Before I buy the Sleek 4G

Try https://cellphonesignalbooster.us/usa/. I use them, and they are very good.

I'm in the process of installing a 5-band MaxAmp Mobile RV booster system from Maximum Signal to replace a WeBoost Drive 4G-M booster. The WeBoost did give us a better signal in some really poor areas, but needing to be within a few feet of the inside antenna made it awkward to use with multiple devices. My preliminary testing showed that the MaxAmp RV inside antenna gives us a slightly higher boost, and that the boosted signal covers the entire interior of our 34' motorhome, as well as several feet to each side on the outside, so we can be outside under the awning and still get a reliable signal. We're currently in a pretty good signal area though, so the amplifier is providing minimal boost per FCC requirements. I expect to see even better results when we're in a poor signal area again.

I'm using Verizon and a signal booster really helped me a lot.

I'm running a Samsung Galaxy S4 4G LTE. Never any slowdowns.

I concur with your decision i would keep the Wilson and return the weboost
same company new name, lower quality product, no advantages over the wilson

Well, as usually happens when I decide to go down a tech/electronics path, it ends up costing us money… :D

I started this thread asking about the value of purchasing a Wilson 4g sleek to boost the signal to either of our phones (wifes: galaxy nexus 4G. mine: htc incredible ver. one 3G) for use as a mobile hotspot (preferably using foxfi) on our unlimited Verizon data plan. Ability to receive a signal at our favorite camping places (which have 4G LTE signal present) had deteriorated dramatically on both these phones and our old wilson 3G sleek.

And as usual the kind folks on this forum were very patient and helpful in my learning process.

So now we have obtained the following:
Two new-to-us Samsung galaxy s4 phones. Wife purchased an S4 to replace her nexus after seeing the substantially improved battery life and signal gathering capability over the nexus during our camping trip.

One Wilson sleek 4G. $130

Wilson 460107 Sleek 4G Amplifier Kit boosts talk, text, internet, 2G, 3G, AWS and 4G/LTE for most US carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular etc… This is the NEW FCC-certified 2014 model, complete DIY kit… This model is designed to increase cellular data (talk, text, internet, 2G, 3G, AWS, 4G/LTE) … Compatibility: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Leap Wireless, C Spire, etc.
Supports providers that transmit in the following frequencies: 698-746 MHz, 746-787 MHz, 824-894 MHz, 1850-1995 MHz, 1710-1755/2110-2155MHz

http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Sleek-Kit-Packaging/dp/B00I9I67Z2
https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wilson-sleek-4g-23db-amplifier-kit-460107/


One Weboost Drive 4G-S. $144

The weBoost 470107 Drive 4G-S amplifies talk & text, 3G, and 4G LTE for all major carrier networks except WiMax and iDen.

All US carriers (4G LTE & 3G): AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Leap Wireless, C Spire, MetroPCS, etc.
All Canadian carriers (4G LTE & 3G): Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Wind, etc.
Frequencies: 700Mhz, 800Mhz, 1900Mhz, and AWS 1700/2100Mhz.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RHMFPCW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

One of these two boosters needs to be returned.

We just returned from a trip to two of our favorite camping spots and the weather was spectacular so we spent the vast majority of our time outside and not inside playing with electronics.

That said I did have a chance to do some testing with the new gear. Instead of just using the bars signal strength meter on the phone I downloaded a signal strength app that provided a bit more detail. It measures among other things the signal strength (dbm) and reference signal received quality (rsrq).

There are a couple of charts on this page that show what is considered poor, fair, good, excellent signal strength/quality. I don’t know if that’s some sort of standard or just that pages opinion.
http://blog.industrialnetworking.com/2014/04/making-sense-of-signal-strengthsignal.html

Sample from testing:
Samsung S4 with weboost 4G LTE and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.

Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -112 dbm, -10 rsrq.
Boosted: -96 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 21.54, UL: 2.00. DL: 25.07, UL: 1.74. DL: 17.72, UL:.94.

Samsung S4 with Wilson sleek 4G (non LTE band) and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.

Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -109, -9rsrq.
Boosted: -99 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 24.94 mbps. UL: 1.57. DL: 22.76, UL:1.30. DL: 24.37, UL:1.53.

Just a couple of examples of several strings of data I recorded. As you can see there was little practical difference between the weboost and the Wilson boosters. I took enough readings to realize that a few points either way likely didn’t mean much given the natural fluctuation of the signal strength and quality over time.

We had no problem with general web surfing and watched a 40 minute amazon show via the roku with no problems. Ultimately I think the phone really didn’t need boosting in these particular locations and the real star of the show was the S4’s ability to receive a useable 4G LTE signal vs the nexus (and of course my htc 3G).

I am somewhat disappointed with the weboost design and build quality as compared to the Wilson sleek:
The weboost uses a small barrel connector for the power vs the mini usb connector on the Wilson sleek. I’ve not had good luck with durability of the little barrel connectors on other devices. Further, the barrel connector (male) on the weboost was not centered in the plastic housing. May not be a big deal or may prove to be a problem over time.

The weboost only comes with two “ears” to hold the phone in the cradle vs several sets of ears that come with the Wilson sleek. Further, the one set that comes with the weboost is of solid plastic construction vs the open construction of the sleek ears. This means there is no flexing on the weboost ears when slipping a phone between them on the cradle.

One of the strengths of the Wilson sleek and its set of ears is the ability to secure a number of different types of phones in the cradle. The sleek ear design allows them to flex a bit which can mean the difference between holding the phone too loosely or too tight.

With the weboost in the case of the S4 one setting held the phone concerningly tight but the next adjustment out was far too loose. And of course if you already own a Wilson sleek, the sleek ears will not fit in the weboost cradle.

Finally, the weboost shares the Wilson sleeks propensity of running hot during operation. The metal antenna connector is too hot to touch on either of them.

So unless I’m missing something, the written specs seem to indicate that in terms of coverage the Wilson sleek 4G and the weboost 4G-S are the same???

And the testing seems to indicate that there is little performance difference between the two so I think I’d stick with the Wilson sleek 4G. Make sense?

If you have read this far, thank you! :D

MrWizard wrote:
I'll have to take a look and read the info for those different models

I can tell you, that Wilson changed the branding..weboost is Wilson

Bringing out one model to cover ALL 4G lte , would simplify production sales and shipping

Older models would still be in the distribution pipeline

That's ok MrWizard, you have done a bunch already.

I did a bunch of reading at 2am this morning and as near as I can figure out this is the weboost unit I need, although the initial reviews are not as good as I had hoped. I found it on Amazon and ordered one, supposed to be here today. If it works as advertised and actually covers all bands I should be able to return the non -V sleek I purchased.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RHMFPCW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

As an aside I remembered we had another verizon 4G phone in this household which I had forgotten about and that is my wifes work phone, a Black Berry.

When all three of the phones happen to be in the household yesterday I did some quick testing using the wilson sleek non-V (LTE) model attached to the truckers antenna outside.

Wifes Galaxy nexus: as Mr.Wizard mentioned it shows as 4G but does not specify LTE on the strength meter like the other two models. (not that this matters, just fyi)
unboosted = 1 bar. boosted = 2 bars.

Sons Galaxy S4: shows 4G LTE on meter.
unboosted = 2 bars, boosted 2 bars.

Wifes Blackberry: shows 4G LTE on meter.
unboosted = 3 bars, boosted 3 bars.

So the above mostly tracks with the fact that a particular booster is needed to cover the 4G LTE spectrum. Hopefully when I receive the weboost it will boost these phones. (this is home testing and the signal will likely be weaker where we camp)

I'll have to take a look and read the info for those different models

I can tell you, that Wilson changed the branding..weboost is Wilson

Bringing out one model to cover ALL 4G lte , would simplify production sales and shipping

Older models would still be in the distribution pipeline

MrWizard wrote:
AWS and XLTE explained

Thank you for taking the time to find and post this information. That was very helpful.

I'm a bit confused on the two Sleek 4G-V units listed on Amazon.

This one on Amazon from the link is listed as 460167.
For $200.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J3U3ASW?redirect=true&ref_=s9_im_co_g236_i3

At this place it says it has a switch on the side to switch between verizon and att 4G-LTE. Does that sound correct?
http://www.ubersignal.com/wilson-460107-sleek-4g-five-band-cradle-signal-booster-for-2g-3g-4g.html

And yet this one says it's 815125?
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-815125-Technology-Frequencies/dp/B003NQ7RZY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1438061750&sr=1-1&keywords=sleek+4g-v+smart+technology

Then when I attempt to go to the wilson electronics website I end up on weboost website which looks to have a different type of cradle booster 460167 that says it boosts 4G LTE for all carriers for $180?
https://store.weboost.com/collections/boosters-vehicles

And then here is the weboost 4G-S on amazon. Just when I thought I had it all figured out. :D
http://www.amazon.com/weBoost-Drive-Signal-Booster-Vehicle/dp/B00RHMFPCW

AWS and XLTE explained

Excerts

Verizon XLTE

Verizon's at it again. The carrier today invented an entirely new networking term with "XLTE," a description for its 2x20 AWS LTE network, which emphasizes the speed of the new system.

(For what it's worth, a 'G' or 'generation' of wireless technology usually involves a major change in the way the network is set up, and a break in compatibility with previous generations. HSPA+ doesn't have either of those qualities.)

Building New Lanes
Wireless networks are like highways: add more lanes and you get more capacity. The lanes are wireless spectrum. With more spectrum, you can have more people join your network or have the same number of people drive considerably faster.

Verizon's initial network had the advantage of being on the 700MHz band, which has terrific coverage and wall penetration. Using a low band like that helped Verizon blanket the whole nation, including rural areas, with LTE.

When Verizon's LTE network launched, it was 2x10 - 10 megahertz lanes in each direction. Those lanes got pretty quickly crowded with Droids, so Verizon's reliability started to suffer in some major cities. Last year, AT&T won our Fastest Mobile Networks crown in part thanks to congestion on Verizon's network.

Enter AWS
Verizon anticipated this, so the company also bought some AWS licenses at the higher 1700MHz band. This is similar spectrum to what T-Mobile and Cricket use for their 3G and LTE networks. It's better designed for metro areas than for rural regions, demanding more cell sites to cover the same physical area.

With 40MHz of AWS spectrum in many areas, Verizon could build a 2x20 network in addition to its existing 700MHz, 2x10 network. That's like opening a whole new highway. That relieved congestion and greatly improved speeds in many areas, and that's what Verizon is calling "XLTE." It isn't a new technology, though - just more room for the existing technology to breathe.

Since AWS is a new frequency band for Verizon, many older phones can't use the new airwaves. All new Verizon LTE smartphones from here on out should support AWS. Of existing phones, the iPhone 5s and 5c, Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5 , the Moto X and the LG G2 all support AWS.

2. AWS (or AWS-1) means “Advanced Wireless Services” and is the name of one of the wireless telecommunications spectrum bands used by Verizon Wireless to deliver mobile data services, video and messaging over the air. Verizon Wireless uses AWS spectrum to supplement its existing 4G LTE service, which also uses the 700 MHz spectrum band originally deployed in 2010 when the company first introduced one of the world’s first commercial LTE networks