StarHub Home Zone Service (Femtocell)

[Inix]

Hi Guys,

As my place has screwed up mobile reception for StarHub, I've gotten the StarHub Home Zone Service to help enhance my signal. I realised that that there hasn't' been much reviews on this, so I thought it would be good to do some sharing

1: Connectivity & Hardware

StarHub brought a Huawei Modem to my place. It is currently connected to my Dlink Router, running on MOL Express (I think mine is express.. haha)

Its a white box, standing vertically, and it honestly looks pretty decent. My only gripe is that it is HOT. Really really hot.

2: Mobile connectivity

After StarHub configures it, you will need to configure your phone to login to the Femtocell manually. Basically, a new network with ID 52506 will appear and you will need to connect to this.

As I'm using Windows Mobile, I set this network 52506 to the top of my priority when I can connect to it, and I will be able to automatically switch to this network when I'm home.

3: Placement of Calls

Placing of calls is as usual. Using your HP to call. But there is a little difference. Firstly, StarHub will play an announcement. You're on Home Zone Service, while the call is connected.

What this means, is that if you're calling Call Centers / Banks, you might lose the 1st few second. For example, when I tried to call StarHub 1633 on my mobile phone, what happen is that I can't hear the "Welcome to StarHub, Press 1". I only hear the "for English" onwards...

4: Call quality

Call quality is pretty decent (70% of the time). When I'm not doing torrenting, or heavy downloading, the call quality is pretty good. But I note that when I'm calling overseas, or at night (not sure if its both / either), it occurs that people are saying that my voice is breaking up.

Over at my end it sounds OK actually, but they seem to hear me breaking up.

Hope this little review has been helpful for some of you guys who are keen. All in all, its worth a try, but I wouldn't want to be paying for this service, as I consider it pretty much BETA stage.

[WendyWang]

Hi Guys,

As my place has screwed up bandwidth reception for StarHub, I've gotten the StarHub Home Zone Service to help enhance my signal. I realised that that there hasn't' been much reviews on this, so I thought it would be good to do some sharing

1: Connectivity & Hardware

StarHub brought a Huawei Modem to my place. It is currently connected to my Dlink Router, running on MOL Express (I think mine is express.. haha)

Its a white box, standing vertically, and it honestly looks pretty decent. My only gripe is that it is HOT. Really really hot.

2: Mobile connectivity

After StarHub configures it, you will need to configure your phone to login to the Femtocell manually. Basically, a new network with ID 52506 will appear and you will need to connect to this.

As I'm using Windows Mobile, I set this network 52506 to the top of my priority when I can connect to it, and I will be able to automatically switch to this network when I'm home.

3: Placement of Calls

Placing of calls is as usual. Using your HP to call. But there is a little difference. Firstly, StarHub will play an announcement. You're on Home Zone Service, while the call is connected.

What this means, is that if you're calling Call Centers / Banks, you might lose the 1st few second. For example, when I tried to call StarHub 1633 on my mobile phone, what happen is that I can't hear the "Welcome to StarHub, Press 1". I only hear the "for English" onwards...

4: Call quality

Call quality is pretty decent (70% of the time). When I'm not doing torrenting, or heavy downloading, the call quality is pretty good. But I note that when I'm calling overseas, or at night (not sure if its both / either), it occurs that people are saying that my voice is breaking up.

Over at my end it sounds OK actually, but they seem to hear me breaking up.

Hope this little review has been helpful for some of you guys who are keen. All in all, its worth a try, but I wouldn't want to be paying for this service, as I consider it pretty much BETA stage.

Would internet bandwidth & connection affect your call quality? Since there are many complains about Starhub MOL around these forums. Maybe I should try with my Starhub SurfLite... =:p

Thanks for the review though... ;)

[liangtam]

525 06(/05) is an old call name/network of starhub mobile.

you need to priortize your upstream unless you wan choppy sound

[Inix]

Would internet bandwidth & connection affect your call quality? Since there are many complains about Starhub MOL around these forums. Maybe I should try with my Starhub SurfLite... =:p

Thanks for the review though... ;)
hehehe :D OK. Its mobile reception :D haha...

[krazyman]

I find this a pretty useless service from SH which is why take up rate is so slow.

If uses this to resolve poor SH mobile reception in an area that one frequent, it will be better to switch telco.

If uses this to enjoy free calls as promoted by SH, it doesn't make sense. Having to subscribe MOL is already additional cost. If already have MOL, then DV is also free for making out-going calls while incoming calls can still be received on mobile. So why femtocell?

[richneo]

imho... to attract adoption rate, SH might offer free mol services to those who take up this service instead in exchange for helping Starhub to extend their mobile coverage and not charges people to take up this service.

just my 2 cents worth

[ct]

I wonder if you install that,are you helping Starhub to improve their coverage at your hoem area?

[tidus792]

Yup he should be improving coverage in his area.

[liangtam]

the femtocell can restrict to allow only your device connect in.

[wherehouse]

the femtocell can restrict to allow only your device connect in.
but its not immediately evident if the default config of the Huawei FMC box allows single user or multiuser access via egsm/umts over their IP network...

he could be helping the people near him to improve mobile coverage but then again, if he hears the "pre-call annc" then the unit could be using some sort of IMEI filter?

@ TS
any config page that you can get in to and show screenies?

[Inix]

but its not immediately evident if the default config of the Huawei FMC box allows single user or multiuser access via egsm/umts over their IP network...

he could be helping the people near him to improve mobile coverage but then again, if he hears the "pre-call annc" then the unit could be using some sort of IMEI filter?

@ TS
any config page that you can get in to and show screenies?
Haven't been noticing this thread. It will not help anyone else but your own family members. To use Femtocell, you will need to actually have your mobile number be registered onto the system which is done by StarHub. The max is actually 4 numbers to register AFAIK.

I saw that it got some IP, but I can't see any web panel. I didn't bother to do a port scan so no idea about the rest though.

[Inix]

I find this a pretty useless service from SH which is why take up rate is so slow.

If uses this to resolve poor SH mobile reception in an area that one frequent, it will be better to switch telco.

If uses this to enjoy free calls as promoted by SH, it doesn't make sense. Having to subscribe MOL is already additional cost. If already have MOL, then DV is also free for making out-going calls while incoming calls can still be received on mobile. So why femtocell?
Actually you're quite right. I'm now in my 2nd Femtocell unit. So far, its been a disaster. I've resorting to turning it off during night time. The previous unit was so hot, it burnt my hand. The newer unit is much better, but the audio is still pretty choppy. Daytime isn't much better though I must add...

Anyway, I got it for free so I'm not complaining now. I've sent my feedback to SH and hope they will do something about it.

[liangtam]

Except from the additional SMS/MMS, its a flop, and waste of marnee.

[ct]

I wonder will the device broadcast "starhub" so that it increase mobile coverage in your area?

[Inix]

I wonder will the device broadcast "starhub" so that it increase mobile coverage in your area?
No it wont....