2 in 1 Cell Phone Signal Booster for Home and Car?
Aug 10, 2021
Looking for a single cell phone signal booster for both home and car? Car cell phone signal boosters cost between $200 to $500 whereas home cell signal boosters cost between $300 to $900 or more. Therefore, we get asked quite often whether one type can be purchased and used in both home and inside car, to save money? Using one cell phone signal booster for home and car both can be tricky, but it is possible. You certainly can use a vehicle cell phone signal booster in home while complying with FCC regulations because vehicle boosters offer lower Gain than home boosters. However, there are a few other limitations - See the post at https://www.signalbooster.com/pages/can-a-vehicle-cell-signal-booster-be-installed-in-home-or-office or read this post further below.
Using In-Vehicle Cell Signal Boosters Indoors Inside Homes & Offices.
Buying one cellular signal booster for vehicle and using it inside home could make sense for few that need it occasionally so that both types don't have to be purchased. However, there are a few important considerations before choosing to make such a decision.
#1: Are there any two in one cell phone signal boosters for both car and home?
No, but you can buy a car cell phone signal booster plus an optional AC adapter to give you an extra option to power it up indoors.
See #3 below for links to 2 excellent quality car cell boosters and their 2 associated AC adapters available. Also see one easier install option booster kit detailed in a section below.
Vehicle kits made for RVs, the Fusion2Go RV and the Drive 4G-X RV come closest to in-house signal boosters and they already come with an AC adapter, but they can be a tremendous hassle to uninstall from RV and reinstall on regular basis.
#2: Would this be legal per FCC regulations?
Many wireless providers, including ATT, Sprint, T–Mobile, Verizon, and many others, have agreed to allow the operation of consumer mobile signal boosters that meet the FCC’s new rules. However, please note that per FCC regulations, in-house cell signal boosters which provide up to 70 dB Gain cannot be used inside cars but car cellular signal boosters which provide up to 50 dB Gain can be technically used indoors inside homes and offices although that is not an intended purpose of car cell phone signal boosters. Therefore, purchasing vehicle cell signal booster for use both in vehicle and house can be accomplished legally.
#3: Which AC Adapter to buy for using car/truck cell booster inside home/office?
A DC to AC adapter will be required (sold separately - not sold with kits) to use a vehicle cell booster indoors inside homes, offices, apartments, etc. AC Adapters for using DC powered in-vehicle signal boosters indoors in 110 volts wall electrical outlets are:
AC Adapter to use Fusion2Go Series vehicle cellphone signal boosters indoors: AC to DC power supply 6V 2.8A power adapter plug & cord.
AC Adapter to use Drive 4G-X Series and Drive 4G-M vehicle cell signal booster kits indoors: AC to DC 6 volts & 2.5 amp. power supply cord & plug.
Technical disadvantages of using car cell signal booster inside home.
Very important technical considerations must be made prior to considering purchase of car signal booster for use both inside car and home.
- Installation can be tricky because you will have to separate exterior antenna and interior antenna with signal dampening materials to prevent oscillation. This is not a problem in vehicles because the metal roof of cars automatically prevent such oscillation between interior and exterior antennas. An exception to this is the FusionTrek car cell booster where oscillation is not problematic because the 2-in-1 antenna & booster unit sends signal through cable originating from booster & antenna combination to the cell phone holder.
- Another disadvantage is that the interior antenna of a wireless multi-user vehicle cell phone signal booster provides signal boost only up to 4 feet from interior antenna. This means that in order to take advantage of the cell signal boost at home, you would be limited to staying close to the interior antenna. There wouldn't be much leeway of moving around the house with your phone. You will have to keep it close to the interior antenna when expecting calls, etc. This is the reason why it is wise to get a separate home cell phone signal booster so you can have boosted coverage over large areas of the home so you're not limited to using your smartphone in a small radius of up to 4 feet from interior slim antenna designed to provide sufficient coverage inside vehicles. This once again is not applicable to FusionTrek vehicle cellular booster which is a cellular cradle signal booster because it boosts reception only to a single device placed in cradle but that again is a limitation when compared to house cellular signal boosters.
- Lastly, a minor but obvious disadvantage would be having to remove the cell phone signal booster kit and transport or take it back and forth between home and car which may become too tedious if you must do it every day.
Any other easier option?
Yes, there is a quickest and easiest installation option: Buying an AC to DC converter in conjunction with the FusionTrek car cell phone signal booster. The reason why this would be an easier option is because this car cell booster kit requires no exterior antenna in vehicles. Its 2 in 1 antenna and cell booster unit hooks to interior glass surface using adjustable suction cup window mount. This helps antenna to face outward to draw-in cell signals from nearest cell towers which it then amplifies.
Therefore, you can similarly attach it to an in-home glass window instead. Oscillation problem is mitigated in this signal boosting unit because it sends signal through cable originating from booster/antenna combo to the phone holder. Instead of hooking this antenna/booster combo to window, it can also be installed on a flat and horizontal surface using adhesive base included. However, if you do so, please be sure to place it near a window in the home where you get the best signal reception. The cable from it sends the boosted signal to phone holder which boosts signal to that one cell device in cradle.
Only a couple drawbacks with this unit are: 1) It boosts signal to only one cell device placed on the cell device holder. 2) The max dB Gain it provides is 23dB versus 50dB provided by the two wireless simultaneous multi-device signal boosters mentioned above (Drive 4G-X series and Fusion2Go series). In reality, this difference is quite minor because 23 decibels increase is technically a lot and can already make a huge difference in cell reception. Read article on Signal Booster Gain Value in Decibel (dB) and What It Means, to learn more.
Any advantages of using car cell signal booster inside home?
As is obvious, yes, one advantage would be that you would save money because you would purchase only one cell phone signal booster kit to use at home and car instead of buying two separate ones to use inside home/office and car/ SUV/ minivan. However, as stated above, there're some very important considerations as stated above to determine in your case if it is worth purchasing a car cell signal booster plus AC adapter to use it both in your car as well as home.
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8 comments
Two for one? That’s a no-brainer for me because my cell reception is spotty at home and it’s downright pathetic when I’m in my car. The only thing for me is I don’t know how ambitious I would be installing it. I know there are installers who handle cell phone signal boosters for homes, but are there ones for your car too? I’d like to think so.
A decent solution for someone looking for a way to improve their cell phone signal at home and in their car. I know I’d like to do that without having to buy two boosters. The AC to DC converter sounds like a must-have if you’re going to go with a 2-in-1 approach.
I must confess that this looked good. I’d love to have a cell booster for my pad and my wheels, but I don’t have the cash for booth. 2-in-1 sounds good until you see you have to fiddle around with antennas and such. I might look into seeing if there’s an installation package you can get with this booster so all I’ll have to do is switch the booster and not worry about the antenna.
I’m interested in a booster for in home and in car use 2 in one, Verizon because my cell phone is Verizon. We do have high speed internet and WIFI and OnStar in my car.
I was happy to see this as I want a cell phone signal booster for my car, but I also want one for my home. The problem is I use my phone equally as much in both places and wanted two boosters, but couldn’t afford them. I didn’t know they make portable cell phone boosters so this was a lifesaver. I need the best cell phone booster I can get for rural areas as I drive out in the country. Now, I finally can get a dual-purpose device to help me with my cell phone needs.
If you’re an electronics guru, can you make a homemade cell phone signal booster? Well I suppose you can make one if you have the talents and don’t mind a visit from the federal government. You see, cell phone signal boosters are great in that they take existing cell phone signals and boost them. The only thing is you’re dealing with radio waves (cell phone signals are radio waves). That means the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the airwaves regulates cell phone boosters too. You can’t do it yourself anymore than you can start your own radio station. However, the nice thing about cell phone boosters for home and the car is that they’re already cleared with the FCC, so you don’t have to deal with the FCC. So please, don’t try this at home.
These sound like a good idea. If you’re an electronics guru, can you make a homemade cell phone signal booster? I was wondering how you’d make the best cell phone booster for your home or even a homemade cell phone booster for your car.
I’ve been looking for the best cell phone booster for the last six months. The problem is that I’m in my car just as much as I’m at home. I use my cell phone all the time and want a booster, but I can’t afford to get one for home and a cell phone booster for the car. I’ve looked at cell phone boosters at best buy, but my indecision has been stalling me. I need something to help strengthen my signals, so I get reliable connectivity and clear voice reception (faster data is nice but it’s not my main use). There aren’t any portable cell phone boosters yet, but this 2 in 1 sounds like we’re getting closer. For me, the idea of a cell phone booster that works in the car and that I can use at home too (although they sound like there are restrictions) is good enough for now. This is great news.