4G Booster

[Silvercity]

Can anyone recommend the best 4G Booster.
I Host a lot of Zoom meetings and am constantly dropping out!
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Lenny HB]

Am I being thick? I assumed the OP was referring to a booster in his van.

He did say
"What’s the difference between 4g phone signal and van WiFi ? It all comes from the same mast ?"
So I assumed he didn't understand the difference a lot on here don't and refer to a data signal as WiFi when it's not.

 

[Southend]

Am I being thick? I assumed the OP was referring to a booster in his van.
When I said WiFi I meant MiFi used inside my van, so when parked up away from a campsite so no fear of connecting to sites WiFi, if I try to use my mobile phone and it shows a week signal or non at all, then use my IPad via MiFi, the IPad gets a far better connection via the MiFi which I assumed was receiving the same signal as my mobile phone but boosting it to a useable level, (doing what it’s supposed to do I thought!). I didn’t think there were 2 different types of signal pushed out by the provider( in my case both sims in phone and MiFi provided by EE).

Most mobile operators broadcast their 4g over more than one wave length. If your mifi router is Cat6 or higher it can combine the transmission from multiple wavelengths. A more sophisticated (and expensive) router with two separate SIM cards will even share 4g networks from both suppliers and combine them for your local WiFi.

 

[Otter Spotter]

He did say
"What’s the difference between 4g phone signal and van WiFi ? It all comes from the same mast ?"
So I assumed he didn't understand the difference a lot on here don't and refer to a data signal as WiFi when it's not.

Lenny, I don’t, I am asking the question for myself now

 

[Lenny HB]

Most mobile operators broadcast their 4g over more than one wave length.

You often see the comment on threads "my phone has got a better signal than my Mifi" the reason is the phone has logged onto one band and the Mifi onto another. On the cheaper routers you can't select the band.

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[Lenny HB]

Lenny, I don’t, I am asking the question for myself now

I thought I explained it what are you not clear about?
Think of it like your home broadband, the data signal comes down a cable and distributes it on your network via network cable and it also has a radio signal (WiFi) that can be used instead of the cables.

With the Mifi the incoming data cable is replaced with a 4g signal using a sim to connect to it, the network ports and WiFi is the same as your router at home.

Basicly the Mifi and the router do the same job of connecting external signals to your local area network, one is is a broadband signal down a copper or fibre cable, the other is a 4g radio signal.

 

[Andacami]

Your SIM Card(s) lives in the 4G Broadband Router and picks up the mobile 4G/5G radio signal. If you have the optional aerial/antenna then you will get the best ability to get a good 4G/5G signal (as it is outside and probably designed specifically to collect as much signal as possible).

The router then translates that into WiFi which is what all your devices in the 'van should connect to.

 

[Jonno1103]

The category of the device determines its capability, it's upload & download speed, how many long range antennas are used. This in turn is determined by the quality of the network providers coverage. The best is EE closely followed by Vodafone, although in terms of usage & data plans Vodafone offer more.

The usual motorhome wifi package consists of a CAT 4 mobile router. This is limited to 150Mbps downlink & 50Mbps uplink speeds. It requires 2 long range antenna usually by way of a 2x2 MiMo puck antenna attached otherwise the speeds would be halved. In either case the modulation is limited to 64QAM.

If, as the OP suggests, a router capable of streaming Zoom is required, the user needs a CAT 16 device which isn't overtly dependant on an additional MiMo antenna.

New generation routers, CAT 16 & above have 4x4 MiMo software built in, they aren't dependant on an additional antenna in order to double the signal. This offers the user gigabit downlink speeds - 1000Mbps. Even reduced to 2x2 say up on the Isle of Lewis for example a CAT 16 will give upto 800Mbps downlink speeds without the need of a puck antenna. Modulation is also far superior at 256QAM.

 

[Wightman]

So is the following along with -Broken Link Removed- a waste of money please?

UNLOCKED HUAWEI E5785-92c MOBILE WI-FI MODEM HOTSPOT (BLACK)​

• Super fast CAT 6 4G/LTE Download Speeds of up to 300mbps​
• Unlocked to work with any sim card worldwide​
• Huge 3000mAh battery​
• Connect up to 16 Wireless Devices​
• 1.42 TFT Screen (shows usage, signal, battery life etc)​

 

[chrish]

I think another factor that affects 4G internet is the type of area you are in, for instance if you use large campsites my experience is that the chances of being able to stream anything are pretty remote as everybody and their brother are sharing the bandwidth you can have a good connection but still not be able to pass data at a reasonable rate.
If you need to be able to work from any location and not have to worry about being able to get connected at a useable speed then Starlink is definitely the way to go.
With 4G internet it's always a lottery knowing if you will be able to connect from a particular location, not so much of a concern if it's only for leisure use but if you need to work Starlink is a lot less stressful.

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[Southend]

So is the following along with -Broken Link Removed- a waste of money please?

UNLOCKED HUAWEI E5785-92c MOBILE WI-FI MODEM HOTSPOT (BLACK)​

• Super fast CAT 6 4G/LTE Download Speeds of up to 300mbps​
• Unlocked to work with any sim card worldwide​
• Huge 3000mAh battery​
• Connect up to 16 Wireless Devices​
• 1.42 TFT Screen (shows usage, signal, battery life etc)​

Have you checked the E5785 has sockets for the external antenna leads?

 

[Jonno1103]

So is the following along with -Broken Link Removed- a waste of money please?

UNLOCKED HUAWEI E5785-92c MOBILE WI-FI MODEM HOTSPOT (BLACK)​

• Super fast CAT 6 4G/LTE Download Speeds of up to 300mbps​
• Unlocked to work with any sim card worldwide​
• Huge 3000mAh battery​
• Connect up to 16 Wireless Devices​
• 1.42 TFT Screen (shows usage, signal, battery life etc)​

It depends what you want to use it for but don't be taken in about it being unlocked, they all are by default. 300Mbps is fine for daily usage... BBC News, internet, emails etc but it's not really recommended for the likes of online streaming - Netflix, Prime, Skygo etc. There will be buffering.

Don't worry about bandwidth as if you're on a site and you're using your own network provider and you're LTE rather the WLAN you won't be effected.

The 5783 - 330 offers the same for about £45 on Amazon, they're both CAT 6 or 7.
Essentially you get what you pay for. If, like me & the missus, you're a serious user as we'll work whilst in the van too you'll consume a lot of data... TEAMS, Zoom etc then media ( a single HD Netflix film will be 3GB at least, in 4K you're talking 7GB) you need a decent router and decent network provider with true unlimited data rather than 'unlimited' fair use.

We use both Vodafone & EE but it's expensive as Vodafone is true unlimited and zero roaming charges.

 

[rob1234]

hi have i missed this one is vodafone doing zero roaming charges is this for existing customers ,,on long contract ?

 

[Davecrawf]

We have the Motorhome WiFi kit with popit sim streams TV and facetime call are fine.

Same here.

 

[Wightman]

Have you checked the E5785 has sockets for the external antenna leads?

Hi Southend

Thanks for reply and advice.

Did make that mistake but fortunately the guy understood and replaced with socket type. You would think they would use different model numbers or something!!

Was going to fit when weather gets better but HWMBO doesn't know if she wants to drive this one anymore so thinking of going PVC route.

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[Curt]

How many dishes are in the above pic I prefer Dishy installed on the roof.

Generally, a respectable 5G connection is around 5mpbs Uplink 0.59 Downlink your traction may vary depending on your luck in finding a signal and the latest hoky coky expensive bit of kit you may have, usage on your SIM is also normally restricted in some way.

 

[Jonno1103]

hi have i missed this one is vodafone doing zero roaming charges is this for existing customers ,,on long contract ?

Yep, we pay around £35 a month for true unlimited data plus there's no roaming charges in the zones we travel in. I think for around £40 a month they'll also include zero roaming charges in more far flung places too.
If we're using the van and there's work to be done we can easily go through 250Gb of data in 6/7 days.

 

[Southend]

Hi Southend

Thanks for reply and advice.

Did make that mistake but fortunately the guy understood and replaced with socket type. You would think they would use different model numbers or something!!

Was going to fit when weather gets better but HWMBO doesn't know if she wants to drive this one anymore so thinking of going PVC route.

It won't be a wasted investment. We drive a PVC and sitting inside a steel box definitely doesn't help reception!

 

[kevenh]

300Mbps is fine for daily usage…

…Including watching streaming video on Netflix, etc.
Though if you’re a multi person family, into multi tasking with online games and/or other users on the connection go off to start to watching other content then there maybe some cursing.
Source

 

[Glitch]

It won't be a wasted investment. We drive a PVC and sitting inside a steel box definitely doesn't help reception!

Yep it's basically acting as a "Faraday cage

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[berni109]

I'm Looking for an external mimo antenna and I found this.

Do I Use The PUCK or MIMO-3 On A Camper?

Poynting FAQ: I’m considering the PUCK-2 or the MIMO-3-V2-12 on a camper? Can you tell me whats the difference between two antennas?

poynting.tech

So looks like the experts who make the things agree with the collective here on fun.
So where can I get a cheap mimo-3 ?

 

[Southend]

I'm Looking for an external mimo antenna and I found this.

Do I Use The PUCK or MIMO-3 On A Camper?

Poynting FAQ: I’m considering the PUCK-2 or the MIMO-3-V2-12 on a camper? Can you tell me whats the difference between two antennas?

poynting.tech

So looks like the experts who make the things agree with the collective here on fun.
So where can I get a cheap mimo-3 ?

The cheapest I've found is here: Broken Link Removed
The mimo-3 are significantly more expensive than the puck series.

 

[Southend]

We are on the CMHC site at Sandringham. A good test of our new MIMO antenna.
Mrs Southend has no signal at all on her mobile with a 3 SIM. The new MIMO antenna and EE sim in our mifi router is giving us a very useable 4g signal for talking to the kids.

 

[Peregrinator]

Have you considered Starlink? https://www.starlink.com/

There are now a few campers that have sold their starlink, was expensive not giving them what they needed

You can't boost what isn't there in the first place. So if there is little or no signal you will be disappointed.

Geoff

You can, if I have one bar on my mobile, I can use my Netgear Hub connected to external aerial and get three or four bars, it's been very good so far, but not tried it in southern Spain, but then again it does have a different sim, maybe it's that, don't know.

 

[Peregrinator]

John from John & Mandy (Gadget John) u-tubers tested a lot of Aerials, and the one he choose to go back to was the one I have, which is the Poynting A-XPOL-0001_PCL, and I have had no problems with it, but they now have a 5G one now, don't know what that one would be like.

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[Glitch]

You can, if I have one bar on my mobile, I can use my Netgear Hub connected to external aerial and get three or four bars, it's been very good so far, but not tried it in southern Spain, but then again it does have a different sim, maybe it's that, don't know.

That's not "boosting" I'm afraid, that's just accessing a less degraded signal with a superior antenna in a better elevated position. Which is basic radio propagation theory & practice.

"Boosting" is in man in the Street parlance another word for Amplification through the use of electronics (band pass filters, differential circuitry etc.) and no consumer grade routers have the ability to amplify any mobile network signal due to licensing constraints (covered by Wireless Act in UK , but pretty much the same across all EU countries).

 

[kevenh]

That's not "boosting" I'm afraid, that's just accessing a less degraded signal with a superior antenna in a better elevated position. Which is basic radio propagation theory & practice.

"Boosting" is in man in the Street parlance another word for Amplification through the use of electronics (band pass filters, differential circuitry etc.) and no consumer grade routers have the ability to amplify any mobile network signal due to licensing constraints (covered by Wireless Act in UK , but pretty much the same across all EU countries).

Didn't that change in 2018?

New rules to help you get a better mobile signal indoors

If you struggle to get a good mobile reception indoors you will soon be able to buy a wider range of devices to help improve the signal you can achieve, under new rules announced by Ofcom.

www.ofcom.org.uk

The change was too allow consumers to boost mobile signals in their home & vehicles.

edit: maybe a recent law change that needs the hardware options to catchup
Looks like you'd need a booster in addition to the mifi router currently.

 

[Glitch]

Didn't that change in 2018?

New rules to help you get a better mobile signal indoors

If you struggle to get a good mobile reception indoors you will soon be able to buy a wider range of devices to help improve the signal you can achieve, under new rules announced by Ofcom.

www.ofcom.org.uk

The change was too allow consumers to boost mobile signals in their home & vehicles.

Yes agreed but that's applicable to Signal Boosters not Consumer grade routers.

Amplification of the mobile phone bands spectrum and it co-existing with Wi-Fi 2.4Gz band isn't really viable in the same box ( as found in the vast majority of consumer routers) as it will create serious interference issues which are covered in the various White papers that underpin the Wireless Telegraphy Act.
Hence why nobody markets such a device But it may happen when 5G becomes more available and cost effective as the upper frequency bands used are well up the spectrum well away from both 2.4 & 5Ghz Wi-fi.

As an aside the change in legislation in regards to the deployment of self installed mobile Signal Boosters is fraught with risk ( to those deploying them IMHO) as OFCOM can (and do) request that they are either reinstalled (to mitigate/eliminate) or switched off on receipt of an official interference complaint from a Mobile Network operator.

 

[kevenh]

Yes agreed but that's applicable to Signal Boosters not Consumer grade routers.

Amplification of the mobile phone bands spectrum and it co-existing with Wi-Fi 2.4Gz band isn't really viable in the same box ( as found in the vast majority of consumer routers) as it will create serious interference issues which are covered in the various White papers that underpin the Wireless Telegraphy Act.
Hence why nobody markets such a device But it may happen when 5G becomes more available and cost effective as the upper frequency bands used are well up the spectrum well away from both 2.4 & 5Ghz Wi-fi.

As an aside the change in legislation in regards to the deployment of self installed mobile Signal Boosters is fraught with risk ( to those deploying them IMHO) as OFCOM can (and do) request that they are either reinstalled (to mitigate/eliminate) or switched off on receipt of an official interference complaint from a Mobile Network operator.

We’re consumers. Are you meaning prosumers or professional products?
As low rung consumers we can add boxes as needed.

 

[Peregrinator]

That's not "boosting" I'm afraid, that's just accessing a less degraded signal with a superior antenna in a better elevated position. Which is basic radio propagation theory & practice.

"Boosting" is in man in the Street parlance another word for Amplification through the use of electronics (band pass filters, differential circuitry etc.) and no consumer grade routers have the ability to amplify any mobile network signal due to licensing constraints (covered by Wireless Act in UK , but pretty much the same across all EU countries).

The Hub not only catches weak signals with the help of strong External Antennas, it also it outputs as a Hotspot, handy for when we were in the mountains, no one around us could get a signal with their mobiles, so used our Hotspot, which is what I mean when I say boosting, so I can use my laptop or anything else at almost 100 meters away from the MH with hardly any loss signal. it works, and that is all I care about.

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[Davecrawf]

That's not "boosting" I'm afraid, that's just accessing a less degraded signal with a superior antenna in a better elevated position. Which is basic radio propagation theory & practice.

"Boosting" is in man in the Street parlance another word for Amplification through the use of electronics (band pass filters, differential circuitry etc.) and no consumer grade routers have the ability to amplify any mobile network signal due to licensing constraints (covered by Wireless Act in UK , but pretty much the same across all EU countries).

You sound like you know what you are talking about