How To Boost My Verizon Cell Phone Signal

How to Boost Your Cell Phone Signal: 3 Means

Updated: May 05, 2020

A strong cell phone signal at home isn't simply a convenience; it could save your life in an emergency.

Close up of woman hand holding a the cell phone in the forest cell phone signal Aitor Diago/Getty Images

If y'all're ane of the more than than 90 percent of Americans with a cell phone, you know it's something you can't alive without—especially if yous've ditched your landline. If you lot're only getting one or two signal-strength bars and your cell telephone drops calls similar hot potatoes, information technology'due south time to store around for a solution. Here are three options for giving your cell phone signal a much-needed boost.

How to Heave Prison cell Telephone Signal: Network Extenders

Cell Telephone Point Amplifier: Network Extenders

A network extender plugs into your home's Internet modem and acts like a mini cell telephone tower. When you lot make a call, the extender receives the signal from your phone and routes it dorsum to your cell phone provider via the Internet.

Network extenders are provider-specific (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) and cost most $250. All the same, you might qualify for a free extender if y'all encounter certain criteria. Call your mobile provider'due south tech back up line and explain your situation. Make sure your provider reviews your dropped-phone call records and see if it'll send a technician out to bank check the signal strength outside your domicile. If the signal'southward weak, you lot might be offered a free network extender and should learn how to boost prison cell phone signal. If it'south strong, but the signal inside your home is weak (or nonexistent), you'll probably have to pay for a network extender yourself.

Depending on your network provider, y'all might besides feel slower data speeds, and then employ Wi-Fi for email and surfing the web. For text messages, employ a text-messaging app that sends your texts via the Cyberspace instead of your jail cell telephone'southward data characteristic.

Bespeak Boosters

Indicate boosters have been around forever and do merely what the name says; they brand weak cell phone signals stronger. Even so, they can't create a signal where ane doesn't be.

A booster has 3 basic parts: an outdoor antenna (usually mounted on a roof or outside wall), an indoor amplifier and an indoor antenna. All iii components go tied together with RG-6 coaxial cable. You lot can install one yourself or hire a pro to practice the job.

Nosotros show the weBoost product here, simply several companies make boosters. Just search online for 'cell phone signal booster.' They cost a bit more than network extenders, simply you won't see a decrease in information speeds and they're not provider-specific. Expect to spend $300 to $600 if y'all install ane yourself.

Cell Phone Indicate Amplifier: Do a 'soft' installation first

If you'll be installing a prison cell phone indicate booster yourself, it's best to do a little experimenting with the placement of the components. Place the indoor antenna and amplifier in a central location, just don't spike anything downwardly still.

Next, walk around the outside of your house with your cell phone and see where you go the strongest signal. Loosely mount the outdoor antenna (or take somebody concord it) near that spot-either on the roof or high upward on an exterior wall-in a place gratuitous of obstructions. Connect a coaxial cable to the outdoor antenna and and then temporarily feed it inside the house through an open window or door. Then connect the cable to the amplifier and run a cable from the amplifier to the indoor antenna. Next, plug in the bespeak amplifier and plow it on. Have a helper aim the outdoor antenna in the direction that gives you the best prison cell phone signal inside the house.

One time you've determined the best spot for all the components (exist sure to check your installation transmission for minimum altitude requirements between the indoor and the outdoor antennas), spike them downwards and run the coaxial cable. Fish the cable through a hole in an exterior wall, or use a special window entry cablevision (not shown), which is flat so you can install information technology through a closed window. Larn more about coaxial cable wiring.

Heave Signal Force: How it Works

Outdoor Antenna

An outdoor antenna picks upward a weak cell phone signal and routes it to the amplifier by coaxial cable.

Indoor Amplifier

The indoor amplifier boosts signal force and sends information technology to an indoor antenna through coaxial cable.

Indoor Antenna

The indoor antenna broadcasts a stronger signal inside your business firm.

How to Increase Cell Signal: Voice Over LTE

Some mobile network providers have been rolling out a technology chosen VoLTE, which allows you to make cell phone calls via a Wi-Fi router without a network extender or special app installed on your phone. Ane provider, Verizon, does not charge actress for the service-it'south included with your monthly voice plan. VoLTE is new and developing fast, so we can't yet assess how well it performs in typical situations. One downside is that it works with merely a few newer models of phones, and vox calls are still billed as standard vocalization minutes. Still, information technology'south worth checking with your carrier to see if it offers VoLTE and whether yous have a phone capable of 'Wi-Fi calling.'

Earlier y'all buy a booster, cheque for signal strength

The signal 'bars' or 'dots' on your cell telephone are at that place only to give y'all a rough idea of signal forcefulness. For more accuracy, gear up your telephone to 'field test mode,' which gives you a numeric value (decibel reading) instead of bars. You'll need that number to check the forcefulness of the indicate outside your home because signal boosters crave a minimum signal forcefulness to piece of work properly.

The weBoost system, for case, requires a minimum signal strength of -95db or stronger (the closer to zero, the stronger the signal). If the signal isn't stiff enough, the booster won't work in your domicile. To find instructions online for enabling field test manner on various makes of cell phones, search for 'field test manner.'

Get a Battery Fill-in

Both network extenders and indicate boosters are useless if the power goes out, and so a UPS (an uninterruptible power supply) battery backup ($90 to $150) is cheap insurance if you're living without a landline. It'll power your Internet modem, network extender or booster amplifier for a few hours until the power comes back on. The backup battery shown is manufactured by Tripp Lite.

Originally Published: May xxx, 2019