RBI Antenna options

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nakedgeek

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#205138 31-Oct-2016 13:44

I'm just about to go with RBI over 4G and am confused about external antenna options.

I am 4.5km away from both a Spark and Vodafone 4G towers (They are both on the same hill). I have clear line of sight to the towers, I am at the top of one hill and they are at the top of another with a flat valley in between.

My neighbour (down hill) has RBI 4G through Vodafone and has one of these antenna: https://www.gowifi.co.nz/antennas-700-900-directional/ant-205.html and is happy with his 11Mbps speedtest, although I suspect this was over wi-fi and do not trust that it reflects the real speed of his connection. Saying that 11M is much better than the <1M I am getting through ADSL.

Antenna installation options seem to be:

* Vodafone - One antenna by default $200 install,

* Spark - No antenna option through Spark, install and setup yourself. (Parts from go-wifi ~$300)

* Other providers offer installation options including dual antenna but so far seem to be expensive for what, to me, would be a straightforward install. I am confident that I can do the physical installation myself.

So, here is the confusion: Do I need dual antenna to get MIMO/better signal?

Unfortunately, the best place to install the antenna is on the roof at the front of the house and a dual antenna would have a very low Spouse Acceptance Factor.

I have seen this, http://www.powertec.co.nz/rfi-mimo-4g-lte-panel-antenna-700-2700mhz that could be mounted high on a wall (the house is two storeys) and am wondering whether this would be a simpler (and prettier) solution.

The question is, would this integrated dual antenna work and give me good results? (or at least better than a single antenna)

Cheers, D.

Rikkitic

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#1661432 31-Oct-2016 14:29

Others will know more about this than I do, but I think if you have line of sight to towers 4.5 km away, you probably don't need any antenna at all. And even if you do, I very much doubt that two would be any better than one. You are already probably going to be getting the strongest signal you can.

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coffeebaron

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#1661436 31-Oct-2016 14:41

If you have good line of sight, then you can probably go no external antenna (or try this first and add antenna's if needed), as long as you can place router by window with view to tower. Ultimate Broadband offer DIY self install kits. Where approx. are you?

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nakedgeek

14 posts

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#1661449 31-Oct-2016 15:07

Hi CoffeeBaron,

I'm in Rural Papakura.

I have been in contact with Ultimate Broadband and you may have already answered some questions about the installation options via them and I will be following up regarding self install.

The "place modem by the window" is not the best option as it limits placement and dictates wifi coverage and wired options (PCs/printers etc) unless I install more switches and ethernet cabling.

We do live in an area that suffers from severe weather at times (it is a water catchment area so it rains. a lot) and I am concerned that without an antenna signal would degrade.

My question here is really whether two antennas and enabling MIMO is appropriate for the distance involved, or whether the http://www.powertec.co.nz/rfi-mimo-4g-lte-panel-antenna-700-2700mhz option would be a "good enough" compromise. It certainly simplifies installation as it can be bracket mounted rather than roof mounted.

I am wanting to maximise performance and would hope to get more than the 11Mbps that my neighbour is getting. (He is downhill and behind a small hillock and a substantial stand of trees).

coffeebaron

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#1661593 31-Oct-2016 17:33

Most installs in good coverage will hit 30Mbps with single antenna and in excellent coverage even more (assuming good 4G capacity on tower). Results will vary for dual antenna, from maybe 1-5Mbps to 15Mbps+. Some will not increase downstream much, but will lift upstream. Each setup is different and mileage will vary for dual antenna. I guess it's like a master filter on ADSL - on bad internal wiring, a master filter will do wonders, on great internal wiring you might not get a huge improvement; but if you want to be sure to get the most out of your ADSL, then a master filter is essential. So same with dual antenna - results will vary, but still essential if you want to ensure you get the best possible speed over 4G.

The http://www.powertec.co.nz/rfi-mimo-4g-lte-panel-antenna-700-2700mhz should work fine, but obviously I cannot make any guarantees as I have not tested this exact antenna. The RBI firmware supports antenna locking now, so if the router has issues detecting the antenna, you can now lock to external antenna.

The standard RBI antenna does not need to be roof mounted, you can wall mount a single antenna on one of these: https://www.gowifi.co.nz/mounting-hardware-pole-wall/bkt-09.html or use two close together for dual antenna.

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nakedgeek

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#1661611 31-Oct-2016 18:11

So, you are saying that a dual antenna install is worse than a single antenna (30Mbps) or are your 1-5Mbps to 15Mbps+ figures quoted in addition to the single antenna figure? (i.e. a second antenna increases bandwidth but not by 2x) or for more challenging installations where a second antenna is more necessary?

That is exactly the bracket I was looking at using if I can get away with a single antenna. I've seen dual antennas installed on a single pole, one above the other but if I were to use two of those brackets could I install them side by side? I'm thinking this might reduce the visual impact slightly.

I now have to think about exactly where I can put dual antennas and see whether it is worthwhile trying.

coffeebaron

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#1661631 31-Oct-2016 18:56

Yes, increase in speed that is.
Side by side antenna placement is fine too. Also on opposing 45 degree angle.

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dimsim

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#1661651 31-Oct-2016 19:29

How about these little 3dbi Omni's? Would they do anything for an indoor router with no direct view to the tower but within 1-2km?

If so would adding two make more of a difference?

coffeebaron

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#1661773 31-Oct-2016 22:38

Yes those Omni's do make some difference to an internal install, but still won't negate positioning router with a good view out the window.

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patvr

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#1868080 18-Sep-2017 14:50

Hi Naked Geek,

I asked for this post to be unlocked to find out what happened in the end. I am the same as you here in Tauranga, rural with a signal but hoping to get more using some form of external antenna(e).

I ditched the 2 paddle antennae that came with my Huawei B315S for a cheap Chinese one and it looks like it helped a little and reduced the jitter. Now I am looking for a desktop or window mounted MIMO antenna that does not cost an arm and a leg. Looking at most of the posts there are a lot of recommendations but no one mentioned any results.

Just interested in where you got to.

Pat Van Rinsvelt