Cell signal booster recommendation?

[DougMarker]

Can anyone recommend a home cell phone phone signal booster? Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Signal-Booster-Office/dp/B0014KOB6Y/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
AT&T is weak in my neighborhood, and non-existant in my garage. I can usually pre-heat in town (even that is not a sure thing), but works rarely at home. Has anyone tried this?

 

[AP1]

One of these may be better if you have wifi available. For a while, at&t was giving them away free:

http://www.att.com/standalone/3gmicrocell/?fbid=OE9-DbBIvzc

They work.

 

[Elephanthead]

I was told the microcell only works with certain phones, i.e. mostly the iphone. Has anyone confirmed it works with the leaf?

 

[TomT]

No personal experience but a friend of mine on AT&T said it did not help with his Leaf at his no AT&T signal home...

I was told the microcell only works with certain phones, i.e. mostly the iphone. Has anyone confirmed it works with the leaf?

 

[cgaydos]

No personal experience but a friend of mine on AT&T said it did not help with his Leaf at his no AT&T signal home...

I was told the microcell only works with certain phones, i.e. mostly the iphone. Has anyone confirmed it works with the leaf?

I've had an ATT microcell for many years. First, they are "free" only if you already an ATT subscriber and you meet some set of conditions. This wouldn't be a solution for a non-ATT subscriber. Second, the microcell works only for a set of up to 20 phone numbers you program into it, and AFAIK no one has been able to find how to identify the carwings phone number and put it into the microcell. There may not be any actual external number, just an MDN or MIN (internal device numbers used by the ATT GSM network), but the microcell web interface demands an external number. Probably there is an under-the-covers way to get this to work but I haven't been able to figure it out.

Otherwise, the microcell works with any 3G (or later) phone.

 

[DougMarker]

I am going to try a Wi-Ex zBoost YX540. The LEAF uses (nearly antique) 2G for some reason. I read in another post that AT&T will be phasing out 2G by 2017. I wonder if the LEAF could be upgraded to 4G?

 

[cgaydos]

I am going to try a Wi-Ex zBoost YX540. The LEAF uses (nearly antique) 2G for some reason. I read in another post that AT&T will be phasing out 2G by 2017. I wonder if the LEAF could be upgraded to 4G?

Interesting that it uses 2G. Where did you hear this?

I hadn't realized that before, but it makes sense. Most likely this was chosen for maximum coverage, as there are a few places (mostly well outside metro areas and off major freeways) where even 3G isn't available. The amount of data being exchanged has to be very small - no voice, no images, just a few data fields - and thus data speed isn't a factor but of course coverage area is.

Given that it uses 2G the Microcell option is moot.

2G may indeed be phased out in 2017, similar to the phases outs of the old AMPS and CDPD technologies a few years ago. Of course it will be possible to upgrade our Nissan Carwings radios - the only question will be the cost.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Verizon also used a cell booster but it was just that, a booster. it could not create a signal. they also had a device that plugged into your home internet and it rebroadcast a signal like Wi-Fi but it was a cell signal the range was good for 80-100 feet max. the latter I know two people who have them and swear by them. (they live in areas where no cellular carrier penetrates) the booster, I know of a few people who simply say they do not work reliably enough. more of a headache than they are worth

 

[TomT]

I have one of the Sprint Femtocells (free by the way), and it works very well at our house.

 

[DougMarker]

I installed a signal booster 4 days ago. I now have an 86% success rate getting a battery charge update. Before the booster, it only worked 44% of the time.
Still 14% failure rate is pretty high. Does anyone get better?