В I touched on the topic of "country" Internet and devices for receiving this Internet. But not everyone has a cellular network tower within sight, and a modem whistle from a cellular operator may simply be useless. And here special routers, amplifiers and directional antennas come to the rescue. In this article I will tell you how you can achieve a level of comfort in the Internet, comparable to the city.
To begin with, let's go through the types of antennas that are used to organize radio communications. There are three types and their various modifications.
Wave channel or YAGI
Pros: ease of manufacture, low cost
Cons: badly catches the reflected signal, subject to deformation (if not in a protective casing)
Applications: Mainly fixed communication in a relatively narrow frequency range
Circular or OMNI Antennas
Pros: hang and forget
Cons: small KU based on the materials used, catching noise from all sides
Applications: Usually, a circular antenna is used for signal distribution, not reception. The exception is moving objects - cars, yachts. Or when there is no way to catch a signal (dense urban development, several different signals around)
Panel Antennas
Pros: small volume in space, large signal reception area (especially helps when the signal is on the edge or reflected from a bunch of places). Great variability in performance, both in terms of frequencies and in terms of characteristics of KU and Directional Pattern
Cons: price, large windage
Objects of application: from operator antennas to homemade products, often antennas are located directly on the board
When I started looking for solutions to improve internet speed, I talked to many experts. As a result, we got a short list of things that definitely need to be paid attention to:
0. Recall school physics about waves and be guided by logic
1. Before you figure out and strengthen anything, you need to measure the speed of the Internet early in the morning, in the afternoon, in prime time in the evening (about 20 hours), late at night. If the fluctuations are more than 30%, then the base station is loaded. Will fix only the search for a less loaded BS. And that's not a fact.
2. Carefully consider possible solutions - the pros and cons are cardinal
3. Don't be greedy. Yes, the upfront costs seem insanely high. Here the principle of “necessary and sufficient” rises at the head of the table.
4. Don't get hung up on locked devices. Programs may be poorly written, another operator may start to work better than the one chosen. Therefore, only originals or unlocked + uniquely original software
5. Thoroughness. It is worth checking all the operators - one of them can often bring a surprise (there were cases when Megafon and MTS were downloaded cleanly, and Beeline calmly gave 15+ Mbps for downloading output.
6. Patience. Installing the system is not a matter of three minutes, especially if you do not do it every day. Every degree, every centimeter above / below - can give a difference of a couple of megabits. Experienced engineers firmly hold the antenna when they tighten the mounts - otherwise the direction may go a little off, which will negatively affect the speed.
7. If it is possible to entrust the pros, it is better to entrust the pros. You can stumble when compiling equipment compatibility (software, power, connectors, etc.), you can make mistakes when crimping a cable, selecting pigtails for modems, and aligning an antenna.
8. Time. From and to can take from one day to a week of time
Having absorbed the theory, I moved on to practice. The conditions are as follows: the nearest tower with LTE support is in a straight line at a distance of 3-4 km, but the signal is blocked by trees. And if in winter the absence of foliage has a positive effect on the signal, in summer the communication quality drops noticeably, and I still don’t want to raise the mast with the antenna and deal with the lightning rod. There are no other obstacles other than trees in the signal path. The forest belt is short, about 100 meters.
View of the BS
My first step towards good internet was an antenna
TTH:
Antenna version: Indoor
Antenna type: wave channel
Supported communication standards: LTE, HSPA, HSPA+
Operating frequencies, MHz: 790-2700
Gain, max., dBi: 11
Voltage standing wave ratio, max: 1.25
Characteristic impedance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without attachment point), mm: 160x150x150
Weight, no more than, kg: 0.6
Photo antenna from the inside
The manufacturing company is located in Saratov and offers a fairly wide range of devices. I was attracted by the wide operating frequency range, 3G4G support and the presence of two antennas at once, which was suitable for my Huawei E5372 router. Having a clear direction, you could put it on the windowsill, point it at the BS and enjoy the connection. I must say that the reception has become noticeably more confident, and the signal level is higher. The result that was achieved: 3G is caught perfectly, 4G is caught and even there is a connection, but the reception signal is extremely low. Suitable for work only in 3G or while there is no foliage on the trees. Also, I was not satisfied with the lack of an Ethernet connector, since there was a need to connect a hardware VoIP phone.
Pros: compact, there is a USB extension cable for connecting USB modems, a good level of amplification, directional
Cons: Requires installation by a window, the gain does not correspond to the declared one.
Price: 1590 rubles + router 5700 (Huawei E5372)
TTH:
Antenna version: outdoor
Antenna type: panel
Supported communication standards: LTE, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA
Operating frequencies, MHz: 1700-2700
Gain, max., dBi: 15-18
Voltage standing wave ratio, max: 1,5
Characteristic impedance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without attachment point), mm: 450x450x60
Weight, no more than, kg: 3,2 kg
Antenna photo
This is not an antenna, but fiction. When I saw the box, I thought it was a very large pizza, when I picked it up, I realized that it was also quite heavy. The sealed housing of the square antenna with a side of 45 centimeters is made of UV-resistant plastic. The antenna is designed to mount on a mast and tilt vertically, as well as change the polarization angle by 45 degrees - all with a standard mount. Since the windage of such an antenna is quite serious, and the weight exceeds 3 kg, the fasteners are impressive. The antenna works in 3G and 4G networks with MIMO support. Serious dimensions allow you to get a completely plausible gain, which means a stable connection. I will write about the speed below, comparing the two sets that ended up in my hands. This antenna works for me in conjunction with a Zyxel Keenetic LTE router. In general, I am very pleased with the device.
Pros: High gain, easy to mount, sealed outdoor version
Cons: heavy weight, high windage
Price: 4200 rubles + router 7000 rubles (Zyxel Keenetic LTE) (this price does not include cable assemblies. I took a cable assembly )+2400 r
Zyxel LTE 6101 vs Zyxel Keenetic LTE+3G/4G OMEGA MIMO
Zyxel LTE 6101
Since I had the opportunity to compare two sets of equipment, one self-assembled and the second ready-made, I wanted to understand whether it was worth paying 25 thousand rubles for a finished Zyxel LTE 6101 device or spending a little time and effort to assemble a kit from a router, wires and antennas yourself for 11200 rubles.
I dismantled the Zyxel LTE 6101 external unit, which contains an LTE modem with an antenna. This arrangement allows you to minimize the length of the cables from the antenna to the modem, and therefore reduce the signal loss in the cable. The outdoor unit is sealed to IP65 and can withstand heavy rain thanks to rubber gaskets at all junctions, including plugs and cable entry. The modem in the external unit is powered by POE technology, which means that only one Ethernet cable will go from the external unit. Its length can be up to 100 meters, but I had a chance to test a 30-meter cable, which was enough with a margin to comfortably arrange equipment in a large house. The second block, the router, is somewhat unusual. It will not work to connect another router to work with an external unit, so you need to be prepared for the fact that the device is sold as a package. By itself, it looks good, has a pair of gigabit Ethernet connectors and a separate blue connector for connecting an external unit. The external and internal blocks have bolts for ground connection, which will protect the equipment from pickups and surges during a thunderstorm. Ease of setup and comfort of working at height. The device from the category - got it and works. Naturally, I could not resist disassembling the external unit. Photo under the cut.
We disassemble the external unit Zyxel LTE 6101
Zyxel Keenetic LTE
The second stage was self-assembly of a similar kit based on Zyxel Keenetic LTE. This is the only Keenetic in the series that has a built-in 4G modem, all others require an external USB modem. The source of Internet access can also be a network provider that distributes access via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. In my case, only Internet access via LTE is used, so we insert the SIM card into the appropriate slot and turn on the router. In the normal case, where network coverage is good, the signal strength will be displayed on the front panel, and network access will appear immediately or after a short setup through the web interface. In my case, the signal strength is too low, so I needed to use an external antenna. On the back of the router there are a couple of connectors for connecting a MIMO antenna and a switch from an internal antenna to an external one. By connecting the antenna , I received a connection even at a decent distance from the base and through an obstacle in the form of a forest belt. But it is worth considering that in the case of this bundle, it is necessary to place the router as close to the antenna as possible, since even in the best cable there will still be attenuation, which means that the speed will be lower. This is the main difference between Zyxel LTE 6101 and Zyxel Keenetic LTE + external antenna.
I also could not resist and opened the Zyxel Keenetic LTE for inspection. Photos under the cut
We disassemble Zyxel Keenetic LTE
Polarization
If you look closely at the photo of the disassembled external unit from Zyxel LTE 6101, you can see how the antenna is rotated 45 degrees relative to the case. In order to get a good signal level and maximum speed, it is required that the polarization of the receiving antenna matches the polarization of the BS antenna. On the antenna itself, the direction of polarization must be indicated by an arrow. For example, my communication speed increased by a third when I turned the antenna 45 degrees. It is difficult to predict this in advance, therefore, during installation, this fact should be taken into account and try different installation options.
And now it would be quite natural to compare three sets for 7290, 11200 and 25000 rubles.
Conclusions
As you can see from the screenshot, Zyxel LTE 6101 is the leader in speed. The location of the modem next to the antenna and the minimum length of cables between them affect it. The device is interesting, sensible, but not budget. Suitable for those who are willing to pay for a stable and reliable connection.
The second is Zyxel Keenetic LTE with an external antenna. The connection, of course, is very worthy and is close to Zyxel LTE 6101 in terms of reception and transmission speed. Therefore, for those who are not speed critical and who are ready to spend time laying cables and aligning the antenna (the same will have to be done with Zyxel LTE 6101), then this set will be noticeably more budgetary and functionally richer. If only because the Zyxel Keenetic LTE has a built-in SIP telephony adapter and 5 gigabit ports.
The last set (LTE MiMo INDOOR+Huawei E5372) has a significant drawback due to the lack of Ethernet ports. In addition, in the current conditions, when the signal path is blocked by foliage, 4G was not caught even with an external antenna, but 3G communication was quite decent. True, the pings are quite significant and talking over VoIP is not very comfortable. Such a connection is suitable for those who need the Internet just for surfing.
BONUS
TTH:
Antenna version: outdoor
Antenna type: panel
Supported communication standards: LTE, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA
Operating frequencies, MHz: 790-960, 1700-2700
Gain, max., dBi: 10-15
Voltage standing wave ratio, max: 1,5
Characteristic impedance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without attachment point), mm: 310x270x90
Weight, no more than, kg: 1,5 kg
Antenna photo
A person once approached me with a request to help distribute Wi-Fi in the country. A plot of half a hectare and the remoteness of the bathhouse with a gazebo from the house did not give a chance to a simple router to provide a signal to the entire site. In this situation, either the second router saves at the right point where the Ethernet cable is pulled, or a repeater that can catch the signal from the router and amplify it on the spot. But there is an easier and more reliable option - an external antenna to cover the area with a Wi-Fi signal. I had a SOTA-5 antenna, and thanks to its multi-band capability, it was possible to use it not only to communicate with the base stations of mobile operators, but also to receive and transmit a Wi-Fi signal. The coverage area is large enough, and the radiation pattern allows you to more or less clearly limit the signal coverage area and not clog neighboring Wi-Fi points. Fully sealed design, convenient and reliable fasteners, Russian production - everything you could wish for from such equipment.
Pros: Airtight, simple, reliable
Cons: I put it and forgot where I put it
Source: habr.com