{"id":19406,"date":"2020-04-11T00:01:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T23:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=19406"},"modified":"2024-02-23T15:03:13","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:03:13","slug":"how-to-choose-an-external-4g-or-5g-mobile-broadband-antenna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2020\/04\/how-to-choose-an-external-4g-or-5g-mobile-broadband-antenna.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose an External 4G or 5G Mobile Broadband Antenna"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us are lucky enough to live within reach of a fairly strong UK mobile broadband (3G<\/a>, 4G<\/a> or 5G<\/a>) network signal but that isn’t true everywhere, particularly in some remote rural areas. Sometimes the best way to receive a stronger signal is to try installing your own external antenna, but knowing what to get can be tricky.<\/p>\n

Before we get started it’s important to clarify that this article is primarily intended for people who can’t access a good fixed line broadband ISP connection but may still be almost within reach of a viable mobile broadband alternative, albeit often struggling to get a good or stable signal from any of the operators. In this case you may benefit from an external antenna.<\/p>\n

Obviously if you can already get a fast fixed line broadband ISP and just want a better indoor mobile signal then many of the operators already offer Femtocell<\/strong> style devices, which essentially plug into your home broadband connection (speeds of 0.5Mbps or 2Mbps+ are usually required) and use that to boost a localised mobile signal for your Smartphone.<\/p>\n

Examples of Femtocell devices are Vodafone<\/a>’s Sure Signal<\/strong> router, Three UK<\/a>’s Home Signal<\/strong> , O2<\/a>’s Boostbox<\/strong> or EE<\/a>’s Signal Box<\/strong> device. Failing that some Smartphones and Apps from mobile network operators also support making calls on your allowance via home WiFi<\/a> (some mobiles also have a more direct ‘WiFi<\/a> Calling’ feature that does this without an app).<\/p>\n

Let’s talk external antennas<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The actual process of installing an external antenna is usually just a case of screwing one to the highest and most stable location possible outside of your house (e.g. a solid brick wall near your roof), pointing it in the right direction and then drilling the cable through into the house (making sure to avoid electrical cables, water pipes and sealing up afterwards etc.). Plenty of professional installers can do this for you too (often for sub-\u00a3100).<\/p>\n

However as anybody who has ever tried to improve their mobile signal will probably attest, finding the right kit for the job isn’t simple and the variable nature of the radio spectrum – passing through different environments as it does – can result in all sorts of quirky outcomes. Sometimes the most logical solution doesn’t always turn out to be the right one for your specific location or needs.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless our aim here is to provide some general guidance, but remember that sometimes it’s necessary to test a few different approaches before you decide upon the best one. In addition, we aren’t going to dare delve into the more industrial setups (e.g. personal mast construction or WiFi<\/a> relays) as those are a bit too complex for most people, but if you’re surrounded by tall trees then sometimes it’s necessary to get radical.<\/p>\n

Often it’s possible to buy a pole mounting and then fix your antenna on top of that (i.e. raised higher above your house) but just be sure that what you install is stable and won’t damage the house. Likewise in some areas a tall pole may breach planning rules, so always check with the local authority first.<\/p>\n

Omni-directional or directional antenna<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The first decision is whether or not to go with a directional or omni-directional antenna. A directional antenna will focus its higher gain (reception) in one direction, although it also becomes weaker in the other directions. By comparison omni antennas try to attract similar reception from all directions, albeit for a lower overall gain.<\/p>\n

\"directional<\/em><\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> Despite appearances above, direction and omni-directional antennas come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they can even look the same.<\/div>\n

On the surface you may think you know the answer to this one but it’s not always so simple. If you know where the nearest mast or base station for your operator is, particularly if you have LOS or Line-of-Sight<\/strong> (nothing in the way), then going directional might be the best choice (often true in rural areas). However a directional antenna can run into problems, such as if the station is congested or goes out of service (can occur during upgrades).<\/p>\n

On the flip side an omni may result in better reliability because it’s looking at a wider area, although it can also attract more interference and may not deliver the same sort of performance as a well positioned directional. Generally if you’re not entirely sure where the mast is, or you live in an urban or suburban area, then an omni is probably the better choice. In fact start with an omni first anyway, it’s just easier.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> If you’re doing this DIY then an omni will be easier (less alignment hassle).<\/div>\n

Now if you’re really feeling adventurous then you could install two antennas of different types but in order to make that work you’d have to connect them both to a MIMO configured router (two ports), such as the Huawei B618<\/strong>. Likewise you can also buy some MIMO antennas that have two outputs (MIMO 2×2) for related routers with two inputs. Just remember that this kind of kit tends to be more expensive and adds to the hassle of setup.<\/p>\n

Generally it’s best to try with one antenna first and don’t bother buying a MIMO router with two external antenna ports if you’re only going to use an antenna with a single output, although if you do try installing two antennas then make sure to space them apart a bit.<\/p>\n

At this point we should touch on polarisation<\/strong>. Mobile signals tend to be linearly polarised (they vibrate vertically, horizontally or a bit of both) and ideally the aim is to match the polarisation of your antenna to that of the signal (trial and error – helps if you can rotate the antenna). A quick solution to this is to go with a cross-polarised antenna, these usually have two outputs (good for MIMO routers), which can latch on to the signal regardless of its polarisation.<\/p>\n

We’d also suggest keeping the cable between your antenna and router as short as possible in order to limit interference. Generally 5 metres or less should be fine, although some people have used more without problems but your mileage may vary (more cable usually equals greater signal loss). However, there are other factors that you need to consider too, so let’s move on.<\/p>\n

What do the gain (dB \/ dBi) figures on an antenna mean?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The power of an antenna is measured by its “gain,<\/em>” which is usually reflected in figures for either dBi<\/strong> (decibels relative to an isotropic radiator) or just dB<\/strong> (decibels relative to a dipole radiator – technically dBd<\/strong> but marketing folk often just use dB, which is confusing). The gain is essentially a relative measure of the antenna’s ability to direct (concentrate) radio frequency energy in a particular direction or pattern.<\/p>\n

At this point the explanations can get very complicated and as this guide is directed toward people from all walks of life then we’ll simply say that the higher the gain, the better the antenna’s performance and range (over simplification). However antennas with very high gain may also be more expensive, often to reflect their quality, and so there’s something to be said for picking one in the middle ground (note that for every c.6dBi in gain, you could double the range of an antenna).<\/p>\n

Some antennas may also give several different gain values to reflect the range of spectrum bands they support, as each may have different characterises due to the antenna design. As such it helps to know what bands your mobile operator is actually using and how to understand the different measures of signal strength (this will help when trying to identify unusual reception problems), which is what we’ll touch on next.<\/p>\n

Maps and spectrum bands – finding the info.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the biggest challenges with setting up a new antenna is knowing where the signal comes from, how strong it is and which bands are being used in your local area (this can vary depending upon the operator). Vodafone<\/a>, Three UK<\/a>, O2<\/a> and EE<\/a> (BT<\/a>) all have coverage checkers on their websites but these are extremely vague and not always particularly accurate (see Ofcoms Mobile Coverage Checker<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Continued on Page 2..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Likewise the operators won’t always deploy all of their available bands everywhere they go; sometimes it makes more sense to tailor choices to a specific area. The good news is that you can usually identify what bands are being used by downloading various apps (e.g. Network Cell Info Lite<\/strong> on Android devices) or finding the mobile network details page on your Smartphone or router.<\/p>\n

Consumers who happen to be using one of Huawei’s mobile routers can also try checking out the LTEInspecteur<\/a><\/strong> software for Microsoft Windows, which gives you lots of access to advanced signal stats and even allows you to tweak which band you use (assuming the operator gives you a choice and it’s supported by your router\/antenna).<\/p>\n

Often such apps and pages won’t tell you the spectrum frequency and will just give a band number for your own operator (take a look here<\/a> to see what spectrum the operators currently own). Operators will often own several bands, although they usually have one primary band for national connectivity (e.g. Vodafone<\/a> and O2<\/a> use B20, while EE<\/a> and Three UK<\/a> prefer B3 on 4G<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Common 4G Mobile Bands in the UK<\/strong><\/span>
\n800MHz (Band 20)
\n900MHz (Band 8)
\n1800MHz (Band 3)
\n2100MHz (Band 1)
\n2300MHz (Band 40)
\n2600MHz (Band 7)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> 5G<\/a> using bands follow a different model and prefix with ‘n’ (at the time of writing, UK operators have only deployed 5G<\/a> via 3.4GHz).<\/div>\n

The next challenge stems from identifying your nearest mast(s) \/ cell site(s), or at least the most appropriate one for your location. This may be impacted by the local topography, surroundings and operator choice, so it’s not always the most logical or nearest one. The app mentioned above can help but you may also find useful data on these two websites – Mastdata.com<\/a> and Cellmapper.net<\/a>. The Opensignal<\/a> app is also worth trying.<\/p>\n

Take note that some network sharing agreements do exist between operators, which can complicate the picture. For example, Vodafone and O2 have a network sharing agreement under Cornerstone<\/strong> (formerly CTIL), while EE and Three UK have one via Mobile Broadband Network Limited<\/strong> (MBNL). As such one mast or cell site may potentially be serving more than a single operator.<\/p>\n

Understanding signal strength<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Next up it helps to understand “signal strength,<\/em>” which tends to be reflected by several measurements (e.g. RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, RSCP, SINR and EC\/IO). You will need at least a basic understanding of these, or at least two or three of these, in order to better position your antenna.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> Lots of factors can affect signal strength (e.g. distance to mast\/cell, interference from competing signals, band switching by a router, weather and physical obstacles like buildings\/trees\/hills etc.)<\/div>\n

Measures of Signal Strength<\/strong><\/span>
\nReceived Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)<\/p>\n

Reference Signals Received Power (RSRP)<\/p>\n

Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)<\/p>\n

Received Signal Code Power (RSCP)<\/p>\n

Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Understanding each one of the above is useful but it can get confusing and so we’ll focus on RSSI and RSRP\/RSRQ because you’re most likely to come across those on 4G<\/a> Mobile networks (as well as others like WiFi etc.). Generally all of these are indicated by a negative dBm (decibel milliWatts<\/strong>) value, which conversely means that negative values are actually good.. up to a point. The values here are negative because they actually represent small but positive numbers, albeit on a logarithmic scale (otherwise we’d be have to express, for example, a -100dBm signal in an uglier way like this: 0.0000000001 mW).<\/p>\n

For example, an Excellent 4G RSSI signal would be -65 dBm, while a Poor signal would start at around -85 dBm. In simple terms, the closer to 0 dBm the better, although mobile networks are designed to have a wide coverage and so past a certain point there can be an issue of diminishing returns – in terms of data speed – on the way to a perfect signal. The measure for RSRP is similar to RSSI, except an Excellent 4G signal is had at -80 dBm.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile RSRQ operates on a very different scale, which means that anything from around -10 dB (not dBm) is Excellent and – 20 dB would be considered Poor. However mobile modems are actually quite good at maintaining a reasonably fast data connection with even a poor signal, although slower speeds and worse stability will become more of a problem the weaker it gets (e.g. rural areas far from a mast).<\/p>\n

For example, here’s a real-world reading we got from an indoor Three UK link on a Smartphone that was only about a quarter of a mile from an admittedly fairly congested urban cell site (using the ‘Network Cell Info Lite<\/em>‘ app).<\/p>\n

\"mobile<\/p>\n

On the phone itself the result above (-95 dBm) gave us about 4 out of 5 bars of 4G signal, even though it’s not an ideal dBm score (those bars on your phone are NOT a good gauge of signal quality), yet mobile broadband speeds were 5-14Mbps.<\/p>\n

However, when outside on the roof of our building this jumped to around 25Mbps with an RSRP score closer to -85 dBm, where it also became much more stable. Sadly the speeds didn’t improve much after that, even when walking closer to the cell site, which is probably down to limitations of the bands being used or the fact that the local data capacity may have been fairly congested with lots of users.<\/p>\n

Common Questions and Tips<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Why is my antenna better on a window than outside?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes you can do everything right and still end up with a bizarre situation, such as where your Smartphone gets a better signal \/ data speed indoors than a correctly positioned external antenna. Alternatively the antenna might get a better reception when sitting indoors on a window upstairs than fixed outside near the top of your house.<\/p>\n

Unusual situations like this can be caused by all sorts of issues, which is why it pays to understand the signal readings and bands being used (as above) in any given location around your property. Mobile signals can suffer from all sorts of quirks, like reflections from other objects in the environment or changes in weather, and sometimes the router you’re using will switch bands automatically (depends on location, operator etc.) only to put you on one with slower speeds.<\/p>\n

This is why we say that sometimes the most logical solution isn’t always the correct one. As such it often pays to spend some time testing different locations for both your router and antenna to see how the measurements change. In the course of doing this you might end up finding that an antenna was never required in the first place.<\/p>\n

2. Borrow a friend’s SIM or handset.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes the best way to understand what kind of service may be optimal for your area is simply to borrow a friends phone, assuming they’re on a different network to yours, and run a few tests in different areas (take some signal measurements and do a few broadband speedtests). If possible you should try to do this for all of the major mobile networks and use a modern Smartphone.<\/p>\n

We’d also recommend only using Pay Monthly SIMs as sometimes PAYG SIMs may have restrictions on data connectivity, which could give you a misleading result.<\/p>\n

3. Ensure the router supports Carrier Aggregation (LTE-Advanced).<\/strong><\/p>\n

The term CA simply means the ability to combined several different radio spectrum bands at once in order to boost performance. The latest 5G networks and many urban 4G deployments should all support CA, although sadly these don’t always reach rural areas, but it’s still wise to only purchase kit that has support, just in case.<\/p>\n

Devices that support the 3GPP Release 10 standard also support LTE-Advanced, although CA became much more refined from Release 12 onwards. Meanwhile the first 5G features tend to start at Release 14 onwards. You might also come across a reference to LTE Categories (e.g. Category 6), which helps to identify the peak theoretical downlink and uplink speeds of a 4G modem.<\/p>\n

For example, 4G based Category 6 hardware can usually handle downloads of 300Mbps and uploads of 50-100Mbps, while Category 19 kit may be able to deliver 1Gbps+ speeds (i.e. on an ideal network with lots of CA and capacity to spare – in practice you’ll almost never achieve the peak). Modern mobile routers should all support a good selection of bands and speeds.<\/p>\n

4. Beware different antenna connectors \/ sockets.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"sma_ts-9_connectors\"<\/p>\n

Not all mobile routers and antennas come equipped with the same external port type (some routers don’t even allow external antennas) and so it’s wise to ensure that you check what both bits of kit use before buying. The most common connector type is thankfully SMA, although you’ll probably also come across TS-9, CRC9, RP-SMA, TNC, BNC, N-Type, MMCX, FME and U.FL.<\/p>\n

However don’t worry too much if you make a mistake and mix up different connectors because it’s often possible to buy adapter cables, which can convert between two different connector types. The picture alongside shows an SMA (Female) connector in gold and a TS-9 in silver, which are quite common.<\/p>\n

5. Keep an eye on the CELL ID.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some devices and apps won’t allow you to see what band is being used but they often do still report the CELL_ID number for the signal source (mast \/ tower etc.). If the CELL_ID number changes then the signal is coming from a different source and your device might at the same time end up using a different band, which can be another useful indicator when diagnosing performance issues.<\/p>\n

6. Good Signal = Bad Speed, Bad Signal = Good Speed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ve touched on this a little already in the article above but the point does need to be rammed home that a good signal doesn’t always equal good speed. Sometimes you can have an excellent signal but the band you’re connecting to may be congested, with lots of users, or it might simply not be able to carry much data (not enough spectrum frequency). Conversely this also means that you can sometimes get a better speed but with a worse signal quality. Like we said earlier, mobile signals can be quirky so.. test, test and test some more.<\/p>\n

7. Rule out WiFi.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One important, if obvious, little point is not to confuse the potentially poor performance of the WiFi signal from your mobile broadband router with that of your mobile signal. Sometimes people get poor speeds as a result of WiFi and don’t realise that the mobile signal itself is fine. The best way to test your setup is thus to plug into a wired LAN port first and only use WiFi for connecting devices once everything else is working as intended, which will help to avoid any confusion about the cause of a performance issue.<\/p>\n

8. What about indoor antennas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In our own direct experience we’ve tended not to achieve much of a signal improvement from using indoor antennas. Some of the units on sale make big claims for fairly cheap hardware, although they’re no substitute for a well made and correctly installed outdoor antenna. However if you still want to give one a go then try the Poynting Omni indoor\/outdoor SiSo antenna<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hopefully this guide has helped you to understand some of the basics when it comes to choosing and setting up an antenna to help improve your 3G<\/a>, 4G or 5G mobile signal. Since 2018 EE has also been offering an external antenna installation service (here<\/a>) alongside one of their own mobile broadband products (4GEE Home Broadband<\/strong>), although you have to call them to get any details on this (number given is 0800 079 0131).<\/p>\n

One other useful tip is to consider buying a mobile router from Huawei. The reason for this is that they tend to make fairly good kit and most of the mobile infrastructure being used today also comes from the same manufacturer, although this may change with the 5G rollout. You’ll also be able to use the aforementioned LTEInspecteur<\/strong> software, which is another bonus.<\/p>\n

In terms of antenna choice, some of the best kit tends to be made by Poynting<\/strong>. At the entry-level there’s the Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001<\/a> cross polarised omni or the 4G-XPOL-A0002<\/a> cross polarised directional, although if you want higher gain then be prepared to pay a fair bit of money for a good one like this – Poynting 6.2dB MIMO<\/a> (sometimes you’ll end up fighting the laws of physics and a bigger investment might not be worth it).<\/p>\n

Finally, the new generation of 5G mobile services are still being launched and Ofcom<\/a> has yet to release all of their planned bands for this. As such recommending any antennas for 5G services tends to be a bit tricky right now, although some of the more expensive units do support the related bands (e.g. XPOL-2-V3-5G<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of us are lucky enough to live within reach of a fairly strong UK mobile broadband (3G, 4G or 5G) network signal but that isn’t true everywhere, particularly in some remote rural areas. Sometimes the best way to receive a stronger signal is to try installing your own external antenna, but knowing what to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1,2715],"tags":[62,61,406,60],"class_list":["post-19406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial_article","category-uk_isp_news","category-tips-and-guides","tag-3g","tag-4g","tag-5g","tag-mobile-broadband"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"yoast_head":"\nHow to Choose an External 4G or 5G Mobile Broadband Antenna - ISPreview UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most of us are lucky enough to live within reach of a fairly strong UK mobile broadband (3G, 4G or 5G) network signal but that isn't true everywhere,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2020\/04\/how-to-choose-an-external-4g-or-5g-mobile-broadband-antenna.html\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2020\/04\/how-to-choose-an-external-4g-or-5g-mobile-broadband-antenna.html\/2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Choose an External 4G or 5G Mobile Broadband Antenna - 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