Hello,
We’re having problems getting a signal throughout the house with our wireless phone handsets.
Our previous phone (Siemens Gigaset) worked OK, but now we need a handset and base in the barn, 20 metres from the main base station. Both the Gigaset, and a Philips phone lose signal before we get to the barn. Our outside walls are 80cm thick.
Does anyone have a recommendation or experience with phones that have a strong enough signal between handsets and the base station? We need a four handset package.
Thank you.
Where is the base station located? Is it possible to put it on a window ledge facing the barn so it transmits/receives through the glass?
Hi Steve,
I’ve moved the base station to the window, with a direct line through the barn door to the other phone. But the signal drops off before I even get to the door of the barn. It’s just 8 metres. I’ve just discovered DECT repeaters, which can boost the signal. Not cheap, but the least hassle, wiring wise. http://www.ligo.co.uk/phones/repeaters/. I was wondering if by using a telecom line splitter I could run a line out to the barn, but only the main base stain has a telecom socket. the rest of the set have a power socket only. Getting their signal through the airwaves from the main one. Not easy.
I have a Gigaset system, and a repeater, which works well
If you can’t solve your problem with the repeater alone, you could move your base station to a more optimal location by using a phone line extension.
Running an extension cable for a conventional phone has the downside that it’s unlikely to be able to use the intercom & phonebook features of the Gigaset system.
Yes the “other handsets” all work off the main base station which plugs into the main incoming line. All they require is power socket and be logged onto the base station. If you lived in a estate of Barrett houses you’d be able to receive the signal 10 doors down!!
1 option is to install a basic phone system that has analogue extensions. Just depends on how many points you want. I.e. Bedroom, kitchen, lounge, barn, etc.
2nd option change out second handset for a basic one that can be connected to a telephone point and extend main incoming point to where you require a 2nd extension.ie barn. This can be a desk top or wall mounted telephone or a cordless. If the main base staton incorporated a answer machine set it to only answer after so many rings as to allow you ample time to “get to the phone”
Thanks Crosbie,
I’ve moved the main base station to a more central position in the room and with a direct line through the window to the barn. I’m looking at the array of repeaters and there’re a lot! Which did you buy?
Perry
Hi Steve,
Thanks for writing.
I’m normally pretty savvy when it comes to IT, but this is a little complicated and the options involve a mash of technology to make it work, so I’m cautious before spending money on something that doesn’t work.
We didn’t have telephone points installed around the house when we refurbished it, as we were getting a great signal on the Gigaset. However, when the barn was done, we wrongly assumed that we’d get a signal there too. Option 1 means a lot of wiring and cost. Not to mention all the work we did to conceal wires when renovating, it would be a shame to have them back!
Your description of a second option isn’t clear. We have a phone line coming in and I have the main base station connected to it. (we also have a digital line coming through the Livebox, but that is used for outgoing calls only). So what you’re saying is that I could split the phone line and lay a second cable to the barn, where I can plug in a second main base station. I can buy a single phone from the same series, with a main base station. I presume that if both are connected to the telephone line, they will both work. Correct?
Cheers,
Perry
I bought the BT Diverse repeater (about 8-10 years ago). If I was buying one today I’d try to stay in the Siemens/Gigaset family (just in case other manufacturers are less compatible), e.g. http://www.ligo.co.uk/gigaset-repeater
I suspect that a repeater should solve your problem, e.g. if you put it on a barn window ledge or on the barn eaves, so it could both communicate with the base station in the house (window sill), and handsets within the barn. I have mine on an upstairs window sill in the house so it covers inside our gite (about 40m away).
Incidentally, DECT limits handsets per base station to 6, and as far as I am aware, there is a maximum 1 base station per phone line (or, rather, two base stations on the same line will not interoperate/intercommunicate, even if both can still be used to answer the phone or make a call).
I have to say that the 12 year-old Siemens Gigaset AS280 seems to have a better range than the more modern Philips D235 quattro set I’ve just bought. I will see if the old Gigaset can be added to, as I only have three handsets and need one more. I was wondering if two base stations connected to the telephone line (using a splitter) would talk to each other. Presumably, they’d each want to be INT 1, for instance. I’ll investigate the repeater route. Buying from Amazon will at least allow me to return it if it doesn’t work.
Thanks for your time and advice.
Perry
I have what sounds like the same situation in our property in Charente and use
BT VERVE phones, I have found brilliant…