Differences in weBoost Home Room vs. HiBoost Home 4K

Similarities: Both are lowest cost at $400 & offer +60dB Gain.

weBoost Home Room and HiBoost Home 4K are both lowest cost, entry level, least powerful cell phone signal boosters available from weBoost and HiBoost respectively. At $400, they are same pricewise too. 

Differences: Coverage space 1500 vs. 4000 sq. ft.

Despite similarities above, the manufacturer-stated coverage space they cover vary greatly. With good signal outside, weBoost Room enhances signals over up to 1,500 sq. ft. whereas HiBoost 4K does the same for up to 4,000 square feet.

Why the different coverage areas although same Gain +60dB?

You may be wondering why this is the case, especially since they both offer +60dB Gain and cost the same. The reason for this may be the difference in the type of interior antennas provided in each kit. weBoost version offers a conveniently installed Desktop antenna vs. HiBoost version has a Panel antenna that requires installation on a wall by drilling a hole.

Antenna kitted solution to increase coverage of weBoost Home Room.

We carry weBoost Home Room antenna upgrade kit that provides similar functionality as HiBoost kit, but at a slightly higher cost. Read the rest of this article, for more details on buying antenna-upgraded weBoost Home Room kit. It includes an optional powerful Panel indoor antenna with required cable which should provide larger coverage space than included desktop booster may provide.

Installing weBoost Home Room signal booster without outside antenna.

Speaking of optional accessories and parts, you will also learn that it is possible to install the weBoost Home Room without mounting antenna outside. It can be mounted on inside window using an optional window mount suction cup. Please note this will degrade the quality of signal inside than if you were to mount exterior Panel antenna on outside building wall or the roof.

Brand Credibility.

weBoost brand is more credible. Its products such as this are created by parent company Wilson Electronics in their St. George, in Utah premises. Its brand credibility and value may be higher because millions of weBoost cell phone boosters have been sold. Consequently, its popularity has soared over past 20 years.

HiBoost brand by its parent company Huaptec is comparatively not as popular or valuable within wireless industry, at this point and time. See this difference by checking the difference in the number of shares at each of the two branded links above. This is because HiBoost has started selling very recently and therefore HiBoost has not had a strong traction of loyal users, referrers, followers.

Note: HiBoost product return rate is slightly higher than weBoost products but not so much to keep it out of the competition with its more appealing higher sq. footage signal booster offering at the same price.

Other minor difference factors:

Design.

The Home Room by weBoost is constructed with a hard plastic case, while the Home 4K by HiBoost is constructed with a metal case. This makes the weBoost Home Room considerably lighter than the HiBoost Home 4K. Both signal boosters can be mounted on the wall, although in slightly different ways:

• The weBoost Room is manufactured to include two holes on the rear panel for mounting, both of which will accommodate screw heads of up to 1/4 inch in diameter. The screws need to be purchased separately.
• The HiBoost 4K is manufactured to include a metal sliding plate on its back panel, which is mounted by inserting the slide on a mounting plate that must be attached directly to the wall. The kit includes the screws and mounting plate needed to properly mount the unit.

Both signal boosting products include standard wall outlet 110-volt power adapters.

Gain and Power.

Gain is measured in decibels (dB) and refers to the booster's ability to increase cellular signal strength received from the outdoor antenna. As stated at the top, both the Home Room by weBoost and the Home 4K by HiBoost offer +60 decibels of maximum gain, so neither booster is superior in this regard.

Controls and Display.

weBoost's Home Room includes indicator lights on its display, while the HiBoost's Home 4K is manufactured to include an LCD digital screen with indicator lights and press-button controls.

The front panel of the Home Room includes four indicator lights to show the status of the amplifier at various cell signal frequencies. A manual is included with the kit to explain the proper interpretation of the lights and gives instructions on how to troubleshoot any problems. In general, a green light indicates the correct operation of the booster across all cellular bands, while solid or blinking red or orange lights indicate overpower or oscillation problems.

The front panel of the Home 4K displays downlink and uplink gain and power in each cell signal frequency band on its LCD display. Gain control can be set manually using the buttons located below the LCD display. Three LED indicators are set to be either solid or blinking in a number of combinations, indicating regular operation or alerting you to problems that must be rectified.

The product includes a user manual to explain the proper interpretation of the lights as well as for instructions on troubleshooting any problems that may occur. A unique feature of the Home 4K by HiBoost is that you can connect your smartphone to the booster via Bluetooth, allowing for easy monitoring and set up.

Connectors.

weBoost's Home Room utilizes SMA and F Connectors, while the HiBoost's Home 4K utilizes N and F Connectors.

F Connectors are the identical connectors used by satellite and cable television systems. SMA Connectors are smaller and are typically used to connect the indoor desktop antenna. N Connectors are those typically used when setting up commercial systems.

Coaxial Cables.

weBoost's Room kit utilizes two RG6 white coaxial cables, each 30 feet in length, to facilitate the connection between the outdoor antenna and the signal booster. Depending on your setup, it is possible to use only one 30 foot cable or to create a 60-foot cable by connecting the two 30 foot cables using the barrel connector included within the kit. Alternatively, the higher-powered RG11 coaxial cable can be bought separately.

With lower levels of signal loss than the RG6, the RG11 coaxial cable will allow for greater coverage areas and higher performance. If necessary, you can make use of the included flat eight-inch coaxial cable that you can run underneath your window to ensure that you do not need to put holes in your walls or window to run your cable from indoors to outdoors.

HiBoost's 4K kit comes bundled with two 200-type coaxial cables; one which is 50 feet in length and the other 30 feet in length. One cable is needed to facilitate connection between the booster and the indoor antenna, while the other cable is needed to facilitate connection between the booster and the outdoor antenna. An optional upgraded system that includes commercial-grade 400-type coaxial cables can be bought separately and will allow you to achieve twice the area of coverage in your system than would otherwise be achieved.

Antennas.

As discussed in brief earlier, the weBoost Home Room includes a desktop indoor tower antenna. It has a panel outdoor antenna. The desktop indoor tower antenna is designed to sit on any level surface, such as a shelf or desktop. It includes a thin RG174 five-foot cable connecting the antenna to the booster. A directional antenna, this antenna needs to be pointed in the direction where the boosted cellular signal is most needed. The panel directional outdoor antenna can be mounted in one of three ways:

• On an optional, separately sold rooftop pole.
• On the outdoor side of a wall using the included bracket mount.
• On the indoor part of a window using a suction cup. This option is now discontinued and not included with kit anymore because roof or outside wall mounted Panel antenna provides best signal strength inside home/office. Indoor Panel antenna mount suction cup, if necessary, must be purchased separately.

For those people who live in dorms, condominiums, or apartments, or in any other type of space with negligible or limited access available to facilitate outdoor mounting, the suction cup mounting option can be purchased separately. This option provided degraded inside signal but may be better than having no signal booster system at all. Utilizing the roof pole to mount your booster will offer the greatest outdoor signal, however, this is not always an option in all circumstances, thus option for window mount discussed here. The manufacturer does not suugest window-mount option.

The Home 4K by HiBoost includes an LPDA outdoor antenna and a panel indoor antenna. Indoor directional antenna can be mounted on a wall, allowing it to broadcast the signal across the room. Alternatively, it can be placed in the ceiling space, allowing it to broadcast the signal in a downwards direction to the room or floor below. Outdoor antenna is an LPDA directional antenna that requires mounting on a rooftop pole. Since it is a directional antenna, it must be pointed in the direction of the cellular signal tower offering the greatest signal. Field test mode of your smartphone may help with this step or you can rent/buy a signal meter for this step also detailed in instruction manual.

Intended Applications.

In the case of the Home Room by weBoost, it should not be expected that improved signal will be broadcast greater than five feet away if the outdoor cellular signal is relatively weak. When the outdoor cellular signal is relatively strong, however, the Home Room by weBoost can cover a small work area or room for a small number of simultaneous users. With a flexible number of outdoor antenna mounting options, including the roof pole, mounting on an outdoor wall, or mounting inside the window, the Home Room by weBoost is the most popular choice for students, renters, and people who live in condominiums or apartments with little or no access to outdoor areas.

The Home 4K by HiBoost has a reputation for better performance than the Home Room by weBoost in areas with weak outdoor signal strength thanks to its more powerful indoor Panel antenna. This performance can be further improved by upgrading to an optional 400-type coaxial cable to further improve the system's performance. In areas where the outdoor signal is relatively strong, you can confidently cover one or more rooms with an improved cellular signal. For homeowners and people with easy access to the roof of their building to install an antenna, the Home 4K by HiBoost is a strong, robust system that offers a digital display and a metal case, compared to the indicator lights and plastic case of the Home Room by weBoost.

Remember, weBoost Home Room Upgrade kit is available.

Please note that the weBoost Home Room's Desktop antenna can be upgraded to a powerful Panel antenna like that in HiBoost Home 4K by choosing our weBoost Home Room Antenna Upgrade option, but a higher cost.

Bonus - How to install weBoost Home Room (472120):