That makes SureCall's boosters easier to install and place, which is part of why the SureCall Flare 3.0 is our Editors' Choice for in-home boosters. Some of SureCall's products combine the booster and indoor antenna into one unit.

Types of Home Cellular Boostersīoosters generally have three main components: an external antenna outside your home the booster itself, which cleans and amplifies signal and an antenna inside your home. Unfortunately, we've noticed T-Mobile has a big problem with sending picture messages and group chats over Wi-Fi.

All of the wireless carriers have Wi-Fi calling now, so you can hook your phone up to your home Wi-Fi network and make phone calls. There is one key trick you can try before investing in a home booster. This chart shows the relationship between signal strength and LTE speed Apps like CellMapper can show you the signal you're receiving on your phone. Get down below -110dBm and it's definitely a weak signal below -120dBm and you'll have trouble holding onto any signal at all.

A number higher than about -90dBm (like -80 or -70) is a strong signal. Where your phone shows bars, wireless industry folks measure signal in -dBm. Do You Need a Cellular Booster?īoosters help the most when you have weak, but not absolutely no signal. Cheaper boosters sold on Amazon often aren't FCC-certified, which means they can cause trouble with surrounding cell sites and networks. That's why you need to stick with boosters from the big four companies: Cel-Fi, HiBoost, SureCall, and weBoost. Booster makers have to use various tricks to detect the best signal from surrounding towers and then amplify the signal without messing up the carriers' systems. Instead of relying on the tiny antenna in your phone, they capture cellular signal using a large antenna in your window or outside your house (or car), then pass that signal through a device that cleans and amplifies it, and out through a rebroadcaster inside your home.

The basic principle behind signal boosters is simple: A big antenna is better than a small one. If you have weak or no cellular signal in your home, a cellular signal booster can really help. Now that many of us are working from home, cellular dead zones aren't just annoying, they're mission-critical.

Best cell phone booster for rural areas