Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Shackeng]

My landline has been down for a few days and I have had to try to use my mobile in the house, which I rarely do. Unfortunately in the rooms I would like to use it there is either no signal or 1 bar, which makes conversation impossible. However much I have tried to bully Vodafone with threats to leave etc., all they will offer is a signal booster costing £60 odd which plugs in the modem and elect. socket, or upgrade to iPhone 6 upwards which can connect via wifi. Neither of these options appeal, and other providers' signals in my house are no better, I've tried them all.
Do any of the clever people on here know if there is any way I can fix my 5s to connect via wifi?

[tunnie]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

[tunnie]

Also who is your Broadband supplier and how old is the router?

[Shackeng]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

This does not appear on my phone. From Google it seems other providers may do it but not VF.

[Shackeng]

Also who is your Broadband supplier and how old is the router?

I'm with Plusnet, router is about 9 months old from when I moved to the 'Unlimited Fibre' package 35-40Mb download speed.

[Shackeng]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

According to Vodafone, the iPhone 6 onward can have software/App which allows (possibly Bluetooth?) connection to your router.

[tunnie]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

According to Vodafone, the iPhone 6 onward can have software/App which allows (possibly Bluetooth?) connection to your router.

Humm, probably a limitation of the App, but not sure why it's not based on a version of iOS rather than handset. Nice of VF to force you to use their crap 

I'd be tempted to unlock it from network and factory reset, make it a vanilla iOS device and get rid of any VF rubbish. Quick Google suggests no App needed, this (rather old article) suggests.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135274-vodafone-wi-fi-calling-service-is-now-live-but-there-s-a-catch

You running iOS 8/9/10?

[Shackeng]

Thanks Mark, I'm on iOS 10.2

[Shackeng]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

According to Vodafone, the iPhone 6 onward can have software/App which allows (possibly Bluetooth?) connection to your router.

Humm, probably a limitation of the App, but not sure why it's not based on a version of iOS rather than handset. Nice of VF to force you to use their crap 

I'd be tempted to unlock it from network and factory reset, make it a vanilla iOS device and get rid of any VF rubbish. Quick Google suggests no App needed, this (rather old article) suggests.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135274-vodafone-wi-fi-calling-service-is-now-live-but-there-s-a-catch

You running iOS 8/9/10?

Just remembered, I 'inherited' this from my daughter, and was not locked to Vodafone, I just put their sim in it, I think???

[Entwood]

My landline has been down for a few days  .................................
Do any of the clever people on here know if there is any way I can fix my 5s to connect via wifi?

If your landline is down you, generally, have no internet or wifi to connect to !! .. unless you can piggy back on to a neighbours or macdonalds....

Given what you describe the offered signal booster would have been as useless as a chocolate teapot, as it would not be working without an internet enabled land line.

This is a big con by all the providers as it enables them to get away with not improving the actual mobile phone signal in all areas ... which is what they SHOULD be doing as the devices are called "mobile phones" and should not be tied to home based signal boosters.

[TD]

Do you have an old non 'smart' phone in a drawer somewhere???

If so, pop your sim in that phone and see how the signal strength is....

I reckon the internal aerials on non smart phones are better....you might get a better signal with it 

I was out your way a couple of years back...the customer I was picking couldn't believe I rang him for directions on my mobile, when I was about 100yrds from his front door... as he couldn't get a signal at all on his 'smart' phone.....the phone I had then for work purposes was a non smart nokia on 02 network....

[TD]

My landline has been down for a few days  .................................
Do any of the clever people on here know if there is any way I can fix my 5s to connect via wifi?

If your landline is down you, generally, have no internet or wifi to connect to !! .. unless you can piggy back on to a neighbours or macdonalds....

Given what you describe the offered signal booster would have been as useless as a chocolate teapot, as it would not be working without an internet enabled land line.

This is a big con by all the providers as it enables them to get away with not improving the actual mobile phone signal in all areas ... which is what they SHOULD be doing as the devices are called "mobile phones" and should not be tied to home based signal boosters.

I first thought that Nige....but seeing as Shack posted this thread...I then assumed he must have internet connection....I doubted he posted using his mobile or is connected to his neighbours or sitting in a McD's   

[TheBoy]

There is no difference in capability for WiFi calling between 5S and 6. Either handset will need a signal booster (depending on your broadband), which puts your call down he internet. The 5 will do it exactly same way as a 6 or iPhone 7.

Try this on your iPhone 5S:     Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls

6 and later allow wifi calling *IF* your provider supports it, and its enabled on your account, in which case you'll get a different carrier file sent to the device.

This is to overcome the fact that everyone has given up on 2G and 3G, and 4G does not natively support voice (hence volt/volte)

Most carriers only support it on premium accounts.  And its shit anyway.



Shack, as others have said, if your landline is down, none of these booster options will work, as they rely on your broadband for the backhaul.

[Shackeng]

My landline has been down for a few days  .................................
Do any of the clever people on here know if there is any way I can fix my 5s to connect via wifi?

If your landline is down you, generally, have no internet or wifi to connect to !! .. unless you can piggy back on to a neighbours or macdonalds....

Given what you describe the offered signal booster would have been as useless as a chocolate teapot, as it would not be working without an internet enabled land line.

This is a big con by all the providers as it enables them to get away with not improving the actual mobile phone signal in all areas ... which is what they SHOULD be doing as the devices are called "mobile phones" and should not be tied to home based signal boosters.

Quite true Nige, but it has highlighted the lack of signal in the house, and, like many, I am now on contract mobile, with umpty-ump minutes which I never use, so it would useful if I could.

[Shackeng]

Do you have an old non 'smart' phone in a drawer somewhere???

If so, pop your sim in that phone and see how the signal strength is....

I reckon the internal aerials on non smart phones are better....you might get a better signal with it 

I was out your way a couple of years back...the customer I was picking couldn't believe I rang him for directions on my mobile, when I was about 100yrds from his front door... as he couldn't get a signal at all on his 'smart' phone.....the phone I had then for work purposes was a non smart nokia on 02 network....

Wife's phone, non-smart gets identical problems.