Does Spectrum offer cellular signal boosters?
Are signal boosters available for Spectrum cellular service?
I know that Spectrum uses Verizon towers. Would a Verizon booster work for the Spectrum service?
Thanks.
Best Answer
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Hello @waverlyg2004 and welcome to our community!
At this time, we do not offer any cellular signal boosters. We cannot guarantee the compatibility of a third-party device with our network.
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I've been around many Verizon microcell boosters (the kind that looks like a router and plugs into the Internet in someone's home) and they all work perfectly with both Verizon and my Spectrum Mobile phone. (I'm a Spectrum field tech with 10 years experience)
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Elaborate please. Give an example of such a device (microcell plugs to internet). There are many boosters that are actually repeaters i.e. an antenna on the roof brings signals into an in-house amplifier which re-broadcasts it. What exactly are you posting about?
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@TomUpNorth i believe @Bitlord83 is referring to LTE "network extenders" which, as you've alluded, are not to be confused with cellular radio boosters/repeaters. The way they extend "HD Voice" i.e. VoLTE packet voice via Internet is similar to - and seemingly an unbeatable alternative to - "WiFi Calling." The window proximity issue and the antenna that can optionally be extended to a window has only to do with GPS; not the local point-to-multipoint LTE radiology. They supposedly won't work without good GPS.
šhttps://www.verizon.com/products/verizon-lte-network-extender/?sku=sku3880045
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Note: i assume VZW "network extenders" can only be procured by, and be activated by VZW for, and have activation and support maintained by VZW for, actual VZW subscribers (regardless of whether any MVNO-activated phones happen to be able to connect to any of them.)
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That seems like the key - can you purchase and use a Verizon network extended for a Spectrum service line.
And to clarify, this WOULD be superior to Wifi calling? We have little to no cellular signal and most of our calls are through Wifi, but they are frequently dropped.
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Thanks @HT_Greenfield for the explanation of the tech, but if you have to have a Verizon account to activate it, well then it's not a help to us Spectrum subscribers.
HELLO OUT THERE can anyone confirm or deny? Buy one of these, plug it in and it just works???
EDIT: These two links say nothing about calling any VZW employee or needing an account number to activate. I'd judge that it then probably works with Spectrum:
https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-234053/
https://www.verizon.com/support/verizon-lte-network-extender-connection-test-video/
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I didn't say MVNO phones won't work with the things and i don't know how explicit any provider has to be about who their products and services and support guidance are for but, nevertheless, my bad for expecting people to read between the lines.
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@waverlyg2004, WiFi should be better. I would definitely recommend looking at options to improve your WiFi coverage with something like Spectrum Pods.
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If I understand the extender concept correctly, it gives you an LTE signal. I can tell you that at our house, where we've had to use Wi-Fi Calling all the time because of "No Signal" or "SOS Only" problems in some parts of the house, it seems this is extraordinarily hard on our iPhones' batteries, as despite that Wi-Fi calling is selected the phone still tries to find a cell signal. Then your battery gets weak and signal strength gets even worse.
Of course, you can go to Airplane Mode and then turn Wi-Fi back on, which turns-off your cellular modem saving the battery. But then when you leave the house, out of Wi-Fi range, you have to remember to turn Airplane Mode Off again. It can be very confusing!
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This is a technical subject and I for one would even have to look-up what a "MVNO phone" is, so would suck at "reading between the lines". And I still don't understand the connection between GPS satellites and use of one's home internet with these extenders. But still I find nothing about "logging-in to a VZW account" to make them work--a huge gap in the "startup" links I've found on this thing if that's necessary.
Re: your link to the verizon "not working with iPhone" thread, at least my iPhone 8 with latest-for-it-iOS 16.7.6 has no "only uses band 66" restriction that I can find. Apple doesn't make it easy to determine, but except that I have NO bars atm I feel certain I have seen it use band 13 in the past.
In any case I for one have decided that these LTE Extenders aren't for me. I would greatly prefer a signal strength solution that doesn't require my internet to be working. So if I do anything it would be to go for a signal repeater setup instead.
Thanks for your help with these extender gizmos HT.
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