Connect Spark mobile service to house Gigaset C610A IP

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Connect Spark mobile service to house Gigaset C610A IP

CraigY

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#214909 2-Jun-2017 13:48

I am located in a rural area which does not have cellphone service to the house. But yesterday, using a signal booster and external antenna, I was able to get cellphone service working reliably, but at a shed located up on a hill. The shed does have a CAT6 cable to the house (about 80 meters distance). In the house I have several phones connected to my Gigaset C610A IP device, which includes both VOIP and analog phone capability.

What I would like to do is install some sort of box at the remote shed which has an cellphone antenna on it so it can connect to my Spark mobile service. The box would then plug into the CAT6 cable and 'look like' a VOIP service to the Gigaset box back at the house. The idea then is I can receive a call through my Spark mobile service and it will ring on the house phones. And likewise, when I make an outgoing call on my house phones I can select the 'VOIP' line and it will go out through my mobile service.

Is this possible? What box can I use to do this?

Craig

sbiddle

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#1793719 2-Jun-2017 13:52

What's your budget?

What type of booster are you using? Unless it's approved by Spark your setup will be illegal and you face a real risk of being tracked down by RSM and even potentially fined for breaking the law.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793743 2-Jun-2017 14:32

The budget would be under $500, and the booster is this one:

https://www.mobilesignalboosters.co.nz/product/mobile-booster-ultra-3/

Craig

sbiddle

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#1793752 2-Jun-2017 14:48

That product is not legal to use in New Zealand.

CraigY

59 posts

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#1793782 2-Jun-2017 14:56

Then why are there so many being sold here in NZ and why do they have an office in Auckland (near Spark) that is free to sell them? Why is Spark not going after them instead of the users who believe it is legal. I don't see any effort being made to stop them doing business.

Why doesn't Spark provide something for rural customers then that is legal and does work?

Craig

deadlyllama

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#1793783 2-Jun-2017 14:57

Why not just forward unanswered mobile calls to your landline number?

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793785 2-Jun-2017 15:05

Because we need a backup in case our land line fails. Also, when trying to authorize a bank wire transfer they send a confirmation code to your cellphone, and many others like this. Unfortunately the world has moved to a cellphone almost a necessity, as in the old days with POTS. But there some of us still in dead zones where it is not possible for a phone to work. We live in a small valley, surrounded by hills, hence no service. This solution has been the first one that actually works, unfortunately it is higher up on the hill, so I need some way to get the service brought down to the house.

Seems like until Spark does provide service to us few, that a method similar to this ought to be made available. Rather than us novices having to go out and figure out what works, Spark should at least have an information page that gives us a choice of solutions to pick from.

Craig

deadlyllama

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#1793787 2-Jun-2017 15:09

These are legal: http://www.cel-fi.co.nz/cel_fi_spark_new_zealand.html

I don't know what the range on the wireless connection between the window and internal units is -- if you were lucky you'd be able to put one at the shed and one in your house.

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CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793790 2-Jun-2017 15:16

I tried that and it didn't work well. I think we are too rural for it. But even if I did, I would still need to go back to my original question. How would I connect the cellphone service to my Gigaset phone using a VOIP type connection.

Craig

deadlyllama

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#1793793 2-Jun-2017 15:20

This might do the trick http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gempro-GP-712-VoIP-Bluetooth-Gateway-2-x-SIP-Channel-Asterisk-3CX-/252918707612?hash=item3ae321359c:g:53MAAOSwCQZZCpIu but can't see if it supports SMS.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793803 2-Jun-2017 15:28

Interesting device and approach they have taken. I guess the issue has something to do with a box connecting to the cellphone service (with its own sim card), kind of like a 3G modem. This device bypasses all that by using a cellphone and bluetooth connection. I guess that would work except I would have to leave my cellphone at the shed all the time .. not really a good idea. I guess I could buy a second cellphone. Seems like there should be a more elegant solution. Wonder what the resistance is to such a device.

sbiddle

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#1793805 2-Jun-2017 15:31

CraigY:

I tried that and it didn't work well. I think we are too rural for it. But even if I did, I would still need to go back to my original question. How would I connect the cellphone service to my Gigaset phone using a VOIP type connection.

Craig

Without hacks such as Bluetooth or multiple digital to analogue conversions there is no approach I'd recommend that would cost under $1k or so for hardware. You can do it for a lot less if you want multiple pieces of hardware.

None of this changes the fact you need to be fully aware that you are using illegal hardware and if RSM and/or Spark identify you do face the very serious risk of joining the list of people who have already been fined for using such hardware in the past. If you're going to proceed with this you need to understand this, as RSM do not accept "I didn't know the law" as an excuse for breaking the law when it comes to radio regulations.

https://www.rsm.govt.nz/consumers/mobile-phone-boosters

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793806 2-Jun-2017 15:36

Reading the regulation, it says I would need to apply for a license. I will contact Spark and give that a try. Why has Spark allowed the company to operate in NZ .. clearly they have enough legal power to stop them?

DarkShadow

1647 posts

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#1793820 2-Jun-2017 16:01

Here's the government's advice on mobile phone boosters.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1793836 2-Jun-2017 16:37

Thanks, I am currently talking to Spark about the device and seeking approval for use on the Spark network. There should be no effect on anyone nearby because the nearest neighbor is 1km distant. So the only affect would be on the uplink from me to the Spark tower, which should be okay since without the booster I get no service (less than 1 bar) and the external antenna used is a flat one about 10cm square .. so it is not a 60dbi high gain phased array dipole stack. But, Spark technicians are now checking to make sure the uplink is causing no harm. If so, I can rotate the antenna towards the ground to lower the uplink signal strength, though it will likewise lower the downlink signal strength.

Spark should though consider working with these guys and offering their units on their web site. They appear to be very well made, solid connectors, heavy metal casing for shielding, etc, and performance is excellent. At least us rural folks would have a solution until there are more towers made available in the near future.

sbiddle

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#1793840 2-Jun-2017 16:58

CraigY:

Thanks, I am currently talking to Spark about the device and seeking approval for use on the Spark network. There should be no effect on anyone nearby because the nearest neighbor is 1km distant. So the only affect would be on the uplink from me to the Spark tower, which should be okay since without the booster I get no service (less than 1 bar) and the external antenna used is a flat one about 10cm square .. so it is not a 60dbi high gain phased array dipole stack. But, Spark technicians are now checking to make sure the uplink is causing no harm. If so, I can rotate the antenna towards the ground to lower the uplink signal strength, though it will likewise lower the downlink signal strength.

Spark should though consider working with these guys and offering their units on their web site. They appear to be very well made, solid connectors, heavy metal casing for shielding, etc, and performance is excellent. At least us rural folks would have a solution until there are more towers made available in the near future.

In all fairness you can't tell anything about the performance just from looking at it - you don't know what impact it's having on their network.

Cel-fi is the only approved product in NZ so I don't see any need for others.