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Thread: GSM Coverage and GSM Repeater Question

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    Default GSM Coverage and GSM Repeater Question

    My place at Inverloch Victoria seems to have very marginal GSM coverage, phone calls will often drop out and mobile data is extremely slow, have done some googling but am unable to find any reasonable information to either support or prove wrong my experience. The number of signal bars is rarely above one or two, "4G" or "H+" also shows up, but you have to be patient with any data connection.

    Does any one have any advice as to where to check this detail? ... all the 3 carriers is what I wish to investigate.


    Most houses in the "newish" estate area I am in (including mine) also have metal colorbond roofing, all very clean and smooth looking but unfortunately also I believe a very good faraday cage blocking or at least reducing GSM signal from all carriers inside the house ... typically I can walk outside and make the important call without fearing or experiencing a drop out.

    I recently invested in a GSM signal repeater, there is a Yagi receiving antenna on top of the house, a signal booster and local transmitting antenna inside the house. This has definitely made an improvement although best results are found if i am within 5 or 6 metres from the internal antenna, the installer I purchased and had this job done through is revisiting as it is known that a suitable usage range should be much more that this.
    BTW the GSM repeater covers all carriers and has a premium price, so I expect I should be getting better than what I am experiencing.

    If anyone has any experience or advice here also this would be appreciated.



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    I thought all of the legal Repeaters were only authorised to one provider, Ie only Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. Celfi Go or Celfi Pro for Telstra.


    Telcoantennas are quick to point out some facts

    I have installed a Celfi Go at work that changes signal from 1 bar to full anywhere in the 20M x 20M office block.

    Hopefully you have a ACMA certified one that doesn't cause more issues for you or others.

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    Quote Originally Posted by checkitout View Post
    BTW the GSM repeater covers all carriers and has a premium price, so I expect I should be getting better than what I am experiencing.

    If anyone has any experience or advice here also this would be appreciated.
    Do you mind posting details of the product you purchased? Maybe a link as well? Might be able to give you better advice if we know what you have purchased.

    As crazy posted above, there are only a limited number of legal mobile phone repeaters, and they each cover only one carrier. These generally work very well in marginal reception areas.

    Your product may not be working as expected as it may not be suitable for use in Australia, possibly operating on incorrect or unlicensed frequencies. Best case is it will just be an expensive bit of equipment that doesn’t do much for you reception wise; worse case is it could be affecting nearby towers causing the interference to be investigated.

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    Have you tried all networks at your location?
    Have you tried the most current hardware?
    Is the hardware suited to your freqs?

    Agreed, Cell Fi is about all you'd purchase.

    The rest are fly by night sellers from what I've seen
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Quote Originally Posted by peteramjet View Post
    Do you mind posting details of the product you purchased? Maybe a link as well? Might be able to give you better advice if we know what you have purchased.

    As crazy posted above, there are only a limited number of legal mobile phone repeaters, and they each cover only one carrier. These generally work very well in marginal reception areas.

    Your product may not be working as expected as it may not be suitable for use in Australia, possibly operating on incorrect or unlicensed frequencies. Best case is it will just be an expensive bit of equipment that doesn’t do much for you reception wise; worse case is it could be affecting nearby towers causing the interference to be investigated.
    This is very interesting, I have asked the supplier/installer for details of the unit installed specifically make and model, unfortunately I have not had this supplied yet... I do not think there is any malice here, more of an oversight I am sure, having said this I have inspected the equipment just now and it seems I can not find any or make details on it apart from "mobilerepeater", "mobile DCS Repeater" and "CE0700 MRE042?" on the back.

    Keeping the pressure on to get details as well as continuing to request adequate service is obviously important... ACMA legality is also going to be interesting, thanks for the feedback, will let you know as more details are available

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    Just Googled on the details in particular MRE042 and can see the below applies





    More reading to do here on the specs etc to see if something is not quite right ...

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    I don’t think your device is type approved for use in Australia by ACMA ,

    This mob is the only approved distributor with approved devices as far as I’m aware ,

    Video below on what a non approved device can do ...


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    Says it all I think ?



    It pays to Google always before any purchase. I would be removing it before you get a visit.

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    I have turned the unit off and will be contacting the supplier installer asking what they are going to do about the unit, they have been great with other work I have given them in the past so I am expecting them to do the right thing.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

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    "The legal repeater is equivalent to 20 phones. The illegal ones they are sending from the UK is equivalent to 200 phones. It floods the towers and people are unable to make calls."

    Keh?
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Quote Originally Posted by oceanboy View Post
    "The legal repeater is equivalent to 20 phones. The illegal ones they are sending from the UK is equivalent to 200 phones. It floods the towers and people are unable to make calls."

    Keh?
    Yes I have also noticed this comment, given what I know now I am asking my setup to be done correctly with legally approved equipment otherwise it is not going to be used.

    Unfortunately for me I had a level of trust with the installer/supplier that did the work that I sense I will be caught out with at the end of the day.

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    Hopefully your installer is as good as you thought and sorts you out, he could be in the dark regarding this like 99% of Aussies would be.
    At the least he will be educated as well on what is good to install in the future.

    Most people would look at the certification on the repeaters website and assume that's all that is required.

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    Quote Originally Posted by crazy View Post
    Hopefully your installer is as good as you thought and sorts you out, he could be in the dark regarding this like 99% of Aussies would be.
    At the least he will be educated as well on what is good to install in the future.
    I honestly doubt he would be that naive.


    It rang a bell as soon as a started reading the thread because I have seen threads about the same website before.

    Its a wonder the OP doesnt remember himself knowing something about the topic as he started a thread about it 5 years ago and even then linked to a similar seedy site


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    Quote Originally Posted by admin View Post
    I honestly doubt he would be that naive.


    It rang a bell as soon as a started reading the thread because I have seen threads about the same website before.

    Its a wonder the OP doesnt remember himself knowing something about the topic as he started a thread about it 5 years ago and even then linked to a similar seedy site

    I had left this project completely with the installer, yes this may have been naive of me, apologies if this is not believable or if it seems I have gone over the line here somewhere.

    Of course I knew something about this topic, also being an ex Telstra employee of 20 years and with a further 15 external in industry this is not something that is totally new to me. As I advised earlier I had left the decision of the hardware selection and complete installation including supply and legality of, with the installer. The equipment and setup will not be used unless this is sorted.

    Yes I remember the post, a lot of things can also happen in 5 years, my recent posting was to get latest forum feedback which of of course I am very appreciative of, something of which I also should have done earlier rather than trusting others first.

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    I remember looking down this track several times also
    Generally for vehicle deployment but also for friends farms that were just on the fringe of reception

    I emailed a couple of these obviously dodgy booster websites advertising in AU, they responded promptly, promising stuff i knew was unlikely.
    One of them still emails me today (some 5 years later)
    I honestly cant believe they are still in business
    Obvious that not a single product is certified for use on our networks.

    In our case, changing carrier got full signal (amazingly Optus where Telstra would not work)
    They are also putting a lot of new cell towers in now days too, so what didn't work 2 years ago, might work now

    I'm still very suspect on the Booster websites, especially at the $$$ prices they were quoting.

    Just too many new frequencies now, most Boosters were old tech and on older freqs that were now only 3G.
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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