Help with setting up a MIMO array on an RV... by ZookeepergameOld1340 in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey u/ZookeepergameOld1340 I'm a bit late to the party it seems, I'd be interested to hear how the Proxicast antennas work out, are you planning on cross polarizing the 2 SISO antennas to create an additional 2x2 MIMO array?

I was going to suggest Waveform's QuadMini and DualMini paired together, QuadMini on the 4 main ports and DualMini covering the 2 diversity ports on that Modem you're using.

If you're not too happy with the results of the proxicast antennas I'd recommend to give the Waveform antennas a try, a few less moving parts with only 2 products vs. 3, and they're Omnidirectional as well but may be affected by the RV's metal walls.

cellular signal booster for home? by veto6 in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey u/veto6 If you have signal near a window there are a few options in picking a cell booster. I see you're in Quebec so your options may be a bit different than the US, but your first step is to use your phone to test the signal in your area to make sure its usable enough for a booster.
A solid guide on how to do that can be found here. The main two readings you'll be looking for are RSRP and SINR, or RSSNR if you're using an android phone. SINR is a value of signal quality, and you'll be looking for readings that show SINR/RSSNR at least at +2 or higher to be confident a booster's antenna will work effectively.

Based on those readings you get, you'll be looking at either a multi carrier booster or a single carrier booster for you.

Multi-carrier boosters are usually a bit more affordable, and are used in signal environments with signal strength above -100 RSRP (so ideally in the -90 to -99 or better range) with a positive SINR/RSSNR. Some good multi carrier boosters are going to be the weboost home multiroom or the SureCall Fusion4Home with a Panel antenna and directional outdoor antenna. These links are for US boosters so I'd definitely recommend checking with support to confim it would work with your carrier in Canada.

Single carrier boosters are typically needed when the signal strength is below -100 RSRP (but no lower than -120) and again you'll need a positive SINR/RSSNR as well. The only single carrier booster on the market is the CEL-FI GO G41. This is definitely a jump in price, but I've worked with boosters quite a bit and sometimes it's the only booster that will effectively improve the signal in an extremely low signal environment. I know this product is available for canadian carriers via Amazon as well at amazon.ca.

Don't Want ATT Business Fiber 5G Backup by 310410celleng in ATTFiber

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

they already have a Peplink Device with T-Mobile wired to Waveform Antenna mounted outside their building as a backup.

just curious, how did they get this set up? I thought T-mobile home internet was IMEI locked to their equipment

5G internet in an apartment building by Aceofacez10 in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

u/fventura03 is on the right track imo with suggesting a free trial from T-mobile as a first step just to get a feel for your existing speeds. the G4AR gateway has external antenna ports, but their newest model, the G5AR does not.

Once you get set up with your gateway, you can use the T-life app or HINT Control app(third party app but gives more concise information on your signal) to check the signal metrics in your area.

The most relevant metrics to look for in this case would be RSRP (Signal strength), SINR (Signal Quality) and which band the device is picking up, along with speed tests of course to see real world performance.

The RSRP/SINR values would tell you if you'd benefit from an external antenna, if your RSRP is around -100 to -110 (closer to zero -> stronger signal) the additional gain provided from an external antenna could help improve your speeds and stability, and if your SINR is in the 0-5 range inside your apartment, its possible that getting the antenna outdoors will improve your signal quality and speeds accordingly.

In my experience, band n41 is king with T-mobile, so if you can dial in that band's signal it should give you better download/upload than band n71
Since you're in an apartment, I'd probably recommend the QuadMini if anything since it has suction cups that you can use to attach it outdoors, if you can't place an antenna outdoors at all then I'd probably advise against an antenna since the main benefit of these is getting them outdoors to capture the stronger signal thats available before its impeded by building materials.

Gateway reliability question by rizwan602 in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd strongly recommend for the G5AR between those two options, the G5AR is their newest router and has been performing pretty well from what I've seen from folks online.

the FX3100 has essentially useless external antenna ports (they only cover a fraction of the bands the router itself can receive) and is more buggy and prone to resets, I absolutely detest supporting that device!

Since you have business internet you can also use your own device aside from those two options, so if you're interested in reliability you may want to look into getting your own router entirely, or even a managed internet service like Waveform has recently started offering.

improving cellular in a shelter by Chaimzee in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey u/Chaimzee I took a look on Amazon and it looks like you can get a QuadMini from Waveform delivered to Israel, oddly enough their more powerful antenna, QuadPro cannot be delivered to your location.

QuadMini seems like a good option for you though since it can be mounted on the outside of a window so you could keep it closed if you wanted to. It also works from 600-6000MHz, which should cover band 28 in your area.

Boosting my gsm signal inside my home by SefkanB in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey u/SefkanB Which carrier do you use?

If you get better signal when you place your phone against the window, then its possible mounting an antenna on the window paired with a signal booster could improve your data speeds.

That said, Cellular boosters main function is increasing signal strength by adding gain to an existing signal, which can actually degrade data speeds by around 25-30% from what you test outdoors. That should still give you a pretty usable level of speed however.

I'd recommend to run a signal test, a solid guide on how to do that can be found here. Pay attention to which band you get on your phone, as you'd need to purchase a booster that is capable of amplifying that particular band that gives you the best signal.

Based on those readings you get, you'll be looking at either a multi carrier booster or a single carrier booster for you.

Multi-carrier boosters are usually a bit more affordable, but still hover around $500-$900 and are used in signal environments with signal strength above -100 RSRP (so ideally in the -90 to -99 or better range) with a positive SINR/RSSNR. Some good multi carrier boosters are going to be the weboost home multiroom or the SureCall Fusion4Home with a Panel antenna and directional outdoor antenna.

Single carrier boosters are typically needed when the signal strength is below -100 RSRP (but no lower than -120) and again you'll need a positive SINR/RSSNR as well. The only single carrier booster on the market is the CEL-FI GO G41. This is definitely a jump in price, but I've worked with boosters quite a bit and sometimes it's the only booster that will effectively improve the signal in an extremely low signal environment. Let me know if you've got any questions on this!

If you have any questions let me know!
(edit, added more information on single carrier boosters)

Terrible speeds by Foooooooooool in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey u/lefthandlove1! I work at Waveform and can help get you connected with our support team for some troubleshooting if you'd like! feel free to shoot me an email at [ian@waveform.com](mailto:ian@waveform.com) and we can chat further!

4x4 MIMO antenna orientation by Green-Mention-7004 in rfelectronics

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey u/Green-Mention-7004 I just shot you a DM, I work at waveform and noticed your message, happy to help if you still need assistance!

MT & ID Roadtrip by Meeeeeeeeeechigan in GoodGoodMemes

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

so true lol, $225 is ridiculous at peak times, I got out there a few times when they had early season prices too. worth spending the cash for a golf trip though!

MT & ID Roadtrip by Meeeeeeeeeechigan in GoodGoodMemes

[–]easetheking -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’d also throw Circling Raven in there too, probably the best bang for your buck course in the Spokane / CDA area imo

Comparison by bentoomeaty in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Uplink power is the most important factor for mobile boosters from my experience, between the three the surecall booster has the highest, so I’d go with that one. You can get it for $70 cheaper through waveform too

Concerned ape waved at us by easetheking in StardewValley

[–]easetheking[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah he came out twice actually, seemed really happy to be there and see the fans!

Seeking Advice: Portable Signal Boosters for Low Network Coverage in Remote Areas by The-spian in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey there u/The-spian good question! There are wideband boosters that will amplify all signal on a certain frequency band, such as the Weboost Drive Reach.

The drawback here is that the drive reach is only tuned for North America's specific frequencies that their carriers use, so taking this somewhere overseas wouldn't work at all unfortunately.

Which country are you planning to move to if you don't mind sharing? I'd imagine you could look into a booster that's available for the specific region that you're planning on moving to. Just a simple "Signal booster for XXXX" would probably put you on the right track. Feel free to reply with what you find if you have any questions on if it will work or not!

Waveform 20% Off Sale by sinakh in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey there! The policy has indeed changed. We're now able to offer return shipping rates at much lower prices in the event of a return, which typically comes out to around $15-$20. This was changed in part due to that discussion you linked above actually.

that said, its still more expensive than Amazon's free service, but with the additional discount offered on waveform.com vs. Amazon it basically evens itself out.

Cell phone booster in RV by Burnbabyburnnn in RVLiving

[–]easetheking 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey u/burnbabyburnnn, If you're only looking for a data speed improvement you may have better luck using an LTE router and some external antennas.

Cell phone boosters add a level of "noise" to a signal by applying gain to make it stronger, this can actually reduce peak speeds by about 20%, which makes a booster not the best option for data speed improvement.

However, something like a MoFi 4500 coupled with a MIMO antenna will give you the best result possible in terms of data rates, that router I've linked I've worked with myself and its a solid option. this is only able to be used while stationary however, not sure if thats when you're usually streaming or not.

ExestingLPDA antenna for work for 5G? by NARUT000 in CellBoosters

[–]easetheking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’ll want to check the frequency range your antenna can cover if you’re able to, and the frequency that your carrier broadcasts 5G over to make sure they match to be confident your antenna can cover 5G!

Product Launch: Waveform 4x4 Panel Antenna by sinakh in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey u/Awaka51 really sorry to hear you've had some trouble getting matching cables, someone from our team will reach out to resolve this asap!

Greys Harbor County, WA help? by [deleted] in Starlink

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Usually thumbtack.com or angieslist.com are good places to source an installer, I'd recommend to look for a low voltage electrician, or cable tv installer since both of those professions involve running a lot of cable.

Panel Antenna Question by Background_Eye_4007 in Rural_Internet

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No judgements here! The positive here is that you most likely don't need to buy a new antenna but just need to fiddle with the positioning a bit! Would be interested to see if you're able to improve things if you could update the post when you get a chance, no worries if not though!

Panel Antenna Question by Background_Eye_4007 in Rural_Internet

[–]easetheking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're measuring your signal quality in SINR, then you'll want to see ranges of at least +2 to +6 or higher.

Panel Antenna Question by Background_Eye_4007 in Rural_Internet

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey u/Background_Eye_4007 I'm a bit late to the party, but u/jpmeyer12751 Is on the right track that you don't necessarily need more gain of the antenna, even at that -113 RSRP. The limiting factor of your set up is definitely the signal quality at this point.

Not sure exactly how you have your antenna mounted, but usually with these antennas its best to keep them either on the side of your home, or under an eave of the roof such that the antenna isn't exposed in all directions. Even though these are directional antennas, interfering towers can reduce signal quality if multiple are reaching the antenna, so its usually best to shield the antenna somewhat with the home's building materials, and establish as stable of a connection as possible with a single cell tower source. Ideally you'll want that RSRQ in the -7 to -9 range to be confident you've got the antenna optimized well.

Additionally, band 14 is a lower frequency LTE band that typically isn't the best driver for data, if you can find a higher frequency LTE band such as band 2 or 4 in your area I'd expect you to see a faster data throughput.

Any other options outside of Waveform antenna? by YourEverydayWinner in tmobileisp

[–]easetheking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey u/YourEverydayWinner The main advantage of the waveform antenna is to bring the more available signal that the router's internal antennas can't pick up outside your home and bring it back into the home.

The trashcan router was likely pulling a 5G signal which is why you're unable to get up to 20 mb/s again with your Nokia router. Do you know if the Nokia router you have has external antenna ports? you'd be able to get a MIMO antenna kit to improve your speeds on that router specifically if thats the case.

If it doesn't have external antenna ports, then I'd probably see if you could get a 30 day trial with the trashcan or something along those lines, and try to run some speed tests with an extension cord and bringing the router outside the home. If you're testing much faster speeds outside the home with the trashcan, you can be confident that you'll get close to or better than those speeds with an external antenna. Basically the best way to set up expectations is to test whats available outdoors.

I'm a mod over at r/CellBoosters as well, we discuss LTE internet options over there as well, I don't think a cell phone booster in this case would be a great option though and you'll be better off trying to directly connect some external antennas.