Comments on: Cell Ranger PORT Signal Booster Review

By: Julie

Julie — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:01:39 +0000

@Frank: For the most part, it really just depends on the phone as far as which ones have the best signal in my house / basement. Nokia as a rule have been the best for me. The iPhone (original) is probably the worst. I’m currently using the Android G1 and it’s about as bad as the iPhone.

By: Frank McPherson

Frank McPherson — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:25:39 +0000

I’ve got another brand repeater in my house to try and boost T-Mobile signal and get similar results. Surprised you have problems with AT&T signal in the basement as I thought 850 Mhz would be stronger, I get good AT&T signal in my basement.

Another thing I notice is that there is little relationship to the “bars” on phones that show signal strength and signal strength as measured by dBm. For example, my G1 will show three of four bars at -95 dBM when as you report that is poor signal.

By: dave88

dave88 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:37:19 +0000

I experienced a similar problem. When I bought my iPhone, I first checked with “Got Reception?” (Gotreception.com) It’s a great resource for finding out where reception problems are most likely to occur BEFORE you lock yourself with a specific carrier.

By: Breeze

Breeze — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:40:02 +0000

I simple set up I’ve used is just attach a truckers cell antenna to the side of a deck outside my basement office. Run a extension to my cell phone. I just leave the phone in charger/sync cradle, and handle all the calls by bluetooth.

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:11:24 +0000

Eric:

The window ledge is metal - painted metal. So the magnet does 'connect' to it. The instructions for the PORT don't say that it's mandatory to connect the antenna to something metal. I'm still pretty sure that if you are in an area with a crappy signal, that the Cell Ranger will not be able to help. It will only help if you can place the rubber ducky in an area with a better signal than where the connector end is located 15 ft away.

By: Eric Watson

Eric Watson — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:20:11 +0000

Julie, the picture of the antenna next to your basement window looks like the antenna is just sitting there. Is there a metal plate under the antenna for the magnet to attach to? I’m willing to bet that performance might be improved with a ground plane under the antenna. That antenna looks like it was made to attach to the roof of a car, the metal roof of which will provide an excellent ground plane at cell phone frequencies.

By: JonK

JonK — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:40:23 +0000

If you have good cell coverage in some areas of your house you can check into some of the new home phones that incorporate bluetooth. The link below is to a home phone system that allows up to 12 home handsets. It will also connect to your cell phone via bluetooth. When someone calls your cell phone (as long as your cell phone is in range of the base unit) your home phone will ring. You can then answer your cell phone using your home phone. This system allows you to leave your cell phone where it gets the best signal in the house.

http://www.amazon.com/AT-TL92328-Bluetooth-Cordless-Answering/dp/B001I4QX4O/ref=pdbbssr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228525386&sr=8-1

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:10:16 +0000

I don’t need cell phone coverage in my office basement bad enough to fork over much more than $100 – $150. ;o) I have good coverage on the main level. I should try leaving my phone upstairs and using a Bluetooth headset downstairs…

Or, I can just use a phone with better signal strength. I’ve noticed that the first gen iPhone is really weak.

By: Breeze

Breeze — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:28:47 +0000

If you go to some of the online dealers depending on the scale of the installation, the cost can be from just a few hundred to over $1000.00. But some of the systems can handle very large buildings. I’ve only purchased small units so far.

By: JonK

JonK — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:15:01 +0000

Thanks for the article Julie.

If you are still interested in a solution to help with your cellular signal, I have another product for you to try. It is called the Wilson 3 Watt Wireless Amplifier / Repeater – Dual Band. It is about double the price, but you will notice much better results.

I work for a large transportation company where our vehicles are often in very rural areas. We used the Wilson 3 Watt Wireless Amplifier / Repeater – Dual Band in our vehicles. We used these amps to help the vehicle computers be connected more often in rural areas. We use both AT&T and Verizon four our cell card carriers. I used this device in a lab environment to prototype the systems. The link I provided below shows this set up as a vehicle amplifier but it can easily be set up in a home office by purchasing an AC adapter.

http://www.alternativewireless.com/cellular-antennas/wilson-antennas/wilsoncellularamplifiers/wilson-vehicle-wireless-repeaters.html

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:14:15 +0000

How expensive are these types of products?

By: Breeze

Breeze — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:11:56 +0000

I the past I’ve had issues with cell phone in various office buildings. What I’ve discovered solves the problem is a sort of repeater system. Using a strong outside antenna, and a inside repeater. This can solve the problem. Another way that I’ve used in my basement is an outside antenna, and an amplifier. I just leave the phone in a charger cradle, and use a blue tooth headset to handle the calls. I’ve bought a variety of amps, and antenna from Wilson Electronics.
http://www.wilsonelectronics.com////Products.php?Type=B