1. jmitchem's Avatar
    Hi. I just received/configured my first BB (8130) and am having signal problems in my home-office. I live in a city that has coverage, but our old house has plaster walls and I have a wireless-N router in the place too - which is interfering with my signal quality. I do NOT want to buy one of those fancy, attic-based signal boosters, since I did not have this signal problem before I got the BB (migrated from another Sprint phone that worked fine for 7 years). So, I was hoping one of you guys could give me some advice other than 'go stand outside' (to talk on the phone.

    Thanks.
    02-12-08 12:26 PM
  2. tomdick's Avatar
    just make sure you have the latest OS for the phone other than that i think theres nothing you can do sorry
    02-12-08 01:11 PM
  3. sunkast's Avatar
    I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical when you say your 802.11n router is interfering with your phone. The router operates on 2.4Ghz right?
    02-12-08 01:16 PM
  4. jmitchem's Avatar
    Yes. But this is my best guess as to why the reception is poorer with my 8130 than with my old Nextel 510. Of course there's the issue of the plaster walls, but they weren't a problem before - so I just assumed it had to be the router signal.

    Is there a device anyone has used to 'boost' signal? I keep seeing two kinds available - 1) the kind you mount in your attic that costs hundreds of dollars, and the kind that fits on your car for twenty bucks. My office is next to a window, so i wonder if i can get better reception with one of those car boosters (that mount to the glass)?
    02-12-08 01:21 PM
  5. sunkast's Avatar
    You can't expect two phones to get the same exact signal strength. I think my i730 got better reception that my new BB. Which I believe has to do with the antenna. Can't say that I've used any of those products. If your had a phone with wifi i would just say go out and get a wireless g router.
    02-12-08 01:34 PM
  6. jmitchem's Avatar
    Yeah - that's what i had, an i730 (not the 510, that's my wife's new phone). Much better reception/antenna. And the funny thing is that her M510 has better reception than my pearl. of course that's all it has over it.
    02-12-08 01:40 PM
  7. acolvin1's Avatar
    Well the i730 is Nextel's signal versus the Pearl which is Sprint's signal. They are the same company but two different signals.
    I went from a Nextel Berry 7520 to a Sprint Treo 700p and the signal stunk and I was on the back patio to make a call.
    I have gone back to a Sprint Berry, but because it is still a Sprint signal - it still stinks and doesn't do much better than the Treo.
    I have the same exact problem. I get a good signal everywhere except my home - where I have no landline..... It wasn't an issue with a Nextel phone (signal) but it sure is with a Sprint phone (signal).

    Supposedly Sprint was to releast the Airave at the start of 2008, but there has not been any further press or info. Just do a google search for Sprint Airave. It is a femtocell that is sort of like the TMobile Hot Spot, but does not require any one specific phone. It is like a very small personal cell tower. Pricing info has been sketchy.
    I am basically trying to just hang on for another 9 months and then I am done with this little 2 year Sprint experiment (the Treo was a borderline nightmare, Sprint's service has been fair, their signal has been crap).
    Last edited by acolvin1; 02-12-08 at 02:02 PM.
    02-12-08 01:55 PM
  8. boxsetz's Avatar
    just from experience with sprint... i dont think their towers are too powerful. When I had sprint we had a cell tower very close to the house yet inside the house i barely got a signal. however.... when i switched to AT&T (cingular at the time) i've always had perfect signal within the house or wherever i was... honestly i dont think its the phone as much as i think its Sprint. Sorry...
    02-12-08 02:10 PM
  9. Member_No.1's Avatar
    I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical when you say your 802.11n router is interfering with your phone. The router operates on 2.4Ghz right?
    sunkast... just so you know, they also run on 5Ghz. I have multiband 802.11n and the reason is so it doesn't get interference from cell phones, cordless phones, microwaves.

    WNDR3300 - RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router
    02-12-08 03:14 PM
  10. sunkast's Avatar
    Good to know. I haven't looked too much into the new 802.11n products out there since I've been happy with my wrt54gl (with thibors firmware). I'd be interested in upgrading my network to gigabit.
    02-12-08 03:26 PM
  11. knightrd's Avatar
    Different handsets will yield varying signal strength results under the same conditions. Sometimes another model will do the trick. There are three approaches you can try. You can exchange it for the same model because it could just be a minor defect (unlikely but possible), you can try a different Blackberry model, or you can find a boosting system for about $350 - $500.

    As far as the i730, it's not bad if you can live with the many glitches in the software.
    Last edited by knightrd; 02-13-08 at 02:36 AM.
    02-13-08 02:31 AM
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