Cell phone signal booster experiences or recommendations please.

[BAD ORCA]

When im at the boat im using my cell phone hotspot to stream movies and internet. On a good day i can easily stream Amazon movies, Youtube and even play an MMO or two with no interruptions. Problem is that three weeks out of a month my signal is to weak and i cant do this. Its only good enough for checking email and light browsing. I think for my situation, a decent cell phone signal booster would do the trick.

I have been researching them a little bit and have noticed the price and features vary wildly. All i need to do is get from two bars to four bars of reception. Anyone have any experience with a particular brand or model that has been effective at really pulling in that extra reception? I will continue to research them but would love to get any feedback.

I guess a bonus feature, if it doesnt add a ton of $ to the cost would be if it could pull in a useable signal from 20-30 miles offshore but my main usage for most of the time would be at the dock in the marina.

 

[kbgunn]

A simple approach would be to use a flag halyard (or topping lift) to raise your phone up off the deck to get a better line of sight to the cell tower. Put the phone in a bag and raise the bag with the halyard. Your computer uses wifi not cellular signal to talk to the phone so it should be able to communicate the additional 10-20ft.

With bluetooth headphones you can still answer the phone when raised in the bag. I have a MacBook and an iPhone so I can send and receive calls and iMessages from the laptop too when paired with the phone.

It might be that there is some electromagnetic interference that is causing the low data rate and not a tower obstruction. If this is the case, a booster won't improve the situation much. This first step will help troubleshoot the root cause of the low data rate.

 

[BAD ORCA]

A simple approach would be to use a flag halyard (or topping lift) to raise your phone up off the deck to get a better line of sight to the cell tower. Put the phone in a bag and raise the bag with the halyard. Your computer uses wifi not cellular signal to talk to the phone so it should be able to communicate the additional 10-20ft.

With bluetooth headphones you can still answer the phone when raised in the bag. I have a MacBook and an iPhone so I can send and receive calls and iMessages from the laptop too when paired with the phone.

It might be that there is some electromagnetic interference that is causing the low data rate and not a tower obstruction. If this is the case, a booster won't improve the situation much. This first step will help troubleshoot the root cause of the low data rate.

Thanks. I tether my phone to PC via usb cable. Its an older PC that doesnt have bluetooth or wifi built in. I could probably still try this but would require a really long usb cable. I would prefer to keep the phone in the boat though so its useable in foul weather as well. It might be good to experiment with though to see if i can get a better signal or not. The fact that it works really well on some days and not on others (cloudy overcast days in particular) has me guessing.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Thanks. I tether my phone to PC via usb cable. Its an older PC that doesnt have bluetooth or wifi built in. I could probably still try this but would require a really long usb cable. I would prefer to keep the phone in the boat though so its useable in foul weather as well. It might be good to experiment with though to see if i can get a better signal or not. The fact that it works really well on some days and not on others (cloudy overcast days in particular) has me guessing.

You could get a USB WiFi dongle pretty cheap and tether the laptop to the phone that way. Not necessarily a great long term foul weather solution but could be worth it for testing and occasional use.

 

[kbgunn]

For your type of use, take a look at weBoost cellular repeaters. This is a very reputable brand. Make sure you understand the 4G/5G differences and chose appropriately.
RV Cell Signal Boosters - weBoost

Another option to consider is a cellular router and an inexpensive data plan. Peplink has great marine routers: MAX BR1 Mini 5G Going this route you can try a month on each network to see if one has better coverage of your marina than the other (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile....all others just resell airtime on these networks).

These cost the same as a cellular repeater. Combined with a low cost data SIM is a good approach and you can easily change SIMs for a trip to Mexico.
You can research low cost SIM data plans here: Compare Prepaid Phone Plans

 

[BAD ORCA]

For your type of use, take a look at weBoost cellular repeaters. This is a very reputable brand. Make sure you understand the 4G/5G differences and chose appropriately.
RV Cell Signal Boosters - weBoost

Another option to consider is a cellular router and an inexpensive data plan. Peplink has great marine routers: MAX BR1 Mini 5G Going this route you can try a month on each network to see if one has better coverage of your marina than the other (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile....all others just resell airtime on these networks).

These cost the same as a cellular repeater. Combined with a low cost data SIM is a good approach and you can easily change SIMs for a trip to Mexico.
You can research low cost SIM data plans here: Compare Prepaid Phone Plans

Thanks for all the good info! I hadnt come across cellular routers yet. I need to look into these a bit more.

 

[jssailem]

Steve at Sea Bits has explored these waters.

SeaBits

Internet connectivity on boats, marine electronics and electrical systems, and other tech-focused topics for mariners and boat lovers.

seabits.com

You might find some good info to help you with the routers and other possible solutions, dependign on what you need.

 

[BAD ORCA]

Steve at Sea Bits has explored these waters.

SeaBits

Internet connectivity on boats, marine electronics and electrical systems, and other tech-focused topics for mariners and boat lovers.

seabits.com

You might find some good info to help you with the routers and other possible solutions, dependign on what you need.

oh nice, thank you. will check this out.

 

[VenturED]

When im at the boat im using my cell phone hotspot to stream movies and internet. On a good day i can easily stream Amazon movies, Youtube and even play an MMO or two with no interruptions. Problem is that three weeks out of a month my signal is to weak and i cant do this. Its only good enough for checking email and light browsing. I think for my situation, a decent cell phone signal booster would do the trick.

I have been researching them a little bit and have noticed the price and features vary wildly. All i need to do is get from two bars to four bars of reception. Anyone have any experience with a particular brand or model that has been effective at really pulling in that extra reception? I will continue to research them but would love to get any feedback.

I guess a bonus feature, if it doesnt add a ton of $ to the cost would be if it could pull in a useable signal from 20-30 miles offshore but my main usage for most of the time would be at the dock in the marina.

I wonder what your data plan looks like. If it works for a week, then seems bogged down, is it possible you have reached a data limit and are being 'throttled' to a lower rate? If you notice a drop in the signal strength (# of bars), then as others have noted, there could be some interference nearby. Maybe as your mobile provider what they think is going on.

 

[jssailem]

If it works for a week, then seems bogged down, is it possible you have reached a data limit and are being 'throttled' to a lower rate?

Based on @BAD ORCA 's statement about 3 weeks of enjoyed service then slow service, that sounds like a plausible analysis of the issue.

Problem is that three weeks out of a month my signal is to weak and i cant do this

It is not a weak signal. It is the provider narrowing the band width.

 

[BAD ORCA]

I wonder what your data plan looks like. If it works for a week, then seems bogged down, is it possible you have reached a data limit and are being 'throttled' to a lower rate? If you notice a drop in the signal strength (# of bars), then as others have noted, there could be some interference nearby. Maybe as your mobile provider what they think is going on.

No its definitely random. I have decent tethering plan and i keep an eye on data so i know when im near my limit for hotspot tethering. Because of the randomness i feel like its a weak signal. Time of day doesn't seem to matter either. Weather seems to be the only thing i have confirmed affects it so far. Low cloud overcast days are the worse. I can move the phone around a little inside the boat and it does make a difference. If i lay the phone on its side where the 5G antennae is, pointing up, up on a shelf its a little better but many days this trick doesn't work.

 

[BAD ORCA]

Based on @BAD ORCA 's statement about 3 weeks of enjoyed service then slow service, that sounds like a plausible analysis of the issue.


It is not a weak signal. It is the provider narrowing the band width.

I should have added that its random, not one week of good reception and then three consecutive weeks of bad. I really meant to say that out of a month, i get possibly a week of good days of reception. It could be more. I was just trying to be a little dramatic i guess

 

[jssailem]

The cell signal is line of sight. Clouds are not a factor. A building in the way, tree branches after they leaf out, a semi truck if your in its shadow, and solar flares can affect your reception.

 

[CYQK]

Have the KIng booster
Takes one bar and makes it 3-4 bars. You have to put your phone right next to the inside antenna. may be a drawback for you

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

BAD ORKA:

I think this is a great topic!

Using a cell phone the way you describe is an iffy proposition. Regardless of signal strength, I have found my cell phones fall far short of being solid hotspots for streaming movies or surfing the internet. A cell phone is only a quick fix to a connectivity problem, not a permanent solution to not having internet. Having said that, if you must connect the computer to your phone, it should be via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This will allow you to get the phone out of the cabin and locate it for maximum signal reception. For myself, I use a dedicated AT&T hotspot for streaming real time to an iPad (via Wi-Fi) to view movies and check emails. If I need to work within a Windows environment, only then, will I pull out the laptop as nothing beats a full keyboard and mouse when your work plate is full. IMO, nothing beats out Windows computers for work but, regarding our needs as sailors, an iPad or tablet will serve you better as an information and entertainment center. As a last thought, when I travel for work (especially when I fly) I download movies to my iPad to watch while flying (with noise canceling iPods) and then I also have a few downloads ready to watch in the hotel room if I cannot get a solid signal on my hotspot. With downloaded movies/series, you will have hours of entertainment available to watch if needed and there shouldn‘t be any reason why you couldn’t download several hours of streaming movies to your computer for your consumption on the computer while either sailing/anchoring away from the internet or at the marina. I hope this helps.

George

 

[BAD ORCA]

BAD ORKA:

I think this is a great topic!

Using a cell phone the way you describe is an iffy proposition. Regardless of signal strength, I have found my cell phones fall far short of being solid hotspots for streaming movies or surfing the internet. A cell phone is only a quick fix to a connectivity problem, not a permanent solution to not having internet. Having said that, if you must connect the computer to your phone, it should be via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This will allow you to get the phone out of the cabin and locate it for maximum signal reception. For myself, I use a dedicated AT&T hotspot for streaming real time to an iPad (via Wi-Fi) to view movies and check emails. If I need to work within a Windows environment, only then, will I pull out the laptop as nothing beats a full keyboard and mouse when your work plate is full. IMO, nothing beats out Windows computers for work but, regarding our needs as sailors, an iPad or tablet will serve you better as an information and entertainment center. As a last thought, when I travel for work (especially when I fly) I download movies to my iPad to watch while flying (with noise canceling iPods) and then I also have a few downloads ready to watch in the hotel room if I cannot get a solid signal on my hotspot. With downloaded movies/series, you will have hours of entertainment available to watch if needed and there shouldn‘t be any reason why you couldn’t download several hours of streaming movies to your computer for your consumption on the computer while either sailing/anchoring away from the internet or at the marina. I hope this helps.

George

Thanks George. I appreciate all the good feedback. Where i was previously, had fantastic cell phone reception and i could stream via hotspot/ usb tethering (at 1080p) on my phone without a hiccup until i hit my data cap for the month. I moved to the other side of the marina expecting the same results since im in the middle of a major city and can barely manage low res streaming on most days.

Those mobile hotspots are interesting, but i assume they would suffer the same fate as my cell phone. If the reception is poor the data streaming is going to suffer as well. I dont know anything about them though so maybe they have better tech and pull in weaker signals? I will have to look into them a bit more. Maybe its just an issue with my carrier (T-Mobile) and one of the other carriers has better coverage where i am now? I do like how they can act as a wifi hub though for multiple devices.

That being said, I was reading through the articles on the SeaBits website jssailem linked above. After doing some research and from his suggestions, i think im going to try a weBoost marine cellular antenna that comes with an amplifier/repeater. It sounds like thats all i might need to pull in better reception. Wow not cheap though. Hopefully it will boost my reception and also work well offshore out at the local islands around here. I think the advantage of the antenna/booster/repeater is that technically it should work for any provider if i move around or if guests on board have a different service.