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Which way should I jump?

Martydibergi

Casual Member
So I decided that I have had enough of paying almost £50 for fibre broadband with Virgin and have finally managed to extricate myself from their clutches and I never want to use them again if I can help it. Unfortunately they are the only company where I live with fibre so that leaves me with only one option as far as I can see – a wireless solution.

Having done a bit of research I could either use my phone tethered to something like a Slate travel router (I would then connect my PC and TV via LAN) or get something like a Huawei B628 or similar.

My present phone is a lowly Moto G9 Play, new but very budget. I have tried to find out about the quality of modem in this (ie is it CAT6 or something like that) but have had no luck. The download speeds I can get with this on 4G are ahem, a bit on the low side, typically not even 1 mb/s though can be about 5mb/s occasionally. Using 3G (or H+) it’s usually about 5mb/s and can get up to 10. I have tested these firstly with 3 and then Vodaphone. I think probably EE will be the fastest and will try this next month.

So what do you think the best option for me is? A better phone (no idea how much of a difference this would make) and tether or home router. Other info is that I live on the ground floor in a flat and external antenna are an option though couldn’t be placed that high up. At the moment I am using my phone tethered to my PC and this is OK for most of what I want though I would like something more stable. Present setup would struggle with 4K/UHD streaming I think.
 
According to google your phone is CAT 13/5 (dl/ul).
It may suffice, but you should also check for 5G because if that is an option, then it changes the game quite a bit so do check the operator coverages.

Tethering can work just fine, in fact I am using my phone quite a lot with tethering (wifi and ethernet tethering, the latter requires Android 11) so it is an alternative, definitely. I bought a second hand 5G phone for this purpose (Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G) and it works wonders, ymmv.

A router can work, too and the extensibility via antenna is definitely a plus, depending on your situation.

Can you share a post code (maybe not your actual one, but something very close) or nearby address so we can check cellmapper etc?
 
Many thanks for your reply, gave me food for thought. Postcode is ME1 3HY and the only coverage is from EE and apparently it is weak outdoor and none indoor.
What site did you use toget the modem cat number?
 
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Using that postcode and a random address the Ofcom mobile checker suggests that all 4 networks get indoor data (likely to get good coverage), EE however shows no voice. Try your actual address.
 
I automatically think 4G as 5G is unlikely to be near me anytime soon.
 
Many thanks for your reply, gave me food for thought. Postcode is ME1 3HY and the only coverage is from EE and apparently it is weak outdoor and none indoor.
What site did you use toget the modem cat number?
https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/9b9e543a

It's worth giving a few operators a try on your phone, see what speeds you get. Not sure 5G is worth the trouble in your location, but who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised, if you can source a device capable of it.
 
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Many thanks for your reply, gave me food for thought. Postcode is ME1 3HY and the only coverage is from EE and apparently it is weak outdoor and none indoor.
What site did you use toget the modem cat number?
O2 may be a good shout where you are.

Can pick up either a free O2 sim and download the My Network app and run a speed test from the app, should be free to use (doesn’t use any of my data but might need data in the first instance for it to connect).
 
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I thought O2 had the fewest masts around my area. However EE is next on my list to try and if they are no good then yes, I'll try 02
 
I thought O2 had the fewest masts around my area. However EE is next on my list to try and if they are no good then yes, I'll try 02
Giffgaff SIM would give you 5g on a PAYG basis to test without committing to a contract.

O2 PAYG doesn't do 5g
 
O2 don't do 5g in my area.
Also a friend on O2 came round and so I did a speed test. Didn't even get to 1 mb/s..........
 
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