Cell Booster SS2FII- Is an internet connection optional?

Hi Otto,

Nice to have a definitive opinion.  Thanks! These VABs are being used to replace dedicated standard analog lines for fire monitoring equipment . They only take landlines and the cable thefts in my area pushed me to get these POTS replacement units. Does AT&T offer "real" cell boosters??  I need practically zero coverage as it will be mounted right next to the VAB! Thanks for the primer. Great info. I hope the cell signal booster I end up with is easy to install.

Hi @Larry_Block, we see that you have a question that needs to be answered, and we're here to have it cleared. 

AT&T does offer cell boosters. However, they will require a traditional wired internet connection to be useable like OttoPylot has rightly mentioned. 

Learn more about ⁠AT&T cell boosters by visiting our website to get a detailed overview of what we offer and if it's compatible.

We hope this information help! Please feel free to reach out to us if you have further questions. 

Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums,

Andrew, AT&T Community Specialist.

@Larry_Block  Depending on what kind of signal you can get, it's not a bad idea to have the cellular booster professionally installed. They have the equipment to detect the bands, frequencies, directionality, and strength of the AT&T signals in your area. The antennas are usually installed on your roofline with another antenna or unit inside your home with repeaters if needed.

You might want to check with the cellular booster mfr if they will work with AT&T's VAB-2. As far as the signal booster goes, you need at least one and preferably two bars of consistent signal strength. 

And no, AT&T does not offer a true cellular booster. They did at one time a long time ago but the device was discontinued. 

I believe that these VABs are utilizing a std cellular input only and each have an AT&T cell acct built into the contract. 

You need to discuss that with whoever you choose for a cellular booster. WeBoost is a good place to start. It may turn out that the VABs won't work adequately with a cellular booster, or at all. And don't expect AT&T Support to be of much use because the cellular booster you choose is not one of their products.

Thanks Otto!  I will first check with the VAB dept and see if their tech people have any experience with this.

Don't expect to get 100% accurate responses from AT&T about another vendor's product. They will not support what isn't theirs.

I am just hoping that the engineer from the POTS dept has had some experience with users trying to do the same thing. Esp since AT&T has only the one femtocell to offer. Not a good sign when they can't even accurately promote and sell that. This (Edited per community guidelines) made me lose 2 weeks on this project.

Otto, will any decent true booster require roof mtg for the antenna? Roofs are 30ft high (tilt-up warehouses)!! 

I doubt if you'll get very far with an "engineer from the POTS department" because AT&T, like other providers, is phasing out land lines.

AT&T does promote their Cell Booster and it sells quite well from what I understand. It's unfortunate that they changed the name from MicroCell, which was much more descriptive, to Cell Booster, which is misleading. But I guess most folks have a working understanding of a "cell booster" than a femtocell. Marketing 101.

A cellular booster is like a WiFi router. The higher up it is the better the reception/coverage. However, cellular boosters have improved since I first wrote my Cellular Booster Guide so again, I'd discuss that with the mfrs'. You may be able to get away with placing it in a window if it has a clear LOS to the tower(s). I'd suggest contacting WeBoost, or the other mfrs mentioned in my Guide, and talk to them about installation options.