Cell Phone Signal Booster

Cell Phone Signal Booster

Looking down on your mobile phone's display, it is such a pain in the you-know-what when you see a message telling you that there is "no service" or when you see only a bar or two of signal reception. With cell phone signal boosters, you may actually be able to make (and complete) that all-important call, but is it really worth it? Why else could you be getting less than ideal reception? This guide will hopefully answer some of those questions.

Things That Can Affect Cell Phone Signals

If you habitually get cut off or have a hard time accessing your cellular network, then you may want to look into why you're receiving a poor cell phone signal. After all, you are paying for that service from your provider and not just to tote around a handset for no particular reason. There are several things that can affect cell phone signals. Here are some of the most common:

• Simple lack of service: Generally speaking, urban areas are better covered than rural areas, with super-metropolitan areas like Manhattan and Hollywood receiving some of the best reception in the country. This varies considerably from provider to provider, so you may want to have a look at our article on Cell Phone Service Area Comparison.

• Obstructions: If you live in a valley, the land surrounding you could be obstructing your signal, just as if you happen to be in an area surrounded by concrete skyscrapers. In like fashion, you will likely receive a better signal from the top floor of your home rather than in your basement, and depending on the placement of the cell phone towers, you may receive a stronger signal next to a west-facing window compared to a east-facing window (or vice versa).

• Weak antenna: If you have replaced your cell phone's OEM antenna with an aftermarket one (perhaps for aesthetic purposes, as is the case with the ones that sport flashing lights and the like), there is a good chance that you are receiving a poorer quality signal as a result. Cell phone signal boosters may be quite effective in these scenarios.

• Tri-band vs. Quad-band: If you are with a GSM-based service provider in North America, such as T-Mobile and Rogers Wireless, but you are using an imported phone, it may be lacking the right "band" or frequency. GSM cell phone service in North America typically operates on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, and many imported phones lack the former. The 850MHz band better penetrates thick walls, valleys, and other obstructions.

Sticker-Type Cell Phone Signal Boosters

Sometimes, when you purchase cell phone accessories on eBay, you get some bonus items, one of the most popular of which is a sticker that promises to boost your cell phone signal by an extra bar or two. While they may tell you that they are a "$19.99 value" (as is the case with the image at the top of this article), they are functionally useless. These cell phone signal boosting stickers can also be found in a number of retail stores (both legitimate and "grey market"). They say that by applying this metallic sticker on the backside of your cellular phone -- typically near the battery or at the base of the external antenna -- you will receive a vastly improved signal. While it may provide a marginal improvement for some people, the vast majority of users will experience no change. That said, they don't appear to hurt your signal, so there is little harm in trying.

More Substantial Cell Phone Antennas

There are several more substantial cell phone signal boosters on the market, but these are typically quite large (even bigger than your mobile phone in some cases). Based on field tests, they are quite effective and may be a necessity for those of you who live or work in a "concrete jungle" where you receive very poor reception. One such product is the Arc Wireless Freedom Antenna. Pricing for similar products can run you anywhere between $20 and $200 (or more).