Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also September 07, 2017, 08:42:46 am We have used a Wilson cell amp for years. I only cut it on when the signal was weak. Last week we had three bars and I was happy with the speed. A friend was showing me the speeds he was getting and they were impressive. So I checked my download speed, then turned on the amp and retested the download speed. It went up almost 50%. I had no idea this was possible.
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #1 – September 07, 2017, 09:20:24 am For a good measurement of speed the android app called Network Cell Info Lite would be a good tool.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wilysis.cellinfolite&hl=en
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #2 – September 07, 2017, 09:37:26 am Quote from: Don Malpas - September 07, 2017, 08:42:46 amWe have used a Wilson cell amp for years. I only cut it on when the signal was weak. Last week we had three bars and I was happy with the speed. A friend was showing me the speeds he was getting and they were impressive. So I checked my download speed, then turned on the amp and retested the download speed. It went up almost 50%. I had no idea this was possible.Could you provide a link to the amplifier you are using, Don.Chris
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #3 – September 07, 2017, 11:21:18 am It's a predecessor to this oneI have a roof mounted coil antenna.Cell coverage has improved so much in the last two years, we seldom need the amp. But, it good to know that the amp not only can turn unusable signals into usable but also increase the speed.We don't use the iPhone for speed tests. Still, use the laptop for the web. I use this speed test site.
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #4 – September 07, 2017, 11:25:12 am Quote from: Don Malpas - September 07, 2017, 08:42:46 amWe have used a Wilson cell amp for years. I only cut it on when the signal was weak. Last week we had three bars and I was happy with the speed. A friend was showing me the speeds he was getting and they were impressive. So I checked my download speed, then turned on the amp and retested the download speed. It went up almost 50%. I had no idea this was possible.We almost always use the cellular amp, usually, even a good signal can be made faster.Directional cellular antenna | FlickrLarry
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #5 – September 07, 2017, 01:05:46 pm My experience with the various amps i have had is that in some places an amp helps, and in other places it hurts. First, my current equipment - I am using a Verizon Jetpack for my internet access. I have an older Mac. My booster is a Wilson Mobile 4G SmartTech III, with a 4" omnidirectional whip on the roof and an internal antenna next to my Jetpack. I did my testing today using the SpeedTest app for desktops. I am currently at Atherton Creek Campground, east of the Tetons in the National Forest. With no booster, I have 1 bar of 4G and with the booster I have 4 bars of 4G, BUT... with the booster I have a tough time keeping a connection. With no booster, I was able to conduct 4 consecutive speed tests. With the booster, it took me 8 tries to complete 2 speed tests. With no booster the download speeds varied from 0.410 Mbps to 0.954 Mbps, and the average was 0.610 Mbps. The upload speeds varied from 0.065 to 0.185 Mbps and the average was 0.112 Mbps. When I connected the booster, on most runs SpeedTest would get part way through the testing before cutting off the test and reporting that the connection to the internet was lost. Of the two tests that completed, download speeds were 0.484 and 0.859, averaging 0.672. Upload speeds were 0.0043 and 0.164, averaging 0.084. At THIS location, download speeds were comparable with and without the booster, and upload speeds were 50% faster without the booster than with the booster. The connection here seems more stable without the booster, but I note that, from a different campsite at this campground, a bit higher up the hill, I had no connection at all without the booster. I suspect that where I am, I am getting a signal reflection off nearby cliffs. My Jetpack is next to the rear window. If I move it to the side window, the signal will fade in and out. When I turn the booster on, I move the Jetpack to the side and above the window to be near the internal booster antenna. With no booster, I may have a single signal source but with the booster, I may be getting two signal sources, one off the cliffs and one directly up the valley, and perhaps the signals are creating a conflict. If such is the case, a directional antenna such as Larry uses might eliminate the dual signals. I encountered a similar bounced signal when I did booster testing in the Sherman Camp area of Oregon a few years ago. Using a directional antenna, I found that my signal (my ONLY signal) came from the direction of Three Finger Jack, a nearby mountain side. That signal was about 45 degrees away from the compass bearing to the nearest antenna.By contrast, when I stayed at a favorite boondock spot above the MacKenzie River in Oregon, with no booster, I did not see even a ghost of a signal with either my phone or my Jetpack. When I turned on the booster, I got 4 bars of 4G, and quite fast download and upload speeds.So, what I draw from this is that, if I can get a stable signal without the booster, my best bet is to not use the booster. If I have no signal or a signal that fades in and out using no booster, the booster can greatly enhance my connect-ability.Ken F in WY
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #6 – September 07, 2017, 01:36:44 pm When Don and I were recently camping near Gunnison, CO, I experienced the fastest internet speeds ever while camping in a National Forest.Using a VZ JetPack, an older Sleek Booster (now called weBoost), weBoost Drive 4G-S Cell Phone Signal Booster | 470107 and a 12" roof mounted antenna.Connected wirelessly to an iPad. Speed measured with the Ookla Speedtest app for iOS. Tested four times over the course of a day. Results in Mbps.Slowest download speed: 56.21Slowest upload speed: 9.87Slowest ping: 166ms The fastest download speed i measured was a blazing 83.31 with a ping of 46ms. We must have been sitting right on top of a VZ tower.👍At home where I am now, we have a 1 Gig fiber optics connection ($60/month). Right now I'm getting 94.24 down, 98.72 up, ping of 4 per Ookla on the same iPad. Far more speed than we need but the price is right. Ed 1 Likes
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #7 – September 08, 2017, 07:30:50 pm Ed, I am curious what your speeds would have been without the booster. Ken F in WY
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #8 – September 08, 2017, 08:39:48 pm Quote from: Kenneth Fears - September 08, 2017, 07:30:50 pmEd, I am curious what your speeds would have been without the booster. Ken F in WYI wish I had tested that, but I didn't.I was showing three bars of 4G on my iPhone connected to the VZ tower and not through the wireless JetPack. That is, with WiFi turned off on the phone.We have the VZ 'unlimited' plan so I split data use between two phones and the JetPack to maximize the 4G high speed allowance.Ed
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #9 – September 09, 2017, 08:39:17 am I thought the point of camping is to get away? Amp this, speed test, 4G,....LOLRon
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #10 – September 09, 2017, 08:44:40 am Quote from: Kenneth Fears - September 08, 2017, 07:30:50 pmEd, I am curious what your speeds would have been without the booster. Ken F in WYI was connected with our iPhone. I was not using the amp until Ed showed me the speeds he was getting. I tested without the amp and was getting something like 6-8 downhill. With the amp it increased about 40%. Nothing like Ed was getting, but it surprised me. 1 Likes
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #11 – September 09, 2017, 08:49:08 am Quote from: Sarz272000 - September 09, 2017, 08:39:17 amI thought the point of camping is to get away? Amp this, speed test, 4G,....LOLRonWe are not getting away from anything. Travel is our life style. We travel about half the year. Our life style is pretty much the same home or on the road. On the road, we have much better scenery. We like to keep up with what is going on. The places we go seldom have TV, so an on-ramp to the internet is our only means. 3 Likes
Re: Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also Reply #12 – September 10, 2017, 02:44:53 pm While we normally get better download speeds with the amp and antenna, a common effect, in popular tourist areas, is the evening slow down or shut down of bandwidth.Everyone is online after dinner and the demand can make a great connection worthless, until later in the evening when only us night owls are up.And no matter what type antenna and amp you use, there are places totally free of service.We spend several days in the North Cascades NP and there was wasn't a bit of service.It was so, ah, old fashioned to be entertained with books, something I don't do as much as i should, with the distraction of the web.Larry 2 Likes
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