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Cell signal boosters inside the shop?

huleo

Hot Rolled
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Location
UT
It is getting more and more ridiculous trying to get signal. We are already less than optimal in our area and inside the shop is next to impossible to get signal.

What have you guys used or tried?
 
It is getting more and more ridiculous trying to get signal. We are already less than optimal in our area and inside the shop is next to impossible to get signal.
I'm surprised you are not overjoyed. No more complaints "I can't talk to Mom while working ! I was in the middle of an important online card game when the signal faded ! Waaa !"

I thought the shop was for making parts ?
 
If you need service on your phone, get any modern phone that's 2 or less generations old, install some WiFi access points, and do all your calling/texting/surfing over WiFi... Much faster, more reliable, and cheaper.
 
I just bought a range extender from Amazon and it works fairly well although I am not all indoors with it. I bought a house next door to mine and wanted internet in it and my router at home wouldn't reach so I added the repeater. It's about 250 feet away from the home router and has to go through two walls but it works. It is a Netgear N300 range extender and only cost about $20. Easy to hook up too.
 
If you need service on your phone, get any modern phone that's 2 or less generations old, install some WiFi access points, and do all your calling/texting/surfing over WiFi... Much faster, more reliable, and cheaper.

Thats what I was thinking. When I got my new phone, I didn't want to set up Wi-Fi calling, it just seemed wrong..

But it works. At the shop, once in a while I just couldn't get a good signal, now thats not a problem.

At home, if I was on a call, either inside or outside, I had to stay on either the west end of the house,
or the east end of the house, there is about a 3 foot wide strip that runs north-south that just never has
a signal. Really sucked when I was on the couch talking on the phone, and I needed a beer, I either had to
interrupt whoever I was talking to, or risk making the 3 foot gap without dropping the call on the way to
the frig. With Wi-Fi calling, thats not a problem anymore.
 
Same as other have said, Netgear wireless router and turn WiFi on your phone
 
I'm no help with the booster. I've had employee's ask when I was going to "fix" our cell reception. I act dumb and remind them that the land line is available for work related calls and emergencies, and the wireless network is available for looking up information online.
 
I should share an example to highlight the issue.

Customer is meeting with me to discuss a project. He needs to call his office to clarify something. We no longer have land lines. He either has to go outside to use his phone or use mine if I use wifi calling on mine. Otherwise, everyone that walks in the door needs to setup on our router, correct? Is there a work around here?
 
A cell booster will only boost 1 service. So if your customer isn't on the one you have installed, it wouldn't help anyways.

We deal with this issue a lot at food facilities. Not in their provider, not getting service.


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
I should share an example to highlight the issue.

Customer is meeting with me to discuss a project. He needs to call his office to clarify something. We no longer have land lines. He either has to go outside to use his phone or use mine if I use wifi calling on mine. Otherwise, everyone that walks in the door needs to setup on our router, correct? Is there a work around here?

Make a guest network. Name it "Shopname - Guest". Make the password something easy to remember, like "ShopNameGuestPass1234". Give this to vendors/clients when they visit and need it.
 
A cell booster will only boost 1 service. So if your customer isn't on the one you have installed, it wouldn't help anyways.

We deal with this issue a lot at food facilities. Not in their provider, not getting service.


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Not true, I use a weBoost cell booster for my home for my cellular service and it works with all carriers.

Using wifi isn't an option for me as I currently have no internet available where I live. Other than paying out the nose for satellite until my utility company completes it's project to run it's own fiber lines, and who knows how many years that will be.
 
Wifi, assumes you have good internet. Buddy tries to use wifi calling here, not very good at all. DSL service that is supposed to be "Up To" 5mbs, usually 2-3mb, sometimes 0.3mbs and no good alternatives around here yet. Waiting for the TV Whitespace stuff to happen or Starlink...

I have a single band boosted repeater with a high gain antenna on roof, I get 2-3 bar signal outside shop and 5 bar inside. they do make some dual band repeaters as well which will cover more phones. Mine is for Us Cellular and seems all but people on AT&T use it just fine.
 
Not true, I use a weBoost cell booster for my home for my cellular service and it works with all carriers.

Using wifi isn't an option for me as I currently have no internet available where I live. Other than paying out the nose for satellite until my utility company completes it's project to run it's own fiber lines, and who knows how many years that will be.
That's great, I need to look into it.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
I have a single band boosted repeater with a high gain antenna on roof, I get 2-3 bar signal outside shop and 5 bar inside. they do make some dual band repeaters as well which will cover more phones. Mine is for Us Cellular and seems all but people on AT&T use it just fine.

JP, can you give a little detail on your antenna setup? I need to do similar at my place.
Thanks, Jason
 
Using wifi isn't an option for me as I currently have no internet available where I live. Other than paying out the nose for satellite until my utility company completes it's project to run it's own fiber lines, and who knows how many years that will be.
Do you have decent cellphone service ? If you get at least 4G, they have routers that take a SIM card, give you fairly decent local wireless that's fed by the phone service. I use about 3gb a month that way, was $35 a month in Canada, $15 in China. Cheaper than landline internet and works as good as dsl.
 
Thats what I was thinking. When I got my new phone, I didn't want to set up Wi-Fi calling, it just seemed wrong..

But it works. At the shop, once in a while I just couldn't get a good signal, now thats not a problem.

At home, if I was on a call, either inside or outside, I had to stay on either the west end of the house,
or the east end of the house, there is about a 3 foot wide strip that runs north-south that just never has
a signal. Really sucked when I was on the couch talking on the phone, and I needed a beer, I either had to
interrupt whoever I was talking to, or risk making the 3 foot gap without dropping the call on the way to
the frig. With Wi-Fi calling, thats not a problem anymore.
Move your fridge over next to the couch.:D
 
Do you have decent cellphone service ? If you get at least 4G, they have routers that take a SIM card, give you fairly decent local wireless that's fed by the phone service. I use about 3gb a month that way, was $35 a month in Canada, $15 in China. Cheaper than landline internet and works as good as dsl.

I live in a low spot near a lake and am 5 miles from the nearest Sprint tower, 3 miles from the nearest AT&T tower, and 2.5 from a Verizon tower. Non of them get very good reception for me. My neighbors that live near me have air-broadband for their houses by using 40-60 foot towers to get up above the tree line. I cannot afford that just yet.

I have my cell booster on top of my roof pointed towards my tower and it gives me great reception for phone calls, but my data connection is still very spotty. I use tethering from my phone for my internet needs. Some days it'll work great, other days I'll wish I had 14.5k. Sprint has the best teal for tethering data with a 50Gb limit, unlike Verizon with I think maybe 20Gb for almost the same price. But I never can use that much data due to some days I'm lucky if I can even get a page of pure text to load in 10 minutes.
 
JP, can you give a little detail on your antenna setup? I need to do similar at my place.
Thanks, Jason

They dont have my exact setup anymore but this is my outdoor antenna, which is only single band. Just point it toward nearest tower. Mine is on a pole just above roof peak.
Building Mounted Antenna | 301111
This one works similar but multi band
High Gain LPDA Antenna | 311228

Indoor I have something like this, but mine doesnt have the extra inside antenna, just the booster with a small whip on it.
Home MultiRoom Cell Phone Signal Booster | 470144
 
I am on the opposite side of the fence, I would want to have NO cell reception in shop (or house). Nothing is more annoying than someone answering and talking on a cell phone when you are talking with them.
I think it would be nice to have a button to push that would make the cell call be dropped if someone is rude enough to answer a call in the middle of conversation.

This is a site with a fair amount of info on wireless and cell phones and their signals, mostly health related but other good info is there as well.
Welcome to Create Healthy Homes
 
My metal clad building can't get a signal inside despite the fact that I can get full bars outside and the tower is 2 miles away.
I bought a unit from these folks. About 5 years now.
An antenna goes outside aimed at the cell tower.
Line runs inside to a unit that then sends signal throughout.
They should have a unit that fits your needs.
I called and asked some dumb questions before purchasing.
Good luck.
Wilson Signal Booster | Official Store
 








 
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