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4g outdoor antenna

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  • 23-11-2020 10:36am
    #1
    tilting tim
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    Looking at different options of boosting my broadband. Living in a rural area and currently have Three mobile broadband €30 sim plan. Imagine is available in the area at €60pm, but really sounds like a limited plan from what I’m reading online.

    Has anyone installed an outdoor 4g antenna to maximise the mobile broadband?

    https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/gsm-gprs-antennas/1258198/ Something like this I was looking at


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    #2
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,319 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    tilting tim wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Looking at different options of boosting my broadband. Living in a rural area and currently have Three mobile broadband €30 sim plan. Imagine is available in the area at €60pm, but really sounds like a limited plan from what I’m reading online.

    Has anyone installed an outdoor 4g antenna to maximise the mobile broadband?

    https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/gsm-gprs-antennas/1258198/ Something like this I was looking at

    I would have thought something like that would be illegal to use in a public setting? Or maybe 100w is ok?


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    #3
    tilting tim
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭tilting tim


    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    I would have thought something like that would be illegal to use in a public setting? Our maybe 100w is ok?

    Am I missing something? Why would this be illegal? I am in very rural area so no neighbours to upset


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    #4
    Commsguy
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭Commsguy


    tilting tim wrote: »
    Am I missing something? Why would this be illegal? I am in very rural area so no neighbours to upset

    It’s not illegal, you will gain a few Db by having the antenna outside, plus the antenna will boost the signal by 5 to 10 db. It will also smooth out the consistency of your signal so no more dropping from 12mb to 1 or 2.

    Freetv.ie I think still do the Dipole antenna. I think they charge €60.


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    #5
    westyIrl
    Registered Users Posts: 510 ✭✭✭westyIrl


    tilting tim wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Looking at different options of boosting my broadband. Living in a rural area and currently have Three mobile broadband €30 sim plan. Imagine is available in the area at €60pm, but really sounds like a limited plan from what I’m reading online.

    Has anyone installed an outdoor 4g antenna to maximise the mobile broadband?

    https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/gsm-gprs-antennas/1258198/ Something like this I was looking at

    First, try and ascertain what the signal level is for the router as it is. My point being there is no point getting an external antenna if the current rf conditions are sufficient and congestion is to blame. Many 4G routers give such info on the login pages or else an additional app allows viewing of RSRP, RSRQ, SINR values. Example values: https://www.digi.com/support/knowledge-base/understanding-lte-signal-strength-values If using a 3G connection look for RSSI figures. The signal strength indicator bar is a good rough and ready measure but doesn't tell the full story.

    If you do indeed require an outdoor antenna, my next question is if you know where the mast you are connecting to is?

    If so it would be preferable to use a directional antenna such as the poynting 4g-xpol-a0002. I use one and am happy with it.

    Basically a directional antenna will provide you with better gain but if you require an omnidirectional antenna, then give that RS one a go. Another option is the poynting poynting 4g-xpol-a0001 but just beware that they don't give the gain (and hence the satisfaction) compared to the directional antennas.

    Jim


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    #6
    cregmon
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭cregmon


    Wrote a while ago on a similar experience. It is very dependent on your location, having a clear line of sight to the three mast, and the distance from that mast. If you can get a somewhat OK signal now then an external antenna will help. If its barely tolerable then you might be throwing good money after bad.

    Have a read here and here, especially https://editorsean.com/ as there's been lots of useful discussion posted about your exact problem.

    I ended up spending about €350 on a router and an antenna and can get reasonable quality BB most of the time - key word "most". Its most useful for the upload which I need for work but to have some reliability I still use a slower ADSL connection as backup (another story!)

    Hope it helps.


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    #7
    RichardL1951
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭RichardL1951


    I use Vodafone 4G broadband. The deal is €40/year (€35 for new users at the moment) for 300Gb/month. They supply a Huawei router with 2 external antenna ports. I use 2 €15 800MHz directional antennae from Screwfix and get ~20 Mb/s download speed.


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    #8
    tilting tim
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭tilting tim


    Thanks for all the replies, there’s more to it than I thought, I have huawei b593 router, finding it hard to get the signal readings from it


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    #9
    cregmon
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭cregmon


    There's an android app called HuaCtrl that you might be able to use to get the readings you need. It works for multiple huawei routers so you might be lucky.


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    #10
    TopHat2
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭TopHat2


    Lots of good advice there. A good router can make the world of difference. As mentioned your best signal strength may not be the least congested base station. Also worth noting if you have to mount the antenna up high you can lose a lot of signal across cables and connectors. I had to mount the router on a pole with a short pigtail for one site (in a hollow) and that just make enough of a difference to get a good signal with consumer-grade equipment.


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    #11
    celtic_oz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭celtic_oz


    tilting tim wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies, there’s more to it than I thought, I have huawei b593 router, finding it hard to get the signal readings from it

    I have a similar router : huawei B593s-22 router.

    I have an external aerial : https://www.satellitetv.ie/4g-lte-external-aerial?search=lte%20antenna

    I switched to a pay as you go sim (€20/month with no cap) and now get max 40mbs when without the aerial i was getting less than 10mbs

    535791.JPG


    The antenna you are thinking of getting looks like it wouldnt work .. it only has one connection those routers require two


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    #12
    smuggler.ie
    Registered Users Posts: 4,087 ✭✭✭smuggler.ie


    tilting tim wrote: »
    ..... I have huawei b593 router, finding it hard to get the signal readings from it
    System>Diagnosis>Wireless status check
    history of boards 2021




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    #13
    tilting tim
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭tilting tim


    https://www.novatel.ie/wifi-lte-4g-5g-external-outdoor-router-antenna

    Went with this unit in the end and got it going during the week, very happy with it, a noticeable boost on what I had, thanks for your help.


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    #14
    tinofapples
    Registered Users Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭tinofapples


    tilting tim wrote: »
    https://www.novatel.ie/wifi-lte-4g-5g-external-outdoor-router-antenna

    Went with this unit in the end and got it going during the week, very happy with it, a noticeable boost on what I had, thanks for your help.

    Don't take this the wrong way but you'd really want a noticeable difference for the price of that antenna.


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    #15
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    My Dad got the local tech genius to install a sort of repeater in the house.
    There is an ariel on the roof and a cable that goes into a box in the hall. All the phones in the house get full signal now on 3 different networks.
    Mobile wifi is very fast on them all too.
    Before that noone could get any signal inside the house, no matter what the network. You would have to stand outside to make a call.
    Dont know what its called, but might be an option for you.


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    #16
    tilting tim
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭tilting tim


    Speed dropped out last night so done a bit of experimenting with modem. Changed to 3G only and much better download speeds.

    Know those speed are only fair but used to max of 5 up and down and more likely 1-2 so any boost welcome but changing to 3G is real broadband feel

    Pic is before and after (4g-3G)


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    #17
    westyIrl
    Registered Users Posts: 510 ✭✭✭westyIrl


    tilting tim wrote: »
    Speed dropped out last night so done a bit of experimenting with modem. Changed to 3G only and much better download speeds.

    Know those speed are only fair but used to max of 5 up and down and more likely 1-2 so any boost welcome but changing to 3G is real broadband feel

    Pic is before and after (4g-3G)

    Glad the antenna is working well for you. They are expensive but good idea to opt for the 5G compatible one for the extra few quid right now. People who say these antennas are expensive need to realise that if such an antenna lets you access a decent 5-20Mb Three/Gomo service for <€20/month instead of a sub 2Mb flaky DSL service for €60/month, well they don't take long to pay themselves back. I've trialled antennas from the real cheapo types up to yagi arrays and these Poyntings antennas just do the business unless you need a serious Yagi set-up for black valley type locations.

    Obtaining better speeds on 3G is a common experience and have been doing the same for the past 3 years. I flip back to 4G now and again to see if there is any improvement but have found 3G to be a far more consistent for speed and ping. 5G rollout should free up congestion on 4G provided mast backhaul is up to scratch.

    Just be sure that the 3G signal you are picking up is from the same mast as the 4G signal so as to know you are using the directional antenna optimally. Have a couple of Three mast's around me that are still 3G only.

    Jim


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