Signal Booster

root69

Hi all,
I am looking for a solution for the lack of signal inside my home.
I have no signal inside my home. I have Vodafone, Three and Meteor mobiles.

I dont care about data connection. Only for calls.

Does anyone been using any signal boosters? If so anything that would serve the 3 networks? Or I am looking at buying separate hardware for each provider?

thanks

wandererz

There are signal boosters out there but i think that for the most part they are not licensed for use and can be expensive.

With Vodafone you have the option of using a SureSignal unit which creates a local cell in your home and routes the calls to Vodafones network via your broadband connection.

It works (most of the time) but Vodafones support is useless when you do have a problem.

Unless you have Vodafone broadband, the unit costs approx €100.

root69

wandererz wrote: »

There are signal boosters out there but i think that for the most part they are not licensed for use and can be expensive.

With Vodafone you have the option of using a SureSignal unit which creates a local cell in your home and routes the calls to Vodafones network via your broadband connection.

It works (most of the time) but Vodafones support is useless when you do have a problem.

Unless you have Vodafone broadband, the unit costs approx €100.

Thank you.
I am aware of Vodafone solution. But it is limited to Vodafone.
But thanks. I will look around a bit more.

A cow called Daisy

Similar question folks, but this time with O2. Very poor here, especially indoors, and particularly so when trying to down load or look up stuff on internet. Any advice appreciated. Contract due for renewal but kinda stuck with O2 as best of bad lot. Tesco a close second.

root69

A cow called Daisy wrote: »

Similar question folks, but this time with O2. Very poor here, especially indoors, and particularly so when trying to down load or look up stuff on internet. Any advice appreciated. Contract due for renewal but kinda stuck with O2 as best of bad lot. Tesco a close second.

Hi,
if you are looking for something just for one network provider (O2), I would give them a ring. I think they have something, they call cell repeater. It is for the same end.

ruairi

Seemingly Vodafone and O2 both have solutions for this, but both are tied to their network exclusively. Having poked around a bit, I can't find any network-agnostic device at a relatively decent price other than this: http://www.repeaterbooster.com/pp/6-Mini-GSM-2100-Mobile-Repeater.html, which is sold in the UK. They'll ship to Ireland but that's no guarantee that it's legal to use here.

So the problem then remains that there does not appear to be any information available on whether or not I can use this for private use without applying for a licence or exemption, and even were I to decide to go through all of that, our wonderful Dept of Communications does not provide any information on this on their rather abysmal website.

Does anyone know where I could find more information on this short of engaging a solicitor?

root69

HI all,
still no luck on this topic..
I found an old thread on the same topic but leads nowhere specific...
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055448552&page=2

I found some devices that will do it but my concern is if by doing this I am doing something illegal. Like ruairi said, it is not clear if this is allowed or not.
http://www.ukboosterrepeater.com/3G_GSM_Repeater/cat2310921_2104846.aspx


On this website, it stated that broadcasting GSM signals is not allowed. But non of it specifies is its commercial or private use or the frequencies or ranges included.
http://www.comreg.ie/radio_spectrum/exemptions.541.488.html

But than are we saying that broadcasting our internet signal via a router is also not the right way to go?

ruairi

root69 wrote: »

I found some devices that will do it but my concern is if by doing this I am doing something illegal. Like ruairi said, it is not clear if this is allowed or not.

So I've received some advice from someone with specialist knowledge on the topic. Apparently the use of 3G repeaters in Ireland is not legal, however it is also not prosecuted except in cases where it creates reported interference. An incorrectly fitted 3G repeater can cause interference, and this is what is most likely to cause you trouble.

However, Vodafone's offering is apparently - for reasons I don't understand - not classed as a 3G repeater and is fully legal for use (possibly because it doesn't actually rebroadcast anything?). It channels your mobile signal back over your broadband to the mobile network, and I don't know how effective it is. Others may be able to provide assistance here.

root69

ruairi wrote: »

So I've received some advice from someone with specialist knowledge on the topic. Apparently the use of 3G repeaters in Ireland is not legal, however it is also not prosecuted except in cases where it creates reported interference. An incorrectly fitted 3G repeater can cause interference, and this is what is most likely to cause you trouble.

However, Vodafone's offering is apparently - for reasons I don't understand - not classed as a 3G repeater and is fully legal for use (possibly because it doesn't actually rebroadcast anything?). It channels your mobile signal back over your broadband to the mobile network, and I don't know how effective it is. Others may be able to provide assistance here.

Thank you.
In the end it is up to us and luck to be caught or not :P
But I understand why. Somehow agree, if the interference levels are that high.. I assume if they are that high it also can not be very healthy to have all that waves around in house.