It’s one of the big frustrations of the modern age when you find yourself in an area or region where your cell signal just isn’t strong enough for either making calls or getting those sweet 4G waves. Whether you’re in a rural area or in an inexplicable cell signal dead zone in an otherwise strong-signal area, you may need a cell signal booster to get a stable connection.
Here we’ve listed the best cell signal boosters you can buy today – whether you need one at home or on the go.
1. weBoost Connect 4G-X
Probably the best-known manufacturer of cell signal boosters, weBoost has a vast collection of hardware for all budgets. Its hands-down most popular booster, the 4G-X, may not be cheap at $840, but it’s earned its place at the top of the pile.
The 4G-X is compatible with all US cellphone carriers and is capable of boosting 3G, 4G and cellular signals. With 70dB gains, it can improve your phone and Internet quality immeasurably. It has a sprawling range of up to 7500 sq ft, and comes in three parts – the antenna, the signal booster and finally the signal broadcaster – ensuring you get great coverage throughout your building.
If you’re on the road, then weBoost also offers a version of designed for cars, the weBoost Drive 4G-X OTR.
2. SureCall Flare Cell Signal Booster
Another big hitter when it comes to cell signal booster brands, SureCall has a litany of cheaper and more expensive options on offer. But to maximise your chances of picking up the tiniest slithers of signal and amplifying them for your home, then the omnidirectionl Flare Cell is the right choice.
It will boost phones within a 2500 sq. ft. radius across one or two rooms of a home and works with all North American cellphone carriers. With 72dB maximum noise gain and the ability to pick up cellular 3G and 4G signals, it’s one of the best solutions you can get for the home.
The installation is relatively easy with the Flare Booster improving the signal indoors while the outdoor omni-antenna picks up signals from the outside world.
3. Wilson SignalBoost DT Signal Booster
If you’re on a tight budget and/or don’t need huge gains to your cellular signal, then at $125, this offering from Wilson is worth a try before you go spending bigger sums of money. Note that this only improves cell signals up to 3G, but if you’re in a particularly remote area, then you have a better chance of capturing this than a 4G signal anyway. Besides, a 3G signal is more than good enough for voice calls.
This cell signal booster has a range of up to 1500 sq. ft., covering up to two rooms in your home. It works with all US carriers, and offers noise gains of up to 60dB across 800MHz and 1900MHz bands.
4. Wi-Fi Calling
This may sound like a bit of a cheat entry, but a lot of people forget that both Android and iOS devices are capable of Wi-Fi calling. This means that, subject to your carrier, you can use your home Wi-Fi network to carry out phone calls and texts instead of a cellular signal. If you have a strong signal, then there’s a good chance that the quality will be even better than you’d get with a cell signal booster.
The downside of Wi-Fi calling is latency, which can cause delays between when you say things and when the other person hears them. This shouldn’t be a problem if you have a strong Wi-Fi connection, however.
To enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone, go to “Settings -> Phone -> Wi-Fi Calling,” and switch it on.
On Android devices, go to “Settings -> Network & Internet -> Mobile network -> Advanced -> Wi-Fi Calling,” and switch it to “On.” (This varies from phone to phone and may not be available on some phones.)
Conclusion
The above are some of the best cell signal boosters in our eyes, but something worth remembering is that they’re never just a plug-and-play jobby and will require some tweaking and DIY proficiency to set up just right. These are serious bits of hardware that can change your cell signal setup at home, but be prepared to put in the legwork!
Content Manager at Make Tech Easier. Enjoys Android, Windows, and tinkering with retro console emulation to breaking point.
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