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I give this 4 stars as it does work and is easy to install. It consistently gives us 1-2 addition bars.
I have used it for 2-3 weeks now and find that is does indeed provide me better wireless service than before, but I do think you have to temper expectations and not expect to go from zero to 5 bars. We have service through ATT with Blackberry, iPhone, and a Razor.
I am happy with the service I get from the wireless extender. I tried other carriers and that didn't make much difference so I decided to give this extender a try.
We were never able to receive or make calls in our home as we bounced between 1-2 bars. When calls were placed they typically dropped after about 5 minutes of use.
So we went bouncing between 3-4 bars, which is just enough boost to make service work. The one drawback I see is that while it says it puts out a radius of 2400 sqft, the quality varies, which they tell in the instructions is based on walls, placement, etc.
My phone showed one bar outside and no bars inside, now it shows 5 bars inside. My extender arrived fast and was simple to install. I put it outside on a pole which extends above the highest point of my house. The only problem is the phone must stay real close to the extender (4 or 5) feet, this works for me because my cell phones Blutooth talks to my Bluetooth Dock-N-Talk which has a five phone cordless set pluged into it. I don't move my cell or talk on it, I use the regular cordress phones which are in 5 different rooms.
The instructions are very clear that to get the best signal, you should try to mount the signal antenna outside if possible in a location where you get your best signal - however, the positioning of the base unit is nearly equally important. I'll echo review comments I read prior to purchasing which were reinforced after purchasing - read the installation instructions carefully and don't start drilling holes until you've tested and confirmed everything. This seemed to be the best bang for the buck based on reviews (kept going back to the "you get what you pay for" concept). to determine your best options.One misnomer in the product description is the coverage area of the base unit.
That to me makes the unit well worth the $300 price tag. I work out of my home and just moved my office to the basement where my cell signal was sub-par (1-2 bars in most areas, no signal in others). I found a slight increase in signal strength by re-positioning the base unit within the closet to a location away from metal, other wires, etc. Regardless, the coverage the unit provides works for the application I'm using it for. If you're going to spend this kind of money bettering your cell signal strength, make sure you install the unit correctly.
Bottom line is to experiment given your home's setup, how much you need to improve your signal, what is aesthetically acceptable, etc. All in all, I am pleased with the unit and would recommend it. After installation, I now have coverage in my full basement area with an average improvement of 1 bar, 2 in some areas (i.e., I now have 2-4 bars in most areas and 1-2 in others where there was previously no signal). Even when placed in an optimal position (center of the room, 5' high), the coverage area is nowhere near 2500 sq ft coverage it boasts. I opted with an outdoor signal antenna install (mounted on the side of the house near the roof) and ran the cable down the house, through the brick, and above the basement drop-ceiling.
I also opted to mount the base unit in a closet - this probably diminished my signal slightly (doors / walls will cut the signal strength), but this was a fair trade-off for me to keep it hidden. If this were the case, I should have the same signal anywhere in my basement (well under 2500 sq ft and relatively open floor plan) that I have at the location of my signal antenna (4 bars), and this is not the case. I'm certain there are products out there that would provide better signal extension, but probably not for this price.
Wanted to get rid of the landline and just use our cell. It helps us go from 2 bars to full scale. As everyone says, just get all the distance you can between the base unit and the outside antenna. Positive for us.
I had planned to try it in the attic, but I knew I would eventually have to move the antenna to the outside roof of the house. The YX-510 is surely worth every cent we paid for it. I placed the unit on my wife's piano and plugged in everything. We live eight miles from the nearest cell antenna, but can usually get two bars outside the house.
We had service in every room. Our brick house cut the signal greatly and we had to hunt the perfect spot to make calls inside the house. Some rooms had no service at all.In deciding to try installing the antenna in the attic, I felt the product would have to be very good to give us cell service in most rooms. I've waited 6 months before writing this review. If the unit had a battery backup, it would have gotten 5 stars. I ran the supplied coax down through the corner of a closet and through the wall to the den.
We had service everywhere in the den, so I went to the living room and kitchen. We had service there, so I went to the back part of our 2500 square feet house.
When our power goes off, we're back to hunting a place to call the power company. When the product came, I read the simple instructions and decided to try installing the antenna in the attic instead of outside the house.
I was especially surprised to be able to make and receive calls from the bathrooms and bedrooms that had no service before I installed the unit. Boy, was I wrong.I crawled up in the attic and started searching for the strongest signal with my phone.
I finally found one place that gave me 4 bars, so decided to mount the antenna there. I was very pleased with the unit and in 6 months, I am still very pleased.So why did I give it 4 stars instead of 5.
The product won't give you more signal than it can receive, but it will give you cell phone service where you didn't have it before.Gary
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