Sponsored Links

Proposed setup - criticisms welcome

alex92

Casual Member
Hi all,

I'm in the process of moving out to the country. The nearest cabinet is miles away and the cabled speeds are atrocious. As such, I'm looking at a setup using 4G/5G. I'd be enormously grateful to the community here for any pointers/criticism of my proposed plan, as I'm new to this.

I've already gotten signed up to an unlimited sim card with BT (allegedly this is truly unlimited) for £20p/m. It's 4G/5G and on the EE network which is the strongest signal (I've tested) of the main providers in that area.

I'm now looking at the home setup. The house is located on a hill and given that I'm investing, I'd rather have a somewhat futureproof setup (i.e. I don't think I'd be able to access 5G yet, however, I may as well spend the extra cash in terms of installation/equipment so I can take advantage when it's available).

For the router, I can get ahold of a 5GEE 2021 router (Zyxel NR5103) which I think should prove an excellent solution, being a new, powerful router which will manage the SIM card and permit external antenna/s (4 connections). 5G capable routers seem to be rare and exceedingly expensive currently. I do have my own Asus RT-AC86U, however, I can't find any 5G modems (if that's the correct terminology). E.g. there's the LM1200 from NETGEAR, however it's only 4G/LTE and won't take advantage of any 5G if it becomes available? Therefore I think a new router is probably the way to go and try to sell off my current Asus.

Regarding antennas, I'm looking at something with a wide range of frequencies so it can do 4G/5G and potentially any future ranges that may be used. The main decision I'm needing to make is directional/omnidirectional. I've read the article on this website which has helped. I'm thinking omnidirectional; as I'd ideally want this installed ontop of the property for (probably) best signal receiption and an omnidirectional won't need reconfiguring if a new mast goes up (which would be the case for a directional antenna).

Another question would be the antennas/MIMO setup. The proposed router (Zyxel NR5103) has 4 antenna sockets. Would I be best served by purchasing an antenna with 4 'cables' to attach, or would 2 suffice?

The two antennas I've currently got shortlisted are the Poynting XPOL-1-5G (A-XPOL-0001-V2-41) and the Poynting OMNI-600. The OMNI-600 has higher gain, which should stand it in better stead being in a rural(-ish) area, however the XPOL-1-5G has 4 ports which the Zyxel NR5103 can take advantage of (I'm aware I may also need SMA to TS9 adaptors, I need to check this though).

Any comments/criticism/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Alex
 
You seem to be a bit confused. The Zyxel NR5103 router acts as a modem as well as a router. This is the normal operation of these devices because they contain the circuitry that is used in mobile phones to receive mobile signals as well as basic wi-fi and ethernet capability, and for many people one of these is sufficient to drive a home network. The Netgear LM1200 is a similar device but with less capability, 4G only, so there's no point in getting both.

What you may be getting mixed up about is that for larger homes the wi-fi capabilities of some 5G routers may not be sufficient, either for range or for number of client devices. In such instances you may wish to consider setting the 5G router to act as a modem only (bridge mode) where it passes on the WAN address to a separate router that then handles the wi-fi and other onward data.

Common terminology doesn't help here as 5G mobile can easily be confused with 5GHz wi-fi. So you might get a 5GHz wi-fi router which needs a modem to work, or a 5G (5th generation mobile) router which doesn't.
 
According to other owners, the 5GEE 2021 router is very locked down, does not support bridge mode, and is limited in what you can actually do on it:

There's also reports of the nr5101 wifi dropping out after a few hours:

The nr5101 and nr5103 are practically identical, and there are reports of the ZTE MC801a performing better than the Zyxel:

And that Poynting antennas do little benefit for the Zyxel nr510x model.

There are other 5G routers.
 
Sponsored Links
Hi all,

I'm in the process of moving out to the country. The nearest cabinet is miles away and the cabled speeds are atrocious. As such, I'm looking at a setup using 4G/5G. I'd be enormously grateful to the community here for any pointers/criticism of my proposed plan, as I'm new to this.

I've already gotten signed up to an unlimited sim card with BT (allegedly this is truly unlimited) for £20p/m. It's 4G/5G and on the EE network which is the strongest signal (I've tested) of the main providers in that area.

I'm now looking at the home setup. The house is located on a hill and given that I'm investing, I'd rather have a somewhat futureproof setup (i.e. I don't think I'd be able to access 5G yet, however, I may as well spend the extra cash in terms of installation/equipment so I can take advantage when it's available).

For the router, I can get ahold of a 5GEE 2021 router (Zyxel NR5103) which I think should prove an excellent solution, being a new, powerful router which will manage the SIM card and permit external antenna/s (4 connections). 5G capable routers seem to be rare and exceedingly expensive currently. I do have my own Asus RT-AC86U, however, I can't find any 5G modems (if that's the correct terminology). E.g. there's the LM1200 from NETGEAR, however it's only 4G/LTE and won't take advantage of any 5G if it becomes available? Therefore I think a new router is probably the way to go and try to sell off my current Asus.

Regarding antennas, I'm looking at something with a wide range of frequencies so it can do 4G/5G and potentially any future ranges that may be used. The main decision I'm needing to make is directional/omnidirectional. I've read the article on this website which has helped. I'm thinking omnidirectional; as I'd ideally want this installed ontop of the property for (probably) best signal receiption and an omnidirectional won't need reconfiguring if a new mast goes up (which would be the case for a directional antenna).

Another question would be the antennas/MIMO setup. The proposed router (Zyxel NR5103) has 4 antenna sockets. Would I be best served by purchasing an antenna with 4 'cables' to attach, or would 2 suffice?

The two antennas I've currently got shortlisted are the Poynting XPOL-1-5G (A-XPOL-0001-V2-41) and the Poynting OMNI-600. The OMNI-600 has higher gain, which should stand it in better stead being in a rural(-ish) area, however the XPOL-1-5G has 4 ports which the Zyxel NR5103 can take advantage of (I'm aware I may also need SMA to TS9 adaptors, I need to check this though).

Any comments/criticism/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Alex
Can you share an approx post code so we can see what's around in terms of masts?

The router you plan to buy has some bad reviews as you've been told already.
For country areas I usually recommend the parabolic external routers from mikrotik.

What speeds did you get on your mobile phone?
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the replies so far.

eccles: Thanks for clarifying. I understand that the NR5103 acts as a modem as well. My potential suggestion was whether I could get a standalone modem which would then work in conjunction with my existing router. However, from what I can find, any 5G modems are all designed to be used on-the-go and cost a small fortune.

It's quite a large house (>2000sqft), however, I was planning on having the router located in the centre of the house (hallway) so it wouldn't have far to travel to reach all rooms.

meritez: Thank you for the information about other routers and suggestions. Is there a reason the Poynting antennas do little benefit for the nr501x models? I would have assumed that they're simply signal amplifiers and they would have a universal benefit.

I've just had a look at the router you recommended. Possibly a basic question, but I've checked some questions relating to it (It says it only works with 5g- so the external antenna ports are only connected to the internal 5G antenna and will not improve 4G reception. This is quite explicit). Given that I'm expecting to only receive 4G, will this rule it out?

lucian: Approximate postcode is PE10 0JT (Toft). The nearest antenna on EE is just NE of the village. There's also 5G coverage in some of the surrounding towns.

Speeds on the phone varied depending on where in the village I was (as expected). It's also on a hill. Highest was around 55mbps. Lowest was about 15 (lowest part of the village inbetween high walls).

Thanks again to all for the quick replies.
 
I am in the country with a big ground floor footprint. The 5G modem/router is best positioned for the 4G/5G signal or access to antenna, this will mean it will not perform as a Wifi router as it will need to be close to the side of the house nearest the mast. So you will need another solution for Wifi, this is best sorted after the 5G modem's location is finally fixed.
 
I am in the country with a big ground floor footprint. The 5G modem/router is best positioned for the 4G/5G signal or access to antenna, this will mean it will not perform as a Wifi router as it will need to be close to the side of the house nearest the mast. So you will need another solution for Wifi, this is best sorted after the 5G modem's location is finally fixed.
I've read that you shouldn't go over 5m length for the antenna cables. I was planning on having it affixed to the chimney with a J-shaped pole, so it's got uninterrupted access to 360 degrees. As you've said, this will likely mean it's going to be located adjacent to an external wall, unless I come up with some inventive cable routing through the loft.

This point would support me having a modem only, rather than having an expensive router which is effectively bridging to another router which is sending out the wifi signal (assuming I've used the terms correctly*).
 
Sponsored Links
Except for a phone, I've never heard of a 5G device that only performs as a modem. What you get is an LTE/5G modem with an integrated router. Even portable devices have wi-fi.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility to use a phone along with an ethernet adapter as a tether. If you get a decent enough signal it can be a cheap way of getting fast internet. There are adapters that have two USB C connectors allowing you to run a wire to a router with a separate wire to a power supply.
 
You might want to consider this antenna.


450MHz - 6GHz, cross polarised omni (two SMA connectors)
 
Speeds on the phone varied depending on where in the village I was (as expected). It's also on a hill. Highest was around 55mbps. Lowest was about 15 (lowest part of the village inbetween high walls).

Thanks again to all for the quick replies.
Yeah, but what about inside and outside your home?
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the replies so far.

meritez: Thank you for the information about other routers and suggestions. Is there a reason the Poynting antennas do little benefit for the nr501x models? I would have assumed that they're simply signal amplifiers and they would have a universal benefit.

I've just had a look at the router you recommended. Possibly a basic question, but I've checked some questions relating to it (It says it only works with 5g- so the external antenna ports are only connected to the internal 5G antenna and will not improve 4G reception. This is quite explicit). Given that I'm expecting to only receive 4G, will this rule it out?

@alex92
Theories, the limited web interface may prevent external antennas from being a benefit, the external antenna points may be 5G only, the firmware may be broken.

All 5G routers I have seen so far are CAT20 for 4G, this is the highest Carrier Aggregation specification at this moment.

4G routers seem to get to CAT18 only, and 5G routers will future proof your connection when 5G is available
 
Sponsored Links
What you may be getting mixed up about is that for larger homes the wi-fi capabilities of some 5G routers may not be sufficient, either for range or for number of client devices. In such instances you may wish to consider setting the 5G router to act as a modem only (bridge mode) where it passes on the WAN address to a separate router that then handles the wi-fi and other onward data.
Or: keep the 5G router as a router, and add additional wireless access points to extend the wifi coverage. (Unifi AC Lite are pretty decent)

Preferably use wired (CAT5e) uplinks from the APs to the router, for maximum speed and stability, although wireless uplink and/or mesh systems are also possible, which avoid the need to pull cables around the house.
 
I've read that you shouldn't go over 5m length for the antenna cables.
Yes that is true, over 5m the loss in the antenna cable then offsets any gain from the antenna. My 4G router sits just inside the outer wall under the slate and then a 2m antenna cable runs to a 4G receiver set on a sat dish on a pole. I then run a 20m cat5 cable to a second router in the centre of the house that does all the routing.
 
Approximate postcode is PE10 0JT (Toft). The nearest antenna on EE is just NE of the village. There's also 5G coverage in some of the surrounding towns.

Speeds on the phone varied depending on where in the village I was (as expected). It's also on a hill. Highest was around 55mbps. Lowest was about 15 (lowest part of the village inbetween high walls).

Thanks again to all for the quick replies.
Roughly forty two miles away as the crow flies, EE has band 7 LTE in Bourne and O2 seems to have band 8 LTE according to cellmapper.net

Plenty of band 3 and 20 reported for a mikrotik sxt or lhg if required.
 
I've already gotten signed up to an unlimited sim card with BT (allegedly this is truly unlimited) for £20p/m. It's 4G/5G and on the EE network which is the strongest signal (I've tested) of the main providers in that area.

Out of curiosity, what makes you think its truly unlimited? A year or so ago I phoned BT asking if it was unlimited and they said they didn't know and I was to phone EE, so I phoned EE and they said they didn't know and I was to phone BT - which I did again and was told to phone EE haha.
 
Hi all, thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Eccles: A phone could be an interesting suggestion that I'll have a look into.

Dabigm: That looks like a lot of router for the price. Is there anything particularly standout about it, or is it just good value?

Lucian: I'll report back tomorrow, we're visiting the place again and taking the ee sim card along with us

Meritez: Thanks for the suggestions and I'll have a look into categories. It isn't something I understand currently, but I get the basic sentiment that a 5G router is more futureproof with the higher LTE category, which 4G routers don't have.

Candelerb: I think that may be the play, similar to the comment below yours from Kommando828

Kommando828: I'm thinking your setup sounds extremely sensible and may be the 'style' that I decide to follow. The perks of finally owning your own home; you can put cabling where you want. Permanently.

Meritez: Sorry, what's 42 miles away as the crow flies? I'll need to do my homework on what the bands signify and the relevance. Thanks for looking into the postcode-relevant stuff.

Kobi: The article was from last year, but:
There are no hidden fair usage limits for unlimited data on BT Mobile. This is confirmed on BT’s help page:
Is there a fair usage policy for BT Mobile?
There’s no fair usage policy. So when we say “unlimited”, it truly is unlimited.

They're still peddling the whole 'unlimited' and 'no data caps'. There's a chance it'll run into the same caps as EE, but it's still the best option for me and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
 
Sponsored Links
42 miles away from me, I'm in Rushden Northamptonshire, Toft is literally up the road.

I'm using cellmapper to find your local network masts, while three and EE are showing, O2 and Vodafone information is incomplete, as cellmapper is a crowd sourcing application, someone's going to need to get better data for the area

Screenshot_2022-04-21-00-09-18-325_cellmapper.net.cellmapper.webp

Screenshot_2022-04-21-00-09-38-480_cellmapper.net.cellmapper.webp
 
@alex92

What doesn't make any sense is that three and EE have a mast sharing agreement and company mbnl

Gci 4e2e should also have three equipment but the latest data is from may 2021 on cellmapper.
 
Top
Cheap BIG ISPs for 100Mbps+
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Vodafone UK ISP Logo
Vodafone £24.00 - 26.00
150Mbps
Gift: None
NOW UK ISP Logo
NOW £24.00
100Mbps
Gift: None
Plusnet UK ISP Logo
Plusnet £25.99
145Mbps
Gift: £50 Reward Card
Large Availability | View All
Cheapest ISPs for 100Mbps+
Gigaclear UK ISP Logo
Gigaclear £17.00
200Mbps
Gift: None
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Hey! Broadband UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Youfibre UK ISP Logo
Youfibre £23.99
150Mbps
Gift: None
Large Availability | View All
Sponsored Links
The Top 15 Category Tags
  1. FTTP (6026)
  2. BT (3639)
  3. Politics (2721)
  4. Business (2439)
  5. Openreach (2405)
  6. Building Digital UK (2330)
  7. Mobile Broadband (2146)
  8. FTTC (2083)
  9. Statistics (1901)
  10. 4G (1816)
  11. Virgin Media (1764)
  12. Ofcom Regulation (1582)
  13. Fibre Optic (1467)
  14. Wireless Internet (1462)
  15. 5G (1407)
Sponsored

Copyright © 1999 to Present - ISPreview.co.uk - All Rights Reserved - Terms  ,  Privacy and Cookie Policy  ,  Links  ,  Website Rules