External 4G antenna issues with Huawei B315 modem

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sluggish

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#190975 18-Jan-2016 20:20

I've got an external Yagi antenna which covers the 700 MHz used by Vodafone but it wouldn't work with my Huawei B315 modem. The reputable NZ antenna provider sent me adapters to connect to the modem but no signal was picked up. Then contacted the Antenna provider and they said there were no external antennas available for the B315. A quick browse of the internet seemed to show the contrary.

I'm with wireless nation but Spark supplies this modem as well.

Is anyone using this modem with an external anntena?

I've read a different Huawei modem had issues with automatic detection of an external antenna. Perhaps the same problem? Something about DC resistance being too low

stretchnz

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1510388 10-Mar-2016 10:14

Any chance you found a solution to your problem?

I ask because I am looking to buy one of these Huawai routers and will quite likely require an external aerial for the location it is intended.

I did see a site that claims to sell antennas for this router (http://www.store4g.com/huawei-b315/)

Best of luck but hopefully you may have some further testing and positive results :)

gwh

73 posts

Master Geek

#1511783 12-Mar-2016 10:17

These modems are commonly used with external antennae. The advice that they aren't available is completely wrong.

Go Wireless supply these antennae to many of the companies providing RBI service, they are ideal for the job you have in mind and are proven to work in the field:

http://www.gowifi.co.nz/antennas-1710-2100mhz-directio/11dbi-wideband-lte-broadband-directional-antenna.html

stretchnz

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1512885 14-Mar-2016 11:31

Thanks for your suggestion / advice.

sluggish

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1512906 14-Mar-2016 11:50

Yep I've found the problem. I had a cable connected to the antenna which terminated to something other than the sma connector needed for the B315. I used a converter rather than buying a new cable. I suspect the converter failed somehow. After trying to troubleshoot different ways to no avail, I bought a proper cable from gowifi which terminates to an sma. Problem solved.

Still not sure why the 1st company I dealt with told me there were no antennas working with this modem/router. I'm happy with the B315 but would like a router where I can force it to stay on 4G. It often drops from 4G to 3G even when I choose the manual feature (note I have a hill near my home which creates signal issues - you'll probably be fine if you have a decent signal). It likes to revert to auto selection. It also auto detects the antenna and would prefer to be able to make a manual selection.

stretchnz

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1512929 14-Mar-2016 12:04

interesting findings and good pointers on the auto selection issues (as I would call them issues!).

I did some testing last Friday at the site intended and sadly despite the GIS Geek site showing a 4G tower close by, there was no 4G signal to be had.

So change of tack now to run a Robustel 3G router (from all specs I saw on the B315 it did not appear to support Spark's 3G on 850Mhz).

PhantomNVD

2619 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1512976 14-Mar-2016 12:46

Get a skinny one, currently $149 and locked to 4g without option to change 🤔

stretchnz

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1512979 14-Mar-2016 12:54

we are a large company using Spark as it holds it own with coverage in remote locations which we often find ourselves in.

So no option to change for a single router instance. Have other sites already mobile connected was just hoping this particular one could go LTE.

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xbone

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1518004 22-Mar-2016 22:28

hi any one looking to sell RBI modem ; i need one urgently

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18663 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1518057 23-Mar-2016 00:15

I have a Huawei B315 with external antenna for 4G RBI. This device has connectors for two external antennas and I bought a second antenna to see what would happen. I tried many different configurations but the best result was with the two antennas both vertically polarised, one on top of the other. This nearly doubled my usual connection speed from 25-30 Mbps to 45-50 Mbps. The mast is about 20-25 kms away, not quite line of sight.

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