Best way to improve cell reception in warehouse?
 

Our warehouse (metal building) has terrible cell reception. Anyone have any experience in the best method to improve --some type of antennae?

I wonder if reduced cell coverage results in more productivity?

Sorry bud, your warehouse is a giant Faraday cage. Unless of course you can convince the cellular companies to install a repeater antenna inside the warehouse. Something I'm sure they would do for a small fee.

Faraday cage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cell companies sell signal booster/repeater boxes. If you have a weak signal this is an option. If you have no signal then there is nothing to boost. I had one installed in a house I used to own that was in a dead spot. Worked great.

Repeaters have gotten much cheaper over the years. They used to be commercial only. Metal buildings suck. My office at a horse ranch is a converted metal skinned apartment. Outside 4 bars, inside nothing.

My prototype lab is an all metal (except for one concrete block wall) structure that is about 80 feet long and maybe 40 feet wide, and sitting at my desk, I can answer a cell call, but may lose it if I move very much. I need to go stand outside the building to ensure decent reception. I have an FM station playing on the radio that is hooked to a wire that goes outside and to the gutter system to be able to pull in even local stations. Faraday cage is correct.

I have a 3G micro cell made by Cisco, it sits in the window for very good reception. Otherwise there would be nothing.

Have you tried phones from different providers? You may find one company has better coverage.

Our office is a metal building. Every customer and every cell phone from all providers have horrible reception. We don't much care about customers reception they can go stand by the front door which is the only window in the place.

We started complaining to AT&T (our provider for all of the personal phones here) and they relented and gave us a micro cell. It plugs right into our router and works fine. We have a password on it because you can't set it up without one. My cell phone automatically sees it and if I look at the phone it says M-cell connection.

They only disadvantage to ii is you HAVE to dial all 10 digits even on local call. That and if you walk out the door while talking on the phone the call drops 100% of the time as you go out the door. It does not switch to regular cell service fast enough.

Mine is from AT&T also, they gave it to me after many complaints but unlike you I don't have to dial any but the seven numbers for local, plus it works in or out the same. I think you should get ATT to check into it. Sounds like something in the setup.

The vast majority of calls I make on my cell phone are in my contact list. I just tap the contact name and it dials it. It is an old unit we have had a long time.

Start your research on signal boosters/repeaters as mentioned above.

My in-laws live on a street with no cell coverage, none. They installed a signal booster, their house/yard is like a cell tower on it's own.

All thanks for the responses. Looks like a booster/repeater is the way to go since coverage is good outside the building.

Just another reason to love PPOT.

:)