The Ultimate Guide to Cell Phone Signal Boosters [2021]
Curious about cell phone signal 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 boosters currently available for your home and vehicle.
What is a cell phone signal booster?
A cell phone signal 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, cell phone boosters help:
- Reduce dropped calls
- Improve voice quality
- Increase data speeds
Regardless of which U.S. carrier network you use, everyone has experienced weak cell signal.
Types of cell phone signal boosters
Cell phone signal boosters fall into two main categories:
Home cell signal boosters are designed to improve indoor signal conditions within spaces ranging from one room to an entire home. 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 and industrial buildings, we recommend our WilsonPro brand of products.
How weBoost cell phone signal boosters work
In your home
In your vehicle
1
OUTSIDE ANTENNA
The outside antenna communicates back and forth with nearby cell towers.
2
BOOSTER
The signal booster amplifies any cell signals it receives from the outside antenna.
3
INSIDE ANTENNA
The inside antenna broadcasts these signals for use throughout your home.
READ ARTICLE: How does a cell phone booster work?
How outside signal strength influences booster performance
The stronger the outside signal strength, the more effective a cell phone signal boosterwill 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.
READ ARTICLE: What do the bars mean on my cell phone?
Top 10 benefits of a cell phone signal booster
- Fewer dropped calls and missed messages
- Less dependence on WiFi for internet
- Improved voice quality on any carrier
- Reduced occurrences of "dead zones"
- Faster streaming and data speeds
- Longer battery life on cellular devices
- Increased indoor coverage area at home
- Larger signal range while on the road
- Better use of unlimited data plans
- Peace of mind with reliable cell signal
What makes cell signal unreliable?
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 can prevent cell signal.
- Buildings - Because cell signals can't easily pass through metal, concrete, or energy-efficient windows, buildings are the main blockers of cell signal in many places.
- Vehicles - Metal and safety glass, the materials making up the outer shell of most vehicles, do an excellent job of blocking cell signals.
Will a cell phone signal booster work for me?
As long as there is an available signal outside your home or vehicle, then the booster can amplify it inside your space to give you improved talk, text, data, 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 online resources.
How much does a cell phone booster cost?
The cost of a cell signal booster can range from $199.99 to $1199.99. The cost depends on a number of factors, including the overall performance of the booster kit, installation, the number of users or devices the booster can support, and how many carrier networks are compatible with the booster.
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 booster that supports multiple users and devices.
- Boosters that only work with specific carriers cost less.
weBoost cell signal boosters are a one-time investment with no ongoing fees.
Why weBoost cell signal boosters
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 ).
Our boosters are ready for 5G. Designed to work for the next decade and beyond, weBoost cell signal boosters will improve 3G, 4G LTE, and Nationwide 5G for years to come.
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 cell phone 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 Cell Booster Installation ResourcesWith our weBoost Installed | Home Complete solution, professional installation is included with purchase. Those services are handled by OnTech, a trusted weBoost partner whose technicians are trained, certified, and insured to fulfill our installation requests nationwide in all U.S. zip codes.
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 ARTICLE: How to Find Cell Phone Towers Near You
weBoost Cell 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 cell signal 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 to use a cell phone signal booster?
No, an internet connection is not required. A cell phone booster works by amplifying the available cell signal in your vehicle or home. It will improve cellular coverage for tasks like phone calls and text messaging. Cell coverage is more reliable and secure than WiFi. Some users may use cellular coverage due to its faster data speeds, uninterrupted streaming, and improved hotspot capabilities.
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 a WiFi router to avoid any interference.