How to Choose a Cell Phone Signal Amplifier for Home
The majority of phone calls are made from home. A phone, in fact, is a link between us and the world outside. If your home has a poor cellular signal, it’s going to be a huge problem. Weak reception can adversely affect both personal and professional life. This leads us to the question: “Is there a way to somehow improve reception?” Yes, there is, and this solution is very simple – a cell phone signal amplifier.
An amplifier works its magic to improve a cellular signal in areas where it is weak or barely existent. The strength and quality of reception often become worse due to building materials (mainly metal, concrete, brick, etc.) or surrounding landscape (mountains, hills, woods, etc.). Even buildings in your neighborhood may become a hindrance to cellular signals. While a cell phone signal booster can’t remove these obstacles, it is able to mitigate the negative impact they cause.
A cellular amplifier is a wireless device. It means that you don’t have to connect it via a cable or keep it close to your phone. All you need to do is to install it somewhere in a discreet place within your house and let it do its job.
How Do Cell Phone Signal Amplifier Work?
The heart of every signal booster is an amplifier. It is this piece of equipment that is responsible for improving the quality of a cellular signal. However, it is not able to cope with the task on its own, so every kit comes completed with two antennas.
One of these antennas, we’ll call it a donor antenna, is mounted outside to receive a signal from a cell tower. Normally, reception is better outside since radio waves meet fewer hurdles on their way. But if your signal inside is the same as outside, you can attach an external antenna indoors.
The second antenna, a distributed one, is always mounted inside the premises. Its goal is to receive a reinforced signal from an amplifier and broadcast it inside the building.
You don’t have to be a tech-savvy person to install a signal booster in your house. Every kit comes with pretty straightforward instructions. You will have to try very hard to mess up the installation. Basically, you need to make sure that external and internal antennas are far away from each other; otherwise, they may cause interference.
Frequency Spectrum and Coverage
Every cell phone signal amplifier works with specific frequencies. Some models support only one band, which makes them suitable for a single network carrier. For example, if your booster supports 2100 MHz and nothing else, it will be effective only within networks utilizing the exact same frequency. Single-band amplifiers are cheaper and, oftentimes, more powerful than multi-band devices but you need to be very careful in regard to supported frequencies. A booster designed for 900 MHz will be of no use with 1800 MHz, or 2100 MHz, or any other frequency.
Along with carrier-specific devices, you can find plenty of versatile boosters, i.e. those supporting a wide range of bands and radiofrequency spectrums. While they cost a little more, their price is offset by expanded functionality. You can use them with any cellular network and any service provider.
Besides supported frequencies, you also need to focus on coverage. It goes without saying that a booster for a small apartment won’t do for a large mansion. And vice versa, it makes no sense to use am amplifier designed for commercial property in a tiny house.
In the first scenario, a booster will offer insufficient coverage. In the second example, excessive amplification might cause network interference. The bottom line is that you need to choose a device based on your property’s floor area, no more, no less.
Cell phone signal amplifiers are lifesavers if the quality of a cellular signal is less than perfect. You need to choose a device considering your specific needs though (your network carrier, coverage area, desired power, etc.) to be able to savor all the benefits of a strong and stable cellular connection.
