPT Reverse 911 and WEA. But it took several weeks to find the right person at AT&T who really knew what happens with these services an the microcell “under the covers” to get this answer when we failed to receive WEAs. This is what I’m trying to avoid pre-purchase.

Is there any way to pass this question on to a Lvl2 or Lvl3 where they may be more familiar with the subtle arcana of how the VZW extenders interoperate with the VZW network?

Re: Samsung Wireless Extender 2: does it support WEA broadcasts?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We certainly understand your concern. The Network Extender should not interfere with WEA alerts. Reverse look up is something that would be effected due to the fact you are using a cellular connection. This limitation is based on the way cellular technology works. We are all technically trained in this department of support. We do offer a 14-day return period for the device if you would like to try it out. BobbyN_VZW

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Re: Samsung Wireless Extender 2: does it support WEA broadcasts?
dwatson808
Contributor - Level 1

If you buy a fire extinguisher with a 14-day return privilege and, sometime after day 15, your house burns down and the extinguisher doesn't work, the fact you can't return it is the least of your problems. The only way to test this is for a WEA to be broadcast. That is not a common occurence. When one is sent, you want to know it will get to the device rather than be wondering if it's past day 14.

While the wireless extender "should not interfere with" WEAs, the more important question is if applicable WEAs are relayed to it from the network over the Internet, and then broadcast to the device. This was addressed specifically in your training, right?

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