signal posts

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, iPhone

Guest post: Setting up an AT&T MicroCell with Murphy Mac

by TUAW Blogger (RSS feed) on Oct 2nd, 2009

Editor's Note: We welcome guest poster Murphy Mac, a long-time friend of the site who shared with us his experience of setting up one of the new femtocell AT&T repeaters that promise to improve reception for well-heeled iPhone users... or will they?

Good times for Charlotte, North Carolina: First AT&T makes Charlotte one of six cities getting a 3G speed boost by the end of 2009. On the heels of that news comes the MicroCell, a device that facilitates AT&T 3G calls where coverage is weak or nonexistent.

How? The MicroCell acts like a miniature cell tower in your home or office. Your 3G phone connects to the MicroCell just like it's any other tower. Voice and messaging traffic is then relayed across your broadband Internet connection. Charlotte is the sole initial test market for AT&T's version of the device, though other carriers are distributing their femtocells more widely.

Here's the full breakdown on pricing:

Purchase Price: $150
Monthly Charge: None

Optional Unlimited Voice Minutes Plan while using MicroCell:

AT&T Customer with both AT&T landline and DSL: Free
Customers with AT&T Landline or DSL: $10 per month
All others: $20 per month

I installed a MicroCell for a friend the other day, and after one small hiccup it's running. But is it everything I hoped it would be?

Setup for the MicroCell is straightforward. Most users will probably connect it via Ethernet to their router, which is exactly what we did. Optionally, the device can be placed between the router and the modem, giving MicroCell traffic priority handling over other Internet connectivity. If you don't have a router, the MicroCell can be plugged directly into your broadband modem and your computer can be connected to the MicroCell.

Gallery: AT&T MicroCell

Continue reading “Guest post: Setting up an AT&T MicroCell with Murphy Mac”

Tags: att, broadband modem, broadband-modem, BroadbandModem, charlotte, dsl, femtocell, guest, iphone, microcell, review, signal

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, iTunes, iPhone

Signal 1.1 adds AirTunes support, landscape mode, Webclip icon

by Mike Schramm (RSS feed) on Feb 26th, 2008

We covered Signal when it first dropped in the middle of last year, and now Alloysoft has sent us a note that they've upgraded to version 1.1. The app turns your iPhone into an iTunes remote through a server connection, so you don't need to jailbreak or hack the phone at all -- just run the program on your Mac, and you can use your iPhone as a replacement for the Apple Remote. And Signal actually works in Windows as well, so you can use it to control WMP, or even use a Windows Mobile device as a control instead. No idea why you'd torment yourself with Windows Media, but that's your row to hoe.

Version 1.1 brings control for AirTunes, so now you can switch speakers directly from the iPhone, and there's a host of new features -- Webclip support, an Alphabetic library, and Landscape support. Nice little program that's available as a free demo or as a registered version for $24.95.

Tags: airtunes, alpha, iphone, jailbreak, remote, remote-control, server, signal, windows, windows-mobile

Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, iPhone

Signal: turn your iPhone into an iTunes remote

by Scott McNulty (RSS feed) on Sep 25th, 2007

Just because installing third party apps voids your iPhone warranty doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun with it! Signal is a cool little app that won't void your warranty and lets you control your iTunes library right from the screen of your iPod touch or iPhone.

Signal installs on your Mac, and starts up a little server that is accessible via the browser on your iPhone/iPod touch (or other device with a browser and internet access). Go to your special Signal URL and suddenly you have an iTunes remote control in your hands.

It is important to note that this doesn't stream your iTunes music to a remote device, it simply allows you to control iTunes (start, stop, and skip songs) from afar.

Signal costs $24.95, though a demo is available.

Tags: iphone, ipod touch, ipod-touch, IpodTouch, signal

Filed under: Wireless, How-tos, Tips and tricks, Airport

Improving your AirPort reception, MacGeekery How-To

by Dan Lurie (RSS feed) on Jul 8th, 2006

MacGeekry has just published a truly epic post discussing best practices for maintaining a strong and relatively interference free AirPort Network. The article, full of pretty graphs and shiny charts, explains how to use three free programs to check your network for issues, and how to fix any issues you might find. Although intended for owners of AirPort base stations, I imagine much of the information in the article applies globally for all wireless routers and access points. I haven't tried any of the suggestions yet, as I'm not at home, but I'd be interested to hear from you readers if this stuff really works.

Tags: airport, bestpractices, howto, interference, macgeekery, signal, wifi, wireless

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