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Mobile phone signal booster

  • 20-01-2010 7:28pm
    #1
    Madame Razz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,252 ✭✭✭✭


    Do these actually work??

    (I'm talking about the aerial type)

    If so, I need to lay my hands on one to improve signal within a house.

    Vodafone have acknowledged that signal in the area is good outside but bad indoors. They have no plans to improve on this but told me that I can get my own signal booster which 'may' improve things. But I am completely clueless as to what exactly I should get, if it is the case that it will improve things. I do need to do something tho; as I need my phone for business and current situation(one bar/no service indoors) just isn't on!!

    Any advice on these or indeed where best to get one is appreciated!

    Thanks!

    MR


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Italia
    Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭Italia


    Hmmm...I always thought the "antenna boosters" gizmos sold on Ebay were some sort of Chinese joke. I tried one (yes, I succumbed to temptation), but didn't notice any increase in reception.
    I'd also be interested in getting a definitive answer this. Maybe we should call "Mythbusters" :D


  • #3
    TheCelticWizard
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    Hello, I believe what you're looking for is a gsm repeater. They do work, I once knew a guy who was in the same situation and was very happy with the results he got. Unfortunately don't know where he purchased his but the following link looks promising.
    http://mobilerepeater.ie/shop/product_info.php?products_id=92


  • #4
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=templateCClamp&pageID=PPP_0161

    Vodafone Sure Signal gives you a strong mobile phone signal in your home - no matter where you live. Using your home broadband, it boosts the signal throughout your house for up to four people at the same time. And it's really easy to set up.

    Do you need Sure Signal?
    If you live in a mobile signal blackspot - places in the UK where mobile operators are unable to give customers a strong enough signal in their homes - Sure Signal is for you. You just need home broadband with a minimum line speed of 1Mbps, plus a 3G mobile phone.

    What does it cost?
    Sure Signal is available from just £50 as a one-off cost - or you can get it for only £5 a month from your local store. What you'll pay is based on your price plan.


  • #5
    keithclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    Carlow52 wrote: »
    http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=templateCClamp&pageID=PPP_0161

    Vodafone Sure Signal gives you a strong mobile phone signal in your home - no matter where you live. Using your home broadband, it boosts the signal throughout your house for up to four people at the same time. And it's really easy to set up.

    Do you need Sure Signal?
    If you live in a mobile signal blackspot - places in the UK where mobile operators are unable to give customers a strong enough signal in their homes - Sure Signal is for you. You just need home broadband with a minimum line speed of 1Mbps, plus a 3G mobile phone.

    What does it cost?
    Sure Signal is available from just £50 as a one-off cost - or you can get it for only £5 a month from your local store. What you'll pay is based on your price plan.

    Saw a review on that, supposed to be a total chocolate fireguard.

    If you have broadband you could just setup a cordless voip phone for 0 euros/month.


  • #6
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    keithclancy wrote: »
    Saw a review on that, supposed to be a total chocolate fireguard.

    If you have broadband you could just setup a cordless voip phone for 0 euros/month.


    I have broadband so would be glad of how to hook up the cordless voip phone to boost the mobile fone signal in the house
    Thanks


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  • #7
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,076 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Spagellian wrote: »

    Vodafone have acknowledged that signal in the area is good outside but bad indoors. They have no plans to improve on this

    Time to leave them for someone who has good coverage in your house.


  • #8
    Gillo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,566 ✭✭✭Gillo


    Wouldn't you need a telecoms licence to operate a repeater since it's broadcasting on the 900mhz frequency?

    So effectively you'll be breaking the law by using one.


  • #9
    evolutionqy7
    Registered Users Posts: 6,275 ✭✭✭evolutionqy7


    that one is only 900mhz...that doesnt help transmit 3G coverage does it?


  • #10
    rebel.ranter
    Registered Users Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭rebel.ranter


    Yes it is illegal to use these devices. By operating a GSM repeater you are re-broadcasting mobile operators licensed frequencies. A private individual cannot apply for a license within the licensed band owned by the operator.
    It is unlikely that you will be found out unless your repeater goes faulty & causes interference on the network, if it does cause interference then it is likely that you will be found out. The operator will inform Comreg & Comreg may prosecute.
    That crowd mobilerepeater.ie are operating under the premise that is is legal to sell them but not to operate them.


  • #11
    Kaskade
    Registered Users Posts: 366 ✭✭Kaskade


    rebel.ranter wrote: »
    Yes it is illegal to use these devices. By operating a GSM repeater you are re-broadcasting mobile operators licensed frequencies. A private individual cannot apply for a license within the licensed band owned by the operator.
    It is unlikely that you will be found out unless your repeater goes faulty & causes interference on the network, if it does cause interference then it is likely that you will be found out. The operator will inform Comreg & Comreg may prosecute.
    That crowd mobilerepeater.ie are operating under the premise that is is legal to sell them but not to operate them.

    If this is the case then why are 3 offering them as a solution. I have just ordered mine for our business from the network?


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  • #12
    Mr Velo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,805 ✭✭✭Mr Velo


    Vodafone have announced this morning that they are releasing their SureSignal box in the Irish market. Costs €100 apparently, but boosts your 3G signal in the house.


  • #13
    crawler
    Registered Users Posts: 1,660 ✭✭✭crawler


    Mr Velo wrote: »
    Vodafone have announced this morning that they are releasing their SureSignal box in the Irish market. Costs €100 apparently, but boosts your 3G signal in the house.

    www.vodafone.ie/suresignal


  • #14
    WJCG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭WJCG


    I have a Vodafone Mobile signal booster, My signal is much better, BUT my Broadband signal has got really bad since i connected the signal booster through it what can i do about this problem.


  • #15
    junomurphy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭junomurphy


    Sorry to reactivate this old thread.

    Reading the FAQ I notice that the Vodafone "Sure Signal uses your fixed line broadband to connect to the Vodafone network, giving you strong 3G signal coverage in your house or office." So this required fixed line broadband. I however use mobile broadband any ideas?


  • #16
    Troy McClure
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭Troy McClure


    Is there such a thing as a 2G booster? If you have satelite broadband is that any relevence to boosting signal? The vodafone option seems to suggest this.
    I spoke to O2 business and explained the poor signal situation and the fact my business is run from home. They said we are only a small business and that they deal with large business that have such problems that they wont solve. There is no 3G signal in the area and the 2G signal is not great either. What would it cost?
    Any suggestions welcome..


  • #17
    D'Peoples Voice
    Registered Users Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭D'Peoples Voice


    Anyone recommend using one of these as a relatively low cost solution?
    http://reviews.cnet.com/home-entertainment/xtreme-technologies-xlink-cellular/4505-6449_7-32462813.html?
    http://reviews.cnet.com/home-entertainment/cell2tel-bluetooth-gateway/4505-6449_7-33763994.html?


  • #18
    mydiscworld
    Registered Users Posts: 784 ✭✭✭mydiscworld


    Bumping this thread.

    I'm on Meteor and quality inside my home in Dublin and parent's house in Cork has become awful in past 24 months or so.

    I came across Vodafone's Sure Signal but it only works for Vodafone mobile phones.

    Anything similar for Meteor around?

    Or a general, legal, mobile phone coverage signal booster which you can connect to your phone line/broadband line?


  • #19
    sbkenn
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭sbkenn


    (re)broadcasting may be legal. Most bands can be used if the transmitter doesn't exceed a certain power.
    What MAY work, is to get a "Yagi" aerial on the roof(or anywhere that you get a strong signal), connected to a whip, or dipole in the centre of the house. The Yagi would need to point fairly accurately at the source of the signal.


  • #20
    sheff the ref
    Registered Users Posts: 617 ✭✭✭sheff the ref


    When they say fixed line broadband to run the Vodafone Sure Signal, do they mean that the broadband has to be coming through the phoneline e.g Eircom or will something like Tooway or Qsat suffice?


  • #21
    rockhoppers
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭rockhoppers


    I have "3" mobile broadband, but I'm with vodafone for my mobile 'phone.
    Can I get a booster to improve my vodafone signal ?


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  • #22
    my3cents
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    rockhoppers wrote: »
    I have "3" mobile broadband, but I'm with vodafone for my mobile 'phone.
    Can I get a booster to improve my vodafone signal ?

    No. No operator provides "boosters" and vodafones sure signal solution only works with fixed line broadband.


  • #23
    mksmhs
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭mksmhs


    I live outside Westport in Mayo and signal is very poor and also have a business but it seems to have got a lot worse recently. Just been onto Vodafone and they are telling me to buy the Sure Signal Box, does anyone know if this works?, I have a dish for Broadband on the side of the house as Eircom can't be bothered to upgrade our lines so cannot get Broadband through the phone line. (Still wondering whether it is actually 2016!) However shouldn't the phone company i.e. Vodafone be providing a proper signal (i.e. the Sure signal box) like a fool I signed up with them to get an upgrade for another mobile so I am stuck with them for a while. So basically is it worth the money?


  • #24
    TheCelticWizard
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    mksmhs wrote: »
    I live outside Westport in Mayo and signal is very poor and also have a business but it seems to have got a lot worse recently. Just been onto Vodafone and they are telling me to buy the Sure Signal Box, does anyone know if this works?, I have a dish for Broadband on the side of the house as Eircom can't be bothered to upgrade our lines so cannot get Broadband through the phone line. (Still wondering whether it is actually 2016!) However shouldn't the phone company i.e. Vodafone be providing a proper signal (i.e. the Sure signal box) like a fool I signed up with them to get an upgrade for another mobile so I am stuck with them for a while. So basically is it worth the money?

    Im afraid suresignal only works with landline broadband. Whoever told you that you should buy it is misinformed.


  • #25
    Troy McClure
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭Troy McClure


    see below..


  • #26
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,163 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    If the device ever malfunctions and an operator does a survey COMREG can issue you fines up to €10,000. No precedent yet but you could become just that.


  • #27
    Troy McClure
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭Troy McClure


    below..


  • #28
    Troy McClure
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭Troy McClure


    ED E wrote: »
    If the device ever malfunctions and an operator does a survey COMREG can issue you fines up to €10,000. No precedent yet but you could become just that.

    An answer to a question that nobody asked. I put up an Irish made solution to the question posted that actually works, but have felt obliged to removed it due the input of a busybody. Why this country has so many begrudgers and busybodies God only knows..


  • #29
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,163 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    The counterpoint is licenced spectrum like mobile phones, tetra, aviation comms and avionics all work because joe soap cant start TXing willy nilly. Look at how much of a mess the public use bands are.

    You using a repeater helps you, maybe the homes on either side of you too but 4 doors down can experience hugely degraded service and neither they nor the operator will know why. Using such is saying "f'ck you, my usage is more important than everyone elses".


  • #30
    Troy McClure
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭Troy McClure


    This is sold into France, Belgium, Italy, etc, etc. where people in remote rural areas such as us don't have, but NEED, service. 4 doors down is bloody miles away.
    But I guess you know something the French lawmakers don't. It's not a problem for you in semi D land, but you still get involved and mouth off.

    Again, put yourself to good use and go answer a question your asked.

    Cry wolf where there is one!


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  • #31
    garrettod
    Registered Users Posts: 2,420 ✭✭✭garrettod


    ED E wrote: »
    .... Using such is saying "f'ck you, my usage is more important than everyone elses".

    As against saying that other peoples usage is more important, despite all parties paying for the same service ?

    ... I think the route of the problem is the shabby service provider(s) and the failure of the regulator to put manners on them so given the circumstances, if you need your service then there comes a time when you need to put yourself first (sadly selfish, but no other option in some cases).

    Thanks,

    G.



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