How To Know if a Signal Booster Will Work for Your Situation

The idea of a signal booster sounds great. Signal boosters are easy-to-install, useful devices that boost nearby cellular signals and strengthen them. The amplified signal is ideal for ensuring that you don’t drop calls or cut out when you’re at home, at the office, or in your vehicle.

However, cellular boosters aren’t always a viable option. You may want to check out some of these tips to know if a signal booster will work for your situation. While boosters are versatile, understanding how they work and what situations they suit may help you decide which model suits your needs.

Does Your Home Block Signals?

One of the best ways to benefit from a signal booster is if you live or work in a building made from materials that commonly block or muffle cellular signals. These building materials can withstand weather conditions and other hazards, but they may lead to you experiencing a weaker signal.

Some of the most common signal-blocking materials are wood, brick, metal, and concrete. Fiberglass insulation can also contribute to poor connectivity. Many people live in buildings utilizing brick or wood—if your home limits cellular waves from reaching your devices indoors, a signal booster may be a good choice for your household.

Do You Need To Boost Your Signal?

Typically, the most common reason for wanting to install a cellular signal booster is that the signal in your home or office is lacking. Does the person you’re calling cut out often, or do you find that your signal drops when you enter certain parts of your home? Being able to increase your cellular signal strength comes with many advantages and prevents you from dealing with some of the negative side effects.

A booster may be a good choice for you if you live in a rural area or place with a weaker connection. If you want to know if a signal booster will work for your situation, you may want to look at these examples of a situation where a booster is not the most beneficial option.

There Is No Outside Signal

Cell boosters don’t have the power to create signals out of thin air and can only amplify a signal if there’s already one nearby. If you live in an area with exceptionally bad service or an absolute dead zone with no signal at all, a booster won’t be an effective solution for your needs.

Most cell phones come with a field test mode that allows you to test your signal strength in greater detail. This field test mode enables you to determine which room you want to install the interior antenna of a signal booster. However, if you’re in a 4G or LTE area and your signal is -110dBm or lower, a signal booster may not strengthen your signal enough to make a difference. You may need to look at different carrier options or contact your carrier directly about expanding their network.

You Want Faster Internet

Because many of us use the internet on our phones, it’s a common misconception that a cellular signal booster can speed up your internet. While it may help strengthen your phone speed when you’re using cellular data, a cellular booster won’t improve Wi-Fi connectivity. If you want to improve your internet speed, you may need to contact your internet service provider or invest in a new router.

You Want To Boost Outdoor Signals

Many people may want to improve the cell service in their yards or other open areas. However, one of the main functions of a signal booster is to amplify the signal in a smaller, more designated area, such as a room or vehicle. Amplifiers don’t work very well in larger outdoor areas, so a booster may not be a viable choice if you’re hoping to gain a stronger signal while outdoors.

Do You Have Enough Space?

There aren’t many components to a signal booster, but you still need to install each one correctly for the device to be effective. To install your signal booster, you will need to set up an indoor and outdoor antenna.

The outdoor antenna must be far away enough to avoid creating a feedback loop with the interior antenna. Oscillation may make things worse for your signal and lead to larger problems with connectivity. Typically, you want 20 feet of vertical distance or 50 feet of horizontal distance. A diagonal distance can be beneficial, though spacing will still be a crucial component of the system’s effectiveness. If you don’t have the space to properly separate the two antennas, a signal booster may not be the most viable option. Additionally, If you’re in an apartment building or shared housing complex, you may need to get permission to install an outdoor antenna when setting up your signal booster.

Do You Get Signals From Multiple Carriers?

One of the advantages of using a cellular signal booster is that it can amplify signals from different carriers. If people in your home or office have a different network than you, they can still benefit from the booster and get an amplified signal. Many other similar options, such as a femtocell system, may only work with a designated network provider. These systems may be slightly more limiting than what you can get with a signal booster.

There are many instances where having a signal booster may be the right choice for you, but it’s good to understand when these devices fit best for any particular situation. To learn more about residential cell phone boosters, SureCall Boosters has a wide range of products that fit any home or similar residential living spaces.

If you’d like to learn more about commercial or vehicular signal boosters, we have many great products to assist you, including Canada’s first 8-Band 5G booster. To learn more about different tips and tricks to get the most out of your phone and how signal boosters may be an excellent option for you, check out our handy blog, or feel free to contact us directly anytime via email at sales@surecallboosters.ca.