Problems with connection are immensely frustrating, and anyone who ever had to deal with them would agree. We live in the 21st century after all, and we are no longer willing to accept anything less than perfect, especially signal reception. We work, study and connect with family and friends through our devices. So yes, if the signal reception is faulty, we need to fix it. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to accomplish that, but the most prominent and effective of all is purchasing a cell phone amplifier.  Now if you are not familiar with the device, you came to the right place. We’ll discuss what it is and how it works. 

Why do you have this issue?

So, you have to deal with a bad signal. But before we try and fix it, let’s see why you have this problem in the first place. It will help you find the right kind of booster and the right solution in general. There are mainly two big problems your signal can face:

1. You are simply too far away from the nearest cell tower. 
2. The second reason is the excess of wiring and metal in the structure of the building. 

It creates obstructions, and the signal can’t get through.

If you are looking for the best cell phone booster for home, first, you need to know what a booster actually is.  

What is a signal booster?

A cell phone amplifier or a signal booster is a simple device that locates the outside signal, enhances it and then transmits the amplified signal throughout the area where you have trouble getting a solid signal. It consists of three essential parts:

1. Outside antenna. 

This is the component that initially receives the outside signal coming from a cell tower and sends it to the booster unit. These antennas can be directional, or omnidirectional. The directional antenna has to be pointed towards the nearest tower, so having the directional kind helps a lot when you are trying to catch a very weak outside signal. Keep in mind, that for a big city with a great outside signal, it might not be the best choice. However, the omnidirectional outside antenna will come in handy, if your outside signal is just fine, but the inside one is not that steady. It can catch the signal coming in from any direction, as you can guess from the name. The external (or outside) antenna has to be mounted as high as possible, so the roof, facing away from the house is the perfect spot. If you live in a place, where using the roof is not an option, you can always mount it outside the window. The outside antenna is there to transmit the received signal along to the amplifier through a coaxial cable. 

 

        2.  The amplifier.

 

This part is designed to receive the signal from the external antenna and enhance it. You might need a very powerful device if your outside signal is extremely weak, but if not, a regular booster will do the trick and you don’t have to overpay. The amplifier uses certain frequencies to function, so depending on that you can either have a single-band booster, that is tied to a specific mobile operator, or a broadband device, that will do well with different providers. This piece of equipment can be placed anywhere, as long as it’s accessible to you and has a free plug nearby. Also, they can vary by coverage. There are different systems out there for one room, a big house, or a huge hotel. 

After the amplifier makes the received signal much stronger it transmits the signal to the indoor antenna.

 

           3.  The Indoor antenna 

 

The indoor antenna receives the enhanced signal and transmits it across a certain area in the house and your phone won’t know the difference. This antenna is typically placed on the ceiling, or on the wall and makes sure your house or office is covered and no spots are left with bad signal. Now, the indoor antenna comes in three main choices. A desktop, a panel, and a dome. The desktop solution is perfect when you have a very small area troubled with a weak signal, and the device is in this case placed on a table in the corner of the room, facing the inside. A panel is mounted either on the wall or on the ceiling and delivers the signal under a roughly 75-degree angle. A panel can be painted over if you have the desire to match it to the wall to disguise it better. And finally, a dome antenna is typically mounted on the ceiling as it has a 360 working angle! 

How do boosters work? 

We’ve discussed all the major parts of the device, but how do they work together? 

In a nutshell, this is what happens: The outside antenna catches the signal, transmits to the amplifier, which enhances the received signal, passing it on to the indoor antenna, which will then broadcast the strong signal over a designated area and free you from reception problems. 

Well, things are pretty basic when it comes to the antennas, and we have discussed above how they work, but the amplifier itself has some really interesting features. It uses a certain frequency, or frequencies, measured in MHz, and when it confronts a signal with a similar configuration it is then capable of enhancing it. Different operators use different frequencies, and moreover, each operator typically uses one frequency for their Call signal and another for the 3G and 4G. So basically, if the amplifier is a single-band device it will only be capable of working with one operator for one type of connection. If you want to be more prepared for mundane situations, like switching an operator, you are going to need a broadband booster to cover all angles. 

So there you have it, this device will help you out if you are experiencing painfully weak signal and will give you hope for uninterrupted conversations and fast internet!