How Cel-Fi Works

 

How Cel-Fi Works

The Cel-Fi mobile repeater was designed to amplify and disburse a mobile signal within a building without causing any interference to the mobile network. The Cel-Fi is locked to the carrier and will only amplify a signal in that carriers set frequency range. It does not support the GSM band. The System compromises of two boxes, a Window Unit (WU) and a Coverage Unit (CU):

Window Unit
Communicates with the mobile base station, amplifies the signal and passes it to the Coverage Unit via a wireless link.

Coverage Unit
Is responsible for disbursing the mobile signal within the building to multiple mobile devices.

Cel-Fi Setup

A typical setup involves placing the Window unit in an area within the building that gets the best possible mobile signal. This would usually be an upstairs window or a window at one end of the house.

The Coverage Unit is then placed within the main area of the house, or in an area that provides the best indoor signal dispersion.

Maximize Cel-Fi Coverage

The Cel-Fi repeater system is very unique in the way it maximizes the indoor coverage. The WU and CU units can be up to approximately 30m apart, the further apart they are the better indoor coverage area will generally be.

The Window Unit has a mobile signal strength indicator, the greater the signal strength it gets from outside the better the indoor coverage is going to be. The WU has a port for an external antenna to assist if you have poor signal.

The Coverage Unit has a LED indicator with a numbering system from 0-9 representing the output power. Ideally you require an 8 or 9 to ensure maximum indoor coverage. If the CU is close to the WU it will display a 1, as you move it further away the numbers should increase up to 9. At the same time the indoor coverage also increases.

 

Easy 5 Minute Installation


Mobile Network Protection

Many mobile service providers have not supported the use of personal repeaters on their network. This is due to the interference they can cause when connected to the network, or when they are setup incorrectly. The Cel-Fi system is the only personal repeater that has been widely approved by carriers in Australia.

The Cel-Fi system is very different to a standard repeater, as it was designed to provide maximum coverage, be network friendly and can be easily installed by the end user.

It does this in several ways by

  • continuously monitoring power levels of the cell tower it is connected to and constantly adjusting the Cel-Fi’s output power to suit.
  • only amplifying and disbursing a particular carrier’s mobile signal, operating within a set frequency band.
  • giving the service provider the ability to shut down the repeater remotely if needed, using a signal from the base station.
  • not interfering with the carrier’s network or other users on the network.
  • having a unique installation process to eliminate feedback into the mobile network.

Are Cel-Fi Repeaters Legal in Australia?

Yes Cel-Fi has been approved by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone” for use on their 3G & 4G networks in Australia