[CalcTeacher]

Lived in Village of Gilchrist for 2 years...stucco home...never an issue with my Verizon cell service. Moved to Village of Charlotte about a month ago...stucco home...and it's been a nightmare. Dropped calls, garbled calls. From previous posts it sounds like a micro cell is what I need to check into? I have no idea what that is...do I go to the Verizon store and ask for it?

[SouthOfTheBorder]

Originally Posted by CalcTeacher

Lived in Village of Gilchrist for 2 years...stucco home...never an issue with my Verizon cell service. Moved to Village of Charlotte about a month ago...stucco home...and it's been a nightmare. Dropped calls, garbled calls. From previous posts it sounds like a micro cell is what I need to check into? I have no idea what that is...do I go to the Verizon store and ask for it?

This link should help answer your questions. Verizon calls it a network extender.

Wireless signal quality for all carriers is very spotty in the southern portion of TV.

Don

[t fields]

got a cell phone booster from Verizon, I can now talk in my house and no drop or problems hear, works great, got it from the Verizon store.

[NYGUY]

I live in Charlotte. When we moved here in November, 2013 we would have some occasional dropped calls with Verizon. I had heard Verizon was going to install a couple new cell towers in 2014. Since the later part of 2014, I have had no dropped calls. I assume that is because of new cell towers.

[DLJ1657]

We used a Samsung Network Extender, purchased from Verizon Wireless, to provide cell service in a remote area where we used to live. It is here in a box, and available for $75 if anyone wants it. New is $250. I believe you need to register it to your Verizon account. If interested, I suggest you speak with a Verizon Wireless rep to get the details, and if it will help, we are happy to sell it. 802-722-4522

[Bizdoc]

Originally Posted by chuck90199

We live in Charlotte in an stucco home and have no problems making and receiving cell phone calls. We also have Verizon.

The problem is not the stucco. It is that some stucco homes are built with concrete block and some are poured concrete. The ones which are poured have rebar tied together and create a Faraday Cage.

Faraday cage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can get the same effect in vinyl sided home if you have metal studs rather than wooden one (which some do in TV).

The solution is a micro cell. Nothing else the cell phone carrier does (short of building a cell tower inside or above your home) will solve the problem. If you have worked in an office building, you may have experienced the same things if they used rebar. Some buildings (I worked in a few) are built or retrofitted to be Faraday cages to block electrical signals for security reasons.

[buzzy]

Originally Posted by t fields

got a cell phone booster from Verizon, I can now talk in my house and no drop or problems hear, works great, got it from the Verizon store.

How did you get that? Verizon typically won't provide one for free because the won't admit to a service problem. Did you have to buy it?

[CalcTeacher]

Originally Posted by buzzy

How did you get that? Verizon typically won't provide one for free because the won't admit to a service problem. Did you have to buy it?

My feelings exactly...I went to the Verizon store last night and ordered a network extender (they don't stock them...cost $200...uggghhh). They employee there told me The Villages won't permit them to build another tower...kind of find that hard to believe...anyway, don't really have much of a choice because I work from home and my cellphone is pretty much my bread and butter.

[downsouth95]

I have 1 bar of service in the entire house and out in the screened in porch. We're in Antrim Dells - across from Brownwood. Neighbor said the water towers are where the cell devices are usually located, but The Villages are in negotiations with Verizon to add some to the Brownwood tower. I as well went to the Verizon store - they did not have any extenders - out of stock, wouldn't buy anyways for $250. Not much cheaper on Ebay. I also called Verizon and same story, would have to buy a network extender. I refuse so I will downgrade my cell service, and will use my hard line for work (I as well work from home) and personal as well and hope that the negotiations will be fairly swift.

[dewilson58]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

Don't let my phone hear you. We are South of 466a and have never had any issues. We also have a 4G hot-spot in the house and never have less than three bars.

[dadspet]

Live by Eisenhower Rec center and have AT&T service that works good. Our sales agent that travels around a lot said she / other agents had trouble with Verizon service south of 466a in Brownwood area.

BTW I have recently switched to CRICKET no contract service that is a sub sid of AT&T now (I'm told) and uses AT&T Towers. No contract rate for 2.5 GB data is only $35 a month. Before that I had Straight talk no contract service from Walmart for $45/mt but just heard Walmart now has another no contract provider (not sure of name) at $35/mt and 2.5 GB data. Cricket/straight talk are also 4G LTE service. Save yourself some aggravation and forget T Mobile I found there were more placed I couldn't make or receive a simple call then places I could about 1 year ago - very frustrating .

[CalcTeacher]

Received my network extender yesterday afternoon and installed it this morning. Took 30 minutes to run through its process...all day I've had great cell phone service! No dropped calls...no garbled conversations. Yes, it cost $200+ but I couldn't afford to be without my cell (I work from home and use both a land line and my cell phone).

[villagetinker]

I Just noticed a new cell tower directly West of our house, maybe a .5 to 1 mile away, and we now have 3 bars inside the block (aka stucco) house, located in the Village of Pinellas. BTW we have been here over 18 months, and have never experienced problems inside the house, however I have seen the signal as low as 1 bar.

[mgcsooner]

Dunedin here, Verizon bounces from one bar up to 2 and sometimes to 3. Bad!

[Dynsol]

Was considering changing from AT & T to Verizon but after these posts I will stick with my current carrier. Have lived south of 466a for over two years and always have great service no matter where we are in the Villages

Thanks for the Heads Up