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Ideas to improve broadband speed: 3G / 4G a good option?

Hi,

Apologies in advance for this long first post!

I live in a rural area of West Wales. My local exchange, Rhydlewis, was upgraded to ADSL back in 2004, and is a 20CN Market A / Market 1 exchange, which *has* been FTTC-enabled: however, I'm one of the unlucky ones (one of many in the area) stuck on a long EO (Exchange-Only) line (my line is probably around 4km in length). At least I do usually get download speeds of between 2 & 3 Mbps these days, whereas others nearby are still sub-2Mbps - so I don't feel I can complain too much.

However - being stuck on ADSL Max, the upload speed is only around 0.3 Mbps - which isn't great for my 2 VOIP lines or any "Cloud" services. So not ideal, especially when I mostly work from home as an I.T. Support Consultant (often using remote control software, similar to TeamViewer) and Web / Software Developer.

Also, being on a 20CN Market A exchange does limit ISP options (e.g. no LLU, also no AAISP as they, along with many other ISPs now it seems, no longer accept customers on 20CN Market A exchanges) - also, as we are officially classified as a "sub 2Mbps" line, Sky (and no doubt soon, other ISPs) will also no longer accept us as customers - so I'm currently with PlusNet, who I'm actually pleased with thus far. Of course, PlusNet charge us more for our ADSL as we are not in their "low cost area", so yet another disadvantage.

I've got a nice router - a DrayTek Vigor 2860 Vac, that can use both ADSL and VDSL, so is future-proofed. It also can use a 3G/4G "dongle" or other Ethernet WAN link for load-balancing or "fail-over", plus has 2 built-in VOIP (FXS) ports, which is great.

The router is connected to an ADSL Faceplate (with built-in micro-filter) directly in the Master Socket. So I think I've optimised as much as I can for now, as far as I can tell.

Anyway - somehow I doubt that we'll ever get improved fixed-line broadband (and I expect in 2020 we'll just get a USO voucher for a Satellite installation - yuck!) - *unless* we get a new cabinet in our local hamlet - and, as far as I can tell, there's no possibility of FTTP from the Rhydlewis exchange - so, finally getting to the point:

What are my options for improving my broadband connection speeds?
Also, are there any other fixed-line broadband technologies on the horizon that may in future help in long-line rural situations? Would LR-VDSL help in this situation, for example?

Some people would say "why not move house"? Well, that may well happen within a few years - but at the moment, for various reasons I won't go into here, it's not an option. Plus, the fact we don't have a good broadband link here will become an increasing deterrent to prospective house buyers anyway!

As far as I can determine, the best bets (in order of preference), are:

1. Use a 3G / 4G LTE connection to supplement my current fixed-line ADSL (although the 3G/4G coverage here is marginal at best).

2. Sign up to a local WISP for FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) - there are a couple of WISPs fairly nearby, BlueWave Internet and ResqNet, but I'm right on the Northern border of their range, and possibly out-of-range: I did ask BlueWave Internet for some information 2 or 3 months ago as I had a leaflet flyer from them in the post, they said they'd do a "drive-by survey" and get back to me: but I've never heard anything back since, so far. Does anyone have any experience with BlueWave or ResqNet? We are in a fairly hilly area, between 250-300m above sea level, with quite a few surrounding trees - so I expect LOS (Line-Of-Sight) issues may be a potential problem anyway for FWA, even if we are within range of any masts.

3. Using a Satellite connection (which would, from my research of the subject, be a real last resort, unless Satellite Internet Access has improved a lot in recent years or will do so soon...).

Things like a leased line are way too expensive for me (as a very small home-based business) to consider, and as yet I don't think there's enough interest locally for a community-funded fibre or FWA solution (although that could change in the future - it would be something I can explore maybe in time).

Also, having an extra land-line installed and bonding the 2 together would only get me to around 6-7Mbps down / 0.6Mbps up at best, which is not really worthwhile considering the extra expense of a 2nd line rental & ISP subscription. Plus - some ISPs that make line-bonding easier (e.g. AAISP) are not an option, as they don't supply to 20CN Market A customers.

So - my preferred "DIY" option, for now, would be to explore using a 3G/4G connection to supplement my ADSL.

The problem is that I live in a marginal 3G/4G area, with just "glimpses" of a 4G signal from EE, which has the best coverage in our area - indoors I usually have a poor 2G signal, which sometimes changes to H or H+ near windows (and this almost always have sub-1Mbps download speeds, sometimes even under 0.1Mbps!), although upload speeds can approach (or occasionally exceed) 1Mbps - which is a good improvement on my ADSL 0.3Mbps upload at least. I have had occasional "glimpses" of 4G indoors, but this lasts only for 2 or 3 seconds before reverting to 2G or 3G, so not long enough for a speed test.

Outdoors - we're supposed to be in an area with "Good outdoor coverage, weak or no indoor coverage" for 4G, according to EE's Coverage Checker. In most places my phone just shows "G", although this changes in quite a few areas to "H" or "H+" (still with poor speed test results though). *However*, there is a small area on our land, around 30-50m from the house, where I can usually (although not always - depends on weather, etc) pick up a 4G signal - and SpeedTest.net has given download speeds of around 15 - 30 Mbps, and upload speeds anywhere 2 - 15 Mbps!! Which for me, is amazing! I haven't yet explored all of our land for better 4G signals, so will do this soon.

In fact, EE's coverage checker for my Post Code has changed in the last few days - it used to show "Weak outdoor coverage, no indoor coverage" for 4G. After some digging, it seems EE have boosted the 1800MHz band (LTE Band 3) a bit.

However - the signal on my phone has not improved at all. So I'm wondering if they update the coverage checker & map before the make any actual changes to the cell masts?

Bear in mind, all these signal readings and speed tests are on my WileyFox Spark X Dual-SIM smartphone, which probably doesn't have the best radio or antenna compared to other phones. Also, from doing some research, it seems that dedicated 4G routers will usually pick up signals better than most phones. And a step-up again can be gained from using an external antenna.

So - would it be worthwhile for me to purchase a 4G LTE router, does anyone think?

I was looking at the TP-Link Archer MR200 as a possible first choice, followed by the more expensive Huawei B315 as a second choice. I've ruled out the D-Link DWR-921/B as another option, as apparently it doesn't support IPv6, and is causing issues with EE SIMs.

At the moment - I'm leaning towards the TP-Link Archer MR200, as it has 2 external LTE antennas, which may provide a better connection in poor signal areas than the internal antennae of the Huawei. Does anyone have any opinions or experience of these routers?

Of course, it may be that I can't get a signal in my area at all without an external antenna - in which case, I was considering the Solwise 4G-XPOL-A0001 omni-directional antenna as an add-on option.

My main concern is that, after spending money on a 4G router and external antenna, I *still* may not get a reliable 4G connection (or one at all!), as I'm in a very marginal signal area (at least, according to my phone).

If it *does* work though - I can see that a 4G connection would provide a nice boost to speed, and I've got the option to use a PAYG SIM, or a monthly contract. Although the problem with 4G connections is the data caps (and on my ADSL, I could use anything from 30Gb to 100Gb downloads in a month, at present - one thing PlusNet does provide me is unlimited uploads/downloads, which is very rare for a 20CN Market A link, as far as I know), at least I could use it just for the occasional times when speed becomes extra important (e.g. urgent downloads or uploads, occasional streaming, some remote access tasks), and still using my 2-3Mbps ADSL link for usual day-to-day tasks otherwise. Having a 4G link would also provide a very useful backup link ("fail-over") if there are ever any problems with my fixed line broadband (even if, by some miracle, it does get upgraded to FTTC or FTTP).

I would be happy with a downstream speed of 10Mbps and upstream of 1Mbps (even happier with more, of course!). At least that would meet the forthcoming 2020 USO figures.

So - does this sound like a feasible option for me and others in my locality in a similar position? I wish I has a better 4G phone or could somehow hire some kind of 4G LTE signal test kit though, to investigate the local area and provide me with a bit more confidence that I wouldn't be wasting my money on purchasing a 4G router & antenna!

Maybe it's just the fact that I've got to bite the bullet and just buy the router (and maybe external antenna) just to find out if it's feasable!

Are there any other suitable options for improving broadband speeds in areas where fixed-line links are unlikely to be upgraded?

Many thanks.

Kind regards,

Adam. :)
 
A WISP would likely be your best option, in terms of reliability and actually having unlimited usage, perhaps if you can't get access to any currently if you drummed up enough interest from other residents you could convince one to install some equipment.

As for hiring equipment, at least getting a PAYG SIM for each network would be a good start, even if that only gives you a rough estimation.

Check out mastdata.com if you want to see what networks are nearest to you.
 
Thanks TWKND.

Yes, I may well try a WISP soon. I'm currently 4 months into a renewed 12-month contract with PlusNet, so maybe after I'm halfway through (March/April onwards), I'll start investigating the WISP options again. A WISP would be ideal in some ways, as if it provided a stable and speedy connection, I could even ditch the land line (and associated line rental) and port my land line phone number to a VOIP provider (Vonage seem to do some good packages).

But, I'd probably want to keep both a land line and FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) connection running concurrently to start with - until the FWA link had proven its worth & reliability.

So, this is why, to start with, I'm particularly interested in exploring a secondary 4G connection as an option to "boost" my current ADSL link, without committing to a contract to start with - plus, other advantages of 3G/4G is that it provides a useful secondary backup link for any type of connection (ADSL, VDSL, FWA, etc) - and if I later move home (or travel), I can literally take it with me (useful if you're waiting for a new service to be installed, for example).

I think I'll try a PAYG Data SIM for each of the main 4 networks to start with anyway (EE, Vodafone, Three & O2). I looked at mastdata.com, but it looks as though it may be a little out-of-date (I did locate a joint Orange/Vodafone mast near me, in fact I can see that from part of my garden - but can't seem to get a consistent 3G / 4G signal from it - and some masts I do know about, for example one above the town of Llandysul, are missing on their map).

I just need to pluck up the courage to spend the £100 to £200 (for router or router + external antenna), my only worry is if I can't pick up a usable signal at all (hopefully unlikely, but still a concern as I'm in a poor signal area, with slow & poor 3G and borderline 4G - at least according to my phone, which may not be accurate anyway, probably it doesn't have the best quality antenna reception).

Thanks again.
 
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Shame how BT retail and related companies make you renew your contract when it has completed is IMPO not acceptable I completed my original 12month contract, only ever renewed if I changed my package otherwise I go onto a rolling monthly contract at the same per month. There is no reason to force customers onto new contracts once the original time is up if nothing is changing.
 
I know Kits.

However, to be fair to PlusNet, I could have gone onto a rolling monthly contract. However, I also use them for my land-line phone service, and had opted to pay the 12-months up-front "Line Rental Saver" again with them, to save a bit of money, plus with no prospect of any new broadband technology (FTTC/P etc) appearing within the next 12 months at least (and possibly ever!), decided to renew for a further 12 months. I also was able to get the same price for the ADSL as the initial 12-months: normally, after the initial contract, because I'm on a 20CN / Market A exchange (i.e. not in their "low cost area"), the ADSL service would increase considerably in price - at least I was able to get that back down to a reasonable level. To be fair, I've been happy with PlusNet so far for the nearly 18 months I've been with them. And, again being on a 20CN-only / Market A exchange, I don't have much choice of ISPs anyway.

But, it would be nice if you didn't have to haggle or renew a contract to stay on the same monthly cost, I agree with you.
 
Thanks for everyone's input.

I just thought I'd post an update.

I took the plunge and purchased the TP-Link Archer MR200 4G router, along with an EE Data SIM with 6Gb of data (lasting 90 days) for testing purposes. I did also get the Poynting A-XPOL-0001 external antenna as well, in case it was needed.

I was a bit nervous, as I can't get a 4G signal via EE at all on my phone inside the house (and there's only one location so far in our field where I get a 4G signal most of the time). I haven't yet tried with other networks (Vodafone may be worth a go here too).

Anyway - I had success in the window of 1 of the upstairs bedrooms - after much trial & error in positioning the modem (I had to put it on a small pile of boxes to gain height - now looking for some kind of adjustable windowsill stand/shelf), and also after *forcing* it into 4G mode (otherwise it would always pick up a 2G or 3G signal), I eventually can get a consistent 1 bar (out of 4 - i.e. 25%) 4G LTE signal! :)

So, comparing my PlusNet ADSL - these are typical speed test results:
SpeedTest.net - PlusNet ADSL (on my 20CN Market A exchange)
ThinkBroadBand - PlusNet ADSL (on my 20CN Market A exchange)
(Speed has dropped back to it's usual 2.8Mbps down, 0.37 Mbps up - I can't complain too much, others nearby are worse).

My 4G router with EE SIM gives these (it is variable, and this is one of the better test results):
SpeedTest.net - EE Mobile from 4G router
ThinkBroadband - EE Mobile from 4G router

It does vary from around 10 to 35 Mbps downstream, & 1 Mbps to 15 Mbps upstream - according to router position, signal strength, weather conditions, etc.

But it's huge improvement! I've been able to extend the range of the router via TP-Link powerline adapters (with one also acting as a WiFi extender).

Also - the Poynting Antenna so far hasn't made a difference, in fact I get a stronger signal via the router's own antennae! However, I may need to use it later, as we have a row of Beech + Ash trees nearby, and come the summer when in full leaf, these may adversely affect the 4G signal, such that I may need to put the external antenna on a home-made mast/pole beyond the trees (or on external wall of house) to improve things.

However - the 4G does provide a huge speed boost over my ADSL link.
It's just a shame about the costly data caps!! At least for mobile data contracts, it usually less than £1 per Gigabyte of data (and sometimes special offers mean it's closer to 50p per Gb - I've seen past deals of around £15 per month for 32Gb), so maybe things are improving.

I think 4G would be a viable "booster" for my slow-ish ADSL, and also provide an excellent backup in case the landline has any problems - but is still not a substitute for improved fixed-line NGA broadband. A good FWA link *could* be a substitute, so may investigate that option further down the line (but I'm a bit dubious about LOS [Line Of Sight] issues, due to trees etc).

But, at least it shows that 3G/4G (and upcoming 5G) could help to improve the situation in slower broadband areas.

Thanks again for all the input. :)

Kind regards,

Adam.
 
We have an EE "4G WiFi" package that costs £75/mo for 100GB/mo.

That's actually about the amount that we use, so it works for us. Another 20GB (had to buy last month, too much streaming TV!) costs another £20.

So basically it costs about twice as much as Fibre-to-the-Cabinet here, but provides upstream of around 40 to 50Mbps versus FTTC's likely ~2Mbps.

http://shop.ee.co.uk/dongles/pay-monthly-mobile-broadband/4g-home-broadband/details#
 
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Thanks DTMark.

I'm looking at various packages too from EE - although I also want to see if Vodafone has a usable 4G signal here, as they do 50Gb per month for £30 per month (on both a 12-month and rolling 30-day contract - see: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/bundles-and-sims/sim-only-data-bundles/).

EE also do some nice 32Gb & 64Gb bundles in addition to 100Gb - see: http://shop.ee.co.uk/dongles/pay-monthly-mobile-broadband/4gee-wifi-mini/details# (have to choose "4GEE Max Plans" to see 32Gb & over). I think I'd need at least 32Gb. It seems you have to order one of their portable "MiFi" devices though with 32 & 64, it's a shame you can't just get a data SIM for this (as far as I know).

And they do special offers from time-to-time: I'll have to look out for these.
(For example, this previous deal of 32Gb data on a rolling 30-day contract for £14.50 per month, would suit me perfectly!! Old HotUKDeals EE Offer - I'll have to keep an eye out...).

The thing is - I'll need to keep my PlusNet ADSL connection - for now at least - as while it's not the fastest (2.8 Mbps down & 0.38 Mbps up), at least it has an unlimited data cap, so I don't have to watch things carefully. I'll be using any 3G/4G plan as a backup to ADSL, plus as a "speed booster" for when I really need it. So I'll need to pay for ADSL + a 4G plan on top, I couldn't ditch ADSL just yet. If I was going to completely ditch ADSL (and maybe the landline, and port my current number over to a VOIP provider), then I'd definitely choose the 100Gb plan. A lot of the good EE deals are also 24 month contracts, and it may just be that I'll be able to get an improved FTTC/FTTP or FWA connection within the next 2 years or so, which should be a better long-term bet than 4G, for me at least. So I'm a bit reluctant to sign up for any contracts over 12 months at the moment.

At least I know now that 4G provides a nice backup and "turbo boost" for my connection! (Probably good to have, maybe on a PAYG SIM basis, as a backup even if we get FTTC/FTTP). Lots to still investigate and think about! :)

Thanks again for all the info.
 
The main issue is with cloud backups.

If we had VDSL FTTC it would probably be "unlimited", but that's of no use when the connection may well be bogged-down 24/7 uploading changes and always out of sync/running behind.

Conversely, I uploaded 33GB of files over 4G in about 90 minutes. It's very quick. But it uses up the data fairly quickly.

Even VDSL's fastest speed of 20Mbps upstream if you're right next to the cabinet is fairly.. meh. And we're not right next to the cabinet.

And they call that "next generation" - LOL.
 
I agree with you.

Things like Cloud Backups (to CrashPlan or similar services) become viable with 4G. It's just a shame about the (relatively) small data caps. That's why I'll probably use 4G just for those things that really need speed - the occasional cloud backup, occasional streaming of video, maybe remote access to other PCs at times (usually, but not always, ok on my ADSL), urgent downloads, etc. Try and spread my 4G data allowance to last the month if possible. Also it's a very handy backup.

A 4G connection is also very useful if you change fixed-line broadband providers (as that can cause downtime), move house (more downtime), plus you can take it with you to other locations. So even if i do eventually get FTTC/FTTP or a Fixed Wireless connection, a working 4G router will always be useful to have around.

It sounds as though you're a long way from your cabinet? As for me - I'm on a 4 to 4.5km EO line, no cabinets at all!

Just got to look out for a good deal on a Data SIM contract now!

Thanks again for all the info.
 
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