Need a cell phone booster - any recommendations

[HCHTech]

My office & shop space uses the entire basement floor of my home. Up until late last year I always had a great signal on the upper floors of my home and passable cell phone coverage in the basement (Verizon). Then, I think they lost a tower or something, because my signal is now only "ok" on the upper floors, and terrible in the basement. This also applies to anyone who visits me, so it not limited to one phone or brand of phone. If someone calls us now, we have to walk upstairs or outside to avoid dropping the call.

I tried to use a femtocell (my first $400 mistake). I got it working ok, but it would randomly just not route a call. I'm sure it cost us business - we were missing calls and no evidence was left behind. We've been struggling along for a few months now without the femtocell using the regular lousy cell signal, but I need to try something else. So, I guess I need a booster - something like this, where you mount an antenna on the roof and route a cable down to the booster where you need better signal. Of course, these things aren't cheap, so I'd like to get a brand or model recommendation if anyone else uses one.

Anyone?

 

[fencepost]

Is that the right approach, or would you be better off porting to something VoIP with follow-me to your cell, a SIP client, or some combination of those?

Failing that, while it's been a long long time since I hung around there I'd check on the Verizon section of Howard Forums for advice.

 

[Markverhyden]

I've got a couple customers using that. If I understand it correctly this is how that works. The Samsung box needs to have a good GPS signal lock to operate properly. This is a continuous process. So if the GPS signal has problems the device will have problems. The device itself communicates over the Internet to Verizon to process cellular traffic. It does not touch cell towers. Bad GPS = bad cellular. My customers have to have it the right next to a window for GPS access.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

I've got a couple customers using that. If I understand it correctly this is how that works. The Samsung box needs to have a good GPS signal lock to operate properly. This is a continuous process. So if the GPS signal has problems the device will have problems. The device itself communicates over the Internet to Verizon to process cellular traffic. It does not touch cell towers. Bad GPS = bad cellular. My customers have to have it the right next to a window for GPS access.

Yeah, pretty much how it works. We have one, but the coverage still isn't that great. I have thought of going with one of the more expensive boosters as well, but we have a land line for the business so we use that when needed.

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

What you need is made by WilsonPro. They are the best that I know off.

 

[Sky-Knight]

https://www.weboost.com/

Wilson boosters, I've got the big 4x unit for semi trucks I put on my van while I'm camping. The thing can hold 4g through some canyons via some magic. Love it!

 

[trevm999]

Of course, these things aren't cheap, so I'd like to get a brand or model recommendation if anyone else uses one.

weboast (by Wilson Electronics) is the gold standard around here.


Edit: looks like I was beat to it

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

Basically, if it's made by Wilson you're good to go.

 

[katz]

Wilson must have improved a bit over the years, as my experience with their products was not the greatest. I may have to look at them again, as our 3/4G is not the best either. We miss calls and texts. At first, the Samsung network extender offered by Verizon worked well, but now, it doesn't seem to help much either.

 

[HCHTech]

Thanks, everyone - I will check out the Wilson devices. We do have digital lines from Comcast for desk phones, so we could certainly forward our cells to them when we are in the shop, but frankly, I'd rather have a solution that doesn't involve us having to remember to switch back and forth. Basically, it's for incoming calls, when we're in the shop, we use the desk phones to call out.

I had such a disaster experience with Ring Central last year that I'm not going down that road again, that's why I was looking for a way to take the good outside cell signal and get it into my shop area.

 

[Diggs]

Just an FYI for those that may have some of the same issues. A Google Voice number excels at following you from cell to business to home to..... It's list of other features (call logs, emailing the text of voice mails, blocking only certain numbers, screen dialing, spam control, etc.) is impressive. It's been recently updated also.

 

[Markverhyden]

Wilson must have improved a bit over the years, as my experience with their products was not the greatest. I may have to look at them again, as our 3/4G is not the best either. We miss calls and texts. At first, the Samsung network extender offered by Verizon worked well, but now, it doesn't seem to help much either.

The down side of Wilson is you have to be able to receive a signal from a cell tower. Their performance has improved as the tower and cellular technology have also improved. This is why femtocell technology is such as great option. No cell tower, just a GPS signal. One of my customers has zero signal from Verizon in their office. The Samsung box fixed that. The area's I've had problems is when they do have a poor Verizon signal then you have problems staying connected to the femtocell. So I ended up enabling WiFi calling.

 

[katz]

We still use a Samsung box/network extender...it works about "half", in my opinion. To add to the frustration, when we leave our home & drive 1/8 mile or so, the phone doesn't hand off from the box to the tower correctly & the call is usually dropped.

 

[HCHTech]

To add to the frustration, when we leave our home & drive 1/8 mile or so, the phone doesn't hand off from the box to the tower correctly & the call is usually dropped.

Yes, @katz , we saw that problem too. Since we have good cell signal on the main & upper floor of our house, the femtocell should have worked fine. I ran a cable to the GPS antenna some 25 feet to stick in a window facing the right direction (can't remember specifics, but it was as directed by their support - the window was southern-facing, but I had tried other locations as well). When it worked, it seemed to be ok, but it was unreliable. Calls would come in that would never ring on our cells, and customers reported that it just rang and rang with no voicemail prompt. I spent enough hours troubleshooting to pay for 4 or 5 of the things - it was completely obnoxious.

That being said, I have installed them in a few customer's homes - it think it's a good solution when the result is not mission-critical like it was for us. Sadly, it looks like Verizon is not spending any effort at all updating the things, no new firmwares, same exact unit available today as 2 years ago.

 

[Your PCMD]

Need a cell phone booster. Anyone?

I recommend this one. But remember to go easy on the seat belt as they can be abrasive on the screen.