OT: Need Communications/Computer Help from the Brain Trust

I don't know what I want or I'd buy it, so I'll describe my need.

I need cell phone coverage in my shop (200 ft from the house) so I can answer phone calls from my wife. She is disabled and needs to be able to get hold of me or I need to stay in the house.

My shop is a pole barn 60x75 with an interior steel wall making 45x60 and 30x60. There are other partitions but they are wood.

For the most part I get no cell phone coverage in it, and poor coverage in the house. She can get a connection from her chair.

We've got WiFi in the house. I've thought about a cell phone antenna with a repeater in the shop and also wonder if I could get a WiFi repeater in the shop so I can get a computer hookup there. I have security cameras at the shop and would also like to get the recording on the cloud. There is no easy way to run a wire from the house to the shop.

Suggestions?

C B radios, or those little family service type radios?

Don't be satisfied with your current phone service if you have a problem. check around and find some one who will give you good service. let your current provider know you are having problems with your reception. I use mine in my metal barn with know problem. you need a new provider.

There are home intercom systems.

They are wireless, just plug in and it works. I assume they still work like the old ones did, use the electrical wiring for an antenna. As long as the shop and house are on the same transformer it will work.
Home Intercom

You have multiple choices here. You could run a wired intercom and not have to worry about signal interference. You could buy a wireless intercom. If you have cordless phones in your home, there are many cordless phones that have built-in intercom. You can get walkie-talkies - some are VERY basic and simple to use! CB's is another idea, but modern walkie-talkies for that short distance would work better, I think. Another idea is a baby monitor. Don't laugh - there are some really good models out there now! Some have video at the main end, so she'd be able to see when you're doing and whether you'd be able to hear her calling you or not. They make them with portable main units with built-in screens, such as this one, which has a 1,000' range in open areas. Should be able to do 200' without much problem. https://www.amazon.com/VTech-VM321-...1618011,p_n_feature_ten_browse-bin:2476034011

My "personal" choice would be walkie-talkies, such as these:
https://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1...8843525&sr=1-2&keywords=walkie+talkie
These have up to a 36-mile range, 142 privacy codes, vibrate alert (for times when you're being noisy, air compressor on, etc), and more. I prefer Midland over any other brand of GMRS radio.

They have cheaper models as well, but besides losing range, the cheaper models likely also don't have vibrate alert or the privacy codes.

We use a wireless intercom between the house and the shop. However the distance between the two buildings is less than yours - and we do have couple of windows in the shop that face north (house is west of shop)... but both house and shop have steel siding, and steel roof on shop too. The signal has always been more than adequate.

In fact, I plan to buy a new intercom system that has 3 bases - so one can go upstairs, downstairs, and in the shop. (Just buying new because ours is pretty old and the buttons work kind of "sketchy" these days.)

Another option is business band FM radios. Can have a base in the house and either mobile or a hand-held in the shop. Mobile unit would have a short (5 inch) wire atop. Not hard to find reasonably priced used ones since so many farmers switched to cell phones. More reliable than CB radios. Simple antenna on top of your house. FM is better signal than CB. Higher the frequency, better the transmission. I built a 70 foot antenna tower and can talk 45 miles in any weather.

I switched to verison and was able to get calls any place on my property. Before that I didn't get calls unless I as in my driveway in 97435 zip code.

In our cabin in the woods. Cell phone
service is 0. We got a antenna for the
roof. But you have to lay your phone on
this small pad. It really works. Even
outside. No service. But hold this pad to
back of phone it has 4 bars. Don't know the
brand. Cabin is 70 mile away. But think it
came from our ph. Provider at the time.
Think they have a wireless one now and your
phone will just work in your pocket.

I have Verizon cell service. The signal is
quite poor at home, but great everywhere
else.

A couple years ago, I called Verizon to see
if there was anything we could do to
improve service. They sent me a "service
extender" that hooks to my internet and
provides signal coverage to the house.

Fast forward a couple years, many of the
current cell phones have Wi-Fi calling. I
put a Wi-Fi router in my shop, and now have
decent phone service over the internet
there. In my case, I just ran a direct bury
network cable from the house to the shop.

I've had a Wilson Antennas cell booster in my shop for YEARS, and it has performed flawlessly. Directional outside antenna aimed at the strongest signal, and flat panel antenna in the (4000 square feet) steel shop.

A one-time purchase, nothing to rent by the month forever.

If you don't mind spending the money for a second one, it would improve service in the house, as well.

They've changed their name a bit, I don' recall exactly io what, but a GOOGLE search should find it.

They have a company store, and typically have returned/refurbed units at a good savings.

Thanks for all the good responses. Intercom would be tough because my shop is broken into nine rooms and I need to carry something with me.

Hadn't thought of two way radios. Another set of batteries to keep charged but that may be the way to go. My wife would have to learn something new, and at this stage that is very tough for her.

I have AT&T and would like to stay with them, but I'm not sure why. Verizon might be the better deal.

I think the antenna/pad may be what would be the easiest so will check that out.

Thanks again, guys!

Had an interesting problem with cell service in my
house. The walls had expanded metal in the plaster
that blocked all cell and wireless service. Like a
huge verity box. Walk into a room and the phone
has no service walk out and great service

What I did was enabled wifi calling and set up setup
multiple wifi access points in the house to form one
virtual network. As you walk around the system
hands off the signal to the next access point. You
don't even know it's happening

What to do. Disable the wifi on your current cable
router and connect up a bunch of the following
access points Install the software and create a
virtual wireless network. You'll have great coverage
between the barn, house and a lot of the property
when you work outside

Will probably want at least 3 units. In the house in
the barn and outside midway between barn and
house. They even have wireless bridge products
so you don't have to pull lines

I'd just pull a network line with the tractor. It's the
cheapest or you could go wireless

Good luck let us know how you made out


https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/