Mobile technology has opened a lot of doors for communication in places that weren’t always possible. Today, you can use your cell phone just about anywhere. For this reason, it can be even more frustrating when you experience a weak signal in your home or office. The best solution for this problem is to install a GSM repeater in the area where you are experiencing low reception.
What is a GSM Repeater?
A low signal can be caused by a variety of conditions, such as interference, thick walls or other obstructive structures, or the distance from the cell tower. Since cell phones operate by transmitting radio waves from one base station to the mobile unit, the GSM repeater acts as a middle receiver, in which the signal is amplified before being sent to the cell phone.
Installation Made Easy
Installing a repeater is simple and quick, and requires no special equipment. All you have to do is follow a few easy steps, and you’ll be on your way to better reception in minutes.
- Mount the outdoor antenna. Use your mobile phone to find the area with the best signal outside your home. Ideally, the antenna should be placed on the roof of the building, or just outside a window where the signal is at least three bars strong. Be sure it is mounted securely and straightened to face the nearest tower.
- Plug the outdoor antenna into the repeater. The outdoor antenna plugs into the repeater base via a cable. Make sure to fasten the cable tight.
- Plug the indoor antenna into the repeater. Similarly to the outdoor antenna, the indoor antenna gets plugged into the base as well.
- Position the indoor antenna. The indoor antenna should be at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) off the ground and 5 meters (16 feet) away from where the outdoor antenna is located. It’s also best if the indoor antenna is positions vertically to the ground.
- Connect the power supply. Depending on the model of the repeater you have, you may have an external power supply that you need to connect. Check the manual for further instructions, as some units have built-in power. If the light on the repeater turns on, installation is complete.
- Check your cell phone. It would help if you now had full bars on your display, and will experience increased reception throughout the repeaters coverage zone.
Helpful Tips?
Be sure to keep all cables as straight as you can during installation to minimize issues to the boosted signal transmission. Also, keep all cables as short as possible, giving the signal less space to travel. The shorter the cable, the better the signal. Keep the outdoor unit away from interference like metal nets, high voltage wires, or transformers.
