GSM/Wi-Fi Signal Booster

1. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF GSM/ WIFI
SIGNAL BOOSTER
(CASE STUDY: FPI ENGINEERING COMPLEX)
OBASAN KEHINDE OLUSEGUN
H/EE/17/0998
THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING,
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO, OGUN STATE.
AUGUST 2019

2. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF GSM/ WIFI SIGNAL BOOSTER
(CASE STUDY: FPI ENGINEERING COMPLEX)
BY:
OBASAN KEHINDE OLUSEGUN
H/EE/17/0998
A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF HIGHER NATIONAL
DIPLOMA (HND) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL
ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING, SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY, THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO, OGUN
STATE.
AUGUST 2019

3. ii
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that this project was carried out by Obasan Kehinde Olusegun under
the supervision of Engr. O.P. Aiyelabowo PhD. in the department of Electrical
Electronics Engineering.
…………………………………
Supervisor’s Signature and Date
Engr O.P Aiyelabowo PhD.
…………………………………………
Head of Department’s Signature and Date
Engr O.P Aiyelabowo PhD.

4. iii
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to Almighty GOD, the Alpha and Omega, the Author and
Finisher of every good things for seeing me through the duration of my program, it’s
been all by His Grace.

5. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All glory and adoration ascribed to Almighty God who has made it possible for me to
accomplish this program.
Special thanks to my parents; Engr Wale OBASAN and especially my mother (Evang.
(Mrs) OBASAN Grace Abimbola) who singlehandedly shouldered me through
sacrifice and perseverance since childhood, I am forever indebted to your courage and
endurance, more fruits to enjoy in joy. To my siblings; (Sis Aanuoluwapo, Bro Tosin,
Bro Biola, Sis Adeola and Revd Adebowale) and most importantly my twin brother
(OBASAN Taiwo James_Yakub) I appreciate you for your unquantifiable unceasing
supports, prayers and financial assistance. May the Almighty keep and sustain us.
My thanks to my admirable, indefatigable pastor and adviser (Evang. & Mrs Oludare
Oluwaloga), great thanks for your support, encouragement and prayers.
Great and sincere appreciation goes to my Supervisor and Head of Department,
Electrical Electronics Engineering; Engr O.P Aiyelabowo PhD, may the Lord bless you
for your care, favor and assistance shown unto me throughout my stay here for my HND
program especially, during this project. Your impacts formed a great monument in my
career.
My profound appreciation to Engr Franklin A. Ajibodu for his constant care, advice
and support during the project design and implementation, may the Almighty bless and
increase all that is yours. You are a great motivation, I cherish you.
I will sincerely acknowledge the fatherly hand of my lecturer turned father, Pastor
Ephesus A. Fatunmbi PhD., may your children receive support wherever they go.
To my household of faith, Methodist Campus Fellowship (both in Ilaro and
nationwide), MCF FPI Overcomers’ Generation (both executives and workers), I’m
delighted that we met. May we continue to enjoy abundant Life in CHRIST.

6. v
I will not underestimate the support received from the staff of Weights & Measures
Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment led by Engr M.S Sidi,
and the other members of staff (Engr Qahar Gbolahan Adamoh, Mr Salim Muktar, Mr
Friday Eneche, Mr Musa, Mr Abba, Madam Tina, Mrs Nwachukwu Mrs Chinyere, Mr
John Enabulu (an adviser and confidant), Mr Timothy, Mr Mike, Mr Ayodele, Mr Sam)
and others. Your communal supports and encouragements helped me a long way.
I want to also appreciate my prayer partner and friend; Kareem Victoria Idowu, thanks
for standing with me through times, your intercession is remarkable.
Peace be unto everyone at Hephzibah Lodge, The Boys’ Brigade Cadet (FPI) and my
friends in Ilaro (especially Agbeyangi Nathaniel Ayooluwa), my colleagues “Elect set
19”. We’ll meet at the top.
To all that partook in this success story that the space couldn’t contain, I appreciate you
all, let’s do more together. Thank you all.

7. vi
ABSTRACT
There is a great need by GSM and Wi-Fi users in and around the Engineering complex
in Federal Polytechnic Ilaro for an optimization of signal reception. In the course of
the little research and observations carried out, it was observed that signal reception
at this point is ironic to its neighboring building (i.e. Engineering departmental blocks)
as signal reception havebeen boosted in the aforementioned place, leaving the complex
(especially, the block of offices and laboratories) a blind spot because the building is
made up of reinforced concrete with solid metal framework. From the understanding
of telecommunication signal propagation, it will be recalled that such high-rise
buildings and metal or reinforced concrete creates a divergence tothe travelling waves
from the nearby transmitting antennas. This project is meant to solve the problem of
poor or weak signal reception in the building by creating an uprising receiving antenna
for the building which will transmit through a coaxial cable to a transmitting antenna
situated in the middle of the building thereby working on the principle of a signal
repeater.

8. vii
Table of Contents
Title page ....................................................................................................................... i
CERTIFICATION ......................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION...............................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................ iv
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................. vi
Table of Contents..........................................................................................................vii
List of Tables .................................................................................................................x
List of Figures ............................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER 1 ..................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1
1.1 Background Information of study ...................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem................................................................................2
1.3 Significance/ Justification of Project...............................................................2
1.4 Objective of the Project...................................................................................3
1.5 Scope of the project.........................................................................................3
1.6 Limitation of the Project .................................................................................3
1.7 Definition of Terms.........................................................................................3
Network antenna:...................................................................................................4
Coaxial Cable:........................................................................................................4
Cable Connectors:..................................................................................................4
LM386 IC:..............................................................................................................5

9. viii
The boosting / amplifying circuit:..........................................................................5
The Power circuit:..................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2 ..................................................................................................................6
LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................6
2.0 Introduction to Signal Boosting ......................................................................6
2.1 Classification of Antenna Boosters.................................................................7
2.1.1 Mobile Phone/ GSM Booster...................................................................7
2.1.2 UHF/VHF Signal Boosting......................................................................8
2.1.3 Wi-Fi Antenna Boosters...........................................................................9
2.2 Antenna theory..............................................................................................10
2.2.1 Antenna radiation pattern.......................................................................11
2.2.2 Antenna Advantages and Disadvantages ...............................................11
2.3 Historical Development.................................................................................13
2.4 Related Works..............................................................................................17
CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................21
METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................21
3.1 Design Analysis.............................................................................................21
3.1.1 Site Survey.............................................................................................21
3.1.2 Signal Booster System Layout...............................................................24
3.1.3 Designing the schematic and layout diagram of System Units..............24
3.1.3.1 Antenna Design.................................................................................24
3.1.3.2 The boosting circuit design ...............................................................26

10. ix
3.2 Selection of Materials....................................................................................30
3.2.1 Antenna Material selection ....................................................................30
3.2.2 Other Materials and Components Used .................................................31
3.3 Construction Procedure.................................................................................32
3.3.1 Antenna Construction Procedure ...........................................................32
3.3.2 Signal booster circuit construction.........................................................33
`3.3.3 Soldering of Components to the Vero Board.........................................33
3.4 Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation ........................................34
CHAPTER FOUR........................................................................................................35
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ..................................................................................35
4.1 Performance Testing .....................................................................................35
4.1.1 Antenna Testing.....................................................................................35
4.1.2 Signal Testing ........................................................................................36
4.2 Presentation of Results..................................................................................37
4.3 Problems Encountered...................................................................................38
CHAPTER FIVE .........................................................................................................39
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................39
5.1 Conclusion.....................................................................................................39
5.3 Recommendations .........................................................................................39
References....................................................................................................................40

11. x
List of Tables
Table 1: different frequency range in practise. ........................................................10
Table 2: Antenna types advantages and disadvantages ...........................................13
Table 3: Bill of Engineering Measurement & Evaluation (BEME) ........................34

12. xi
List of Figures
Figure 1:(a-d) Signal strength around the laboratory in the Engineering Complex
using RF Signal Speed Detector Application Software.: ...................22
Figure 2:(a-c) Signal received at the top of Engineering Complex building using RF
Signal Speed Detector Application Software. ....................................23
Figure 3: Block diagram of a signal booster .............................................................24
Figure 4: Circuit diagram of LM386 IC ....................................................................28
Figure 5: Schematic diagram of LM386 IC .................................................................27
Figure 6: Pin layout and functions of LM386 IC ......................................................27
Figure 7: Electrical characteristics of LM386 ...........................................................28
Figure 8:(a-b) Boosting circuit construction layout...............................................29
Figure 9: power supply unit (enclosed with heat sink to remove heat).....................29
Figure 10: Installed Booster Circuit showing coaxial cable fed into/ from it. ............33
Figure 11: antenna mounted on a pole at the roof of the building. .............................35
Figure 12: Receiving antenna in front of the walkway ...............................................36
Figure 13:(a-d) measured values of signal strength after construction....................37

13. 1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information of study
Wireless signals are susceptible to a lot of data loss, causing the necessities for boosters
in locations affected. This is because wireless signals can be affected by topography;
tall trees, tall buildings, weather, etc. Also, the wireless network cards that come inbuilt
in computer systems and other wireless devices have limited power and range. (Ndon,
2012)
Furthermore, the built-in antenna for television sets and cell phones have limited power
and range. Even the transmitters of some television, network operators or internet
service providers may not be strong enough in a rural area.
Therefore, if it happens that you find yourself in such a place (usually called a black
spot) and require a good reception, then an antenna booster would be the right choice.
The fact being that no broadcast station, network provider or internet service provider
would want to waste funds and infrastructure on an area in which it would not stand to
benefit much from financially. Hence the only option left for a person in such a situatio n
will be to use an antenna booster. (Ndon, 2012)
Also, a work situation in which one cannot access an access point (this is simply a
device that provides internet access to wireless users) since the position of the router is
far from one’s reach or obstructed by walls, a Wi-Fi antenna booster can be a solution
in such a situation.
Good telecommunication signal reception offers great advantages and ease in doing
business to its users ranging from surfing the internet to efficient phone calls and other
GSM usage. Various conditions affect signal receptions in different areas due to their

14. 2
different environmental and climatic conditions ranging from topography, weather,
humidity, vegetation, uprising buildings etc.
Radio frequency radiations from GSM base transceiver stations (BTS) and Wi-Fi (e.g.
NITDA or NCC Wi-Fi) experience certain amount of loss around concrete reinforced
buildings. These losses can be attributed to two principal factors; the height of the
building and the penetrating material of buildings. In this work, measurements were
carried out to determine the signal loss in multi-partitioned buildings and classrooms
around foliage areas in Engineering building complex of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.
The study was carried out using radio frequency speed detector (RF Signal Tracker)
application software installed in an android smart phone.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Many have become accustomed to weak signal receptions due to lack of adequate
boosters and bad environmental conditions like foliage weather conditions, trees and
high-rise buildings. To access the internet, such available signals are confined to a
certain location or cramped space in this condition, so there is a need to boost signal in
such area. In the past few years, the growing popularity of wireless communication
usage has caused overcrowding and weak signals. In the case study (Engineering
Complex Building), this experience has been adapted to and the essence of this project
is to solve this age-long problem.
1.3 Significance/ Justification of Project
The project (signal booster) will increase the use of telecommunication among citizens
of the polytechnic located around the engineering complex and its environs by
improving the GSM and Wi-Fi usage in the area. This signal booster can improve the
signal of cell phone signal inside the building from 1 bar to full and Wi-Fi from
0.20KHz to 2.46GHz.

15. 3
1.4 Objective of the Project
The aim of this project is to design and construct a wireless signal booster for the
Engineering building complex which will aid optimal use and ease of internet and GSM
coverage. It is to solve the problem of weak or no signal in this building and its
immediate environment using an antenna designed with a LM386 Integrated Circuit for
amplifying signal from the antenna and transmitting it over a length of coaxial cable to
different blocks of the building.
1.5 Scope of the project
This project is aimed at providing effective and efficient network access to users around
the Engineering Complex building using a series of interconnected antennas and a
signal booster circuit with LM386 IC as the main component for the amplifying
process.
1.6 Limitation of the Project
This project is limited to operate between 2GHz and 4GHz frequency due to its band
pass. The limitation of this project is that it can only function when there is a power
supply to power the Integrated Circuit, the metals used for the antenna are made of a
conductive material which implies that they are subjected to rusting or corrosion due to
aging and weather factors.
1.7 Definition of Terms
The construction of this great masterpiece consists of a lot of components joined
together to accomplish the given goal of boosting the signal reception in the
Engineering building complex at the west campus of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. The
components are highlighted below;

16. 4
Network antenna:
The antenna is a very important component of communication systems. It is an
electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. In
another words, an antenna is a device that is used to transform an RF signal, travelling
on a conductor, into an electromagnetic wave in free space (transmit mode), and to
transform an RF electromagnetic wave into an electrical signal (receive mode). It is
usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver. In transmission, a radio
transmitter supplies an electric current oscillating at radio frequency (i.e. high
frequency AC) to the antenna's terminals, and the antenna radiates the energy from the
current as electromagnetic waves (radio waves). In reception, an antenna intercepts
some of the power of an electromagnetic wave in order to produce a tiny voltage at its
terminals that is applied to a receiver to be amplified. An antenna can be used for both
transmitting and receiving.
The choice of antenna is very important for a transmitting - receiving communication
system. The antenna must be able to radiate or receive efficiently so the power supplied
is not wasted. (Vita, 2012).
Coaxial Cable:
This is the means of transporting the signal from the receiving antenna to the
transmitting antenna.
Cable Connectors:
It is used for linking the cables together with the antenna, it also joins two cables
together.

17. 5
LM386 IC:
This is the major component in the amplifying circuit which does the signal processing.
It is a power amplifier designed for use in low voltage consumer applications, having a
gain of 20 for internal settings and with the addition of an external capacitor and resistor
between pins 1 and 8 will increase the gain to any value from 20 to 200. (LM386, 2017)
The boosting / amplifying circuit:
This circuit comprises of various components which includes resistors, LM386 IC and
capacitors soldered on a Vero board.
The Power circuit:
This is the circuit or section of the design that is responsible for supplying the necessary
power (voltage and current) to the boosting / amplifying circuit. It supplies 15V – 18V
and 3.5A power to the circuit.

18. 6
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction to Signal Boosting
The necessity for mobile and wireless infrastructures in this modern society cannot be
overstated, statistics has shown that in many countries, the use of mobile phone is higher
than the fixed one. They are used everywhere, not only outdoor, but also indoor. In
these environments, customers demand a good coverage and quality of service. Though,
there are many existing models, none of them have been able to efficiently describe
signal penetration loss in buildings. The signal loss due to building materials constitutes
about 31% of the total GSM signal loss. This is because signal penetration loss is
associated with the indoor environment (Elechi & Otasowie, 2015).
It is a common fact that end users of GSM are usually faced with quality network
challenges when indoor due to signals obstructions caused by building materials. This
is because when a GSM signal passes through a non-transparent medium to a free zone
electromagnetic wave, it experiences a loss known as penetration loss. Among these
losses, the most important is building material penetration loss, as they affect the signal
strength received inside the building. (outdoor-to-indoor reception) (Promise, 2015).
Penetration loss contributes to the overall loss of a communication link. Building
penetration loss accounts for the increase in attenuation of the received signal observed
when the mobile is moved from outside to inside a building. The Radio Frequency (RF)
signal strength received inside a building due to an external transmitter are affected by
various factors. These factors according to (Promise, 2015) are as follows:
Frequency of Transmission: Penetration loss decrease slightly with an increase in
transmission frequency.

19. 7
Height: Generally, penetration loss decreases with height, because the interference
caused by adjacent structures reduces with an increasing height and the signal strength
becomes stronger because Line-of-sight (LOS) path is likely to exist above the urban
clutter. (Turkmani & De Toledo, 1991)
Building Structure and Internal Layout: Propagation into buildings are said to have
more complex multipath structure than that of the terrestrial mobile radio channel.
Propagation of RF waves inside buildings are characterized by fluctuations over short
travel distances (a few wavelengths) or short time duration (on the order of seconds)
(Otasowie, 2011)
It is due to the building structures type of construction materials, layout of rooms, and
the furniture. Hence the signal loss inside a factory building is quite different from the
loss inside a residential building due to the differences in the structure and the materials
used in the construction. (Elechi, Sunday, & Elvis, 2017)
2.1 Classification of Antenna Boosters
Antenna boosters can be classified by the frequency spectrum in which they operate.
i. Mobile phone/ GSM booster
ii. UHF/VHF antenna booster
iii. Wi-Fi antenna boosters
(Ndon, 2012)
2.1.1 Mobile Phone/ GSM Booster
One of the most popular applications of the antenna booster is in mobile phones. A
mobile phone booster is also known as a cell phone booster or a cell phone amplifier
and is an electronic device that has been designed to increase the signal strength for a
cell phone. In areas with poor coverage, such as rural areas and buildings with thick
walls which block signals, antenna boosters are used to help people avoid dropping

20. 8
calls. They are also useful for those people who live or work outside the range of cell
phone tower, or for people who travel a lot. The difference lies in the size of the antenna
and the strength of the signal boosting power. There are cell phone antennas available
to connect directly to a cell phone. A physical connection of some sort, typically coaxial
cable, is then used to connect each antenna to a signal booster. Together, the
components that make up a cellular repeater are known as a bi-directional amplifier
(BDA). A good cell phone booster needs to have a high frequency level to ensure that
the user to capture even the weakest of signals. The most common frequencies are 824
– 849MHz and 1850 – 1910MHz, which is the standard for most boosters on the market.
The average gain for a good mobile phone booster is no less than 25dB to ensure that
the antenna captures the incoming radio waves and turn them into a stronger signal. The
ideal boosters on the market are wireless and provide signal boosting to everyone within
range of the antenna. These boosters are used by many network carriers in the US
(AT&T, Verizon and Sprint) and in Nigeria by all network carriers.
2.1.2 UHF/VHF Signal Boosting
A UHF/VHF booster is a device that is designed to boost the quality and clarity of
both UHF and VHF signals. The amplifier helps to buffer signals so they can be
easily identified and selected, while also helping to increase the stability of the
signals for transmission or reception. One of the most common applications of this
type of technology is with the use of radio and television antennas that make it
possible to receive over the air broadcasts that are both stable and clear.
Antennas for the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF)
bands are similar in many ways to High Frequency (HF) antennas. The main differences
are the use of smaller antennas for VHF/UHF, and the losses are caused by poor feed
lines and elevated SWRs (or both) are more critical.

21. 9
The main function of any UHF/VHF booster is to enhance the signal frequencies
that are within the range of the audio or visual equipment in use. Usually installed
either internally in the communication equipment or configured as an external
device that serves as an intermediary between an antenna and the equipment
itself, a solid state booster will make it possible to lock onto signals that may be weak,
increase the gain on that signal, and then deliver the clarified
signal to the receiving equipment. The result is that the audio and visual
components of the transmission are enhanced, making it easier for the recipient
to make use of that transmission. (Ndon, 2012)
One of the easiest ways to understand how a UHF/VHF booster functions is to
consider the use of the device to pick up over the air television broadcasts. In
order to accomplish this task, the end user will attach an antenna with the
capability of picking up television broadcast signals originating within a certain
geographical range. By attaching the antenna to the UHF/VHF booster then
connecting the booster to the television set, it is possible to boost the strength of
the signals. The result is that the images and sound received from the
broadcast are more stable and of greater quality than would be possible to
achieve otherwise. In fact, the booster may be able to strengthen weak signals
that would not be picked up if the booster were not in use.
Note: UHF ranges from 300MHz to 3GHz, VHF ranges from 30 to 300 MHz.
2.1.3 Wi-Fi Antenna Boosters
This is the type of antenna booster operates at the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band of the
frequency spectrum. The term Wi-Fi booster can refer to a replacement antenna that
produces a significant signal gain. Antenna based boosters are typically designed to
replace stock antennas on wireless routers. These boosters typically require an external

22. 10
power source to boost the signal although some could use the power from a USB port.
Wi-Fi boosters can also act as repeater devices that can be placed at the edge of a
wireless signal to rebroadcast it into a dead zone. Passive antenna modifications often
take the form of parabolic dishes. (Ndon, 2012)
With these numerous uses of wireless network, this project will focus on making the
students and staff of the Institution around Engineering building complex to be able to
use internet facilities provided by the school management optimally just like the case
of Muritala International Airport, Lagos which has free wireless internet access for
passenger travelling. But still, many users find it difficult to use thus services optimally
due to various factors as highlighted in section 1.2 Statement of the Problem).
Below is the table showing various frequency bandwidth operational information;
Table 1: different frequency range in practise.
Source: (Google, 2019)
IEEE
Wireless
Specification
Release Date Operating Frequency
Range
Throughput
Speeds
(maximum)
Effective
Throughput
Speeds
Range
(indoor
distance
in meters)
802.11a 1999 5.15 GHz - 5.47 GHz 54 Mbps 23 Mbps 25 meters
802.11b 1999 2.4 GHz – 2.5 GHz 11 Mbps 5 Mbps 35 meters
802.11g 2003 2.4 GHz – 2.5 GHz 54 Mbps 23 Mbps 25 meters
802.11n 2007
(inappropriate)
2.4 GHz or 5GHz 540 Mbps 100 Mbps 50 meters
2.2 Antenna theory
Antenna is a wide terminology used for any wire or combinations of wires that is used
for the purpose of radio wave radiation, either for transmitting or receiving. It is a means
of communication.

23. 11
2.2.1 Antenna radiation pattern
An antenna radiation pattern is defined in the IEEE standard as “the spatial distribution
of a quantity which characterizes the electromagnetic field generated by an antenna”.
In other words, an antenna radiation pattern or antenna pattern is defined as a
mathematical function or a graphical representation of the radiation properties of the
antenna as a function of space coordinates. Radiation properties include power flux
density, radiation intensity, field strength, and directivity phase or polarization.
An isotropic radiator is defined as a “hypothetical” lossless antenna having equal
radiation in all directions. Although it is ideal and not physically realizable, it is taken
as a reference for expressing the directive properties of actual antennas.
A directional antenna is one having the property of radiating or receiving
electromagnetic waves more effectively in some directions than in others.
An omnidirectional antenna is defined as one having an essentially non-directional
pattern in a given plane and a directional pattern in any orthogonal plane. An
omnidirectional pattern is a special type of directional pattern. (STMicroelectronics
group of companies, 2012)
2.2.2 Antenna Advantages and Disadvantages
After the antenna theory, the description of the main types of antennas that can be used
in the sub-GHz bandwidth, a description of the main advantages and disadvantages of
each antenna is shown here.
i. Dipole antenna: this antenna is a very simple chip and presents a good gain. The
main disadvantage is the large size at low frequency.
ii. Whip antenna: this antenna presents good performance with a size lower than a
dipole antenna. A good ground plane is necessary to achieve good performance.

24. 12
iii. Loop antenna: loop antennas are cheap and not easily detuned by nearby hand
movements. They have the disadvantage of having poor gain, to be very narrow
band and are difficult to tune.
iv. Spiral antenna: spiral antennas have a size lower than a whip antenna and are
wide band. On the negative side, these types of antennas are difficult to feed.
v. Helical antenna: helical antennas are very directive and have good gain.
However, they have a bulky size and are easily detuned by nearby objects.
vi. Microstrip antenna: microstrip antennas have the advantage of being very
cheap and have a simple and thin structure. As a negative, they are very large at
low frequency.
vii. Ceramic antenna: ceramic antennas have the advantage of being separate
components, have a small size and are less affected by environmental factors.
The main disadvantages are the high cost, the medium performance and the
matching function of the PCB size and shape of the ground plane.
viii. Slot antenna: slot antennas have the advantage of size, design simplicity,
robustness and convenient adaption to mass production. The main disadvantage
is the big dimension for low frequency that makes the slot antenna difficult to
manage for frequencies lower than 433 MHz
Various antenna type advantages and disadvantages are summarized in the table below:

25. 13
Table 2: Antenna types advantages and disadvantages
Source: (STMicroelectronics group of companies, 2012)
2.3 Historical Development
The history of antenna boosters can be traced back to the 19th century when the term
"repeater" originated with telegraphy and referred to an electromechanical device used
to regenerate telegraph signals (Loring, 1878). Use of the term has continued in
telephony and data communications. In telecommunication, the term repeater is defined
Antenna types Advantages Disadvantages
Dipole antenna a. Very cheap.
b. Good gain
a. Difficult to design for frequencies
lower than 433MHz.
b. Large size at low frequency
Whip antenna a. Good performance
a. High cost
Loop antenna a. Cheap
b. Not easily detuned by
hand movements
a. Poor gain
b. Very narrowband
c. Difficult to tune
Spiral antenna a. Lower size than whip
b. Wide band
a. Difficult to feed
Helical antenna a. Very directive
b. Good gain
c. Mechanical construction
a. Bulky size
b. Easily detuned by nearby objects
Microstrip
antenna
a. Low manufacturing
cost
b. Simple and very thin
structure
a. Difficult to design for
frequencies lower than 433MHz
b. Large size at low frequency
c. Antenna performance and
tuning affected by the PCB
design
Ceramic
antenna
a. Separate component
b. Small size
c. Less affected by
environmental factors
a. High cost
b. Medium performance
c. Matching function of PCB size
and shape of the ground plane
d. Difficult to design for
frequencies lower than
433MHz
Slot antenna a. Design simplicity
b. Robustness
c. Size
a. Difficult to design for
frequencies lower than 433MHz
b. Large size at low frequency

26. 14
as an analog device that amplifies an input signal regardless of its nature (analog or
digital), a digital device that amplifies, reshapes, retimes, or performs a combination of
any of these functions on a digital input signal for retransmission. (Federal Standard,
1996). From the definitions above, we see the synonymous of an antenna booster to a
repeater, they basically perform the same functions. In computer networking, because
repeaters work with the actual physical signal, and do not attempt to interpret the data
being transmitted, they operate on the physical layer which is the first layer of the OSI
model. Before the invention of electronic amplifiers, mechanically coupled carbon
microphones were used as amplifiers in telephone repeaters. After the turn of the
century it was found that negative resistance mercury lamps could amplify, and they
were used (Sungook, 2001)
In 1916, the Audion tube repeater was invented and this made transcontinental
telephony practical. In the 1930s, vacuum tube repeaters using hybrid coils became
common, allowing the use of thinner wires.
In the 1950s negative impedance gain devices were more popular, and a transistorized
version called the E6 repeater was the final major type used in the Bell System before
the low cost of digital transmission made all voice band repeaters obsolete. Frequency
frogging repeaters were commonplace in frequency-division multiplexing systems
from the middle to late 20th century.
In 1985, the IEEE 802.11 technology originated, this was as a result of a ruling by the
US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that released the Industrial Scientific
and Medical (ISM) band for unlicensed use (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014).
In 1991, NCR, a computer company that had become a subsidiary of AT&T (former
American Telephone and Telegraph Company) invented the precursor to 802.11

27. 15
intended for use in cashier systems. The first wireless products were under the name
WaveLAN.
Vic Hayes is known as the "father of Wi-Fi", he was involved in designing the initial
standards within the IEEE. (Chamy, 2014). In 1999, the Wi-Fi Alliance was formed as
a trade association to hold the Wi-Fi trademark under which most products are sold.
(Wi-Fi Alliance Organization, 2014)
The term “Wi-Fi” was first used commercially in August 1999, (United States of
America Patent No. 55,567, 2001) and was coined by a brand-consulting firm called
Interbrand Corporation.
Wi-Fi for the home began in earnest in 1999 with the release of routers, or wireless
access points, that used technology based on the first two commercial
wireless standards: 802.11a and 802.11b. Computer networking by wire was already
standardized under the code IEEE 802, so Wi-Fi as a subset of computer
networking became IEEE 802.11.
Deciding to start at the beginning of the alphabet for naming the first Wi-Fi protocol,
the IEEE called the first commercial Wi-Fi protocol 802.11a. There were two frequency
bands of the electromagnetic spectrum that stood out as having the most promise: the
part of the electromagnetic spectrum around 2.4 GHz (2.412 GHz to 2.484 GHz) and
the part around 5GHz (5.18 GHz to 5.825 GHz, with gaps in between several Wi-Fi
“channels”). These spectrum ranges are commonly referred to as 2.4GHz and 5GHz
frequency bands.
802.11a (created in 1999) uses the 5GHz frequency spectrum. It can operate at
up to 54Mbps, which is more than enough for most high-speed internet, which
typically operates at up to 25Mbps today. However, unless you have line
of sight (LOS) to your 802.11a router, it probably won’t come anywhere near that

28. 16
speed. 5GHz waves don’t travel nearly as far as 2.4GHz ones do and have bigger
issues with going through walls than 2.4 GHz waves do. It was found that 802.11a
devices worked great from a short distance to the wireless router, but at larger
distances or in a large home or office, it would lose the signal, or even if the signal
reached the speed would be greatly diminished. As the range limitations of
802.11a became an issue for the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi devices that
necessitated a second Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11b. (Ndon, 2012)
802.11b (created in year 2000) supported only a maximum data transfer rate of
11 Megabits per second (Mbps), though in practice it could achieve about 7Mbps.
Importantly, Wi-Fi 802.11b operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum, and it retained
its signal much better over longer distances and through walls than 5 GHz did. Also,
back in 2000, the slower speed of 802.11b wasn’t that big of an issue because “high
speed” internet at the time was often running at a more modest 4 to 6 Mbps. If you
wanted to transfer large files from within a network, say at an office, it was much faster
to plug into the network using an Ethernet cable. But for Wi-Fi’s primary purpose
(connecting to the internet and transferring small bits of data) 802.11b was more
than enough for most people when it was released.
In 2003, a new wireless standard became operative, it combines some of the
algorithms used in 802.11a to achieve faster data speeds but built upon the
existing 2.4 GHz 802.11b standard, Wi-Fi 802.11g was able to achieve up to the
same 54Mbps speed as 802.11a but travel the same distances as 802.11b. It was,
essentially, the best of both worlds. Router manufacturers made routers that were
802.11b/g capable, so older devices that didn’t support the new Wi-Fi standard could
still work on new routers. At this point Wi-Fi antenna boosters started emerging too.

29. 17
Although not clearly or significantly noted, in 2004 when Wi-Fi became popular,
Wi-Fi antenna boosters began to be used. This was when Mysore became India's
first Wi-Fi-enabled city and second in the world after Jerusalem. A company called
Wi-FiyNet has set up hotspots in Mysore, covering the complete city and a few
nearby villages (Techniks, 2014), it is believed that routers, wireless repeaters and Wi-
Fi antenna boosters were in use. Manufacturers, till date have continued to improve on
antenna booster products; including Wi-Fi antenna boosters, Antenna amplifiers,
Mobile phone boosters, UHF/VHF antenna boosters.
“Antenna booster products” is a term used to refer both to antennas themselves as well
as to accessory devices that are essential, important, or useful in operating an antenna.
2.4 Related Works
There are divers means of improving the network of a geographical area in which signal
boosting is one of it. Numerous research studies of (GSM) signal penetration losses due
to different composite materials which acts as obstructions such as building materials,
woods and constructional structures have been carried out by different scholars in the
past.
(Turkmani & De Toledo, 1991) investigated propagation into and within buildings at
1800MHz. This was carried out using buildings in the university of Liverpool.
Measurements of the mean signal level were made in rooms and corridors of four
different buildings and were compared with measurements at street level outside. They
successfully used the composite Rayleigh plus log-normal distribution to model the
measured cumulative distributions of all data. The findings were that the average
measured penetration loss at the ground floor level was 13dB and the rate of change of
penetration loss with height was 1.4dB per floor and for floor level higher than the sixth
floor, was 0.4dB per floor.

30. 18
The rate of change of the mean signal level for signals travelling within buildings was
on average of 8.3dB per floor and that the best coverage was obtained by locating the
transmitter in a large room at the center of the building. Though, there was a model to
predict signal attenuation, but their emphasis was on building floor losses and not
penetration loss associated with the building partitions. (Elechi, Sunday, & Elvis, 2017)
(Hasted & Shah, 1964) measured data and empirical models for 5.85GHz radio
propagation path loss in and around residential areas. In their report, three homes and
two stands of trees were studied for outdoor path loss, tree loss, and house penetration
loss in a narrowband measurement campaign that included 270 local area path loss
measurements and over 276,000 instantaneous power measurements. Their results
could be useful in future wireless planning but there was no evidence that the building
pattern contributed to either signal loss or gain.
(Omorogiwa & Edeko, 2009) studied the investigation of propagation path loss
characteristics of GSM signals at 1.8GHz in Benin City, Nigeria. Their investigation
was done using fifteen different environments which reflect an exhaustive measurement
and good representation of the city. Consequently, the received power was measured
from a distance from the base station for various environments. They analyzed the data
to determine the propagation path loss exponent and path loss characteristics and they
concluded that the path loss of Benin City ranged from 2.8 dB to 3.7 dB with an average
range determined to be 3.8 dB. Though they worked on path loss, but the results did not
show the impact of building loss as well as penetration loss.
(Horikoshi, Tanaka, & Morinaga, 1986) studied the variations of signal strength in
terms of shadow or multi path fading using Log Normal and Rayleigh distribution. They
conducted measurements at the center of a football pitch of Adamawa state University,
Mubi in two weeks from 10/01/2010 - 24/01/2010, total of 700 observations were made

31. 19
altogether for two GSM operators namely Glo and Zain, their investigation revealed
that GSM signal strength was attenuated at the chosen location (where the signal is
received) due to the fading phenomenon and the overall result established that the GSM
signal strength received at Adamawa State University was fairly adequate but not
sufficient enough to meet up with customer’s demand. Their results did not show the
impact of building loss as well as penetration loss.
(Abhayawardhana, Wassell, Crosby, Sellars, & Brown, 2003), conducted a study of the
extra signal attenuation due to building penetration in conjunction to path loss from the
Base Stations to Mobile Terminals, for different types of buildings and rooms for the
(GSM, 900MHz and 1800 MHz) and Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems
(UMTS). In their study, a statistical model for the signal attenuation through building
penetration was developed using the Log-Normal Distribution.
The dissimilarity of the attenuation per floor, room and building type were critically
examined. The results showed an average attenuation of 5.7 dB for GSM 900 MHz with
a standard deviation of 11.1dB. Though, there was a model to predict signal attenuation,
but their emphasis was on building floor losses and nothing was said about penetration
loss associated with the building wall and partitions. Also, their work was basically on
the comparison of GSM 900MHz and GSM 1800MHz signal strengths.
(Elechi, Sunday, & Elvis, 2017)
(Adewoye & Obasa, 2010) conducted measurements to prove the outages that GSM
signals experience at some indoor locations even when there are strong outdoor
receptions. What they said is often traced to the building penetration loss, which
accounts for increased attenuation of received GSM signal level when a mobile signal
device is moved indoor from outdoor.

32. 20
Measurements of two existing GSM Operators’ signals level were made outside and
inside two selected buildings- concrete and block, which represent the prevalent
building types in Orhuwhorun, Delta State, Nigeria. An android mobile phone with RF
signal tracker software installed in it was used and the results shows an average loss of
10.62dBm and 4.25dBm for the concrete and block buildings, respectively. Even
though their measurements considered only concrete and block walls, their results did
not account for penetration loss through different wall pattern and partitions in building.
(Elechi & Otasowie, 2015)
(Attah, 2013), worked on the Outdoor-to-Indoor Propagation Characteristics of 850
MHz and 1900 MHz bands in Macro-Cellular Environments. Four buildings were
studied aiming to provide first order statistics of the signal coverage inside buildings.
The results showed that the mean building penetration loss for the ground floor was
about 15 dB, with standard deviation of 3.5 dB. Additionally, the average rate of the
change of penetration loss with height was 0.58 dB per meter.
The results show also that building penetration loss may or may not depend on the
operating frequency in different environments and propagation conditions. In 2015,
further work by (Attah, 2013), showed propagation characteristics of 1900 MHz for
both GSM and UMTS Systems. Analysis showed that the mean building penetration
loss for all measured signals at the ground floor was about 16 dB.

33. 21
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Design Analysis
Every project design comes from an identification of a problem that requires a solution,
there is need to provide a design idea and consider the feasibility of the idea to solve
such problems. All considerations must be critically analyzed with sustainable
solutions, to produce a realistic implementation of the idea not minding maybe such
idea involves minute or complex process and construction. Solving the identified
problem is paramount. In this project the process might be seen by some as minute or
complex by others, the driving force is to eliminate the case study (Federal Polytechnic
Ilaro Engineering Complex Building) from being a signal dead zone and improving the
signal strength received.
3.1.1 Site Survey
i. The layout structure of the Engineering building was observed and considered.
ii. Access points to provide signal boosting to the desired coverage area were
noted.
iii. The physical access points placement (i.e. antenna placement) were marked.
iv. Signal trouble areas, physical construction, environmental challenges and
foliage was observed.
v. Booster network device location was marked in the installation.
vi. The cabling distance was measured.
The figures below depict or shows the signal strength measured at different locations
during the site survey:

34. 22
Figure 1:(a-d) Signal strength around the laboratory in the Engineering Complex using
RF Signal Speed Detector Application Software.:
(a) (b)
(c) (d)

35. 23
Figure 2:(a-c) Signal received at the top of Engineering Complex building using RF
Signal Speed Detector Application Software.
(a) (b)
(c)

36. 24
3.1.2 Signal Booster System Layout
The design of the GSM/Wi-Fi signal booster comprises of antennas, the signal boosting
circuit and the splitters.
Figure 3: Block diagram of a signal booster
3.1.3 Designing the schematic and layout diagram of System Units
The design analysis of this project is divided into three:
i. Antenna Design
ii. Signal booster circuit design
iii. Transmitting medium design/ survey
3.1.3.1 Antenna Design
In this design, the antennas used are omni-directional antennas to compensate for the
needed efficiency of receiving signals from differs directions. An omnidirectional
antenna is a wireless transmitting or receiving antenna that radiates or intercepts radio-
frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields equally well in all horizontal directions in a flat,
two-dimensional (2D) geometric plane. Omnidirectional antennas are used in most
RECEIVING
ANTENNA (Donor)
SIGNAL BOOSTER
CIRCUITS
(using LM386)
SIGNAL SPLITTER
TRANSMITTING
ANTENNAS
POWER SUPPLY
UNIT

37. 25
consumer RF wireless devices, including cellular telephone sets and wireless routers.
(Rouse, 2018)
In theory, a vertically oriented, straight conductor such as a dipole antenna measuring
no more than 1/2 wavelength from end-to-end always exhibits omnidirectional
properties in a horizontal (azimuth) plane. Multiple collinear (in-line) vertical dipoles
also exhibit omnidirectional behavior in the azimuth plane; they can offer improved
performance over a single dipole in some applications. If the conductor axis is not
oriented vertically, then the antenna radiates and receives equally well in all directions
in the plane through which the conductor passes at a right angle. However, this ideal
exists only in the absence of obstructions or other nearby conducting objects. In
practice, surrounding objects (such as the user of a cell phone set or a computer next to
a wireless router) distort the radiation and reception pattern. (Caputo, 2014)
The donut-shaped elevation pattern shows that a dipole antenna is best used to transmit
and receive from the broadside of the antenna and is very sensitive to matching
horizontal positioning and any movement away from a perfectly vertical position. At
about 45 degrees from perfect verticality, the omni’s signals, both received and
transmitted, will degrade to more than half, antenna gain is the same during receive and
transmit modes.
Physically, dipole antennas are cylindrical and are usually limited in power gain due to
their widespread coverage. They are most commonly used in mobility applications. The
dipole antenna is not a directive antenna, since its power is radiated 360 degrees around
the antenna (one of the reasons for FCC power gain limitations). Dipole antennas are
also the most common culprits in interference issues, due to their widespread radiated
pattern. A mobility device requires a dipole antenna, since there is no way of telling
where the next AP will be for connectivity. If a mobile unit discovers an AP north of

38. 26
its current position, the antenna continues to radiate 360 degrees in all directions,
creating noise and/or interference for any other AP in the area attempting to use the
same frequencies and channels. (Sanghera, 2007)
With the above affirmations from cooperate authors on omni-directional antenna, it was
concluded that it is best for use in a signal booster system for it to radiate more in all
directions.
The antennas used comprises of omni-directional antennas serving as the input and
output to the circuit. The first functions as a repeater; thereby receiving signals from
the environment at the top of the building and transmitting it through the coaxial cable
serving as the transmitting medium to the boosting circuit. The other serves as the
radiator which radiates the boosted signal to its immediate environment.
3.1.3.2 The boosting circuit design
In this circuit, an amplifying IC was chosen based on the amplification function needed
in the boosting circuit to improve the signal fed into it.
The LM386 IC is a power amplifier designed for use in low voltage consumer
applications. The gain is internally set to 20 to keep external part count low, but the
addition of an external resistor between pins 2 and 3 and capacitor between pins 1 and
8 will increase the gain to any value from 20 to 200. For this course, a 4.7k resistor and
10uF capacity were considered for this purpose after going through the internal
schematic diagram of the circuit and its manufacturer’s manual. The inputs are ground
referenced while the output automatically biases to one-half the supply voltage, the
capacitor to compensate for its needed voltage supply is 4700uF, 25V capacitor since
the operating voltage of LM386 is just 5V to 18V. The quiescent power drain is only
24 mW when operating from a 6-V supply, making the LM386M-1 and LM386MX-1

39. 27
ideal for battery operation. Below is the schematic diagram of the IC and pin layout
diagram;
Figure 4: Schematic diagram of LM386 IC
Figure 5: Pin layout and functions of LM386 IC
The pin layout and functions as seen in its datasheet are shown in figures 3.6 above:
Below, in figure 3.7 is the electrical characteristics of LM386 IC, these characteristics
were considered before choosing the power supply unit to the circuit.

40. 28
Figure 6: Electrical characteristics of LM386
As shown in above, the boosting circuit contains LM386 IC, capacitors, resistors and
antenna sockets. The IC is the main operating component in thus circuit, functioning as
an amplifier, so its datasheet is the determinant of all other component connected to it.
The capacitor and resistor values are as shown in the LM386 manufacturer’s manual.
The circuit diagram used was deigned according to the datasheet specifications
considering the aforementioned characteristics, see (LM386, 2017).
Figure 7: Circuit diagram of LM386 IC

41. 29
The resistor (4.7k) was connected between the pin 2 and 3 to improve the gain of the
input signal been fed from pin 3, an additional capacitor was added to the output of the
circuit (pin 5) so that the signal sent will be filtered.
The construction layout of the boosting circuit with all components mounted according
to the circuit diagram in figure 3.4 is shown below in figure 3.8
(a)
(b)
Figure 8:(a-b) Boosting circuit construction layout
Power Supply unit: this is the unit responsible for powering the boosting circuit since
it runs on supplied voltage (AC). It gives the circuit 18Volts supply since LM386 works
on 12V or 18V supply. (Obasan, et al., 2016)
Figure 9: the power supply unit (enclosed with heat sink to remove heat)

42. 30
Signal splitter: this component works as a multichannel system and is responsible for
feeding the received signal from the boosting circuit into different channels or outputs.
3.1.3.3 Transmitting Medium design
this comprises of coaxial cable of good quality, the type of coaxial cable used in this
project is RJ6, having an ohmic resistance of 70 ohms. A cable path design and survey
were carried out by considering the distance to be covered, reception of signal for the
antenna and the positioning of the signal booster circuit, the edge of the roofing of
Engineering building Complex was chosen and the cable path span across the paths
allocated for cables as it was laid beside several other cables.
3.2 Selection of Materials
3.2.1 Antenna Material selection
The wireless signal booster is a home-brew booster which uses common household
items. This antenna can improve the signal of cell phone signal inside the house, from
1 bar to full. There is need to build 2 or more units, one indoor (donor), others as
outdoor, both units are similar and simple to build.
This project was built using few industrial materials, when the antennas construction is
completed, it will have 80% efficiency. Primary objective is GSM 900, 2G signal
reception. One need to have at least cell phone/ Wi-Fi signal coverage outside the
domain for this antenna to function and work, (1 bar signal strength or come and go).
The antenna can be constructed using the following;
i. Iron wire, 2-4 mm iron wire (without paint coating to improve efficiency).
ii. Two pieces of extended electric cable connector block, 20A
iii. Good quality RJ69 satellite TV coaxial cable, 40 meters long.

43. 31
3.2.2 Other Materials and Components Used
i. Multipurpose Plier
ii. Soldering Iron
iii. Soldering lead
iv. Cutting Plier
v. De-soldering pump
vi. Splitter unit
vii. Power supply unit
viii. Coaxial Cable
ix. 1mm2 Wiring Cable
x. Switch
xi. 20A cable connector
xii. Capacitors
xiii. Resistors
xiv. LED
xv. LM386 IC
xvi. Iron wire
xvii. Sealing tape
xviii. Coaxial Cable connectors (male and female)
xix. Network Cell info Lite software application for Android smartphones
xx. Vero board
xxi. RF speed detector software application for Android smartphones

44. 32
3.3 Construction Procedure
3.3.1 Antenna Construction Procedure
First to build is the antenna framework using the iron wire, the wire was straitened and
bent at 4cm at the corner about 45 degrees. Then, we measure 8cm from the bend and
bend inwards at 90 degrees. Then measure 9cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90
degrees. Then measure 9cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees. Then
measure 8cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees.
Last bending is same as the first bend 4cm about 45 degree where install extend electric
cable connector block, insert the connector block to the both ends of the wire and tighten
it. All wire is connected inside the connector block. Three (3) units were built.
Next step is the wireless antenna,
Good quality RJ69 satellite TV coaxial cable was used, the plastic jacket was cut about
15-20 cm length, (the center core round / turns, about 20cm) depending on the center
core round / turns diameter. The metallic shield was twisted down the metallic shield
and becomes a wire without cutting and fit into the connector block at the red line and
tighten. Then the cable the dielectric insulator was cut carefully, because we need the
center core for building the wireless antenna.
About 5cm from the edge of the center core (at plastic jacket edge depend on the length
of center core), we made 5 round / turns clockwise using screw driver, the center core
was bent round and round / turns on the rod. Then straighten the center core, now we
need to mount this wireless antenna to the 3G antenna.
After some testing, it was discovered that for 4G, the turns must be center core 7 round
/turns at outdoor unit, and center core 5 round / turns at indoor unit. Signal strength
testing application software on Android smartphone was used to search for the location

45. 33
that have strong 4G signal to detect the placement of the antenna unit on top of the
building.
If the signal strength still too weak, you can trial and error increase the outdoor unit the
center core round / turn, both edges of the cable are to be connected to the wireless
antenna.
3.3.2 Signal booster circuit construction
The construction was done using step by step approach in order to achieve the specified
results. Some of these steps are listed and explained below;
i. Designing the schematic and layout diagram
ii. Soldering components to the circuit board
`3.3.3 Soldering of Components to the Vero Board
The first step here is to prepare the board for soldering. After the scrubbing, the PCB
is cleaned with a soft cloth and dried under mild sunlight. It is then ready to be
populated with components. The completed circuit is placedin a casing formechanical
protection.
The signal booster circuit was constructed on a line type Vero board, following the
circuit diagram drawn.
Figure 10: Installed Booster Circuit showing coaxial cable fed into/ from it.

46. 34
3.4 Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation
Table 3: Bill of Engineering Measurement & Evaluation (BEME)
S/N ITEM UNIT
PRICE
(N)
COST
PRICE
(N)
REMARKS
i. Components ------ 10,000 including excess in case
of burnt
ii. Coaxial Cable 200 6,000
iii. Cable connectors 100 2,400 including excess in case
of burnt
iv. Iron for antenna
framework
500 1,500
v. Splitter 1,500 1,500
vi. Sealing Tape 400 400
vii. Satellite Finder 1,500 1,500 disposed due to
incompatibility
viii. Vero board 100 400 including excess in case
of burnt
ix. Cutting Pliers 1,000 1,000 1 piece
x. Cable Clip 500 500 1 pack
xi. Electrical Cable ------ 1,500 ½ coil
xii. Booster circuit Casing 300 600
xiii. Miscellaneous ------- 6,000
xiv. Transportation ------ 8,000
xv. Soldering Lead 700 700
xvi. Trunking Pipe 120 480
xvii. Casing for booster circuit 500 500
TOTAL 42, 980

47. 35
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Performance Testing
Before making use of the booster system it is necessary to check the booster output
voltage if it is consistent with the desired output. The input voltage is 5v from the USB
port this also is tested by plugging the device to a computer system then the multimeter
is set to DC voltage and the multimeter cables placed on the USB port to read its output
voltage.
4.1.1 Antenna Testing
For antenna testing, we will attempt to illuminate the test antenna (often called an
antenna-under-test) with a plane wave. This will be done by using a source
(transmitting) antenna with known radiation pattern and characteristics, in such a way
that the fields incident upon the test antenna are approximately plane waves. The setup
for the antenna testing process include:
A source antenna- it receives the signal from neighboring network providers, it was
mounted on the top of the building (a five storey building) attached to a pole for
mounting.
Figure 11: antenna mounted on a pole at the roof of the building.

48. 36
Receiverantennas- This system determines how much power is received by the test
antenna. The antenna under test was placed about some meters away and RF speed
detector Android application software was used to check for the signal strength,
throughput and gain. Several repeatable results were gotten and recorded in Fig. 4.2
Figure 12: Receiving antenna in front of the walkway
4.1.2 Signal Testing
Measurement of GSM signal strength was conducted to determine GSM signal strength
in the Engineering Complex building, in the faculty of Engineering building and Orita
street Ilaro. The measurements were carried out in different buildings and at different
times and weather conditions around the case study and outside. The measurements
were carried out between 13th to 20th of August on two GSM service providers in
Nigeria (MTN, and Globacom) and Wi-Fi signal (NITDA and Students), to determine
their signal penetration using Radio Frequency Speed Detector (RFSD) and Network
Cell Info (NCI) Lite application software.
During measurement, the frequency of the Wi-Fi, Arbitrary Strength Unit (ASU), and
reception transmission level were constant while the reception level in dBm,
transmitting power and reception quality were varying. Measurements were first
conducted outside the building known as the outdoor signal strength and then indoors
in each floor of the building known as the indoor signal strength.

49. 37
4.2 Presentation of Results
The figures in Fig. 4.3 (a-d) shows the measured values of signal strength in the building
after the construction.
(a) (b)
s
(c) (d)
Figure 13:(a-d) measured values of signal strength after construction

50. 38
4.3 Problems Encountered
There were numerous problems encountered in this project work. Firstly, it was to
ascertain the kind of design to use, after much research and consultation with my project
supervisor and other experts in the field, the idea was initiated and followed through till
the end of this project work. Other challenges include crimping the coaxial cable to its
connector, soldering the coaxial cable to the boosting circuit and unavailability of test
equipment like spectrum analyzer, simple bolometer (a device for measuring the energy
of incident electromagnetic waves), signal generator.

51. 39
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
The aim of this project is to construct a GSM/Wi-Fi signal booster which enhances the
signal strength using relatively cheap components was achieved. This booster design is
new and made from local components which are affordable. If it is developed upon and
mass production made, there will be affordable GSM/Wi-Fi signal boosters in Nigeria,
and it can even be exported. There is also room for further work and improvement on
the design especially considering that this booster can be designed to broadcast
wirelessly thereby acting as a repeater to many devices and to cover wider area.
In conclusion, with this device users can now enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted and
reliable data communication and phone calls. As seen in the results shown in Figure
4.1, the increased strength is just a few percentages, this is because the antenna used is
low cost and as stated in the selection of materials used and to increase its coverage
area, more antennas could be added to different sections of the building, a 1-4 splitter
was installed for this cause.
5.3 Recommendations
This project write-up should serve as an aid to any subsequent project work on design
and construction of a signal booster. With this project work improved upon, a device
that will be very useful can be created which will rival other available boosters in the
market, especially with its affordability.
I will also recommend this project to be executed massively in all buildings with low
or weak signals in the school (Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro) and for mass production by
companies and Investors should take it up from here so that we can enjoy a seamless,
uninterrupted and reliable data communication across long ranges without dead zones.

52. 40
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Attah, O. (2013). In-building penetration loss in office and residential building
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Caputo, C. A. (2014). Digital Video Surveillance and Security. (Second, Ed.)
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