Solid Signal’s 2014 Cell Booster Buyer’s Guide

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This is the year it all comes together. Thanks to sensible rules from the FCC regarding cell booster design and usage, manufacturers have finally been able to create solutions that are 100% approved by your cell carrier. Wilson Electronics leads the way with a full line of FCC-approved booster kits for areas ranging from car-size to warehouse-size, and only Solid Signal brings them to you!

This buyer’s guide is available in PDF format! View or download it now!

What’s so different this year?

New rules that take effect in March 2014 mean that all cell boosters have to work well with cell carriers. That means a guarantee of no feedback. It also means that cell boosters will be sold in kits instead of your having to build something of your own. If the kit doesn’t suit you perfectly, your Solid Signal rep will be happy to help you to put together a custom solution.

The other side of these rules is that if you do buy a new booster you will be required to register it with your cell provider. All you have to do is tell them; they don’t have the right to say no unless they can prove that your use of that booster will cause problems to their network, and that should almost never happen. If you have an existing booster, you don’t have to register it unless your cell carrier specifically asks you.

The new rules were created in partnership with all the major booster companies and every booster sold at Solid Signal after March 1 should comply with them. Wilson has taken the process one step further, fully revamping its product line to make it more consumer-friendly and introduce new products for today’s 4G/LTE landscape.

Sleek: The best in-car booster at the best price

Because, you shouldn’t be surfing and driving anyway.

Wilson Electronics makes in-car cell boosting easy with the Sleek. This inexpensive booster doubles as a cradle for your cell phone (phablets may not fit) and gives enough boosting power for everyone in the car. It’s a truly plug-and-play solution… just mount it in the car, plug it into the utility socket (lighter socket) and you’re all set! It provides 20dB of boost which is enough for everyone in the front seat to enjoy crystal-clear voice calls.

The Wilson Sleek doesn’t boost 4G or LTE and it provides some boost to 3G. Your passengers might complain a little but remember, you should keep your hands off that phone while driving anyway! 3G is plenty sufficient to stream music or keep your GPS working and if you’re driving there shouldn’t be any need to anything other than that.

Sleek 4G: Turn your car into a hotspot

Spouse trying to figure out where to eat? If your passengers use their mobile devices while you’re driving, you need the Wilson Sleek 4G. This complete kit will give you voice and data coverage in areas you couldn’t have hoped for it before. The booster also doubles as a cradle for most phones and it will give all the devices in the front seat area both voice and data service.

The Sleek 4G works best when it’s magnet-mount antenna is used on the outside of the car, but professional installation isn’t required. Just snake the antenna cable in between the door and the car and you’re set!

Fun for the family: The SignalBoost MobilePro 3G

If you want to boost voice service for the whole family, you’ll want the SignalBoost MobilePro 3G. It’s powerful enough to give a boost to everyone, even the passengers in the third row. This booster mounts easily in the car and gives the highest possible amplification for both you and your passengers. It will boost 3G data as well. This really is the ultimate booster for a rideshare vehicle or any place that you need to get a lot of power in a little area.

SignalBoost DT: The sensible alternative for small offices

If you’re looking to boost cell coverage for your office, the SignalBoost DT is your best bet. It’s perfect for small offices, enclosed work environments, even home offices. It’s the booster of choice for those who just need to give a little more power in a single room. It combines Wilson’s patented technology with easy installation. It’s built around RG6 cables, meaning that you can increase the distance between antennas without a lot of expense.

The SignalBoost DT will work with voice calls on all major carriers and will also boost 3G data. It won’t boost 4G or LTE but most small offices have Wi-Fi anyway so why not pick the most economical solution? It should provide excellent coverage in a single small room and even give some benefit to adjoining rooms. The desktop antenna fits anywhere and the outdoor antenna can be mounted on a window for a quick boost or put on a mast for the best results. As with all cell boosters, 15 feet of separation is required to get the best possible effect.

DB Pro: Step it up a notch

The Wilson Electronics DB Pro is the booster to use for a small to medium size office. It uses Wilson’s upgraded antennas for even better coverage and provides roughly 14 times the power of the SignalBoost DT. This means more power to go through walls, more power to make up for dead spots, and more power to cover your entire office.

The DB Pro is just as easy to install as the SignalBoost DT and offers the best possible coverage for an office that doesn’t need 4G. It’s worth a few extra dollars to get the supreme power of the DB Pro.

Jack of all trades: DT4G

If you’re looking for the ultimate solution for a small office or home office, you want the Wilson Electronics DT4G. It’s everything you need to boost voice and data in a small office. It combines the extreme power of the DB Pro, the ease of installation of the SignalBoost DT, and adds the ability to boost LTE frequencies used by all the major carriers. It’s everything you need in one box!

The DT4G installs quickly with an antenna that can be mounted outside or attached to a window, and a smaller desktop antenna that can be placed anywhere it’s needed. Like other small office products from Wilson Electronics, it can be used with regular RG6 cable so the antennas can be placed far from each other if need be. Like all cell boosters, the two antennas should always be 15 feet apart for best results.

The DT4G brings a new level of affordability to 4G signal boosting and will provide for all your needs even if your phone changes in years to come.

AG-Pro-Quint: The mother of all boosters

The top dog. The mother of all boosters. The big Kahuna. You won’t find a more powerful, more versatile booster than Wilson’s AG-Pro-Quint. It’s the best booster you can buy for self-installation. Beyond that… you need a professional. The AG-Pro-Quint gives you the maximum possible boost for voice and data and is designed to work with super-low-loss 50 Ohm cable for maximum flexibility. You can use Wilson’s professional grade antennas and build the best system for your needs.

Use the AG-Pro-Quint for medium-size offices where you think one antenna will suffice and you want to do the installation yourself. It will give all your employees the cell service they need. One AG-Pro-Quint should cover a decent-sized warehouse or office and it’s easy enough to reposition the antennas if you need them.

This is the best time ever to jump into the world of cell boosters and the you’ll find the best selection at Solid Signal. If you need something even more powerful, Solid Signal is a Wilson Certified Installer and can help build custom solutions for you using top-notch professional equipment! Call us at 888-233-7563 and we’ll be happy to take care of you!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.