Crap internet!!!

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
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.
 

upnortheast

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
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
 
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upnortheast

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
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.
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Angus
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.
 
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...

BEA91E3D-87C7-4AC2-A17E-AB3E890C51A5.jpeg


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...

F12A877A-6F7A-49E8-9FEE-2BCF800E6FAD.jpeg


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.

D72523C9-8D0C-4C9A-B6A0-3A5FE72AD44F.jpeg
 

Jungle Bill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Angus
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.
 
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.

three deal.JPG


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)

speedtest.JPG
 
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