[moox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

If you are having as much difficulty and require a picocell perhaps a better alternative might be to select an alternative network that has stable and reliable coverage at your home location.

It has always been an issue for me that a customer should have to pay for a home broadband connection and attach a box so that they can use a mobile phone which they would also have to pay for! Maybe if the mobile provider offered a home broadband discount that would be worth considering but why should a customer pay full price for one service to make good another which is poor? That applies to all mobile networks and not just the one in question.

The usual advice applies...... get some feedback from others about what works well and test the most attractive option with a free PAYG SIM. There are loads of one month SIM deals and many have recently been refreshed so a good time to explore what is on offer. Happy hunting and hopefully you can enjoy a reliable mobile service that does not depend on having to provide a broadband connection for home coverage.

It's a mobile phone. Not a home phone. You should be looking for coverage everywhere you use it, not in your home.

In my case, none of the networks provide great home coverage, but 3 gives me a free femtocell which means I can have great coverage at minimal cost to myself (I honestly couldn't care about the minimal internet usage and tiny power consumption - I am saving tons of money being on 3 instead of being on lower quality networks like Vodafone or O2). So I can have great at-home coverage plus great outside 3G coverage.

If I went with a 900MHz operator I might get marginally better at home coverage, but why would I want to sacrifice the ability to use it away from home in order to do that? I don't feel like dealing with slow GPRS, the occasional bit of 3G (also slow) and numerous network outages.

[jonmorris]

I accept the argument that you shouldn't need to buy, or have to almost beg for, extra equipment to be able to use your mobile at home - or even in an office - but let's leave fantasy land and get into the real world for a minute.

No network can guarantee good indoor coverage anywhere. As I've said many times, I can go downstairs and lose signal completely. Red X on my phone, no incoming calls, no outgoing calls and certainly no data. Even if I get 1 bar of 3G, chances are the data will be terribly slow or cut out.

But elsewhere, it's fine. Upstairs it's fantastic. God knows what's causing such a ridiculous drop when moving a matter of 5-10 metres (there aren't that many buildings between me and the sites I am served by), and it's the same for every network (including O2 and Vodafone at 800MHz for 4G). It's a new house too, so most things are made from cardboard.

Over the years, I've used a Vodafone femtocell and Orange's UMA service to improve things - and I perhaps should have tried to get a Home Signal too.

I think femtocells or a Wi-Fi calling service, is ideal where you have a home or office that is covered far more effectively by Wi-Fi, or a dedicated cell you can place where best suits you.

There's no way that any network is ever going to put in another site that will serve me better where I currently lose signal. I am sure many others are in the same situation and shouldn't start ranting about it not being up to them (the subscriber) to provide a good signal.

[The Sack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

If you are having as much difficulty and require a picocell perhaps a better alternative might be to select an alternative network that has stable and reliable coverage at your home location.

Im sure i have said this already but i will go over it again just to be clear.

It seems to be a quirk of how my house and the few houses around are set out for some reason, my mate next door but one cant get any cell coverage on any network whatsoever in his house downstairs, i only got good signal on T-Mobile once they network shared with Orange and then only on 2g and when i was in the house i had to force my phone to 2g only. My daughters are on GiffGaff and spend a fair percent of the time just looking at a red cross, again force 2G and the jobs a good'un.

Outside my back door or upstairs and i was getting 20Mbit on T-Mobile and i get 12Mbit on Three.

the only network that we've never tried in here is Vodafone simply because they have never once seemed competitive.

[natbike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

Doesn't mean anything mate, Like I said it's something that's up to Three's discretion. Chances are you're going to need a 12 month contract though.

I am on 30 day sim only and got a femto cell for £50 with very little fuss. You do have to go through the steps of reporting the lack of service and investigating it. It took 3 phone calls, but they were happy to provide one for a small cost.

[Batch]

Has anybody bought a home signal from eBay and got three to pair it up with their phone. Particularly any PAYG customers?

Thanks.

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batch

Has anybody bought a home signal from eBay and got three to pair it up with their phone. Particularly any PAYG customers?

Thanks.

Won't work.

If you're on pay as you go why not try and find a network that provides signal?

Or just wait for the app.

[Batch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

Won't work.

If you're on pay as you go why not try and find a network that provides signal?

Or just wait for the app.

Thanks. So they won't re- provision them then. Shame.

Live in a dead zone. You need to be upstairs next to the window. That's all providers. Voda used to work so I suffered their poor 3g coverage(not an issue at home), but they recently re-jigged for 4g and now that's stuffed too.

Hey ho. Well wait for the app or look for a voda sure signal (but i'm keen to get off voda)

[moox]

Have you tried to get 3 to send you one?

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

Have you tried to get 3 to send you one?

As a pay as you go customer it is ridiculously hard to get a Home Signal booster even if you offer to pay for one.

I've only known of one person on pay as you go to get a signal booster. Every other is turned down at the first hurdle. Mainly because giving a signal box to someone on pay as you go is not financially viable.

There is no harm in trying but the odds are against him. Only if batch agreed to sign up for a 12 month+ contract would Three send him a booster box free of charge but that's something he'd have to agree with Three first.

It's better just to wait for the app imo.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

As a pay as you go customer it is ridiculously hard to get a Home Signal booster even if you offer to pay for one.

I've only known of one person on pay as you go to get a signal booster. Every other is turned down at the first hurdle. Mainly because giving a signal box to someone on pay as you go is not financially viable.

There is no harm in trying but the odds are against him. Only if batch agreed to sign up for a 12 month+ contract would Three send him a booster box free of charge but that's something he'd have to agree with Three first.

It's better just to wait for the app imo.

Yet Vodafone on the other hand are happy to sell anyone a Sure Signal box although Contract customers usually get them free.

[jonmorris]

I'm surprised Three doesn't offer them to all, and perhaps seek to make a small profit. Then it can discount accordingly for those who either spend a fair bit or commit to a fixed term.

But perhaps with the new app coming, it will seek to stop selling them altogether and reserve stock only for specific people.

[natbike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

I'm surprised Three doesn't offer them to all, and perhaps seek to make a small profit. Then it can discount accordingly for those who either spend a fair bit or commit to a fixed term.

But perhaps with the new app coming, it will seek to stop selling them altogether and reserve stock only for specific people.

From what I understand, Vodafone have allocated one 5Mhz carrier (3G) just for home signal boxes. This means that their home signal boxes cannot interfere with the macro network.

I wonder if that is the reason the other networks are so cautious and will not give them away freely? Perhaps they are trying to ensure that the boxes won't degrade service for people living next to someone with a signal box?

I think it was RANman that mentioned the allocation, so maybe he can shed more light on it.

[jonmorris]

Yeah, that's perhaps a good point. There could well be problems if too many people have them.

[japaul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by natbike

From what I understand, Vodafone have allocated one 5Mhz carrier (3G) just for home signal boxes. This means that their home signal boxes cannot interfere with the macro network.

I wonder if that is the reason the other networks are so cautious and will not give them away freely? Perhaps they are trying to ensure that the boxes won't degrade service for people living next to someone with a signal box?

I think it was RANman that mentioned the allocation, so maybe he can shed more light on it.

It's not true though that Vodafone allocate a carrier just for Sure Signal. It's just that it's on their least used carrier but it's still used in the macro network.

Interference from femtos could be a problem for the macro network on the same frequency but remember they are most likely used in a place which already has a poor or non existent 3G signal so that helps. Also the network has the ability to control the power of the femto if it's causing a problem.

[blueacid]

I thought that most, if not all femtocells would scan the radio environment when they power on, to select an appropriate frequency? Even if you're under the coverage of a mast, that particular mast will not transmit on the frequencies used by it's neighbours. If it's neighbours are out of the range of the femtocell then both femto and macro network can coexist quite easily - the femto using a clear frequency locally and not causing any unreferenced to the local network-and all this without a chuck of spectrum being permanently allocated to the femto boxes.

[The Sack]

These Home Signal boxes must be one of the few items of technology available that actually fixes a problem yet you cant get one for love nor money.

Im beginning to think Three are a bit like my arse, i cant even turn Voicemail off, which given the lack of signal downstairs at home would be a good thing. After finding out you cant do it from your handset and you must contact them i have been told 3 times now all diverts are off but they arent.

[jonmorris]

One thing I need to say: A while back I said 'early July' with regards to the Wi-Fi app being announced/launched.

It's actually the end of July. Let me stress, this isn't a delay and Three hasn't changed anything - I simply misread something.

[Miyagi]

Do you know if this means you would be able to use the app on your tablet, to make calls, out of interest?

[jonmorris]

I don't, but that's a good question.

Does anyone know if you can do this with the O2 app (let me stress, the Three one isn't the same app - but might work the same way)?

It would be great if I could run the app on another smartphone (or tablet) and make/receive calls from that, just as you can with something like Skype.

[Silent No More]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Sack

the only network that we've never tried in here is Vodafone simply because they have never once seemed competitive.

Just a thought here, but maybe the only reason VF aren't competitive, is because they are the only provider that can offer good coverage reception where you are?

If that's the case and they have no competition for "good coverage" where you are, then why should they "compete"?

That's not a dig at you, I'm just putting forward an alternative POV.

It would be worth testing a VF SIM to see how well it performs (or doesn't!).

[Batch]

.....

[Batch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

Have you tried to get 3 to send you one?

Yes, just before I swiched to Voda. I was told that I **might** get one if I switched to a 12 month contract. I wasn't prepared to do so on a 'might' and besids I don't really spend enough to justify anything more than a rolling monthly contract.

Shame really as I thought 3 were ecellent (though losing the 2G infill did detract a bit in terms of coverage in a couple of area.). Was happy to pay £100 or so for the femto too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miyagi

Do you know if this means you would be able to use the app
on your tablet, to make calls, out of interest?

Highly unlikely, I reckon they'd still need the SIM card for authentication purposes.

Though if you have a 3g tablet then???
----

Anywho, picked up a sure signal off ebay to tide me over until three release the app. I do find them uncompetative on PAyG (stingy data allowance), but having a signal in my house is (just about) more important.

[The Sack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent No More

Just a thought here, but maybe the only reason VF aren't competitive, is because they are the only provider that can offer good coverage reception where you are?

If that's the case and they have no competition for "good coverage" where you are, then why should they "compete"?

That's not a dig at you, I'm just putting forward an alternative POV.

It would be worth testing a VF SIM to see how well it performs (or doesn't!).

The only problem with that is is that VF aren't competitive no matter where you live so your logic doesnt work.

T-Mobile was great coverage here once they combined the networks (so presumably Orange is the stronger) but EE were not wiling to honour retention deals any longer.

Just seems odd to me that all around the village where i live the Three map shows great indoor coverage on all the surrounding fields but no indoor coverage over the village, very useful that is lol

[japaul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueacid

I thought that most, if not all femtocells would scan the radio environment when they power on, to select an appropriate frequency? Even if you're under the coverage of a mast, that particular mast will not transmit on the frequencies used by it's neighbours. If it's neighbours are out of the range of the femtocell then both femto and macro network can coexist quite easily - the femto using a clear frequency locally and not causing any unreferenced to the local network-and all this without a chuck of spectrum being permanently allocated to the femto boxes.

2G GSM neighbouring sites are on different frequencies but 3G (and 4G) doesn't work like that. It uses the same frequencies across sites. All of the networks have more than one block of spectrum for 3G but this isn't used to separate sites but rather to provide more capacity or better capability. The sites particularly in busy areas will often be using all of these blocks or carriers available to them (and if you want DC-HSDPA you need to use at least 2 from a site and pair them up). For 3G at 2100MHz, Three and Vodafone have 3 available, O2 has 2 and EE has 4 (2 each from ex Orange/T-Mob). Vod/O2 also have one 3G carrier each in use in a completely separate band at 900MHz in some areas.

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miyagi

Do you know if this means you would be able to use the app on your tablet, to make calls, out of interest?

Just use skype for stuff like that.