How To Select a GSM Repeater
The selection of a GSM repeater for your application depends on a number of factors, and you should review each of these before purchasing your GSM repeater:
Where is the GSM repeater going to be used?
For use in a Vehicle
If it's going to be used in a vehicle, then a passive GSM repeater may do the job for you, and they are very inexpensive ($20 to $50). They require no external power source, so installation is simple. These may be found under various names and descriptions, including GSM Repeater, Cell Phone Repeater, Wireless Cell Phone Booster, GSM booster, Passive repeater, etc. This type of GSM repeater may be mounted on the front, side or rear window of a vehicle, and consists of 2 parts, one of which mounts on the outside of the glass, and the other mounts to the inside of the glass, directly opposite the exterior piece. These are good for use in marginal reception areas, and while they won't cure all of your poor reception ills, they may reduce the number of dropped calls. Beware of buying the cheap GSM repeater in this class (less than $15) as the cheap ones are usually made with inferior materials, and may fall off the window in a few months. Plan on spending $20 or more to get one with good adhesive and transfer characteristics that will cover the entire band of GSM frequencies. Look for a vendor who offers a money-back guarantee if you can find one, avoid those who won't allow you to return the repeater if it doesn't work out for you.
For use in a Small Home or Small Office
Again, a passive GSM repeater like those used on a vehicle as just described above may work for you, or it's possible you may need an active (powered) GSM repeater. To keep your costs down, you can try the passive repeater first, and if it doesn't work, then upgrade to an active one ($100 to $700). The passive GSM repeater must be mounted to a singe pane window (that's a window with a single layer of glass). Don't try to use a passive repeater on a double pane window (2 layers of glass separated by an air space) as the air gap will degrade the coupling between the inside and outside elements, and you will be disappointed with the results. If you have all double pane windows in the structure you are working with, then you will definitely need an active GSM repeater.
To locate the best window to mount a passive GSM repeater to, simply walk around the home or office with your cell phone, and look for the window where you get the best signal strength indication on your cell phone (most bars). Check to be sure that the window is single pane, and that there are no outside screens on the window that would interfere with mounting the GSM repeater. Mount the repeater per the manufacturer's instructions, being sure to clean the window thoroughly to insure that the adhesive will bond for a long time. Don't expect miracles from a passive GSM repeater, but it may help you enough to avoid the expense of an active repeater. With 6 or 9 db of gain, this type of repeater may show no increase in the number of bars, or maybe 1 or 2 bars at the most, depending on your phone and location. If you need more gain, you will have to go to an active repeater. The range from the passive GSM repeater to your cell phone will be about 20 to 50 feet, and will be somewhat reduced by interior wall construction (block or brick walls are really tough on cell phone signals, frame and drywall construction is easier to penetrate.)
For Use in Large Homes and Large Offices
These present more of a challenge. You will either need multiple passive GSM repeaters around the periphery of the house, each mounted to a window that each has a good signal available at it, or you will need an active GSM repeater centrally mounted with a good outside antenna up high where it can receive a decent cell phone signal.
A decent active GSM repeater will cost in the range of $100 to $700. The systems consist of the GSM repeater unit, it's power supply, an outdoor antenna, an indoor antenna, and interconnecting cabling. You can purchase a kit with all of the components included, or you can buy the components separately. Buying a kit will ensure that the antennas are correctly matched up to the GSM repeater, and will make for an easy Do-it-Yourself installation. Buying the components separately allows you to customize the system to your exact requirements. If you need help doing the installation, nearly any local electrical or communications contractor can do it for you, or if you are so inclined, you can tackle it yourself.
Below is a random selection of both passive and active GSM repeaters. You might also want to check out GSM Passive Boosters, GSM Repeaters - Good, GSM Repeaters - Better and GSM Repeaters - Best for a broader selection.
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