How to Improve Mobile Communications in a Country House If You Have an O2 Operator

A country house without the Internet is already a rarity. If a person spends a lot of time outside the city, lives there in the summer or even the whole year, he tries to use all the benefits of civilization available to him. Nevertheless, country life is often accompanied by problems with the Internet. Optical fibre networks outside the city are far from always available, however, almost every cellular subscriber now has mobile Internet. If you want to boost O2 signal and are looking for the best solutions for that, this article is for you.

How Does an Internet Signal Booster Work?

To bring the signal speed from the base station to the indicators of cable Internet, you will need to install an amplifier. What is a signal booster? This is a small device that is installed next to the antenna on the roof. It receives a signal from the provider’s base station, caught by the antenna. Here it is processed, amplified, and sent indoors to the internal antennas. After that, the Internet signal goes to the router, and from there to the smartphones and computers of the residents.

When is Signal Boosting For O2 Required?

Outside the city, in conditions of loose buildings, many factors can interfere with the signal from the base station:

• The location of the house in a lowland, uneven terrain of the surrounding area.
• A tall metal fence that works like a mirror.
• The distance from the house to the cell tower is more than 25 kilometres.

If the speed of your mobile Internet in the country is less than 1 Mbps, you will need to strengthen the connection. Only in this case, you will be able to get a stable home Internet from a mobile operator.

Kinds of Communication Standards For Amplification

Before you figure out how to choose an Internet signal amplifier for a summer residence, you need to understand which frequency needs to be amplified.

The desired signal frequency can be determined with or without the participation of professionals. In order to determine the frequency of the signal yourself, you will need a mobile phone and some free time. You need to measure the signal in all communication standards that the phone supports. The 2G, 3G, and 4G mode switch is located in the smartphone settings. If the signal is weak, the phone needs time to connect to it. Wait a few minutes for measurements. If you have difficulty choosing a provider, you will have to experiment with SIM cards from different operators. The frequency that shows the highest value is what you need to amplify.

Internet Amplification Equipment

To improve the Internet connection, you can use various equipment with different costs and power. The choice depends on performance requirements. All amplifiers are divided into two different types according to their characteristics:

• Active. They are devices that amplify the cellular signal, and use repeaters and boosters;
• Passive. They also amplify the cellular signal, but there is no active amplifying device in the device. They work from different types of antennas, as well as passive repeaters.

Having decided on the type of amplifier, you can start selecting equipment, which is also divided into several types: it can be external and internal, have repeaters, or connect directly to a router or modem.

Internal Cell Signal Booster

These devices are indoor antennas to improve the quality of the received signal and increase the speed of the network. They work as reflectors and are connected directly to the modem using the USB input.

These devices can amplify the quality of the signal in all possible communication standards while being indoors, but in fact, not everything is so good. In reality, this type of antenna is made of a thin layer of foil that is in plastic.

Separate Antenna With Connection to The Router

This is a more advanced signal amplification device. The principle of operation is that an antenna is installed outside the room, which, using a cable, has a direct connection to the distributing device. It can be a router that provides a wireless Wi-Fi network indoors.

Antennas of this type fall into two categories:

• By direction. There are those that are directed in one direction: unidirectional and sectoral, as well as those that are able to work in several directions;
• Broadband or multi-frequency. Such antennas can improve signal quality by operating in several frequency ranges at once. Manufacturers offer special wide-range devices that can receive and amplify signals in all acceptable frequencies, such as GSM 1800, 3G 2100, LTE, and Wi-Fi. This eliminates the need to purchase several antennas at the same time, each of which would support only one standard.

How to Properly Install Equipment

For proper installation and subsequent correct operation of cellular signal amplifiers, a certain sequence must be observed:

1. First, you need to find a suitable place for installation. The external antenna must be located on the roof of the building or in another place so that the user’s mobile device falls within the network coverage area. The cellular signal must be stable, preferably 3-4 divisions on the cellular signal indicator shown on the screen of the device. The external antenna must be mounted vertically or horizontally, depending on the type.
2. Next, you should connect the external antenna to the mobile amplifier from the side of the base station and fix it well. You need to connect the internal antenna to the mobile amplifier and fix it well. It should be installed at a distance of about 5 m from the external antenna and at least 2 metres above the ground.
3. It is required to connect the mobile signal amplifier to the power supply. Certain models come with external and internal power supplies, so you should read the instructions in advance before installing them.
4. In conclusion, it remains to test the signal in the phone. The number of communication divisions must correspond to the maximum in all places within the range of the amplifier.

Final Thoughts

Internet signal amplifiers are quite often used in hard-to-reach places, such as private houses in the suburbs or summer cottages. They improve the quality and speed of data reception. Some models can be quite expensive, but the result is worth the money spent, especially when there are no other options for setting up high-speed Internet. If you need to boost the O2 signal, we recommend contacting UCtel. The company provides mobile signal improvement services for customers of various UK operators.