Can a cheesy cell booster antenna actually work?

[TractorGuy]

We started having trouble with our cell phones in the house a while back. I heard that Verizon made some sort of change to the local tower. We were fine before that. They started pushing a notice to our phones suggesting we use wifi calling for better in home use about the same time so it was apparent they knew of the issues.

Seeing as how I had our wifi on the AT&T plan I decided to change my phone to AT&T to try it. I ended up with clearer calls where I could make one but couldn't use my phone at all in certain parts of the house.

I came across this cheap cell signal booster on eBay and decided for $15 it was worth a try. I installed it in the window by my computer where I have the AT&T device. Low and behold I can now use my phone at the other end of the house where it would not connect before. Time will tell if it improves the wife's calls since we didn't change carriers for her phone.

CELL PHONE WIRELESS ANTENNA PASSIVE REPEATER QUAD-BAND BAD RECEPTION BOOSTER | eBay

 

[Oaktree]

I could maybe see it having some effect in a vehicle since you're surrounded by steel, but in a house? I personally haven't even seen the active ones (outdoor antenna and inside powered repeater) work all that well.
Just more "as seen on tv" crap IMHO.

 

[dodge man]

I know there are devices that help but I do not know how. Where my wife works they have the same problem and did something to improve the cell signal inside the building. Get this, she works for a phone company.

 

[radios1]

this can work, since microwaves can be easily attenuated by building materials. the way this device works is the phone transmits to the inside antenna, and that transmits to the outside antenna, free of the attenuation caused by the building materials. things like a metal roof, and aluminum siding can make a Faraday cage, giving you 0 signal!.. checking your signal both inside and outside your house will tell you if this is worth it!.. btw, houses can have aluminum foil backed insulation!.. not good for reception..

 

[k0ua]

As for the messages about using wi-fi, everyone is getting those messages so it is not unique to your situation.

Yes passive antennas can be a help sometimes. Passive outdoor repeaters such as high gain yagis up on a hilltop to hit a far away tower with another high gain yagi pointed toward your building can actually work also. No electronics in the path, but simply two back to back yagis connected by a short piece of coax.

 

[k0ua]

To understand how gain type antennas work and can give you "gain" in a certain direction, In other words make your signal sound stronger in that direction, you must understand there is no actual amplification of power. There is just simply a "sharpening" of the antennas directivity. To have gain an antenna must have loss in other directions. Again, there is not such a thing as a free lunch, and a passive device like an yagi or other type of "gain" antennas have lots of loss in other directions. Of course this is the exact property you want in many cases. You often want the radiation pattern of the antenna to be directed to one direction, and one direction only. You can spend a lifetime trying to understand all there is to know about antennas, but if you will just remember that gain type antennas must have loss in other directions to have gain in the desired direction. If you will remember that one thing, you will be far ahead of the game.

 

[TractorGuy]

As for the messages about using wi-fi, everyone is getting those messages so it is not unique to your situation.

Yes passive antennas can be a help sometimes. Passive outdoor repeaters such as high gain yagis up on a hilltop to hit a far away tower with another high gain yagi pointed toward your building can actually work also. No electronics in the path, but simply two back to back yagis connected by a short piece of coax.

Our "Try WIFI calling for better indoor quality" message started to come about the same time our service degradation became evident. Seemed to be an obvious coincidence to me.

 

[k0ua]

Our "Try WIFI calling for better indoor quality" message started to come about the same time our service degradation became evident. Seemed to be an obvious coincidence to me.

Our messages saying the same thing from Verizon started, maybe 2 months ago... I still have cell service in my basement 4 bars in most parts of the house.

 

[MAD777]

I tried an antenna booster and it did nothing. We are on the very fridge of both AT&T and Verizon.

 

[KennyG]

Our messages saying the same thing from Verizon started, maybe 2 months ago... I still have cell service in my basement 4 bars in most parts of the house.

We get the message also and our reception is fine. Verizon is trying to get as much traffic routed through your WiFi so it frees up their bandwidth for streaming. I ignore the messages.