Summer is coming and we want to continue enjoying a good connection. The problem is that this is not always possible, although it has a remedy. In case you do not know, you can improve 4G coverage in a house with the right equipment. Today in this article we are going to explain the causes of low coverage, what devices we can buy, and a practical use case.
We will start by commenting on the causes, the devices that we can put on and a practical case. So when you finish reading this article, you will have enough information to improve 4G coverage in a home.
How mobile calls and data work
The process to make a call, or establish a data connection, will require that our smartphone register with an antenna of our mobile operator. This connection is permanent, our mobile receives and sends signals to the operator periodically, to indicate that our phone is active.
Therefore, sometime when you have poor coverage, you will have noticed that the battery of your smartphone suffers more than usual. The reason is that you have to search for a mobile network, and that makes it consume more battery. However, if you are already registered, those spot checks it does require less energy.
Those are the reasons why, when you leave a mobile in a room with poor coverage, the next day you notice that there has been a drastic drop in the battery. A typical case that sometimes happens is that the antenna of our mobile phone cannot send the signal to the base antenna with enough power. In those cases we listen to our interlocutor, but he does not listen to us. Surely almost everything you have ever had a similar experience.
Causes for which I have low or poor coverage
Now we are going to expose the reasons why we have poor coverage. They generally occur in rural areas and small or medium municipalities. However, in big cities sometimes it happens too. I mean those floors located in basements and interior patios. There, for example, if the community of owners agrees, installing a signal amplifier can be profitable.
One aspect to keep in mind is that mobile phone operators install their antennas according to economic and service criteria. Therefore, in a sparsely inhabited area it is possible that this antenna is quite far away and we obtain a signal with little intensity.
On the other hand, in a very populated area, or where many people pass every day, we can find repeaters with enough power to provide optimal coverage.
Distance to antenna
The first factor we have is the distance we have from the operator’s antenna. The criterion of this argument is based on the fact that the further away we are from these repeaters, the lower the signal strength we receive on our mobiles.
An important detail that we should point out is that smartphones are designed to work well mainly in urban environments. In these areas, mobile operators have enough antennas to guarantee good coverage.
The consequence of this is that, as we move further away from the transmitting antenna, the quality of calls and the speed of navigation will decrease. In this sense, we must comment that the signal that a new generation smartphone can receive does not reach more than 5 or 7 kilometers.
Terrain orography
The second point to comment on is the orography of the terrain . From here we could draw these conclusions:
- On flat land we can establish connection with an antenna located 7 kilometers
- If the terrain is mountainous at 3 km we would lose the connection.
- Also low areas, troughs and river channels in general receive less signal and have worse coverage.
Obstacles material
The third factor would be the material of the facade . In this sense, the houses with thick facades or that have been built with stone will make it difficult for the signal to enter the interior. The same could apply to the walls if they have a significant thickness. This will imply that in order to use our phone we have to go to the window. Another solution that can also improve coverage is to go upstairs if you have one.
Smartphone antennas
The last point that influences is our mobile phone . The current smartphones, in their design, have sacrificed the antenna in favor of a slim and slim design. As a consequence, it can be seen that those old mobiles have better coverage. Thus, in this way they receive calls in places where a smartphone is unable to do so.
How to improve 4G coverage in a home
If we want to improve 4G coverage in a house we will need to resort to mobile signal amplifiers, also known as mobile signal repeaters. The operation of the amplifier / repeater would consist of receiving the signal from the towers of the operators and amplifying it inside our home and surroundings. In addition, at the same time it captures the signal from our smartphone, expands it and launches it to the telephone repeaters.
The operating scheme would be as follows:
Thanks to this equipment that we can install, we are going to improve the calling and data service of our 4G / 3G connection. This way we can improve 4G coverage in a house. From that moment on, making calls normally or surfing the Internet in a stable and fast way will never be a problem again.
A coverage amplifier system will consist of the following elements:
- Receiving antenna.
- Cabling.
- Amplifying device.
- Power adapter.
- Remitter antenna.
These would be the devices that we have mentioned before:
Examples and criteria for choosing an amplifier
When we have to improve 4G coverage in a house, the decision to buy that amplifier must be based on a series of criteria:
- Type of data connection that we receive outside the house: it can be 3G or 4G.
- The square meters of the house, floor and rooms to be covered.
- The more square meters we have in the house, the more interior antennas and a larger amplifier will be necessary.
- The signal strength outside the home.
- If we need to provide coverage in an outdoor area, we will require a repeater with greater power.
An example could be the ARKUS 4G that will provide us with a 4G, 3G and 2G connection. This requires a streak coverage signal intensity. In addition, it allows connecting up to 3 indoor antennas, to cover different heights or an outdoor area.
Another one that we could buy on Amazon is this:
This signal repeater is valid for all mobile operators in the European Union. In addition, it is designed for medium-sized premises of up to 2500 m2 （without obstacles). For example, we could use it in a private house, large office, warehouse, etc. This mobile repeater can keep multiple simultaneous users connected at once.
Practical example to improve 4G coverage in a house
In the forum of our colleagues at MovilZona, a user put the problem she had with the nearest mobile phone antenna, and that was that it was too far away to give a good signal. In this case I wanted 4G and the coverage I had was weak. However, it stated that in 3G it had a connection speed of up to 30 Mb / s.
What happened to the user OsaneLl, is that since she often worked from her country house, she wanted to have a 4G connection and thus have a higher bandwidth. In the end he decided on the Nikrans LCD250-4G PRO 4G Signal Amplifier. After installation it was as follows.
The receiving antenna on the roof of the house:
Then he placed the mobile signal booster device
These are the data on the LED screen where you can see the interior and exterior coverage.
Here we have a re-transmitting indoor antenna.
Finally, from this article we advise you to ask an expert or specialized store before buying anything. It is an equipment that is not cheap and you have to be well advised.