How much dB gain is required to sufficiently boost the cell phone signal?

This is one of the most common questions we get asked here at the booster store is that, how many dB gain should you need to boost signal in my home. The engine of a complete kit is the amplifier unit, the amplifier unit determines how much of a signal boost the existing signal gets. The cell phone booster systems do not create cell phone signal they merely take an existing week signal and make them into a stronger signal. So if you have no signal at all, then the booster system will not work. The amplifier unit ranges from a 35 dB gain all the way up to 80 dB gain enterprise systems. The enterprise systems are capable of driving signal through multiple stages and hence cover a larger area as opposed to small home or office systems.

If you have:

1 bar: it means you have -110 dB of signal when measured in decibels
2 bar: it means you have -90 dB of signal when measured in decibels
3 bar: it means you have -85 dB of signal when measured in decibels
4 bar: it means you have -65 dB of signal when measured in decibels
5 bar: it means you have -50 dB of signal when measured in decibels

To illustrate this with an example, lets say you have 1 bar at present. If you bought an amplifier with 50 dB gain then essentially you will be adding that to -110 dB (refer above) , which is -110 + 50 = -60 db or 4 bars. Now, the strength of the amplifier also determines the coverage area. The more the amplification the more the coverage.

One other factor that determines the coverage area is the impedance of the amplifier system. Think if it as the diameter of the water hose in your garden. The more the impedance the more the resistance (along with phase angle) in AC circuits, which is what you have in home amplification. Without getting too technical, it is better to have a system with low impedance then a system with higher impedance.