Boosting cell reception in the home

[Beerguy1]

We took the big step of shutting of our landline yesterday. Woth the cost of of line and long distance it was costing us about $50 a month.

We live in a remote area in Northern Mi with OK servoce but I would like a stronger signal do any of you have some thoughts on what to do.

Cheers
Mike

 

[aacanela73]

Wilson boosters are the best that I have seen so far. They run around three to four hundred but you just have to justify the cost by what you are going to save on having your landline cut off. I have one in my house where outside we don't give enough signal to make a call but in the house we get three bars so they work.

 

[antyoo]

We took the big step of shutting of our landline yesterday. Woth the cost of of line and long distance it was costing us about $50 a month.

We live in a remote area in Northern Mi with OK servoce but I would like a stronger signal do any of you have some thoughts on what to do.

Cheers
Mike

if you have a broadband internet connection get the verizon in home network extender

 

[LrdElderon]

How does that vz network extender work? If it requires broadband I'm assuming it has your phone use voip or at least it converts your normal cell signal into voip to put into the vz network.

Honestly with how highly they seem to regard their network coverage, I would think they would give heavy discounts on those extenders. they are expensive.

 

[KZIWarrior]

How does that vz network extender work? If it requires broadband I'm assuming it has your phone use voip or at least it converts your normal cell signal into voip to put into the vz network.

Honestly with how highly they seem to regard their network coverage, I would think they would give heavy discounts on those extenders. they are expensive.

It is a miniature (low strength) cell phone tower. It simply allows your phone to connect to it rather than an external antenna and then sends the info to VZW network via your ISP. So it will work with all VZW phones.

That's relative... the OP is spending $50/month on the phone, so this would pay for itself in 5 months, that's not really expensive consider the saving over a two year contract. You also have to remember that they are ONLY charging for the hardware (i.e. they are no additional usage fees associate with it). So you have to figure that SEVERAL people are likely to do as the OP (i.e. cancel home service and go strictly cell) so the added network load(s) that this will bring need to be compensated for. Also keep in mind that 'Coverage Maps' are ONLY ever an estimate (and a loose one at that) of OUTDOOR coverage. Carriers make NO claims or guarantees of indoor coverage and MANY people see decreased signals within their homes.

It's also still WAY cheaper than Skype or any other VIOP service (e.g. through your cable company) and has the added convenience of allowing you to truly have only 1 number.

 

[KevinJ]

Yeah, we're looking into this as well. The only reason we are still keeping our land line is that the home theater is in the basement, and I don't have to tell people what kind of signal you can get in a basement. So the land line is there in case we need/want to call someone without going upstairs.

 

[LrdElderon]

How does that vz network extender work? If it requires broadband I'm assuming it has your phone use voip or at least it converts your normal cell signal into voip to put into the vz network.

Honestly with how highly they seem to regard their network coverage, I would think they would give heavy discounts on those extenders. they are expensive.

It is a miniature (low strength) cell phone tower. It simply allows your phone to connect to it rather than an external antenna and then sends the info to VZW network via your ISP. So it will work with all VZW phones.

That's relative... the OP is spending $50/month on the phone, so this would pay for itself in 5 months, that's not really expensive consider the saving over a two year contract. You also have to remember that they are ONLY charging for the hardware (i.e. they are no additional usage fees associate with it). So you have to figure that SEVERAL people are likely to do as the OP (i.e. cancel home service and go strictly cell) so the added network load(s) that this will bring need to be compensated for. Also keep in mind that 'Coverage Maps' are ONLY ever an estimate (and a loose one at that) of OUTDOOR coverage. Carriers make NO claims or guarantees of indoor coverage and MANY people see decreased signals within their homes.

It's also still WAY cheaper than Skype or any other VIOP service (e.g. through your cable company) and has the added convenience of allowing you to truly have only 1 number.

ahhh ok.

Well I understand what you're saying, but I still think vz should subsidize the cost a little bit, It's using your data connection to work after all. plus they should factor in how much money that vz will make itself because they have a customer that will keep their 2 year or whatever contract instead of dumping it since they have no reception at home...etc. I'm too lazy to do math right now, but it would be interesting to see a chart of who really wins out. Does the customer win by paying for it and canceling their landline, or would vz win out just as much if they supplied it for free and as a result kept a customer for 2+ posssibly more years because they now have reception and won't have to cancel. I think vz would make quite a bit even if they subsidized it. It's cheaper then building a new tower hehe

 

[KZIWarrior]

ahhh ok.

Well I understand what you're saying, but I still think vz should subsidize the cost a little bit, It's using your data connection to work after all. plus they should factor in how much money that vz will make itself because they have a customer that will keep their 2 year or whatever contract instead of dumping it since they have no reception at home...etc. I'm too lazy to do math right now, but it would be interesting to see a chart of who really wins out. Does the customer win by paying for it and canceling their landline, or would vz win out just as much if they supplied it for free and as a result kept a customer for 2+ posssibly more years because they now have reception and won't have to cancel. I think vz would make quite a bit even if they subsidized it. It's cheaper then building a new tower hehe

Considering this is brand new I would say it is a HEAVILY subsided product at the moment. When you consider the cost(s) they spent in R&D I doubt they are really making any money with this (again also when considering the extra traffic they will incur on their systems). Don't be surprised to see the price come down after a year or so. And I wouldn't be surprised if 'new' customers could get it a little cheap if they pressed CS within their first 30 days.

 

[antyoo]

I have read some reviews where people say that they got the extender for as cheap as $100, some even said they got it for free.

im sure if you talk to customer service and complain that in and around your home you get very poor reception you can get some kind of discount on the extender.

where i live there is very poor verizon reception in the whole neighborhood despite being in close proximity of 3 different towers(verizon actually sent a tech out to test the signal in the area and confirmed it to be a dead zone). my roommate actually got out of his verizon contract early with out the termination fee because of this and got himself an iphone. im sure i could bring that up and make them give me a good discount. if i could get the extender for $100, i will buy it.

 

[Vulcan1600]

I have read some reviews where people say that they got the extender for as cheap as $100, some even said they got it for free.

im sure if you talk to customer service and complain that in and around your home you get very poor reception you can get some kind of discount on the extender.

where i live there is very poor verizon reception in the whole neighborhood despite being in close proximity of 3 different towers(verizon actually sent a tech out to test the signal in the area and confirmed it to be a dead zone). my roommate actually got out of his verizon contract early with out the termination fee because of this and got himself an iphone. im sure i could bring that up and make them give me a good discount. if i could get the extender for $100, i will buy it.

I got a VZW Network Extender (NE) the first week they became available. My guess it was around April, 2008 while I was still working for VZW. I got no price break and paid $249.99 - it was absolutely the best investment I made to have reliable coverage in our house which was in a very marginal fringe area. Some people were able to get their Network Extender for $50 off at one point, but for the most part, VZW will not bartar pricing on the NE. All it takes is you to have a view of satellites from your window in your house. There's a stock antenna on the NE, but if you cannot get it close to a window, there's quite a long wire extension you can put on and run it to a window to find satellites. You have basically 2 connections, the power connector and a wire going to the router in your home. It is so easy a Caveman can do it. For the O.P. - this is absolutely highly recommended by me personally to invest in one.

 

[sraider]

Does the phone switch to the extender automatically if it has a stronger signal? Or do you have to tell the phone to use the extender?

 

[rstone]

If your thinking of buying one from Verizon you might want to hold off. Samsung is getting ready to release a femtocell that does something Verizons model can't do...offer both 1X and EV-DO service simultaneously. Currently VZW extender only performs 1X. "Samsung's placard says we can expect this to launch in the second quarter of the year."

Samsung's 'combo' femtocell for Verizon in the wild at CES -- Engadget Mobile

 

[johnnyvol]

If your thinking of buying one from Verizon you might want to hold off. Samsung is getting ready to release a femtocell that does something Verizons model can't do...offer both 1X and EV-DO service simultaneously. Currently VZW extender only performs 1X. "Samsung's placard says we can expect this to launch in the second quarter of the year."

Samsung's 'combo' femtocell for Verizon in the wild at CES -- Engadget Mobile

Well, that just answered one question I had, what kind of data transmission rate do these get? I assumed it would be equal to the broadband speed, but apparently not.

Does anyone know the range of these things? I have read enough to know a limited number of calls can be placed through the NE at the same time, 2 or 3 I think is all it can handle at once. I live so far out I doubt anyone else would pick up my signal, but I'd hate to invest in one and it be used more by the neighbors than me.

 

[antyoo]

If your thinking of buying one from Verizon you might want to hold off. Samsung is getting ready to release a femtocell that does something Verizons model can't do...offer both 1X and EV-DO service simultaneously. Currently VZW extender only performs 1X. "Samsung's placard says we can expect this to launch in the second quarter of the year."

Samsung's 'combo' femtocell for Verizon in the wild at CES -- Engadget Mobile

Well, that just answered one question I had, what kind of data transmission rate do these get? I assumed it would be equal to the broadband speed, but apparently not.

Does anyone know the range of these things? I have read enough to know a limited number of calls can be placed through the NE at the same time, 2 or 3 I think is all it can handle at once. I live so far out I doubt anyone else would pick up my signal, but I'd hate to invest in one and it be used more by the neighbors than me.

there are security features to allow only your phones to work with the extender, much like security on a wireless router

 

[Vulcan1600]

You can have 3 dedicated phone numbers assigned to the Network Extender. In my case, that was perfect and all I needed. That way nobody walking by the house can accidentally use it. Yes, it's limited to 1X - although my Blackberry phones would still fly with the browser, not an issue at all. Remember, there's nobody else sharing the 1X signal with you. Now that I have the Droid, I'm using WiFi at the house, so the 1X is a moot point. The Network extender works fine in my house as well as anywhere in my front or back yard.

If you want reliable communications in your house, you don't need to hold out for a different femtocell to come out in the second half of the year. And, especially if you have a Droid you can use wifi like I do.