Helpful Hints for Nextel Users Are Here!

Ever wonder how you could get your cell bills lower without sacrificing coverage or going through the hassle of switching carriers? Ever wonder why your phone doesn't work well after you've been traveling? Below is some insider knowledge on some common cell phone issues for Nextel subscribers.

Leave me a message after the beep but make it short so I can save my minutes!

Many cell phone users waste precious minutes (or pay overage charges) simply because they check their voicemails from their phone. You can save a lot of minutes if you can check your phone from a landline phone. Nextel's voicemail backdoor lets you access your voicemail from any phone. This allows you to check voicemail messages and make changes to your greetings and pass codes without using cellular minutes. To access the voicemail backdoor, dial your Nextel phone number, replacing the last four digits with "6245." and follow the voice prompts. You can also leave messages for other Nextel subscribers using this service. You can also access your voicemail by dialing the number and pressing star during the greeting.

What's the 411 with $1.40 a call?

The days of phone companies providing free directory assistance (via the 411 phone number) are over. Now, companies are charging typically $1.00 or more (Nextel charges $1.40) for this service. Despite these charges, U.S customers place about 6 billion such calls each year. Now, Free-411 is providing an alternative. 1-800-FREE411 (1-800-373-3411) is a toll free number callers can dial and navigate an automated voice system that asks for a location (city, state), type of listing (residential, business, government), and name. The caller can then be connected to the requested number for free. What's the catch? Well, callers requesting a business are first presented with a short (about 12 seconds) audio advertisement for a sponsor who operates a competing business in that area. The caller can either connect to the competitor or the number they originally requested. Thinking this was too good to be true, I placed about 10 test calls and was only presented with an advertisement on one of them. The company also offers directory assistance information via their free website.

What happened to my bars?

What Nextel calls "power cycling," or simply turning your phone off and back on again, solves a lot of troubleshooting issues. Everyday, Nextel's engineers are updating the Network. Power cycling allows your phone to reorient itself with the Nextel network after these changes are made (Its best to do this once a day). Its also important to do this when traveling, as when moving to a different service area, you phone will need to orient itself with that coverage area's towers.

1-2-3 Charge!
Have a phone charging in the wall? Did you know that It's actually possible to overcharge a phone? Leaving your phone plugged into a charger longer than necessary could cause the phone or battery to burn out. You should however, charge brand new phones fully prior to use. When you receive a brand new phone, it is imperative to charge it fully before issuing it out. Problems can occur down the line with the phone if this does not happen.
In this increasingly technological world, it helps to know some secrets to keep you ahead of the game and keep all your sanity intact as well.