Boostbox guide

If your home or office doesn’t have O2 coverage, you can get a Boostbox. It works as a signal booster and connects to your broadband to give you a 3G signal. You’ll need a 3G or 4G phone to use a Boostbox.

Only O2 phone numbers can use the Boostbox. Each Boostbox can have up to 32 different numbers registered to it. You can make up to four calls at the same time. Calls, texts and data are charged as normal or taken from your tariff allowance.

boostbox-light-indicators-3

What do I need for a Boostbox to work?

Your broadband must have an upload speed of at least 300Kbps (0.3Mbps) and a download speed of at least 2Mpbs.

To check your speed, download our free My Network app onto your phone. While connected to your wifi, click Test your speed. Or just search for a speed test website.


How do I set up my Boostbox?
  1. Plug one end of the yellow cable into your Boostbox and the other into any LAN port on your broadband router (they are usually yellow just like
    the cable).
  2. Plug your Boostbox into the mains. The light will turn on.
  3. Your Boostbox will now automatically set itself up – it usually takes about 40 minutes, but occasionally it can take up to four hours.
  4. After a few minutes the light will begin to pulse to tell you that setup is happening, you don’t need to do anything, just wait for it to finish.
  5. Your Boostbox will be ready to use when the power, ‘your connection’ and ‘device status’ lights are all on

What do the lights on my Boostbox mean?

Firstly, check which lights are on. Please see below, or check the image above to find out what each light means:

Power

  • Red: Boostbox is on
  • Red flashing: There's a problem

Your Connection

  • White: Connected
  • White flashing: Trying to connect

Device status

  • White: Your Boostbox is ready to use
  • Orange: Problem with your Boostbox service

Using your mobile

  • White: One or more active users
  • White flashing: Maximum number of calls are being made

Why isn’t the red power light on?

Check the plug is secure in the socket and the power cable is secure in the Boostbox.


Why are lights flashing?

If the power light is flashing and the ‘using your mobile’ light is yellow – check the cable is correctly connected between your router and Boostbox. Make sure you are plugged into the yellow port on the Boostbox. If something else is happening, don’t worry just give us a call on 202 from an O2 mobile or 03448090202 from a landline.


Why hasn’t my signal improved, even though it looks like my Boostbox is working?

Your phone is not connecting to the Boostbox:

  • Check you have registered your phone number for use with the Boostbox – if you haven’t you need to give us a call.
  • If you’ve changed your SIM, you need to give us a call, so we can re-register your number.
  • Check that you have 3G enabled on your phone – it’s usually in the settings menu.
  • If you have a weak 3G or 4G signal, your phone may continue to try and use this until it recognises the stronger signal from your Boostbox - try turning 4G off on your phone.
  • If you like, you can force your phone to use the Boostbox straight away by enabling then disabling “Airplane” or “Flight” mode on your phone.

How do I add someone to my Boostbox?

Call our Customer Service team on 202 free from your O2 mobile. Or call 0344 8090202 from a landline which is charged at the standard UK rate.


What happens if I get a new phone or sim?

If you get a new handset but keep the same sim, the Boostbox should still work. If you change your sim, you need to let us know. Call our Customer Service team on 202 free from your O2 mobile. Or call 0344 8090202 from a landline which is charged at the standard UK rate.


What happens if I move house/office or want to move my Boostbox to a different location?

It is very important that you let us know immediately as we use your Boostbox location to make sure 999 calls are correctly handled. Give us a call and we’ll update your details.


Can I make calls while I send emails or upload files on my computer?

It should be fine unless you’re moving large files over a slow connection.


What if my Boostbox is working but my computer won’t connect to wifi?

Try moving your Boostbox a bit further away from your router.


How far does my Boostbox cover?

Your Boostbox has about the same range as your router.


Am I best to use my mobile data over my Boostbox or my normal home/office broadband?

If you use your mobile data, it’ll be taken from your tariff’s data allowance, so we’d suggest using your normal broadband.


I have a 4G phone, but 4G doesn’t show when I connect to my Boostbox. Why is that?

All voice calls on the O2 network use 3G. Your Boostbox provides 3G coverage in your home and office to allow you to make and receive calls. A 4G phone will happily use this 3G signal.


Why has my Boostbox stopped working with my router?

If you’ve replaced your router, or it has been turned off and on, you may need to turn your Boostbox on and off too.


How much electricity does my Boostbox use?

Boostboxes don’t use much electricity, about the same as your broadband router.


What do I do if I need help or my Boostbox breaks?

Call our Customer Service team on 202 free from your O2 mobile. Or call 0344 8090202 from a landline which is charged at the standard UK rate.


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