Base Station Connectivity with Good Verizon Signal
@jjkendy We have the same issue and after spending hours on the phone with tech support they still do not have any answers to this problem. Did you find an antenna system that connects to the cellular system?
This post was created from this reply on different post
I'm not sure if you're having the exact same issue as jjkendy, but I can at least answer their question from four years ago.
Back in 2018, we did still use 2G cell radios. But starting a couple of years ago, all SimpliSafe systems now use 4G. Our default carrier is Verizon, so if we haven't switched you over to a different one, that would be the carrier yours would need to connect to.
Having said that, if the carrier coverage in your area is already poor, a booster may not be all that useful. So your Base Station may only have your home's WiFi as the best option for connectivity.
Thanks for the reply however my situation is this. All of the Verizon phones I have tried using in the location of my base station work fine. Both an iPhone and an android phone show 2-3 bars. I was told by one of the numerous people I have talked to from your customer service number that your antennas are not as good as those in the phones. So my question is this. How can improve your antenna? Or what type of external antenna/amplifier set up have people had success with? The base has connected several times for short periods of time so I’m hoping I can come up with something. My internet goes down often which leaves us with no security system. The cell option was the main reason I switched to SimpliSafe years ago. I have been a long time customer and I’ve been trying to resolve this issue since that time. I know there is someone there that has an answer to this but nobody I’ve talked to so far is concerned enough to even get back with me and of course I can never talk to the same person twice when I call customer service. If you cannot help me it appears my only option will be to try another system such as RING which I have heard good things about. Please don’t force me to switch as others are doing.
Do a youtube search for tutorials on buying and installing cell phone boosters for the home. Lots of good information that will enable you to select a booster that works for your situation. Also, look on Amazon using a "cellphone booster" search. There are a couple models offered with multiple cell phone supplier compatibility. Expensive, but if you have sketchy service, well worth the money. I recommend the multi carrier models. You can save money if you buy a frequency specific model but it's a gamble getting the right one. You are also stuck with one specific carrier. Boosters are not magical however. They will not work if you have zero signal on your phone. In my example, I had service outside the house. One to two bars on the phone. Inside the house, zero signal with the exception of one room. Not very practical. I installed a booster and had service throughout the house. There will be choices you have to make. Directional or omni directional outside antenna, antenna mount locations, and size of your building. The youtube tutorials will help.
Thanks for your response. I have the same situation as you. I did purchase an expensive extender that Verizon recommended. The problem is that it works fantastic for all of our phones. I can now walk 50 yards in all directions from my house and have 3 or more bars but unfortunately my base station that is sitting right next to it won’t pick it up. I was told by a tech at Verizon that it is an issue with SimpliSafes antenna. Which is pretty much a given considering every other device I have works fine. Like I already mentioned I’ve talked to at least a dozen different customer service people there and each one informed me that a REAL tech would get back with me and of course no one has. I finally got in touch with a Michael Nelson and the conversation sounded promising but he wouldn’t give me his number only an email address and surprise surprise he’s never returned any of my emails. I’m beginning to understand that all of their customer service personal just have a notebook to read from and nothing more. Each phone call amounted to “remove and reinstall your battery”. I just wish I could talk to someone who actually knew something about their product. Now that other companies are offering this service I’m betting SIMPLISafe will need to start acting more professionally. They’re not the only game in town anymore.
@gklawiter our Support team over the phone is trained for basic issues, the kind you'd expect from an easily self-installed system.
But. it sounds like the issue you're going through is something totally different that requires an escalation. I'd be happy to track down who you've been working with to continue troubleshooting.
In the meantime though - you mention that you've been working with multiple agents on this issue and might have already tried all the standard troubleshooting steps. Do you remember ever switching to AT&T? If so, they would use a totally different set of frequencies to Verizon.
You'd be able to tell from the SIM Card inserted in the module.
It appears my last response didn't send. Yes, so far we have installed two Verizon sims and two AT&T sims. The last time we were sent a new base with a new SIM card already installed. We did this because each person I talked to thought that they might be able to remedy the situation even thought I told them this had already been tried. There is no one that I can say has taken this to the next step so anybody with real knowledge of your system would be a real help to me. I have done a lot of research on my end and have after all this time realized that I can only resolve this with some answers from your end. I am more than willing to purchase whatever you recommend but I'm not wanting to spend any more money buying things that don't work. Everyone from SimpliSafe keeps blaming it on Verizon but Verizon has been very helpful in giving me great cell service inside and out of my home. It's hard for me to believe that your base station with a rather large antenna can't get a signal. please get me in touch with a real tech. I know everyone is busy but after more than a year of phone call I think I deserve 10 minutes of your time. I'm quite sure there is a easy fix to this problem. If I can get a resolution it will probably help many of your other customers. Then as a person stated earlier you won't have to say "may or may not help your situation"
I created a whole new thread from our discussion so it's easier to track down and follow.
I understand the frustration. Assuming that your current Base Station is currently on Verizon, you have a 4G booster set up at your house already, and you can verify that you have other devices that are getting good 4G Verizon signal, then there's no reason why the Base Station would have trouble. The Base Station's cell module isn't exactly what you'd find in a typical cellphone, but. it's not that different
Our Support team does have to follow specific protocols, but especially in this case it makes sense. First we troubleshoot the actual environment - because cell signals naturally have trouble penetrating dense walls like adobe or brick, or mesh insulation (but would be less of a problem if you have a booster hooked up, and the Base Station is in the same room).
Then we'd replace the cell module, followed by the SIM (to switch to a different carrier), and finally the whole Base Station itself - all to eliminate hardware issues.
But judging by the fact that none of that seems to have worked, there seems to be something more complicated going on. I'm already working with our higher-level tech folks to figure this out.
@davey_d Received a newer Cellular module (built 3 years ago according to label on part), installed it, and still have the same problem. Actually, I'm getting freaking annoyed that SimpliSafe can't cure this issue. I found out today that there is a multi-band Verizon Cell tower less that 800 feet from our home (located at the top of Elinvar Drive next to the Chino Hills State Park). WTF do I have to do to cure this problem? I repeatedly get no resolve talking to Philippinas with roosters crowing in the background. Why can't SimpliSafe build a compatible booster? Please do something.
thank you so much for your help. I understand and agree with the protocol, I was just frustrated going through the same process so many times. I firmly believe each of your customer service reps meant well but I just couldn't make them understand that none of what they were asking was going to help my situation. So each time I would go through the process hoping somebody would take it to the next level as you are doing now. Here are a few things your tech may want to know
1 - We are on Verizon band 13 at 700 megahertz
2 - We have 2 bars on our phones on the outside upstairs patio facing south when I power off both the extender and the internet modem
3 - Your Base is in the window that looks at the upstairs patio
4 - The extender and the modem are also upstairs in the same room located 15 ft from the base
Dont know if any of that helps but it seems to be the answers to the common questions I've been asked while trying to find an outdoor antenna/ indoor amplifier
system that would work. I'm hoping someone there has some knowledge of a type that is compatible with your base
My SimpliSafe cellular service has become unreliable and though text help told that that Gen3 would be better but same unreliable cellular service in my area so not getting any improvement. Using internet means cutting power or my cable makes SimpliSafe not good if cellular backup is flaky. Besides current system had Ethernet ports so could do that w/o Gen3 and the same flaky Cellular as backup. I'm not in the middle of nowhere in San Diego city and no one has consistent cellular service issues but SimpliSafe does... Guy on text help said they use using Verizon CAT-M1. Anyway, I'm hung out to dry now that the SimpliSafe cellular service has become bad and I can't change it...
@sebrown regardless of which generation of SimpliSafe system you have, the cell modules inside do connect to the same network in the same way, so it makes sense that upgrading wasn't able to help much, if network reception is the actual issue.
Our Base Stations connect to Verizon by default, but we have alternative carriers available. Our Support team can help get your Base Station connected to the best network for your area.
That being said, environmental factors play a role as well. I'm assuming we've already worked with you on the best placement and setup for your Base Station? We always recommend placing the Base Station closer to (but not directly in front of) a window, in an open space further away from other wireless devices. But our Support team should have worked with you as well on further troubleshooting and tips on better placement.
@aktrade As Davey mentioned above, network reception and environmental factors surrounding the Base Station are both important when troubleshooting cellular connectivity.
Did our Support team go over the best places to put the Base Station? We recommend placing it in an open-air space, as tucking it away in a closet, cabinet, or metal shelf can hinder its connectivity. It should also be at least 3 feet from the ground, and on a non-dense surface like wood or glass. And if you know where your nearest cell tower is, placing the Base Station by a window on the side of your home that is closest to the tower can also help its cellular connectivity.
But we do also offer AT&T SIM cards if adjusting the placement of the Base Station doesn't help its cellular connection. Our Support team can send one your way.
davey_d
Community Admin
•
5.6K Messages
2 years ago
@gklawiter ,
I'm not sure if you're having the exact same issue as jjkendy, but I can at least answer their question from four years ago.
Back in 2018, we did still use 2G cell radios. But starting a couple of years ago, all SimpliSafe systems now use 4G. Our default carrier is Verizon, so if we haven't switched you over to a different one, that would be the carrier yours would need to connect to.
Having said that, if the carrier coverage in your area is already poor, a booster may not be all that useful. So your Base Station may only have your home's WiFi as the best option for connectivity.
0
0
gklawiter
9 Messages
2 years ago
Thanks for the reply however my situation is this. All of the Verizon phones I have tried using in the location of my base station work fine. Both an iPhone and an android phone show 2-3 bars. I was told by one of the numerous people I have talked to from your customer service number that your antennas are not as good as those in the phones. So my question is this. How can improve your antenna? Or what type of external antenna/amplifier set up have people had success with? The base has connected several times for short periods of time so I’m hoping I can come up with something. My internet goes down often which leaves us with no security system. The cell option was the main reason I switched to SimpliSafe years ago. I have been a long time customer and I’ve been trying to resolve this issue since that time. I know there is someone there that has an answer to this but nobody I’ve talked to so far is concerned enough to even get back with me and of course I can never talk to the same person twice when I call customer service. If you cannot help me it appears my only option will be to try another system such as RING which I have heard good things about. Please don’t force me to switch as others are doing.
0
0
andoh812
1 Message
2 years ago
Do a youtube search for tutorials on buying and installing cell phone boosters for the home. Lots of good information that will enable you to select a booster that works for your situation.
Also, look on Amazon using a "cellphone booster" search. There are a couple models offered with multiple cell phone supplier compatibility. Expensive, but if you have sketchy service, well worth the money. I recommend the multi carrier models. You can save money if you buy a frequency specific model but it's a gamble getting the right one. You are also stuck with one specific carrier.
Boosters are not magical however. They will not work if you have zero signal on your phone. In my example, I had service outside the house. One to two bars on the phone. Inside the house, zero signal with the exception of one room. Not very practical. I installed a booster and had service throughout the house.
There will be choices you have to make. Directional or omni directional outside antenna, antenna mount locations, and size of your building. The youtube tutorials will help.
0
gklawiter
9 Messages
2 years ago
Thanks for your response. I have the same situation as you. I did purchase an expensive extender that Verizon recommended. The problem is that it works fantastic for all of our phones. I can now walk 50 yards in all directions from my house and have 3 or more bars but unfortunately my base station that is sitting right next to it won’t pick it up. I was told by a tech at Verizon that it is an issue with SimpliSafes antenna. Which is pretty much a given considering every other device I have works fine. Like I already mentioned I’ve talked to at least a dozen different customer service people there and each one informed me that a REAL tech would get back with me and of course no one has. I finally got in touch with a Michael Nelson and the conversation sounded promising but he wouldn’t give me his number only an email address and surprise surprise he’s never returned any of my emails. I’m beginning to understand that all of their customer service personal just have a notebook to read from and nothing more. Each phone call amounted to “remove and reinstall your battery”. I just wish I could talk to someone who actually knew something about their product. Now that other companies are offering this service I’m betting SIMPLISafe will need to start acting more professionally. They’re not the only game in town anymore.
0
0
davey_d
Community Admin
•
5.6K Messages
2 years ago
@gklawiter our Support team over the phone is trained for basic issues, the kind you'd expect from an easily self-installed system.
But. it sounds like the issue you're going through is something totally different that requires an escalation. I'd be happy to track down who you've been working with to continue troubleshooting.
In the meantime though - you mention that you've been working with multiple agents on this issue and might have already tried all the standard troubleshooting steps. Do you remember ever switching to AT&T? If so, they would use a totally different set of frequencies to Verizon.
You'd be able to tell from the SIM Card inserted in the module.
0
0
gklawiter
9 Messages
2 years ago
Davey
It appears my last response didn't send. Yes, so far we have installed two Verizon sims and two AT&T sims. The last time we were sent a new base with a new SIM card already installed. We did this because each person I talked to thought that they might be able to remedy the situation even thought I told them this had already been tried. There is no one that I can say has taken this to the next step so anybody with real knowledge of your system would be a real help to me.
I have done a lot of research on my end and have after all this time realized that I can only resolve this with some answers from your end. I am more than willing to purchase whatever you recommend but I'm not wanting to spend any more money buying things that don't work. Everyone from SimpliSafe keeps blaming it on Verizon but Verizon has been very helpful in giving me great cell service inside and out of my home. It's hard for me to believe that your base station with a rather large antenna can't get a signal.
please get me in touch with a real tech. I know everyone is busy but after more than a year of phone call I think I deserve 10 minutes of your time. I'm quite sure there is a easy fix to this problem. If I can get a resolution it will probably help many of your other customers. Then as a person stated earlier you won't have to say "may or may not help your situation"
any more. :)
Thanks Greg
0
0
davey_d
Community Admin
•
5.6K Messages
2 years ago
@gklawiter ,
I created a whole new thread from our discussion so it's easier to track down and follow.
I understand the frustration. Assuming that your current Base Station is currently on Verizon, you have a 4G booster set up at your house already, and you can verify that you have other devices that are getting good 4G Verizon signal, then there's no reason why the Base Station would have trouble. The Base Station's cell module isn't exactly what you'd find in a typical cellphone, but. it's not that different
Our Support team does have to follow specific protocols, but especially in this case it makes sense. First we troubleshoot the actual environment - because cell signals naturally have trouble penetrating dense walls like adobe or brick, or mesh insulation (but would be less of a problem if you have a booster hooked up, and the Base Station is in the same room).
Then we'd replace the cell module, followed by the SIM (to switch to a different carrier), and finally the whole Base Station itself - all to eliminate hardware issues.
But judging by the fact that none of that seems to have worked, there seems to be something more complicated going on. I'm already working with our higher-level tech folks to figure this out.
1
0
gklawiter
9 Messages
2 years ago
Davey
thank you so much for your help. I understand and agree with the protocol, I was just frustrated going through the same process so many times. I firmly believe each of your customer service reps meant well but I just couldn't make them understand that none of what they were asking was going to help my situation. So each time I would go through the process hoping somebody would take it to the next level as you are doing now. Here are a few things your tech may want to know
1 - We are on Verizon band 13 at 700 megahertz
2 - We have 2 bars on our phones on the outside upstairs patio facing south when I power off both the extender and the internet modem
3 - Your Base is in the window that looks at the upstairs patio
4 - The extender and the modem are also upstairs in the same room located 15 ft from the base
Dont know if any of that helps but it seems to be the answers to the common questions I've been asked while trying to find an outdoor antenna/ indoor amplifier
system that would work. I'm hoping someone there has some knowledge of a type that is compatible with your base
Thanks
0
0
gklawiter
9 Messages
2 years ago
hey Davey I haven't heard back from you or anybody else from your company. You aren't going to abandon me like all the others are you?
1
0
sebrown
1 Message
2 months ago
My SimpliSafe cellular service has become unreliable and though text help told that that Gen3 would be better but same unreliable cellular service in my area so not getting any improvement. Using internet means cutting power or my cable makes SimpliSafe not good if cellular backup is flaky. Besides current system had Ethernet ports so could do that w/o Gen3 and the same flaky Cellular as backup. I'm not in the middle of nowhere in San Diego city and no one has consistent cellular service issues but SimpliSafe does... Guy on text help said they use using Verizon CAT-M1. Anyway, I'm hung out to dry now that the SimpliSafe cellular service has become bad and I can't change it...
3
0