Answer up front: if your three-bed home, large flat, cafe, pub or small office mixes EE-family SIMs (EE, BT Mobile, Asda Mobile, Virgin Mobile) with O2, Vodafone or Three members and needs boosted EE voice calls alongside a universal 3G fallback rather than a data-only chassis, the DW250 at £295.00 is the pick; it pairs Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE-family voice, text and 1800 MHz 4G LTE with Band 1 at 2100 MHz for 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS across all four networks, cleans at ≥60 dB uplink and ≥65 dB downlink, outputs ≥17 dBm behind a ≤5 dB noise figure, and covers a 250m² (2,691 ft²) space for up to 25 users across three indoor whip zones with the 5 dBi omni, 3 dBi whip, 10m outdoor coax and 5m indoor cable. If the property genuinely fits 200m² with two zones, the DW200 at £205.99 carries the same band pair at ≥10 dBm for 20 users; if the household prioritises rural Band 20 800 MHz 4G data over calls, the CD250 tunes Band 20+3 data-only; if it prioritises O2/Vodafone rural 4G plus universal 3G but never needs boosted EE voice, the CW250 tunes Band 20+1.

The £0.00 DW250-versus-CD250 and DW250-versus-CW250 gaps buy different second bands rather than more machine: same £295, same 250m², same 25 users, same ≥60/≥65 dB gain, same ≥17 dBm output class, same 10m outdoor plus 5m indoor cable, same omni and whip. The DW250's Band 3 at 1800 MHz serves the EE family's voice calls and 1800 4G, and its Band 1 at 2100 MHz serves a universal 3G fallback on every network; the CD250's Band 20 at 800 MHz serves rural 4G data with no voice band and no Band 1; the CW250's Band 20 at 800 MHz serves rural 4G data while its Band 1 serves universal 3G, but it never tunes Band 3. The DW200's −£89.01 gap buys the same two bands at half-tier room size, user count, output class and antenna zones. The CD250, CG250 and CW250 trio all sell at £295, and none covers Band 3 voice, Band 20 rural data and Band 1 3G at once, because these channels are separate entries each chassis pairs in twos.

This page compares the four chassis side by side rather than in a roundup: the DW250, the DW200, the CD250 and the CW250, with the CG250 Band 20+8 legacy 2G model noted where it sits in the band matrix. It separates the two roles each chassis fills — a data or voice carrier band versus a fallback band — sizes the shared gain, user and cable spec, maps each MVNO to its host network, and gives a five-branch decision tree so the choice follows which SIMs you hold, whether VoLTE covers your calls, whether the home or commercial space really reaches 250m², and whether EE voice, rural data or universal 3G matters most indoors.

All four are UKCA and CE certified, Ofcom licence-exempt, ship free within the UK on 1 to 2 day handling plus 10 to 15 day transit, and carry a 365-day mail return window. None carries 5G NR; the DW250, DW200 and CW250 carry Band 1 3G, while the CD250 carries neither a voice band nor 3G. All run from the AC 100–240V 50/60Hz to DC 5V UK Type plug. The rest of this page numbers every band, £89.01 step and £0.00 tie before you order.

Before the tables, three rules keep the comparison honest. First, the chassis split into three distinct UK bands: Band 3 at 1800 MHz (uplink 1710–1785 MHz, downlink 1805–1880 MHz) carries the EE family voice calls, text and 1800 MHz 4G data, reaching direct EE and the BT Mobile, Asda Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Orange, T-Mobile and The People's Operator MVNOs; Band 1 at 2100 MHz (uplink 1930–1990 MHz, downlink 2110–2180 MHz) carries 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three; Band 20 at 800 MHz (uplink 832–862, downlink 791–821) carries the rural 4G data channel across the major networks. Each chassis pairs exactly two of these channels, so the comparison decides which pair your home or cafe needs and at which room size and output tier.

Second, the pairings differ: the DW250 pairs Band 3 with Band 1 — EE voice and 1800 4G plus universal 3G at the 250m² output class; the DW200 pairs Band 3 with Band 1 at the 200m² tier; the CD250 pairs Band 20 with Band 3 — rural 4G data plus EE 1800 data, with no call band and no 3G; the CW250 pairs Band 20 with Band 1 — rural 4G data plus universal 3G, with no Band 3 voice channel. The CG250 sits beside this quartet with Band 20 plus Band 8 at 900 MHz for O2/Vodafone 4G and legacy 2G voice, carrying neither Band 3 nor Band 1. Third, the DW250, CD250 and CW250 share the 250m², 25-user, ≥60/≥65 dB and ≥17 dBm class, while the DW200 is the deliberate 200m², 20-user, ≥10 dBm middle tier; the choice within the £295 trio is purely "which two bands do my SIMs need indoors?", and the DW200 question is purely "does my home fit the middle tier?"

Because the trio's price, 250m² space, 25-user cap, ≥60/≥65 dB gain and ≥17 dBm output are identical, this comparison never turns on power or size between those three; it turns on band plan and host network. A household that only ever holds one network's SIMs can use the narrowest data unit; a mixed-network home with EE-family voice requirements and O2/Vodafone/Three members needs the Band 3 plus Band 1 pairing of the DW250.

Coverage figures assume reasonable donor signal outside and sensible antenna separation; the rated 250m² covers a three-bed home, large flat, bungalow, cafe, pub, small office, shop or salon, and the DW200's 200m² covers a two-bed flat or small house. On a strong −70 to −90 dBm donor the DW250 can add up to 3 indoor antennas via a 3-way splitter and extra cable, while the DW200 supports up to 2 via a 2-way splitter; a weak −97 to −105 dBm donor uses the optional Yagi aimed at the nearest mast. The tables below compare specs, the £0.00 trio tie, the £89.01 DW200 step and day-one versus five-year cost before the decision tree.

Read the voice and fallback rows before the price rows: the DW250 and DW200 keep Band 3 EE voice plus Band 1 universal 3G, the CD250 keeps Band 20 plus Band 3 data with neither a voice channel nor 3G, and the CW250 keeps Band 20 plus Band 1 rural data and 3G without the EE voice band; then read coverage, output, users and antennas, where the DW200 is the deliberate middle tier and the other three match the 250m² class.

Because the trio shares price, area, users, gain and output class, no gap buys more power or more space between DW250, CD250 and CW250; every £0.00 difference buys a different band pair. The −£89.01 DW200 step buys a smaller room, smaller user cap, lower output class and fewer antenna zones at the same band plan. None of the four raises the serving mast's data speed, which still comes from the base station and network load.

The DW250 and DW200 share the identical band plan: Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE-family voice and 1800 4G, Band 1 at 2100 MHz for universal 3G, and the same ≥60/≥65 dB gain class. The £89.01 difference is the room size, user cap, output class and antenna zones, not the networks served.

DW250: three-zone commercial-home output at ≥17 dBm

The DW250 reaches ≥17 dBm output, a power level sized to feed three indoor whips through the 3-way splitter across a three-bed home, large flat, cafe, pub or small business. It covers up to 250m² for 25 simultaneous users, and the third whip covers the back bedroom, upstairs landing, cafe counter or outbuilding without dropping near the splitter. The higher output does not multiply mast speed; it means the cleaned signal reaches the third zone cleanly rather than fading at the splitter legs.

DW200: two-zone two-bed-home output at ≥10 dBm

The DW200 sits at ≥10 dBm output, covers up to 200m² for 20 simultaneous users, and supports up to 2 indoor antennas through the 2-way splitter. It ships the same omni, whip, 10m outdoor and 5m indoor cable bundle and the same Yagi, long-cable and protector upgrades. A two-bed flat forced onto the DW250 pays for output and a third zone it never uses; a three-bed home forced onto the DW200 will find the third room or counter weak, the third user zone congested, and the ≥10 dBm level strained across two splitter legs stretched to a third whip.

The £89.01 step decides by measured floor plan, device count and room count

Measure the rooms you need boosted, count active devices, and count how many whip zones you need. A two-bed flat or small home under roughly 200m² with up to twenty active devices and two zones stays with the DW200 at £205.99; a three-bed home, large flat, bungalow, cafe, pub or office spanning closer to 250m² with more than twenty active devices and three zones needs the DW250 at £295.00. Buying the DW200 for a space that actually needs the DW250 usually means a second unit or an upgrade later, which costs more than the up-tier step on day one.

The DW250 and CD250 tie on price, 250m², 25 users, ≥60/≥65 dB gain, ≥17 dBm output class and the 10m plus 5m cable stack. Both tune Band 3 at 1800 MHz; the whole difference is the second band: Band 1 universal 3G on the DW250 versus Band 20 rural 4G on the CD250.

DW250 Band 1: universal 3G fallback for all four networks

The DW250 adds Band 1 at 2100 MHz. On EE, O2, Vodafone and Three this provides a 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS fallback where 4G alone weakens, including MVNOs riding those hosts. Together with Band 3 it also keeps the EE-family voice path boosted; it does not tune Band 20 rural 800 MHz, so an O2, Vodafone or Three SIM receives Band 1 3G indoors rather than a boosted 800 MHz 4G channel.

CD250 Band 20: rural 4G data, no voice band, no 3G

The CD250 instead tunes Band 20 at 800 MHz for rural 4G data across EE, O2, Vodafone and Three alongside the Band 3 1800 data layer. It carries no dedicated voice channel and never amplifies Band 1, so a call that would ride a boosted voice or 3G path stays native indoors; an O2/Vodafone/Three member has rural 4G data but no boosted fallback if 4G drops. The CD250 suits a data-first cafe or home where calls already hold on VoLTE and the weak point is 800 MHz coverage.

The £0.00 tie decides by second band, not by spec

Because price, coverage, users, gain, output and cable are identical, the DW250-versus-CD250 choice is a pure band-pair question: EE-family home needing boosted calls and universal 3G fallback = DW250; rural data-first home needing Band 20 800 MHz and comfortable with native calling = CD250; mixed where both Band 3 voice and Band 20 rural data matter = no single chassis solves both, and a band-specific second unit or larger system is required rather than forcing one box.

The DW250 and CW250 also tie on price, 250m², 25 users, gain, output class and cable, and both keep Band 1 at 2100 MHz for universal 3G. The difference is the other band: the DW250 tunes Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE-family voice and 1800 4G; the CW250 tunes Band 20 at 800 MHz for rural 4G data.

CW250 Band 20: rural 4G for O2/Vodafone and Three data

An O2 or Vodafone-led household gets boosted Band 20 rural 4G that the DW250 cannot provide, and keeps the same Band 1 3G fallback; in return, EE-family SIMs receive Band 1 3G fallback only, with the Band 3 voice channel left native rather than boosted, and there is no Band 3 1800 data layer. The CW250 cannot add Band 3 later, and the DW250 cannot add Band 20 later; these are fixed band pairs, not switchable modules.

DW250 Band 3: EE-family calls and 1800 4G on the EE host

The DW250's Band 3 keeps direct EE calls, text and 1800 4G boosted together with the BT Mobile, Asda Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Orange, T-Mobile and The People's Operator MVNOs that host on EE. This suits an EE-led three-bed home, a mixed-network shared house where EE members need reliable calls, and a small cafe or office with EE business phones; it does not reproduce a dedicated Band 20 rural 4G channel for O2/Vodafone data. Match the second band to how your handsets actually hold data and call today.

The CG250 at the £295 class pairs Band 20 at 800 MHz with Band 8 at 900 MHz for O2 and Vodafone 4G data plus legacy 2G voice. It does not tune Band 3 at 1800 MHz, so there is no EE 4G data channel, and it does not tune Band 1 at 2100 MHz, so there is no universal 3G fallback on any host. In the head-to-head it ranks behind the DW250 for any modern EE-family or mixed-network household: the DW250 carries Band 3 voice and Band 1 3G where the CG250 carries a 2G voice layer that UK carriers are phasing down. The CG250 remains a narrow match only for an older O2/Vodafone handset or legacy home still dependent on 900 MHz 2G calling in a rural patch; every current smartphone family should compare the DW250, CD250 or CW250 above it.

UK MVNOs do not run their own masts; they ride a host network, and a booster amplifies the host's band plan rather than the SIM brand. The table below maps every listed SIM to the channel it receives on each of the four chassis.

Read the EE-host rows first: only the DW250 and DW200 pair Band 3 boosted voice with Band 1 fallback; the CD250 gives EE data only, and the CW250 gives EE Band 1 3G without a voice channel. Then read the O2, Vodafone and Three rows: the CW250 is the only chassis that gives those hosts both Band 20 rural data and Band 1 fallback, the CD250 gives Band 20 data without fallback, and the two DW models give Band 1 fallback without Band 20 data.

Walk the branches top to bottom and stop at the first yes.

Branch 1 — Does the home or business hold more than one direct network (EE plus O2/Vodafone, or Three) and need a call fallback that works on whichever SIM is weak?

Yes: the Band 3 voice channel plus Band 1 universal 3G matters, so stay inside the DW family. Move to Branch 2 for room size, output and antenna zones; do not pick the CD250, which has no voice or 3G, or the CW250, which has no Band 3 voice.

Branch 2 — Does the space span roughly 200m² or less with twenty devices and two whip zones, versus closer to 250m² with twenty-five devices and three zones?

Under 200m², twenty or fewer active devices, two zones: DW200 at £205.99, Band 3+1, ≥60/≥65 dB, ≥10 dBm, 2-way splitter, 10m plus 5m cable. Closer to 250m², three-bed home, large flat, cafe, pub or office, more than twenty devices, three zones: DW250 at £295.00, Band 3+1, ≥60/≥65 dB, ≥17 dBm, 3-way splitter, three whips.

Branch 3 — Is the property O2/Vodafone-led in a rural village, where Band 20 800 MHz data is the weak link and EE voice never appears?

Yes: CW250 at £295.00, Band 20+1, rural 4G plus Band 1 universal 3G, accept that EE-family calls are not boosted on Band 3. No (mixed EE household, town-centre home, or EE voice is the priority): return to Branch 2 and choose the matched DW model.

Branch 4 — Are calls already reliable natively on VoLTE, and the only weak point rural Band 20 4G data across EE, O2 and Vodafone, with no 3G fallback required?

Yes: CD250 at £295.00, Band 20+3, rural 4G data over 250m² for 25 users. Do not reach for a DW model if Band 20 data is the real gap, because neither DW chassis tunes Band 20.

Branch 5 — Do you need both a Band 20 rural 4G channel and a Band 3 EE voice channel alongside Band 1 3G, or do you need 5G, a multi-floor home beyond 250m², a large trading floor, or more than 25 simultaneous users?

Yes: none of the four chassis covers all three bands, and the entry tier is undersized beyond 250m² or 25 users; plan a band-specific second unit or a larger multi-antenna system rather than overloading one box. No and the space fits the chosen tier: return to Branch 1, 2, 3 or 4 and order the matched unit.

Three-bed EE-family home in a town or village. Direct EE phones plus a BT Mobile or Asda Mobile member, calls dropping in the second bedroom and study, 1800 data adequate: the DW250 keeps Band 3 calls boosted and Band 1 3G as a fallback across three whips; the DW200 would cover only two zones in a 200m² home.

Mixed-network large flat or shared house. EE, giffgaff and Tesco Mobile SIMs on three or six residents' phones, a tablet on Three: the DW250 gives the EE member boosted Band 3 voice and every member a Band 1 3G fallback; no Band 20 rural 4G is missed inside a town property with moderate donor signal.

Rural O2/Vodafone cottage or farmhouse. O2 and Vodafone SIMs, 800 MHz the only 4G channel available indoors, EE SIMs absent: the CW250 pairs Band 20 rural data with Band 1 3G, which the DW250 cannot match because it omits Band 20.

Data-first cafe or home office on VoLTE. Calls already hold over 4G voice on every handset; the weak point is rural Band 20 download for video meetings on EE, O2 and Vodafone: the CD250 concentrates the budget on rural 4G data without paying for a voice or 3G channel the space does not use.

Cafe, pub, salon or small workshop with mixed staff SIMs. EE business phone, O2 supplier line and Three staff SIM: the DW250 keeps the EE voice path boosted while Band 1 holds fallback for the other hosts across three whips; a till or card reader needing Band 20 rural data should compare the CW250 or a larger system rather than stretching the entry chassis across metal walls and a function room.

Day one, the DW250, CD250 and CW250 tie at £295.00; the DW200 sits at £205.99. The five-year total separates them when a second purchase or upgrade appears.

The CD250 buyer who later needs boosted voice or a 3G fallback pays a second band-specific unit on top of the £295 already spent; the CW250 buyer who later brings an EE phone into the home does the same for Band 3; the DW200 buyer who outgrows a two-bed flat moves up to the DW250 rather than stacking smaller units around a larger space. Only the correctly matched single DW250, DW200, CD250 or CW250 closes the job day one at its tier. Because the trio costs the same, the risk is buying the wrong band pair rather than overspending, and a second-box correction doubles the outlay.

The DW250 box at £295.00 holds the booster, the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, the UK Type power adapter, the 10m outdoor low-loss coax and the 5m indoor cable; paid variants are the high-gain Yagi directional aerial, 20/30/40/50m outdoor cable and the 18KA lightning surge protector for an exposed aerial or long roof run. On a strong −70 to −90 dBm donor, a 3-way splitter and extra coax feed up to 3 indoor antennas for the lounge, bedroom, cafe counter or outbuilding; a weak −97 to −105 dBm donor uses the optional Yagi aimed at the nearest mast. The DW200 box carries the omni, whip, 10m outdoor and 5m indoor cable for its 200m² two-antenna tier; the CD250 and CW250 boxes carry the same 10m plus 5m cable stack for their respective band pairs.

Basic setup takes 10 to 15 minutes without tools: mount the omni with a clear mast view, keep the whips a sensible distance inside, run the outdoor coax from the BS outdoor port to the MS indoor port, connect the indoor cable and whips, power from the UK plug, and read steady green before testing. Keep a minimum 10m vertical separation where the floor plan allows, and do not power on until both antennas are connected. The expansion note reads "Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong."

All four carry UKCA, CE and RoHS, are Ofcom licence-exempt, ship free within the UK (handling 1–2 days, transit 10–15 days), and carry a 365-day mail return window with lifetime technical support. The £295.00 DW250 price is valid to 2027-10-25, InStock NewCondition, and ships to GB, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, SE, DK, FI, IE, PT, PL and CZ; the DW200, CD250 and CW250 follow the same shipping and return terms. Each booster needs 1 to 2 bars of external donor signal to amplify and cannot create signal in a fully dead spot.

Three-bed home, large flat, cafe, pub or 25-user office, modern phones on VoLTE or 3G, mixed networks needing Band 3 EE voice plus Band 1 fallback, 250m² with three zones: DW250 at £295.00, Band 3+1, the only 250m² chassis that keeps EE-family calls boosted alongside all-network 3G at ≥17 dBm.

Two-bed flat or small home under 200m², same Band 3+1 plan, twenty devices or fewer, two zones: DW200 at £205.99, entry-to-middle tier, ≥10 dBm, upgrade path to the DW250 if the property grows.

Rural O2/Vodafone-led property on legacy rural data, no EE voice requirement: CW250 at £295.00, Band 20+1, accept that Band 3 EE calls are not boosted.

Data-first VoLTE home or cafe needing rural Band 20 across EE/O2/Vodafone with no voice or 3G fallback required: CD250 at £295.00, Band 20+3, accept that calls stay native indoors.

Quick verdict: at the £0.00 trio tie, DW250 serves Band 3 EE voice plus Band 1 universal 3G, CD250 serves Band 20 rural data with no call layer, and CW250 serves Band 20 rural data plus Band 1 3G without the EE voice band; the DW200 repeats the DW250 band pair at a smaller room size, lower output class and two-antenna zone for £89.01 less. Match the band pair, tier and antenna count to the SIMs, hosts and measured floor plan your handsets actually use rather than chasing the largest spec sheet, because the trio delivers identical gain, area and user capacity for the £295 price.