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What's the best 4g solution for use as Home Internet

  • 16-01-2019 1:12pm
    #1
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭


    Hello, I currently have an Eir unlimited €20 plan that includes 20gb data on my Mobile phone. I do not have broadband at home.

    I would like to be able to regularly watch Internet TV and Netflix etc on my TV(not Wifi enabled).

    My current data plan is too small for watching TV. I have looked at the Network offers.
    They are:
    Eir
    50gb €30pm 30 day pass
    Vodafone ---150gb €45pm 2yr contract
    Three
    750gb €30pm 30 day Pass?

    Will I need to buy a router to avail of these plans or can I use one of these Mobile Broadband Sims in a dual sim phone. Would I also need a device like a Chromecast to allow me send the data to the Tv.

    What is the best 4g solution that allows me to watch TV?

    Btw I can get Fixed broadband with Vodafone, Eir, Sky, Pure and Digiweb but I think 4g provides better speeds in my area.


Comments

  • #2
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    Best depends on the quality of each network's coverage in your home.

    I tested it with different networks and found Three was the best where I was.
    I got a SIM for the €20 all you can eat data for one month PAYG plan and put it into a Huawei B593s-22 mobile internet router.
    This has provided decent quality midband at a low price in my home for several years.
    The TV has a Roku stick connected to the Wifi for netflix etc.


  • #3
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    Best depends on the quality of each network's coverage in your home.

    I tested it with different networks and found Three was the best where I was.
    I got a SIM for the €20 all you can eat data for one month PAYG plan and put it into a Huawei B593s-22 mobile internet router.
    This has provided decent quality midband at a low price in my home for several years.
    The TV has a Roku stick connected to the Wifi for netflix etc.

    Thanks, Is Roku superior to Chromecast etc.I presume I definitely need a Casting Stick of some kind to make my TV Wifi compatible.

    Would the Router be far superior to using the Sim in a Dual sim phone.

    Sorry for all the Q's but I'm curious as to how you find the 60gb limit with Three. Is it plenty for TV over the course of a month


  • #4
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    stockshares wrote: »
    Thanks, Is Roku superior to Chromecast etc.I presume I definitely need a Casting Stick of some kind to make my TV Wifi compatible.

    Would the Router be far superior to using the Sim in a Dual sim phone.

    Sorry for all the Q's but I'm curious as to how you find the 60gb limit with Three. Is it plenty for TV over the course of a month


    With a sim in a dual sim phone you'll have to use your mobile as the wifi hotspot which will drain battery and probably give worse wifi coverage, you may get worse 4G reception too. Generally I find it less hassle to just have a permanent router set-up, which is in a position where it has clear line of sight to a Three 4G tower about 800 m away, also I needed something with LAN cable ports.



    I use the Roku box, it's about €50 on Amazon. Don't know much about the others, doubt there's much between them, but I think Chromecast won't play Amazon Prime due to corporate competition.



    I doubt that I use 60 GB on home internet or anything close but some would go way over that. I use this SIM though, which has no Data limit, https://www.three.ie/online/voice/prepay/3pay-trio-sim/?src=p.


  • #5
    q85dw7osi4lebg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,502 ✭✭✭q85dw7osi4lebg


    Before I could get fiber, I used a 3 simcard in a Huawei dongle on an upstairs window pointing towards the nearest mast and found it ok for tv etc.


  • #6
    steinbock123
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭steinbock123


    How do I find out where my nearest mast is?


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  • #7
    q85dw7osi4lebg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,502 ✭✭✭q85dw7osi4lebg


    steinbock123 wrote: »
    How do I find out where my nearest mast is?

    All here on this map. Zoom in.

    http://siteviewer.comreg.ie/#explore


  • #8
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    Generally I find it less hassle to just have a permanent router set-up, which is in a position where it has clear line of sight to a Three 4G tower about 800 m away, also I needed something with LAN cable ports.
    I doubt that I use 60 GB on home internet or anything close but some would go way over that. I use this SIM though, which has no Data limit, https://www.three.ie/online/voice/prepay/3pay-trio-sim/?src=p.

    Is it better to buy my own router or buy the router from the network. If it's better to buy my own where is best to buy from.

    Will that Trio Sim allow up to 750gb like the Mobile Broadband Sim.

    Thanks for all your help and also thanks to InstaSte for providing the Mast info


  • #9
    q85dw7osi4lebg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,502 ✭✭✭q85dw7osi4lebg


    Like the above I used the standard 3 sim with unlimited data but found I could go over the 60GB and it would slow down immensely. The sim was a standard pre pay sim which I topped up with €20 each month from online banking.


  • #10
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    stockshares wrote: »
    Is it better to buy my own router or buy the router from the network. If it's better to buy my own where is best to buy from.

    Will that Trio Sim allow up to 750gb like the Mobile Broadband Sim.

    Thanks for all your help and also thanks to InstaSte for providing the Mast info

    I don't know if any Irish ISPs sell that kind of wireless router, as opposed to the more common dongle. For my needs I found a full mobile router necessary but if you just need to provide wifi to a relatively small area you may find a dongle fine. I bought mine on Amazon but you might find better value elsewhere. It was a few years back so I'm not sure if there's better out there. I've certainly been very happy with my setup. For comparison I got a Virgin router in another property and it was complete junk, and I wasnt too impressed with the old Eircom ones either.

    Not sure about GB caps as I may have never hit them. I've certainly never been throttled. When I checked the Three fair use limits on the unlimited data in their T&Cs was something mad that you'd never reach.


  • #11
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    I hope to test the Signal strength of Eir, Vodafone and Three in the coming week when all Sims arrive.

    For now I've taken a screenshot of my Eir Signal on the Network Cell Info lite app.

    Can someone read this signal and let me know what the numbers represent and what signal strength I should be looking for.

    Thank you


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  • #12
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,169 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Thats Good/Fair depending on who you ask. Chances are it will limit you late at night but have no impact during peak hours as contention will be a lower limiter.


  • #13
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    ED E wrote: »
    Thats Good/Fair depending on who you ask. Chances are it will limit you late at night but have no impact during peak hours as contention will be a lower limiter.
    I thought peak hours would have a worse signal.
    Can you explain your point on contention.


  • #14
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,169 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    All things perfect: 150Mb say
    Mediocre signal: Limited to 50Mb

    So at 4AM you get 50Mb. During the day the cell is busy and only has 20Mb to offer you so you get that instead.


    Think of speed and signal independently. Bad signal means bad speeds but good signal does not mean good speeds, just the possibility that you can use them if available.


  • #15
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    ED E wrote: »
    All things perfect: 150Mb say
    Mediocre signal: Limited to 50Mb

    So at 4AM you get 50Mb. During the day the cell is busy and only has 20Mb to offer you so you get that instead.


    Think of speed and signal independently. Bad signal means bad speeds but good signal does not mean good speeds, just the possibility that you can use them if available.

    Thanks for taking the time to explain.

    Should I therefore check the Signal and Speed independently when comparing the Networks (i.e check speed using Ookla and Signal using Network Cell Info)


  • #16
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,169 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Yep. If it were me:

    4 test locations (four corners of the house), two values (signal strength and speed), two times (peak , off peak). That'd be 8 tests of two values. Would give you a fair bit of information to work from.


  • #17
    stockshares
    Registered Users Posts: 2,758 ✭✭✭stockshares


    ED E wrote: »
    Yep. If it were me:

    4 test locations (four corners of the house), two values (signal strength and speed), two times (peak , off peak). That'd be 8 tests of two values. Would give you a fair bit of information to work from.


    Great stuff, I'll post back here with the results. They might be of Interest to someone looking to do the same thing


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