Can anyone recommend something to boost the 3G signal in the house? Its not too bad outside, but very pstchy inside, meaning I have to sit by the window, or outside, to get decent signal.
I have a wifi hotspot that doesn't have any means to connect anything to it, so would need something that re-transmits the signalnto inside of the house. I've seen a few for 400 ish, but also some for a lot less with external aerial, co-ax, internal box and aerial etc.
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there are two types, passive and active
Passive is essentially two antenna connected by a length of coax - does not work
Active is an antenna and a powered transmitter, and more or less illegal everywhere in europe unless you have a commercial license.
To do that you would need one of these
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Broadband-Aerial-Antenna-3G-Wireless-900MHz-2-5GHz-Pole-Mount-/271206321089?pt=UK_Signal_Boosters&hash=item3f25280bc1
and one of these
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2100MHz-3G-WCDMA-Cellular-Mobile-phone-signal-booster-repeater-amplifier-Extende-/391039545947?pt=UK_Signal_Boosters&hash=item5b0bc5f25b
(note you need the 2100mhz version NOT the 900 mhz for 3g)
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 27 Feb 15 at 18:25
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Leave the phone by the window and use a BT headset. If using data, set it up as a WiFi hotspot and connect from another device like a tablet or laptop.
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>> Leave the phone by the window
HE has a dongle, not a phone.
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Most providers offer a boost box of some sort, at probably horrible prices for private individuals.
We have a few O2 ones at work. With ours you need to register your mobile number with the box and it only supports one at a time. I think they were about £400 though. We use them in basements and cellars, where people do have to go quite often, and need to have a working phone signal.
No idea how they work.
You could check if your provider has anything.
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>> No idea how they work.
They are probably femto-cells that require an internet connection to provide phone network connectivity.
Daves internet is provided only by 3g signal, form his previous postings i have surmised he lives in a wooden shack up a dirt road in some swedish forest with only a moose as a neighbour.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 27 Feb 15 at 19:39
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>> I have a wifi hotspot that doesn't have any means to connect anything to it
Sorry Dave (or anyone else) - I'm being dense but can you explain what you mean by that? You're in an area with a wifi signal but can't use it?
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>> >> I have a wifi hotspot that doesn't have any means to connect anything to
>> it
>>
>> Sorry Dave (or anyone else) - I'm being dense but can you explain what you
>> mean by that? You're in an area with a wifi signal but can't use it?
I think (so i could be wrong) that he has a 3g dongle as his internet provider, but 3g signal is poor and it has no external antenna connector on it.
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Makes sense, ta. So as you say above, a femtocell wouldn't be much use (we make the Vodafone one, which is £100).
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Agree with Zero, an active repeater is the least worst option here. Can be a pain to set up successfully, even in the 'pro' world. Stick the external antenna where you get best signal now, try and keep the cable run to the bi-directional amplifier short.
Ideally re-wallpaper the house with baconfoil to stop the un-amplified 3G signal interfering with the amplified one, but that's probably a tad impractical. :-)
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I know Dave is in Sweden (or somewhere Scandinavian at least) and uses a 3G dongle of some sort for Internet, but from this:
"something to boost the 3G signal in the house? Its not too bad outside, but very pstchy inside, meaning I have to sit by the window, or outside, to get decent signal."
I wondered if he was talking about a phone because he mentions sitting by a window. If this is simply a USB 3G dongle then a MiFi device next to the window would be an improvement.
Or is he after a wireless gateway at home that accepts this 3G USB dongle?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 27 Feb 15 at 21:50
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I have the mifi that I can move around the house for best reception, so that's not too bad, although it could be better. But it has no place for inputs, such as a better aerial or booster.
But the phone is the real problem, as there's only a couple of places that it works, and even then not very reliably. It would be nice to be able to take a call from a customer, and be able to get to the computor or workshop without it dropping out.
Just along the road the 3G signal is great, but drops out just a few hundred metres away. In my other house next door, which I'm not living it at the moment due to renovations, it's even worse, as is has a tin roof, and tin cladding, so nothing works in there, even when stood at the window.
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Your only solution (and it's a kludge) would be to get a 3G router (about £30), put it in the place with the best reception, and then connect that to a 3G booster (ie, your local network equivalent of an EE Signal Box, or Vodafone Sure Signal).
www.maplin.co.uk/p/tp-link-3g4g-single-band-n150-portable-wireless-n-router-n40ql
ee.co.uk/help/mobile-and-home-connections/checking-and-improving-your-network-coverage/signal-box/about-signal-box
No guarantee it'll work though!
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That doesn't fly (sorry), Dave doesn't have a decent/any fixed broadband connection so femtocells won't work.
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I think what FF is saying is that the 3G router provides the broadband as an output to the femtocell (Sure Signal etc.). Are you saying that won't work because the broadband needs to come from a landline, or because the 3G router's broadband output just won't be fast enough due to Dave's poor 3G reception?
Last edited by: Focusless on Sat 28 Feb 15 at 19:20
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ah right, I didn't read that properly :-/
Might work, I'd be worried about extra latency and firewalls more than outright speed. Easier than faffing around with antennas and amplifiers.
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>> ah right, I didn't read that properly :-/
I started off writing a post politely explaining why FF's idea didn't make sense :)
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>> Your only solution (and it's a kludge) would be to get a 3G router (about
>> £30), put it in the place with the best reception, and then connect that to
>> a 3G booster (ie, your local network equivalent of an EE Signal Box, or Vodafone
>> Sure Signal).
Hold onski you want to take a 3G phone signal, turn it into a Lan, and then turn it back into a 3G signal again?
Why not cut out the last bit?
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>>
>> Hold onski you want to take a 3G phone signal, turn it into a Lan,
>> and then turn it back into a 3G signal again?
>>
>>
>> Why not cut out the last bit?
>>
I think Dave wants to use his phone to make phone calls indoors.
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1) Get yourself a Skype phone number;
support.skype.com/en/faq/FA331/what-is-a-skype-number
2) Get yourself a LAN/Skype phone;
shop.skype.com/phones/cordless-router/rtx-dualphone-4088-white/
3) Forward mobile phone to Skype number when at home.
Thus, customer calls your mobile, call forwarded to Skype number, you answer on Skype cordless phone and wander around the house/workshop chatting on your WiFi/LAN.
There are services other than Skype, and better phones than the RTX, but I'm sure you get the idea.
Or, of course, simply forward the cell phone to your home phone when at home.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 28 Feb 15 at 22:12
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>> wander around the house/workshop chatting on your WiFi/LAN.
No broadband (unless he uses FF's method of pulling it from the (not very good) 3G mobile signal).
Last edited by: Focusless on Sat 28 Feb 15 at 22:43
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Its only a voice call, it'll do just fine from a MiFi with an adequate signal.
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>> >> Why not cut out the last bit?
>> >>
>> I think Dave wants to use his phone to make phone calls indoors.
In his words: "Its not too bad outside, but very patchy inside, meaning I have to sit by the window, or outside, to get decent signal."
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>> I think Dave wants to use his phone to make phone calls indoors.
I didn't read the bit about his phone.
Even so his signal is crap, the only way he will get a signal is to get his reception outside and up high.
Six foot pole on the roof and an aerial is what he needs.
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Yeah, i just want the reasonable 3G signal that I get outside, inside. Then I can use the mobile phone and the mobile broadband. I have no land line, Lan, Fibre, ASDL or anything else.
So yes, a good aerial outside, but connected to what?
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The thing that springs to mind for the phone signal is something similar to a mobile phone car kit that also provided a boosted aerial signal. The old Nokia's like the 5110/6210/6310 all had physical connectors for an aerial on the back. Later phones didn't but the cradles in the car used inductive connection for the aerial.
So if we ignore the need for you to walk around the house with the mobile, a mobile phone car kit with an inductive cradle with an external aerial would improve the phone connectivity. But it doesn't let you wander around the house.
I recall my first smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy S had a tiny aerial connector on the back of the phone, only accessible when you took the back off. At least it looked like some sort of connector for an external aerial. Think it's a MS147 connector. But I wouldn't risk it as plenty said they broke their phones trying.
But I did just find this for example:
telcoantennas.com.au/site/handheld-samsung-antenna-direct-connect-2dbi
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3G booster - Zero
