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Indoor v Outdoor 3g antenna

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  • 16-06-2014 3:00am
    #1
    breathn
    Registered Users Posts: 483 ✭✭


    Would there be much in the difference of signal quality between an omni 3g antenna connected to a modem in these 2 cases:
    with the panel placed inside an attic behind velux skylight vs the omni being outside the building with a short wire to the modem?


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    #2
    my3cents
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    If you have an older dongle (not one of the NDIS Hylink ones) you can use the MDMA (w w w.nerve.org.za/mdma/) software to get a good idea of signal strength -note newer version might work with newer dongles but not tried it. Plus the software on some routers/dongles gives you a bit more information than the usual 1-5 bars.

    Minimum signal strength ideally shouldn't be less than 30% (pretty arbitrary figure really) but you will still get a connection subject to congestion much lower than that.

    Also if you have an omni directional antenna indoors you might with a bit of googling find a way of improving the signal strength by putting something behind it to reflect the signal to it wokfi style.


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    #3
    snowstreams
    Registered Users Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭snowstreams


    I have a 4g modem that has antennas built into it. I usent to get great signal strength with it unless i left it high up on a window.
    So I bought a few metres of sma cable and extended the antenna length to tape it up to the window.
    It works well and boosted my download from 12meg to 26meg but now when the tape slips sometimes and it results in the signal dropping down to 6meg download!
    So does anyone know if a window feed through cable would be a good idea? Because Ive noticed once the antenna is outside it doesnt seem to matter what orientation i have it on. Im thinking water on the velux window might have a bad affect too?

    PS. I'll try that MDMA software to see what signal strengths im getting. Im just looking at the number of bars at the moment. Thanks.


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    #4
    my3cents
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    snowstreams wrote: »
    I have a 4g modem that has antennas built into it. I usent to get great signal strength with it unless i left it high up on a window.
    So I bought a few metres of sma cable and extended the antenna length to tape it up to the window.
    It works well and boosted my download from 12meg to 26meg but now when the tape slips sometimes and it results in the signal dropping down to 6meg download!
    So does anyone know if a window feed through cable would be a good idea? Because Ive noticed once the antenna is outside it doesnt seem to matter what orientation i have it on. Im thinking water on the velux window might have a bad affect too?

    PS. I'll try that MDMA software to see what signal strengths im getting. Im just looking at the number of bars at the moment. Thanks.

    MDMA needs one of the older modems and is only for 3G afaik?

    The thing to remember with the feed through cable is that every joint you make will reduce the single strength, if you have plenty to spare that might not matter.


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    #5
    snowstreams
    Registered Users Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭snowstreams


    Ok, i'll try to just get the antenna to work indoors first. If not i'll get the feedthrough and an external panel antenna to cancel out any losses I make from the feedthough.


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