[Kraetos]

Okay 'Novians, lets get our thinking caps on. I want to hear every idea you have, regardless of whether or not you think its totally ridiculous or not.

Here's the situation: my house is almost 100% devoid of cell phone service, on *any* carrier. I can get a little service if I am upstairs and near a window, or if I wander out to the end of the driveway. This is infuriating.

So, I desperately want a way to, at the very least, be aware of incoming calls or texts when I am in my house. I've thought about this deeply. Maybe there is some way to use Skype to monitor my number? I've also thought about setting up no answer transfer on my cell phone, but that means that all voice messages would go to my landline voicemail, which is an awful idea. It's also worth noting that my house is saturated with WiFi - I've seen that T-Mobile ad where you can get cell service on your home network using a mini hotspot, is there any way to mimic this on AT&T? Are there rumors of AT&T releasing a similar service?

Seriously guys, any ideas you have, no matter how ridiculous they seem to you. I'd do pretty much anything to get service in here.

[Fahrenheit]

Oddball idea. Set up the phone in the attic where you can get reception. Then put a mic and a speaker on it, and voila.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by Farenheit Oddball idea. Set up the phone in the attic where you can get reception. Then put a mic and a speaker on it, and voila.

Haha, and then scream at it from the kitchen downstairs? I've actually thought about leaving the phone in its dock, on my bedstand, next to the window, where it consistently gets about 3/5 bars, and then simply carry the bluetooth headset around with me.

Or maybe I am set up some sort of relay between the phone and my MBP....

[thegeriatric]

Is it possible to get some kind of signal booster?

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by thegeriatric Is it possible to get some kind of signal booster?

**google search**

Wow, look at this guy! Engadget and a few others say its good. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

[Ebby]

1) The first thing that comes to mind is that cell phone that uses VOIP and your wireless LAN to make calls. I don't know the specifics, but that sounded like a good idea to me.

2) I actually do have a cell phone base station receiver/transmitter. Same kind of thing on those giant masts all over. It is probably covered by some NDA and you would have to build your own antenna. My first cell phone never worked in my house and we just stared at the transmitter with evil looks on our faces.

[Fahrenheit]

I'm not sure about in the US, but in the UK, we have a thing called BT Fusion, which lets your mobile phone work on the normal network outside, but when you get within range of your wireless network, it switches over to VOIP (on your usual number) to allow for cheaper calls. This would solve your coverage crisis.

http://www.btfusionorder.bt.com/howitworks.aspx

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by Farenheit I'm not sure about in the US, but in the UK, we have a thing called BT Fusion, which lets your mobile phone work on the normal network outside, but when you get within range of your wireless network, it switches over to VOIP (on your usual number) to allow for cheaper calls. This would solve your coverage crisis.

That would work wonderfully, and it's exactly the T-Mobile thing I was talking about. But I can't give up my iPhone.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by Ebby 2) I actually do have a cell phone base station receiver/transmitter. Same kind of thing on those giant masts all over. It is probably covered by some NDA and you would have to build your own antenna. My first cell phone never worked in my house and we just stared at the transmitter with evil looks on our faces.

Who makes it? Does it work?

[Banana]

Surely one would be able to buy a repeater from a Radio Shack (the one with the actual bits and odds of electronics, that is) that would dumbly pick up any signal and repeat it? No knowledge about the network required beyond the range of frequency you want to capture and repeat, no?

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by Banana Surely one would be able to buy a repeater from a Radio Shack (the one with the actual bits and odds of electronics, that is) that would dumbly pick up any signal and repeat it? No knowledge about the network required beyond the range of frequency you want to capture and repeat, no?

So, just go to RadioShack and get a box that repeats the 1900 MHz band? Does RadioShack sell these kinds of things?

[Ebby]

Digital cell phones use 2.4 Ghz and old ones use 900Mhz if I recall. Same as computers and microwaves.

Oh, and the linky: http://www.t-mobile.com/Shop/Package..._HotSpotAtHome

[Dovek916]

This is PopSci's version of a cell signal booster, and its pretty cheap to build

[cosus]

AT&T has a program that will forward your calls to your landline when unreached by cell.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by cosus AT&T has a program that will forward your calls to your landline when unreached by cell.

Eh, I like the booster solution better, because then I can eliminate all the landlines in my house except for the main one. And I still wouldn't be able to get texts. And I'd still have two voicemails, and the iPhones is much better. That woulda been my second choice though, thanks

That said, I am going to go with the JDTeck solution. What band should I buy for the booster? 1800MHz or 1900MHz? The 1900MHz will probably work a little better, right? But 1800MHz would work with more phones...

[torifile]

PhoneLabs' Dock and Talk. Get it, the bluetooth attachment and put your phone in a place it gets reception. Hook it to a cordless phone and you're all set.

I've got a phone dedicated just for that purpose. It's a family line, so it only cost me $10/month and it's like I've got a landline because we've got 4 cordless phones connected to it.

As a matter of fact, I've got a bluetooth module I'm not using since I've just got a crap T226 connected to it with a cable. PM me and we can talk if you want it.

[Partial]

Have you tried doing that trick where you can use any companies tower that is GSM instead of just cingular's? That's the best option I have.

2nd option is to try a CDMA company.

3rd option is to move.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by tensdanny38 Have you tried doing that trick where you can use any companies tower that is GSM instead of just cingular's? That's the best option I have. 2nd option is to try a CDMA company. 3rd option is to move.

There's no CDMA service at my house either. I'm pretty set on the repeater because then everyone in my house and houseguests benefit. Again, not worried about the price since I'll be saving so much by nixing my extra landlines; I'll get the $535 back in like 6 months.

[Souflay123]

Yeah, that is what i am going to have to be doing at both home and office... is add a repeater. I never give out my home number, but my cell i put on my cards, so my customers can contact me at any time with a problem or claim. It is worth it

[Ebby]

HAHA! Just read this on Thinkgeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/9823/

Expensive and I don't know if it actually works as advertised.

Oh, and I am wrong on that frequency. Good job.