Why is the mobile phone signal in our house like a holiday in Saudi Arabia? They've both got no bars. Honk! So we're happy to see Vodafone's signal-boosting femtocell, the Vodafone Sure Signal.
Previously known as the Vodafone Home Gateway, the Sure Signal plugs into your home broadband connection and beams out a bubble of 3G goodness. That means no more missed calls in your lead-lined bunker or basement taxidermy lab.
To keep your nosy neighbours from piggybacking on your signal, your phone number must be registered with Vodafone to use the Sure Signal. Up to 32 people can be registered and four people can use it at any one time. You can use broadband from any company.
If you're already on Vodafone, the gadget costs £50 for people on £25 or more Vodafone contracts, and £120 for everyone else. If you get the Sure Signal with a new phone contract, it'll add at least £5 a month to your bill, depending on what tariff you're on.
We'd like to see it even cheaper, for two reasons -- it's locked to Vodafone, so you're even more tied to your contract, and you're paying for the broadband it uses to keep you connected. Vodafone isn't even offering a discount on calls, texts and data that you use when you're on the Sure Signal's network instead of clogging up the Vodafone spectrum.
Nevertheless, if you struggle with signal and you're desperate for a boost, the Sure Signal is easy to set up and use. Just plug it into power and broadband, register your number online with Vodafone, and you're good to go.
We'll be running a full test in our local bomb shelter, but in the meantime we want to hear from you -- are femtocells a boon or a bust? Let us know in the comments.
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Comments 4
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Anonymous 4 September, 2010 18:01
We went away for 3 days, having shut down our PC, and on our return the Sure Signal isn't working. Will it come to life in a day or so or do I have to start again and re-register it ? Would be glad of any advice.
Anonymous 13 January, 2011 10:19
Good when working (on the rair time it works)
constantley dropping signal
not worth the mony
have now had 4 replacments in the last 6 months.
Anonymous 14 April, 2011 10:25
my gateway occasionally loses connection to any iphone 4 that is using it (other phones are fine and it all works well on mainstream cells). Apple suggest it is a Vodafone software problem and Vodafone have this morning advised me that the problem is caused by having my wi-fi on at the same time.
They have told me to switch off wi-fi when using the gateway (so weirdly I will have to use their 3G service for all browsing). I have never heard such rubbish and have asked where this is documented and to have 3rd line explain in more detail why this is the case and will ask for this to be documented. Any comments anyone?
anonymous 29 August, 2012 12:29
i am not getting vadafone signals in saudi arabia country please tel me how to use vadafone sim card in saudi arabia