The Wee Bear
ULTIMATE Member
Is the banana just held in between the antennas dabigm? 
This looks doable. I wonder if I could make some sort of switch box that would swap the antenna between the 4G and 5G connections so I can just flick between them rather than having to unscrew and refit the external antenna connections whenever the 5G signal gets too weak/non-existent?
I would just connect all 4g and 5g antenna sockets to external ones, a switch would be fiddly and potentially introduce extra loss etc.This looks doable. I wonder if I could make some sort of switch box that would swap the antenna between the 4G and 5G connections so I can just flick between them rather than having to unscrew and refit the external antenna connections whenever the 5G signal gets too weak/non-existent?
Bit expensive but looks like an easier solution than modifying the vn007+... but where's the fun in that?There are a few (expensive) 4g/5G routers which support up to 4x4 MIMO and use a single antenna for both 4G and 5G, such as the Proroute "industrial" routers -- I'm planning to use this one (£395+VAT) for exactly the same application as you have in a boat which will be delivered next year:
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Proroute® H685® WRT 5G Router – Compact Industrial IOT M2M 5G Router with Gigabit LAN and WAN Ethernet and WiFi
H685 5G Router is the most compact, industrial grade 5G router on the market. Delivering High speed 5G Internet via 2 x Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11N WiFi.www.3grouterstore.co.uk
If you want one that supports dual SIMs this one is £495+VAT:
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Proroute RAPID NR550 Dual SIM Industrial Grade 5G Router
Proroute RAPID Series Router NR550 is a dual SIM 5G Router providing high speed 5GNR Mobile Broadband with 802.11AC WiFi Hotspot and Gigabit Ethernet.www.3grouterstore.co.uk
These both have the advantage of being able to run directly from 12V or 24V DC, so will work even of the boat inverter is off -- which means they can be used for remote monitoring when you're away from the boat.
Wouldn't I then need 2 external antenna? Doable but my pole mount might get a bit top heavyI would just connect all 4g and 5g antenna sockets to external ones, a switch would be fiddly and potentially introduce extra loss etc.
That won't work, in the UK we have NSA (non-standalone) 5G which needs a 4G signal to set up/control the link, 5G is used for high-speed download only (and sometimes upload?), so you need a good signal (external antenna) for both.This looks doable. I wonder if I could make some sort of switch box that would swap the antenna between the 4G and 5G connections so I can just flick between them rather than having to unscrew and refit the external antenna connections whenever the 5G signal gets too weak/non-existent?
Two external antennas is the only solution if the router has separate 4G and 5G antenna ports.Wouldn't I then need 2 external antenna? Doable but my pole mount might get a bit top heavy
You could just replace your Poynting 2x2 MIMO with the 4x4 version...Okay, assuming I go with the modded vn007+ and keep my XPOL-1-5G 2x2, what would be a good antenna to pair with that and which should I use for 4G/5G?
I'm thinking rather than going through the hassle of returning a now unboxed and setup antenna to buy a more expensive one, I just bite the bullet and buy a 2nd 2x2 one. The question is which one? If my Poynting one is missing some frequency then it would make sense for my 2nd antenna to support that frequency, and then use that one as the 4G antenna (I'm assuming 1400MHz is 4G)You could just replace your Poynting 2x2 MIMO with the 4x4 version...
(note that neither cover the 1400MHz band (B32?) used by some networks)
Or this if you want a roof-mounted one (instead of pole-mounted) that covers all bands:
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FB4X4MIMO-5G Fullband® 4X4 MiMo 5G External Omni-Directional Antenna
Fullband FB4X4MIMO 5G Antenna 4x4 MiMo - wall, pole or hole mounted high gain outdoor antenna with 4 x 5m cables. 6dBi Peak Gain, SMA connectors.www.3grouterstore.co.uk
@petch your 2x2 Poynting is not missing any frequencies, just Poynting do not seem to state the correct information on their website until you have a look at technical specs.I'm thinking rather than going through the hassle of returning a now unboxed and setup antenna to buy a more expensive one, I just bite the bullet and buy a 2nd 2x2 one. The question is which one? If my Poynting one is missing some frequency then it would make sense for my 2nd antenna to support that frequency, and then use that one as the 4G antenna (I'm assuming 1400MHz is 4G)
The Poynting antennae do cover 700MHz:I'm thinking rather than going through the hassle of returning a now unboxed and setup antenna to buy a more expensive one, I just bite the bullet and buy a 2nd 2x2 one. The question is which one? If my Poynting one is missing some frequency then it would make sense for my 2nd antenna to support that frequency, and then use that one as the 4G antenna (I'm assuming 1400MHz is 4G)
@dabigm reading through some info on this vn007+ router... can it be setup to automatically switch between 4G and 5G NSA? I just want to set this thing going and not have to worry about it as I move through the canal network. And any ideas if this thing supports the lower (700MHz) frequencies that are meant to provide coverage to rural areas?
The vn007+ has 2 internal antennas for LTE and 4 for 5G, so you would need either 3 2x2 xpol-1 or get 1 2x2 and one 4x4 (more expensive also).Wouldn't I then need 2 external antenna? Doable but my pole mount might get a bit top heavy
It's really annoying that there are few (or no?) 5G external CPE available and supported in the UK (at a reasonable price!) which cover all the bands and can do carrier aggregation which suits the UK... :-(You would need either 2 4x4 antenna (ie 4 cables each) or 4 2x2 antenna (2 cables each).
At this point I'd seriously consider putting the router outside in a vented enclosure. Simpler, less mess, less loss.
Indeed. Mind you I have since edited my post as it was a bit off.It's really annoying that there are few (or no?) 5G external CPE available and supported in the UK (at a reasonable price!) which cover all the bands and can do carrier aggregation which suits the UK... :-(
(Huawei and ZTE grey-market options aren't attractive...)
I could get a 4x4 then - again, open to suggestionsThe vn007+ has 2 internal antennas for LTE and 4 for 5G, so you would need either 3 2x2 xpol-1 or get 1 2x2 and one 4x4 (more expensive also).
At this point I'd seriously consider putting the router outside in a vented enclosure. Simpler, less mess, less loss, much cheaper.
Most of the possible 4x4 MIMO 5G antennae seem to be stocked here:I could get a 4x4 then - again, open to suggestions
Regarding roof enclosure - not sure about that one. Current plan is a magnetic pole mount that can easily be taken inside when boat is not in use or if leaving the boat for the day whilst moored in a dodgy area. It's hard enough keeping water out of the interior of a narrowboat, never mind a roof-mounted router box![]()
Are you saying the ZTE devices don't support B32?That's my concern, as on 4g masts out near the canals, 3 uses a lot of band 32 as supplementary downlink for band 20.
The ZTE mf286d would prove the Poynting, as while it states it doesn't support 1400 MHz, the SMA ports would allow @petch to see the performance.
It's a curious omission, and would also negatively affect the mc801a