Extends cellular coverage for single or multiple users in homes or offices--provides up to 2500 square feet of coverage
Dual-band device works with 800/1900 MHz frequencies from all major carriers--AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Alltel, Cricket, and more (not compatible with Nextel)
Omni-directional signal antenna receives signals from multiple cell towers
Antenna can be installed outdoors above the roofline or indoors in the attic or near a window
Extends phone battery life--uses less power when signal is stronger
Rating: - Works with limitations
I have given it 4 stars as it has enabled me to use a phone card for my laptop most of the time where as prior to installing the unit, the card would rarely pick up a signal.
I would not give it more than 4 stars as it has a design feature that makes it less useful than it could be. At my location, there is a strong AT&T signal and a very weak T-MOBILE signal. I need the unit to boost tha T-Mobile signal but the strength of the AT&T signal prevents me placing the external aeriel in the best receiving position as this boosts the AT&T signal above the limit that the unit is designed to handel, thus limiting the relayed signal strength.
Rating: - Great Product
This is a great product. Wanted to give it 4.5 because we were told it had to be extended 3 ft above a metal roof, but decided that wasn't the mfg fault.
This has enabled me to get rid of cable internet and landline phones. Love it.
Rating: - Finally on the Net
My house is a 2 story 2700sqft house. I am surrounded by 100' tall trees (acres of them) in the middle of a dead zone (travel 1/2 mile in any direction and you get cell signal).
Basically, the way it works is it turns your immediate area into a cell. Since your phone wants to attach to the strongest cell in the area, it latches on and starts working. Pretty simple. Installation, without the details, is put up the antennas - plug in the base station. No software, just mount and go.
Trial 1: Fresh out of the box I put the signal antenna in the basement window and the base station over in the rec area (20' away). I didn't hook the base station antenna up properly, so although we got almost 1 bar (from 0), it wasn't quite right. MAKE SURE THE BASE STATION ANTENNA IS FIRMLY ATTACHED. I was being too gentle and didn't screw it all the way in.
Trial 2: Signal antenna in the attic and base station on the second floor. This worked much better. I had 2 bars on the 1st & 2nd floors, but barely 1 bar in the basement. Certainly an improvement (I made an extended call from my living room and it sounded great), but not ideal. I wanted to cover the whole house, and this wasn't it. 2 bars is better than 0, so that was fine, but I wanted to cover everything. I might have covered the whole house if I put the base station on the first floor, but that would have meant penetrations to run the coax and I really didn't want to do that.
Trial 3: Bigger antennas (http://www.wi-exstore.com/MyCart/ProductListing/52/zBoost_Dual_Band_Accessories.aspx). The tricky part here is that these are directional antennas. Now, Sprint and AT&T post their tower locations online, but Verizon does not. I called them. About 15 minutes later I had my tower location and was ready to set up. Sprint was about 4.5mi due North (there's a Verizon tower there too but it is farther than the one I use). AT&T was 7mi ESE. Verizon was 3.7mi SSE. For being 3.71 miles away, that sure is a crappy signal at my house (damned trees!!! Cut 'em down, their blocking one of the Dish satellites as well).
So, armed with this knowledge I climbed up into the attic, mounted the 2 new antennas (1 for PCS and 1 for Verizon/AT&T). I pointed the Yagi antenna at the Verizon tower, but the AT&T tower is within 30 degrees, so it should pick that signal up as well. Because I'd rather not have any equipment lying around the house, I also put the base station in the attic, attached the new boosted base station antenna (10,000sqft coverage instead of 2500), mounting it to the frame of the roof so it is pointed at an angle down into the house, and began my test.
5 bars on 2nd floor, 4 on the 1st floor, and 2-3 in the basement depending on location. Overall quite a success and I can certainly recommend the technology.
Now, Amazon lists the YX610, from Wireless Extenders, at $541, but this product isn't on the Wi-Ex website. It looks like it is an all-in-one package with the boosted antennas, but if you buy the 510 from Amazon ($306) and the Boosters direct from Wi-Ex ($150) the price isn't all that different and you can try the base unit first to see if it is enough.
Oh, somebody here mentioned 25' of distance between the signal and the base station, but the docs said 15'. I've got mine probably at 25' lateral distance and 4' vertical (both are in the attic) and it works great. When I turn it on, the Signal light doesn't blink (which according to the docs means best signal), so I think I did everything correctly.
I haven't tried it outside yet, but the base station antenna is angled to point at the back yard as well - I imagine 3-4 bars there, which is just fine.
Good Luck. Hope this helps.
Rating: - Works Great
This is the second one that I've bought. I've had one in my house for over 6 months, and it works so well that I bought one for my mother-in-law. I installed hers in just a few minutes, and for the first time she has a strong enough signal to use her cell phone inside her house.
Wireless Extenders Cell Phone Signal Booster Dual Band YX510 PCS/CEL Reviews
- 
-