It’s been over two weeks now since I installed a Verizon Wireless Network Extender at home. We can get a weak Verizon signal at our house, but it varies based upon where in the house the phone is. I wanted to have a way to reliably use my Verizon Wireless cell phones at home. That is why I got the Network Extender.

As you can imagine, results have been mixed…

What is the Network Extender?

It is a small box that attaches to your broadband Internet connection and creates a small cell for your cell phone to connect to. When inside that cell, or “bubble” as I have seen it referred, your cell phone talks to this little box rather than trying to find a signal from a far-away tower. Your conversation is routed across your Internet connection to Verizon’s servers and then to to other party.

What do I like about the Network Extender?

1. I like the idea of using broadband internet to allow cellular access in an area of weak cell phone signal.
2. Access to the Network Extender can be limited to only specified cell phone numbers.
3. A certain amount of management can be done on-line via the Verizon Wireless web site.
4. Our landline was out the past couple of days. With the Network Extender, we were still able to communicate with the outside world!

What do I not like about the Network Extender?

1. Following the published setup instructions did not work on my home network. I had to call tech support for more information. My connection t the Internet is very generic. They should include more information in the setup instructions.
2. I live in an area that was AllTel until last October. I couldn’t connect to the Network Extender with my cell phones, and so called Tech Support. Because of the migration from AllTel to Verizon, we have a hybrid PRL pushed out to our phones. The Tech Dude had to turn off the hybrid PRL, and then we had to do the *228, option 2 to get a Verizon-only PRL. (Of course, I had to take each phone to the one location in the house that get sufficient signal off of a Verizon tower in order to get the PRL update.) I’m still experimenting with my Moto Android to see if there is any impact on my reception and signal strength while out-and-about.
3. The cell phone needs to be within 15′ of the Network Extender to latch onto the femtocell for incoming or outgoing calls. Then the phone can go further away. I haven’t quite figured out the patterns of when the femtocell is used, and when it is not.
4. I had to configure my home router (linksys wrt610n) so that the Network Extender is the DMZ machine. This was one of the things that I needed to call tech support for. What if I had another machine using the DMZ configuration? How could I use both? The tech dude didn’t know what ports I needed to allow. I configured the wrt610n so that the Network Extender is the DMZ host.

Being the inquisitive sort, I decided to put a hub on the network drop going to the Network Extender and fired up Wireshark. It appears that the Network Extender is using IPSec to connect to the Verizon servers. I wonder if they are using VoIP protocols encapsulated in IPSec, or not…

I am thinking about sniffing the traffic for a bit longer and then removing the Network Extender from the DMZ and putting it back on the internal network. I will update this post if I try this.

- Dan

You can learn alot by watching people.

I had breakfast this morning and was stunned to overhear someone on their cell phone give the administrative login credentials for the company website to someone else. They also very carefully spelled out the entire URL to the login page.

If I were not trustworthy, I could log into their website and cause havoc.

What’s the moral to this story? You never know who is listening to your conversations. Be careful what you share, and with whom you are sharing.

Let’s keep quiet with confidential information…

- Dan

Is your cell phone like mine?

I have names and addresses of family, friends, co-workers and peers stored in mine. I also have my calendar on it. A Facebook app can be accessed and more information found. My ToDo list is stored on it. Other apps, such as OliveTree Bible Reader, Notes, Twitter all are on there too.

Amazing things can be learned about me from the information and applications that are on my cell phone.

Regardless of your role in life – staff or management, plumber or professor, pastor or teacher – your cell phone contains information about you and your life.

If the phone is lost or stolen, all that information is then available for whomever finds it. So, what’s a guy to do?

1. If your phone has remote wipe capabilities, make sure that you know how to use it. Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and iPhone all have the capability of remote wipes. If your phone is lost or stolen, use remote wipe to reset your phone.
2. If your phone has the ability to lock, use it. Often this takes the form of a passcode that must be entered before the main screen is displayed. The iPhone and Windows Mobile phones have this ability built-in.
3. Take special care when traveling. I’ve been in airports and seen cell phones left behind by hurried travelers. Several years ago, we had an employees leave his smartphone in a taxi. He had been in a hurry to make a meeting and wasn’t paying attention.

What things can be learned or inferred about you and your organization just from the information on your cell phone? Protect it!

- Dan