Cell phone signal booster

[Pat Barry]

Does anyone have any experience with devices that will improve a cell phone signal (ATT and or Verizon)? We have great difficulty getting cell phone reception indoors and would like to get better signal and cleaner connections. I have seen some devices that require internet connection which is not part of the solution I am searching for. I can't find the antenna booster for example. Are there even external antenna connections available to a cell phone? I was hoping for wireless method of some sort.

[Matt Meiser]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?214415-Need-some-IT-help

[Pat Barry]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?214415-Need-some-IT-help
Thanks Matt. I should have remembered this thread. It looks like Wilson has quite a few options.

[Kev Williams]

I bought a Wilson unit a couple of years ago. It has an external antenna, which is about the size & shape of a box of Kleenex. It's connected to a transceiver in the house, which then transmits its own cell signal inside the house using another antenna, which is about the size of half a banana (for lack of a better analogy!)-- The idea is it find your nearest cell tower, point the external antenna at it, and beam the stronger signal inside the house. But there ARE issues- one is feedback, which is adjustable. Another is too much signal strength, also adjustable-- Our main issue is, I have the antenna pointed at a tower about a mile away. Problem is, neither the wife's Cricket or T-mobile is on that cell tower. Those are on a tower about 3-1/2 miles away. Because the closest antenna's signal is so strong, I have to turn down the gain substantially... What this did was almost eliminate any T-mobile signal broadcast within the house. The Cricket signal DID improve, by about 2 bars. Since that's all I cared about (the wife's phone!) I haven't bothered to move the antenna towards the "better" cell tower. I've been curious to do so, but I just haven't gotten around to it!

Bottom line, the thing DOES work--the wife has been able to use her phone inside the house, when before she couldn't. I'm sure with some "tuning" I could make it even better. Not sure which one I got, but it resmebles the 463105 60db unit in the Wilson ad--

[Bill Cunningham]

I used to use a parasitic antenna on 2meters. One antenna on the roof, a long piece of RG58 into the house with another 2meter antenna on that end. It seemed to help the signal. I could'nt hit the repeater without it..

[Matt Meiser]

Can I ask why you don't want the broadband solution? My parents and a coworker each had trouble with Sprint service at their houses and Sprint leased them one, then waived the lease and recurring fee to try to keep them as customers. It worked very well but of course Sprint-only. Verizon's version has no recurring fee and while not cheap, its cheaper than a decent Wilson unit.

[Pat Barry]

Can I ask why you don't want the broadband solution? My parents and a coworker each had trouble with Sprint service at their houses and Sprint leased them one, then waived the lease and recurring fee to try to keep them as customers. It worked very well but of course Sprint-only. Verizon's version has no recurring fee and while not cheap, its cheaper than a decent Wilson unit.
This is for a cabin we have in the woods. Up there we don't have internet service connected and don't want to spend the minimum they are asking to get connected for basic service.

[Larry Browning]

Does anyone have any experience with devices that will improve a cell phone signal (ATT and or Verizon)? We have great difficulty getting cell phone reception indoors and would like to get better signal and cleaner connections. I have seen some devices that require internet connection which is not part of the solution I am searching for. I can't find the antenna booster for example. Are there even external antenna connections available to a cell phone? I was hoping for wireless method of some sort.

I understand that you are not interested in an internet solution, but my experience with AT&T is that if you are in an area that is known to AT&T as a poor reception area, you are probably eligible to get a Microcell device for free. It does connect to your internet and send voice and text over the internet, data can still be sent/received via you wireless router. I went from 1 or 2 bars( on a good day) to 5 bars all the time. It has allowed me to drop my land line. It only works for AT&T phones and each phone needs to be added to a list, so your neighbors can't use it unless you give them permission.

[Larry Browning]

This is for a cabin we have in the woods. Up there we don't have internet service connected and don't want to spend the minimum they are asking to get connected for basic service.

Ah! you left that part out of your original post. NEVER MIND!

[Matt Krusen]

Like Larry, I have experience with the internet based ones. I have one at the family lake cabin in backwoods northern Minnesota. Went from no reception whatsoever to 3-4 bars throughout the house. I know you're not looking for the internet option, but if for some reason you do end up going that route you can be confident that they do work quite well. Good luck.

[Matt Meiser]

Just a thought on an alternate approach which I also mentioned in the thread I linked to.

I'm assuming you have reception outside (if not the boosters might not do you any good.) Walmart sells a Home Phone device (http://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/home/shop/otherdevices/ShopHomePhones/!ut/p/b1/fY3LDoIwFAW_xR_g3j6g7RLBWhAQX6jdGDTGEC1sjPy-wRB3enaTTOaAhSMlTCFVlEo4gG3rV3Orn03X1o-BbXCKMc3ZKjSUVVpjksY6Z2XGUApIwTZn5_UX56GHSshASUK4k IorX8Ie7KcwldkuqYZCpCIMF5QkpthSrvgofC_WRviYlCbazEW BHMV_YanpKOCPhQiF6dwVnJ3d16afvAFKztKw/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/pw/Z7_D0JM3QAH23VFF0IJDFM3PL3047/act/id=0/p=javax.portlet.action=zip_code/260100939369/-/?zip_code=48140#.U2ETzvldX4Z) that is the same hardware as the Verizon Home Phone Connect but Walmarts is $15/mo no contract and uses Verizon's network.

I'm likely residing my shop with steel this summer and need to look to get reliable phone service in there. I discovered that the Wilson "Trucker" antenna (http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Trucker-Mirror-Antenna/dp/B001DTZ25A/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1398870898&sr=1-1&keywords=wilson+trucker) I had surplus from back when I used to have to use a data card as my internet connection and an $7 adapter from Wilson (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006ZIEUC/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) will let me connect that external antenna to the HPC. The antenna can then go outside where there is a good signal, and the HPC box inside.

Might make for a cheap way to get a reliable phone there if that's your goal and has the advantage of always being there for safety reasons. I'm doing this in my shop for that exact reason, but using Verizon's because we already owned the hardware and could do some juggling and get a early upgrade on an iPhone.

[Mike Cutler]

Pat

The setup that I purchased, in the link Matt pointed to, works excellent. If you've got any signal at all, it will boost it. Wilson has an array of antennas available so it may be a matter of calling them and having them spec the outside antenna based on your need.

[Bob Turkovich]

I understand that you are not interested in an internet solution, but my experience with AT&T is that if you are in an area that is known to AT&T as a poor reception area, you are probably eligible to get a Microcell device for free. It does connect to your internet and send voice and text over the internet, data can still be sent/received via you wireless router. I went from 1 or 2 bars( on a good day) to 5 bars all the time. It has allowed me to drop my land line. It only works for AT&T phones and each phone needs to be added to a list, so your neighbors can't use it unless you give them permission.


Not without a fight. Required multiple complaint calls on my part and then I had to agree to pay the $199 upfront but then had my bills reduced by $66 for the next six months. I get full 5 bar coverage within 20 feet of the unit - down to 3 bar elsewhere in my house (ranch style).

[glenn bradley]

I've been using Cisco's Microcell (http://gizmodo.com/5514851/this-is-how-to-fix-your-horrible-att-reception-3g-microcell-review)(marketed through your cell carrier) for years with good success. It is programmed by you to serve up to 15 cell numbers so you don't have neighbors hopping on.