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Does 5G require a completely unobstructed line of sight?

kocz

Pro Member
I believe I've identified a local 5G mast (with thanks to @Msh) operated by Three, who are now showing "outdoor coverage" for my address. Unfortunately I don't have any 5G-enabled devices to test the signal with, so I'm trying to figure out whether it'd be worth the risk buying a 5G router before making the investment. Unfortunately I don't seem to have direct LOS according to Google Earth (check the attached image - the red line goes from my loft to mast, both off screen), as the hilly terrain gets slightly in the way.

Would this completely block the connection, or is there a possibility of gaining some kind of acceptable signal to this tower?
 

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LoS is not necesarilly required, but your image shows a lot of vegetation which may obscure the signal.
It's best to test with a phone really, maybe you can get a friend in with a 5G phone and Three sim..
 
LoS is not necesarilly required, but your image shows a lot of vegetation which may obscure the signal.
It's best to test with a phone really, maybe you can get a friend in with a 5G phone and Three sim..
Surely the grass mound will be more of an obstruction than the vegetation? Luckily a lot of the trees and bushes have been cut down or trimmed last year, so it's not as bad as it appears in the image.

Unfortunately I don't know anyone with a 5G phone who lives locally. I'll keep asking around, or might take a punt buying a 5G router and just re-sell it if there's no signal.
 
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OK, definitely not an expert, really you need to test.

You can be cheeky and get a 5G router off amazon prime, easy return if it doesn't work.
 
OK, definitely not an expert, really you need to test.

You can be cheeky and get a 5G router off amazon prime, easy return if it doesn't work.
Heh, I have considered that, though I'd rather get a used one (usually less than half the cost). Though I could always get the amazon one and return it regardless of signal status, then buy a cheaper one...
 
Try using something like Solwise Elevation Tool to get a more accurate look at the topology along the LoS (other tools are available) - best on a PC than mobile/tablet.

Woah thanks, that's a really useful tool! Much easier than manually editing a KML on Google Earth... Unfortunately there's definitely some terrain in the way, assuming the antenna is 24m off the ground (the tower is 25m) and the router is 7.5m high in my loft. Should clarify, house is on the left side, mast on the right.
 

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Yup, its handy, though I can't comment its its accuracy, but I figure it's better than nothing! Do also have to consider foliage above the surface too.
 
Well, my 4G phone and router apparently can't see any of the 4G sectors from the same tower, and I can only assume the reach of the 5G signal will be even worse. That's a shame :/
 
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Another issue might be that masts don't radiate power equally in all directions. Sometimes directional (or different power) transmitter elements are used to avoid co-channel interference with distance masts or wasting power over open water, etc.
 
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Finally got my hands on a Huawei 5G CPE (H112-370), and it unfortunately confirms my original suspicions. Despite being in an 'outdoor coverage' area, Three's 5G just doesn't reach me. Tried numerous locations around the house, about 15 different spots right at the top of the loft/roof, all without any success. Oh well, at least I tried 😅

On the bright side, I'm assuming this thing won't freeze up and crash every hour like my B535 did. And my 4G upload speeds did slightly improve (with Vodafone), presumably it's now using 64 QAM.
 
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Finally got my hands on a Huawei 5G CPE (H112-370), and it unfortunately confirms my original suspicions. Despite being in an 'outdoor coverage' area, Three's 5G just doesn't reach me. Tried numerous locations around the house, about 15 different spots right at the top of the loft/roof, all without any success. Oh well, at least I tried 😅

On the bright side, I'm assuming this thing won't freeze up and crash every hour like my B535 did. And my 4G upload speeds did slightly improve (with Vodafone), presumably it's now using 64 QAM.
If you put an aluminium (foil) covered cardboard half - around the router (basically emulating a parabolic dish) do you get anything?
 
If you put an aluminium (foil) covered cardboard half - around the router (basically emulating a parabolic dish) do you get anything?
Ah you know what, I was meaning to try that and completely forgot. Good shout, I'll give it a go in a few.
 
If you put an aluminium (foil) covered cardboard half - around the router (basically emulating a parabolic dish) do you get anything?
Nay, no luck I'm afraid. Tried a foil-coated cardboard box (complete with sanitizing UVC bulb to kill off any coronavirus from the 5G radiation 🤣) as well as a thick steel tray. I know the shape of the box isn't ideal (I assume it should be concave?), but its what I had at hand. Pointed at the 2 known "local" 5G-enabled towers, as well as a few other random directions. Every single time it seemed to pick up a 4G signal from my local tower, despite being pointed in the opposite direction. Was worth a try though.

mmNuR5x.jpeg


Interestingly, since switching SIMs and rebooting, my Vodafone 4G speeds seem to have increased from 130Mb to 160Mb - no changes have been made, so I'm not sure why that would be.
 
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Have you tried locking to the NSA 4G band that your 5G tower uses?
I admittedly haven't, though I thought Three's network allowed for 4G and 5G to be supplied from separate towers?

I do know my B535 couldn't pick up a signal when locked to B1. I tried that in various locations, and that too included testing it with the very same box-foil-antenna setup.
 
Yes, Three does allow that but I believe this might only be if the adjacent towers concerned are enabled.
 
Yes, Three does allow that but I believe this is only if the towers concerned are enabled.
Agh well I've just put all the kit away. I'll be sure to give it a try some other time though, cheers for the info. But I'm almost certain this is just a line-of-sight issue.
 
Depends what's in the way I guess. I'm just beyond the edge of supposed outside 5G reception with the 5G tower about 2 miles away. There's not a chance of line-of-sight with housing all the way in between. But there's a gap between two houses across the street and I think the faint 5G signal gets funneled through the gap. Putting the router in a single spot in a bedroom windowsill I can just about pick it up. Nowhere else in the house can do it, not even the loft and the phone won't get a whisper unless I walk about a mile up the road where it's a bit higher. It really was pot luck and I could quite easily have missed it.

4G upload on that tower is b20 and is rubbish but an adjacent tower does 4G B1+3 and will link to the 5G so I band lock to b1+3, getting improved speed up and down.
Nothing like the amazing speeds that some guys are getting here but I'm getting around 300mb/s down and 20mb/s up. It'll do me.

I can pick up less strong signals from a couple of other towers but only the b1+3 tower and the b20 on the 5G tower will work with the 5G N78 band.
 
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