Boosting Mobile Phone Signal

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anon_private
anon_private Posts: 171 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
I have an old slide phone (Samsung SGH-E520). Outside the house the signal is strong, but inside the house it is weak, sometimes dropping the call.

With modern phones, that is a socket where a piece of wire can be installed to boost the antenna.

No such socket exists in my phone, but do have any tips that might boost the signal indoors?

Thanks

Ps. Tried silver foil on back of phone, but this made the signal worse (Youtube tip).
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  • Neil_Jones
    Neil_Jones Posts: 8,913 Forumite
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    Ordinarily I'd have said the various providers Wi-Fi calling apps would be the way forward, but that Samsung doesn't appear to run Android so I fear your options may be limited.

    something in the house or the construction of the house will be blocking the signal so it may be a case of having to wander around and standing in a certain spot to get a decent signal. Well either that or knock the house down. :)

    Depending on the network you're on you may be able to get a booster thing that connects to broadband that gives the same effect as Wi-Fi calling. Beyond that you may be out of luck unfortunately.
  • anon_private
    anon_private Posts: 171 Forumite
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    The annoying thing is that other people in the house with 'decent phones' have no trouble - different networks as well
  • TadleyBaggie
    TadleyBaggie Posts: 6,055 Forumite
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    I haven't see a mobile phone that allow an external aerial connection for around 15 years or so.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    edited 11 July 2017 at 2:00PM
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    TadleyBaggie wrote: »
    I haven't see a mobile phone that allow an external aerial connection for around 15 years or so.

    My Samsung Galaxy S2 has one. It was released only 6 years ago.

    It looks like the S3, S4, and S5 (released 3 years ago) all have external aerial ports. Maybe more recent ones do too, but I can't be bothered to check! :-P
  • ballyblack
    ballyblack Posts: 5,065 Forumite
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    try propping it up on the window..........especially upstairs
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
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    anon_private wrote: »
    I have an old slide phone (Samsung SGH-E520). Outside the house the signal is strong, but inside the house it is weak, sometimes dropping the call.

    With modern phones, that is a socket where a piece of wire can be installed to boost the antenna.

    No such socket exists in my phone, but do have any tips that might boost the signal indoors?

    Thanks

    Ps. Tried silver foil on back of phone, but this made the signal worse (Youtube tip).


    Have you checked you have the correct firmware for your network Principally the correct modem/ baseband and CSC .
  • giraffe69
    giraffe69 Posts: 3,558 Forumite
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    I have no signal inside my house. I bought a Vodafone sure signal for £69 and whilst I resent paying for their shortcomings (and was unsuccessful at persuading them to lower the price) it was, in the end, worth it to resolve the problem for two phones in the house.
  • anon_private
    anon_private Posts: 171 Forumite
    edited 16 August 2017 at 1:44PM
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    ballyblack wrote: »
    try propping it up on the window..........especially upstairs[/Q
  • anon_private
    anon_private Posts: 171 Forumite
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    JJ_Egan wrote: »
    Have you checked you have the correct firmware for your network Principally the correct modem/ baseband and CSC .

    Don't know how to do that
    Remember the phone is an old slide phone
  • dj1471
    dj1471 Posts: 1,968 Forumite
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    The people with decent phones will be using 3G or better, you appear to be limited to 2G with that phone which may explain the difference (naturally the networks aren't investing in their 2G infrastructure anymore). Networks are unlikely to have 2G boosters to offer.

    You may simply be in a 2G blackspot, but have you contacted your network? There may be a fault affecting your signal that nobody else has noticed/reported. Failing that, if you're determined to keep the phone you could try changing network.
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