4G Signal Booster Guide: More Bars, Better Signal

8 min readJan 5, 2016

Posted by James N on December 31, 2015

Q: What’s a 4G signal booster?

A 4G cell phone signal booster is an FCC-certified device that takes weak 3G & 4G signals and amplifies it up to 32X. This leads to boosted connection & reception, crystal clear calls, speedy text messages, faster internet, and better signal. Simply put: more bars on your phone.

Q: What’s the difference between a 3G and 4G signal booster?

3G and 4G virtually handle the same things: talk, text, and internet. The difference is high-speed internet which is found on 4G. So if you’re only looking to boost your calls and text messages, a 3G signal booster will fit your needs. If you’re using data-heavy apps like Chrome, Facebook, YouTube, Google Maps, and streaming podcasts, then a 4G is the better choice. We usually recommend a 4G booster, because it’s better future-proofing.

Q: How does a 4G cell phone signal booster work exactly?

It does this with three very simple steps and components:

The Outside Antenna pulls in your existing poor cellular signal.
The Amplifier (or Repeater) boosts cell signal with patented technology.
The Inside Antenna rebroadcasts the enhanced signal to an area in need at home or in car.

Q: What are all the benefits a signal booster?

Top 10 Benefits:

Eliminates dropped calls
Crystal clear voice quality
Quickly delivered text
Faster uploads & downloads (streaming)
Reliable connection
Improved reception
Wider coverage
Reduces dead zones
More bars
Longer battery life

Q: Which signal booster companies are the best?

There are five major companies: Wilson Electronics, weBoost, zBoost, SureCall, and Uniden. But without a shadow of a doubt, Wilson Electronics is the leading manufacturer of cell phone signal boosters.

That’s because Wilson Electronics owns weBoost, zBoost, and Wilson Pro. Each brand supports a different market: weBoost for the mainstream, zBoost for the value line, and Wilson Pro for commercial enterprises.

Most Wilson products come with a 2–3 year manufacturer’s warranty. All items are designed and produced in the USA for the highest quality assurance.

Q. How do I know I need one?

Simple. If your signal outdoors is decent but indoors is terrible, then a signal booster can get you boosted signal. If your outside signal is marginal and service is spotty, then a signal booster can amplify weak signal then send directly to you.

The most important thing is to find out how much signal you’re currently getting. And looking at your cell phone bars (or dots) aren’t entirely accurate.

Believe it or not, there’s no industry standard for cell phone bars. What is 1 bar or dot on Verizon might be 3 bars on AT&T, 2 bars on Sprint, and full bars on T-Mobile despite receiving the exact same signal and downloading and uploading at the exact same speeds. Each carrier has their own interpretation.

However, cell phone signals are accurately measured in decibel (dB) reading. Cell phone signals are radio waves (the AM/FM kind) and operate at a frequency of -50 to -110 dB. -50 dB is great signal, full bars. -110 dB is poor signal, a near dead zone.

So to see how strong your signal is, use the following instructions to see dB reading if you own an iPhone:

Go into Phone Mode
Dial and Call *3001#12345#*
You’ll enter Field Test Mode
Drag down your notifications bar and you will see your dB reading in the left-hand corner.

For Android Users

1. Access Settings
2. Then General
3. Go to About Phone
4. Network or Status
5. You should see your dB Value

We also have a cell phone signal boosters guide for anyone who needs a little more information. But in general, any reading around -85 to -90 dB or under has a good chance to get better signal with a signal booster.

So if you’re ready, get back what you’re already paying for: great signal & constant connection.

Below is an extensive list of 4G signal boosters for home, car, and offices.

4G Signal Boosters For Home

1. Wilson weBoost Home 4G 470101

(Coverage 150 to 1,500 sq ft: 1–2 Rooms)

Entry-level and the cheapest 4G cell phone signal booster. Depending on the outside signal, you may get from 150 to 1,500 sq ft of coverage. It’s more realistic to say this is a great desktop booster. Perfect for single office, home office (SOHO) and small areas like cabins and apartments.

Overview of the weBoost Home 4G:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
From 150 to 1,500 sq ft coverage (desktop to 1–2 rooms)
Up to +60 dB Gain
$399.99

2. Wilson weBoost Connect 4G 470103

(Coverage 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft: Whole Home)

The most popular cell phone booster. Depending on the outside signal from 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft coverage. Great option for most homes, small offices, farm houses, and buildings under 5,000 sq ft wide. If your signal is average or mediocre, this would be the first model to look at.

Overview of the weBoost Connect 4G:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
From 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft coverage (multi-room to whole home)
Up to +65 dB Gain
$549.99

3. Wilson weBoost Connect 4G-X 471104

(Coverage 2,000 to 7,500 sq ft: Large Home)

This is absolutely the most powerful 3G & 4G home cell phone booster. Coverage & service ranges from 2,000 sq ft up to 7,500 sq ft. If you have extremely poor or marginal signal in a remote area, this would be our top recommendation.

Overview of the weBoost Connect 4G-X:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
From 2,000 to 7,500 sq ft coverage (small home to large home or small building)
Up to +70 dB Gain
$899.99

4G Signal Boosters For Car

4. Wilson weBoost Drive 4G-S 470107

(3G & 4G boost for one smartphone)

Super inexpensive car cell phone booster. Placed on the dashboard or cup holder. When paired with a bluetooth headset, it really shines for talk and voice calls. Smartphone has to be in the cradle for maximum signal boost. Might be a tight fit on wider smartphones with thick cases.

Overview of the weBoost Drive 4G-S:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
For a single smartphone (phone has to be sitting in cradle for optimal boost)
Up to +23 dB Gain
$199.99

5. Wilson weBoost Drive 4G-M 470108

(3G & 4G boost for up to four cellular devices)

The most popular car signal antenna booster. Slim outside antenna picks up weak signal. Indiscreet inside antenna broadcasts boosted signal. Majority of our customers say they’re getting at least 2 to 3 more bars. A few did say they have to be closer to the inside antenna than anticipated to get more bars and amplified signal. So expect to be within an arm’s length of the inside antenna.

Overview of the weBoost Drive 4G-M:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
For multiple cell devices
Up to +50 dB Gain
$379.99

6. Wilson weBoost Drive 4G-X (470510)

(3G & 4G boost for up to four cellular devices in extreme rural areas)

Three words: maximum output power. This allows for 60% farther reach to the cell tower. And distance from the cell tower is the biggest problem for remote rural areas. So this is definitely aimed for extremely poor signal areas.

Overview of the weBoost Drive 4G-X:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
For multiple cell devices
Up to +50 dB Gain
Pro Model: 60% More reach from and to cell tower
$479.99

Pro 4G Signal Boosters For Large Buildings

7. Wilson Pro 70 (465134)

(Coverage up to 25,000 sq ft)

Commercial cell phone signal booster. Up to 25,000 sq ft of coverage. Best for rural areas. Has adjustable controls for precise controls for each 5-band frequency. Compared to the competition, WilsonPro provides 5x the coverage area. Highest uplink and downlink power avaliable.

Overview of the Wilson Pro 70:

Boosts Talk, Text, Internet, 3G & 4G LTE Data
Up to 25,000 sq ft coverage (multi-story office building)
Supports 100+ devices simultaneously
Up to +72 dB Gain
$1399.99

8. Wilson Pro 70 Plus (463127)

(Coverage up to 50,000 sq ft)

The most powerful enterprise-level cell phone signal booster. Up to 50,000 sq ft of coverage. Best for the city or urban areas. Has adjustable controls for precise controls for each 5-band frequency. Built-in-signal meter for accurate dB readings. In strong signal areas, is capable of an additional +12 dB boost.