Answer first: the DW100 pairs Band 3 (1710–1785 MHz uplink, 1805–1880 MHz downlink) with Band 1 (1930–1990 MHz uplink, 2110–2180 MHz downlink). Band 3 delivers EE-family voice calls and 4G LTE data for EE, BT, ASDA, Virgin, Orange, T-Mobile and The People's Operator handsets; Band 1 keeps the same hosts' plus O2, Vodafone and Three 3G UMTS data and voice as the shared fallback layer. The ≥45/50 dB gain and ≥10 dBm output amplify both layers inside the masonry, the omni picks up the donor mast outside, and automatic gain control balances the field as handsets move between rooms. The unit carries no Band 20 on 800 MHz for rural 4G, no Band 8 on 900 MHz, and no 5G NR; it needs at least one or two bars outside the property to work, and it cannot create signal where the mast does not transmit.

Band 3 on 1800 MHz: the EE-Family Voice and 4G Layer

Band 3 sits at 1710–1785 MHz on the uplink, where handsets transmit, and 1805–1880 MHz on the downlink, where the mast transmits. In the UK this block carries the EE family's voice calls, texts and 4G LTE data, and it is the layer that keeps an EE, BT, ASDA, Virgin, Orange, T-Mobile or The People's Operator handset calling and browsing inside the DW100's home.

Why 1800 MHz carries both voice calls and 4G data for the EE family

EE allocates its 1800 MHz spectrum across voice and 4G packet data; a DW100-tuned handset on an EE-family SIM therefore keeps a normal circuit voice call and a 4G data session on the same band the chassis amplifies, rather than hopping to a separate voice-only circuit the repeater does not tune. For an EE household where reliable call quality on the living-room sofa and home-office desk matters more than peak rural speed, this Band 3 layer is the primary service: incoming and outgoing calls, texts, email, messaging apps and light browsing hold indoors where the phone behind double glazing alone drops. The omni aerial sits outside the masonry, sees a stronger donor than the handset behind the window, the ≥50 dB downlink stage amplifies that block, and the interior whip re-radiates it through the main room and any split second room.

Which EE-family brands ride Band 3 indoors

The DW100 amplifies whatever SIM's host is locked to the donor mast, one serving carrier per tuned band at a time, so a household with an EE main account and an O2 or Three secondary SIM should confirm both hosts' mast bearings before fixing the omni position. In a shared house, the EE-family members hold calls on Band 3 while everyone falls back to Band 1 3G as the common cross-network layer.

Band 1 on 2100 MHz: the 3G UMTS All-Networks Fallback

Band 1 pairs 1930–1990 MHz uplink with 2110–2180 MHz downlink. This is the 3G UMTS layer, and on the DW100 it carries data and voice across all four MNOs: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Its job in the home is the shared safety net: when a handset on a non-EE host cannot hold its own data layer, or the property sits outside that host's newer 4G footprint, the phone steps to the 3G block the chassis still amplifies.

How 3G keeps every network's calls and data alive indoors

3G UMTS supports circuit voice and packet data, so an O2, Vodafone or Three handset that cannot hold a newer 4G bearer can still call out, text, send a location fix or hold a low-bandwidth data session over the amplified 2100 MHz layer. For a family with mixed carriers, a shared house split between EE and Three, a small shop serving customers on several networks, and a home-office laptop tethered to an O2 or Vodafone SIM, the Band 1 layer is the redundancy that a single-band Band 3 repeater cannot provide. The chassis tunes both bands together: the omni feeds both donors, the dual stage amplifies each on its own paired channel, and the interior whip radiates both to the ten-user field.

2100 MHz propagation inside brick and masonry

The 2100 MHz band travels shorter distances and loses more through brick, concrete and plasterboard than a lower rural band, which is why the interior whip sits central to the main usage area rather than at the far edge of the flat. The ≥45 dB uplink gain recovers the faint handset-side signal back toward the mast, and the 10 dBm output keeps the room field audible; a far bedroom that reads light on Band 1 is the reason to move the whip toward that room or add the second splitter whip, not to shift the omni off the serving mast bearing.

How ≥45/50 dB Gain and the Omni Work Across 100 m²

The DW100's radio numbers are sized for a small flat, cottage or office rather than a multi-floor building; gain, output, noise figure and the outdoor aerial each play a different role around the home.

≥45/50 dB: entry-tier gain matched to the room footprint

Gain is the amount the chassis magnifies the faint donor signal: ≥45 dB on the uplink from handset to mast, ≥50 dB on the downlink from mast to handset. These entry-tier figures recover the one-to-two-bar signal the omni picks up outside, enough to lift a phone behind the window from a dropped session to a usable reading without pushing the stage into feedback inside a confined room. The 100 m² footprint matches this gain level: the field holds the main living area and a connected second room, while a larger detached house would need higher gain and a wider antenna arrangement from a higher coverage tier.

≥10 dBm output and the standard omni aerial

The ≥10 dBm output is the field the interior whip sends into the room, a level matched to a flat or small office; the ≤5 dB noise figure keeps the amplified field clear of hiss, and automatic gain control balances the level as handsets approach or leave a mast cell. The omni outdoor aerial ships in the standard kit and picks up a broad block from the roof or wall bracket; the higher-gain Yagi remains an upgrade option for the one-bar rural cottage, and the 10 m low-loss feed links donor to chassis. A second indoor whip joins through the 2-way splitter only when the outside donor is strong enough to share the field.

Radio summary for the household and small-business buyer

MVNO Host Map for Mixed-Carrier Households and Shared Houses

A household using budget SIMs should know which host each brand rides; the DW100 amplifies the host's Band 3 and Band 1 layers, so a SIM rides whatever network its MVNO partner leases.

Before fitting a shared-house or small-office pool, check the donor mast the omni locks to on the street: an EE-bearing position also serves the 3G layer shared across hosts in many residential sites, but a brand with no local mast of its host cannot be rescued by the chassis. An EE-family main account benefits directly from Band 3 voice and 4G; an O2, Three or Vodafone secondary SIM relies on Band 1 3G for the shared fallback, so choosing the omni bearing that serves both hosts matters most in a mixed household.

Voice Fallback Outside the 3G Area, VoLTE and What the Phone Switches To

When 3G is unavailable, the EE-family call still rides Band 3

On a DW100 install, an EE, BT, ASDA or Virgin handset keeps its voice call on the Band 3 1800 MHz layer even where the local 3G footprint has been retired or never reached the street; that call leg exists independently of Band 1. This is the redundancy the single-band D250 already provides on Band 3 alone, plus the all-network 3G layer added by this dual-band chassis. A non-EE host handset outside its own 4G and 3G coverage sees the Band 1 gap honestly: the chassis cannot manufacture a host layer the mast has stopped transmitting.

VoLTE where the handset and host support it

Where the phone and the serving host support Voice over LTE, a voice call can ride the Band 3 4G packet layer rather than a circuit call; the DW100 amplifies the 4G bearer either way. The unit does not add VoLTE capability to a phone that never had it, and a host network that has retired 3G in a local area shows its own fallback behaviour; the chassis amplifies what the mast transmits, it does not create a missing service. Check the handset network mode and VoLTE switch before diagnosing the repeater, since a disabled 4G Calling setting can mimic a coverage fault.

Why this home kit cannot rescue a 2G-only handset or a 5G contract need

The chassis tunes Band 3 and Band 1 only. A legacy handset that steps to 2G on Band 8 (900 MHz) or Band 3's own 2G layer on the older 1800 circuit sees that unboosted where the repeater cannot repeat it; a 5G contract needing n78 or n79 remains on the 5G band this box does not carry, and any future 3G switch-off by a host should be checked on Ofcom's current network status before sizing a shared-house system around the fallback leg.

DW100 Range Comparison: Band Combos at a Glance

Choosing between the DW100 and the neighbouring entry-tier dual-band units comes down to which radio layer the household actually needs; the four kits below pair different bands to different hosts and services.

The DW100 pairs the 1800 MHz EE voice and 4G layer with the 2100 MHz all-network 3G layer, which is why it suits EE-family households who need reliable calls while O2, Vodafone and Three members still share a 3G fallback. The CD100 covers EE, O2 and Vodafone 4G data but has no call band or 3G layer; the CW100 covers O2/Vodafone rural 4G plus 3G across every network but misses EE voice; the D250 covers EE voice and 4G alone in a single-band footprint with no 3G at all. The DW100 sits between them as the voice-plus-3G entry-tier choice.

Honest Limits: No 800 Rural 4G, No Band 8, No 5G, Outside Signal Required

No Band 20 800 MHz rural 4G

The DW100 does not tune the 800 MHz Band 20 block that carries EE, O2, Vodafone and Three rural 4G over long distance and terrain. A cottage sitting in an 800 MHz-only coverage pocket, beyond a hill or at a village edge on 800 MHz 4G, will not see that layer repeated by this unit; the CD100 or CW100 carry the 800 MHz rural 4G band instead. If the household's priority is rural 4G data speed rather than EE voice calls, this combo is the wrong fit for that location.

No Band 8 900 MHz voice layer

The unit does not amplify Band 8 on 900 MHz, the legacy 2G and 900 MHz voice circuit used by older legacy call plans; a feature phone, two-way radio or legacy 2G POS terminal relying on that band stays unboosted whatever the 10 dBm field beside the whip. Drivers and staff running legacy voice gear should plan that equipment on a separate network rather than relying on this repeater.

No 5G NR layer

The chassis does not amplify 5G NR bands, including the 3.5 GHz n78 band used in UK urban 5G; a resident needing 5G speeds or a dedicated 5G system requires a different platform. The DW100 is a Band 3 voice-plus-4G and Band 1 3G redundancy booster for existing UK macro networks, not a 5G small cell.

It needs outside signal, and it cannot create a donor

Before fitting, the phone should read one or two bars outside the property on the target SIM; the repeater amplifies an existing weak block and cannot manufacture a mast service absent from the local network. In a dead valley, lined tunnel-adjacent basement or under a concrete bridge with zero external bars, no home kit can fill the gap; the honest fix is route planning and host coverage map checks before purchase.

Regulatory marks: Ofcom licence-exempt, UKCA, CE, RoHS

The DW100 operates under Ofcom's licence-exempt repeater class for indoor equipment that does not interfere with the macro network, which is why no individual site licence or fee applies to a compliant install. UKCA confirms conformity with UK product requirements, CE marks the EU directive alignment, and RoHS restricts hazardous substances in the electronics. Residents must keep the interior whip spaced from the omni so the stage does not feed back onto the mast, mount the aerial pointing at the donor rather than repeating another indoor source, and follow the vendor's installation guidance; operating outside the licensed class or causing interference could require the unit to be removed.

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