Whether you’re calling into work, texting friends, or checking your email on the go, you likely have your cell phone within reach. Despite the ubiquitous use of smartphones, you’re still at risk of being disconnected whenever there’s not good cellular signal available.

If you’re experiencing dropped calls, delayed texts, and slow data speeds, then a weBoost cell phone signal booster could be the solution you need for your home or vehicle. A signal booster pulls in available cellular signals and amplifies them  — giving you reliable connectivity where needed.

Check out this handy guide to see if a weBoost cell signal booster will work for you.

A weBoost Cell Phone Signal Booster Will Work for You If:

1. You Want to Boost an Existing Outside Cellular Signal Inside Your Home, RV, or Vehicle

If you have reliable cell coverage until you step into your house or if the signal is spotty in certain parts of your home, then a signal booster could be an excellent option. It amplifies faint signals from the nearest cell tower and sends them to areas of your house that need coverage, such as a basement recreation room or dead zone upstairs. You can choose from our line of cell signal boosters for your home  to get coverage for one room, several rooms, or your entire house — depending on your connectivity needs.

Make sure you can be reached whenever you’re on the road. An in-vehicle booster optimizes connectivity inside your car or SUV, whether you’re in a remote area with weak coverage or a part of the city where concrete high-rises and network traffic interfere with cell signals. Browse our line of cell signal boosters for your car or SUV to find one that’s best for you.

Recreational vehicles have unique cell signal needs compared to passenger vehicles. weBoost has solutions for all RV classes, including campers and trailers. Enjoy the safety and comfort of cellular connectivity when your RV is parked or you’re on the open road exploring the country with one of our cell signal boosters.

2. Your Home or Vehicle Is Made of Signal-Blocking Materials

Buildings and cars are made out of rugged materials for safety and strength. The trade-off is that these outer shells can sometimes obstruct radio frequency waves. A cell signal booster can enhance signal strength when these common signal-blocking materials are present:

• Brick
• Concrete
• Metal
• Steel
• Wood
• Fiberglass insulation
• Energy-efficient windows containing a coating of metal oxide

A cell signal solves the problem by pulling in the available signal with an outside antenna. It sends the signal inside your home or vehicle, ensuring better coverage so you won’t need to step outside to make a call.

3. You Can Create Enough Space Between the Indoor and Outdoor Antennas

A signal booster has two antennas:

• One outside the building or vehicle to pull in the cell signal from a nearby tower.
• One inside the building or vehicle to send the signal to the areas you need coverage.

The signal booster only works if you can install the indoor antenna a certain distance from the outside antenna. This is known as the minimum required separation distance (MRSD). Each weBoost signal booster has a required MRSD. If it’s not strictly observed, the antennas pick up each other’s signals, creating oscillation. This feedback loop can damage the mobile network, the booster will automatically reduce its gain and you won’t get optimal performance.

You can find the MRSD for each booster model in the installation guide. As a general rule of thumb, the indoor antenna needs to be away from the outside antenna by a distance of 20 feet vertically or 50 feet horizontally, measured as a straight line. If this isn’t possible, a combination of the two can also work.

4. Your Booster Installation Options Are a Good Fit for Your Home or Vehicle

Once you’ve chosen the right signal booster for your home or vehicle, you need to get the device up and running. weBoost cell signal booster kits come with the components needed for do-it-yourself installation.

When installing the signal booster in your home, you must mount:

• The outside antenna in a location that picks up the best signal.
• The inside antenna where  you need the greatest signal boost.
• The signal booster in a well-ventilated area with a power source, typically at least 24 inches away from the inside antenna.

You then run cables from the antennas to the booster, plug in the booster, and turn it on. Depending on the booster you choose, DIY installation can take 1 to 2 hours and may require a drill or other tools.

How to Install a Booster in a Home

How to Install a Booster in a Car

How to Install a Booster in an RV

If you prefer, you can leave the installation to an expert. The weBoost Home Complete signal booster can be purchased with installation included. Once you receive the booster, schedule an installation with an OnTech installer. The technician customizes the installation to your home to give you optimal cell signal coverage.

5. You Want to Boost Devices From Different Carriers

Some brands of cell phone boosters are carrier-specific, but weBoost models are compatible with major carriers in the United States and Canada. This means the boosted signal is available across devices and carriers. You can:

• Benefit from the booster even if you change carrier plans.
• Provide an enhanced signal to anyone who’s living, visiting, or traveling with you, even if they use a different carrier.

Working with every major carrier is what makes weBoost signal boosters a better solution over femtocells or microcells that only support one carrier. Our boosters are FCC-certified and will improve, 3G, 4G LTE, and Nationwide 5G for years to come.

A Cell Phone Signal Booster WON’T Work For You If:

1. You Have No Existing Signal Outside

A signal booster only does its job if there’s an available cell signal outside of your house. If you can’t pick up a signal outdoors or need to drive a certain distance away from the house to make a call, this indicates there aren’t any radio frequency waves for the booster to amplify. Keep in mind that you can’t determine if a signal booster will work based on how far you have to drive to pick up a signal. Sometimes, 10 miles is too far; other times, one block is too far. It’s important to measure the signal strength that’s available to be boosted.

Both iPhones and Android phones have a field test mode that you can use to measure the actual signal strength in decibel milliwatts (dBm), which is the industry standard measure. The field test mode tells you both the available signal strength and type of network, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, or LTE. There are also apps you can download onto your phone that can measure available signal strength. Some mobile apps tell you in which direction the cell signal is coming from.

2. You Want to Boost Cellular Reception Outside Your Home or Vehicle

It’s useful to have cellular connectivity outside so you can be reached while working in the garden or relaxing outdoors, but signal boosters are only designed for indoor use. Boosters work by bouncing the signals within an enclosed space. The amplifier component isn’t weather-proof and must be plugged into a power source.

3. You Want to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal or Home Internet

Cell phone signal boosters can only improve your cellular connectivity. If you’re experiencing slow internet speeds or finding that your WiFi drops out in certain rooms in the house, check the location of your internet router or contact your internet service provider. The only way to use your phone’s cellular signal to give an internet connection to other devices is through a mobile hotspot. Be sure to monitor data usage to avoid a surprise bill.

Ready for clearer voice calls and faster data speeds in your home or vehicle? Learn more about the reliable cellular coverage you can get from weBoost products.