Ever missed a call because your phone was in and out of service and it only rang once before going to voicemail? Constantly having to go to windows or outside to make a call? Tired of playing the "Can you hear me now?" game? With more and more people opting to do away with their landline, reliable call quality and carrier service has never been more important. So what can you do to improve your reception and stop dropping calls?
The most popular options are cell phone signal boosters and Femtocells. Without going into too much detail, by the end of this article you should have enough information to decide which one is right for you.
Wireless Internet Booster Antenna
Let us start by defining the two technologies. Most wireless cell phone signal boosters (also called amplifiers and repeaters) work by capturing the signal outside, amplifying it, and then redistributing it inside. This is done through 3 major pieces: an outside antenna (either directional or omni-directional), the amplifier, and the inside antenna (either directional or omni-directional). The outside signal can be weak or strong, but must be present in order for the booster to operate properly. In general, the weaker the signal outside, the more gain the amplifier needs to provide in order to offer adequate coverage inside. Femtocells are basically miniature cell phone towers, about the size of a wireless router, that are provided by your wireless carrier and are installed in your home to provide coverage of up to a 40' radius. They are essentially a Wi-Fi router for cellular and PCS frequencies. Information is transmitted wirelessly from your phone to the femtocell, then from the femtocell to the carrier via your broadband internet connection.
Now let's get down to the purpose of this article. The easiest way to decide which product is right for you is to take a look at the comparisons below.
Connectivity
Booster: Dual Band models work with virtually all carriers except Nextel and other iDEN push-to-talk networks, although there are boosters made specifically for Nextel. Femtocell: Only works with one specific service provider. Ex. You are a Verizon Wireless subscriber. Provided there is little coverage by all carriers in your current location, installing a Verizon Network Extender will help you out but don't plan on your AT&T friends raving about excellent coverage when they stop over to watch the game.
Data
Booster: Dual Band models work with data plans for all carriers using 850/1900 MHz for their data. This is most carriers, but does not include T-Mobile 3G Femtocell: Supported data rates vary by carrier. Some femtocells do not support data at all. Ex. Verizon's Network Extender currently only supports 1X CDMA, not EVDO or 3G. Generation 1 of Sprint's Airwave only supports 1X CDMA, not EVDO or 3G. AT&T's microcell supports 3G data, but only works with 3G phones.
Multiple Users
Booster: Most dual band wireless models support more than a handful of users so everyone can be talking or surfing at the same time. Femtocell: Depends on the carrier. Sprint's AIRWAVE allows up to 3 simultaneous users. Verizon's Network Extender supports up to 3 simultaneous users. AT&T's Microcell supports up to 4 simultaneous users.
Bandwidth
Booster: N/A Femtocell: Prepare to allot anywhere from 40Kbps to 300kbps of your upload and download bandwidth depending on the number of active calls / data sessions.
Cost
Booster: Basic Dual Band home coverage kits can start as low as 5 Femtocell: Anywhere ranging from free (with a subscription to unlimited calling), to with a /mo fee, to a 0 one time fee.
Installation
Booster: Installation of most cell phone signal boosters can be completed in anywhere from 1 to 4 hrs.. Mounting the outside antenna, mounting the inside antenna and running the cabling between everything is the most time consuming. Amplifier and internal antenna placement are completely flexible. Femtocell: Physically easier to install - requiring just a simple Ethernet connection to your existing router. However, most require a GPS lock in order to activate and confirm location, so it is advised to install next to a window. However, it is also advised that they be placed in a central location for best coverage. Raise your hand if you have windows located in the center of your home?
Boot Up Time
Booster: N/A - once the amplifier is powered on you can make and receive calls. Femtocell: Some femtocells require up to 60 minutes to set up and stabilize for the first time. Subsequent power cycles take 10-15 minutes to stabilize.
Call Hand-Off
Booster: N/A - a cell phone signal booster is an extension of the outside tower so you are essentially already connected to it when making and receiving calls. There is no hand-off to take place. If you are connected to a tower as you're driving up your street, you'll be connected to the same tower once in your home (just with a stronger signal) Femtocell: Seamless call transfer to the tower as you leave the femtocell coverage area, but you're going to have to hang up and re-dial if you're entering the coverage area.
In summary, if you live in an area with absolutely no cell coverage, only affiliate with people who are using the same carrier as you, don't mind giving up some of your already-paid-for broadband bandwidth, will never have a need for 3 or more people to be on the phone at the same time and don't mind saying "I'll have to call you back, I'm at home now" then a femtocell might just be the solution for you. However, if you want to provide great cell and data coverage to just about anyone who enters your home (regardless of carrier), value your already precious bandwidth, and don't mind rolling up your sleeves for a few hours to do the installation, then an installed Cell Phone Signal Booster may be the right solution for you.
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