Verdict up front: the CW100 at £185.99 is the #1 in this 3G+4G roundup and the only chassis that pairs Band 20 at 800 MHz for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three 4G LTE data with Band 1 at 2100 MHz for 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS across all four UK networks from one device in a 100m² (1,076 ft²) single room, small flat or home office for up to 10 simultaneous users. It holds ≥45 dB uplink and ≥50 dB downlink gain, outputs ≥10 dBm behind a ≤5 dB noise figure, ships the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, a 10m low-loss coax and the AC 100–240V to DC 5V UK plug, and offers the high-gain Yagi, longer cable and 18KA surge protector as paid upgrades.

The CG100 at the same £185.99 pairs Band 20 data with Band 8 at 900 MHz for O2/Vodafone 2G calls, leaving EE and Three without a boosted voice fallback; the CD100 at the same £185.99 pairs Band 20 data with Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE 4G, leaving O2/Vodafone data-only on the voice layer. The CW100 takes a different path: instead of one legacy 2G call band, it amplifies Band 1 at 2100 MHz, the 3G UMTS layer every UK network used before VoLTE, so EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all keep a call and data fallback where 4G alone weakens.

Across a Devon cottage, a Yorkshire home, a Welsh valley, a Scotland farm, a Cornwall home office and a rural village, the CW100 lifted data from one bar to five and kept calls connected where 4G alone faded, a result a data-only Band 20 box cannot reproduce because it carries no fallback call layer. The CG100 kept O2/Vodafone 2G calls but left EE calling native; the CD100 kept EE data but left O2/Vodafone calling native; the CW100 keeps a 3G fallback for all four networks rather than betting on one legacy operator band.

All Boost4U units here 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. The CW100 installs in 10 to 15 minutes without tools, runs from the AC 100–240V 50/60Hz to DC 5V UK Type plug, operates between −10°C and +55°C, and packs to a 3.0 kg shipping weight. The difference between these models is which bands each chassis was tuned to amplify, which operators receive a call fallback, and what £185.99 actually buys in a 100m² home or small office.

This roundup compares the Boost4U CW100 at £185.99, the Boost4U CG100 at £185.99, the Boost4U CD100 at £185.99, a cheap generic single-band box around £120 estimated, and an imported home booster around £250 estimated. We judged each unit on six fixed questions: which frequency bands it amplifies, which operators receive 4G data versus a call fallback, how much gain and output it delivers, what indoor area and how many simultaneous users it supports, which antennas and cables ship, and whether a Yagi, longer cable and surge protector can be added.

Frequency bands decide networks before price. Band 20 at 800 MHz (uplink 832 to 862 MHz, downlink 791 to 821 MHz) carries EE, O2, Vodafone and Three 4G LTE data in rural coverage. Band 1 at 2100 MHz (uplink 1930 to 1990 MHz, downlink 2110 to 2180 MHz) carries 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three; it is the universal pre-VoLTE layer, so a call on any network can fall back to 3G rather than dropping entirely. Band 8 at 900 MHz carries only O2/Vodafone 2G; Band 3 at 1800 MHz carries EE 4G and EE 2G. A chassis tuned to one band cannot manufacture the others, no matter how many bars it claims.

Gain measured ≥45 dB uplink / ≥50 dB downlink cleans the weak incoming donor; output power ≥10 dBm sets how strongly the cleaned signal reaches the indoor whip. The rated 100m² (1,076 ft²) assumes reasonable donor signal outside and sensible antenna separation; it covers a single room, studio flat, small apartment, home office or shop, not a whole house across multiple floors. The 10 simultaneous-user rating counts family phones, tablets, home-office laptops and a small crew attaching to one boosted cell before the serving network scheduler congests.

Mounting and upgrades: the CW100 standard kit ships the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, the 10m low-loss coax and the UK power adapter; the high-gain Yagi directional aerial, 20/30/40/50m cable and 18KA lightning surge protector are paid variants, with the max combo (50m + Yagi + protector) at £305.99. On a strong −70 to −90 dBm donor the product note reads "Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong," supporting up to 2 indoor antennas through a 2-way splitter and extra cable; a weak −97 to −105 dBm donor uses the optional Yagi aimed at the nearest mast.

We treated the CW100, CG100 and CD100 at £185.99 as fixed shop prices, the generic box around £120 and imported kit around £250 as estimates beside or below the dual-band sticker without a UKCA Band 20+1 mark. Every unit below is judged on honest strengths and weaknesses; we do not recommend buying two single-band boosters when one dual-band £185.99 unit does the same job more cleanly.

The table below lays out the complete technical picture across all five models. The Boost4U units are UKCA and CE certified and Ofcom licence-exempt; the generic and imported kits are not UKCA-tuned for the Band 20+1 stack. The decisive rows are frequency bands, 3G all-network fallback, data versus legacy-voice, users and upgrade path.

The single most important row is the 3G all-network fallback: only the CW100 amplifies Band 1 so EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all keep a call and data fallback; the second row is the legacy-voice band, where CG100 serves O2/Vodafone 2G and CD100 serves EE 2G but neither covers every network.

The shop prices are fixed as listed. The CW100, CG100 and CD100 all sit at £185.99 with a compare-at £230.99; the generic box around £120 and imported kit around £250 sit below or above the dual-band sticker without a UKCA Band 20+1 mark.

All three are £0.00 apart, so the price never decides; the fallback band does. The CG100 buyer later adds Band 1 for EE/Three fallback, and the CD100 buyer later adds Band 1 for O2/Vodafone fallback, paying a second unit on top of the same £185.99 already spent. The single CW100 at £185.99 wins the mixed-network home, small office or rural cottage that needs a universal 3G fallback rather than betting on one legacy operator's 2G band.

The CW100 is the unique Band 20+1 member of the Boost4U dual-band family. At £185.99 (compare-at £230.99) it pairs Band 20 at 800 MHz for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three 4G LTE data with Band 1 at 2100 MHz for 3G UMTS data, voice and SMS across all four networks. Its uplink gain reaches ≥45 dB and downlink gain ≥50 dB, with ≥10 dBm output per band behind a ≤5 dB noise figure; the 3G layer is the universal pre-VoLTE fallback that every UK network operated before HD voice, so a call on EE, O2, Vodafone or Three can land on 3G rather than dropping entirely when 4G fades.

The rated coverage of up to 100m² (1,076 ft²) targets a small apartment or studio flat, a family home with mixed-network devices, a rural weak-signal cottage or holiday home, a small office or home office and shop, and a garage or workshop with metal walls. The 10 simultaneous-user rating counts family phones, tablets, home-office laptops and a small crew attaching to one boosted cell before the serving network scheduler congests. The full kit ships the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, the 10m low-loss coax, and the AC 100–240V 50/60Hz to DC 5V UK Type plug; upgrades are the high-gain Yagi directional aerial, 20/30/40/50m cable, and the 18KA lightning surge protector, with the max 50m + Yagi + protector combo at £305.99.

On the service list, the CW100 delivers 3G and 4G for EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, Asda, BT, FreedomPop, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lycamobile, Talkmobile, Orange, Plusnet, Sky, Smarty, Tesco, The People's Operator, T-Mobile and Virgin; Lebara and TalkTalk receive 3G only. It carries no 2G voice on Band 8 or Band 3, and no 5G; VoLTE calls work where the network already supports them, and Band 1 keeps a 3G fallback where VoLTE does not. On a strong −70 to −90 dBm donor, the note "Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong" supports up to 2 indoor antennas through a 2-way splitter and extra cable; a weak −97 to −105 dBm donor uses the optional Yagi aimed at the nearest mast.

The CG100 matches the CW100 on price, area, users, gain, output and kit but swaps the fallback band. At £185.99 it tunes Band 20 at 800 MHz for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three 4G data and Band 8 at 900 MHz for O2/Vodafone 2G voice calls and SMS. It also reaches 100m² for 10 users at the ≥45/≥50 dB gain class, ≥10 dBm output and the 10m cable stack, so it competes on size, power and price, not on universal fallback.

The critical difference is coverage of the call layer: on O2 and Vodafone, the CG100 boosts 2G voice on Band 8, but on EE and Three it provides Band 20 data only with no boosted call fallback, because EE 2G rides Band 3 and the CG100 does not tune Band 1 either. The CG100 is the right box when the household SIMs are O2/Vodafone-led and EE/Three calling never appears; it cannot give an EE or Three phone a universal 3G fallback.

The CD100 also matches on price, area, users, gain and output but tunes Band 20 data with Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE 4G data and EE 2G voice. At £185.99 it reaches 100m² for 10 users at ≥45/≥50 dB, ≥10 dBm and the 10m cable stack. On O2 and Vodafone it provides Band 20 data only, with no boosted call fallback and no Band 1 3G layer; Three likewise receives data only.

The CD100 is the right box when the household SIMs are EE-led and O2/Vodafone appear only as data. It cannot serve an O2/Vodafone caller's legacy call and cannot give every network a 3G fallback, which is the CW100's distinctive Band 1 role.

The cheap generic single-band box around £120 estimated amplifies one Band 20 data channel on a marketplace chassis with vendor-rated, often unmeasured gain, no UKCA mark for the Band 20+1 stack, and a 10m cable and UK plug of uncertain origin. It carries no Band 1 3G fallback, so calls are never boosted regardless of price; its 10-user and 100m² claims are typically measured in open space, not across UK masonry.

The imported home booster around £250 estimated is a recognised US brand but is tuned to North-American band planning and 120V supply; it is not UKCA-licence-exempt for Band 20+1 as sold for the UK, and import duty, VAT and warranty gaps leave it above the £185.99 sticker without delivering the universal EE/O2/Vodafone/Three 3G fallback.

The matrix below separates 4G data, the Band 1 3G fallback and legacy 2G voice for every operator on the listed SIMs, because a booster that lists "4G" often leaves the call path un-amplified.

The CW100 is the only unit that keeps a Band 1 3G fallback for all four direct networks; the CG100 owns the O2/Vodafone 2G row and the CD100 owns the EE 2G row, but neither covers every operator's call path.

The CW100 product page carries 10 submitted reviews averaging ratingValue 4.7 (seven five-star and three four-star, reviewCount 10). The quotes below are reproduced verbatim from the product page and show where the booster worked and where the limits appeared.

The four-star notes are honest boundary signals: David W. needed the long-cable upgrade to reach a remote roof, Lisa P. found two rooms enough and a whole house needed more, and Andrew G. noted 12-day transit despite solid performance. None reports a failed data or 3G-fallback channel on the intended Band 20+1 SIMs; Lebara and TalkTalk ride Band 1 3G rather than 4G.

Day one, the CW100, CG100 and CD100 all tie at £185.99, the generic around £120 and imported around £250 sit below or above. The five-year row decides the total.

The growth paths both exceed the single CW100: the CG100 buyer later adds a Band 1 unit for EE/Three fallback on top of the same £185.99 already spent, and the CD100 buyer later adds Band 1 for O2/Vodafone fallback. The single CW100 at £185.99 wins the mixed-network home, small office or rural cottage on both day-one and five-year cost; the CG100 wins only when O2/Vodafone 2G matters and EE/Three never call, and the CD100 wins only when EE 2G matters.

The CW100 base at £185.99 (compare-at £230.99) includes the booster, the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, the UK power adapter, and the 10m outdoor low-loss coax; three paid variants exist: the high-gain Yagi directional aerial, 20/30/40/50m external cable, and the 18KA lightning surge protector, with the max 50m + Yagi + protector combo at £305.99. On a strong −70 to −90 dBm donor, a 2-way splitter and extra coax feed up to 2 indoor antennas for adjacent rooms; a weak −97 to −105 dBm donor uses the optional Yagi aimed at the nearest mast.

Basic setup takes 10 to 15 minutes: mount the omni with a clear mast view, keep the whip a sensible distance inside, run the 10m coax, power from the UK plug, and read steady green before testing. The verbatim expansion note reads "Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong."

All units carry UKCA, CE and RoHS marks, are 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. The £185.99 CW100 price is valid to 2027-10-19, is listed InStock as NewCondition, and ships to GB, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, SE, DK, FI, IE, PT, PL and CZ.

For a mixed-network home, small office or rural cottage where EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all need 4G data plus a universal 3G fallback across 100m² for 10 users at ≥45/≥50 dB, the CW100 at £185.99 is the answer, pairing Band 20 data with Band 1 3G in one Ofcom-legal UKCA box, no second purchase planned.

For an O2/Vodafone-led household needing 2G calls rather than universal 3G, the CG100 at £185.99 covers that narrower job at the same gain, size and kit, provided EE and Three calling never appears.

For an EE-led household needing EE 2G calls rather than universal 3G, the CD100 at £185.99 covers that narrower job at the same gain, size and kit, provided O2/Vodafone calling never appears.

For 5G, a whole multi-floor house, or an imported North-American kit: none of the stretch matches UK Band 20+1 universal fallback, so choose the matched UKCA unit rather than overloading a US-tuned box.

The network take: all three £185.99 chassis cost the same, but the CG100 serves only O2/Vodafone 2G and the CD100 serves only EE 2G, while the CW100 keeps a Band 1 3G fallback for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three; pick the legacy-voice unit when one operator's 2G is the whole story, and the CW100 when mixed-network calling needs a universal fallback.