Can you use a cell booster at the pool?

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All the latest phones are water-resistant. If you are looking at a premium phone it probably has an IP65 rating or later. (Here’s what that means.) So, you’re probably not going to leave your phone inside anymore. You’re not going to worry if it gets wet poolside anymore.

Bad news I guess for people who wanted peace and quiet by the pool, good news for people with nomophobia. But it does raise an interesting question about whether or not you can improve your cell service out by the pool.

Generally… no.

As I said in this article, residential cell boosters aren’t designed for outside use. Even assuming you could put the outdoor and indoor antennas far enough away (and I’m talking, they would have to be far) the result wouldn’t be that impressive. It’s just not something that booster manufacturers have focused on.

Of course if you’re talking about an indoor pool, or even a covered one, you have a much better chance of using a residential cell booster to improve your signal by the pool.

You’ll still have to keep in mind that the cell booster components themselves have no protection from the elements. You’ll need to put the booster itself in some sort of weatherproof enclosure but do be aware that it also requires ventilation. This could end up being the most expensive part of the entire project.

Cell boosters for outdoor use would have to be approved through a completely different process than the ones for residential, commercial, or vehicle use.

What’s a better option?

The best option is an outdoor access point, as long as your carrier and your phone support Wi-Fi calling. Solid Signal has quite a few and they can be quite economical depending on your needs.

If you set up an outdoor access point, you can create a guest network where you and your buddies can connect, surf, text, post, and do whatever you’d like. I’d suggest that it not be a “true” guest network, though. A “true” guest network would have no password. I’m thinking that would be a bad idea for an outdoor wi-fi situation, unless you have enough bandwidth to share with the entire neighborhood.

The only downside to a wireless access point, other than it taking a little longer to set up and a little more money to wire, is that your guests would have to connect to it. But really that’s just a one-time inconvenience and something you can probably work around.

Where to get the best stuff

If you’re looking for the best parts, whether it’s the world of Wi-Fi or the world of cellular signal boosters, try shopping at SolidSignal.com. There are over 40,000 parts to choose from. There’s free tech support, and the kind of things you won’t find on any other site (even Amazon,) you’re sure to find what you want to make your digital life as exciting as you want it to be. A world of entertainment awaits you, and it starts with a visit to Solid Signal.

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.