Mobile phone reception. (1 Viewer)

May 4, 2015
1,195
1,553
North Yorkshire
Funster No
36,190
MH
A Class
Exp
since 2000
We have very bad phone reception at our house in France. It is a walk to the bottom of the garden when we need to make a call.
Is there anything I can buy to boost reception. If it makes any difference I have an iPhone, himself has a Moto G, we are both on Three.
 

icantremember

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 2, 2010
8,318
17,526
Near to Watton in Norfolk
Funster No
13,512
MH
Hymer T-SL668
Exp
since 2005
I have a poor Vodafone signal at home, so they have supplied a "Sure Signal" which is connected through wifi and gives me a good 3G signal ... I don't know if Three provide a similar device but worth asking.
 

DJA

Mar 5, 2011
659
1,010
Funster No
15,533
MH
A
Exp
Since 2008
Hi @Casper46

3 I think have a unit called a Home Signal Box similar to the Vodaphone Sure Box which is available for people who have problems with a 3 signal at home. I think you problem may be that it may not work in France but you could ask them. It is in effect a Box which you connect to your Wifi router and when you enter the house detects your phone and if the signal is poor takes over for both in and out calls. It used to be free if you had a poor signal here in the UK don't know what their reaction would be to you needing it for France.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Flamenca

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 21, 2013
1,266
804
Europe
Funster No
26,598
MH
Hymer 564
Exp
Since 2010
I believe that Three have a mobile phone app which can be used for calls on their network when the phone is connected to the internet.
 
Oct 26, 2014
1,844
3,173
Dumfries and Galloway
Funster No
33,996
MH
Pilote P696GJ
Exp
2014
We have very bad phone reception at our house in France. It is a walk to the bottom of the garden when we need to make a call.
Is there anything I can buy to boost reception. If it makes any difference I have an iPhone, himself has a Moto G, we are both on Three.
assuming you have wifi in your french property your I Phone should have wifi calling which allows you to make and receive calls via the internet unless its an early model.
 

DBK

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 9, 2013
17,968
47,804
Plympton, Devon
Funster No
24,219
MH
PVC, Murvi Morocco
Exp
2013
We have very bad phone reception at our house in France. It is a walk to the bottom of the garden when we need to make a call.
Is there anything I can buy to boost reception. If it makes any difference I have an iPhone, himself has a Moto G, we are both on Three.
Swap to Vodafone, they use Orange in France. But check the Orange signal first of course. :) If you don't know anyone locally with a phone on Orange buy a cheap Vodafone top up card from the UK and give it a try. You may have to manually select Orange the first time you connect. Your existing number can be transferred. :)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
Casper46
May 4, 2015
1,195
1,553
North Yorkshire
Funster No
36,190
MH
A Class
Exp
since 2000
Thanks everyone. I do have wifi in France but it struggles, probably something to do with the thickness of the walls. When we go back I will try the phone in the same room as the router.
 
Jan 28, 2008
10,104
18,259
Dovercourt, Harwich, UK
Funster No
1,353
MH
Renalt burstner
Exp
7 years campers before that
you can try setting it manually to a different network for android its settings/more networks/mobile networks/network operators/search networks
no idea for apple,i think it connects to whoever charges three the least rather than which has the best signal
 
Feb 29, 2012
358
225
Reading & Surgeres France.
Funster No
20,006
MH
Hymer 584
Exp
Motor homing since 1998.
How about a French sim ? Free is a cheap network, mobile.free.fr I think you can buy & top up via machines in supermarkets. Intermarche near us certainly do.
Contract is 2€ / month. not sure of allowance but neighbours use & are happy with it.
Barrie.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Feb 11, 2017
1,036
989
Cumbria
Funster No
47,264
MH
Carthago C Tourer
Exp
2008
assuming you have wifi in your french property your I Phone should have wifi calling which allows you to make and receive calls via the internet unless its an early model.
Think you’ll find it only works on iPhone 5C & later - said the man with the iPhone 5!
 
Oct 26, 2014
1,844
3,173
Dumfries and Galloway
Funster No
33,996
MH
Pilote P696GJ
Exp
2014
It’s an IPhone 6plus, so it should work. I may be better boosting my WiFi around the house so I can use the phone further away from the router.
You will need to have the Phone connected to the router for Wi-Fi calling to work and the 6 plus does have this facility

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

PeteH

Free Member
Nov 22, 2007
6,853
9,029
East Riding of Yorkshire
Funster No
900
MH
Rapido, 999M.
Exp
18+yrs plus 25+Towing
Any Idea where your nearest "Cell" aerial Is.? If you cannot "see" it, then that is part of the issue. All Cell phones are pretty much Line of sight (or so I am told). There was a local report recently of a Farmer who could only boost his signal by placing his own repeater station on the hill between his farm and the Cell Tower. Having done so, he got better broadband speed than his landline!.
 

sallylillian

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 29, 2011
3,944
5,013
Falmouth, Cornwall
Funster No
18,670
MH
Palace Liner 90LO
Exp
2011
As you are roaming go into the select operator bit and whilst in the house find another provider that the phone will let you connect to, it will then stay on that. I often find that Three's favourite roaming partner is crap and change it to a provider of known provenance in the country. So for example when I am in Spain I always flip it to Movistar. In France SFR is a good choice from memory.
 
OP
OP
Casper46
May 4, 2015
1,195
1,553
North Yorkshire
Funster No
36,190
MH
A Class
Exp
since 2000
Any Idea where your nearest "Cell" aerial Is.? If you cannot "see" it, then that is part of the issue. All Cell phones are pretty much Line of sight (or so I am told). There was a local report recently of a Farmer who could only boost his signal by placing his own repeater station on the hill between his farm and the Cell Tower. Having done so, he got better broadband speed than his landline!.

We live at the highest point in the Charente Maritime, but we have buildings blocking any signals. The only obvious aerial is on the opposite side of the water tower. We are not on our own, if we are at our French neighbours they often run out into the garden to answer the phone.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

MillieMoocher

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 18, 2015
1,118
10,634
West Yorkshire
Funster No
37,199
MH
Autosleeper Kingham
Exp
40 years under canvas: Motorhome 2016 To 2020
assuming you have wifi in your french property your I Phone should have wifi calling which allows you to make and receive calls via the internet unless its an early model.
OMG. I’ve had iPhones for years and we have a poor signal at home (only works upstairs in one room, with one bar of reception only). Have just changed phone setting, and on Swmbo’s, and we now have usable mobile phones in the house .

Thanks so much for the tip!
 

PeteH

Free Member
Nov 22, 2007
6,853
9,029
East Riding of Yorkshire
Funster No
900
MH
Rapido, 999M.
Exp
18+yrs plus 25+Towing
We live at the highest point in the Charente Maritime, but we have buildings blocking any signals. The only obvious aerial is on the opposite side of the water tower. We are not on our own, if we are at our French neighbours they often run out into the garden to answer the phone.

Now, Here, They would have put it on the top of the tower. But then with their usual Napoleonic thinking that would not occur to the French authorities would it?.
 
OP
OP
Casper46
May 4, 2015
1,195
1,553
North Yorkshire
Funster No
36,190
MH
A Class
Exp
since 2000
Now, Here, They would have put it on the top of the tower. But then with their usual Napoleonic thinking that would not occur to the French authorities would it?.

You have to take into account that the main village (30 houses) is at our side of the water tower, whilst the mayor lives at the opposite side. Like lots of French communes, what the mayor says goes. Our mayor was voted out 5 years ago, but is still in post.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

DJA

Mar 5, 2011
659
1,010
Funster No
15,533
MH
A
Exp
Since 2008
Sorry to be putting a possible damper on this but apparently 3 have just introduced this Wificalling facility doing away with the need on some phones for their InTouch app but they say this is for the UK. I suspect that it may not work in France or elsewhere. If you cannot manually lock onto another provider Three's phones have been supplied unlocked for the last 2 years so maybe purchasing a French sim may be the answer if you can get a decent signal from someone.

Three says that its new service will work with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, LG's G5 and iPhones including the 5C, 5S, 6, 6S and 7 and 7 Plus. It has also promised that the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will be compatible from mid-February.
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top