Phone Signal Boost in Remote Places

[roadwarrior]

ANYBODY got any ideas how to boost the phone signal while at far flung campsites ? i want to use my phone as a hotspot to my laptop

 

[Nanniemate]

SHOUT LOUDER

 

[roadwarrior]

SHOUT LOUDER

i said boost my signal not piss off my neighbours

 

[Nanniemate]

i said boost my signal not piss off my neighbours

I can do that without shouting it was easy bought a van and parked it on my drive they cannot park there now when I am away working cheeling so n so's had the cheek to moan they had too many cars

 

[donkey]

I know nothing about mobile phones, but would have thought there must be models with external antenna connectivity. Or perhaps not.

Geoff

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

must be models with external antenna connectivity. Or perhaps not.

Certainly use to be and definitely much better signal than today’s phones.

 

[Boris7]

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/internet-booster.235015/

 

[Boris7]

I'm pretty sure you'll find any question relating to mobile internet has already been done to death on this forum already. (this is not a moan btw)

I'm lucky as I always get a better speed than I want/need as I don't want to watch iPlayer, net flex of indeed any other. If I did think I go EE sim and unless I was using sites with wifi I'd look at satellite options.

<Broken link removed>

 

[Gellyneck]

We have four sims in our two mobile phones, one from each of the major carriers - EE, 3, Vodafone and O2 - as it's the only cost effective way to maximise the possibility of mobile signal in a number of areas \ locations in Scotland.
Currently in D&G with from 5 splodges to 0 splodges on the carriers.
Having said that we don't stream using these as the most cost effective option for TV for us was a satellite dish and box and mifi and external aerial for internet.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Mobiles have definitely gone backwards as far as aerials are concerned. When I had the Sony Ericsson K800i there was a little rubber blank on the back for an external aerial, I bought the OEM car holder that accommodated the connection and fitted an aerial on the van roof. Whenever I was in a no service area I just had to use it in the harness

No WiFi on that phone so useless today, was very compact though and a good 3.5mp camera, one of my favourites

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[Pausim]

Signal boosters were illegal in the UK but Ofcom now allow certain types.

Using a repeater to improve your indoor mobile phone signal

Poor or no indoor mobile signal? A repeater could help you get better coverage.

www.ofcom.org.uk

 

[cmcardle75]

ANYBODY got any ideas how to boost the phone signal while at far flung campsites ? i want to use my phone as a hotspot to my laptop

You can fit a MiFi or home broadband router, which will get much better signal. However, it won't use your phone's SIM, so you either need another Data SIM, or to swap your phone SIM into it every time you need it.

 

[John H.]

We use a

TP-LINK M7200 4G LTE MiFi,​

and have a couple of differeny PAYG data SIM cards. Usually one of them will get at least a 3G signal.

 

[Bernie P]

ANYBODY got any ideas how to boost the phone signal while at far flung campsites ? i want to use my phone as a hotspot to my laptop

You have to badger the mobile phone companies who will take note and do nothing!
There is a requirement for the mobile network operators to set up at network of shared mobile phone masts in areas of low population so the 95% of the population can receive 5G eventually. Progress to date has been marginally higher than zero as they're squabbling over funding for construction and operating costs. Basically unless it's a high demand area they aren't interested.
I live in a village of 54 houses on top of a hill, at best we can get is 2-3 bars of 2G and that's rural Leicestershire. Far flung and remote areas! Forget it.

I should add it's like your tap running slowly, you can squeeze it down a smaller tube to make if appear to go faster but its still the same quantity that comes out

 

[MisterB]

we use a netgear M2 and never fail to get a signal, we used it with a MIMO roof mounted aerial

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[TerryL]

Looks like the answer to the OP is no then, unless they want to go for a mifi or similar.

Mobile phone signals are a laugh. We live right next door to Newcastle International Airport but I have to go out into the back garden to get anything. Just got rid of Vodaphone 'cos it's useless and gone to EE - which so far is just as bad! The only service that works is 3 and that can be hit and miss too.

 

[Speve]

Looks like the answer to the OP is no then, unless they want to go for a mifi or similar.

Mobile phone signals are a laugh. We live right next door to Newcastle International Airport but I have to go out into the back garden to get anything. Just got rid of Vodaphone 'cos it's useless and gone to EE - which so far is just as bad! The only service that works is 3 and that can be hit and miss too.

Ours is the same we live in a dip at the bottom of a hill and mobile signals from most providers are rubbish if I’m lucky one bar from Vodafone?

 

[Pausim]

The OP asked about improving the mobile signal to use with a phone hotspot. I have a MiFi but have not used it recently because we have a good data allowances on our phones, so the idea of picking up a weak signal from outside and boosting it around the motorhome appeals. It would also help with keeping in phone contact. Until today I thought these cell signal boosters were illegal but not anymore, see #11 above. I have spent the morning combing the internet for ones that comply with the Ofcom rules i.e CE marked and of course they are not the cheap ones.
This one is my favourite. Any observations?

Vehicle cell phone Signal Booster Nikrans NS-GDW-Drive

Nikrans NS-GDW-Drive is a perfect vehicle signal booster to amplify poor GSM, 3G and 4G in car when you are on the way home, to work or travelling!

www.mobile-signal-boosters.shop

 

[Speve]

This one is my favourite. Any observations?

Not quite that desperate to have a phone signal at that price however some folk need to be in touch all the time and might well consider it a good investment

 

[Pausim]

Not quite that desperate to have a phone signal at that price however some folk need to be in touch all the time and might well consider it a good investment

That is one of our considerations, mil is elderly and has 24 hr care and we need to be contactable.

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[autorouter]

ANYBODY got any ideas how to boost the phone signal while at far flung campsites ? i want to use my phone as a hotspot to my laptop

The basic problem is that mobile phones and phone masts are legally limited in their power output. The only way to get a better signal is to use a better aerial. Most mobile phones can only use their internal aerial, about postage stamp sized.

It's possible to get a much better mobile signal, but it needs a mobile broadband router (mifi), with a larger, better aerial, ideally positioned on the roof. That needs a SIM in it. You could in theory use your phone SIM, but a mifi won't do voice calls. So in practice it's a data SIM with a data package.

If you have a mike and speakers in the laptop, you could do What'sApp voice calls or Zoom calls through the mifi.

If you have a good mifi, aerial and sim with data package, you can enable 'Wifi calling' on your phone and use the mifi connection for your phone calls.

 

[Pausim]

I have ordered a Nikrans signal booster. It may take a week or two before it arrives but I will post some results when I get a chance.

 

[Robb]

I installed a Netgear Nighthawk M5 yesterday with a Poynting PUCK-2 antenna on the roof, blown away with the results!!

 

[Coolcats]

You could choose something like the Teltonika Rut 240 about £120 or the Rut950 £160 (Duel SIM) these are commercial routers and have a host of features including the ability to choose the signal from a mast to get the most stable/best strength of signal. If you are between two masts a router can switch between the two an give a poor signal or if your not techie just leave the setting to automatic. Then just choose an Ariel as Robdob has done either a permanent roof mounted one or one you place on a pole the choice as they say is yours.

 

[MisterB]

I installed a Netgear Nighthawk M5 yesterday with a Poynting PUCK-2 antenna on the roof, blown away with the results!!

Ouch, that hurt my eyes just looking at the price ........

is it £400 better then the M2, based on a quick price search ? Looks good though ........

what price did you pay? was it a bundle deal or do you also have to pay for data?

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[Coolcats]

Ouch, that hurt my eyes just looking at the price ........

is it £400 better then the M2, based on a quick price search ? Looks good though ........

what price did you pay? was it a bundle deal or do you also have to pay for data?

The net gear nighthawk range are great peace’s of kit and would not knock anyone for investing in them. However the Teltonika range are great bits of comericail kit. For around £200 (router / Ariel) you will have a robust set up. But having said this people do and quite rightly buy on known and trusted brands

 

[Robb]

£700 on Amazon, £583 less the VAT which is the number that changed my mind from M2 to M5, 5G also helped along with a few good YouTube reviews! The antenna was £70 and between them both my speed has improved x10+, I saw over 200 mbps after initial installation yesterday. I'm hoping this will also boost the signal reception, but not sure how to test that one. I have unlimited data sims for both EE and Vodafone, so hopefully I'll never get caught out without that all important signal.

 

[MisterB]

£583 LESS VAT or was that the price after VAT was deducted (assuming you can claim back VAT payments)? i know i cant !!

 

[Robb]

Yes, £700 including VAT

 

[Trevor Wbm]

One option is to look at Manx Telecom SIM cards - they behave like 'foreign' ones in the UK so will roam to any available network, which saves having SIMs for the 3 main networks.
The other simple option is height - not taking the mickey - it's not unheard of in the canal boating community to put a MiFi dongle or phone in a water tight box and hoist it up in the air on a shaft. Even a sensible length aluminium pole on clamps will improve things. However, keep in mind if you've got a plastic van the WiFi should get inside from the top of the pole, but if it's a steel body you may struggle.
Last but not least, all the providers have coverage maps, so if you have a choice of sites that might be the decider.

As an aside, also keep in mind that the operators use high frequencies with short range but lots of bandwidth in urban areas, and lower frequencies with better range but less bandwidth in rural areas. In both cases you are competing with other users affiliated to the same mast. If you've ever got something to do that really needs a good connection, head for a town and don't try it when all the kids come out of school!

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