Twenty years after the appearance of cell phones, their diffusion has become widespread to the point that 90% of the world population has one to access the cellular network. Unfortunately this does not mean that the quality and reception of the cellular radio signal are always optimal and most people think that there is nothing to be done to be able to solve the problem independently. This is not always true and by following the advice in this article you will be able to improve the reception of your mobile phone without the need for a new antenna to be installed by one of the many global mobile phone operators.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Improving Reception by Positioning Correctly
Step 1. Move to a higher point
In order to have a better radio signal you need to move to a higher point so that there are no obstacles or obstructions. If you can't move higher, try to get around any obstacles that are blocking the radio signal. For example, if you find yourself at the foot of a hill, try to reach the top. This way the phone reception should improve automatically.
- Not all cell phones are built following the same pattern. Some are able to function properly even when the cellular signal is very weak, while others become virtually unusable. Ask other users which solutions work best based on your mobile phone model and the carrier you have chosen.
- Find out where the closest radio antenna of your telephone company is installed in order to direct the mobile phone to that point or get closer to it, in order to reduce the number of obstacles between the phone and the signal source.
Step 2. Try going outside or move to a window
Don't waste time trying to make a phone call from inside a building or while you are underground, for example on the subway. The buildings and large reinforced concrete structures act as insulators for the radio signal of the cellular network. If you are on the street in the heart of a large metropolis and are having cell phone reception problems, try to move near a large intersection. At these points the quality of the cellular network radio signal should be better.
- The radio signal of the cellular network cannot penetrate the earth's crust, so if you are on the subway or in another underground location you will most likely not receive any signals.
- Try downloading a smartphone app that gives you the map of your carrier's cellular antennas. Normally these programs indicate to the user the direction to take in order to approach the nearest cell tower and consequently improve the reception of the radio signal.
Step 3. Move to an obstacle-free area
Nowadays mobile phones and smartphones are completely digital and this makes them much more sensitive to the quality of the radio signal coming from the telephone network. Basically thinks you have to look for the best possible signal based on where you are looking. Even if you are unable to see the nearest cell tower with the naked eye, ask yourself which is the outdoor path where you would encounter fewer obstacles to reach it.
- Remember that the radio signal is reflected when it encounters an obstacle, so cell phone reception depends not only on the direct signal coming from the radio tower, but also on what bounces off the various obstacles it encounters in its path. This means that even if you are in an open space with no obstacles, your mobile phone does not necessarily have optimal reception. For example, if you are in the shadow of an obstacle that is blocking the signal emitted by the radio antenna of your telephone company, your mobile phone will not receive any signal.
- Also you must consider that not all cell towers broadcast the radio signal of all telephone operators on the market.
Part 2 of 3: Adopting Simple Solutions
Step 1. Keep your phone away from other electronic devices that may interfere with the radio signal of the cellular network
For example laptops, tablets, microwave ovens and other electronic devices can adversely interfere with cell phone reception. Try turning off your smartphone's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity so that you can devote most of your device's hardware resources to finding a good signal.
If possible, turn off any electronic devices you are not using. If this does not work, try also turning off your mobile phone and turning it on again after a few seconds have elapsed. In some cases, a restart of the device is sufficient to solve the problem
Step 2. Try to keep the battery charged at all times or at least at 50%
When you make a phone call, your mobile phone uses a lot of power compared to when it is on standby. Often the remaining battery charge may be sufficient to be able to make a call, but not to be able to locate the radio signal of the cellular network. If you're having trouble receiving cellular signal, consider recharging your device's battery.
Step 3. Hold the phone correctly while using it
Cell phone antennas are designed to be able to receive and send the radio signal perpendicular to its axis. For this reason, cell phones search for the signal by sending concentric circular radio waves from the antenna. If the phone is held properly and held upright, there should be no problem. However, when you hold it in an imaginative or creative way, for example upside down or holding it horizontally, the functionality of the device's antenna is greatly reduced. Always hold it correctly and keep it vertical so that the antenna can catch the radio signal of the telephone company in an optimal way.
- In most modern smartphones, the antenna is located at the bottom of the device, so holding it upside down could improve signal reception.
- In the case of an older mobile phone, the antenna is located at the top of the device, near the main camera.
Step 4. Use Wi-Fi connectivity as a substitute for cellular network radio
To make a voice call, use the internet connection. If your device supports the UMA protocol, you can use the Wi-Fi connection as if it were the cellular radio signal in all areas where the GSM network coverage does not reach or where the signal quality is too poor. There are many free applications, such as Viber or WhatsApp, which allow you to make voice calls using the Wi-Fi connection.
Not all mobile devices and carriers support the UMA protocol. Some Blackberry models, Android smartphones and a few other devices support this type of protocol. However, it is a tool that is spreading rapidly thanks to constant technological improvement
Part 3 of 3: Change the Hardware Settings
Step 1. Try switching to the old 2G cellular network
The new 3G and 4G networks are designed to also allow mobile phones to surf the web via broadband. However, the distance that separates the mobile device from the radio transmission tower must remain within a certain limit for the connection to be effective. This means that the farther you are from the cell tower, the weaker the network's radio signal will be. If your priority is being able to receive voice calls and text messages, consider switching to a 2G cellular network. The latter offer a limited bandwidth compared to the most modern cellular networks, but have the advantage of guaranteeing superior coverage in most of the areas in which they are present, especially in all those places where the signal of the 3G and 4G networks is unable to reach. get.
- Imagine that you are in an area with many buildings or in an enclosed space; since the transmission frequency of 2G networks is low, their signal is able to travel a greater distance and reach points where the signals of other networks (3G and 4G) cannot reach. The only limitation of a 2G network is the speed of the data connection which is limited. However, regardless of this data, it will always be possible to make a telephone call and receive or send SMS.
- Also, when connecting to a 2G network, the battery life of the device will be longer, as the connection will require less power. Review your phone's instruction manual to find out how to connect to a 2G cellular network.
Step 2. Use a signal amplifier
In recent times, a new category of signal amplifiers for cellular networks called "intelligent" is spreading. This appellation is determined by the fact that they are equipped with a very powerful processor capable of eliminating noise and interference from the original radio signal before amplifying it and re-transmitting it to the area where they are installed. Most of these devices offer a gain of 100 db (unlike traditional amplifiers which have a variable gain between 63 and 70 db). This is a 1,000 - 2,500-fold improvement.
Some of these new amplifiers, although much more expensive than traditional analog ones, are completely "plug and play". This means that you just need to connect them to a power source and they will already be able to do their job without the need to do any configuration or installation. They usually come with an internal antenna, so you won't need to install an external one. Being "plug and play" they can be used with practically all mobile phone operators on the market without any problem. However, in most cases these signal amplifiers are sold preconfigured to fit the specifications of a single carrier, so be sure to buy the one compatible with yours
Step 3. Install a cellular signal booster
If the signal reception is poor in some places, for example inside your home or office, try installing a signal repeater. These devices are designed to capture the original radio signal thanks to an external antenna, amplify it and relay it to the area where they are installed. Normally they only work if the original signal has a certain strength (at least two bars) at the point where the antenna is installed (often this is the roof or some other point outside the building), but in any case they will be able to improve cellular signal coverage and reception while also increasing the phone's battery life and data connection download speed.
The installation of some repeaters requires advanced technical preparation, since for example it will be necessary to know the transmission frequencies of your telephone company in order to lock in the correct signal to be amplified. For this reason they can only work for a specific category of frequencies at a time. If you prefer a less technical approach and need to expand the signal coverage of multiple carriers at the same time, consider purchasing a dual-band cellular repeater
Step 4. Change your phone's antenna
Some cell phone manufacturers also sell high-performance antennas as an accessory to their devices that can be installed directly by the store staff or on their own. While this type of device cannot offer signal reception improvement like that offered by a cellular repeater, it is relatively inexpensive and allows you to move freely without constraints (while a cellular repeater improves the quality and reception of the cellular signal. only in the area where it is installed).
Step 5. Change carrier
Most telephone operators have created their own cellular network which is independent from the others, since it uses different frequencies and transmission towers from each other. If the signal reception from a specific carrier is poor in the area where you live, you may be able to solve the problem by changing your telephone operator. Nowadays, all operators offer the possibility to keep their telephone number requesting its portability.
Often by switching from one operator to another it is possible to take advantage of very advantageous offers reserved only for new customers. The competition between telephone operators to increase their customer portfolio is very high, so they are always looking for the best offer to try to steal users from their respective competitors. Talk to friends, relatives or acquaintances who live in the same area as you to find out which telephone company offers the most complete rate plan
Step 6. Ask for the installation of a cell tower
This solution takes time to implement, but where cellular radio reception is inadequate, home or land owners can contact mobile phone operators to allow them to install their own antenna on the property. The third-party telecommunications companies that collaborate with large operators are those that manage the maintenance and expansion of the cellular network. Contact them to report that you have a property available for installing a new antenna. When one of the telephone companies is interested in expanding their network in the area where you live, your property will appear in the list of places available for the installation of a new radio antenna.
Telephone operators usually pay a sum of money in exchange for permission to install a broadcast antenna
Advice
- If all the solutions proposed in the article have not solved the problem, consider changing the telephone company.
- If you need to improve cellular signal reception inside the car, you can purchase a portable signal amplifier that can be powered from the vehicle's cigar lighter socket that supplies 12 V.
- Factors such as very dry or humid weather and lightning storms help reduce cellular network coverage, but unfortunately they are beyond your control.
- When the phone cannot find a cellular network to connect to, it continues to search for a signal automatically. In this scenario, the battery life is drastically reduced and it is for this reason that when you are in an area with very poor cellular radio coverage the smartphone battery runs out more quickly. Anyone who has forgotten to turn off the device or activate airplane mode has already been in this situation. If you live near a cellular radio repeater, you may have noticed that your mobile device's battery life seems to last a lot longer than normal. This is due to the fact that the device does not search for a better radio signal since it already has the optimal one available.
