Cell Phone & WeBoost

[IXLR8]

My daughter in law had okay cell signal outside her house, inside not so much. She could only make calls when she was sitting by one upstairs bedroom window. I found out that her house has aluminum siding with a metal roof. I got her an external antenna/repeater setup, which is no longer made. Now she can make a call from anywhere in her house and she can use her cell hot spot for internet access. Made her and her husband happy campers.

 

[oosik]

Our phone service was just great when we had the analog Motorola bag phone and roof top antennae. Then along comes digital cell phones. I have to stand out on the front porch to use my cell phone.

So..... the cell phone sits over there in the roll top desk - OFF. A couple times a week I will go out on the porch and see if I got any calls worth returning. Thank you modern technology .......

 

[ultrarunner]

Outdoor WiFi Extenders, Antennas and Repeaters by Simple WiFi — SimpleWiFi

It does seem the field is growing...

I use my phone as a hot spot effectively because when I place it high up on an exposed beam the signal is very good... a few feet lower and maybe one bar...

Did not know the carrier limited hot spot usage until I got a warning but it was two days before reset.

At Mom's even Verizon was only one bar... always no or little signal

Don't know what happened but Christmas day 3 bars... and never less than 2.

Maybe Santa was listening?

 

[Xfaxman]

Subscribed, need to get reception inside the shop, a metal building. Have good signal in the house.

My flip phone is 3G.

Update: I ordered this: Home MultiRoom Cell Phone Signal Booster | weBoost

Installed it in the shop with the outside antenna temporarily next to the window that I could get signal through inside with the flip phone close to it.

Works great, went from no signal in the center of the shop, to full signal. Now I get a stronger signal any where in the shop than in the house.

 

[civilian]

Update: I ordered this: Home MultiRoom Cell Phone Signal Booster | weBoost

Installed it in the shop with the outside antenna temporarily next to the window that I could get signal through inside with the flip phone close to it.

View attachment 698388View attachment 698389

Works great, went from no signal in the center of the shop, to full signal. Now I get a stronger signal any where in the shop than in the house.

I tried the above setup at my house. But I was not able to consistent boosted results. Glad it improves your signal. I also sit in a low area with hills around me. And lots of trees. We estimated our roof top antenna was higher than the top of the cell tower our signal came from. don't know if that effected the signal. My -dbm ranges from -120 to -114. Not great. Jon

 

[Xfaxman]

Very happy with the performance of the system.

Moved the panel antenna from it's temporary location up higher to it's permanent location on the truss:

Moved the booster from setting on a box on the bench up onto the pegboard:

 

[civilian]

Glad it is working for you X-man. I wish I could have had decent results, but couldn't. Jon

 

[Xfaxman]

I am surprised that it is working with the outside antenna so low. The tower it is pointed at is over the high spot south of the horse barn, it is 8 miles away and 225 feet tall.

The red line shows the way the antenna is pointing:

 

[Xfaxman]

After Verizon bought Tracfone my flip phone (upgraded to 4G) signal in the shop was very weak. So I found out that the closest Verizon tower is on the other side of the shop. Didn't want to put the antenna up on the roof, so I pointed it at the side of the barn to see if a reflected signal would work:

Success, I now have 4 bar signal strength in the shop and the antenna is still low.

The antenna viewed from the barn where it is pointed:

 

[kenmbz]

clever solution to get the reflected signal vs. the primary.
Metal is great for that.

 

[ultrarunner]

What antenna did you go with?

I've learned where I have signal and where I don't... and it's different between T-Mobil and Verizon

 

[Xfaxman]

weboost.com/products/home-multiroom

 

[ultrarunner]

weboost.com/products/home-multiroom

View attachment 744816

Thank you...

I keep hoping service will improve and it has... for many years there was zero signal and now it is usable at some locations...

Is a product like We Boost also good to boost hotspot?

 

[Wagtail]

For years I had to go to a certain area (the door to the 'entertainment area') or go outside to answer & keep a mobile signal on my mobile phone. I finally bit-the-bullet and had my provider (Telstra) install a repeater on my roof... cost was A$1500 for the unit and installation.

The result was night and day! It covers the entire house, AND the 'upgrade' to a wireless (Telstra) computer modem/antenna was then free (provided and installed) as it would automatically switch to the mobile repeater if I were to ever lose the computer antenna.

I've now given up the landline connection. Yeah, I've been dragged 'kicking and screaming' into the 21st Century.

 

[Xfaxman]

Is a product like We Boost also good to boost hotspot?

I have no experience with that.
Here is some info: https://www.weboost.com/blog/how-to-boost-the-cell-signal-for-a-wifi-hotspot

 

[ultrarunner]

I have no experience with that.
Here is some info: Ultimate Guide to Mobile Hotspots & Hotspot Boosters | weBoost

Thank You again...

 

[lman]

My cell signal is weak and I found that my internet was good enough to use wifi calling on our cell phones. I got internet to my barn so my phone calls are covered. Most phones now are able to use wifi for calling.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have week everything but usable until a plane flies over.

During height of pandemic had best signal... not many flights.

Unfortunately, on flight path for Oakland International and when a call drops always a plane overhead.

I'm basically frugal as in rabbit ears for TV...

Found if I place a Verizon Cell in the dining room chandelier as hot spot I have great WiFi TV and WiFi Internet for the work T-Mobil...

The decades this area was a total dead zone but service improves.

Both my neighbors have given me passwords for their WiFi but no go in the house or anywhere behind my home.

As I spend most non work hours taking care of mom at her house it's DSL there...

On a side note my WA rental did not have cell or Cable or Sat service .. continually spending money cutting trees for tenant Sat service.

So I bit the bullet and commit to 15k expense over 5 years to bring in Comcast and the first renter says take it out we don't want it... I explain I have a contract so for 3 years at $300 a month it was sitting unused in a closet..

Current tenant has full package and pays for all of it...

 

[Xfaxman]

Found if I place a Verizon Cell in the dining room chandelier as hot spot I have great WiFi TV and WiFi Internet for the work T-Mobil...

The weBoost home system would work for that because it is using a cell tower signal.

 

[Xfaxman]

The reason I spent so much money on a booster is because at my age my cell phone is my lifeline.

Last week I was working with this heavy metal frame:

I put a two wheeler under it and took it off of the crane scale. Rolled it back away from the crank up lift and stood the two wheeler up.

As I stepped back I heard it sliding down the handles as the frame fell back pushing the two wheeler into me, knocking me down flat on my back.

Fortunately I did not need to call for help, but I could have if any bones were broken.