Disappointing 4G download Vodafone

[ffukedfarmer]

Using a Huawei B215 router and Poynting XPOL antenna I'm only getting 6- 11MBPS download despite the router showing a full or nearly full 4G signal.

When I was with EE I was getting around 20MBPS using the same setup but with only 1 bar signal. I binned EE party due to cost but also because it would often drop the connection, the Vodafone connection is at least 100% stable.

I have 2 Vodafone masts nearby. One just under 2km away, the other just over 3km away.

Generally signal in the area is poor.

 

[milkloss]

We have two 4g masts. One near home is faster than BB, the one further away on the farm is slower.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

We have two 4g masts. One near home is faster than BB, the one further away on the farm is slower.

But with an omni-directional antenna how can I force it to use one mast over the other? One mast is to the SW, the other to SE.

I've tried moving the router and antenna onto the end of a building that points directly towards the closer mast but this little difference. In fact there was little difference between the router + antenna and my iphone.

 

[milkloss]

Simple answer is that they may not be giving the masts full bandwidth. Have a google, you might be able to bodge a shroud of some sort to ‘hide’ one mast.

 

[PSQ]

There used to be a list of hidden 'engineering mode' test codes for Vodafone UK that would check signal strength and cell tower identity, but they must have been changed or disabled entirely as the codes I have don't work any more.

FWIW, care of Speedtest.net:
iPhone, Vodafone 4G, 25.4meg download 12.5meg upload. Solid signal.
BT broadband, 22.25 meg download, 3.16 meg upload. Flakey connection.
Vodafone mast is a quarter mile away, BT fibre cabinet half a mile.

 

[PSQ]

Found the current Field Test code, works on an Xr on Vodafone UK, might help determining cell site and signal strength, as well as the neighbouring site listed as 'LTE neighbour'.

 

[BAC]

I have vodaphone and three and in all honesty, I used to think three was awful for reception...... now use vodaphone for work. It’s a waste of time, use my personal phone more as signal drops so much on vodaphone

 

[del_boy]

Using a Huawei B215 router and Poynting XPOL antenna I'm only getting 6- 11MBPS download despite the router showing a full or nearly full 4G signal.

When I was with EE I was getting around 20MBPS using the same setup but with only 1 bar signal. I binned EE party due to cost but also because it would often drop the connection, the Vodafone connection is at least 100% stable.

I have 2 Vodafone masts nearby. One just under 2km away, the other just over 3km away.

Generally signal in the area is poor.

I was getting exactly the same. Was currently with ee but was getting too expensive so tried a Vodafone sim for alot less money . Ee showing low signal and vodafone full bars but less download speeds. Its still running everything i need it to at the moment so im not too worried, I did notice that unplugging 1 of the antenna wires gives it a boost on the signal bars but that has no bearing on download speed. The only improvement i can see using the antenna is the upload speed trebles on ours.
Ive also just tried a smarty sim card which runs off the three network for £20 month unlimited data. Again showing 1 bar but getting approx 16 mbps. In my case im putting the lower signal down to the sims being a mobile phone sim cards where the original ee sim was a data only sim