General Chat

Watching "Spooks" and other TV programs it is ez to get the idea that mobile phones can pick up a very fast data signal even in the bowels of the MI6 building in Vauxhall. The reality is that mobile phone reception inside buildings is often very poor.

This is extra annoying when the poor to none existent signal is at home or in your office with only one or two bars on yr phone or even nothing. Locating the exact spot with a signal or going outdoors in mid winter can be a bit tedious.

Although the mobile phone operators keep it dark they do have a solution.

They can supply a "booster box" which routes yr mobile phone connection through your adsl or cable router. It works like a charm with a 4 bar signal and no data limits 'cos you are using the router data connection - data service on the mobile can be switched off as everything is going through the router's wifi. These gadgets do not boost the phone signal, it is replaced by local wifi and the nearest phone mast is no longer used.

ALL phones on the same network with access to yr local wifi can use the booster.

Best of all they are free - just needs some serious hassling of the ISPs who dislike giving them out.

We always have our mobiles connected via wifi a) to surf and b) to save our data allowance for use when away from home.

We do this even though our signal is very good. It's something everyone can do apart from the suggestion in the OP.

We both cut our data plans from unlimited to 500mb per month making huge savings.

Sue