How to get a better mobile signal
BLAYNE SLABBERT finally finds a solution to his poor cellphone reception at home.
Despite living only 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of New Zealand’s second-largest city, I struggle to get a decent cellphone signal at home.
Most of the time I can get only one bar on my phone. If I’m making an important call, I go outside to the edge of our property to ensure it doesn’t cut out.
I can only get a signal from Spark, as Vodafone’s doesn’t reach my house.
There are quite a few homes like this around New Zealand. Our lovely rolling hills make our country pretty but can cause havoc with radio and cellphone signals.
Spark says it gets several queries each week from customers wanting ‘‘a boost’’. It also has plans to roll out more cellphone towers and increase its 4G network.
But until that happens in your neighbourhood, a mobile signal repeater is your best option.
SPARK AND 2DEGREES
The Cel-Fi Repeater is simple, and works with Spark and 2degrees connections. It’s also the only one endorsed by those companies.
It has two components. The main one is placed where your mobile signal is the strongest, and it amplifies the signal to the second unit via a wireless link.
The second component distributes the mobile signal within your home (or business) to any mobile device.
Both need to be plugged into mains power, and they are connected via your wi-fi connection.
It took me only two minutes to set up, and could be one of the simplest gadgets I’ve used.
The results were instant. I got three bars where previously I had one. Sometimes it went up to five, and sometimes down to two.
Don’t get too hung up on numbers, though – the real test is whether a call drops out. I’ve used the repeater for a couple of weeks, and have never had the slightest stutter on my connection. I now make calls wherever I amin the house, rather than hovering in a corner of our lounge or outside on the lawn.
You need have a signal for the repeater to work. It will only boost and repeat what you’ve already got – it won’t make something out of nothing.
Also, Cel-Fi offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can send the device back if it doesn’t help your situation.
So that’s the good news. The bad news is that it costs $946.14. That’s a lot of money for something you are effectively already paying for through your mobile contract.
However, for some people it may be worth it. My wife and I use our phones at home for work, and we need a reliable connection, so for us the repeater is good value.
Also, we don’t have a landline, so the money we save from that offsets the cost.
One other option is to get a landline or hang on to your existing one. In the short term, it is cheaper but a lot less convenient.
A repeater will also ensure that people visiting your home will get a good signal.
VODAFONE
If you’re with Vodafone, you could look at getting the repeater that it sells.
The Sure Signal promises the same as the Cel-Fi, but I wasn’t able to test it, as I don’t get a Vodafone signal at home.
It only costs $199, but you need to have your broadband account with Vodafone for it to work.
CHECK FIRST
There are other devices that promise to do the same thing, but don’t buy them unless they’ve been approved by your provider.
Radio Spectrum Management, which comes under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, says unauthorised devices can cause interference and dropped calls across the wider cellular network. You can also be fined if you install one.
RSM warns that some websites, such as mobilephone signal booster.co.nz, give the impression that their products are approved by Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees.
It recommends that if you are looking to buy a booster, you should check with your provider first.