Is there a cellular signal booster?

[gmckay]

My cellular signal coverage in my home (and on my street) is very low. 

Is there a way to boost the signal when at home with an approved device for this purpose on the Rogers Network?  I have both iPhone and Android handsets.

I've heard somewhere about a femtocell that can utilize wifi and switch the communications through the ISP network.  Is this something Rogers provides or is considering?

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[hoangkevinn]

I was wondering the same thing. 

I live in my basement and there is little to no reception down here.

Is there something we can buy and install?

[gmckay]

I hope someone will answer this...I've done a bit more research on 'femtocells'..and here is what I get.

Femtocell

A micro-cellular base station, typically designed for use in residential or small business environments. It connects to the service providers network via broadband (such as DSL or cable). Femtocells typically support two to five mobile phones in a residential setting and allows service providers to enhance service coverage indoors, especially where access would otherwise be limited or unavailable. Femtocells are an alternative to UMA for delivering Fixed Mobile Convergence in that they do not require use of a dual-mode (WiFi-enabled) handset.

Verizon offer a Samsung manufactured Femtocell transciever for $250 to their customers...and the feedback is excellent.

Rogers?

[Chris · Accepted solution]

We have something like this http://www.wilsonelectronics.com////Products.php?Type=B
at work to boost the signal while inside the building. It works pretty well. I moved up a couple bars in signal and the guys in the back who had no signal can now use their phones..

[Donsquest]

Yes and no! 

I called Rogers and spoke with Rogers Sales, then Technical support. Neither had heard of femtocells. The Sales rep had no idea if such a product even existed, then transferred me to tech support. I again explained what femtocells were and he put me on hold. When the Tech support guy returned he confirmed Rogers does not support femtocells but said there was a coverage extender or signal booster type product available in most stores, although he wasn't sure what the product was actually called.

Earlier I had sent an email request to Rogers asking about femtocells, their reply is below:

Unfortunately femtocells is not a supported feature at Rogers.  We
currently support UMA which works similar to femtocell but will only
work on a limited amount of devices.  The service is called Talkspot. 
Please click on the following link for more information.
https://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/talkspot

I followed the link and it sounds like a step in the right direction ... but it only has a 30 metre range and only works with two select phone models.

[Pauly]

Rogers IS familiar with Femtocells. However, the departments you spoke with do not know much about them or nothing at all. They won't give you any info, because its not something they offer, and they tend to not speculate on any future offerings either.

A product called spotwave is a known cell repeater. I've used one before. it has an antenna that picks up a weak signal, and amplifies it to another area like indoors where the signal is non-existant.

Be sure to click Likes for those who have helped you!
Click Accept as Solution for posts that have solved your issue(s).

[palves]

I bought one of these for my cottage (Wilson Electronics).

Bestbuy in the US sells these in there stores.

It comes with an external antenna, 50 feet of coaxial cable, and an indoor base station that plugs into the wall.

Works quite well, but I've noticed the 200$-300$ options you should be sitting near the base station.

Wilson electronics has other very expensive options that repeat the signal a lot more, but can't complain for the 200-300$ I spent.

I don't drop any calls now, where as before I had issues

Paul

[NancyM]

Sorry but I DO NOT feel I should pay even more to Rogers to make sure my cell phone works near or in my home! Rogers calls this a solution?! I am fed up with Rogers. I have a simple voice only phone, use it ONLY when I find reception and am charged on average $60 month. So...their solution to the terrible or non existent coverage near my home is to charge me MORE so I can use the phone. I am switching to another, more reliable service provider.

[Chris]

@NancyM this is not Rogers solution this is just a solution. Rogers solution is for you to call them and report dead coverage areas and hopefully they address the issue.

[NancyM]

I have tried many many times. No solution was offered so I am now going to change providers even if I have to pay to leave my contract.

[Pauly]

Have you considered Rogers Wi-Fi Calling service and hardware? also known as UMA?  If not, then your being a cry baby because it will SOLVE your coverage issue, and all you need is a wi-fi router which you probaly do have, and a UMA compatible phone which you might need to buy, and a uma option on your account.  hope this helps.

[NancyM]

So..if I change to a wifi compatible phone and have a wifi router in my home...I should be able to call my MY5 numbers through the wifi connection no charge WITHOUT subscribing to Talkspot..? This is good information for me since I am looking at different phone options. Now I realize that wifi capability is important. Thank you

[Pauly]

I repeat, NOT WIFI COMPABLE Phone.  it must specifically state UMA COMPATIBLE, OR FIDO UNO / ROGERS TALK SPOT OR ROGERS WI-FI CALLING COMPATIBLE.

ITS WIFI, BUT IT ROUTES VOCIE TRAFFIC OVER THE WI-FI TO A SPECIAL NODE-B

[MetalEye]

That's not very nice to call them a cry baby...I agree with them, I live 5 minutes from Downtown Winnipeg and I don't get reception at home, I don't think I should have to pay an additional $15-$20 to get service which I assumed I would be getting when I signed my 3 year contract. When I got home and told Rogers that I didnt get reception and wanted out of my contract, they said no...I'm stuck on a 3 year contract, paying aprox $100/month, and I can't even use my phone at home.

In my opinion, it was absolutely horrible that Rogers wouldn't let me out of my contract.

[edward_gsm]

from what i know there is...

but you have to buy or setup a repeater of some sort in your house

[signalpro]

Unfortunately the carriers cannot do anything about bad signals in buildings.

You can get affordable signal boosters at www.signalpro.ca

For as low as 299$ you can get a booster that works with all carriers (Bell, Telus, Rogers) and it covers 1500 square feet.

If you want to cover a larger area there are other models.

We bought 3 commercial ones for our company and they work great. We went from no bars to full.

I hope this helps

Peter

[mcgowanrosemary]

So if I go to a Rogers store can they provide a "plug in the wall" solution to a poor/no network signal I.e. antenna?

[George500b]

Yes, it's a pretty easy problem to solve. You just need a repeater system to bring the downlink signal down into the building, basement, parking garage etc. and more importantly, to bring the cell phone's weak cell uplink back outside the building materials and throw it back at the cell tower. When you drop a call, it's common thought that you have lost the cell tower, but almost always it's the cell tower that has lost your weak cell phone. Think of it this way. The cell tower is a monster 60 Watts output power and your cell phone is a very weak 0.5 Watts output power, so naturally the cell tower would of course be much more likely to lose the cell phone and not the other way around. There is no comparison between the output power from the tower to the weak cell phone. So, a good repeater system will bring approx. 8-15 Watts of downlink signal into your building, but MORE importantly, it will bring approx. 8-15 Watts (amplified with the repeater) of uplink through the building material to your roof antenna, and throw it right at the Rogers tower in a condensed cone (unlike the cell phone) to prevent dropped calls and give a much faster rate of data.

It's just a matter of amplification of the proper frequencies.

Here's a link for high output repeater systems for Rogers:

http://www.magicwireless.ca/

[signal121booste]

Signal boostr device is avialable for boosting the signals of your cell phone. This is th very advanc technlogy to boost up your cell phone signals.You canbuy cell phone signal booster from Cell phone booster store.

[MikeD84]

Uniden Cellular makes some great signal Boosters. I use one for my cottage and it fixed any signal issues we had. Was also pretty easy to install.

I got mine here:

http://unidencellularbooster.ca/

I'm not sure if rogers have them but these guys work with all carriers

[silversrfr]

I would be very careful before choosing a booster kit, there is no garantee it will work.

About Uniden.  Their garantee is basically a scam, IF you can't get it working (you still can't get better signal) they will repeatedly try to convince you to buy a stronger, or better device, until the 60 day garantee period has passed and you're stuck with an expensive lot of equipment that you couldn't get working.

The no questions asked return garantee becaomes a 60 days for them to get you working garantee.  I have no issues with them trying to get you working, but they will then say you garantee period is up, so you're stuck with the equipment, or trying their upgrades.