Non-motoring > Lack of phone reception at home. Miscellaneous
Thread Author: henry k Replies: 17
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:13 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - henry k
I live in the dark ages but soon to get a smart phone for general use.
Meanwhile I need to choose a network.
I am presently on EE. Until recently I had a free signal booster supplied by EE but that is no longer supported.
I can make and receive voice and send text messages.
Signal strength is just about one indoors downstairs
Step just out doors and things improve.
Incoming text message are often delayed. some take 12 hours to arrive.
I guess I need to get folks to try a phone from each network here before I chose which to buy from.

Why is the signal strength so bad indoors ?
I live in a 1930s semi about half a mile from a base station.
No major modifications have been made to the house so no new RSJs installed.
Aluminium window were installed 10+ years ago. Could that be the cause ?
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:20 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Manatee
You can put your address into this checker to find out which of the four networks is likely to work for you.

checker.ofcom.org.uk#main

It correctly suggests 02 or Voda for me.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:33 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - henry k
Thanks for the Ofcom checker.
It gives green ticks for everything. I am not surprised.

There is another new, replaced mast half a mile away.
A few years ago I found that incoming text messages were not arriving.
At that time my testing identified that just 100 yds along my road towards the next mast restored things.
I finished up having to tell the CEOs office to listen to me and sort out the nearest mast kit.
I got the booster box from them in an attempt to sort things.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:44 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Zero
Mobile phone technology (handset and infrastructure) is now much better, ensuring you are attached to the best source based on quality of signal, not just amplitude.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:27 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Zero

>> Why is the signal strength so bad indoors ?
>> I live in a 1930s semi

Very probably external two skins of dense brick, possibly with no cavity, internally brick walls separating rooms, not good for signal propagation compared to modern houses with one brick one breeze (or timber frame) and stud walls internally


>> Aluminium window were installed 10+ years ago. Could that be the cause ?

Unlikely.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:43 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - henry k
Very probably external two skins of dense brick, possibly with no cavity, internally brick walls separating rooms, not good for signal propagation compared to modern houses with one brick one breeze (or timber frame) and stud walls internally
Thanks Zero

Spot on except bays upstairs are single brick. Not even keyed to the main structure as I found out when one bay detached itself and had to be strapped back in.
lots of very poor workmanship in the original build.

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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:48 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Zero

>> Spot on except bays upstairs are single brick. Not even keyed to the main structure
>> as I found out when one bay detached itself and had to be strapped back
>> in.
>> lots of very poor workmanship in the original build.

They probably cantilevered the bay roof, using the rest of the roof weight, no lintel over the windows. Window frames move, single skin brick surround and above breaks its mortar key to the walls.

Dont ask me how I know.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 12:05 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - henry k
>> They probably cantilevered the bay roof, using the rest of the roof weight, no lintel over the windows.
>> Window frames move, single skin brick surround and above breaks its mortar key to the walls.
>>
Full marks again
Yep! I now know the bay roof should have been acrowed from the ground not the usual internal acrows when the windows were replaced for the second time.
Seeing a half inch of daylight appear from skirting to window cill was a bit disconcerting i

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 Thu 27 Oct 22 11:54 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - sherlock47
I am on BT (EE) and indoor coverage according to the Ofcom site is X. ie no good. My MotoG reverts to VOIP via the BT router most of the time which then gives acceptable coverage. Outdoor coverage is good.

Most maps are only showing predictive coverage - If you install an App (I use 'Network Cell Info') that will give you a good indication of what masts are connected and signal strengths. but will only work for the SIM that you have installed.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 12:08 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - CGNorwich
Easiest way is just to ask your neighbours what network they use.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 12:21 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - smokie
... and if it works :-)
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 13:13 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - CGNorwich
Can you use something that doesn’t work?
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 13:48 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Zero
>> Can you use something that doesn’t work?
>>
Absolutely, but maybe not for the purpose for which it was designed
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 14:05 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - CGNorwich
>> >> Can you use something that doesn’t work?
>> >>
>> Absolutely, but maybe not for the purpose for which it was designed
>>

I'm struggling to think how you could use a mobile phone network for anything other than its designed use.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 27 Oct 22 at 14:05
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 14:29 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - tyrednemotional
...triangulation..
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 12:05 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - tyrednemotional
...if you're currently using an old (non-smart) phone, be aware that the signal type (2G/3G/4G/5G) being used may/will affect the nature of any reception.

For a new smartphone you need to be checking at least 4G reception (which can in places be better than 2G/3G)
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 13:12 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Biggles aka B_i_G
What type of phone are you using? If it is an older one which can only receive GSM and UMTS signals, then it might be having to connect to a GSM mast some distance away as the UMTS kit has pretty much all been removed.
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 Thu 27 Oct 22 19:38 
 Lack of phone reception at home. - Mr Moo
Most smartphones (well, iPhones anyway) have an option to connect to your home Wi-Fi. EE (me) and Vodafone (wife) both provide patchy coverage at our home address, but with ‘Wi-Fi calling’ enabled, the phone routes the call via the Wi-Fi and avoids dropouts. Assuming your Wi-Fi is stable and reliable!
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