Femtocells (Boosting Cell Phones)

An-D

I'm looking into boosting cell phone coverage in my new home. Its way out in the middle of nowhere, and I can get a couple of bars if I stand around certain windows or the end of the driveway, but I'd rather have better use of my cell-phone.

I was looking at ways to too it - like attaching my phone to stacked soda cans and crazy stuff. But then I read into Femtocells and signal repeaters. I'm not sure I have the 500-600 dollars to put into a signal repeater, but I could probably dig up some cash for a Femtocell thingie.

I primarily use a 'high-end' Tracphone (it has a touch screen and shit). I have no idea who provides the phone service around me (literally just moved in a couple days ago). Has anyone used a femtocell? Any advice on it? Things I should watch out for? The internet here is more than reasonable, so it shouldn't put that big of a strain on my network

Thoughts, PA?

*EDIT* Any other advice on boosting cell phone reception would be appreciated as well! Methods or devices! Thank you!

spool32

My alternate south would be, assuming you have a smartphone, to use your Internet wifi and Google Voice.

BlazeFire

Can you elaborate on Tracphone? My googling shows it being a satellite phone.

An-D

http://www.amazon.com/Tracfone-LG-LG800G-Double-Minutes/dp/B004ZL9JFC <-- this what I have. Its a prepaid phone. I know nothing beyond that.

BlazeFire

Oh okay. Tracfone and Tracphone lead to different things.

An-D

Oh, sorry. That was my mistake. Its been a long, weird day. Anyone know anything about these things? I literally just learned about them today, and just started doing research.

Hauky

I got a free one out of Verizon when I moved to an apartment complex that somehow blocked all cell phone signals from reaching the outside world (as in, the entire complex, inside and out, was a giant dead zone to any and all phones, despite the fact that I was within two miles of several towers). It's a pretty fantastic device, but I believe they are carrier-specific, and I doubt Tracfone is in the right market to provide them. I only got my Verizon one because their service map said they provided coverage to my complex, plus I was an existing customer.

An-D

The way I understand it, Tracfone works by buying 'time' with bigger carriers and their towers. So, I don't think it would matter? Just as long as the phone is able to pick up some kind of signal. Semora, NC (where I'm living) seems to have AT&T, Verizon and Sprint towers near-ish.