Wi-Ex Zboost Cell Phone Extender PCS Networks (Refurbished) for $149.99
Works with both 800MHz Cellular and 1900 MHz PCS
Stop going outside to use your cell phone! Improves cell phone coveraqe in your home or office
Covers up to 2,500 square feet
Works with all phones and U.S. carriers (Except Nextel)
Allows you to use your cell phone as your only phone
Improves battery life of your cell phone
Supports multiple users simultaneously
by
brutherford
added 4 months ago
Will this work for the data signal as well?
Not to knock on the deal... but, if you have AT&T and you have crappy service at your house, you can call AT&Ts customer support and complain enough to get a "3G Microcell" (basically a little tower for your house) for free. I got mine and my neighbor got his for free (normally $200). http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/3gmicrocell.jsp
@ruger9mm: Yes, it will work with data as well.
The newer model of this (YX-545, 3.7 stars/5.0) goes for $189.99 on amazon.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003VOW5WI
Both it and the model for sale here (YX-510, typically $290 when amazon sold it directly, 3.6 stars/5.0) seem sensitive to proper set up and expectation control.
Both, it seems, benefit from upgrading the antennae beyond stock, for fringe use.
And YES, these do work with both data and voice.
(Camel link for YX-510 - http://camelcamelcamel.com/zBoost-YX-510-Signal-Booster-Dual-Band/product/B000J2XZ1K )
Save your money and get a Wilson Electronics Dual Band Antenna from Amazon for $27 to stick on the roof. Works great but only one person can use it at a time.
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Mirror-Trucker-Antenna/dp/B0006VSHE4/
@stevec5000:
How hard is it to install? Do you run a hard line to the phone from the antenna?
Thnx
@jsoko: Not to knock on your comment... but, that free Microcell deal is long gone, I've tried multiple times and they stand by their free Microcell thing being a deal of the permanent past. I have a Wi-Ex similar to this one and it works OK at best (fine for texts, sketchy otherwise). I think my cell gets confused on whether to connect to the Wi-Ex or the regular (weaker signal) tower. I have everything setup properly, antenna on roof, Wi-Ex in basement (complete dead zone). The Microcell would be a better choice for me on AT&T, but I bought the Wi-Ex before the Microcell existed.
All in all, not too bad of a product for the money, but if I were shopping now I'd save the $50 and get a Microcell.
@dcpotts: It's a little involved if you install it correctly, you are supposed to run a coax cable (like the type that you hook to your cable box) from well inside your house (where your Wi-Ex will be located) preferably to your roof, or where you have the best signal available.
Keep in mind you can't have the external antenna too close to the Wi-Ex, it'll sense that and not work (it'll let you know if you are too close with a red light).
There's no running of anything to your phone. All this device does is amplify the signal outside (even if it's a weak one) from a cell tower to inside where for whatever reason you have no signal
@majorpita: While I appreciate your condescending reply, I have to disagree. You CAN still get the microcell for free. My neighbor just got his about a month ago! AT&T may look at your history and see how long you have been a customer, maybe you don't qualify. All I can tell you is that we simply have had AT&T for many, many, years and we simply called and described the problem of having no cellular service in our houses and sketchy service even outside when we should have great service. When I called my service actually got lost, AT&T was prompt in answering my question of "What can we do about this?" I told my neighbor to explain the problem and to mention that I got one for free and the problems were fixed.
Can this boost one bar outside, to a usable signal indoors?
@jsoko: I'm sorry about the condescending tone, I am just a little bitter as I've had nothing but resistance when I have tried to call on this matter. Maybe it has something to do with geographic area, as I've been an AT&T subscriber since 2002, even before they were bought by Cingular. Perhaps I'll try again...
@irenegade: Yes, that's exactly what this device is designed to do.
Wi-Ex's customer support is wonderful. I bought one of their $50 extenders on Amazon (on sale). It broke twice and they ended up discontinuing the extender. In exchange, they gave me a brand new extender worth 5x more than my old one. Amazing
I got a free extender with Sprint as well.. just call them and say you don't get signal in your house and threaten to switch to Verizon.. it was a 2 minute phone call.. and it shipped to my house in about 5 days
I had one of these for a long time, I'm not really sure it ever did anything.
I ended up replacing it with the Verizon Network Extender, which I've been much happier with.
Just FYI, bi-directional amplifiers like this are frowned on by the FCC (read: illegal) and if you are caught, will most likely result in a significant (up to $10,000) fine. They're usually not hard to find because they have crappy RF design and cause interference on the cell phone network...which the cell phone operator spots pretty quickly when you shut down a cell.
The Communications Act of 1934
◦Section 301 - requires persons operating or using radio transmitters to be licensed or authorized under the Commissions rules (47 U.S.C. § 301)
When you buy your phone, you enter into an agreement with your cell phone provider. That covers you. It does NOT cover bi-directional amplifiers.
No need to argue with me tho, you can just explain it to the feds when they come to visit. :)
Further info from the CTIA:
http://files.ctia.org/pdf/CTIA_Repeater_White_Paper_Final_050106.pdf
Not trying to mess up anyone's day, but 99.9% of the public does not know about this.
Do these things also work with 3G & or 4g?
@deano77: 3g yes, 4g I don't know. It all depends on the frequency of the phone. I'm not too familiar with 4g freqs but if it's in the range then yes it'd work. In all likelihood, no 4g won't work though.
@devexityspace: I did the same with Sprint, they call it Airave I think. But, it didn't work well for me. You had to be within 40 feet of it, it didn't work in my living room while the unit was 40 fee away in the office, you have to start the call with the connection and if you lose the connection it won't pick it back up again until a new call. I finally quit sprint because I couldn't get reliable service and went to AT&T. Now, AT&T has presented a new set of issues, but at least I can make a call from my house now.
@sleebusjones - The CTIA isn't a government regulatory agency; they're a wireless industry advocacy/lobbying group. Of course, they're entitled to their opinion like everyone, however, their interpretations of law and regulation are not binding. Their main complaint seems to regard interfering, poorly designed boosters and the only FCC notice they reprint in Appendix II regards unlicensed mobile phone signal jammers.
This Wi-Ex YX545 equipment is registered under FCC ID: SO4YX545-PCS-CEL and the test reports are there. They appear to be OK to my untrained eye.
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=691224&fcc_id=';SO4YX545-PCS-CEL'
@mwarrenus: The law is the law. Unless you have a license to transmit in that band, the FCC can and will come after you. Buying a transmitter does not give you rights to transmit. The communications law of 1934 is pretty clear on that part.
The fact that it has a FCC cert means that it meets the requirements for a transmitter in that band. It does not convey any authority to transmit. Ham radio transmitters are FCC certified also, but unless you have a ham radio licence, your transmission is illegal, plain and simple.
Fines range up to $10,000. If ya wanna take that gamble, be my guest! I'm just trying to help out here. :)
@mwarrenus: Here is actual FCC action against bidirectional amplifiers (which is what this is)
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-296857A1.html
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-294721A1.html
Specific action against Wi-Ex:
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2010/DA-10-1256A1.html
Again, your gamble.
Is there a way find out what brand/model of equipment the supermarket or the plastics company were operating? Both of those businesses probably needed coverage over a much larger area than this Wi-Ex device can handle and they might well have chosen something quite a bit more powerful.
The action against Wi-Ex was a $4,000 fine for using labels showing the FCC-ID as "SO4YX510-PCS-CEL" instead of simply the registered FCC-ID "SO4YX510". The FCC action didn't mention anything about infringing transmission.
IMHO, this still sounds like FUD. Thank you for the pointers nonetheless.
Wi-Ex's web page http://www.wi-ex.com/fcc.aspx addresses the issues that @sleebusjones raised.
It's not FUD, it's simple fact as stated by the FCC:
" A licensee's authority to install a BDA does not permit a subscriber to install a BDA, unless that subscriber has received explicit authorization from the licensee to do so. In response to an inquiry from an FCC agent, US Cellular reported that it did not provide you authorization to install a BDA."
Unless your cell phone provider gives you explicit authorization to install a BDA, ya can't do it. I'm not sure how this is FUD, but we've both beaten this to death enough! :)
Ah, well thanks for that link, and I'll kindly STFU now! :)
I picked up a used Micro-Cell for ATT on CraigsList for $80. They can frequently be had for less than $100 if you watch your local CraigsList.
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