Huawei LTE B310 - Wireless or wired?

[Deleted User]

I've just invested in a Huawei LTE B310, for use in the house.

It comes with a Lan socket, as well as wireless connection.

My question is, with the unit sitting on the window ledge, would I be better off connecting via a wired connection (Lan cable ~ 5 metres), or wireless?

Also, does anyone know how much of an improvement I could expect, if I install the two, optional, external antennas?

esuhl

First off, what's a Huawei LTE B310?

When connecting to a LAN, Ethernet cable is more reliable than wifi, and usually much faster.

DoaM

It'll likely be a MiFi device. (The giveaway is LTE = 4G mobile data). Given the expected speed of the Internet connection side I'd reckon that WiFi on the LAN side would be fine.

kwikbreaks

Whether or not adding an external antenna is worth the effort depends on how it performs without one. At my holiday caravan in Norfolk to get reliable connection and speed I need to use one. When I'm back home in a town it just lays on the windowsill and works better than it does in Norfolk with an antenna.

So - if you aren't satisfied with the performance try one - cheap diamond ones on eBay do work and cost ~ £10 but from my trials they aren't a lot better than the patch antennas in the MiFi - if the leads they come with were longer then a better mounting position could make them work better. The next step up from them will cost maybe £60 - I've just bought one in the hope it will improve on my bodged log periodic for the 800MHz LTE band - see bottom of https://www.digitalham.co.uk/mobile-broadband/ - that is a cheap option if your cell has LTE band 20 but will be useless if it doesn't.

[Deleted User]

esuhl wrote: »

First off, what's a Huawei LTE B310?

It's one of these.

It's a broadband hub, but, unlike a landline hub, this connect via mobile.

It has one Ethernet socket and one Phone socket (not really sure what you do with the Phone socket ) and WiFi, and can connect to 32 devices, at a maximum speed of 150Mbps.

ETA: While I was out shopping, I picked up an Ethernet cable (CAT-5E) and I'm running on it now.

[Deleted User]

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Whether or not adding an external antenna is worth the effort depends on how it performs without one.

Currently, the signal strength is wavering between 2 and 3 bars.

I might try perching it on something, to raise it up a couple of feet, before I decide if I should get the antennas.

[Deleted User]

Does anyone happen to know, what type the antenna connections are?

Would these, by any chance, be the correct fitting?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073Z6GCFZ/ref=twister_B0749M95BR?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

The ones I'm looking at, are the second choice from the right, called "SMA-Black".

EDIT: After some Googling, I've found a review article, which confirms the connections are SMA. :cool:

[Deleted User]

Quick update.

The router is working well , but I found a pair of antennas for under £7, so I've ordered them anyway.

[Deleted User]

Just received my <£7 antennas, and they do seem to have made a difference (permanent 3 signal bars), or it could just be the time of day.

Either way, I'm not going to baulk over £7.

[Deleted User]

Here it is, with the antennas attached.

It even looks like a regular Home Hub now.

esuhl

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

It even looks like a regular Home Hub now.

It looks more like an evil robot rabbit! :rotfl: