Cel-Fi PRO

Broken down in 13 months – I purchased the Cel fi pro from powertec and only lasted 13 months with a 12 month warranty. And they said it cannot be repaired and is a throwaway item. Was so upset with this a complete waist of over $1500. Warning do not purchase this item as its of very poor quilty and service.  Show details

Cel fi junk – I purchased a cel fi pro from Powertec. It worked for 3 years and 1 day just stopped working. It is now not fixable. Warranty is only 2 years and now Powetec want $450 to fix it. Not good enough for something that cost $1300. Waste of money, Chinese junk. Show details

Brilliant if the units have an unobstructed radio path, otherwise useless – - I am an RF engineer, Telstra insisted they install this device irrespective. - NU and CU cannot see each other unless very close, which is of no surprise. - NU gets great signal w/directional Yagi. CU, when it can connect, does very well to increase coverage. - NU to CU connectivity is a huge issue irrespective of CU location. Have tried at… Read more

least 30 different permutations for position including vertical/horizontal surface, ceiling and wall mount. - 800m^2 double storey newly built town house. Wall substrate is gyprock. - Noise floor is ideal, not of concern for client connectivity. - Squared area coverage of this size is what this product advertises as its strength. RF is going to be a challenge across floors and squared area, and cannot be overcome without addressing NU to CU connectivity. NU and CU either need mesh units to extend their range or have capability to offload to indoor 5GHz terrestrial 802.11 wireless. - I surveyed our property using professional tools. Four 802.11ac 4x4:4 Ruckus APs required to provide wifi connectivity at -60dBm or better (average client RSSI is -50dBm). - Based on this, CelFi seem to have overlooked a very common residential environment and need to allow more flexibility for NU and CU comms, either via channel/spectrum selection, mesh units, Ethernet ports (preferably PoE), and/or external Wi-Fi antenna.

Worked Instantly - the external antenna is worth buying – I bought the Cell-Fi Pro to boost my Telstra phone signal in my 2 storey town house. I was getting dropped signals and complaints that my voice was breaking up. I bought this Cell-Fi Pro unit from Powertec and decided to pay a bit more for the external antenna. The unit arrived in 2 days. I initially set it up without the external LPDA… Read more

antenna. It worked as per instructions and I was getting 2 or 3 bars of signal strength, which was an improvement. I then added the external LPDA antenna which gave me 4 or 5 bars within my house. Definitely worth having the antenna. I have the antenna and Network Unit sitting on an upstairs shelf. The Coverage Unit is downstairs in the lounge. It works very well.

Great tech support – With these guys you get a real person on the other end of the line. Very helpful, they go out of their way to solve your problem - highly recommended business.

simply great – I received the Cel-fi 9 months after having no success with another brand, along with very poor support. The contrast of support and actual result is amazing. I now have 5 bars on my phone and no dropouts. Very happy to reccomend Powertec and Cel-fi

Limited Extension of Coverage – These two units have to be too close together within a solidly built house to be of much use. Also, placing the second unit out of sight within a cupboard further limits its use. The main unit should be placed by a window, so it’s impossible to hide it. Basically you need both units out in plain sight relatively close together which limits the solution.

telstra 4g smart antenna (yagi antenna) usless – Bought one for $1200.00 and didn't do a thing, can only get 1 bar on the antenna & strangely enough from time to time I get 2 bars on my mobile. The telstra mobile tower is approx 3kms away on top of a hill 25 mtrs higher than our home.?? Don't waste your time these are useless and you will spent all day messing around with it, My advise is if… Read more

you have bad reception, then rally together with your neighbors and contact the ombudsman.

we are 20kms from Bunbury, 3kms from a tower and have little & no coverage - the smart antenna made no difference, (nothing smart about them at all.)

David

Better than expected – I find it rare that you buy a product that works as well as advertised or even better than expected but the Cel-Fi Pro for Telstra 3/4G is among those rare products that excel. Plug n Play, although I did spend a bit of time moving it around to get the best out of my Cel-Fi. The only problem, which I kinda wish was made a bit more obvious in the… Read more

instruction is that it doesn't like to much Wi-Fi. I only found out about that the Wi-Fi can cause errant messages when I reverted to the "help" section on the Cel-Fi Wave App I downloaded to my phone. Previously I had the Network unit set up right next to my Wi-Fi router and wondered why the system seemed to work but every now and then would throw up a "units to far apart" message when they clearly were not as the system was working.

Network unit has only 1 bar of 4G without any outside antenner but I am now getting 5 bars on the Coverage Unit that gives me reasonable to good mobile reception where in some places I had none.

Well worth the money.

Quick & easy - exactly what I need – With a bluestone office, my phone reception is terrible where I need it most - even though the Telstra tower is only 2km away. Also, the mobile broadband backup unit gets no reception at all in the office. Installed the Cel-Fi with one unit nearest the Telstra tower, the other in the office, within a minute I had 5 bars on the phone. So now have… Read more

the 'Network Unit' permantently located up in the roofspace. Get full 4GX on the mobile broadband unit too. Nothing to configure, true plug-and-play. Excellent gadget, and the associated app is great too.

Didn't Work for Me – I tried to set this up,but didn't work well. Interestingly my phone got better reception. I tried various methods from the celfi website to get it work like going through their FAQ and also took this to where I can make phone calls fine without and it didn't work. I also got the antenna up on the roof where phone reception is fine and it didn't… Read more

work.

Wasted 3-4 hours of my day so ready to return. Possibly a dud unit as it seems good for others. That said review here seem much more positive than when you look at the US amazon reviews. Strange but glad if other got reception fixed!

Perfect Reception Deep in the side of a hill in a dugout – We have just moved to Coober Pedy in SA. We are living 6 km out in one of their famous dugouts. Phone reception outside 1 bar of 3G. Inside no service at all. We have 3 mobile devices loaded with data and could not use them. Installed a Blackhawk Yagi antenna at about 6 metres up and the Cel-Fi pro units inside and now we have full 5 bar 4G inside. Could not be happier.

Product Update – The Install Installed the system around 3 months ago using a yagi external Antena connected to the base station using low loss coaxial cable. The Telstra Tower is 5km away with tree coverage so mounted the Yagi as high as possible. The Good Massive improvement in the signal from 0 bars to 5 bars 3G can make and receive calls and data… Read more

throughput is respectable but only at 3G speeds.

The Bad

The unit for no reason does not connect every call its normal for me to miss calls as they go directly to message bank I would say about 1 in 5 calls, Calling out is fine, Also the range of the indoor unit is limited to around 15m.

Summary

The unit is expensive but I had zero coverage so it's a massive improvement but it's not perfect.

Update

The team from https://www.telcoantennas.com.au/ came to the site and installed a 5m mast and then aligned the antenna to get the strongest signal. The system now works perfect no dropped calls and 2-3 bars of 4G signal.

The techs advised me the new indoor unit is even better with optional indoor antennas to improve the range of the units which is fantastic if you have a big property.

Will do a product review when we eventually upgrade the indoor unit.

Expensive but worth it! – Really expensive product, was really nervous about the investment, but definitely no regrets now I can use my phone everywhere in the house! Super easy to set up, just plug in to the wall.

The Perfect Answer to Fringe Service Areas – My residence is about 500 metres from the Regional City of Mount Gambier in South Australia. Internet and mobile phone connectivity has been poor, with regular drop out of the signal. 1 to 2 bars of 3G were common, dropping to 1 or 2 bars of 2G, with parts of the house having no reception at all. Telstra said that I was in a poor 3G/4G area and… Read more

house construction plus location and distance from the nearest Telstra Antenna most likely would affect connectivity. The house is large, solid construction of limestone and brick with a color-bond roof.

I have put up with this poor connectivity and regular drop out of signal for several years, hoping for an improved signal upgrade, given Mount Gambier City boundary is just down the road and gets 4G reception in most places. From reading many reviews, my situation is very similar to residences in Regional Australia, unreliable connectivity and no planned upgrades in the foreseeable future. Also 2G will be no longer available towards the end of 2016, which was a worry to me, given my unreliable service.

In mid April 2016, I purchased a Cel-Fi Pro and can honestly say that I now have a reliable service and good connectivity for both mobile internet and mobile phone. Also, internet download speeds have improved which is welcomed. The purchase of the Cel-Fi Pro has meant most of the house has 4 bars of 3G and sometimes 1 to 3 bars of 4G. My mobile Internet 4G Advanced11 Modem is mostly 4 to 5 bars of 4G. I now am getting value for money spent on paying Telstra my monthly account! In addition, signal strength was such that I did not require an external antenna to be installed. At the moment, weather at home is drizzling with rain, cloudy and 16 degrees. In the middle of the house, my mobile phone has 4 bars of 3G whereas previously it would have been dropping out!

The Cel-Fi Pro is also very easy to install. Overall, very pleased and would recommend the Cel-Fi Pro 3G/4G(LTE) unit to any landowner in a fringe service area. Cost of Cel-Fi Pro may seem high, but once installed and you have a reliable connectivity, the cost becomes secondary to good reception.

Perfect Enhancement for lousy Vodafone service – The Cel-Fi has turned a completely dysfunctional Vodafone service into something quite workable. Started with no service or just one bar. After positioning the base unit in the optimum position for our location we now get 4 to 5 bars 4G inside our house. A bit pricey but worth it in the long run.

works perfectly! – We have never had 4G till now an 3G was hard to get but thing of the past now! It was an easy 5 min set up process. 5 stars

Immeadiate signal improvement – I purchased the Cel-Fi PRO Telstra Repeater from Powertec Telecommunications in January 2016. I previously had a one-bar Telstra signal, with sporadic coverage (i.e. quite often I'd be perched on the veranda taking/making calls). Ten minutes after unpacking and installing the Cel-Fi PRO, I was enjoying 3 or 4 bar coverage throughout around my… Read more

property. No more call drop-out since installation. Yay!!!

The Cel-Fi PRO is expensive (given the device's underlying simplicity and technology); however, worth every cent given my home-office arrangements. I happily recommend this product.

BTW Telstra couldn't be bothered suggesting ways to improve my signal strength. No wonder I don't hold shares in that company!

faster faster – So fantastic! Cel Fi Pro boosted all our mobile services including voice, SMS, MMS, Video Talk, Mobile Broadband. This unit has allowed us to have phone & internet with no complicated set up. It just works!! No more frustrations with tentative reception. So grateful that a friend recommended it. Worth the cost

All play and no work – Easy to install, good signal. I made time time to set this up and was surprised how easily it was to get a signal. Telstra should advertise this more because it solved a lot of problems that were mostly unmanageable before hand - good reception good service yippee for me

Simple, effective and very pleasing! – From a fringe rural area, we went from patchy coverage at best of times - to usable voice and data service within minutes. Clear instructions, easy installation, and increased signal = one satisfied user. Thank you and highly recommend your unit. If only Telstra would more readily recommend such solutions -- we could have been happily calling and using data earlier.

Goodbye dropped calls – Working in the Data Centre industry means that a missed call because of poor reception can cause all sorts of trouble from access requests being missed to important phone calls from the boss not getting through. I was amazed and surprised and how well Cel-fi pro works. The base station was able to pick up 3 bars of reception when my phone only… Read more

getting 2. Once I setup the remote station I was getting a whopping 5 bars on my site in an area that was under a slab of concrete. I highly recommend this product to any professional who needs to ensure their calls get through with the highest quality.

Life and work saver device. Highly recommended!! – We are located close to the Cobaw state Forrest which limits my use to the internet to take on after hour support calls, work from home or even check up on any bushfires that occour over summer. After many complaints to Telstra about the lack of service in the area and hoping for improvements, nothing was being done to resolve the matter. Instead,… Read more

I was suggested by a workmate to purchase and test the Cel-Fi Pro. The end result was simply amazing and very satisfying to have better signal and coverage indoors that was previously non existent. Keep up the great work Cel-Fi. I would recommend everyone.to purchase this product if you experience Telco coverage issues

Signal Bars at last in WA's Regional South West – We have put up with having our Telstra 3G mobile phones living on the window sill because that is the only place to get 1 bar of signal anywhere in our regional WA home. Once outside, a couple of bars and your happy, don’t even think of sending a pic. Our 3G modem also lives in the window so we can receive emails, again don’t consider trying to do… Read more

an update without going into town.

Whilst at work one day (where the phone signal is also very poor and people wander about holding their phone in the air as if praying to a higher authority) a technician was installing a gadget to improve our signal. Within minutes ……… what a difference, everyone was commenting. Upon inquiry it was a CEL-FI Pro that had been installed and I had to have one.

I purchased the CEL-FI Pro with a 2M Omni antenna from a dealer in town and he was helpful with my location tips and completing the Telstra registration form. I got home, set it up easily by following the simple guide and bang ! 4 to 5 bars immediately across all devices I couldn’t be happier especially as I am trying to run a business. Sick of getting missed call messages. The Cel-Fi is a not cheap but I am sure it will pay for itself in time. Just a pity I have to buy a 3rd party device that now allows me to properly use a service I am already being charged for.

Relief From Telco Pain – We have struggled with reception for years, sending countless emails and many hours on the phone to Telstra trying to get some mobile phone reception 1km from the Brisbane CBD! Finally after installing the CEL-FI PRO we have 5 bars of reception in and around the house. Thank you Cel-Fi, great product.

Excellent, after having no signal I don't know myself – We had one installed by Telstra in an old building at our winery and it has meant that most of the office staff now have mobile signals. My Office is some distance (at least 20m) from the unit and I am getting 3 bars. We previously had to walk out the front up the hill to get a signal. It hasn't covered all of the winery with it's thick old walls, but I didn't expect it to either.

Why did I not do this earlier – We have struggled with reception at one window for years spending countless hours trying to use our phones and after installing the CEL-FI PRO we have 5 bars of reception in and around the house. Brilliant I am one hell of a happy customer.

From NO service in my house to FULL service! – We live on a farm and there was only one place in the house i could leave my phone and get enough reception for it to ring or receive an SMS, I would have to run outside to answer it and have a conversation. After purchasing and setting up the Cel-Fi PRO (which was unbelievably easy) we now get FULL service on our mobiles in and around the house.… Read more

A great product and easy to setup. The price was very disappointing but i'm sure most of this was taken up by licensing fees to the telco governing body. I would have given this product 5 Stars if it was a bit cheaper.

Without this booster I had to stand on 1 leg and wiggle my nose – This product works. It was easy to set up. I think I've done it right. I can make calls now in my house. A luxury taken for granted for some. If you have reception issues - don't hesitate - get one. Home user, Black spot location - no reception in the house in every room but one. Quite funny - We got this product & The NBN in the same week. I… Read more

feel like we are in the future now!

I bought my Cel-Fi through Powertech Communications - They were quick to dispatch and it arrived well packaged and with all the bits a pieces. Will recommend these guys to others in my area who have the same trouble I do.

Cel-Fi PRO - Telstra Network - Menzies Creek, VIC – Just moved into a new house, up in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria. On arrival, we found that we could only have reliable phone conversations in the "ground floor" part of the house, when standing in the backyard! The Front of the house, and Front of the yard basically had no reception, and we were experiencing constant dropouts! To top this… Read more

off, on the first day at the house, I left my phone on the kitchen bench, unpacked boxes for the day, and then grabbed my phone when I took the dog for a walk. I had 9 missed calls come through to the phone!!! (self employed - the phone is my livelyhood!).

Ordered the Cel-Fi PRO, and while waiting for delivery (a whole 24 hours!!) I spent some time working out where the best reception in the house was (turns out it was an upstairs bedroom, facing the backyard..... - we're basically on the side of a mountain, and I think we've only got the one tower that must point at this particular bedroom!

Cel-Fi PRO arrived, and within 10 minutes, it was setup, and we had reliable 4G coverage throughout the house and front yard area! No Dropouts, 4G data transfer, 17Mb speedtest in the "deadzone" of the house - and I still hadn't configured it properly yet!

Our area is basically not supported for 4G, according to Telstra's service maps, however finding the one room that received good 4G reception, and utilising the Cel-Fi Pro, we were able to get reliable 4G coverage - I was hoping for 3G at best!

I've since connected the Omni antenna, so that we don't need to have the Cel-Fi Pro sitting on a window ledge, and the reception is still fantastic (I can't say better, because it was awesome to start with, but in our instance, it just makes the installation look better!).

Couldn't recommend these units any more highly! 28 Stars!!! If you're in a deadspot, with at least one area of good reception - these things are definitely worth it!

Another great unit – We have about 12 of the older Telstra 3G units and love them so we were very excited to receive this new model and thus far it has worked really well. The option to manually configure the unit to only work on a certain frequency is great and worked very well in the testing we conducted in the office but once the unit is sent out to a job site we… Read more

have no way of configuring this easily. As we don't have dedicated site techs within our company we need to step a bunch of non-technically minded people how to download the Wave app and configure the unit which can be very time consuming and difficult. Personally I think maybe it would be a good idea to add a sliding switch to the bottom of the unit in future versions. That way you could flick the switch to the frequency you require, power cycle the unit and away you go.

The only other drawback we face with these units is getting enough distance between them. Some of our job sites only have a single donger (not much bigger than a caravan) as office space, so unless we stand one of the units out in the open getting the units to work correctly is difficult/impossible.

In saying all that, the units are very easy to setup within a large office space or home and once the unit is setup and configured they work brilliantly.

Also a quick shout out to Chris from Conrad & Black who sold us the unit, he never fails to deliver.