Question Boosting cell phone signal when travelling

[swissc]

Is there an easy way to boost a cell phone signal while traveling. I know RV/vehicle set ups exist, but I am looking for something more compact that I can carry around.

As background. I am based in western Europe. I am trying to use the train more for travel rather than flying. One of the advantages of this is that I can work on the train rather than having to take time off work when flying. When on the train I use my phone as a hotspot for my works laptop. I have an unlimited data package with the cell plan so this all works well. However is there any way I can boost the signal as it often gets a little patchy and means dropping off the work VPN. I guess a 4G/5G hotspot device would prob give a better signal due to larger antennas, but I use an esim so cannot switch the card. Or is there a way to tether the phone to the hotpot to use the phones sim and hotspots antenna? Any other idea?

As a sidenote, I recently read that modern thermally insulated windows on trains block the signal, and although many long-distance trains in Europe have free Wi-Fi I have never managed to get a usable connection from it.

If you have any device examples my local online store would be digitec ch (available in English).

 

[bill001g]

Can say about where you are but in general it is illegal to modify cell equipment. In the USA there is a exception that says if the provider (ie the company that pays the government for the use of the radio frequency) allows it you can use say external antenna.

Problem is even if they tell you that it is ok they will never give you the paperwork so if you end up interfering they will claim they know nothings.


Technically what you want to do is very challenging. There are 2 basic ways to increase the signal. The more common one on say a RV is to use a directional antenna. This allows you to concentrate the radio power into a more narrow beam. It also reduces the amount of interfering signals that received so a weaker signal is not being covered up as much. This is almost impossible on a moving vehicle since you have to constantly move the antenna.

The other method tends to be the one that can get you in trouble since the rules about radio transmissions are complex. Frist you would need a microwave amplifier. These tend to be very expensive to produce. It is very hard to amplify only the signal you want and avoid all the noise. You will not find these devices cheap.

If it was old style tv where you only received the broadcast it tends to work better and also tends to be allowed by the laws. Problem is communication goes both ways. Your cell device likely transmit near the allowed power limits. If you were to use a amplifier to exceed that it gets more and more expensive to limit the transmission to only the frequency you need and not bleed into others. This of course ignores that people are already concerned about the radio waves that come from current cell phone causing heath issues if you increase the power it is more likely to be something you don't want to sit near.

As wifi for a example. Both wifi and your microwave oven run on the same 2.4g radio channels. How much power do you think you can safely add to wifi before it starts to cook you.

Because they don't want people using ether method end devices tend to not have any way to connect antenna or other equipment. You will find people on youtube that show how to solder into the main boards of equipment if your REALLY want to do it.

Any actual cell booster are only sold by companies to cell phone companies to be used say on their towers. You will find some other "stuff" on aliexpress directly shipped from china. Since can't get a licenase for radio equipment from the FCC or Eu similar there is no way to say what the box you buy really does, could be a plastic box with some leds that does nothing.

I don't think there is DYI solution for use in a public train. Maybe the system they use is different but I remember seeing that some rail companies where using the metal rails themselves to carry internet. Since many times fiber runs along rail lines they should be able to be able to hook to the rails every so many miles.

 

[CelicaGT]

There are a multitude of legal cell boosters on the market for this purpose, most are meant for a stationary application and all need external power. The ones we use for work (Unfortunately I can't remember the brand.) used either a 12VDC power supply from the vehicle, or 120VAC mains. All were between 300 and 1000USD.

 

[swissc]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies.
CelicaGT, power would not be a problem as there is always as powersocket (230v), but I guess the devices you refer too would require an external antenna and be quite bulky.