NBS, reciever fitted outside, box inside, what do i do?

snaps

Ok, heres the story, my friend (Disabled), lives in the back of beyond, his only option was a 3G network. Now three was his only real option but the signal was very poor. Some guys came out to the house and fitted a small square dish pointing to the cell site, which then fed a small box inside the house. Question is what does he do with it? Before the lads packed up and went home they said you need a router.

I went out to him yesterday, looked at the box inside and there is no physical connection for a router?

Ive scanned for some network signal but nothing?

I also scanned using his three dongle but all we get is the original 1 bar of signal?

There was no instructions left with the instalation.

My friend is clueless and so am I, as im baffled?

watty

Make and Model?
Any writing under the box? There has to be at least ETSI certification.

They like repeaters, which don't do much for signal level but do sometimes increase the quality a little.

A router with dongle with external aerial in a box feeding indoor switch + Airpoint via CAT5 is the only sensible solution. But they never do that.


Three's "weak signal area" cures are IMO worse than the disease.

snaps

Well its a little white box, with green led's/signal level meter. it has an input from the power supply and the input from the little square aerial on the side of the house. Thats about all the info i can give you. I thought these installs would be simular so i never took a make an model of the device inside on the corner of the wall (Looks like an alarm sensor).

My friend is disabled so cannot get up to it anyway. He said yesterday to me "As the lads that installed it went, they told me to get a router". Thats the bit im confused with as there is no physical ethernet socket to connect a router! All he has is the three dongle, which is showing 1 bar of signal with the new device switched on or off??

Sponge Bob

That is the Taiwanese repeater ( the name is mentioned around here somewhere) not the Nextivity. I think it boosts the 3g signal for the dongle so he still dials up with the dongle ...it is not a router with ethernet or a mifi with wifi.

watty

They no doubt mean a router for his 3G Dongle. Which of course if it was using an outdoor aerial on the dongle and short aerial cable, would (a) Be much cheaper, (b) Work better. A repeater is about x3 cost of a router + aerial. They are only meant for Underground car parks and similar and assume there is a good outdoor signal.

Next time you visit you can photograph indoor and out and if possible unhook indoor bit from wall and see writing on back.

It's a waste of money and time on 3's part. Ineptitude as these things impair signal if the indoor part is "leaking" to outdoors via windows that are not K-glass.

snaps

Ok thank you, the bit im confused with is that the signal on the dial up three network connection is the same as if the repeater wasn't switched on! Does it just improve quality and not actual signal level?

Sponge Bob

So am I snaps, was it the Coiler unit discussed here ???

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66575876&highlight=repeater#post66575876

Picture n sheeeut

http://www.coiler.com.tw/products_umts_repeaters.asp#4

watty

snaps wrote: »

Ok thank you, the bit im confused with is that the signal on the dial up three network connection is the same as if the repeater wasn't switched on! Does it just improve quality and not actual signal level?

Signal bars are meaningless as you don't know what they are from.

The Repeater has to be a very low level otherwise it interferes with cells. It's supposed to provide a signal where there is none. 3 are Misusing them. It only slightly improves quality, and only sometimes.

If you hold phone close to the indoor box you might see bars rise. Or not.

I suspect Three want to sell phone Contracts. (100x the profit). Hence repeaters rather than a proper solution.

ruffmut

When I signed up with 3 for the NBS scheme the dongle would not work as I had no signal. 3 sent out engineers to fit the same box and aerial outside as your friend has at the moment. It is supposed to boots the signal and you use your dongle as you would normally.

This did not work for me so 3 have installed satellite broadband for me. Look in the terms and conditions. 3 have to under the contract of the NBS make sure you get a decent service. If you are not getting the minium speeds get back on to them. They will install satellite broanband but only as a last resort.

snaps

Sponge Bob wrote: »

So am I snaps, was it the Coiler unit discussed here ???

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=66575876&highlight=repeater#post66575876

Picture n sheeeut

http://www.coiler.com.tw/products_umts_repeaters.asp#4

yes thats the yoke!!

watty

OK rubbish solution.

Sponge Bob

It may work, probably not in the evenings or in rain though.

Tell your friend to demand the satellite dish ( it is free if the Coiler does not work)

snaps

Thanks lads.