Can this fixed 4G wireless connection be improved by external aerial or change to Smart modem 2?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Can this fixed 4G wireless connection be improved by external aerial or change to Smart modem 2?

PJ48

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#304222 14-Apr-2023 19:45

Hi All,

Staying at the in-laws in rural South Canterbury on Spark fixed 4G connection. House is 600 m from cell phone tower but there is a big stand of eucalyptus tree between tower and house.

Speeds are max 60 Mbps down (typical 15-20) and max 40 Mbps up (typical 25 - 30 ) and ping 31 ms.(over ethernet)

The modem is right next to window facing the tower.

As the title says - can this be improved by external aerial (it won't get above tree line!) or change to Smart modem 2?

Linux

11166 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3063751 14-Apr-2023 19:56

This very subject thrashed to death in many threads

Tradepub

Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

PJ48

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3063754 14-Apr-2023 20:07

Linux: This very subject thrashed to death in many threads

Apologies - I have searched on Geekzone but can't find what I am looking for.

I struggle to understand the transmission figures and what they mean in the real world - I thought it was reasonable to post those actual modem stats in the hope that someone knowledgeable would be able to quickly say yes or no

gzt

16821 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#3063766 14-Apr-2023 21:00

Speeds are max 60 Mbps down (typical 15-20) and max 40 Mbps up (typical 25 - 30 )

I'm not sure how you got those 'typical' and 'max' figures. They look kinda odd. Can you try something like Ookla on your phone wireless to this modem when there is no other activity? It gives reliable figures for the period.

PJ48

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3063768 14-Apr-2023 21:16

gzt:
Speeds are max 60 Mbps down (typical 15-20) and max 40 Mbps up (typical 25 - 30 )

I'm not sure how you got those 'typical' and 'max' figures. They look kinda odd. Can you try something like Ookla on your phone wireless to this modem when there is no other activity? It gives reliable figures for the period.

Here is the phone connected when nothing else connected

By "max" I mean on rare occasions we will see a download speed of 60 - I assumed other people in the neighbourhood are usually competing on the same tower, but when they are not, we get better speeds.

gzt

16821 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#3063771 14-Apr-2023 21:44

From the little I know about RBI that looks approximately expected and good to me. Just enough for 4k TV. It's my uneducated guess a better modem or aerial won't get you much in return for that scenario.

Silvrav

442 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#3064444 17-Apr-2023 10:05

Not much - see my thread here:

It depends on network congestion and will vary greatly during the day depending on how many are using the tower.

as you are seeing around 60mbs from time to time, I dont believe an external will help much for download speeds, but might for that ping!! 3513 download ping is way to high - should average between 50 and a 100ms max. Try to run a test again when no one else is using the internet (ie streaming etc)

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18537 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#3064466 17-Apr-2023 10:39

I went through all this a few years ago. Even added a second external antenna without much improvement. In the end I had to conclude that the issue was just mast congestion and there wasn't much I could do about it. What I did do was move to a WISP that improved things greatly.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Silvrav

442 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#3064477 17-Apr-2023 11:17

Silvrav:

Not much - see my thread here:

It depends on network congestion and will vary greatly during the day depending on how many are using the tower.

as you are seeing around 60mbs from time to time, I dont believe an external will help much for download speeds, but might for that ping!! 3513 download ping is way to high - should average between 50 and a 100ms max. Try to run a test again when no one else is using the internet (ie streaming etc)

whoops - see link here https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=302716

PJ48

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3064555 17-Apr-2023 18:32

Silvrav:

Silvrav:

Not much - see my thread here:

It depends on network congestion and will vary greatly during the day depending on how many are using the tower.

as you are seeing around 60mbs from time to time, I dont believe an external will help much for download speeds, but might for that ping!! 3513 download ping is way to high - should average between 50 and a 100ms max. Try to run a test again when no one else is using the internet (ie streaming etc)

whoops - see link here https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=302716

Thanks for all the advice. I will follow the suggestions

K8Toledo

1009 posts

Uber Geek

#3073593 8-May-2023 02:04

@PJ48

Bit late I know.... results from our Spark 4G connection back in 2020/21. Router is B618 (no external antenna) with clear line of site to the tower approx 1.2Km away.

Tests run at various times of the day.

Your SINR shows 4dB, indicating some interference according to this chart:

What is RSSI, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ? How does this affect signal quality?

PJ48

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3073824 8-May-2023 15:53

Thanks for that - I suspect the only way to improve our situation would be to chop down some trees!