Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cellular

Using external tv antenna for mobile reception...?

ryanbryan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:01:22 -0800

Is there any way to use my external TV antenna to improve my mobile signal inside my house? Situation: I can receive 3G mobile reception upstairs in my house, but not downstairs... upstairs there is a port that runs to the external tv antenna which isn't being used. Is there any way I can use this (by buying some other kind of equipment obv.) to improve the mobile reception through my whole house?

What do you use your cell phone for?

Decimask — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:10:52 -0800

What do you use your cell phone for? Odd question, I know. Some short background:

I got my first cell about 3 years ago--a super-basic cell with the minimum number of bells and whistles I could find. I have yet to pay a dime on ringtones, games or wallpapers. What I've come to realise is that:

A camera would have been handy

Making calender entries without a QWERTY keyboard sucks

Now I'm planning on moving to a plan of some kind. But I'm seeing features on some phones and wondering: What the hell would I ever need that for?

So, like it says on the front page, what are you using your cell phone for?

Is there a crash course on cellular markets?

pwnguin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:40:32 -0800

I've owned a cellphone for ages, and have largely remained ignorant of the business workings. Is there a crash course on cellular markets? I'm curious how cellular companies work behind the scenes. Do they really build multiple competing "networks", or do they mostly build peering agreements? The latter seems technically possible, given "roaming" implies off network usage. Also of interest to me is whether there's a distinction made for data and voice outside of billing the customer.

What is the best option for temporary Internet?

pbh — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:39:01 -0800

Best cheap, temporary Internet access by dial-up or cell? (In Kittery, ME.) For about a week I will be in a house in Kittery, ME (area code 207) that does not have any sort of broadband Internet. (I don't particularly want to go to the library or a cafe for wifi, so that's not an option.) What is the best way to get temporary, possibly slow Internet at the house for the week?

Relevant details:

Dial-up: My Ubuntu laptop has a modem, though I don't have a dial-up account with local access numbers for Kittery, ME/Portsmouth, NH. The house itself has a phone line. Are there temporary dial-up ISPs, or do I have to sign up for an account with a regular one and then cancel immediately? This thread mentions some explicitly temporary dial-up options, but it looks as though if I'm going to use it for 32 hours-ish most are pretty expensive. I also probably have one or two non-local dial-up numbers I might be able to call---are there any very, very cheap calling cards that would last tens of hours within the US?
Cellular: I have an iPhone, but I haven't jailbroken it so I'm pretty sure it won't tether. Are there any temporary 3G wireless options (or equivalent), or do all of the fast cellular options require having a separate account and buying a USB dongle or PCMCIA card? (This thread mentions some options, but it's a little old and most seem to start at $50+.)

Photos to simple-cell organizers?

tilde — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:48:38 -0800

Are there any digital photo frames out there that don't require direct phone line access, instead accessing the service via the cellular network? I've seen questions about digital frames asked a number of times, but it seems that they do require a phone update, which might be problematic.

A number of users have suggested plug and go - but we can't always get up to update new pictures, and our scheme for mailing out new SD cards is not working out.

Does anyone have a Cameo device or word on anything else that might work to update remotely with as few end-user therbligs as possible? It's looking like I missed the boat on the Cameo here and the Peek turned out to be a bit more than they could handle. :(

AT&T, I DEMAND GOOD PHONE RECEPTION!!!

Zeker — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:54:53 -0800

Cellular reception is horrible in my area. I get at least 2 dropped calls during my commute to work, and every cellphone I've used is generally worthless indoors. What's the best way to pester my service provider into fixing this? I live in central coast California and spend at least 2 hours a day traveling up and down the 101 (between Salinas and San Luis Obispo). If I take an entire trip down the 101 between those two cities, WITHOUT FAIL I will get AT LEAST 2 dropped calls. I've switched cellphones twice (previously a Samsung Eternity, currently a Sony Ericcson slider).

Outside my own home (in the middle of town, I don't live out in the woods or anything) AT&T gives me an average of 2-3 bars out of 5 for reception. Indoors, however, my phone is absolutely worthless. It doesn't matter who's home I'm under, the process I endure to send a single text message consists of either:

A) Gingerly placing the phone on a stationary surface, pressing the send button while simultaneously observing if my finger on the button increases or decreases the reception enough for the message to send.

B) Constantly checking the outbox to ensure that the message went through... and that it went to the right person.

C) Playing peek-a-boo with my single, disappearing reception bar. PEEKAB... awwww it's gone :(..... WHOAH! PEEKABOOOO.... damn, gone agai--- OH GOD! :D PEE--- BASTARD COME BACK!

D) Pacing around the house for a sweet spot. I find that being in front of mirrors improves the chances of getting a signal for some reason. Also, laying the phone on a solid surface increases reception. I think the accelerometer changes how the antenna interacts with the signal... but I dunno, I'm just guessing/talking out of my ass here.

E) Giving up and walking outside.

I honestly feel that my plea will fall on deaf ears if I call AT&T. The only way they'd give a damn is if I'm a big company who has lots of business with them, or if I threaten to cancel my accounts... but lately, they don't seem to respond to that anymore (I call them on occasion for my company and they're still lousy). In fact, I don't feel I should be paying for such a crappy service since it doesn't work as well as promised. Is there anything I can do to get better service? Anyone I can call that would actually do something about it?

PS.

If you work for AT&T... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PASS THIS ON TO YOUR SUPERIORS. I'd switch carriers, but I already signed another slave contract for 2 years and I still got another year to go.

Help me find a prepaid cell that iSyncs

Cogito — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:31:50 -0800

What cellphone can I get to use with a prepaid plan that will work with iSync? My original RAZR is slowly dying, so I'm thinking of replacing it and switching to a prepaid plan (probably Virgin or T-Mobile). I have all my calendars and contacts on my Mac, so I'd really like to be able to sync my phone, but it doesn't seem like any of the prepaid handset offerings are compatible according to Apple's list.

Should I buy a compatible handset separately and then sign up for the prepaid plan? I know this should work for a GSM carrier like T-mobile, but I'm not so sure about Virgin. Any suggestions of specific handsets that work well with iSync (and where to buy, if not available from the carrier) would be great.

Ups and downs of international broadband card rentals?

middleclasstool — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:35:10 -0800

How good are international broadband rental places like wifirents.com? Friend is going to Mexico to do some missionary work, doesn't have a broadband card for his laptop, and doesn't want to get locked into a contract, as he's planning to switch carriers when his current cell plan runs out and get a new smartphone. Meantime, he'd like to have broadband access while he's out of the country.

I'm trying to find him a decent solution, and unfortunately so far can't find anyone in the US that sells mobile broadband cards with international access on a month to month or pre-paid basis. I found wifirents, which sounds like it could work, but have never heard of it and don't want to accidentally rope this friend into a bunch of hidden charges or dodgy service. He's a minister and doing this out of pocket, so he's very much on a budget here.

Has anyone here had experiences with services like this that they'd recommend, or another solution?

Cell me a phone (hur!)

synecdoche — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:18:39 -0800

Recommendations for a minimalist cellular phone and rate plan in Canada (specifically southern Ontario)? My three-year contract with Bell is finally coming to an end in a couple of months and I am in the market for a new cell phone and a new provider. I'm pretty sure Bell is ripping me off completely. My latest bill was $40 for their "Uber 20" plan (100 daytime minutes plus 1000 evening and weekend minutes), plus three text message "events," and voicemail, plus the $8.95 "system access fee."

For this, the service seems really touchy; I don't get very good reception in many locations that other people have no trouble with, and frequently incoming calls just don't make phone (a Samsung A920) ring. (The phone will be sitting in the same place for an extended period of time, and then I get a voicemail notification from ten minutes ago.) I've also had a few frustrating experiences with their customer service and will be glad to be shot of them.

But enough ranting. I'm interesting in thoughts on a low-cost, low-frills cellular phone provider that is preferably not Bell. I don't use my cell phone all that often. Most of the calls I make and receive are short, with the odd exception. I also receive far more calls than I make. I use text messages infrequently (three times in the last month, for instance). I don't make a lot of long distance calls, but when I do, I do it through Yak, a service I am happy with.

I have no interest in a phone that is also an mp3 player, web browser, or even a camera. It seems that all phones have at least some of these features now, but I'd be happy with one that is just, well, a phone. I am interested in call display and possibly voicemail.

What should I do? Pay-as-you go? A minimal rate plan? What company? I am in London, Ontario.

Iphone 30 day contract question

dougiedd — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:57:06 -0800

I bought an Iphone through ATT dec 9th. Found out today i will be in Japan this year starting this spring for one year ATT Contract states:"simply return it either to a store or by mail within 30 days from the date the equipment." I assumed that that meant 30 full days of use (hence return today would be OK, but they insist that it meant 30 calendar days irregardless of what time the phone was picked up or activated, and so they denied my return. Any thoughts on my options? Should the contract not be more clear on precise what 30 days means?

How to unlock an LG KC10 Renoir?

the_epicurean — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:27:42 -0800

I've recently bought a brand new LG KC10 renoir phone, and Orange UK have locked it, so that I can't use any other simcards, any ideas how to free myself from Orange's shackles? I tend to use my work sim(02), much more than the orange one, and would like to be abel to swap the sims freely.

Has anyone had any experience of unlocking it, without paying dodgy dudes on street corners?

Google just seems to bring up pages and pages of adverts for unlocking companies, with no real answers. These fellas must get the information from somewhere, yet I don't seem to be in the club, as it were.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Stuck with overseas cell contract

Witherwings — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:44:47 -0800

I moved to Germany and then moved back to the USA after three weeks. While I was there, I signed up for a two year T-Mobile iPhone contract, because at the time I thought I was staying in Germany. Now I am stuck with an expensive 2 year contract that I can't use. Now that I'm back in the states, I have an expensive paperweight that I am getting no benefit from. I've contacted T-Mobile Germany and the only option they are giving me is to pay for the entire 2 years up-front and then they'll let me cancel. That seems hardly fair, because I am not receiving service for those two years. The only benefit to me is that I get to keep the iPhone.

In my mind, a fair solution would be to pay them for one month of service, and reimburse them for their cost of the iPhone hardware, or to return the phone. It seems they are unjustly gaining from this arrangement since they don't have to provide service.

How should I proceed? Should I just suck-it-up and pay for the whole two years? Should I try to fight it? How? Should I get T-Mobile USA involved?

Contract-less 3G or EVDO internet?

neustile — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:07:32 -0800

Contract-less cellular wireless (3G or EVDO) for laptops -- does it exist? I am in a major city that has good 3G and EVDO coverage everywhere. I need a contract-less wireless connection for my laptop, either a phone that I can tether but never make calls on, or a USB or ExpressCard dongle. I need to pay month to month with no commitment. What can I do?

Where to buy a cellular modem router in the South Bay today.

fief — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:46:56 -0800

Would you share you cellular modem router experiences? Or, where can I find a cellular modem router in the Bay Area today? I need to acquire a cellular modem router in the San Francisco bay area (preferably in the south bay). It will be used to provide network access to a laptop that can not have the card directly connected to it. The connection from the router to the laptop must be ethernet. The cellular provider is AT&T.

And relatedly, do you have experience with cellular modem routers? Which one(s) have you used? What do you like or dislike about it/them? Would you recommend/not recommend it to others?

Help free me from a telco dictatorship, so to speak.

Chamunks — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:41:35 -0800

Rogers Mobile Locked my Blackberry Pearl and Threw away the key, what are some ways for me to unlock my phone. Links and direct solutions are more than welcome I can provide my IMEP key if anyone knows someone with a calculator but thats the only way i can find online and i know there are other, better ways to do this. I recently switched to Fido I know its owned by rogers but they have a better plan for incoming calls which i receive rather frequently more so than i make outgoing calls. They gave me this crummy phone that after using it for a short period of time wish to do some mean things to the people who designed it. Please help me get back to using my blackberry, they dont call em crackberry's fer nothin'.

What is the technical bible of the cell phone industry?

Pastabagel — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:05:25 -0800

Asking for a friend: What is a very good technical text for understanding current and future wireless telephony standards, beginning with the basics about CDMA and TDMA and covering through 3G, LTE, LTE-Advanced, WiMax and beyond? He's looking for the "Bible" of wireless telephony, the equivalent of what Horowitz & Hill is to basic electrical engineering. Thanks.

Utility Company Security?? Who Manages?

dyerfr — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:05:46 -0800

Who runs physical plant security at utility companies?? Think: cell towers, eletrical utilities, water utlities, etc... any company that has remote locations... My company has a product that we'd use to provide secure access to these locations; it is a lock, but one that can provide access only at certain times to people who have been given the right code. We're looking at companies who have these remote areas and need to provide access to vendors, contractors, etc. but would prefer not to give out keys or 'static' codes for locks (and would also prefer not to have to go with the contractor to the site...)

Help a cellular phone newbie

crapmatic — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:08:04 -0800

U.S. cell phone question: Is Tracfone or a major cellular carrier (Alltel is what I am interested in) more economical for a light duty user? The plans are pretty straightforward on the various websites, but I have no idea what kind of fees I'd get hit up for walking into an Alltel store, and it's not clear to me whether I will have to purchase a phone, if they're free, or if they'll pull a shenanigan like making it free but then hitting me up for a leasing fee. I am a total newbie about dealing with the major carriers and I don't know where their nickel & diming kicks in, and I'm not naive enough to think that the $39.95/mo plan will be $39.95 when it reaches my mailbox.

Tracfone has worked for me and I don't feel like I've paid very much having service with them, but they have screwed the pooch with my recent move; they deactivated my phone because it stopped working on the network in my area, and they made arrangements to send me a new one 10 days ago which hasn't come. I guess they're so cheap I could just go to town and get a new Tracfone.

Overall description of my habits: I use about 200 minutes of talk time a month, at best, and about half of that is on the road in neighboring states. I hate talking on the phone and don't use it to chat very much. I do like text messaging though and probably send about 200 a month.

Prepaid MP3-capable cellphone

aerotive — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:53:38 -0800

Looking for recommendations for a prepaid cellular service that has a cellphone that can play mp3s. I have Virgin prepaid at the moment, but they only have one phone that can play MP3s and from what I've read it's terrible.

The phones available in stores around here are basic phones plus a few camera phones. I could not find one prepaid phone that could play mp3s. Verizone, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint are all available where I live and I'm open to any prepaid service running on their or other networks.

A big bonus would be a phone that doesn't require specialized software to transfer and manage files/works with linux.

To Erase, Press Seven

donmateo — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:52:26 -0800

How can I prevent a certain cellular phone service provider from continuing to steal money from my son's college fund, nay, food from his very mouth? AT&T Wireless is sneaking into my family's home at night and robbing us of our dreams for the future. I don't single out this company either. Given our minimal cell phone usage, it appears that any monthly plan available from any carrier in our area would entail absurd overcharging.

Based on the minimum plan, and our level of usage, we have been paying an average of 60 cents per minute to use our phones. There are times when we definitely need the phones. It's just that those times are few and far between. In the meantime we are clearly only helping AT&T CEO Randall L. Stephenson afford the full time janitor to polish the solid gold handles on the flush toilet on his yacht!!!

(Catches breath.) So switching to pre-paid phones would seem to be the only reasonable approach. And now for the questions:

1) Will it be possible to keep our current numbers (this is not a super high priority, we're just curious)?
2) Will it be possible to keep our current phones (which we like) without resorting to some sketchy unlocking technique?
3) How will the change interact with our current indentured servitude, er... contract?
4) Should we stay with AT&T or is there a better pre-paid option?
5) Can anyone recommend any particularly excellent articles/blog posts expressing righteous indignation over the openly racketeering cell phone industry?
6) Is there any citizen/legislative movement happening to put a stop to this egregious consumer bloodletting?

Details:
AT&T Nation 700 Family Talk Plan
His & Hers Sony Ericsson W810i phones
Located in Western Massachusetts

We have asked the internet many of these questions, but now we want to know what the very clever part of the internet thinks.

Please, just a few minutes more?

platinum — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:51:07 -0800

I have cellular service through T-Mobile and have used up all my minutes this month, but there are still a few days before the month rolls over and I need to be able to make some calls for work purposes. What's the most frugal way to make calls without racking up $.35 per minute overage charges for the next few days? In addition to my regular T-mobile phone, I've got an old t-mobile phone with no SIM card and a computer at my disposal and am willing to buy a prepaid card or some other such thing if that's what you recommend!

Dead zone begone.

LGCNo6 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:33:36 -0800

How can I convince a wireless provider to eliminate my dead zone? The dead zone in question is right along the Delaware River (literally right on it), in an area that is surrounded on all sides by coverage by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. T-Mobile is about 10 miles away. However, the problem is that property ON the Delaware River, along pretty much the entire length of the Delaware from Calicoon, NY to Port Jervis, NY, is out of range for all the wireless providers.

Verizon currently comes closest to offering service at my place, but it's not quite there. I'm willing to switch my cellular service to any company that offers workable service, so I want to know what I can do to persuade them to boost their signal/put in a new cell in my area.

Bonus points if you've been successful at doing this.

Cell phone for Japan/HK?

j1950 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:14:00 -0800

I need a cell phone for travel in Japan and Hong Kong. Any advice on where I can get one as inexpensively as possible? I am traveling to Japan and Hong Kong for two weeks in late March/early April. Because of some ongoing family issues in the US, I need a number where I can be reached as well as the ability to call freely back to the US. I don't expect to make a huge number of calls...I just want the option.

Anyone have any advice on where I can get a phone that will be reliable but relatively inexpensive for these two countries? I realize that this probably won't be cheap, but anyway I can save would be nice.

How many SMS messages fit on a floppy?

kenneth — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:19:46 -0800

Mathfilter: How many text messages (SMS) will fit on a floppy disk, or a CD-ROM? Once that number is derived, how much will it cost to send or receive that many messages if a consumer pays per message (American carriers or Intl carriers would be great)? Probably best to assume assume that each message uses the maximum amount of characters permitted (although if you know the minimums allowed, then let's do the math on that as well.) Please show your work.

Nokia N95: is it better than a stick in the eye?

zerobyproxy — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:17:07 -0800

I have serious tech lust. I think I want to get the American version of the Nokia N95. Please help me decide if this is the phone for me. Pros: combines several functions (mp3 player, 5 megapixel camera, 30 fps video, gps, FM stereo, some great applications, pocket version of a VOIP client, web browser, works on 3G on AT&T, bluetooth, micro SD, 1 gig.

Cons: Cost! ($619-$699), have to get an AT&T plan, have to use a sim card from the AT&T plan

I am uncertain about how the phone will function in the states. Nokia has released an American Version (N95-3) which has some nice (extended battery life) features and has done some things that seem not so nice (gotten rid of the sliding lens cover for the camera).

So, if any of you have this phone, would you buy it again? What do you like best? What is a pain? Any support issues on using it in America? Any apps that are "must have"?