Customer Reviews

Wilson Electronics MobilePro Cell Phone Signal Booster for Car and Home / Office w/4" Magnet Mount Antenna – For Multiple Users

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I travel through the countryside frequently, and always have areas where I drop calls or can't get data on my phone. I've seen those cheap signal boosters you put into your phone on ebay, and they just don't work. So needless to say, I was skeptical that a product like a the Wilson signal booster could really work for me. And I was wrong - mostly.

If used properly, this signal booster should significantly decrease all frustration you once had with dropped calls and low signal problems. Since installing this in my car, I have dropped roughly 90% fewer calls. My bars went from 1 to 4 instantly as it was plugged in. My call quality improved dramatically too - once where there was static is now a clear conversation.

The antenna itself is a little unsightly, especially when used in a car. You need to put the antenna on your roof, and have the cable running through an open window. I was able to shut my window just about all the way with it, so it shouldn't be much of a problem in winter. Unsightly - yes. Does it work - YES.
*edit*
I used it this winter, and though my car never got really cold inside, there was a constant whistling from the window being cracked open that drove me crazy. So keep that in mind.

I've also tried this antenna in various hotels that did not offer wifi. I have a Verizon card I plug in to my laptop to get 3g, but in some areas I travel, I was lucky to get 1X speeds. I just hooked up the signal booster and put the receiver within a couple of feet of my laptop, and wham - instant 3g coverage with pretty consistent coverage And the nice this is that it amplifies every signal within 2 feet. So if I'm using it for my laptop and also need to take a call, I get great reception on my phone as well. But that 2 feet is pretty specific - if you go outside of that range, it definitely drops off significantly. And it's not always consistent within 2 feet - sometimes you have to play around to find the right location.

All in all, this is the best solution I've come across yet for low signal issues. It's not perfect, but it's far better than the other alternatives I've tried thus far. Keeping in mind its limitations (proximity to unit, inconsistent with signal, need to crack open window to use it in the car), it may be worth it for some people. It may be a bit pricey, but is definitely worth it if you have low signal problems.

The device is a quality product. It works well when in the right environment.

First, the user has to understand a little about antenna paterns, orientation, feedback, etc. The unit will go into oscillation if it picks up its own output signal. Therefore antenna placement is critical.

Second, I bought the unit with a bit too much expectation. Lately I am often in an area where there is literally no cellular signal. With no signal, it obviously will not work because there is nothing to repeat. It does however snap into service with an excellent quality signal output the instant a distant signal is detected. It helps with scratchy or blotchy voice reception and is amazingly clear in those situations.

One thing I have noticed is that there are few places where I go that the device is really needed. Generally cellular signals are either satisfactory or non-existant. In either case, this device, even though it works well, is of limited value to me. I do plan to keep the device with me or nearby in case of weak signals in buildings or in rare cases of marginal coverage in my vehicle. I have bought both the mini-mag antenna and the 10db mag antenna. I cannot tell a difference in the two antennas. One person complained of wind noise from the 10db antenna. I have not heard that noise.

The device works well in a hotel room or other inside-building applications where signal is weak. Again, it works well only if you understand antenna patterns and and antenna placement. It works great as a booster for my air card in my PC also.

Once I figured out how to set it up (not too difficult, but I'm a little technically challenged), I put the amplifier next to my laptop with my aircard in it and it dramatically increased my signal and thus boosted my internet download speed as well. This thing will go everywhere my laptop goes from now on!

I have to say that AT&T has the roads in Reno covered very well, I never, well almost never, get any dropped calls. But leave Reno and head toward Oregon, via Susanville and you lose service. Well you do go out in the middle of nowhere. However, once you come upon Susanville, from either side, you get one bar, pretty far out and shaky service.

So, I was more than pleased, since I make this trip a lot, to get a chance to review Wilson's Mobile Pro. Does it work? Yes it does. Where I'd get one bar before, now I get the full range. Hard to believe. In fact in Reno itself, my bars are maxed out, the signal clear, better than before, and for me, it was pretty good, now it's great.

I did have it professionally installed, but mostly because I have a friend who installs car stereos for a living. I coulda done it, it didn't look that hard. If you're getting dropped calls on city streets or want better reception on the road, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Wilson Electronics Mobile Pro signal booster. It works a treat, but then I pretty much knew it would, because I have the home version boosting my signal where I live and like this product, it does it's job well. I'm now officially a big fan of Wilson Electronics.

Made in the USA, the Wilson Electronics 801242 MobilePro cell phone signal booster was designed to increase cellular signals up to 6 times, reduce disconnects and dropouts, and increase data communication rates for 3G devices.

Upon receiving the Wilson Electronics signal booster, I opened the package and looked at the various pieces. Opening the installation guide, I attempted to quickly connect the signal booster in an attempt to test its capabilities. Unfortunately the installation guide doesn't provide organized instructions for a quick install. Installing isn't difficult, besides needing to know the antennae must be connected prior to the power, the rest is simple and intuitive. I'm baffled as to why the install instructions are so kludgy and doesn't reflect this.

Once I reviewed the install guide and took note of the warnings, I set up the signal for use indoors. I set up the antennae first, stretched the cord a little over 8 foot away (recommended for indoor use), and placed the booster next to my wirelessly connected laptop. There was a slight delay, but the signal gauge improved and decreased with each plug in and disconnect respectively.

The Wilson Electronics 801242 MobilePro cell phone signal booster has a steep price, limiting those who would be willing to purchase this solution. For me, it's a matter of productivity; I could easily justify the expense. If you can justify the expense, and the install configuration isn't a problem for you, this signal booster is worthy of your consideration.

PROS:
Provides improved 800/1900 MHz cell signal
Supports multiple 3G device simultaneously
Derives power from outlet, USB connection, or lighter socket
Simple to install and use
1 year warranty with 30 day money back guaranty

CONS:
Kludgy install guide
Doesn't work with iDEN/Nextel cell phones or cellular-based data cards
Approved use limited to the USA and Canada

The device works well in a hotel room where signal is weak. I have been consistently able to get a better signal, with this booster versus using it without, so it definitely works. But, don't expect to go from one or no bars to four or five bars. From my experience, a proper set improves an extra bar or two, maximum.

Here are some tips to use this booster effectively:
1. You have to be within 2 feet of the transmitter for your phone to realize any improvement.

2. Make sure the antenna is far enough away from the base -- if they're too close, it creates a feedback loop and the booster won't work properly. There's an LED on the unit that illuminates either amber or green -- amber means you need to reposition the antenna farther away from the base unit and green means the unit is operating properly.

By the way, be aware, if you used this in a car, it would be a little messy with all those wires and vent clamps.

Overall, I am very satisfied and highly recommend it to anyone needing a signal boost for improved sound and clarity.

Ok, so that's not a very dignified title, I know. But holy cow! I've been so disappointed in my laptop's download performance for months even though the signal quality was listed as "excellent". It took forever to bring up a website. I hooked up this booster behind my desk and my old fogie computer performance seems like a babe again. Much faster. My cellphone also went from the normal 2 bars to 3. Setup was easy and only took minutes. I'm not about to put it in my car because talking on the phone and driving can be a deadly combination.

This has been a great product for me. I live on a fringe area previously only served by HughesNet satellite internet or Verizon 1x and dialup. Verizon recently popped in a 3G tower several miles away over tough terrain and it has always been "almost" bearable. Now it is consistent available and fast for a fringe area. I've used this with a Pantech UM175 modem and the Novatel U760 modem now, both on a cradlepoint router and it has worked very well. The Pantech had a weaker radio than the Novatel but became usable with this Wilson booster. The Novatel U760 is consistently faster now than before without the booster. I have tried a competitors booster ($$$) previously and did not have as good of results despite going to great pains to run coax cable through my house outside and this compact, easy to setup unit blows it's doors off. Not only is it better it is more flexible. The booster receives power from an ac adapter for household usage, a car adapter for long term on the road usage and can also go straight USB form a pc. It came with all of the necessary cables for the booster power and antenna. It boosts signal wirelessly so there is no cable to connect to an aircard. I have had my best boost come from being less than 2' away from it which is perfect for my application. This booster does not broadcast over a large area nor is it advertised to. It is more of a "personal space" application if you will. My aircard is in a router that covers my residence and my RV when traveling so as long as it gets a boosted signal everybody gets to enjoy it.

Living in a rural area I will be sure to recommend this to my neighbors as it is a real difference maker. I also work in remote areas doing environmental work frequently and look forward to having this in my arsenal for field communications.

I live in a house with a metal roof and can't get signal inside the house. I was hoping this device would do the trick but it did not improve our signal at all. We suctioned the antenna to the front window, door, skylight and everywhere else it would stick (well almost!) but no better signal no matter where we put it. The instructions say you have to be within two feet of the box that is connected to the 8' cord which is attached to the antenna at the other end. Even standing right next to it nothing. Maybe this would work OK in a car but inside a house with an all metal roof it did not help signal whatsoever.

Reading the technical spec's from the manufacturer I thought this signal booster was perfect for my needs. After getting the booster I found that it didn't work at all. There was no boost to the cell signal whatsoever. After many repeated attempts to relocate the unit around the house in an attempt to get the booster in the area where I get the strongest signal I got frustrated and called their technical support. After explaining my situation the guy told me that this unit is designed to be used with the phone within 2 ft. of the booster - 1 foot would be better. He actually had me set my phone directly on top of the unit and with it touching I saw no noticable change in signal strength. I think it's totally unrealistic to think that you would sit within 2 ft. of the booster even if it worked! The only positive thing is their 30-day money back guarentee - I did return the unit and got my money back.