Before we jump on to explaining the Mobile Phone Signal Boosters it is important to understand why these devices are so significant in today’s world.
A mobile phone is a necessity for every modern person. It connects us with other people, helps us perform our work duties, entertains, and educates us. But if your phone isn’t able to connect to a cellular network, it becomes virtually useless.
Unfortunately, spotty and barely-there reception concerns millions of people around the globe. Some of them suffer due to insufficient coverage while others fail to receive signals because of rocky landscapes, built environment, and suchlike obstacles.
Network operators often find themselves powerless to solve this problem. Luckily, you can take matters into your own hand and improve cellular reception in your house without much hassle. All you have to do is to install a mobile phone signal booster.
With the majority of people nowadays working from home due to COVID19 pandemic, it is important to have them be able to communicate with their colleagues, clients, bosses, etc. But, as it is true that mobile signals are not stable everywhere using mobile phone signal boosters remains the only option.
What is a Mobile Phone Signal Booster?
These devices have many names – repeaters, enhancers, amplifiers, boosters… No matter how you call them, the principle of operation remains the same – they take weak signals coming from your network and turn up their strength.
The most common types of signal boosters consist of three parts: donor and distributing antennas and an amplifier.
A donor antenna is designed to capture signals from a nearby cell tower. Usually, signals are stronger outside because they meet fewer hurdles.
Therefore, this antenna has to be installed outdoors, too. As soon as it picks up a cellular signal, it passes it on to an amplifier.
This piece of equipment is in charge of making signals stronger and, when it comes to smart boosters, better.
Once signals get a boost, they travel to an internal antenna, which broadcasts them inside a building.
Types of Cell Phone Signal Boosters
Depending on the technology underlying an amplification device, cell phone boosters are either analog or digital (smart).
The first type is common for residential property and small offices. Analog mobile phone signal boosters are reliable, easy to use, and inexpensive. You can recognize them by dedicated external and internal antennas.
Single Band Signal Boosters
Digital boosters are more flexible and powerful. Their gain (the level of signal enhancement) is normally higher than that of analog devices.
Oftentimes, digital boosters boast a noise reduction feature, which is a must for crystal clear voice calls.
Besides that, they enable you to adjust gain if the quality of an initial signal deteriorates further. Smart mobile phone signal boosters feature a slightly different design.
An internal antenna might be hidden inside an amplifier. Vice versa, there might be more than one antenna if you need to improve reception in a large building.
On the downside, digital devices tend to cost several times more than basic analog counterparts.
Dual-Band Signal Boosters
If your family is subscribed to various network carriers and the quality of reception is dissatisfactory for everyone, you should consider getting a multi-band cell phone signal booster.
It will be able to improve the mobile experience for everyone in a fell swoop.
On the other hand, if you live alone or your ménage uses the same network carrier, you can save some money by going with a single-band booster.
You need to be careful though since it supports only one frequency spectrum. If you identify it incorrectly, you will get no signal amplification.
As we have already mentioned, mobile phone signal boosters are used indoors (in houses, offices, stores, hotels, industrial facilities, etc.).
It is not a good idea to install an amplifier outside since its signals may interfere with cell site transmission.
That being said, you can have a booster outside the premises of your house – in your car, RV, truck, etc.
Signal amplifiers for vehicles have a limited coverage area so it is unlikely that they cause malfunctions in cellular networks.
Benefits of a Signal Booster
A strong and consistent signal guarantees a fast and smooth internet connection, clear voice calls, and instant text messaging.
On top of providing that for your home, boosters bring some other, less obvious, benefits.
For example, your phone will emit less radiation when reception is good. Hands down, you don’t want to expose yourself to high levels of electromagnetic radiation even if it doesn’t impact your health in the short run.
Besides radiation, a phone that tries too hard to capture a signal drains its battery at the double.
Mobile Signal Boosters: Pros and Cons of Using One
In this time and age, our lives largely depend on mobile devices. We use them for work, entertaining, communication with the ones we love, and in many other instances.
But what do you feel when your mobile signal goes spotty, weak, or disappears completely?
Without exaggeration, that is a disaster.
Unfortunately, millions of people around the world can’t call their reception satisfactory due to poor network coverage or features of the area they live in.
If you, too, hate the quality of your cellular signal, the only surefire way to fix it is to use a booster.
Mobile signal boosters consist of three essential pieces:
- External antenna – it picks signals from a cell tower. You need to install it in a place where you have the best reception (on the roof, behind the window, etc.).
- Amplifier – this is where the magic happens. It gets signals from the external antenna and makes them several times stronger.
- Internal antenna – the last stop before your phone receives a signal. Its mission is to relay an amplified signal within a building.
Very primitive boosters go without an amplifier. Reception gets better because the outdoor antenna allows the signal to bypass obstacles (for example, thick walls in your house).
However, this solution won’t work if the signal outside is weak initially. Its strength inside will remain the same or slightly worse than outside.
But if you add an amplifier, it will make a signal better than outdoors.
Pros of Installing a Mobile Signal Booster
Cellular signal boosters exist to enhance the quality and strength of radiofrequency waves, and, consequently, provide better connectivity and uninterrupted voice calls. Along with that, these devices boast a few hidden benefits.
Did you know that your phone emits a higher level of radiation when it struggles to capture a transmission?
This radiation is non-ionizing and isn’t dangerous in the short run but if you can lower its level, you should definitely do so.
A booster is an easy and effective way to bring it down. It improves reception so that your phone won’t have to break a sweat to connect you to a cell tower.
When a signal’s level bobs up and down, it also affects a battery’s life. A phone spends more energy on pinging signals thus running out of charge faster.
But if a signal is steady and strong, a phone can switch to the energy-saving mode and the battery will last longer.
Unlike removable antennas and stickers (which ’improve’ signals with varying degrees of failure), a single signal booster will suffice to serve 5-20 users.
Needless to say, it is cheaper to buy one booster than many antennas for each household member.
Cons of Installing a Mobile Signal Booster
It is not that signal boosters have many drawbacks but they are not omnipotent. If you have no signal outside altogether, even the most powerful amplifier will be of no use.
Besides, you have to be very careful when picking a device for your particular needs. Inexpensive signal boosters work with networks of a specific operator.
More precisely, they can capture only one specific band. If your network transmits signals within a different band, you will see no signal improvement.
Boosters are limited in terms of coverage area, too. A simple mobile phone amplifier is able to cover from 100 to 600 square meters.
If you need a device for an office, commercial, or industrial real estate, you need to focus on models featuring 600-5 000 square meters of coverage.
Regardless of the model, it must be installed inside a building. If you decide to put an amplifier outdoors, its work may cause interference with your wireless network. So, you can’t use a signal booster outside; however, there are devices intended for cars, boats, RVs, and other vehicles.
Summary
Summing up, mobile phone signal boosters are a great investment in enhancing the quality of your cellular reception. But to savor all the benefits they offer, you need to choose an appropriate device with great care and attention.
