No phone signal

LuttiS

So just bought a house. Getting keys this week..

My phone has no signal in the house. I can get a little signal at the end of the garden, still have a year-ish left on my contract.. Mrs. L also doesn't have signal.. This could be a problem. General googling suggests that i can get possibly a home booster thing on my network, but this doesn't help Mrs, who will be the one in the house the most who can't get a booster thing.. 

I'm on 3, she's on ID. 

Is there an easy solution?

And before anyone suggests using a landline, nobody uses landline, not even landlines use landline. The only point in landlines is to use broadband. 

Also i'm piss poor for the foreseeable, so buying out the contract so i can change providers isn't really an option.. 

TheMarlin

If you have an iPhone, you can setup calls over Wi-fi, so mobile calls will work as normal as long as you are within WiFi’s range. 

Snags

Depending on your handset (and possibly provider) you could use WiFi calling.  Not all providers support it, though (and nor do all handsets).

Otherwise you'll need one of the local Femto cell things, and those are provider specific.  Or just stand up the road all day.

digitalscream

I use EE's wifi calling too with my Google Pixel. Works perfectly, no hassle whatsoever.

57Deluxe

...you know when out of the blue Google INSISTS on sending you a confirmatory code via your registered mobile so you can login to your associated accounts and you live in a house that just barely receives and txt msg from a spot on the landing and then maybe only after 2 hours from when the msg was sent - THAT!!! ARGHHHHHH!!!!!

steveledzep

Same here.  I went with 3 because they have "Three in Touch" which allows texts and calls through wifi when there's no signal.  

LuttiS

further googling.. EE WiFi calling probably no good.. not on ee, also Mrs. L's phone doesn't support WiFi calling in general, (mine does though).

I can apparently get a home signal device,which will work for me on three, even through their website doesn't want to tell me how... So as ever it's the wife who is the problem   

Id mobile have nothing of the sort to help, phone doesn't support WiFi calling, and even though iD use the three network it doesn't count as on three so Home Signal device won't work for her..

wibble

I'm on Three and use wi-fi calling at home, you just turn the built in option on, on an iPhone.

p90fool

Tbh I'd just get a cheap SIM only deal from a provider who do have a signal and cut my losses. 

boogieman

Use Whatsapp? You can do voice calls and video calls on it via WiFi. 

Snags

LuttiS said:

I can apparently get a home signal device,which will work for me on three, even through their website doesn't want to tell me how... So as ever it's the wife who is the problem   

Basically it's a local Femto Cell gizmo (like a tiny, tiny mobile phone mast) that gives a localised signal for your phone to pick up, and plugs into your broadband to then carry the signal out to the rest of the world (sort of weird VoIP gateway).

Different providers may operate differently, but the ones I'm familiar with follow a relatively simple process:

• register the gizmo online, which gives you an access account
• add the details of the phones that you want to be able to connect (obviously have to be on provider's network) - this stops any old person on the same network blagging your bandwidth
• plug it into your home broadband
• wait anywhere between 5 minutes and 24 hours and it starts working

There's a caveat on the last bit - sometimes the built-in VPN stuff they use to sort out the VoIP turns out to be utter cack, and you have to open a plethora of ports inbound and outbound on your router (I'm looking at you, Vodafone) otherwise it will simply never link up with the other end.  If you have a really crap ISP-supplied router, finding out how to do this may be painful. If you have a grown up one, or know what you're doing, not so much.

However, once they are working, they're generally quite reliable.

LuttiS

Snags said:

LuttiS said:

I can apparently get a home signal device,which will work for me on three, even through their website doesn't want to tell me how... So as ever it's the wife who is the problem   

Basically it's a local Femto Cell gizmo (like a tiny, tiny mobile phone mast) that gives a localised signal for your phone to pick up, and plugs into your broadband to then carry the signal out to the rest of the world (sort of weird VoIP gateway).

Different providers may operate differently, but the ones I'm familiar with follow a relatively simple process:

• register the gizmo online, which gives you an access account
• add the details of the phones that you want to be able to connect (obviously have to be on provider's network) - this stops any old person on the same network blagging your bandwidth
• plug it into your home broadband
• wait anywhere between 5 minutes and 24 hours and it starts working

There's a caveat on the last bit - sometimes the built-in VPN stuff they use to sort out the VoIP turns out to be utter cack, and you have to open a plethora of ports inbound and outbound on your router (I'm looking at you, Vodafone) otherwise it will simply never link up with the other end.  If you have a really crap ISP-supplied router, finding out how to do this may be painful. If you have a grown up one, or know what you're doing, not so much.

However, once they are working, they're generally quite reliable.

Thanks @Snags ;

Can you get these non-network specific?

bloodandtears

p90fool said:

Tbh I'd just get a cheap SIM only deal from a provider who do have a signal and cut my losses. 

..and pay yourself out of the contract citing no signal..

Jimbro66

Probably not helpful to the OP but this issue is why I always have a dual-sim phone. My O2 contract sim works in most locations but for the times I am out of decent O2 coverage I pop in an additional PAYG sim known to provide local coverage. Useful for trips abroad too. Of course there are some locations where no service at all is available without a walk

Sassafras

Get a satellite phone. They always look cool and sort of purposeful in the movies.

Snags

@LuttiS Not to the best of my knowledge. I can't see how they would make it work as a generic, because the remote end has to tap into the system of the people you're paying, and it's not a big enough need that they'll have reciprocal agreements in place and so on.

robgilmo

Join my club, land lines are pretty good, we got a deal with unlimited broadband, free unlimited calls to land lines and mobiles 24/7 , mobile is now pay as you go, costs 10 a month for a fairly decent free calls and 4g package, you just need to adapt, and dont over think it.

BRISTOL86

Assuming your WiFi is OK, WhatsApp is probably your best bet. Or cut your losses on your current contract and get a dirt cheap sim only deal with a network that gives you coverage. 

Emp_Fab

I have a femtocell in my house - for my BT work phone.  It works very well.