Where to get a 3G Antenna?

Knasher

Hi all,
I'm currently trying to get my aunt sorted with some type of broadband, she is living in the back end of nowhere so DSL is out and she has already tried the local WISP which also didn't work. So this leaves the final option of 3G. I had a look around this weekend and I was able to get a 3G connection using my phone on 3s network, it tried to switch up to HSDPA a couple of times but never stayed there, that being said I may not have been in the optimal position in the house to get the strongest signal so its possible she won't need an antenna at all. Having one may allow her to pick between O2 and 3 though and one may offer better speed over the other.

My current plan is to buy a routerstation board and stick it in a box on a pole on the side of the house and then run cable to a wifi router through the attic. I may also add the antenna to the pole to see if it allows a full HSDPA fix, I was hoping somebody here might be able to offer me a little advice. Firstly I know that installing your own repeater is illegal, however am I right in thinking using a high gain antenna is okay (I don't plan on adding an amplifier). Secondly does anybody know a decent place to buy a 3G antenna, all the ones I've seen seem to operate from 900Mhz to 2100Mhz however my understanding is that 2100Mhz is all we need and having the extra bands seems to tripple the price which I'm trying to keep down as its an installation for somebody else.

Thanks for any help.

watty

you need a 7dBi to 12 dBi directional panel aerial for 2100MHz (2.1GHz). Most cover 900MHz and 1800MHz also as the Meteor, Vodafone and O2 can fall back to GSM (14k) GPRS (50k) or EDGE (245kbps). 3 Ireland has only 3G.

The other bands reduce the performance and no use for 3G.

Make sure you get one with FME connection and a modem with a connector and then pigtail for FME

Something like this, except cheaper and 2100MHz only http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-panel-ren10-pn.htm

http://www.netfi.co.uk/products/-GSM%7B47%7D3G-7%7B47%7D10dBi-outdoor-panel-.html

Check eBay / China/hong Kong for cheaper.

TouchingVirus

I got mine from Solwise.co.uk - the LPDA-044 from Poynting. It boosted me from a crappy EDGE signal to a very decent 3G signal

Be warned, they only take international bank transfer from Ireland. They are reliable though, both my orders have arrived with no delay

murphy10101

hey guys, is it illegal to pull an antenna into the back of a huawei b260a and put a aerial on the chimney to improve your three ireland hspda signal?! Read that sumwhere... my router can switch between the hspda and 3g signal irregularly!

kevmol88

Testing E585 wifi(mifi) on Three for last few days- rarely drops below 5 bars H-works for me anyway

jor el

eoinzy111, stop bumping all the old threads you can find with the same thing. What you're doing is spamming, across two forums, and it's really annoying.