Troubleshooting
First, check these:
1 — Antenna distance: Maximize separation
Separation between the antenna is very important and can have a dramatic effect on the performance of your Cell Ranger. Use the full 16 feet of cable to get the antenna as far away from Cell Ranger as possible.
2 — Antenna position: Avoid line of sight
If possible, try to position there antenna so there is no line of sight between the antenna and the Cell Ranger unit. This can be achieved by placing the antenna behind a wall, or at the top, back of the vehicle.
3 — Distance from Cell Ranger: Don’t get too close!
Do not hold your cell phone closer than 2 feet from Cell Ranger. If your cell phone is too close to Cell Ranger, it will see very strong signal and decrease the output power of its uplink signal. Make sure that your cell phone is at least 2 feet way from the unit.
Still having problems?
My phone shows strong signal, but my calls are dropping
Make sure you are staying at least 2-3 feet away from the Cell Ranger when you use your phone, and see if the problem persists. Bringing your cell phone too close to Cell Ranger can cause your cell phone to decrease the uplink signal output, thereby reducing causing dropped calls.
I’m not seeing any improvement in signal strength
To make sure that you are Cell Ranger is operating optimally, make sure that the signal antenna is positioned in a location which maximize the separation from the Cell Ranger (see above) and try to avoid line of sight between the antenna and Cell Ranger.
Please note that it takes up to a minute for the improvement in signal strength to register on your cell phone’s signal meter. Additionally, Cell Ranger only amplifies signal as much as is necessary for you to be able to place calls consistently. Even if you don’t see an improvement in the number of bars being shown by your cell phone, you should find that call quality is significantly improved, and that dropped calls are reduced.
Although Cell Ranger amplifies signals, it can’t make a cell phone signal out of nothing. If you’re in area with extremely weak or no cellular service, there is only so much that Cell Ranger can do.
If you’ve tried all the above and you’re still having problems, or if you have any questions about how Cell Ranger works, please contact us by opening a support ticket.
FAQs
Are Cell Ranger products compatible work with my carrier?
The Cell Ranger PORT and STIX are compatible every US and Canadian carrier, except for iDEN networks (legacy Nextel, Southern LINC, and MiKE). European carriers use different frequency bands are are not supported by our current products.
Are Cell Ranger products compatible with my phone/datacard?
Our products boost both normal voice and 3G data frequency bands, so no matter which cell phone or data card you have, Cell Ranger is compatible.
Carriers and phones using the iDEN technology are the only cellular devices our products don’t support. Nextel, Southern LINC, and MiKE are the only carriers that make use of iDEN technology.