I currently have ATT cell service. When I am out at my deer lease, I can make and receive calls no problem. However, I do have problems with internet straight onto the phone, and when hotspotting the phone for youtubeTV in my camper. I can get get it to work, but sometimes it takes multiply tries to connect and then the TV buffers a good deal.

I have been looking at cell phone signal boosters to help with hot spotting and watching TV. When at the lease, I only get one bar and it says 5G E on the screen. My phone operates on band 30.

My question is, do I have to get a booster that supports 30 band, or just a booster that supports 4 or 5G, since I only need the internet boosted? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

P.S. My phone is an iPhone 14 if it matters.

P.S.S. I know absolutely nothing about cell phones and the such, so if you are explaining something, please break it down Barney style for this.

I posted this in your Outdoor thread too.

Use this to find the cell towers closest to you. It's not 100% accurate, but it is really helpful.
www.cellmapper.net/map

It looks like the band you want to boost is not allowed by the FCC. You can buy knockoff boosters from China, but you would be breaking the law. I'd check cellmaper for the signals that can be boosted and point a booster antenna that direction. Most boosters do a good job. I've had name brand and non-name brand and they all work if you get the right equipment and point it in the right direction.

From ChatGPT:
In the United States, signal boosters (also known as cellular repeaters) are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Legally, boosters are allowed to amplify specific frequency bands used by cellular carriers, but they must comply with FCC rules to avoid interference with networks.

Here are the major frequency bands that boosters can legally amplify:

1. 700 MHz Band (Band 12, 13, 17): Used by major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile for LTE service.
2. 800 MHz Band (Band 5): Used by carriers like Verizon and AT&T for 3G and LTE.
3. 1900 MHz Band (Band 2, 25): Used by most carriers for LTE and 3G.
4. 1700/2100 MHz Band (Band 4, 66): Known as AWS (Advanced Wireless Services), this band is used for LTE by carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.
5. 2500 MHz Band (Band 41): Mainly used by T-Mobile for LTE and 5G (previously Sprint).


Using non-certified boosters or amplifying frequencies outside these ranges is illegal and can lead to fines and penalties.

tfunk02 said:

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I posted this in your Outdoor thread too.

Use this to find the cell towers closest to you. It's not 100% accurate, but it is really helpful.
www.cellmapper.net/map

It looks like the band you want to boost is not allowed by the FCC. You can buy knockoff boosters from China, but you would be breaking the law. I'd check cellmaper for the signals that can be boosted and point a booster antenna that direction. Most boosters do a good job. I've had name brand and non-name brand and they all work if you get the right equipment and point it in the right direction.

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I looked on the website and the closest tower that broadcasts 30 band is about 35 miles away from the lease I am on.

Since 30 band boosting isn't allowed, I guess I am screwed unless I want to break the law. Amazon does have some boosters that say they will work with 30 band, so maybe I will live dangerously and become ungovernable with regards to boosting my signal. Thanks for the information, it is greatly appreciated.

I guess Cell Mapper isn't working well for you. In optimal conditions, Band 30 can cover a range of approximately 1-3 miles from the tower while still delivering good performance.

I'd find the closest AT&T tower and see what bands it has and see if any of them can legally be boosted before anything else. Band 12 is the lower 700 Mhz band that goes the furthest. That one can go about 10 miles from the tower.

Just because your phone is currently on band 30 does not mean that that would be the best band once boosted. In my house I get 1 to 0 bars, but once boosted I get 5 bars and 60Mbps downloads and uploads. I have no clue what the unboosted band is because it just doesn't matter to me.

tfunk02 said:

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I guess Cell Mapper isn't working well for you. In optimal conditions, Band 30 can cover a range of approximately 1-3 miles from the tower while still delivering good performance.

I'd find the closest AT&T tower and see what bands it has and see if any of them can legally be boosted before anything else. Band 12 is the lower 700 Mhz band that goes the furthest. That one can go about 10 miles from the tower.

Just because your phone is currently on band 30 does not mean that that would be the best band once boosted. In my house I get 1 to 0 bars, but once boosted I get 5 bars and 60Mbps downloads and uploads. I have no clue what the unboosted band is because it just doesn't matter to me.

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So are you saying that my phone can and will pickup other bands than 30? If so, then that makes things alot easier since there are several towers near my lease that broadcast other bands.

Yes, your phone can pick up almost any band that AT&T provides. When you check which band you're on, it simply means your phone is connected to the best available band for that location based on the signals nearby.

Here's a breakdown of the bands an iPhone 14 can access:
- 4G LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, 29, 30, 66
- 5G Sub-6 Bands: n2, n5, n12, n14, n29, n30, n66, n77, n78
- 5G mmWave Bands: n260, n261

Im interested in this as well. So say the nearest towers are showing bands 2 and 66 what kind of booster would be best?

Most regular boosters boost both 2 and 66. The booster will boost both signals and your phone will choose which one to use.

The booster that would be best would depend on what you need from it. How far is the tower, what is the line of sight to the tower like, and how big of an area inside the house do you want boosted?