How to Set Up a Great Cellular Data Network, No WiFi Needed

Setting up a cellular data WiFi network should begin with buying a good cell phone signal booster kit. It is completely possible to have fast, stable, cell-based WiFi if your cell signal is strong. Weak outside signal will result in worse inside signal and will slow data speeds. Let us help you build your cellular data WiFi network correctly, with the best hardware from the beginning, for great signal and super-fast data speeds.

Why Use Cellular Data for WiFi?

In recent years, cellular networks have taken great strides toward becoming viable long-term internet options. Both 4G and 5G are fast and reliable when you have good cell signal strength. 4G is available nationwide and the number of frequencies you can get 5G on is increasing, creating more of a balance between speed and coverage.

Both are great alternatives to traditional broadband internet. When you combine 5G or 4G with WiFi 6, you have a potential gigabit internet connection capable of doing anything you can dream of. Cellular data can provide you with an almost coast-to-coast source of cheap, stable, fast internet.

Cellular data plans with carriers like Verizon or T-Mobile are cheaper than cabled ISP plans, and often more transparent. Because of this many businesses and homes are turning to cellular data as a real alternative to a cabled internet connection. A Verizon study showed that 80% of business decision-makers feel that 5G will help their company to grow and offer new opportunities. However, 5G is still not available country-wide, or on enough frequencies, for many people to be able to use it. If you don’t have 5G, 4G is also a perfect choice for fast, cheaper, home or office WiFi.

Cellular vs Traditional WiFi, Which Is Safer?

No one is ever 100% safe from potential hackers, but cellular data WiFi networks are your safest option. Cell carriers use several security measures, like making sure your identity is always authenticated and protected, every time you use the internet. Carriers also employ white hat hackers (ethical hackers) to try and find holes in their security.

Private WiFi networks like the ones you use at the office or home have various encryption layers to protect data. Public WiFi networks are often not encrypted. Encryptions are safety measures used to scramble or change data messages. These protect any information stored on all Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Even though private WiFi uses these encryptions, they are much easier to hack than a cellular network.

How Do You Use Cellular Data For Your WiFi Network?

You can use either 5G or 4G for your SME or home WiFi. To use cellular data for WiFi you will need a data plan from your chosen carrier, as well as some hardware: a cell phone signal booster, a WiFi router, and a good antenna. Once you have improved your inside cell signal with a signal booster, you can then set up the router. Adding a good outside antenna to your system makes sure that you get as much signal to your booster, and in turn to your router, as possible.

First Things First: Signal Boosters for WiFi Networks

The first thing to do before you even begin looking at a cellular data WiFi network is to check how good your inside cell signal is. We all know the frustration of the little spinning circle, frozen zoom calls, and eternally loading websites. Weak outside signal means weaker inside signal and slower connection speeds. Signal can also be weakened further by building materials and the distance to your nearest tower.

To fix this you need a good cell phone signal booster. With a signal booster, you can be further away from your nearest tower and still have great inside cell signal. Our cell phone signal boosters are 5G ready, but where that isn't strong enough, they will switch to the highest 4G signal available.

Begin Building Your Cellular Data WiFi Network with One of These Home Boosters:

Best Budget Option

weBoost Home MultiRoom Signal Booster Kit

SKU: WA470144

Best for Weaker Outside Signal

SureCall Fusion4Home Max Signal Booster Kit

SKU: SC-Fusion4HomeMax

If You Have a Small to Medium Business, Set Up Your Cellular Data WiFi Network with One of These Boosters:

Best Budget Option

SureCall Fusion Professional

SKU: SC-FusionPro

Best For Weaker Signal or Bigger Spaces

weBoost for Business Office 200 Signal Booster Kit

SKU: WBFB-200

What Does Cell Phone Signal Booster Gain Mean For WiFi?

All the above boosters mention how much gain they have. But what does this mean for a cell-based WiFi network?

Gain is how much a cell phone booster increases signal under perfect conditions. If your signal booster has +72 dB of gain, it can increase your inside signal by up to that much. Imagine your outside 5G signal is -150dB. With a +72dB booster, it can be increased to -78dB. This is a much better signal for a fast WiFi network. So, you need to choose which booster to use depending on how strong your outside cell signal is, and how much gain you need.

Best Wireless Cellular Routers for WiFi

Our next step in building a cellular WiFi network is to choose your wireless router. Routers “rout” internet traffic between your devices and the modem, telling it where to go. For example, if you type in www.signalboosters.com, your router will send a message to the website’s server and receive data back. This is how your device connects to the correct site.

A modem is a device needed to create the actual connection. Once the data is routed by the router, the modem sends it on its way via cable, phone line, or cellular connection. Some routers come with built-in modems and are called gateways. We offer several choices of routers to suit your budget, a few with built-in modems and a few as stand-alone devices. Some of our routers boost only 4G or LTE, but most offer gigabit 5G to WiFi 6, making them some of the fastest internet options on the market.

Best Budget Option 

Peplink MAX BR1 Mini 

SKU: 80MAX-BR1-MINI

Best Medium Option

Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G

SKU: 80MAX-BR1-PRO-5GH-T-PRM

Best Luxury Power Option

Peplink MAX BR2 Pro

SKU: 80MAX-BR2-PRO-5GH-T-PRM

WiFi Add-Ons for Extra Juice

There are several products you can add to your WiFi setup to give you even more power. The most important of these is a great antenna. Most of the time the antennas that come with a router will get the job done, but not in weak signal areas. A good antenna will let you connect to even distant cell towers, and greatly boost the signal strength of closer ones.

Best for Extra 5G Power

The Crossbow 5G MIMO Antenna by Bolton Technical

SKU: BT-THE-CROSSBOW

Yagi antennas are the perfect way to get good signal down to your booster. They will work in urban, suburban, or rural areas. Watch your internet speeds shoot up when you add one of these to your cellular data WiFi setup.

Best for Suburban and Urban Signal Boosting

The Quicksilver | Bolton Technical Yagi Directional Cellular Antenna

SKU: BT512389

If you are rural and still need a good cell signal, we suggest this bad boy. The Arrow is a powerful LPDA antenna capable of receiving 4G signal from towers over 5 miles away. Keep your WiFi connected even if you live out in the sticks.

Best for Extreamly Weak Signal Areas

The Arrow LPDA – High Gain Directional Antenna

SKU: BT974921

And there you have it. The key to building a strong 5G WiFi network is the right hardware. It’s important to remember that the outside signal strength will affect your WiFi’s speed, so build your cellular data WiFi network with that in mind.

If you need help deciding which booster, router, or WiFi add-on is best for you, how to install it, or simply want to chat about WiFi, we can't wait to hear from you! Give us a shout on 1-800-470-6777 or email sales@signalboosters.com.