Boosting a Cell Phone signal in Quebec
July 1, 2022 6:07 PM Subscribe
We have cottage in Quebec where we get a very weak cell phone signal. We would like to get a better cell phone signal. This, I assume, involves installing some sort of booster somewhere on the property. Can you help me figure out how to do this?
We have no internet access at the cottage and nothing much is available. Our cell phones (preferably used as hot spots) are our way to communicate with the outside world. We mostly text and browse so boosting our data signal is really the ultimate goal. We don't need to stream Netflix or anything like that. Our bandwidth usage would be somewhat low.
Please talk to me as if telecom is something I know absolutely nothing about because, well, telecom is something I know absolutely nothing about. I am generally Good With Computers but mostly hate doing anything technical with computers. I'd prefer the easiest solution available that is also reliable.
I am currently in the US but will be in Canada later in the month. My wife is currently in Canada.
To acquire this device my preference, in order, would be:
1. Buy it in the US, have it shipped to my home in the US, I bring it up and install it when I get there.
2. Buy it in the US, have it shipped to Canada where my wife can either install it or wait until I get there.
3. Send a link to the exact item to my wife, she buys it and has it shipped to the cottage.
I see on Amazon there are many different types of cell phone boosters. Most of these seem to say they work with "most/all US carriers." Some googling shows me there are similar devices that work in Canada. Can I buy a Canadian one in the US?
Do these devices even work? I assume I would install it somewhere in the cottage where I get a weak signal and it would boost it so that my phone, elsewhere in the cottage, would get a stronger, more consistent signal? I assume this works because the device has a much stronger antenna than my phone?
I'd prefer something you've actually used. Assume I've done some googling and looked at the first few hits.
Links to the exact device with "get this, install it and you're good to go" would be best. I do not want anything I have to hack, jailbreak, re-program, recompile, or otherwise mess with. Although I am Good With Tools I'm not going to build anything out of a Pringle's can and aluminum foil. Plug and play is what I want. If I can't have that I'll do without.
Answers along the lines of "just enjoy being one with nature and turn your phone off" will be met with a Stern Look. That ship has sailed.
Some stuff that might be relevant:
We have no internet access at the cottage and nothing much is available. Our cell phones (preferably used as hot spots) are our way to communicate with the outside world. We mostly text and browse so boosting our data signal is really the ultimate goal. We don't need to stream Netflix or anything like that. Our bandwidth usage would be somewhat low.
Please talk to me as if telecom is something I know absolutely nothing about because, well, telecom is something I know absolutely nothing about. I am generally Good With Computers but mostly hate doing anything technical with computers. I'd prefer the easiest solution available that is also reliable.
I am currently in the US but will be in Canada later in the month. My wife is currently in Canada.
To acquire this device my preference, in order, would be:
1. Buy it in the US, have it shipped to my home in the US, I bring it up and install it when I get there.
2. Buy it in the US, have it shipped to Canada where my wife can either install it or wait until I get there.
3. Send a link to the exact item to my wife, she buys it and has it shipped to the cottage.
I see on Amazon there are many different types of cell phone boosters. Most of these seem to say they work with "most/all US carriers." Some googling shows me there are similar devices that work in Canada. Can I buy a Canadian one in the US?
Do these devices even work? I assume I would install it somewhere in the cottage where I get a weak signal and it would boost it so that my phone, elsewhere in the cottage, would get a stronger, more consistent signal? I assume this works because the device has a much stronger antenna than my phone?
I'd prefer something you've actually used. Assume I've done some googling and looked at the first few hits.
Links to the exact device with "get this, install it and you're good to go" would be best. I do not want anything I have to hack, jailbreak, re-program, recompile, or otherwise mess with. Although I am Good With Tools I'm not going to build anything out of a Pringle's can and aluminum foil. Plug and play is what I want. If I can't have that I'll do without.
Answers along the lines of "just enjoy being one with nature and turn your phone off" will be met with a Stern Look. That ship has sailed.
Some stuff that might be relevant:
- We have AT&T at home.
- Our AT&T plan includes Canadian coverage.
- We use iPhones and do not wish to switch.
- At the cottage we sometimes get Bell, which is stronger, but lately have been getting only a TELUS signal, which is weaker.
- We seem to get mostly an "LTE" indicator on the phone when we're using it.
TLDR version: US & Canada are on the same frequencies & bands so a device should be transportable. Google search for "best cell phone boosters" and you should find a variety of devices at different price points.
Longer version:
There's a bunch of factors at play.
Uplink signal strength, i.e., boosting the signal from your phone to the carrier
Downlink signal strength, boosting the signal from the carrier to your phone
Frequencies involved.
The more general you are on these, the lower the boost will be. The highest boost will be with something with external antenna(s) that's tuned to the specific carrier/frequencies you need and pointed directly at the carrier's antenna.
posted by Runes at 6:55 PM on July 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Longer version:
There's a bunch of factors at play.
Uplink signal strength, i.e., boosting the signal from your phone to the carrier
Downlink signal strength, boosting the signal from the carrier to your phone
Frequencies involved.
The more general you are on these, the lower the boost will be. The highest boost will be with something with external antenna(s) that's tuned to the specific carrier/frequencies you need and pointed directly at the carrier's antenna.
posted by Runes at 6:55 PM on July 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
SureCall Flare (linked above) should do it, but if you wanna go high-end (and carrier-specific) then Cel-Fi boosters offer up to 100 dB, which is borderline bonkers.
posted by aramaic at 7:45 PM on July 1, 2022
posted by aramaic at 7:45 PM on July 1, 2022
These devices can work well, but if doing some sleuthing is palatable you can probably increase your odds of a good result.(more below)
I have used wilson, which is likely similar to the surecall with success. I have not used the cel-fi myself, but they are doing some interesting stuff technically that allows you to pick a carrier, and optimizes the signal. I have recommended them for commercial and public safety use. That said, you pay for the extra processing power.
The directions say it but you really get better results if you put the two antenna parts as far away from each other as possible. The telecom's have teams to track down folks that install them too close(especially the ones that mount through a glass window/ in site of each other) and shut them down. If you can find a spot on the roof, or on the property that has more bars, or more reliable bars (check in the summer not winter) put the antenna there, and put the inside unit in the middle of the house where you will use the phones. Protect the cable from abuse (stepping on it, kinking it, or sharp bends effect your data rates) and consider upgrading to the thicker cable especially if it gets you over a hill, or to a spot with more signal.
The ones mentioned, and most sold these days support band 17 (734-736) , 13(736-746), and 5(850) but avoid any old units that do not.
posted by radio other at 9:13 PM on July 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have used wilson, which is likely similar to the surecall with success. I have not used the cel-fi myself, but they are doing some interesting stuff technically that allows you to pick a carrier, and optimizes the signal. I have recommended them for commercial and public safety use. That said, you pay for the extra processing power.
The directions say it but you really get better results if you put the two antenna parts as far away from each other as possible. The telecom's have teams to track down folks that install them too close(especially the ones that mount through a glass window/ in site of each other) and shut them down. If you can find a spot on the roof, or on the property that has more bars, or more reliable bars (check in the summer not winter) put the antenna there, and put the inside unit in the middle of the house where you will use the phones. Protect the cable from abuse (stepping on it, kinking it, or sharp bends effect your data rates) and consider upgrading to the thicker cable especially if it gets you over a hill, or to a spot with more signal.
The ones mentioned, and most sold these days support band 17 (734-736) , 13(736-746), and 5(850) but avoid any old units that do not.
posted by radio other at 9:13 PM on July 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
Long years ago, I used to use analog repeaters from the likes of Wilson Electronics to good effect. These days you really want a Cel-Fi or similar. They have the smarts to not do a stupid and let a feedback loop between the inside and outside antennas go on forever, control their output power which keeps the carriers (and regulatory agencies) happy, and provide useful status information, among many other benefits.
Problem is, they are 2-3x the price of the dumb analog repeaters.
posted by wierdo at 7:01 AM on July 2, 2022
Problem is, they are 2-3x the price of the dumb analog repeaters.
posted by wierdo at 7:01 AM on July 2, 2022
This video from LTT shows him installing a new booster in his house (BC, but still Canada) LTT Video
posted by defcom1 at 2:04 PM on July 2, 2022
posted by defcom1 at 2:04 PM on July 2, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kschang at 6:51 PM on July 1, 2022