3G Signal Booster

[TEKNOPUG]

NDA said:

TEKNOPUG said:

Had Vodafone Sure Signal for a few years and always worked very well.

When I was with Vodafone a few years ago, I had a sure signal..... I would say it worked 30% of the time. Very frustrating.

By all accounts the EE device is very good, perhaps the femtocell technology has moved on a bit. The problem is getting hold of one.

I've had it in 3 properties and with 2 different ISPs and it's always been pretty stable. A lot of new mobiles seem to have a wifi booster built in, which does the same job. I know that my Samsung Galaxy S2 work does, which is vital, as the Orange network that it is on is toilet.

[mrsimmers]

I have had an EE signal box for the last 4 days, the range is not brilliant and the green lights starts flashing when looses its connection twice a day. As i had no signal since they turned our mast off in May its better than nothing. And i did not have to pay for it either.

[NDA]

EE are sending me a femtocell ..... Should arrive later this week. I shall report back.

[Mr E]

NDA said:

EE are sending me a femtocell ..... Should arrive later this week. I shall report back.

Splendid. That's one of mine.
I'm now hoping the thing works for you or I'll look like more of an idiot than usual.

[NDA]

Mr E said:

Splendid. That's one of mine.
I'm now hoping the thing works for you or I'll look like more of an idiot than usual.

Do you work with/for EE?

I'm currently using the BT SmartTalk app on my 5S to make calls, so a femtocell will be so much better. Many moons ago I had the Vodafone device, but it was very unreliable.... I'm really hoping the EE will be the answer.

[Mr E]

NDA said:

Do you work with/for EE?

No. I work for a company that makes kit that the operators buy - specifically the femtocell box they're sending you.

[Amateurish]

NDA said:

EE are sending me a femtocell ..... Should arrive later this week. I shall report back.

How did you manage that? I spent weeks trying to convince EE to sell me a femtocell.

In the end I gave up, moved to Vodafone, and now have their signal booster which seems to work perfectly.

[NDA]

Amateurish said:

NDA said:

EE are sending me a femtocell ..... Should arrive later this week. I shall report back.

How did you manage that? I spent weeks trying to convince EE to sell me a femtocell.

In the end I gave up, moved to Vodafone, and now have their signal booster which seems to work perfectly.

I sent a very polite email to the CEO of EE, simply saying that their service is splendid - except where I live. And that I'd heard about a femtocell being available and would he send me one as we have 3 EE customers in the house (wife, daughter and me). I received a call from HQ today saying they'd send me one.

[sjj84]

Anybody know if o2 do anything similar? Can't find anything on their website sadly.

[tamore]

sjj84 said:

Anybody know if o2 do anything similar? Can't find anything on their website sadly.

boostbox for business customers, and tugo app for personal.

[NDA]

Mr E said:

No. I work for a company that makes kit that the operators buy - specifically the femtocell box they're sending you.

Do you know if there is any port forwarding I need to set up on my router? Thanks....

[Pints]

NDA said:

Do you know if there is any port forwarding I need to set up on my router? Thanks....

I have one, and it's 'plug in 'n go'. Signal is fantastic and the only indication that it's working (apart from the full strength signal on your phone) is a beep when you connect a call.

[NDA]

Pints said:

I have one, and it's 'plug in 'n go'. Signal is fantastic and the only indication that it's working (apart from the full strength signal on your phone) is a beep when you connect a call.

Ah ok, thanks. Good info.

EE have some sort of computer problem at the moment preventing the registration of Signal Boxes - so mine is plugged in and ready, but not working just yet.

[Mr E]

NDA said:

Mr E said:

No. I work for a company that makes kit that the operators buy - specifically the femtocell box they're sending you.

Do you know if there is any port forwarding I need to set up on my router? Thanks....

Should not be required (unless you have a firewall that blocks IPSEC for some reason). We worked very hard to produce a box that *should* be plug and play.

[NDA]

Mr E said:

Should not be required (unless you have a firewall that blocks IPSEC for some reason). We worked very hard to produce a box that *should* be plug and play.

Great - many thanks.

I can see it on my network, but EE have a glitch preventing activation/registration so I've had a rapid blinking green light since yesterday. Looking forward to having 3G at home soon.

ETA - its just started working.... 100% phone signal from a previous 4%. Wonderful! It's going to take some getting used to - having a mobile that works at home.

Edited by NDA on Thursday 21st November 18:56

[Mr E]

NDA said:

ETA - its just started working.... 100% phone signal from a previous 4%. Wonderful! It's going to take some getting used to - having a mobile that works at home.

Hurrah. 6 years of bloody hard work well spent.
What sort of range are you getting out of interest?

(I hope it stays up).

[NDA]

Mr E said:

Hurrah. 6 years of bloody hard work well spent.
What sort of range are you getting out of interest?

(I hope it stays up).

Range is OK... I live in a fairly large detached house with no neighbours in sight and it's placed fairly centrally in the house at desk level. It is the full (supplied) cable length away from the router.

I get 100% in the three rooms adjoining the Signal Box and probably 80% directly above it upstairs. The far reaches of the house are still low signal.

As most of my calls are taken or made in the study, drawing room or kitchen (where there's 100%) it's perfect.

Good work.

[Mr E]

Splendid. Sounds like a good solution then.
My life has not been an utter waste,

[AstonZagato]

What about the signal amplifiers? Does anyone have experience of these?
e.g.
http://mobilesignal.co.uk/Mobile-Repeaters/214/O2-...

(Other sellers are available, etc)

As I understand it, they may not be 100% legal. We are all with 02 and the tuGo app is a bit hit and miss.

[Mr E]

Questionable legality (you need the permission of the spectrum owner to use one).

Technically a bit crude in my view.

And *how* much?