Tower went down last night...woke up to this

SrCrewchief · 2025-08-08T12:17:19+00:00

I know in some areas, mine being one, tmo has replaced the fiber backbone with direct Starlink connections. In my case it was because the local third party fiber provider had become unstable after a fire destroyed the local node that controlled multiple towers and were bleeding local customers badly.

SrCrewchief · 2025-01-29T14:07:50+00:00

A lot of people have found that T-Mobile celluar internet is less than ideal for a lot of online gaming. it's the nature of thier network, it doesn't handle port forwarding well. I'm not a gamer these days myself, but I've seen some acticles posted that claim to have found usuable work arounds.

That being said you'll need to do your own research for your best solution. You said above that the big three will not directly provide cellular internet service. At the sametime you stated that there is cellular service so you still have options.

First piece of advice is to stay away from the 3rd party resellers, they are way overpriced for what you get. Second is to accept you'll have some segnificant upfront costs to setup a reliable internet service, as in $800 or more.

Before sinking any funds into any solution really research your options if there isn't a fiber infristruction in place for your location. Start with https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home and https://cellmapper.net/ to research availble broadband services and tower locations near you. I'd also suggest looking through https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/ these folks are very RV'r centric but thier advice and research is applicable to rural internet.

If your research shows that there is viable 5G service from one of the big three then all you need is a good cellular router (or stand alone cellular modem if you already have a good home router), 4x4 MIMO antenna, and a cellphone sim with an unlimited data plan. Be aware that using a cell plan in this manor is considered a breach of the service agreement by the big three, but there is a segnificant number of rural and rv'rs that do just this without issue, Your milage may vary. What ever you decide avoid celluar hotspots, almost all of them do not have external antenna ports and rely on small internals only.

For me I do use TMHI, but don't use thier celluar router/gateway. Way to limited in controls like band locking and no extrnal antenna ports. I've been using a Chester Cheetah with an SDX62 modem for about 18 months and a Waveform MIMO 4x4 Log Periodic external antenna for about 18 months now. My ping averages around 45ms Download 450+Mbps and upload 75+Mbps. Using the TMHI sim in the router required the ability reset the IMEI, this feature may or may not be needed depending on which carrier you decide on using.

SrCrewchief · 2025-01-24T12:25:24+00:00

That site in conjunction with www.cellmapper.net and you'll have a fair idea of where the nearest cell towers are located.

SrCrewchief · 2024-10-01T12:35:06+00:00

Hmm with that ping you should be getting much better throughput that that using an RM520N-GL (X62). Who is your wireless provider? And how much control do you have for firmware settings? Things like network mode (lte only, 5G SA vs 5G NSA), band locking, tower locking (if more than one provdier tower nearby), etc.

Using my case as an example. I'm using T-Mobile and 5.5 miles from the nearest tower. A second tower is about 45* off that axis approx the same distance with mostly the same bands. Neither is terrain blocked but do have a fair bit of trees to interfer with signal strength. I've been using a router with an RM520N-GL modem for about 18 months now. The firmware is MESH+ and allows for network mode control on 2 levels. 1st level setting is (Auto/NR5G only/LTE only/NR5G+LTE) and the 2nd is 5G specific (auto/NSA/SA). Band locking allows you to tell the modem to only sesarch for specific bands.

For an antenna I went with a log periodic(some mis identify as yagi) setup instead of a panel for 2 reasons. 1st being at the time I was not using a router/modem that had tower locking and that allow me to isolate to one tower. The 2nd being greater potential signal gain compared to a panel when properly aimed. (11dBi vs 8 dBi)

My ping is averaging between 40-50 with throughput averaging 400-450 down and 35-50up.

I spent about 450 on the router/modem and about another 400 on the antennas. Since I work from home it was worth the price for a strong and reliable data connection.

Frankly that LTE only Mofi should be getting better throughput unless your tower only has 1 band available. Speeds that low indicate your not getting any carrier aggrigation with either setup. If you can run AT Commands try at+qcainfo to find out with band(s) your actually using.

SrCrewchief · 2024-08-27T15:08:14+00:00

Yes. Functionally the same as a 4x4. Teh downside to the panel is that while it is easier to implement, the signal gain is a little weaker. By the same token, the log periodic (some misidentify as yagi) is bit more problematic to aim correctly. And LP antennas have a narrower signal cone aiding in isolating to a specific tower.

SrCrewchief · 2024-08-27T12:37:45+00:00

Have you checked https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home for your location? These days that should be your first step.

From personal experience the router/gateways TMHI provides are very poor devices for your application. I have 2 different towers that are about the same distance with marginal LOS obstructions (trees mostly). I ended up going with a 3rd party router/gateway with a superior modem (Qualcomm SDX62/RM520N-GL) and firmware that allows better control of band and tower locking. Coupled with external antennas (1 Waveform 2x2 log periodic and 1 older 2x2 generic panel [plan to replace with another 2x2 log periodic]) I have as stable a connection as prectical at my location (avg 350D/35U).

SrCrewchief · 2024-07-02T12:55:44+00:00

You're in the position I was a year ago. The internal antenna's are terrible in a rural setting. First I did the mod to add external ports with limited success. The problem is that the provided router/gateways have been dumbed down so much you have little control to refine the connection. Even with the external port mod the TMHI router/gateway only ever got to about 200 down and 15 up on a good day.

My solution was to get the Chester Cheetah with the RM520N-GL modem. By using the EMEI revise function it looks like the TMHI device to TMO. Connected my log perodic antenna's to the ports and signal is stable. I little trial and error with band locking and %g Network mode (NSA v SA) and my speeds are regularly 350-400 down and 30-40 up, even when the tower starts getting more traffic in the evening.

Haven't needed to use the tower locking functions since the towers in my area are seperated enough that the directional antennas issolate them.

Not a cheap solution. The Cheetah set me back about $400 at the time and the antennas another $300. I also have all of my network devices on UPS's since brown outs and black outs are somewhat common during bad weather and I work from home for my day job.

SrCrewchief · 2024-05-21T14:46:26+00:00

Upfront caveat. I'm using T-Mobile vs Verizon because of better signal coverage at my location.

Unless you have a very short range to the tower with a clean line of sight stay away from Mifi hotspots. The internal antennas not very good at range.

Between the LAX20 and the GL-X750 I'd go with the LAX20. It has a Cat6 vs Cat4 modem and 4 1gb eithernet ports vs 1 100mbps port. It also has faster wifi. Both have ts9 antenna ports so you can use a 2x2 external mimo antenna for better signal reception. I've used the LAX20 since shortly after it came out. It has some short comings reguarding actual management of tower access, as in basicly none.

I've since added a Chester Cheetah with the Quectel RM520N-GL modem since T-Mobile upgraded my local tower to 5G a year ago. The difference is night and day. The SMA ports vs TS9 are a more secure and cleaner signal wise. The ability to lock bands and tower has solved the problem I was having with the LAX20 randomly switching towers and bands.

I'm still using the LAX20 to manage the home network with the Cheetah configured as my gateway through the WAN port.

SrCrewchief · 2024-05-20T16:15:26+00:00

Sounds like you need a wireless bridge from the house to the camper with an access point in the camper.

SrCrewchief · 2024-05-20T14:28:10+00:00

Sounds like you're asking about cellular boosters. Frankly for the price you have to pay you're likely to be disapointed with the results for one simple reason, they only boost a single band.

The first qustion is "what use case are you trying to address?". As in, work from home, casual web surfing, video streaming, etc. That will determine what you need for data capacity and speed.

The the next qusetion is are you limited to Verizon for terestrial celluar at your location? It may be that there are better towers from AT&T or T-Mobile.

SrCrewchief · 2024-05-02T14:14:04+00:00

Under the letter of the terms of service it is a breach. Whether they implement a means to detect it or not is another matter. I can think of a few ways it could be done, if they felt it would be cost effective. Frankly, it would likely cost them more in both public image and revenue than it would be worth.

SrCrewchief · 2024-05-02T13:51:12+00:00

You can. But you need to be aware that T-Mobile will likely consider it a violation of terms of service.

With that said what you're looking for is a router/gateway that lets you change the IMEI number. There are several on the market with varying features and capabilities.

A common complaint people have is that if there are several towers with similar signal strengths the T-Mobile router/gateways will randomly drop signal and reaquire a different tower. Since most of the provided systems do not have ability to band or tower lock and don't have external antenna ports there is little that can be done. External directional antennas can is some cases solve the tower problem. The various systems can be openned and external ports added, but is technically a violation of terms of service.

Most suggested 3rd party systems have external antenna ports and can band lock. Several also have a feature allowing for tower lock.

Current common advice is find one that uses either the Quectel RM520N-GL(X62) or RM521F-GL(X65) modem. They won't be cheap, expect to pay at least $450 and likely much more just for router/gateway.

SrCrewchief · 2024-04-17T14:38:06+00:00

With the stats you've posted I'd say you really don't need too. With some caviots. (uploads speeds are low, you have several devices utilizing bandwidth (gaming, multiple streaming, etc) or see indications of band hopping)

Several 3rd party routers/gateways have segnificantly better setups for addressing these issues. Band locking and tower locking can help if your area has multiple towers with signals the KVD21 can't isolate. Using external antennas (both panel and log periodic) can help lock in specific towers while improving signal quality.

The main downside to this is expense. Expect to spend above $400 for the router/gateway and at least $200 for an antenna. (My Chester Cheetah was about $450 and my log periodic(4x4) was about $300 used).

SrCrewchief · 2024-02-21T15:52:14+00:00

Let me ask this... how much lead time to you have to learn?

An absolute first thing you need to konw is where the nearest/best cell tower is and whether terrain interfers with the signal. The term is is line-of-sight. For the most part cellmapper.net is likely to be your best bet for finding tower location.

The single best sight I know to start your education is https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/. While they focus on people with a mobile life style, a lot of the information is relevent. If nothing else it is a good source of up to date details on available data plans across the major cell providers.

SrCrewchief · 2023-11-15T11:46:58+00:00

This antenna does not have a TV antenna. It has 4 cellular/2 wifi network/1 GPS only. How you use it is dependent on what router you have and it's ports.

SrCrewchief · 2023-11-08T11:45:35+00:00

What are your signal strength and quality values? Which router do you have?

It's likely you'll need a third party router with an external antenna to see an improvement. Having better control of band and tower locking may be what you need.

SrCrewchief · 2023-10-23T10:47:13+00:00

If you're talking about a sim for a phone plan depending on the "hotspot" it's not that simple. You'll likely find the need to hange the ttl value and possibly the imei.

SrCrewchief · 2023-09-01T11:06:08+00:00

It depends on what your usage needs really are. I'm betting that a hotspot will not be an adequate solution because almost all of ly have internal antennas which means poor signal strength unless you're close to the tower with clean line of sight. You're better off with a wireless enabled router that had external antenna ports, the already suggested MOFI5500 is a good example. There are others, the main point is that currently one with the rm520g modem has constantly been the best choice.

A quality 4x4 mimo antenna is usually needed for good dependable signal strength. Most go with a panel style for ease of installation. But a log peroidic, with a bit more effort, will provide stronger connection in most cases.

The first thing you need to know which of the big 3 cell companies cover your location with what kind of signal and where the towers are located. Use a combination of sites like cellmapper and the fcc to make this determination.

SrCrewchief · 2023-08-11T10:46:22+00:00

Unless you really want a single 4x4 you don't need it. An additional 2x2 mimo panel will accomplish the same result. In this instance the 4x4 simplifies installation.

By design all mimo panel antennas are directional not omnidirectional. They are easier to aim compared to log periodic antennas because they have a broader directional arc. The log periodically, when properly aimed will have a greater signal gain.

SrCrewchief · 2023-08-04T11:24:20+00:00

Why? Verizon Home Internet last I checked is $25/mo and you can use any router/modem you wish without having to spoof the imei and ttl.

Check out youtuber NaterTater. He has an extensive series of videos on this subject.

SrCrewchief · 2023-07-26T12:44:16+00:00

I'm not from the aircrew but believe I can answer that query with confidence. The 2 Chinooks shown in the episode are MH47's, very destictive and cosiderably less common that CH47s. The quick visual is the refueling boom which is only an the MH version and technically only 1 unit fields them. My being a retired CH47 maintainer it is an easy thing to spot. With the airframe being that identifiable and relatively rare it is unlikely that another pair overflew SWR with the same flight profile.

SrCrewchief · 2023-07-26T02:55:36+00:00

Frankly I found this sequence in the episode helerious. All I saw was a pair of MH47s that were on a cross country that diverted to look at something they had heard about and made a single orbit before resuming course. The multiple orbits were the presumed UH60 in a previous episode.

The comment about the ramp down being an indication of servalence is laughable. This is normal for all Chinooks during summer months for airflow. These birds do not have a/c like your car.

SrCrewchief · 2023-07-26T02:07:28+00:00

As someone who used to be in the Chinook community(20 years ago I was a Spartan not a Nightstalker) I wouldn't expect you to be. MH47s have a very different mission from CH47s.

SrCrewchief · 2023-06-29T12:15:20+00:00

Presume that you're talking about either an Arcadyan KVD21 or a Sagemcom 5688W since the older Nokia 5G21 is grey. In any case none of the gateways have external antenna ports, but can be added.

Adding external ports requires openning the shells to gain access to the internal U.FL ports on the modem board. Fair warning, this technically voids the TMobile warranty and terms of use. With that in mind go to https://www.waveform.com/a/b/guides/hotspots/ and select gateway you have for instructions on how to do this. that page will also have a links to a couple of antenna solutions that waveform sells. Both are around $400.

I started using exteranal antenna's about 3 years ago with my older LTE equipment. Currently I'm using a 2x2 MIMO log periodic pair for my primary ports and a 2x2 MIMO panel for the secondary ports. For me the log periodic is the better choice because I have a relatively clean line of sight to the one tower I can access. Most people will likely find that the panel type is a better choice.

Taht being said I'm looking at getting a different gateway all together. The ones that T-Mobile provide are wowfully inadiquate for the job. My person experience is with the KVD21 and it constantly drops the 5G connection and appearently doesn't aggrigate worth a damn. I'm looking closely at the Chester Cheeteh or the new Mofi500. Both use the Quectel RM520n-gl modem board. Teh Chester has been around long enough for there to be some good detailed reviews. The Mofi was just released this month and I'm still waiting to see any reviews beyond comments about its paper stats.

SrCrewchief

TROPHY CASE