signal booster/repeater for mobile broadband

Obviously it is illegal to use a signal booster in the UK but I wonder if it is possible to connect it between the aerial and the modem, and to boost the signal without transmitting? Would it help or simply blow the modem?

its illegal but tolerated by mobile operators (unless your causing a problem then you get a knock telling you to turn it off, as some of them work like mobile mast jammers if setup incorrectly)

the booster itself is typically boosting inside the house not outside (the antenna on the roof is normally a high gain directional antenna)

the problem happens when the antenna inside the house interacts with the roof one and you end up with it causing problems with it blasting white noise at the mast or very poor rubbish signal quality (or the booster goes faulty has the same effect or it just stops working)

i see boosters mostly in farm houses that are are slightly in middle of nowhere (or even sometimes not)

In reply to a post by 123brian:

Obviously it is illegal to use a signal booster in the UK but I wonder if it is possible to connect it between the aerial and the modem, and to boost the signal without transmitting? Would it help or simply blow the modem?

Although I live very near Gatwick I get no EE Signal.
EE sent me a Cisco Residential Signal Box USC3331.
I now have a full signal and as far as I am aware my signal box is not illegal or EE would not have sent me one.

In reply to a post by woodroyd:

Although I live very near Gatwick I get no EE Signal.
EE sent me a Cisco Residential Signal Box USC3331.
I now have a full signal and as far as I am aware my signal box is not illegal or EE would not have sent me one.

No that's not a repeater, its a small cell that connects to your broadband and is managed by EE.

Illegal repeaters are only sold on ebay, they are radio receivers and transmitters, and they are NOT managed by the mobile network, and it is that part that causes the problem.

Cel-Fi is the legal repeater as the mobile network can manage it, but its expensive. Sold by the networks mostly.

I have done two things to improve signal here.

For voice, we got Three to send us one of their HomeSignal boxes - which is its own FemtoCell, managed by Three as part of their spectrum. Great if you have decent home broadband for backhaul.

For mobile broadband, we now use a "MiFi" wireless modem, but deliberately chose one that
a) could work on battery, so stays mobile
b) had a pair of aerial sockets

Then we attached a better aerial. We have one that can be used in a mobile sense too - and can be stuck on the outside of windows.

If I had to make a better setup for "mobile broadband" that was really static, at-home, use of a mobile 4G service, then I'd be working on a decent, directional antenna fixed outside. Perhaps a pair of yagi's, cross-mounted for decent polarity options - though these are much better described on foreign websites, than UK ones. And a modem that had decent connectors for the antenna.

The problem is if you are broadcasting an illegal repeater then anyone can connect to it, or not, depending on how many problems you are causing.

You would have to be very foolish to run one. http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/mobile-phones/co...

Edited by alexatkin (Mon 01-Feb-16 16:30:17)

No kidding, £500 for something the network can turn off if they please?

In reply to a post by alexatkin:

No kidding, £500 for something the network can turn off if they please?

Its more the network are 'managing' it, they can control the power output and levels etc remotely. Without that then Ofcom (formerly RadioComms agency) can seize it.