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What are the differences between the weBoost Office 100 and weBoost Office 200?

Updated

In this review, we’ll compare the weBoost Office 100 (472060, 473060) with the weBoost Office 200 (471047, 472047, 473047).

weBoost Office 100 472060 from Powerful Signal weBoost Office 100
weBoost Office 200 472047 from Powerful Signal weBoost Office 200

These two commercial cell signal boosters from Wilson Electronics improve indoor cell signal reception in small offices and small business spaces. Which one is right for you? Let’s explore their similarities and their differences.

Where they’re the same

Some features are identical in the weBoost Office 100 and the weBoost Office 200. These include:

  • Cellular frequencies supported:
    • 700 MHz (SMH bands 12, 17, 13)
    • 850 MHz (CLR band 5)
    • 1700/2100 MHz (AWS band 4)
    • 1900 MHz (PCS bands 2, 25)
  • Gain control: Automatic (AGC)
  • Amplifier design: Metal housing
  • Impedance: Choice of 50 ohm or 75 ohm
  • Connectors: Choice of N connectors (50 Ω) or F connectors (75 Ω)
  • Cables: Choice of 400-type coax (50 Ω) or RG11 coax (75 Ω)
  • Manufacturer’s warranty: 3 years
  • Certifications: FCC and carrier preapproval (no operating license required)

The weBoost Office 100 and Office 100 are both capable amplifiers that work on the major frequencies that will continue to be the backbone of cellular service for many years to come. They both operate at the maximum possible gain permitted by the FCC and are available in the two popular impedance/connector/cable types used by installers of commercial cellular amplifiers.

Where they differ

Actual max uplink gain

While the weBoost Office 100 and weBoost Office 200 are both advertised as 72 dB boosters, actual test figures show that the weBoost Office 200 has higher gain thresholds—in other words, it comes closer to the FCC’s 72 dB gain limit before automatic gain control (AGC) kicks in.

These maximum uplink gain figures are from test reports submitted by Wilson Electronics to the FCC:

Uplink frequency
Office 100
Office 200
Office 200 advantage
700 MHz (SMH bands 12, 17)
59.4 dB
63.0 dB
+3.6 dB (2.3×)
700 MHz (SMH band 13)
60.5 dB
61.5 dB
+3.9 dB (1.3×)
850 MHz (CLR band 5
59.5 dB
61.6 dB
+2.1 dB (1.6×)
1700 MHz (AWS band 4)
68.8 dB
70.4 dB
+1.6 dB (1.4×)
1900 MHz (PCS bands 2, 25)
68.5 dB
71.0 dB
+2.5 dB (1.6×)

As the data indicate, the weBoost Office 200 has somewhat stronger maximum uplink gain than the weBoost Office 100, especially in lower-frequency cellular bands. This gives the weBoost Office 200 a slight (but not inconsequential) performance edge over the weBoost Office 100.

Maximum power output

  • Uplink power is the amount of output power (measured in decibel-milliwatts or dBm) the booster uses to communicate with the cell tower’s antenna. The more uplink power, the farther the booster can reach to distant towers.
  • Downlink power is the amount of power the booster uses to reach cellular phones and devices inside the building. The more downlink power, the larger the area of indoor coverage and the greater the booster’s ability to penetrate walls and floors to reach phones.

These figures are from specifications published in weBoost’s user manuals:

Uplink frequency
Office 100
Office 200
Office 100 advantage
700 MHz (SMH bands 12, 17)
25.6 dBm
24.0 dBm
+1.6 dB (1.45×)
700 MHz (SMH band 13)
25.2 dBm
24.0 dBm
+1.2 dB (1.32×)
850 MHz (CLR band 5
25.8 dBm
25.0 dBm
+0.8 dB (1.20×)
1700 MHz (AWS band 4)
25.2 dBm
25.0 dBm
+0.2 dB (1.05×)
1900 MHz (PCS bands 2, 25)
25.2 dBm
25.0 dBm
+0.2 dB (1.05×)
Downlink frequency
Office 100
Office 200
Office 200 advantage
700 MHz (SMH bands 12, 17)
13.6 dBm
15.1 dBm
+1.5 dB (1.4×)
700 MHz (SMH band 13)
13.3 dBm
15.1 dBm
+1.8 dB (1.5×)
850 MHz (CLR band 5
12.7 dBm
15.3 dBm
+2.6 dB (1.8×)
2100 MHz (AWS band 4)
12.9 dBm
15.2 dBm
+2.3 dB (1.7×)
1900 MHz (PCS bands 2, 25)
12.5 dBm
15.2 dBm
+2.7 dB (1.9×)

The weBoost Office 100 and Office 200 are fairly close in uplink power, with the Office 100 having an average of 21% more more uplink power, with most of it concentrated in the long-distance, low-frequency 700 and 850 MHz bands. If your office or building is in a remote area, far from cellular towers, the weBoost Office 100 may perform slightly better for you.

The weBoost Office 200 has 40 to 90% more downlink power than the Office 100; with it, the Office 200 can provide stronger inside signal and a larger coverage area in most situations. For this reason, the weBoost Office 200 is the better choice for larger offices (something we’ll cover below).

Dimensions & weight

  • weBoost Office 100: 6.0″ ᴡ × 6.2″ ʜ* × 1.6″ ᴅ × 2.14 lbs. (15.3 cm ᴡ × 15.8 cm ʜ* × 4.0 cm ᴅ × 0.97 kg)
  • weBoost Office 200: 9.1″ ᴡ × 10.4″ ʜ* × 2.0″ ᴅ × 2.14 lbs. (32.1 cm ᴡ × 26.5 cm ʜ* × 5.1 cm ᴅ × 2.89 kg)

* Height measurement includes N‑male connector posts.

The weBoost Office 200 is 3.2 times the size (in volume) and 3 times the weight of the weBoost Office 100. With the increased size and weight comes increased performance, but you will need a larger area on your wall to mount it.

Display & controls

weBoost Office 200 LCD display The weBoost Office 200 touchscreen display, showing band 13 disabled.
  • weBoost Office 100: LED lights
  • weBoost Office 200: Color graphical LCD touchscreen

The weBoost Office 100 uses a series of four LED lights to indicate the status of each band of cellular frequency. Solid green lights indicates that all bands of frequency are being amplified normally; blinking green, yellow, or red lights indicate a signal oscillation issue that may need to be resolved. (See pp.​11–12 of the installation guide for troubleshooting help.)

The weBoost Office 200 is a significant step up from the Office 100: Its full-color touchscreen display shows the status of all five major bands of signal, and you can touch any of the bands to see detailed uplink and downlink signal information and troubleshoot any error messages. Installers can also disable specific bands, if necessary.

XDR technology

  • weBoost Office 100: No overload protection
  • weBoost Office 200: XDR overload prevention

Many commercial cell signal amplifiers operate in situations where outside cellular signal is strong but unable to penetrate the building’s concrete or metal walls and low-e glass. When outside signal is too strong, the weBoost Office 100 shuts off any frequencies that are overloaded. In those situations, professional installers must use attenuators to reduce the signal received by the amplifier across all bands, even if the problem is only a specific band that’s too strong.

The weBoost Office 200 incorporates Wilson Electronics’s patented XDR (eXtended Dynamic Range) technology that prevents signal overload and amplifier shut down. When the weBoost Office 200 detects that any band of incoming signal is too strong, XDR automatically reduces the amplifier’s gain to maintain the strongest possible signal coverage throughout the building.

Inside antennas

  • weBoost Office 100: 1 or 2
  • weBoost Office 200: 1 to 4

The Office 100 and Office 200 both come standard with one inside antenna. If you have a long-and-narrow building or an L-shaped or multi-story building, additional inside antennas can help you spread the signal coverage around more evenly.

weBoost Office systems with the high-gain EDGE dome antenna are available exclusively from Powerful Signal. The Office 100 is available with 2 inside dome antennas; the Office 200 is available with up to 4 inside dome antennas.

Professional installation

  • weBoost Office 100: Not available
  • weBoost Office 200: Included with weBoost Installed | Office 200

The standard weBoost Office 100 and Office 200 systems require self-installation. If you prefer a solution with installation included, the weBoost Installed | Office 200 includes professional, commercial installation by a licensed, insured, and manufacturer-certified installer.

Open space indoor coverage

  • weBoost Office 100: Up to 15,000 ft²
  • weBoost Office 200: Up to 30,000 ft²

With its higher maximum uplink gain, increased downlink power output, and XDR overload protection, the weBoost Office 200 has a considerable coverage advantage over the weBoost Office 100. Because of this, the Office 200 is our recommended solution for midsized offices up to 30,000 square feet. We also recommend it for smaller offices that have strong outside cell signal.

For offices up to 15,000 square feet with moderate outside cell signal, the weBoost Office 100 is an excellent option with strong performance for a limited number of users.

Need help choosing the best weBoost or commercial cellular amplifier solution?

The experts at Powerful Signal have been improving cellular reception in buildings of all sizes since 2007. Please call us at 435-634-6800 or contact us online—we’ll be happy to help you find the best system to improve cellular reception in your office or commercial building.