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Mobile Phone Signal Boosters

ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,903
in The cake stop
As per the title. Does anyone on here have experience of them in the home? I am talking about boosting the actual phone signal not boosting wifi.
My mother has a mobile phone but is not interested in internet at all so not bothered about data, just the ability to make and receive calls.
I set her up on Plusnet (EE) which seemed to provide the strongest signal. She had a trial run of a few weeks and saying everything was fine, agreed to have her landline removed.
Now in true old folk style , she is saying it is not as good as it was with the landline.
The signal is stronger outside the house so am looking at the possibility of installing a booster, but I don't know anyone who has ever done it?
Any advice much appreciated.

Posts

  • surrey_commutersurrey_commuter Posts: 17,758
    ballysmate said:

    As per the title. Does anyone on here have experience of them in the home? I am talking about boosting the actual phone signal not boosting wifi.
    My mother has a mobile phone but is not interested in internet at all so not bothered about data, just the ability to make and receive calls.
    I set her up on Plusnet (EE) which seemed to provide the strongest signal. She had a trial run of a few weeks and saying everything was fine, agreed to have her landline removed.
    Now in true old folk style , she is saying it is not as good as it was with the landline.
    The signal is stronger outside the house so am looking at the possibility of installing a booster, but I don't know anyone who has ever done it?
    Any advice much appreciated.

    she might have found her old handset easier to use, is it possible to try and replicate it?
  • JimD666JimD666 Posts: 1,285
    edited March 2022
    Most signal boosters rely on piggybacking onto your home boradband network. Some do work by amplifying a weak signal but you pretty much need to be on a Monthly Contract with a prime supplier (EE, Three, Vodafone) rather than a MVNO (Like plusnet, SMARTY etc) and even those are being phased out due to most handsets being capable of WiFi Calling and companies assuming that you have broadband handy.

    Looked into for ages trying to dump our landline and found there was just no way here (SW Cornwall) we could do so.
  • ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,903
    surrey_commuter said:

    ballysmate said:

    As per the title. Does anyone on here have experience of them in the home? I am talking about boosting the actual phone signal not boosting wifi.
    My mother has a mobile phone but is not interested in internet at all so not bothered about data, just the ability to make and receive calls.
    I set her up on Plusnet (EE) which seemed to provide the strongest signal. She had a trial run of a few weeks and saying everything was fine, agreed to have her landline removed.
    Now in true old folk style , she is saying it is not as good as it was with the landline.
    The signal is stronger outside the house so am looking at the possibility of installing a booster, but I don't know anyone who has ever done it?
    Any advice much appreciated.

    she might have found her old handset easier to use, is it possible to try and replicate it?
    Thanks for the reply.
    She has no trouble actually using the handset, it's just that sometimes she can't hear or people she is calling can't hear her.
  • ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,903
    JimD666 said:

    Most signal boosters rely on piggybacking onto your home boradband network. Some do work by amplifying a weak signal but you pretty much need to be on a Monthly Contract with a prime supplier (EE, Three, Vodafone) rather than a MVNO (Like plusnet, SMARTY etc) and even those are being phased out due to most handsets being capable of WiFi Calling and companies assuming that you have broadband handy.

    Looked into for ages trying to dump our landline and found there was just no way here (SW Cornwall) we could do so.

    Ta.
    Didn't realise that about the prime suppliers tbh.
    Will look into trying a prime supplier to see if that makes any difference.
  • JimD666JimD666 Posts: 1,285
    Have a quick look at Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-1/mobile-phone-repeaters-extended-range

    It may give you a pointer in the right direction
  • ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,903
    JimD666 said:

    Most signal boosters rely on piggybacking onto your home boradband network. Some do work by amplifying a weak signal but you pretty much need to be on a Monthly Contract with a prime supplier (EE, Three, Vodafone) rather than a MVNO (Like plusnet, SMARTY etc) and even those are being phased out due to most handsets being capable of WiFi Calling and companies assuming that you have broadband handy.

    Looked into for ages trying to dump our landline and found there was just no way here (SW Cornwall) we could do so.

    JimD666 said:

    Most signal boosters rely on piggybacking onto your home boradband network. Some do work by amplifying a weak signal but you pretty much need to be on a Monthly Contract with a prime supplier (EE, Three, Vodafone) rather than a MVNO (Like plusnet, SMARTY etc) and even those are being phased out due to most handsets being capable of WiFi Calling and companies assuming that you have broadband handy.

    Looked into for ages trying to dump our landline and found there was just no way here (SW Cornwall) we could do so.

    Appears that EE doesn't give Plusnet access to the 800mHz band. This lower frequency is best for providing indoor signal.
    Get what you pay for I suppose.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    tbf, no mobile gives as good a reception as a landline so why not let her have her landline back?

    mobile phones are, overall, pretty pap as actually being used as telephones.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,903
    MattFalle said:

    tbf, no mobile gives as good a reception as a landline so why not let her have her landline back?

    mobile phones are, overall, pretty pap as actually being used as telephones.

    May come to that. And she would still would have had the landline if she had told me that she had been having bother. In future it may be that she will have to have broadband anyway, even though she doesn't have a computer. The whole country is in the process of switching to VOIP.
    Twas a cost cutting exercise. Line rental of 18.99 and 12 squids for unlimited calls.
    Sim only deal of £6 for unlimited calls with PN. (Asda was £4 but uses Vodaphone which was a poorer signal.)

  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 18,128
    If there is mobile reception in some places e.g. by a window, then you could consider sticking a wifi router there which uses the sim. You could then buy a normal looking VOIP phone and run it on the wifi from the router on the sim. Alternatively, surely there must be an accessible handset that attaches to mobile phones*

    *I say surely, but you can't even get a phone with keys any more, so little is guaranteed.
  • MattFalleMattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited March 2022
    Tbh, every time I hear an interview on tv or the radio crackle, hiss, fuzz, sound like they are from a toilet or outer space, collapse, cut out or bing I do sit there and generally say "just pick up the blimmin' landline for the love of all mercy".
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • oxomanoxoman Posts: 11,296
    We ditched BT a few years ago and use sky via i assume voip which is alot cheaper. Still a landline phone. We also have WiFi calling on all the family mobiles and never have issues tbh.
    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • PMarkPMark Posts: 148
    My grandmother passed away in her 90s during the Covid period, but when she was alive we found the best setup for her was home internet (with wifi) and a smart phone with limited data (as didn't leave the house a lot). Then use WhatsApp on the mobile for most things.

    It was great for her because she could easily stay in contact with the rest of the family and feel like she was involved a lot more in their lives (seeing photos/videos people posted and responding to them).
  • First.AspectFirst.Aspect Posts: 11,756
    We have terrible mobile signal but EE gave us a WiFi phone signal booster for free. It's like WiFi calling basically, but works better. You know it's not the actual phone signal because there's an audible chirup when you connect, and an almost imperceptible delay.

    You use minutes and data if you connect using it, even though the signal is actually via broadband that you are paying someone else for. This is a pis$ take, obviously, but if its a convenient way to speak to an elderly person, why not. My dad can't remember my landline number - just presses the first aspect button, so it's invaluable for me.

    So ask your phone provider and see what they can do.
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 22,356
    My Draft clean up...
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
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