# External cellphone antennas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-cellphone-antennas/325414 "2005-10-09T16:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-cellphone-antennas/325414/1 "2005-10-09T16:18:22Z")
I live in a large concrete building covered with a metal skin. Essentially, it’s a big Faraday cage, and as a result I get very poor cellphone reception unless I lean my head out the window. I’m wondering if it’s possible to buy an external antenna, mount it outside, and just run a cable from it over to my desk so I can plug my cellphone in when I want to use it. Is this possible? What sort of antenna and cable should I buy? My phone is a Motorola V710. Using a landline is not an option, for a variety of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-cellphone-antennas/325414/2 "2005-10-10T01:36:26Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Is this possible? What sort of antenna and cable should I buy? My phone is a Motorola V710. [Trye this](http://www.altwireless.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Session_ID=4349C4A90004C6D30000518000000000&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=altwire&Product_Code=AA359909). It’s an adapter cable which will work with most kinds of external antennas. It attaches to your cell phone’s FME connector, which is usually located just below the built-in antenna, on the back or side of the phone. If you’re near a window you have outside access to, you might try to locate a compatible high-gain glass-mount antenna, that you can use this adapter cable with.