Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've been using cell boosters in my house for several years now - and the technology has come a long way in that time! When you read reviews, you'll typically find that most reviewers fall into one of these three groups: Group #1: It works great, my whole house now has 5 bars of coverage! Group #2: It works OK right around the indoor antenna - but the range isn't very far... Group #3: This sucks, it doesn't do anything at all! It takes a bit more work to be in group #1; but, the effort is definitely worth it! In this review, I'm going to go through my experience with the install to hopefully help anybody who is considering purchasing this. [*** Outdoor Coverage ***] The first thing to keep in mind with these boosters is that they are attempting to bring the outside cell signal into your house. As a result, if you don't have a good signal outside, this booster kit isn't going to buy you much - and you'll wind up solidly in Group #3. Honestly, if you walk outside and don't have a cell signal you shouldn't even try this. In my case, we have a radiant barrier in our attic that is great for utilities - but kills our indoor cell signal. Without the booster, we were lucky to have any signal at all in the house, even though there was a very solid 4-5 bar signal in the yard. As a result, we're the perfect candidates for this type of booster. [*** Antenna Separation ***] For people who do have a solid signal outside, the biggest thing that divides people in Group #2 from those in Group #1 is the amount of separation between the indoor and outdoor antennas. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking maybe another indoor antenna will help your coverage; but, in reality, the best way to boost coverage is to simply increase the separation between the indoor and outdoor antennas. The reason separation is so important is because the indoor booster antenna signal can actually reach the outdoor antenna and cause feedback that shuts down the whole system. As a result, the indoor booster will detect the feedback and turn down its own power - which decreases the indoor range significantly. There are several things you can do to increase the separation between the antennas: 1) This kit includes a directional antenna; and, even though it's a bit harder to aim it, it does increase the separation significantly since it's aimed at the cell tower and tends to not 'see' your indoor booster antenna. Keep in mind that the cell network in the U.S. is growing quickly, so you may need to re-aim your antenna periodically if a new cell tower comes online in your area. 2) Physical distance between the indoor and outdoor antennas is critical, but insulating materials work far better than open air space. In my case, the radiant barrier actually works in my favor since it provides greater separation between the indoor and outdoor units. 3) Coax cable quality also makes a big difference since you can have some feedback from the indoor signal through the coax cable if you use a poorly insulated cable. Fortunately, this kit provides a good cable - unlike some of the other kits I've messed with. Providing good separation between the indoor and outdoor antennas is definitely more work; but, it truly does make a huge difference to the effectiveness of this booster! [*** Conclusion ***] For me, this has been an absolutely amazing booster! Without the booster, we were lucky to have any signal in the house at all - with constant missed calls; or, being forced to talk out in the yard. Anybody looking at this product probably knows exactly what I'm talking about. :) We have a 2-story/3,000 square foot home - and this booster covers the entire house with a solid 5-bar signal! If you have a good cell signal outside, and are willing to take an afternoon to get this installed correctly, then I would definitely recommend giving it a try.