Improving 4G Broadband

perk0vic · January 23, 2020

So my only option was 1-3MBit/s ADSL in my area, so my only option was Vodafone UK's "Gigacube" which is just a fancy 5G/4G modem/router with a SIM.

The issue is, despite how good 4G can get, as soon as this device is brought inside, not only is it horribly slow, but I get long moments of downtime.

So frustrating, especially when you are doing IT work from home!

Does anyone have any potential solutions that don't include dropping 150+ quid on an antenna booster system??

Donut417 · January 23, 2020

48 minutes ago, perk0vic said:

So my only option was 1-3MBit/s ADSL in my area, so my only option was Vodafone UK's "Gigacube" which is just a fancy 5G/4G modem/router with a SIM.

The issue is, despite how good 4G can get, as soon as this device is brought inside, not only is it horribly slow, but I get long moments of downtime.

So frustrating, especially when you are doing IT work from home!

Does anyone have any potential solutions that don't include dropping 150+ quid on an antenna booster system??

The only suggestion I’d have is if the modem has a spot for an external antenna port. You should be able to rig up an antenna by a window or even in more extensive fashion put one out doors and run an antenna cable back to the modem. I’m not sure on the cost however.

Bombastinator · January 23, 2020

I take it this is some sort of laptop and the 5g connection is internal to the device. If so, stay outside where the antennas are, or figure out a way to make the walls of your house transparent to the kind of radio the 5g uses.

If it’s some sort of USB connected thing though the only bit that has to be outside is the bit with the 5g antennas. If you could run a USB cable from outside to inside there might be something there.

perk0vic · January 24, 2020

13 hours ago, Donut417 said:

The only suggestion I’d have is if the modem has a spot for an external antenna port. You should be able to rig up an antenna by a window or even in more extensive fashion put one out doors and run an antenna cable back to the modem. I’m not sure on the cost however.

Yeah there are TS-9 connectors on the back.. Looks like this is my only way out...

MystikIncarnate · January 24, 2020

1 hour ago, perk0vic said:

Yeah there are TS-9 connectors on the back.. Looks like this is my only way out...

it probably is; be aware that different antennas have different frequency ranges that, for lack of a better term, they're "good at". any antenna will work, but getting one tuned to your provider would be better. If the router's web interface will give you the band it's working on, that would be ideal, just put that cube in the window and check what bands it's working from, and get yourself an antenna that works best on those bands, and you're golden.

if it won't tell you what bands you're using, you're going to have to guess. Here's the wikipedia page for vodafone UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone_UK#Radio_frequency_summary

bonus points will be issued (in the form of higher stability and better bandwidth) if you can get a semi-directional antenna, like a panel antenna (discussed in a recent episode of TQ), or use something more directional like a yagi antenna or similar, and point it at the antenna tower. Unless you're using a dish-style antenna, it's unlikely you have to be super precise about it.

In doing a small amount of research, I came across this: https://mastdata.com/ which may help you orient the antenna towards an antenna tower/array (otherwise known as a mast).

Good luck.

perk0vic · January 24, 2020

7 hours ago, MystikIncarnate said:

it probably is; be aware that different antennas have different frequency ranges that, for lack of a better term, they're "good at". any antenna will work, but getting one tuned to your provider would be better. If the router's web interface will give you the band it's working on, that would be ideal, just put that cube in the window and check what bands it's working from, and get yourself an antenna that works best on those bands, and you're golden.

if it won't tell you what bands you're using, you're going to have to guess. Here's the wikipedia page for vodafone UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone_UK#Radio_frequency_summary

bonus points will be issued (in the form of higher stability and better bandwidth) if you can get a semi-directional antenna, like a panel antenna (discussed in a recent episode of TQ), or use something more directional like a yagi antenna or similar, and point it at the antenna tower. Unless you're using a dish-style antenna, it's unlikely you have to be super precise about it.

In doing a small amount of research, I came across this: https://mastdata.com/ which may help you orient the antenna towards an antenna tower/array (otherwise known as a mast).