Always had a great signal with 3 but just moved house a few days ago and now I dont get any signal at all indoors or outside although the coverage checker says I am in a good area, would like to know would I be able to get a home signal box from 3 and If so how much do they cost?, my contract is up in march so if I was to cancel now would I be charged 3x my monthly amount or would there be other fees added for early termination.
3 Home signal
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Just ask them and if they say no then email the executive office. From experience I can tell you that persistence pays off. 
I've heard that 3 are pretty stingy, unless you agree to lock yourself into a new 2 year contract they won't give you one.
I would like one but I'm on a SIM only 1 month. I'd even pay for it (and there are three of us who would use it). Should really ring them sometime...
I would like one but I'm on a SIM only 1 month. I'd even pay for it (and there are three of us who would use it). Should really ring them sometime...
Originally Posted by moox:
“I've heard that 3 are pretty stingy, unless you agree to lock yourself into a new 2 year contract they won't give you one.
I would like one but I'm on a SIM only 1 month. I'd even pay for it (and there are three of us who would use it). Should really ring them sometime...”
“I've heard that 3 are pretty stingy, unless you agree to lock yourself into a new 2 year contract they won't give you one.
I would like one but I'm on a SIM only 1 month. I'd even pay for it (and there are three of us who would use it). Should really ring them sometime...”
They are a lot better about giving out Home Signal boxes now even if you have to pay a small fee. I would give them a call.
Also if you have no outdoor coverage while they're saying there should be good service it may be a temporary fault.
3's coverage checker is, IMO, one of the best. It takes into account size and shape of individual buildings, blocks of trees, grass, and other geographic features many often miss.
3's coverage checker is, IMO, one of the best. It takes into account size and shape of individual buildings, blocks of trees, grass, and other geographic features many often miss.
They pretty much just gave me mine, I just had to move from a 1 month sim only contract to a 12 month one, but it was cheaper doing that anyway!
Originally Posted by Everything Goes:
“They are a lot better about giving out Home Signal boxes now even if you have to pay a small fee. I would give them a call.”
“They are a lot better about giving out Home Signal boxes now even if you have to pay a small fee. I would give them a call.”
Originally Posted by dah07:
“They pretty much just gave me mine, I just had to move from a 1 month sim only contract to a 12 month one, but it was cheaper doing that anyway!”
“They pretty much just gave me mine, I just had to move from a 1 month sim only contract to a 12 month one, but it was cheaper doing that anyway!”
I just called them. I explained that I know it's not a temporary issue (it was the same two years ago when I last had a phone on 3) and that I know the box exists. Even 3's own map puts me just within an "outside coverage only" area. The person put me on hold while she "checked my coverage" and then said she passed it onto someone else who will call me back in the next few days. Other people have reported the same thing so I guess it's a good sign.
Not sure if I want to commit to 12 months but I would consider paying for it.
This is one of the major benefits of O2, a feature that is currently unique to O2 unfortunately. Their "signal box" is "any wifi connection on the planet" and it's free.
Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq:
“This is one of the major benefits of O2, a feature that is currently unique to O2 unfortunately. Their "signal box" is "any wifi connection on the planet" and it's free.”
“This is one of the major benefits of O2, a feature that is currently unique to O2 unfortunately. Their "signal box" is "any wifi connection on the planet" and it's free.”
You could say the same for Vodafone - they're happy to sell anyone their femtocell, no eligibility required.
I haven't tried the O2 app (like I'd want to be on that omnishambles of a network) but the much earlier Orange UMA hack that featured on some of their Android phones was pretty crap - getting it to connect often needed a reboot and eventually it would disconnect again.
I wonder why UMA wasn't more heavily adopted by device manufacturers and networks? It sounds like the ideal solution, since it doesn't need a new app, it works with the existing phone/SMS apps. Is the O2 app like this?
Except femtocells are limited. You can't take them with you and plug them into any pub/bar you're in with no mobile signal, nor does it help in the huge office buildings that universally get no mobile reception but have (and require) 400 wireless access points to provide coverage. You especially can't take them abroad.
The O2 TuGo app is, well buggy, but doesn't require integration into the system unlike Orange's UMA which modified the phone's built-in RIL. It's not true UMA, but rather a separate app that is essentially a VOIP client. It stays connected incredibly well - and never needs a restart. I often get incoming text messages on my O2 number quicker via the app via O2's 3G data than natively via SMSC to the phone itself. Admittedly it doesn't fully integrate with the phone's call log or SMS but that's being worked on - however the benefit is it is not limited to phones. It'll work on tablets, PDAs, and even desktop and laptop computers.
As for the "shambles" of the network, works fine for me, and I'm not going into that argument again. They wouldn't have had the most customers in the UK if they were as bad as you say.
However having full access to your number, calls, and messages, nomatter whether you've left your phone at home, not got signal, the network's down, or you're abroad is a huge advantage IMO. Femtocells only fix that in one location, and still rely on you having a phone and SIM in working order.
Incidentally another advantage - when the likes of EE send you out a new SIM (which takes up to 4 working days) but disconnect your old, working SIM as soon as they've scanned the box into the mail leaving you without a working phone for several days - EE's upcoming app would actually still let you use your phone. Though that's not excusing retarded SIM swap practices.
The O2 TuGo app is, well buggy, but doesn't require integration into the system unlike Orange's UMA which modified the phone's built-in RIL. It's not true UMA, but rather a separate app that is essentially a VOIP client. It stays connected incredibly well - and never needs a restart. I often get incoming text messages on my O2 number quicker via the app via O2's 3G data than natively via SMSC to the phone itself. Admittedly it doesn't fully integrate with the phone's call log or SMS but that's being worked on - however the benefit is it is not limited to phones. It'll work on tablets, PDAs, and even desktop and laptop computers.
As for the "shambles" of the network, works fine for me, and I'm not going into that argument again. They wouldn't have had the most customers in the UK if they were as bad as you say.
However having full access to your number, calls, and messages, nomatter whether you've left your phone at home, not got signal, the network's down, or you're abroad is a huge advantage IMO. Femtocells only fix that in one location, and still rely on you having a phone and SIM in working order.
Incidentally another advantage - when the likes of EE send you out a new SIM (which takes up to 4 working days) but disconnect your old, working SIM as soon as they've scanned the box into the mail leaving you without a working phone for several days - EE's upcoming app would actually still let you use your phone. Though that's not excusing retarded SIM swap practices.
Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq:
“ EE's upcoming app would actually still let you use your phone. Though that's not excusing retarded SIM swap practices.”
“ EE's upcoming app would actually still let you use your phone. Though that's not excusing retarded SIM swap practices.”
Any idea on when this will be released?
The app? No clue I'm afraid, previously promised "within 2013" but they've removed that from the website now, it only says "More news on this next year.". Most recent mention is http://kineto.com/everything-everywh...s-smart-wi-fi/ but no date.
My personal guess? 4-6 months.
Retarded SIM swap practices? Already widespread!
My personal guess? 4-6 months.
Retarded SIM swap practices? Already widespread!
Originally Posted by jabbamk1:
“Three have their own version launching March 2014.”
“Three have their own version launching March 2014.”
That date keeps going back too!
Originally Posted by Thine Wonk:
“That date keeps going back too!”
“That date keeps going back too!
”
huh...? It's been March for a while now.
I'm pretty sure i told you this before?
Originally Posted by Ross1874:
“Always had a great signal with 3 but just moved house a few days ago and now I dont get any signal at all indoors or outside although the coverage checker says I am in a good area, would like to know would I be able to get a home signal box from 3 and If so how much do they cost?, my contract is up in march so if I was to cancel now would I be charged 3x my monthly amount or would there be other fees added for early termination.”
“Always had a great signal with 3 but just moved house a few days ago and now I dont get any signal at all indoors or outside although the coverage checker says I am in a good area, would like to know would I be able to get a home signal box from 3 and If so how much do they cost?, my contract is up in march so if I was to cancel now would I be charged 3x my monthly amount or would there be other fees added for early termination.”
Have a look on their website, they've now put up an "indoor" and an "outdoor" signal checker!
Originally Posted by jabbamk1:
“huh...? It's been March for a while now.
I'm pretty sure i told you this before?”
“huh...? It's been March for a while now.
I'm pretty sure i told you this before?”
I feel like I'm being told off for forgetting now
I don't know. I thought you said in Q1 before, now you've said March it sounds later, I know it's not but it just sounds worse. I know originally we thought it was earlier. I notice Virgin Mobile have one out already. I guess I can wait.
Originally Posted by Thine Wonk:
“I feel like I'm being told off for forgetting now I don't know. I thought you said in Q1 before, now you've said March it sounds later, I know it's not but it just sounds worse. I know originally we thought it was earlier. I notice Virgin Mobile have one out already.
I guess I can wait.”
“I feel like I'm being told off for forgetting now
I don't know. I thought you said in Q1 before, now you've said March it sounds later, I know it's not but it just sounds worse. I know originally we thought it was earlier. I notice Virgin Mobile have one out already. I guess I can wait.”
No haha, i mean i'm pretty sure we had a conversation before where i mentioned March. But yeh, not long to go now.
What's the virgin one you're referring to? Are you sure you don't mean Vectone?
And the slightly less obvious fact - the infrastructure required to make such an app work is very similar (and in some cases the same) infrastructure that is required for VoLTE.
Originally Posted by jabbamk1:
“No haha, i mean i'm pretty sure we had a conversation before where i mentioned March. But yeh, not long to go now.
What's the virgin one you're referring to? Are you sure you don't mean Vectone?”
“No haha, i mean i'm pretty sure we had a conversation before where i mentioned March. But yeh, not long to go now.
What's the virgin one you're referring to? Are you sure you don't mean Vectone?”
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...edia.smartcall
"Smartcall" it's actually Virgin Media home phone on your mobile, rather than Virgin Mobile - apologies.
That's Virgin Media (landline) not Virgin Mobile.
It's also crap - you can only make outgoing calls. No incoming calls or SMS.
Also, it is only available to customers on certain unlimited packages, and you cannot make non-unlimited calls. So if you have 5000 minutes to certain numbers (e.g. mobiles), you cannot make calls to those numbers at all using the app. You cannot make chargeable calls. You cannot receive calls.
And as I say, it's for landline users only, i.e. not available to mobile customers. And it's really, really shit.
From a technical point of view, it's also far inferior to what the mobile networks are doing - primarily because it's implementation essentially requires no link to the billing system, and no link to your actual landline at all. In fact, it could all be achieved just by using some third party VOIP provider to make outgoing calls with a spoofed caller ID.
It's also crap - you can only make outgoing calls. No incoming calls or SMS.
Also, it is only available to customers on certain unlimited packages, and you cannot make non-unlimited calls. So if you have 5000 minutes to certain numbers (e.g. mobiles), you cannot make calls to those numbers at all using the app. You cannot make chargeable calls. You cannot receive calls.
And as I say, it's for landline users only, i.e. not available to mobile customers. And it's really, really shit.
From a technical point of view, it's also far inferior to what the mobile networks are doing - primarily because it's implementation essentially requires no link to the billing system, and no link to your actual landline at all. In fact, it could all be achieved just by using some third party VOIP provider to make outgoing calls with a spoofed caller ID.
I automatically assumed it was Virgin Mobile, and like you say it has a lot of shortcomings. The reviews on the Virgin app are bad! a load of negative comments.
Hopefully the Three app will be good, but I'm not 100% confident. We'll see in March I guess.
Hopefully the Three app will be good, but I'm not 100% confident. We'll see in March I guess.
Every network releasing such an app (including Virgin Media, Orange and O2) have suffered quite a few delays and complications, it's very hard to get right.
Hopefully 3's will be better but in any case most problems with other networks have been with the client app rather than the network. Which is quite easy to fix over time. The network side, well all that requires is a proper AAA setup (RADIUS/DIAMETER), and an IP voice core - which everyone needs for LTE, and VoLTE to work in the first place anyway.
Hopefully 3's will be better but in any case most problems with other networks have been with the client app rather than the network. Which is quite easy to fix over time. The network side, well all that requires is a proper AAA setup (RADIUS/DIAMETER), and an IP voice core - which everyone needs for LTE, and VoLTE to work in the first place anyway.
Originally Posted by moox:
“I just called them. I explained that I know it's not a temporary issue (it was the same two years ago when I last had a phone on 3) and that I know the box exists. Even 3's own map puts me just within an "outside coverage only" area. The person put me on hold while she "checked my coverage" and then said she passed it onto someone else who will call me back in the next few days. Other people have reported the same thing so I guess it's a good sign.
Not sure if I want to commit to 12 months but I would consider paying for it.”
“I just called them. I explained that I know it's not a temporary issue (it was the same two years ago when I last had a phone on 3) and that I know the box exists. Even 3's own map puts me just within an "outside coverage only" area. The person put me on hold while she "checked my coverage" and then said she passed it onto someone else who will call me back in the next few days. Other people have reported the same thing so I guess it's a good sign.
Not sure if I want to commit to 12 months but I would consider paying for it.”
Well, someone did indeed call today. She was clearly looking closely at my account because she said "I see you have an LG D821, is this correct?' (D821 is the model number of the european Nexus 5 and I most certainly haven't told them what phone I am using). Unfortunately she wanted to check my phone immediately while it was in my house. I'm away from home all week so no action for a few days
On the upside, the DCHSPA seems to be making quite a difference in Reading - 0.3Mbps on my old 14.4Mbit device, 7+Mbps or greater on the Nexus 5. 25+Mbps at home on a fairly rural cell site (nowhere near Berkshire). Impressive. Shame we're not allowed on LTE yet
Originally Posted by moox:
“Well, someone did indeed call today. She was clearly looking closely at my account because she said "I see you have an LG D821, is this correct?' (D821 is the model number of the european Nexus 5 and I most certainly haven't told them what phone I am using). Unfortunately she wanted to check my phone immediately while it was in my house. I'm away from home all week so no action for a few days
On the upside, the DCHSPA seems to be making quite a difference in Reading - 0.3Mbps on my old 14.4Mbit device, 7+Mbps or greater on the Nexus 5. 25+Mbps at home on a fairly rural cell site (nowhere near Berkshire). Impressive. Shame we're not allowed on LTE yet”
“Well, someone did indeed call today. She was clearly looking closely at my account because she said "I see you have an LG D821, is this correct?' (D821 is the model number of the european Nexus 5 and I most certainly haven't told them what phone I am using). Unfortunately she wanted to check my phone immediately while it was in my house. I'm away from home all week so no action for a few days
On the upside, the DCHSPA seems to be making quite a difference in Reading - 0.3Mbps on my old 14.4Mbit device, 7+Mbps or greater on the Nexus 5. 25+Mbps at home on a fairly rural cell site (nowhere near Berkshire). Impressive. Shame we're not allowed on LTE yet
”
They will know what phone you are using by its IMEI number.
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