The Ultimate Guide to Cell Phone Boosters
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Curious about cell phone boosters? In this comprehensive guide, you’ll get answers to the most common questions about cell signal boosters, the benefits of having a cell phone booster, and the different types of cell phone signal boosters currently available for residential consumers.
What is a cell phone booster?
A cell phone booster (also known as a cell signal booster) is just what it sounds like; a device that boosts weak cellular signals for use by cell phones, smartphones, tablets, hotspots, and other cellular-connected devices. By amplifying the existing cell signal, phone boosters help:
- Reduce dropped calls
- Improve voice quality
- Increase data speeds
Regardless of which carrier network you use, everyone has experienced weak cell signal.
What type of cell phone booster do I need?
Cell phone boosters fall into two main categories:
Home cell signal boosters are designed to enhance indoor signal conditions within spaces ranging from 1,500 sq. ft. and 7.500 sq. ft. in coverage area. Most home boosters support multiple users and multiple devices simultaneously and across multiple carrier networks.
Vehicle cell signal boosters (or mobile signal boosters) are designed to enhance cell signal within a car, truck, van, or SUV. We also have models specially designed for RVs, towable trailers, semi-trucks, or fleet vehicles. Most weBoost vehicle boosters support multiple users and devices, while some like our Drive Sleek products, boost signal for only one cell phone.
For commercial buildings over 7,500 sq. ft., we recommend our WilsonPro brand of products.
How weBoost does it
Our powerful outside antenna reaches out to access a voice and data signal, and delivers it to the booster.
The cell signal booster receives the signal, amplifies it, and serves as a relay between your phone and the nearest cell tower.
Your devices get increased reception, and outgoing calls and data are amplified through the booster and sent back to the network.
How weBoost works
❯READ ARTICLE: How does a cell phone booster work?
Does the strength of the outside signal determine how much the booster broadcasts the signal inside?
The stronger the outside signal strength, the more effective a cell phone signal booster will be at amplifying the signal strength indoors. Remember, the signal bars on your phone only provide a relative measure of the existing signal strength in your area. It’s possible for one phone to show full signal bars while another phone shows two signal bars while receiving the same signal from the nearby cell tower. For a further explanation of what your phone’s signal bars mean, go here.
Top 10 benefits of a booster
- Fewer dropped calls and missed texts
- Less dependence on WiFi for internet
- Improved voice quality on any carrier
- Reduced occurrences of "dead zones"
- Enhanced streaming and data speeds
- Longer battery life on cellular devices
- Bigger indoor converage area at home
- Larger signal range while on the road
- Better use from unlimited data plans
- Peace of mind with reliable cell signal
Why am I having trouble getting a reliable cell signal?
Although several factors can contribute to the quality of cell phone reception, below are some primary causes of unreliable cell signal.
- Distance - the farther away you are from the cell tower, the weaker the signal is.
- Terrain - hills, mountains, trees, foliage, rocks, and other terrain features between you and nearby cell towers.
- Buildings - Because cell signals can’t easily pass through metal, concrete, or energy-efficient windows, buildings are the main blockers of cell signal in an urban setting.
- Vehicles - Metal and safety glass, the materials making up the outer shell of most vehicles, do an excellent job of blocking RF signals.
How do I know a booster will work for me?
As long as there is an available signal outside your home or vehicle then the booster can amplify it into your space to give you faster data speeds and more.
We offer boosters that vary depending on your cell coverage needs. For example, If you only need a booster for a single phone in your car, the best cell signal booster for you will be different from someone whose situation might require a multi-user booster. Likewise, cell signal boosters can vary depending on the size of your home. By checking the existing signal strength inside your home (as well as outside), you can better determine which type of booster will work best for you. Since signal bars only provide a relative measure of signal strength, check out our blog on testing signal strength using free apps and resources found online.
How much does a cell phone booster cost?
The cost of a cell signal booster can vary depending on the model and type of booster, as well as if the booster can support all available carrier networks or just one or two mobile carriers.
As a general rule:
- The more powerful the booster is, the higher the price.
- A booster that provides more coverage area costs more.
- One-device vehicle boosters cost less than a multi-user.
- Boosters that only work with specific carriers cost less.
weBoost cell signal boosters are a one-time investment with no recurring fees.
Why should I get a weBoost signal booster?
With every weBoost product, you benefit from a company that was the first to design, build, and market cell signal boosters for residential use. We also developed the first in-vehicle cell signal boosters and hold over 50 patents. All of our products are designed, assembled, and tested in the U.S.A. and are FCC-approved.
Our award-winning boosters automatically adjust to provide optimal signal strength, so you never have to touch it again (This is a feature called Automatic Gain Control).
Plus, our products are backed by both a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How long does it take to install a booster?
Generally speaking, vehicle cell signal boosters can be installed more quickly than home boosters. Installation of a vehicle cell signal booster usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
The installation of a home booster might take as long as 3 hours, as it involves running coax cable into your home as well as mounting an outside antenna on or near your roof. Every weBoost product includes detailed instructions to guide you through the process. Get installation resources here.
Do cell phone boosters work in rural or remote areas?
Yes. weBoost cell signal boosters work in rural areas. Because cell towers tend to be farther away in rural areas and remote locations, we recommend using the strongest booster within the home or vehicle category to achieve the best possible results.
How can I find the location of the closest cell tower?
Finding the closest cell phone tower in your neighborhood, or even on the go, doesn’t have to be a difficult task. It all starts by familiarizing yourself with some helpful, easy to use, and free resources for locating cell towers that can be found online. Read our cell tower locater guide here.
weBoost Booster Compatibility
Which frequency bands do weBoost boosters cover?
weBoost cell signal boosters amplify voice and data signals on all North American carrier networks and for all cellular-connected devices; including phones, tablets, and hotspots. Typically, the range of frequencies spans between 700 MHz and 2100 MHz. To view the specific frequency bands covered by your booster, go to your booster’s product page on the weBoost website and reference the spec sheet.
Which phones and carriers work with my booster?
weBoost cell boosters are compatible with all North American carrier networks and work on all cellular-connected devices; including phones, tablets and hotspots.
Can weBoost boosters handle multiple users and devices all at once?
Anyone within range of a weBoost home booster’s indoor cell signal can enjoy enhanced coverage without pairing their device or logging into a network. With the exception of our single-device, cradle-booster Drive Sleek products, every weBoost vehicle booster can also handle multiple users, phones, and cellular devices; regardless of carrier.
Will my weBoost boosters continue to work in a 5G world?
Yes. Since mobile carriers are planning to use the existing 4G LTE networks to carry the majority of cell service to consumers well into 2030, our current boosters will continue to work for years to come. The 5G network is being built alongside today’s 4G LTE network and will rely on the 4G LTE network as part of its failover or redundancy plan. Read our 5G guide here to learn more.
Do I need an Internet connection?
No, an Internet connection is not required. A cell phone booster works by amplifying the available cell signal into your vehicle or home.
Do cell phone boosters interfere with WiFi?
Because they operate at different frequencies, cell phone signal boosters will not interfere with WiFi. However, it is still recommended to mount the inside antenna for a cell phone signal booster at least 12 inches away from the WiFi router.
