May 14, 2019 at 09:15Internet for the summer resident. We get the maximum speed in 4G networks. Part 2. Choosing an external antenna
Recently, I conducted comparative testing of LTE routers and it was quite expected that the performance and sensitivity of the radio modules differ significantly. When I connected the antenna to the routers, the speed increase increased multiple. This gave me the idea to conduct a comparative test of antennas, which will not only provide communication in a private house, but also make it no worse than in a city apartment, with a cable connection. Well, what ended this testing can be found below. Traditionally, for those who want to watch, not read, made a video.
Without a normal structural approach, you can’t get high-quality results, and the goal of this test was to choose the best antenna for the fastest Internet access. As a measurement standard, the Zyxel LTE3316-M604 router was chosen , which in the previous test justifiably took first place. This device can work both with a regular wired provider, using a backup communication channel via 3G / 4G if necessary, and work completely autonomously using 3G and 4G cellular networks. In my test, only a 4G network is used, since only data is transmitted through it and the load of voice traffic does not affect this communication channel.
For the test, I chose three different antennas of different types: the first test, to get clean values, the router worked without external antennas, using only built-in antennas. The second test was connected to the antenna with a circular radiation pattern. In the third test, a panel antenna was used, which has a narrower radiation pattern that was used in the previous test. Well, the fourth step was testing a narrowly oriented reticulated parabolic antenna.
All speed measurements were carried out on a weekday in the daytime, so that the load on the base station was minimal and the download speed was maximum. At each stage, the test was carried out three times and the average value of the download and upload speed was calculated. The router was connected to the same BS; the antennas were adjusted according to the signal in the web-interface of the router.
I also made a daily chart of the values of the speed of downloading and uploading data in my area, which perfectly demonstrates the work of users with the Internet. I believe that the provider will have approximately the same picture of the load on the BS. Interestingly, the download speed graph jumps significantly, but the return graph is practically unchanged - this indicates that users download more than give data.
GSM / 3G / 4G FREGAT MIMO
Price: 4800 r
TTX:
Frequency ranges, MHz: 700–960, 1700–2700
Gain, dB: 2 x 6
Permissible transmission power: 10 W
Size, cm: 37 x Ø6.5
Weight, gram: 840
Let's start by testing the antenna, which has a circular radiation pattern. This antenna can not boast of some prohibitive gain, but it supports MIMO technology, that is, these are two antennas in one housing. In addition, it is airtight and has 5 meter cable assemblies installed right away. The frequency range covers all segments from GSM to LTE, that is, 2G / 3G / 4G networks are supported. The kit includes mounting on the bar or directly to the wall. And now we will consider in what situations it can be used if it has such a size and QoS. The first thing that comes to mind is shielded rooms: a basement or basement, a metal warehouse or hangar, a ship or a boat. In all these cases, reinforced concrete and metal perfectly shield the external signal, and if outside the radio equipment can work perfectly, then inside the reception may not be at all. In this case, such an antenna will solve the communication problem. It can be used not only for the router, but also for the repeater. But it is for the router that it will reveal its full potential, and the circular radiation pattern works well on moving objects, allowing you not to configure the antenna for any one tower. In my case, the speed with the antenna turned out to be slightly lower than without it, since the antenna KU is similar to the built-in antennas KU in the router, but losses occur on 5-meter cables.
OMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO control unit
Price: 4500 r
TTX:
Frequency range, MHz: 1700-2700
Gain, dB: 2x16-18
Permissible transmission power: 50 W
Dimensions, cm: 45 x 45 x 6
Weight, gram: 2900
The second antenna worked for me for several years and participated in the previous test. It has proven itself very well when working both directly with the tower and with the reflected signal. Since the radiation pattern is narrower than that of an omnidirectional antenna, the gain also increased to 16-18 dBi, depending on the frequency of the signal. In addition, it works in MIMO mode, and this already gives an increase in speed. A standard boom mount allows adjustments both horizontally and vertically. In addition, the mount allows you to rotate the antenna 45 degrees to change the polarization - sometimes this gives a gain of several megabits. Big, tight and effective! And if without this antenna RSRP / SINR indicators were -106/10, then with a panel antenna they rose to -98/11. This gave an increase in download speed from 13 to 28 Mbps, and on the return from 12 to 16 Mbps. That is, a double increase in downloads on the same BS is an excellent result. In addition, the antenna, thanks to the small angle, allows you to cut off the nearest, but more loaded base stations and switch to other, less loaded. It is only worth considering that it is desirable to make the cable assembly shorter so as not to lose the signal in the wires.
PRISMA 3G / 4G MIMO
Price: 6000 r
TTX:
Frequency range, MHz: 1700–2700
Gain: 25 dB at a frequency of 1700–1880 MHz, 26 dB at a frequency of 1900– 2175 MHz, 27 dB at a frequency of 2600–2700 MHz
Maximum input power: 100 W
Size, cm: 90 x 81 x 36
Weight, gram: 3200
The parabolic mesh antenna is remarkable in itself - it has an impressive size of 90x81 centimeters. It is not round, as is customary for satellite dishes, which even positively affects the radiation pattern. In addition, the mesh design very noticeably reduces windage - the wind simply passes through it, and this practically does not affect the signal focusing. The antenna operates in the frequency range from 1700 to 2700 MHz. There are three positions of the irradiator: one for each frequency. The instructions clearly show how to position the irradiator relative to the antenna in order to get the maximum gain at the desired frequency, that is, first you need to know what frequencies your provider is working at. Here comes to the aid of the web-based interface of the router, in which the operating frequency is quite accessible. It is a little more difficult to work with this antenna; precise adjustment is required, since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers!
Comparative testing showed that even without an antenna, with a good elevation (10 m from the ground), the Zyxel LTE3316-M604 router can provide an acceptable speed for working with the Internet. But you won’t leave the router on the street, so this option is suitable in an apartment, office, but not where the tower can’t even be seen with binoculars.
The FREGAT MIMO antenna is suitable for those who, for a number of reasons, cannot receive the radio signal at the installation site of the router. This may be shielded walls, low location, other interference. And two antennas in a single case will provide support for MIMO technology, which should increase the speed of work.
As for the OMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO panel antenna, it showed itself very worthily. Work with both direct and reflected signals, lots of mounting options, good gain. Small dimensions do not give a lot of windage, and the speed gain is noticeable. You can take it safely if there is a 3G / 4G signal, but it is extremely weak or none at all.
Well, the PRISMA 3G / 4G MIMO parabolic mesh antenna is suitable for the most desperate, because with such amplification and the ability to fine tune to a BS, you can get a connection even in the most remote village, if there is a base station of a mobile operator within a radius of several tens of kilometers.
At the moment, I left the OMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO antenna to work. I had to move the mount bar somewhat on the wall, since the dimensions of the antenna dictate their conditions. With a cable length of 3 meters and the selected router, I saw speeds of up to 50 Mbit / s, when the BS was the least loaded. This tends to a theoretical speed limit of 75 Mbit / s under the existing BS operating conditions: Band3 frequency - 1800 MHz, 10 MHz channel width. But the main thing is that at a distance of more than 8 km from the base station, I managed to get speeds close to those that can be had in the immediate vicinity of the tower. Let me give you an example of a picture of the coverage of a radio signal using different frequencies.
In conclusion, I’ll say that you can always provide yourself with good Internet in the country or in a private house. Do not be afraid of unfamiliar equipment: to select a 3G / 4G router, just read my previous article. And when choosing an antenna, contact those who are seriously involved in them - they will select the optimal solution and even prepare all cable assemblies. You will only have to connect everything in place. Good luck, good ping and stable speed!
Testing methodology
Without a normal structural approach, you can’t get high-quality results, and the goal of this test was to choose the best antenna for the fastest Internet access. As a measurement standard, the Zyxel LTE3316-M604 router was chosen , which in the previous test justifiably took first place. This device can work both with a regular wired provider, using a backup communication channel via 3G / 4G if necessary, and work completely autonomously using 3G and 4G cellular networks. In my test, only a 4G network is used, since only data is transmitted through it and the load of voice traffic does not affect this communication channel.
For the test, I chose three different antennas of different types: the first test, to get clean values, the router worked without external antennas, using only built-in antennas. The second test was connected to the antenna with a circular radiation pattern. In the third test, a panel antenna was used, which has a narrower radiation pattern that was used in the previous test. Well, the fourth step was testing a narrowly oriented reticulated parabolic antenna.
All speed measurements were carried out on a weekday in the daytime, so that the load on the base station was minimal and the download speed was maximum. At each stage, the test was carried out three times and the average value of the download and upload speed was calculated. The router was connected to the same BS; the antennas were adjusted according to the signal in the web-interface of the router.
I also made a daily chart of the values of the speed of downloading and uploading data in my area, which perfectly demonstrates the work of users with the Internet. I believe that the provider will have approximately the same picture of the load on the BS. Interestingly, the download speed graph jumps significantly, but the return graph is practically unchanged - this indicates that users download more than give data.
GSM / 3G / 4G FREGAT MIMO
Price: 4800 r
TTX:
Frequency ranges, MHz: 700–960, 1700–2700
Gain, dB: 2 x 6
Permissible transmission power: 10 W
Size, cm: 37 x Ø6.5
Weight, gram: 840
Let's start by testing the antenna, which has a circular radiation pattern. This antenna can not boast of some prohibitive gain, but it supports MIMO technology, that is, these are two antennas in one housing. In addition, it is airtight and has 5 meter cable assemblies installed right away. The frequency range covers all segments from GSM to LTE, that is, 2G / 3G / 4G networks are supported. The kit includes mounting on the bar or directly to the wall. And now we will consider in what situations it can be used if it has such a size and QoS. The first thing that comes to mind is shielded rooms: a basement or basement, a metal warehouse or hangar, a ship or a boat. In all these cases, reinforced concrete and metal perfectly shield the external signal, and if outside the radio equipment can work perfectly, then inside the reception may not be at all. In this case, such an antenna will solve the communication problem. It can be used not only for the router, but also for the repeater. But it is for the router that it will reveal its full potential, and the circular radiation pattern works well on moving objects, allowing you not to configure the antenna for any one tower. In my case, the speed with the antenna turned out to be slightly lower than without it, since the antenna KU is similar to the built-in antennas KU in the router, but losses occur on 5-meter cables.
+
Ready-made kit with fasteners and mounted cable, suitable for shielded rooms, tight-
It has a smallOMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO control unit
Price: 4500 r
TTX:
Frequency range, MHz: 1700-2700
Gain, dB: 2x16-18
Permissible transmission power: 50 W
Dimensions, cm: 45 x 45 x 6
Weight, gram: 2900
The second antenna worked for me for several years and participated in the previous test. It has proven itself very well when working both directly with the tower and with the reflected signal. Since the radiation pattern is narrower than that of an omnidirectional antenna, the gain also increased to 16-18 dBi, depending on the frequency of the signal. In addition, it works in MIMO mode, and this already gives an increase in speed. A standard boom mount allows adjustments both horizontally and vertically. In addition, the mount allows you to rotate the antenna 45 degrees to change the polarization - sometimes this gives a gain of several megabits. Big, tight and effective! And if without this antenna RSRP / SINR indicators were -106/10, then with a panel antenna they rose to -98/11. This gave an increase in download speed from 13 to 28 Mbps, and on the return from 12 to 16 Mbps. That is, a double increase in downloads on the same BS is an excellent result. In addition, the antenna, thanks to the small angle, allows you to cut off the nearest, but more loaded base stations and switch to other, less loaded. It is only worth considering that it is desirable to make the cable assembly shorter so as not to lose the signal in the wires.
+
Signal amplification allows you to double the speed, the radiation pattern makes it possible to choose a less loaded BS, a convenient mounting kit, for several years has not lost its qualities-
With a size of 45x45 centimeters, it has a sail, which requires a quality foundation for mountingPRISMA 3G / 4G MIMO
Price: 6000 r
TTX:
Frequency range, MHz: 1700–2700
Gain: 25 dB at a frequency of 1700–1880 MHz, 26 dB at a frequency of 1900– 2175 MHz, 27 dB at a frequency of 2600–2700 MHz
Maximum input power: 100 W
Size, cm: 90 x 81 x 36
Weight, gram: 3200
The parabolic mesh antenna is remarkable in itself - it has an impressive size of 90x81 centimeters. It is not round, as is customary for satellite dishes, which even positively affects the radiation pattern. In addition, the mesh design very noticeably reduces windage - the wind simply passes through it, and this practically does not affect the signal focusing. The antenna operates in the frequency range from 1700 to 2700 MHz. There are three positions of the irradiator: one for each frequency. The instructions clearly show how to position the irradiator relative to the antenna in order to get the maximum gain at the desired frequency, that is, first you need to know what frequencies your provider is working at. Here comes to the aid of the web-based interface of the router, in which the operating frequency is quite accessible. It is a little more difficult to work with this antenna; precise adjustment is required, since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! since the directivity angle is very small. An obvious plus of this solution is the ability to accurately direct to the desired BS, even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! even if several stations are located almost in a straight line. There are also disadvantages: the tuning time on the BS is noticeably increased, and it becomes more difficult to work with the reflected signal. But the most important thing is the gain. It ranges from 25 to 27 dBi. In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers! In my case, this allowed me to amplify the signal from the original RSRP / SINR -106/10 to -90/19 dBi, and the reception speed increased from 13 to 41 Mbit / s, transmission from 12 to 21 Mbit / s. That is, the reception speed has increased by more than three times! Well, in a remote area, where cellular communication may not be caught at all, it is quite possible to catch both 3G and 4G signals over several tens of kilometers!
+
Excellent gain, mesh design reduces windage, the ability to adjust the irradiator to the desired frequency-
DimensionsSummarizing
Comparative testing showed that even without an antenna, with a good elevation (10 m from the ground), the Zyxel LTE3316-M604 router can provide an acceptable speed for working with the Internet. But you won’t leave the router on the street, so this option is suitable in an apartment, office, but not where the tower can’t even be seen with binoculars.
The FREGAT MIMO antenna is suitable for those who, for a number of reasons, cannot receive the radio signal at the installation site of the router. This may be shielded walls, low location, other interference. And two antennas in a single case will provide support for MIMO technology, which should increase the speed of work.
As for the OMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO panel antenna, it showed itself very worthily. Work with both direct and reflected signals, lots of mounting options, good gain. Small dimensions do not give a lot of windage, and the speed gain is noticeable. You can take it safely if there is a 3G / 4G signal, but it is extremely weak or none at all.
Well, the PRISMA 3G / 4G MIMO parabolic mesh antenna is suitable for the most desperate, because with such amplification and the ability to fine tune to a BS, you can get a connection even in the most remote village, if there is a base station of a mobile operator within a radius of several tens of kilometers.
Conclusion
At the moment, I left the OMEGA 3G / 4G MIMO antenna to work. I had to move the mount bar somewhat on the wall, since the dimensions of the antenna dictate their conditions. With a cable length of 3 meters and the selected router, I saw speeds of up to 50 Mbit / s, when the BS was the least loaded. This tends to a theoretical speed limit of 75 Mbit / s under the existing BS operating conditions: Band3 frequency - 1800 MHz, 10 MHz channel width. But the main thing is that at a distance of more than 8 km from the base station, I managed to get speeds close to those that can be had in the immediate vicinity of the tower. Let me give you an example of a picture of the coverage of a radio signal using different frequencies.
In conclusion, I’ll say that you can always provide yourself with good Internet in the country or in a private house. Do not be afraid of unfamiliar equipment: to select a 3G / 4G router, just read my previous article. And when choosing an antenna, contact those who are seriously involved in them - they will select the optimal solution and even prepare all cable assemblies. You will only have to connect everything in place. Good luck, good ping and stable speed!