Network Extender Stopped Working - Resolution Keeps Getting Pushed Back

Question

I have had good service with a network extender for about 5 months until last Wednesday (Sept 28).  Actually, I had acceptable service in my home  WITHOUT a network extender until Verizon started testing 4G in my area last spring/early summer.  Then, my service went from okay to NONE.  After numerous calls to tech support and escalations, an alleged "field test" was conducted on my street.  Conclusion: Foliage from trees causing signal loss.  Solution: $125 for a network extender.  Foolishly (as I later learned) I payed the $125 (many people claim to have received the free after reporting numerous problems and threatening to cancel service)...anyawy, last Wednesday I noticed @ home that my signal was varying from 3G to 1x, and the signal bars were all over the place.  My phone is showing 1x @ about -70 dbm, and either NO 3G or with a signal of -120 dbm or worse. On rare occasions I will get a brief 4G indication.  I did the usual, removed battery from phone, etc.  but later learned that my wife's phone was doing the same thing. According the the latest Verizon map I an deep within a 4G coverage area, yet can hardly get a signal of any kind within a 1/4 mile of my house without the extender.  While troubleshooting on my own and with Verizon tech support, I power cycled the network extender (all lights are on as they are supposed to be), ran the 8x8 VIOP test on my DSL service (it passed with flying colors), reset my DSL modem and router, refreshed DHCP on the router, checked all settings on both Verizon phones in the house.  Dialing #48 indicates that I am within network extender coverage, yet the signal varies from 1x to 3G/5 bars constantly as I sit in the room with the extender.  Several calls to tech support, two escalations, power increased on extender, resolution promised within 24 hours, then 48 hours, now today was told 72 hours.  
My questions are:  Why suddenly signal loss to two phones from the extender after ruling out 2 phones and ISP, why such a poor signal at my home (not just inside...anywhere within a quarter mile) in the first place when the coverage map shows I'm well within the 4G coverage area, why is the resolution being pushed back every time I call to inquire?
Any help, especially from Verizon, would be appreciated. 

Answer 1

I started on another string, but reading this tells me we have the same problem.  Got the extender, everything programmed, phones indicating connection to the extender network, but now I have the same issue.  My wife's Iphone shows great signal, but the words are clipped as well. My Droid X has no better signal strength indicated than before, (yes, it gives the short double beep so it must be connected) and the voice quality is bad enough that one can't understand the caller.  I can get signal directly when outside well enough to make decent phone calls.  When I go outside and away from the extenders range voice transmission returns to normal---though occasionally I will drop a call in normal transmission.  I have good 3G outside (3-4 bars though sporatic), but as soon as I try to make a call the signal drops to one bar on 1x. Therefore, the reason I got the extender so we could make calls inside the house rather than walking outside in subfreezing weather!! 
Same routine,...called Tech service and got a rep.  She couldn't do anything but tell me that it had to be the "contruction materials in my house".  Said we must have brick contruction,....no, it's vinyl siding. I did say that we had a foil backed insulation material surrounding the house and she quickly affirmed that had to be the problem. It was blocking the signal inside the house and the extender wouldn't pick it up.
But if the extender is in the window, doesn't that solve the problem?  Point---if we stand at a north or east window (we have large windows on both sides) we are able to get a signal on the phone, but the service is "iffy." Again the reason for the extender.  She repeated again "Verizon can't do anything about the contruction materials in our house."  Then she said that the extender is designed for "people that live along the 'coasts' that have weak signal!!??" That was a hint that it wouldn't work in the midwest. Her final comment was that the extender wouldn't work if we had weak signal in the area(interesting that was said after her indicating that it was designed for customers with "weak" signal.) When I asked why it was connected to the internet, I didn't get an answer. I could tell I wasn't going to get information to help so I thanked her and gave up. 
So were these excuses or reasons?  The local store that told me to get the extender knows absolutely nothing---"just call tech service."  I've had calls to 611 now three times, reprogrammed, reset the unit, and it still doesn't work.  I'm not even going to ask anyone in the forum to help as I'm sure that others are just as frustrated.  Verizon claimed the best technology and customer service when we switched a year ago.  We were shown on the map well within the 3G territory, but quickly found out that those maps are not accurate.  While we live on the prairie (flat land), our normal signal goes from 1x to 3G and back constantly. At night the signal is weaker than daytime. Sometimes we have 3, even 4 bars of 3G and 2 minutes later 1 bar of 1x.  ( I'm sitting here watching my phone do that right now.)     The only solution is to go back to ATT. We dropped calls with them, but at least could talk in the house with their phones.  It's costly to switch as we have to buy out the contract, but this service is unacceptable.
The real issue is credibility of the company.  I was told that we would be far more satisfied with Verizon service; and that if there were ever any problems---they would be fixed.  That wasn't a true statement.  I wish there was a credible alternative to both ATT and Verizon in our area.