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External 5G router antenna on a long pole to reach beyond roof ...?

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Regular Member
And here's another one of those external antenna questions...
I would love to be able to get a decent reception from the 5G mast that is maybe 200-300m away, but obstructed by neighbouring buildings.

Would it be possible to simply install external antennas for my 5G router (zyxel nr5102e), put them on a long pole and catch a decent signal from my roof (similar to the tv antenna location)?

if so, what equipment would i need? antenna, and/or new router?

cheers

 
Not answering your question directly but I would get an mc7010 external 4g/5g modem and mount it to a long pole (it comes with a pole mounting bracket). Then you get the benefits of a single compact unit with improved reception on both 4g and 5g bands, compared to installing multiple antennas and the loss associated with cable length.

You can get an mc7010 with brackets and a long cat5 cable w/poe adaptor for £180 from eBay at the moment. When you factor in the cost of a couple decent external antennas there probably isn't much difference between the two options.
 
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do i need planning permission (UK) if i run a pole up to the height of our roof?
I'm happy to be corrected but as long as the house is under 15m in height and you're not in a conservation area you don't need PP. The other thing to take into account, if applicable, is any restrictive covenants that may apply.
 
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Not answering your question directly but I would get an mc7010 external 4g/5g modem and mount it to a long pole (it comes with a pole mounting bracket). Then you get the benefits of a single compact unit with improved reception on both 4g and 5g bands, compared to installing multiple antennas and the loss associated with cable length.

You can get an mc7010 with brackets and a long cat5 cable w/poe adaptor for £180 from eBay at the moment. When you factor in the cost of a couple decent external antennas there probably isn't much difference between the two options.
I tried an MC7010 from Ebay but it wouldn't receive a 5G signal. I tried talking to the seller who promised some technical support but I didn't get it so I returned the router for a refund. Today I started testing a Huawei H312-371, from a different Ebay seller, and am most impressed with the initial results. Good 5G and good download speeds - so far.
24f-huawei-h312-371-3.webp
 
I tried an MC7010 from Ebay but it wouldn't receive a 5G signal. I tried talking to the seller who promised some technical support but I didn't get it so I returned the router for a refund. Today I started testing a Huawei H312-371, from a different Ebay seller, and am most impressed with the initial results. Good 5G and good download speeds - so far.
View attachment 11663
The Huawei with Balong 5000 chipset are super solid.
However a good mc7010 will outperform it, has better band aggregation.
 
And here's another one of those external antenna questions...
I would love to be able to get a decent reception from the 5G mast that is maybe 200-300m away, but obstructed by neighbouring buildings.

Would it be possible to simply install external antennas for my 5G router (zyxel nr5102e), put them on a long pole and catch a decent signal from my roof (similar to the tv antenna location)?

if so, what equipment would i need? antenna, and/or new router?

cheers

Not answering your question directly but I would get an mc7010 external 4g/5g modem and mount it to a long pole (it comes with a pole mounting bracket). Then you get the benefits of a single compact unit with improved reception on both 4g and 5g bands, compared to installing multiple antennas and the loss associated with cable length.

You can get an mc7010 with brackets and a long cat5 cable w/poe adaptor for £180 from eBay at the moment. When you factor in the cost of a couple decent external antennas there probably isn't much difference between the two options.
Agreed, The external routers are a good handy way to go, and you don't need to worry about cable loss, Mikrotik's LHG models are great for that, but I don't believe they have a 5G model yet.
If you did want to go with an external antenna, Ponyting have released a new LPDA antenna with wider range of coverage and higher gain compared to their older models, A cheaper good alternative to Ponyting in the uk is Iskra,
You could also look at PanaramaAntennas panel antenna as well
 
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does anyone know how the outdoor mc7010 compares to the indoor zyxel 5103e? someone mentioned band aggregation being great with the mc7010.
could it be that even indoors (or just outside the window) the mc7010 might be receiving better signal?

(am diverting here a bit from my original question)
 
does anyone know how the outdoor mc7010 compares to the indoor zyxel 5103e? someone mentioned band aggregation being great with the mc7010.
could it be that even indoors (or just outside the window) the mc7010 might be receiving better signal?

(am diverting here a bit from my original question)
I have the mc7010, but not the other one, to compare, so not sure what to tell you.
Just keep in mind mc7010 has no wifi, you'll need a separate AP.

If the externality is important, then an external router is the best choice
 
does anyone know how the outdoor mc7010 compares to the indoor zyxel 5103e? someone mentioned band aggregation being great with the mc7010.
could it be that even indoors (or just outside the window) the mc7010 might be receiving better signal?

(am diverting here a bit from my original question)
From my experience if you're in a fringe area the difference between not getting 5g and getting it is moving the router from inside to out. Glass is horrible for 5g signal attenuation it seems. So yeah, even if you weren't intending on throwing it up some long pole, being able to move the router outside your window will likely make a big difference.
 
My mate put this up for me a few year back, ideally i would have liked a rotator on it, i remember tandy back in the day used to sell one, you can buy mast rotators now but i think they are £200+

The pole and brackets then were really cheap, i suppose they still are, but have gone up a bit.

pole

brackets
DSCF1025.jpg


ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff.jpg
 
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My mate put this up for me a few year back, ideally i would have liked a rotator on it, i remember tandy back in the day used to sell one, you can buy mast rotators now but i think they are £200+

The pole and brackets then were really cheap, i suppose they still are, but have gone up a bit.

pole

brackets
View attachment 11686

View attachment 11687
fantastic, thank you!
 
My mate put this up for me a few year back, ideally i would have liked a rotator on it, i remember tandy back in the day used to sell one, you can buy mast rotators now but i think they are £200+

The pole and brackets then were really cheap, i suppose they still are, but have gone up a bit.

pole

brackets
View attachment 11686

View attachment 11687
I went the external antenna route myself, has worked out great for me, I live in a area with no service from all 4 providers (emerency calls only inside and out), And the external antennas have worked great for me, went from no coverage to RSRQ signal of -5.5db which is considered great by the router.

The cost of my setup has worked out just a bit less than a Mikrotik LHG Router which is a external dish antenna with 6dbi more gain than my antennas.
If I was to do it again i'd probably have gone for it instead but didn't know about it at the time.
 
@Balb0wa Thanks. That is the same bracket that I've had in place for the last 5 years, and probably the same pole. It provides a strong attachment to the wall plus, in my case, it stands out from the wall just enough to leave enough clearance for a plastic roof gutter. At the top is a TV aerial and my Huawei H312 is half way up the pole which is sufficient to provide line of site to the transmitter.

Note: A straight pole allows you to rotate the whole assembly, by hand, without having to clamber up, on a ladder, and rotate the H312 itself.
 
My experiments with the H312 have almost come to an end. When I log in, apparently I'm getting a good 5G signal but it is highly dependent upon the rotation of the pole, and thus the router. This must contain a very directional aerial.

I was surprised when I took it down and into my garage, that I was getting as good download speeds as when it was at the top of the pole! Moreover I am getting
24m-5g-pole.jpg

better download speeds from another Huawei router, sitting inside a cupboard, in a bedroom!

Maybe 4G rules in this neighbourhood.

24m-download.jpg
 
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