RV Cell Phone Boosters

[DocMike]

I did a quick search and could not find anything here specific to Cell Phone Boosters...lots of stuff/ideas on WiFi. I have found that if you are in some places the WiFi (even with booster) can't handle streaming Video.

So, my question is what have you more seasoned RV'ers found as a good and reasonably priced (seen them as high as $599 on the internet) cell phone booster?

I know using the Cell Phone to set up a hot spot will use up the data, but I've been rolling over 8KB+ per month with my AT&T plan...and with them it's use it or lose it the second month.

Doc

[Cosmo]

I installed a cell phone booster in my 24.1 Its a Weboost Drive 4G-M. I added a metal ground plane to the top of my fridge vent, ran the antenna wire down the vent and into the little closet next to the fridge. I have had mixed results - in Goblin Valley SP there was no usable signal but I was able to make a call with the booster on. But other times it doesnt seem to do much (mostly trying to get enough bandwidth to stream Netflix). One thing to consider with the 4G-M is getting enough separation between the internal and external antennas. Because the RV does not have much metal - it can be tricky.

I also bought a Verizon Jetpack AC791L hotspot. This thing is great - gets a better signal than our cell phones and provides fast wifi for a lot of devices.

[DocMike]

Cosmo,

Yep, looking for something to help get enough Bandwitdh to stream Netflix with. Sounds like the Weboost has room for improvement?

As far as WiFi, I went with WaveRV Marine XL WiFi Antenna to improve the signal and run it thru my RV's Computer to set up a closed WiFi around the RV. So far, I am satisfied with it BUT if there is no to very little signal the streaming keeps have to stop and buffer. So, I guess I'll have to burn some data to get my morning news and some evening NetFlex.

Doc

[ewacowboy]

The cell phone booster industry is going through some pretty radical changes right now with the FCC. If a booster is installed improperly it can create havoc with users in the immediate vicinity. There seem to be two major players in the market: WeBoost and MaximumSignal. There is a pretty extensive thread over on Escapees here: MaximumSignal Update? - Internet Access on the Road - Escapees Discussion Forum

Both units are rather expensive but take a look at the current in-home wifi setups today....$300 is not uncommon. After a lot of research we purchased the MaxSignal combo unit and are reasonably pleased. It won't do magic but gives us the boost needed to get a signal to stream with in most cases. The RV unit we purchased gives us boost throughout the RV - not just a few inches from the antenna.