Cell signal booster for house

I get a decent signal in my house.  But I have some issues in the basement.  It seems that especially when I am at my computer in the basement, calls usually go to voice mail and outgoing calls take a LONG time (maybe 20 seconds) to connect and start ringing.  I just did some checking.  Upstairs I had 4 bars.  I went to the basement and initially had 1 bar but it quickly went up to 3 bars.  I went over to my computer and I still had 3 bars.  Maybe there are other issues involved.  Maybe the bar display doesn't show a lower signal level with interference.  Any suggestions to improve reception other than a cell booster?
 
As a point of reference, I have a small creek about 80 feet lower than the house and surrounding land.  I don't have any trouble with a signal there but there is nothing around to cause interference around so, in general, I seem to have a decent signal in the area overall.
 
If I do get a cell booster, any recommendations on which one?

Call your cell provider and say you are thinking you may need to cancel because you can't get cell reception at your house (don't be to specific).  State that the phone provides no benefits if you can't make a call from your house.
 
They just may give you a booster for free.  Worth a try as it will only waste a bit of your time.

I utilize T-Mobile and complained and got two repeaters for two homes a few years back.  Initially I was going to purchase a repeater.

Personally shut off my cell phone when in the house here. My wife leaves hers on.

Here too the Panasonic dual line phone base also pairs with the cell phones. Thinking one user here is using the Panasonic base for his cell phones but no copper / VOIP lines.

I have two of the Pansonic bases (2 lines each). One is a corded handset base (in the home office) with wireless optional phones and the other is a wireless base with wireless handsets on the main floor.

You can also get a Google Voice number which does receive texts and will ring all of your phone numbers (copper, voip or cellular). Been using it since it was first offered.

My Amazon Alexa devices connect to my Ooma VOIP box. I can tell Alexa to make an Ooma phone call this way.

These can work well IF they are installed correctly.  Many years ago, because of my job, I used to work with these guys. https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/
They have been around a long time.  So you want the outside antenna to be in a good signal area. You want the inside antenna to be in the poorest signal area. If you have good isolation, it will work great.  
 
In theory, you need to register these with you wireless provider, but most people never do. 

The following is related to the freely provided T-Mobile stuff.
 
 
1 - Here first did a search where my cellular provider's antenna's were
2 - Used inside boxes with no external antennas - best is still to use an outdoor antenna.
3 - Put one box such that it was facing the cellular providers antenna and had the highest signal (there is a signal bar on the box).
4 - Put second box in the basement rafters.
 
Works fine for me on T-Mobile LTE.  (from about 27 Mbs to around 50 Mbs up and down).
 
The best way to do this is to purchase an combo box with an external antenna.  Only thing is that you will need to pay for this versus getting the free stuff from the telco provider.

Spent over an hour on the phone with ATT this morning.  My phone is a Samsung J7.  If I had bought it from ATT it would have call using wifi capability - that would be a nice feature and also allow use in foreign countries when I occasionally travel.  I bought an unlocked phone from Best Buy for $20 less as I recall.  Didn't realize there were some things missing or would have gotten from ATT.  Now I need to get a new cell phone to get that.  A passive antenna - one outside and/or up high - and one inside has promise but more work than I want to do.  ATT stopped providing cell repeaters in October(not sure if for a cost or free but they aren't available from them at all now).  Will probably just put up with the issues for now...