Are you sick of dropping calls? Are you ready to buy a cellular signal booster? Having a clear understanding of what to know before buying a cellular signal booster allows you to make the best purchase. For example, you’ll want to buy a different signal booster for a small cottage than you would for your large office building. Evaluate your coverage area, signal strength, building material, and more!
Know the Size of the Area You’re Covering
Before you buy your cellular signal booster, know the size of the area you plan to cover to ensure you purchase the ideal booster for your space. The larger the area you want to cover, the stronger a booster you’ll need to amplify your signal.
Moreover, if you’re coverage area is a commercial building or vehicle, you may need a different type of cellular signal booster altogether. A large building needs a stronger booster because it has more space to cover.
Understand Your Outside Signal Strength
Make sure you have at least one bar of signal when you’re standing outside of your home or building because a signal booster can only enhance an already existent signal.
How does this work? The outside antenna communicates with the nearest tower to pull a signal which it sends to the amplifier. Then the amplifier enhances the signal, and the indoor cellular antenna rebroadcasts it inside your home, office, or car.
SureCall Cannada sells cellular boosters for all your needs, so you have a signal whether you’re on the road, at home, or in the office!
Why It Matters
A cellular signal booster will not create a signal—if you have no bars when you’re inside and outside, then the problem is your location. Boosters can only improve an already existing signal.
Before buying one, walk around the property to find where your signal is best so you can install the outdoor antenna in an ideal location.
How To Find the Best Signal
As you walk the property, put your phone into Field Test Mode (keep in mind that it’s different for iPhones and Androids.) A field test measures the strength in decibels (dBm) which is more reliable than bars.
The closer you get to -120 dBm, the worse your signal is since -120 is a dead zone. If your signal is too poor, a booster will not help. However, if you run a field test and see your reading is anywhere between -85 dBm and -50 dBm, a booster can improve your signal.
Know the Building Material
Is your building made of dense material such as concrete or metal? If so, you’ll need to think strategically about the placement of your inside antennas; you may need additional ones. While concrete and metal are common building materials, others known for blocking signal waves include:
Wood
Glass
Insulation
Drywall
Brick
Typically, buildings made of these materials need more than one indoor antenna to properly communicate the boosted signal to the cellphones inside the building. Likewise, large or dense furniture pieces could distort the signal waves put out by your phone and booster.
Ideally, you should install the indoor antenna in an open area since it reduces the risk of your signal getting blocked.
How Does This Work?
Dense materials make it harder for your phone to communicate with both the nearest tower and a signal booster. Why? Because these materials block or distort the radio waves put out by your phone as it tries to find a signal.
Evaluate the Outdoors
Just as building materials and distance can disrupt the signal, natural barriers do the same. Different terrines that affect or weaken radio waves include:
Mountains
Valleys
Heavily wooded areas
Similarly, different weather patterns such as heavy rain or snow could weaken the signal—athough, unlike terrain, this is temporary.
Since Mother Nature blocks these waves, a booster may also struggle to pick up the best signal, or you may need to buy a stronger one.
Number of Users
Keep in mind that the more people using the booster, the slower speeds will become. Therefore, if you are installing the booster in a high-traffic area, you’ll need a larger booster to handle many users.
Understand the Different Types
If you want to buy the best booster for your space, you should know about the different types of boosters, antennas, and cables. When you start looking at the different cellular boosters, remember they are for commercial, home or office, and vehicle use.
Outdoor Antennas
The main types of outdoor antennas are Omni-directional and directional. As you decide which is best, take your location into careful consideration. For instance, directional antennas tend to reach further.
The main difference between the two types of antennas is how they pull a signal from the nearest cell tower. While a directional antenna only works in a 50 to a 70-degree radius, Omni-directional antennas search 360-degrees.
Moreover, Omni-directional antennas tend to reach further but get easily overwhelmed since they can pick up any working signal in the area.
Indoor Antennas
Understanding the indoor antenna is just as important as having insight into outdoor antennas. The indoor antenna you buy depends on your space.
Dome antennas are good if you’re in a small office or need to improve the signal on one floor in a building. However, panel antennas are best for a narrow space or one with multiple floors.
If you’re buying a signal booster for your car, most recommend a whip antenna since it best amplifies the signal in a small space.
Cables
You’ll want to think about what kind of cable to purchase for your booster since the length and type of cable affects signal strength.
Most homeowners, or owners of small office buildings, purchase RG-6 or and RG-11 cables. The biggest difference between the two is their size. Due to its length, an RG-6 works best for homes or personal use, while an RG-11 typically gets used in a small office space.
Commercial cellphone signal boosters require stronger cables such as a SureCall 400. The goal of finding the perfect cable is finding one that’s on the shorter side with a lower ohm number.
Consult an Expert
Talk to an expert if you’re confused by your options or unsure of what cellular signal booster would work best with your needs. They’ll ensure you understand what to know before buying a cellular signal booster.
Get in touch with a team member from SureCall Canada to ensure you buy the best signal booster for your cottage or office space, so you never drop another call!
