Handset Phones Question

I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I have looked a four or five sites about handset phones but am lost. We have a Uniden 900Mhz dual handset and the range is suppose to be around 200 feet. Well, at about 40-50 feet, if I am standing in the right position and have my ear cocked the right way, I can here the phone okay but usually I get a lot of static and do not get near the 200 feet range. I have tried moving the phone base to different spots in the house but unless I am fairly close I get static. Are there differences in frequencies with one being better than another? Are some brands better than others? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

The quoted range is always under the most ideal conditions. In the real world anything that gets in the way, walls, trees, etc. will shorten the range considerably. But if you get a DECT (digital) phone, you may well find that works a lot better. I have been pretty impressed with the range of my DECT phone.

Note:

The H Security - In association with heise online >
25C3: Serious security vulnerabilities in DECT wireless telephony
30 December 2008, 14:19
http://www.h-online.com/security/new...ny-739493.html

Thanks for both of the replies!
As soon as I typed in "DECT" I got what I was lookng for. I also realize how vulnerable these things are similar to cell phone conversations.