Boosting Signal for Mobile Broadband

Ros The Boss · 31-12-2011 2:27pm #1

Hi
Any tech heads able to help?

This is the situation:
We don’t have broadband nor do we want it for the infrequent internet use:

Currently we have an O2 USB modem, which doesn’t work anywhere inside or ground level outside the house (basically bad O2 coverage here). Except for running a 5m USB cable out of a Velux-window on the top of the house where we can achieve 2bars HSPA. It’s a painful rigmarole involving a ladder and ropes and a good ol plastic bag if it’s raining!

I also have an unlocked Huawei pocket wi-fi (Vodafone do em). For those that don’t know this is a battery powered palm sized device that receives wirelessly any mobile broadband network as long as you have the Sim card, but it also transmits the internet wirelessly, such that up to 5 devices (laptop, i-phone, etc.) can connect to this wireless network. Unfortunately, with O2 I would still need to put it out the Velux-window.

I also have an aerial that connects to a mobile phone’s external areal connection; if one is available. I think it was originally intended for back-in-the-day Car phones, when signals weren’t as strong.

With Meteor and Vodafone I have found OK coverage about the house with excellent coverage available in the attic and outside; so scrapping the O2 completely. However the O2 stick does have an external aerial connection.

In order of preference, the solutions I’m looking for:
1) Using USB Meteor/Vodafone -dongle (in attic)
- USB in optimum signal location
- Router that can connect to the USB dongle and send the signal around the house wirelessly/Ethernet

2) Using “Pocket Wifi” Meteor/Vodafone (in attic)
- Pocket wifi in optimum signal location
- router/repeater picking up the wireless internet being broadcast by the pocket wifi and sending it around the house wirelessly/Ethernet

3)using external aerial & USB Meteor/Vodafone-dongle
- Have the aerial outside
- USB stick is inside and connected to the aerial (if aerial is a no go, usb in the best signal spot)
- Wireless modem (not my pocket one) connected to the USB and transmitting the internet around the house.

I’m really looking for one of 2 devices:
1) Router (wired/wireless) that will accept my usb dongle as an input
2) Repeater that can pick up the wireless broadband signal from my “pocket wifi” and boost it around the house wirelessly or via Ethernet cable.

D-Link do this device but it’s crazy expensive and more than I’m looking for I can take care of the wireless side of things if I can at least get my USB to Ethernet/DSL .

Any suggestions welcome,
Thanks in advance,
Ros

Zab · 31-12-2011 5:34pm

Haven't used one myself but there's http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-MR3420-300MBPS-Wireless-Router/dp/B003WK62OS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

TP Link are pretty strong in the budget segment of the market.

Certainly I'd lean towards a router rather than repeating the pocket wifi.

Oh yeah, and there's even a cheaper model if you wanted. I'd say the range on it would be smaller though.

ballysheil · 04-01-2012 12:45pm

Hi
I'm using the TP-Link TL-MR3420 with my 3 dongle attached to the usb connection and it seems to work ok. I really like the setup.
A bit of initial fiddling to get the dongle working with the router but it does work!
Router freezes about once a week, simple plug out and in and wait and it finds its way back to normality in a few minutes.
I too want to improve signal/speed to dongle so I'm waiting for an antenna and cable and see what a higher external aerial brings me.
I have no alternative to 3 as the other mobile providers dont have a great signal round here.
I dont have an alternative to mobile broadband (apart from satellite) as were rural. (Too far from exchange, obscured line of sight for wireless broadband)
We're not in the area covered by the NBS.

Zab · 04-01-2012 12:59pm

Looks like there's OpenWrt for it if you're up to the task: http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-mr3420

Mr Velo · 04-01-2012 7:09pm

Alternatively, you could get a Nextivity Cel-Fi booster.
Have one of these myself for O2. I very rarely saw 3G on my phone so could never use a 3G modem.

The Cel-fi has 2 units, a Window Unit which you place in a window of a room where you have the best (or only) 3G signal.

Then you plug in the Coverage Unit in an area where you do most of your surfing, calls etc...

Fantastic results for me but may not suit everyone I know.

Post reinstated; Once provided by the operator, these are legal. Supplying your own would not be.

Ros The Boss · 04-01-2012 10:21pm

Cheers for the feedback guys

Not trying to "Boost" a signal; just trying to pick one up and experience internet without tiptoeing on my roof!

Anyway meteor works in the pocket wifi; decent speeds inside the house now from an upstairs window.

for those interested:
If I was reroute the signal elsewhere I would use one of these from Dovado (here)

the Tini is €100, the 4G router is around €150 but it can do home automation; turn on and off lights, get the kettle on etc. via internet or txt message, could be a good security/deterrent, or fun. would be super if you could get the heating system on it.

ballysheil · 09-01-2012 12:07am

Hi Ros.
You asked for any suggestions
"I’m really looking for one of 2 devices:
1) Router (wired/wireless) that will accept my usb dongle as an input"

and I offered
"I'm using the TP-Link TL-MR3420 with my 3 dongle attached to the usb connection and it seems to work ok. "

I think thats exactly what you're after
I didnt quite get the impression from your second message that you got that.
Anway, good luck

Ros The Boss · 09-01-2012 1:37am

hi ballysheil

sorry, I did look at the your suggested router. looks like it would do the job. Sorry for not responding directly but 3 replies came at once and in the interim I had luck with the meteor network being stronger than all the others and being good enough to give 3G and HSPA from inside the house (@ window upstairs...of course).

so now I can simply use the pocket wifi I already own with a meteor sim.

I really appreciate everyone's response and input.

Having done some further research a company called Dovado are doing some routers similar to your TP-link, but with the added bonus of having "home automation" which I mentioned above. So I would lean towards one of those if I was going to get a 3g-wifi-router.

@ mr velo: that nextivity cel-fi booster looks impressive. tell me does yours only transmit o2 or does it do them all. i.e. if a friend on vodafone etc. visits you, do they too experience good Vodafone signal from your device?

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

jor el · 09-01-2012 10:58am

Ros The Boss wrote: »

@ mr velo: that nextivity cel-fi booster looks impressive. tell me does yours only transmit o2 or does it do them all. i.e. if a friend on vodafone etc. visits you, do they too experience good Vodafone signal from your device?

The boosters are operator provided, and will work only with that network.

CptSternn · 09-01-2012 1:07pm

Tin foil works great for increasing a signal. Maybe do up an area in your attic like a parabolic antenna.

Mr Velo · 18-01-2012 2:20pm

Ros The Boss wrote: »

@ mr velo: that nextivity cel-fi booster looks impressive. tell me does yours only transmit o2 or does it do them all. i.e. if a friend on vodafone etc. visits you, do they too experience good Vodafone signal from your device?

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Hey Ros

Sorry for lack of reply to this.
As was pointed out though - the Nextivity Cel-Fi is Operator based. Mine only boosts my O2 3G signal. My missus is with Vodafone and it does nothing for her connection at all.

KOR101 · 24-11-2014 11:43am

Thought I'd revive this thread as poor signal in rural areas must affect large numbers of people.

I have a Meteor dongle (3G, 25GB allowance) which I am trying to use in a valley in Kerry. There is no signal in the house, but there is a poor one in some spots outside.

I usually have to walk around (laptop in hand) to find the best spot, and then the signal can disappear suddenly. The signal strength also appears to be weather dependent.

I wonder whether something like a 20 foot antenna wired to a router in the house might solve my problem.

Is there a self-do cheap solution?

Anyone got any experience in terms of calling in a specialist?

my3cents · 24-11-2014 12:16pm

There is a company the supplies and fits an antenna for MBB I'll post a link it if I find it but I didn't think it was much of a solution because you could create a much more flexible solution yourself.

In your case you might be better getting a signal at a neigbours nearby and then connecting to that "base station" via wifi. One suitable location to look for is a farm pump house they have electric and in rural areas crop up all over the place.

You can put a 3G router up to 100m away outside using Power over Ethernet so no need for mains cables and you can put the router and dongle in one of those waterproof boxes they sell for outdoor christmas light power connections.

KOR101 · 24-11-2014 12:32pm

my3cents wrote: »

There is a company the supplies and fits an antenna for MBB I'll post a link it if I find it but I didn't think it was much of a solution because you could create a much more flexible solution yourself.

In your case you might be better getting a signal at a neigbours nearby and then connecting to that "base station" via wifi. One suitable location to look for is a farm pump house they have electric and in rural areas crop up all over the place.

You can put a 3G router up to 100m away outside using Power over Ethernet so no need for mains cables and you can put the router and dongle in one of those waterproof boxes they sell for outdoor christmas light power connections.

Thanks for the reply.

I wouldn't be great with things like this myself. What you've described would have to be done for me by a specialist. I'm new to the area so can't really start asking to put stuff up straight off.

I'm surprised that others (judging by the lack of threads) haven't tried this approach.

[edit] Just seen the ' Antenna Gain?? ' thread and very impressed.....

Dan Jaman · 24-11-2014 11:50pm

KOR101 wrote: »

Thought I'd revive this thread as poor signal in rural areas must affect large numbers of people.
I have a Meteor dongle (3G, 25GB allowance) which I am trying to use in a valley in Kerry. There is no signal in the house, but there is a poor one in some spots outside.

I usually have to walk around (laptop in hand) to find the best spot, and then the signal can disappear suddenly. The signal strength also appears to be weather dependent.

I wonder whether something like a 20 foot antenna wired to a router in the house might solve my problem.

Is there a self-do cheap solution?

Anyone got any experience in terms of calling in a specialist?

I've been doing this since 2006, first with Vodafone then, after an Eircom landline BB service period, with 3.
Handily, the original Vodafone mast works fine with 3, and it's nothing more than a flat panel antenna (9dBi gain) on the end of two steel poles amounting to ~30ft of height. I'm 4 miles from two cells, at 90degrees apart and by swivelling the pole I can have the choice of either.
I'm upgrading my antennas to a pair of yagis sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Like you, I found the 3G signal is affected by foliage, weather, etc. Cold clear nights are generally pretty poor for data transmission, followed closely by wet foliage.
The last week I've had the complication of a dying router, so was cursing the weather, foliage and everything else that had previously affected it. Putting the old modem back in service cured it though; so the basic setup is still working fine.

KOR101 · 25-11-2014 9:15am

Dan Jaman wrote: »

I've been doing this since 2006, first with Vodafone then, after an Eircom landline BB service period, with 3.
Handily, the original Vodafone mast works fine with 3, and it's nothing more than a flat panel antenna (9dBi gain) on the end of two steel poles amounting to ~30ft of height. I'm 4 miles from two cells, at 90degrees apart and by swivelling the pole I can have the choice of either.
I'm upgrading my antennas to a pair of yagis sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Like you, I found the 3G signal is affected by foliage, weather, etc. Cold clear nights are generally pretty poor for data transmission, followed closely by wet foliage.
The last week I've had the complication of a dying router, so was cursing the weather, foliage and everything else that had previously affected it. Putting the old modem back in service cured it though; so the basic setup is still working fine.

So, your router is inside the house? If so, it's a simple enough setup. let us know how you get on with the yagis.

Dan Jaman · 25-11-2014 5:39pm

KOR101 wrote: »

So, your router is inside the house? If so, it's a simple enough setup. let us know how you get on with the yagis.

The dead router is a Huawei B683, and the old one that's currently on is a Huawei B260a
This is the yagi I've got my eye on.
http://www.thiecom.de/thiecom-ra2100-umts-antenne.html
The flat plate antenna came from Thiecom years ago and has been faultless, but I'm sure it was a bit on the light side from the start, given the distance.
Handily, Thiecom fit theirs with 8m of decent low-loss cable, so no messing around with joints or adapters on the downlead, robbing signal.
I could get a cheaper yagi from China but there's a big unknown with quality and one I bought a few weeks ago, while it works, isn't confidence-inspiring, so I'm prepared to pay a bit extra for the Thiecom one, which is honest in its dBi claims and is quality-assured.

Big Wex fan · 27-11-2014 5:54am

I had very similar story to Ros, I solved with with a Huawei B260 3G Router in the attic. I've a timber framed house so can pick up the wifi thru most of house, and a repeater for area where it's weak. I switched from three to meteor because three was way over subscribed and only getting dial up speeds at peak times. I boosted my signal strength with an antenna I found on ebay for 10 bucks.
This is the Antenna on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3G-Wireless-...algo=undefined

I did move router downstairs & connected to antenna in attic via tv coax cable but started to get problems in damp weather with signal loss so moved router back up to attic.
I regularly check my speed & slowest download speed is 1mb and fastest upto 4.5mb.

EdmondShiels3 · 30-11-2014 3:05am

Will a repeater/range extender take up the place of one of the five devices that is allowed to connect to the mifi device. I was thinking of getting one if this is not the case.

slowbb · 01-01-2015 8:51am

Hi
I was in the same predicament as you a few months ago and spoke to all of the operators (mobile broadband) and I reviewed their coverage maps. They all indicated that they had coverage in the surrounding area. That’s where it ends. Until you try each of them you won’t know for sure which will suffice for your particularly requirements, and that can turn out to be quite expensive.
Before you decide on an operator, you should really know which mobile providers are operating at your house/office and their associated signal strengths. Signal strengths differ a lot at each corner of your house depending on the signal source. The operator’s returns policy for hardware is very strict.
A few friends of mine and I recently purchased a device, which allowed us to view the providers in my area and their signal strengths. We were very surprised, and in the end we made the correct decision in signing a contract with a provider which provided the best service in my area.
Let us know if you think I can help with our gadget, we could carry out a survey for you.

Regards

Dan Jaman · 01-01-2015 12:07pm

Interesting this came back up at just the right time. I discovered that restricting the routers to 900MHz made a huge difference in usability. Even the suspect B683 responded to this and seems to be not dying anymore.
The problem was the 2100Mhz band all along, and it seems the firmware gives that some priority, which is fine in urban locations, but rurally the 900MHz signal is better at coping with foliage, weather, etc.

bodonnell · 02-01-2015 4:51pm

Dan Jaman wrote: »

Interesting this came back up at just the right time. I discovered that restricting the routers to 900MHz made a huge difference in usability. Even the suspect B683 responded to this and seems to be not dying anymore.
The problem was the 2100Mhz band all along, and it seems the firmware gives that some priority, which is fine in urban locations, but rurally the 900MHz signal is better at coping with foliage, weather, etc.

Any idea how to change this setting on a Huawei B593s-22, I've been 'thru all the sections when I logon to the device but can't see any reference to it. Thanks in advance

Dan Jaman · 02-01-2015 7:13pm

bodonnell wrote: »

Any idea how to change this setting on a Huawei B593s-22, I've been 'thru all the sections when I logon to the device but can't see any reference to it. Thanks in advance

In the B683, it's in 'Dial-Up', 'Mobile Network Settings' and on the B260a it's under the PPP section, iirc. Google your router, because sure as eggs, somebody will have posted about it somewhere, if it can be done on yours.

bodonnell · 02-01-2015 8:25pm

@ Dan
Thanks for reply, google not returning anything specific to reset network frequency, just listings of actual freqs used. Also, don't see any similar sections to the modems you referred to. Thanks anyway

Dan Jaman · 06-02-2015 9:07pm

Just in... a telling illustration of how the shift to 900Mhz has affected the signal quality here...

The first is the Samknows report of downstream averaged over the last 6 months - you can see it's all over the place until the past 6 weeks or so, when the router has been on a steady 900MHz setting.
The starkest illustration/comparison comes when you look at the the readings of the upstream mode...
Both these charts don't actually show the true max or min speeds; just when the SK box decided to send/receive test data, but do show useful comparisons.

Siadonun · 09-02-2015 9:13pm

Dan Jaman wrote: »

Just in... a telling illustration of how the shift to 900Mhz has affected the signal quality here...

Is this possible to do this in an Android phone ? It should improve the signal also no?

Dan Jaman · 10-02-2015 12:30am

Siadonun wrote: »

Is this possible to do this in an Android phone ? It should improve the signal also no?

I simply don't know. I don't recall seeing an app or anything under the hood on a rooted phone to allow direct control of what frequencies it uses, but then again, I wasn't ever looking for one on a phone. It might exist.

There is a downside to the 900MHz band - the top speed is around 5Mbps, but for me that is ok, I can live with that rather than it be all over the shop.

installer · 21-08-2015 8:57pm

I was asked about doing this for a friend today, he lives near craughwell on the Athenry road and wants to try 3 mobile broadband, it's sketchy inside the house but usable outside so was thinking some sort of 4g router with external antenna, can anyone advise on what works in this scenario and rough idea of equipment costs and where to buy it, thanks in advance.

Boosting Signal for Mobile Broadband

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