sberry
Banned
I asked this before but lost track of it. What was the concensus of a booster for the shop? It got so confusing I lost the bottom line.
Cell booster once more
- Thread starter sberry
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North Run Grader
Well-known member
If you have service in the area, but weak, they work. If you have service outside the building, but not inside, because of steel walls, if you can remote mount the antenna outside the building, they work. If there isn't service in the area, save your money. I have mobile boosters in the work trucks and in the grader, the cell phones are paired with the Bluetooth stereos because we have a lot of marginal service areas, and it's nice to have the secondary communication system. Our primary is still 2 way radio as it works where the cell phones do not. I've been able to make clear calls in very iffy areas consistently to know that they do work.
It will have to be compatible with your phone AND your service provider. As to type, brand, and style, it will depend on your phone and service.
It will have to be compatible with your phone AND your service provider. As to type, brand, and style, it will depend on your phone and service.
speed bump
Well-known member
Wilson, I have whatever the premium one is and if there is signal available it will give you decent service. I'm sure there are other makers of boosters but in my experience they aren't as good as the Wilson's.
deaddawg58
Well-known member
Does your cell phone provider have an internet based cell phone tower you can buy / get?
I've got an ATT Microcell in my house and I've got perfect signal everywhere in here. When we switched to ATT, I got home and had no bars in the whole house. I live on the top of a bluff and higher in altitude than the top of the nearest cell tower. As you turn onto my street the signal just drops completely out. I called ATT and asked them what to do because I figured I should just return the phones and end the service. They said they'd give me a Microcell for free if I kept the service and I did.
You do need internet service though wherever you want to use it.
We had no service with Verizon either so things worked out well.
I've got an ATT Microcell in my house and I've got perfect signal everywhere in here. When we switched to ATT, I got home and had no bars in the whole house. I live on the top of a bluff and higher in altitude than the top of the nearest cell tower. As you turn onto my street the signal just drops completely out. I called ATT and asked them what to do because I figured I should just return the phones and end the service. They said they'd give me a Microcell for free if I kept the service and I did.
You do need internet service though wherever you want to use it.
We had no service with Verizon either so things worked out well.
malibu101
Well-known member
Does the ATT Microcell allow anybody with ATT to go through it also?
There's a website you go to and you add cell phone numbers of people you want to be able to use it. So any friends or visitors can use it but not anyone with ATT. I think 5 cell phones can be connected to it at once. You can add as many numbers as you want though.
nafterclifen
Well-known member
Repeaters/boosters do not do anything. I've been there, done that. If there is poor signal in your area, they will simply repeat and amplify that poor signal. It can't make it any better. It's illegal to generate a CDMA or GSM signal on any of the frequencies that the major carries (ATT, TMobile, Verizon, etc) use. This includes any of the smaller companies that use their networks (PagePlus, Cricket, etc).
Microcell's, on the other hand, work 100%. I have one from both ATT and Verizon at my house for several years. The ATT unit can be locked down so only certain users can use it while the Verizon unit is wide-open (anyone can use it). They both connect to my router and route the cellular calls over the internet. There is no difference in quality or service. Without them, I can't make any calls unless I'm standing outside in sunshine. That's how bad service is at my house. They each can be purchased for a one-time fee and there are no extra monthly charges.
Microcell's, on the other hand, work 100%. I have one from both ATT and Verizon at my house for several years. The ATT unit can be locked down so only certain users can use it while the Verizon unit is wide-open (anyone can use it). They both connect to my router and route the cellular calls over the internet. There is no difference in quality or service. Without them, I can't make any calls unless I'm standing outside in sunshine. That's how bad service is at my house. They each can be purchased for a one-time fee and there are no extra monthly charges.
I was having the issue of no service in the shop after talking to the people at Wilson (weboost) I decided to add internet service to the shop and get the mini tower from Verizon.
I can say that it works great, I even have signal outside the shop now as well (within 40 feet or so)
The CSR at Wilson said that with the weak signal that their product would not work, have to say I like their honesty.
I can say that it works great, I even have signal outside the shop now as well (within 40 feet or so)
The CSR at Wilson said that with the weak signal that their product would not work, have to say I like their honesty.
Dagny
Well-known member
I went to walmart on line got the 219 dollar one works well for us the antenna is on roof small box in living room. read the reviews.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
If you can get the outside antenna up a bit higher it can help. Not always but sometimes 10-15 feet makes several bars of difference. If that is the case where you are, then the Wilson boosters work great. I use one in our house where the radiant barriers in the attic and the windows block the signal. 4 bars outside, zero inside, now 4 inside too. It will not improve a bad signal. whatever the antenna sees is what you are amplifying. The picocells that use your internet did not work well for me. I have ATT DSL and I got dropped calls, echoing, and finally the unit failed completely in less than a year. The Wilson has been on top of the entertainment center for 3 years now.
Call your cell provider and ask for their version of a mini tower. I got mine free from Verizon but I have been a customer for 15+ years.
I have been using it for a bit over a month and no issues so far.
Great piece of mind for me with older parents and sis who is dying.
Only down fall is that the wife can reach me now
Jazz1
Well-known member
We have this one at our cabin other wise we got to climb our water tower for a spotty signal. It works really well,,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wilson-Elec...6818?_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226&_trkparms
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wilson-Elec...6818?_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226&_trkparms
My Old Tools
Well-known member
How does it work if you get a call while you are streaming a movie? Plenty of bandwidth?