Crap internet!!!

[hally]

We live at the bottom of a steep valley miles away from an exchange so have very little broadband or mobile signal in the house, so can’t stream or send pictures via email, less then 1 mbps. We have a suresignal to notify us of calls but can’t really hold a conversation on it.
However we have a 4g service if we walk up the valley side about 200m from the house.
Is there any way of bringing this 4g signal down and into the house as BT are not interested in helping us?
TIA.

 

[Storeman]

Could you do something like this?

Farmer so sick of poor internet signal he built DIY mast

Richard Guy, 60, (pictured) who lives in a remote area of Salisbury Plain, battled for years with slow internet signal. So he built his own telephone mast and set up a 4G adaptor.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[walesfarmer]

Have a look at https://shop.ee.co.uk/broadband/4g-home-broadband - You might need the external antenna

 

[upnortheast]

Been a number of threads on here regarding 4G broadband. with lots of info . Biggest issue is you need a power source at the point where you have a 4G signal. Can you get a signal on the house / shed roof. If so its easy.

Only downside with 4G broadband can be cost, as you have to buy the data. Usually a problem if you have kids with xboxes & the like. For emails & a bit of browsing not an issue.
In our area the county council (inorthumberland ) manage a scheme where if there was no plans for decent landline BB they pay to install an aerial & 4G router. Would guess there will be something similar with you

 

[upnortheast]

It is possible to provide power by solar panels / batteries but in Nov - Feb in Cumbria poterntial to be a pain.

Best solution would be to run a swa cable (you just need enough power to run a pair of 13amp sockets ) to a point where you have a good 4G signal. In a waterproof enclosure you need a 4G router - We had one of these for 3 years before FTTP arrived
Huawei B525-4G 300Mbps mobile WiFi Router,
Buy an "unlocked" one then you are able to use any network sim
If there is a decent signal you may not need an antenna

Then https://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-outdoor-bridging-el-enh220ext.html - one next to the router & one at the house, - an access point in the house & you are sorted.
The 220 ext units will send a signal over a long distance (max 30km they claim ) if direct line of sight

2 bars 4 g signal should give you over 20 mg download

If you are thinking of going ahead the helpdesk boys at https://www.solwise.co.uk/ are very good. Explain your situation & they will suggest alternative solutions. (Other companies are available )

HTH

 

[hally]

It is possible to provide power by solar panels / batteries but in Nov - Feb in Cumbria poterntial to be a pain.

Best solution would be to run a swa cable (you just need enough power to run a pair of 13amp sockets ) to a point where you have a good 4G signal. In a waterproof enclosure you need a 4G router - We had one of these for 3 years before FTTP arrived
Huawei B525-4G 300Mbps mobile WiFi Router,
Buy an "unlocked" one then you are able to use any network sim
If there is a decent signal you may not need an antenna

Then https://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-outdoor-bridging-el-enh220ext.html - one next to the router & one at the house, - an access point in the house & you are sorted.
The 220 ext units will send a signal over a long distance (max 30km they claim ) if direct line of sight

2 bars 4 g signal should give you over 20 mg download

If you are thinking of going ahead the helpdesk boys at https://www.solwise.co.uk/ are very good. Explain your situation & they will suggest alternative solutions. (Other companies are available )

HTH

Thanks for that.
Just contacted ee about an external ariel on the house. Do you think that might work as looks a cheapish option and a 14day money back option if it dies not work

 

[upnortheast]

Can your phone pick up a 4G signal at that point ? Try up a ladder, ( Up in the loader man cage ( called a bucket in some places )
If it can you are sorted.
If it can not an antennae won`t pick up something that is not there.

 

[hally]

House too high for our telehandler but just h+ in the loft. I was hoping an antenna would find more signal than a phone. If you walk out our yard and up the hill to approximately equal level to our chimney you get 4g no bother.

 

[upnortheast]

If you walk out our yard and up the hill to approximately equal level to our chimney you get 4g no bother.

Sounds promising if the EE contractor has a long ladder

 

[upnortheast]

Be interested to hear your outcome

 

[hally]

Be interested to hear your outcome

Got a builder coming in the next couple,of months so the plan is to ask him to go on the roof and see if there is a signal that we can pull down into the house. If not plan b is putting a cable up the hill to where we know 4g can be found. I’ll let you know but thanks for your help in th meantime.

 

[upnortheast]

Something to bear in mind.
Antennae often come with a relativly short cable. - less than 10 metres.
Simple explaination for this is "gains" from the antennae are cancelled out by "losses " on the cable.
So you may end up with your router in the loft to get it close enough for the available cable length.
Not a problem as you just run a cat6 cable ( can be up to 100 metres ) to where you need the service & have an access point there giving you wifi & plug in connections

 

[Jungle Bill]

House too high for our telehandler but just h+ in the loft. I was hoping an antenna would find more signal than a phone. If you walk out our yard and up the hill to approximately equal level to our chimney you get 4g no bother.

We have a SimRush 4g system being installed next week, the router is in the antenna so only needs a cat6 cable which also carries power to the router. Their antenna seems to find a signal where phones struggle.

 

[DrWazzock]

EE 4G hub works very well here. Lucky enough to have a good signal.

Rural landlines are as dead as corduroy.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

We live at the bottom of a steep valley miles away from an exchange so have very little broadband or mobile signal in the house, so can’t stream or send pictures via email, less then 1 mbps. We have a suresignal to notify us of calls but can’t really hold a conversation on it.
However we have a 4g service if we walk up the valley side about 200m from the house.
Is there any way of bringing this 4g signal down and into the house as BT are not interested in helping us?
TIA.

Pole on the highest point of your house / shed whatever will be the cheapest option. Here’s my old (now bit mouldy) Poynting antenna from Solwise doing sterling service after 4 years...

The 200m option isn’t too bad either really. You could dig in a small fibre and bring it in that way. I’ve done that here too and have singlemode fibre running to multiple places...

Alternatively you can get line of sight between where you can get 4G back to a point on this house a pair of these MikroTik dishes - these will create a 1000 Mbps private point to point wireless connection @ 60 GHz for a few hundred quid.

 

[Jungle Bill]

We have a SimRush 4g system being installed next week, the router is in the antenna so only needs a cat6 cable which also carries power to the router. Their antenna seems to find a signal where phones struggle.

SimRush now in and working, minimum 40mb download and 20 upload makes a change after 3 and 0.2 from BT

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

SimRush now in and working, minimum 40mb download and 20 upload makes a change after 3 and 0.2 from BT

Looks like they use EE.

What are their package prices like (nothing listed on the website)?

Have you got a photo of their all-in-one external antenna and router? I’m aware of several manufacturers who do these but just wondering who they’re using.

 

[Jungle Bill]

Yes EE which is on top of the costs below.

It cost around £900 installed, or £33/ month for 3 years to lease from the local agent https://www.wellwoodcommunications....ng-rural-broadband-at-the-royal-highland-show . They use MikroTik equipment, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikrotik-R...rotik+antenna&qid=1568199937&s=gateway&sr=8-3 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/MikroTik-R...S030FM849VB&psc=1&refRID=D4AN44YMFS030FM849VB if you want to do it yourself, it doesn't look too difficult but I wanted the backup which seems good.

 

[Farfrae]

Only downside with 4G broadband can be cost, as you have to buy the data.

I'd say it's an advantage. 24 month contract with Three is £10 a month for the first 6 months then £20 for the remainder for unlimited data. With the added advantage I take the Sim out of my 4G router and pop it in a mobile phone when I'm away from home for Broadband (I can wirelessly tether my Tablet to the phone) and free phone calls. Just make sure your 4G router and phone take the same size Sim card.

8 miles from a phone mast down a remote valley (using a self installed external aerial) I'm not complaining about these speeds or ping for less than £20 a month unlimited (and saving £8.00 a month on my BT landline cost)

 

[Still Farming]

If you complain they may compulsory purchase a bit of your land to put new mast with the 4-5g roll out program and offer you a pittance in way of compo?