No fibre available - what do I do?!

matelodave

here's some info https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/rf-best-products-uk/best-5g-routers-reviews

loads of info on t'interweb - probably not worth going for 5G at the moment unless there's some info on the area being upgraded, although if you are going to put up an external antenna it might be worth future proofing yourself.

Here's a 4G/5G antenna  Poynting XPOL-1-5G Omni 2×2 MIMO 4G/5G Antenna | 4G Router Store

matelodave

[Deleted User] said:

EE has the fastest data on all independent tests so hold out for that one.

only if they have service where you live - it's crap where I am

dsingh26

[Deleted User] said:

EE has the fastest data on all independent tests so hold out for that one.

Not for me it isn't, o2 performs much better in my area.

[Deleted User]

dsingh26 said:

Deleted_User said:

EE has the fastest data on all independent tests so hold out for that one.

Not for me it isn't, o2 performs much better in my area.

Jeez, of course specific individuals and areas will be different but EE is the fastest performing network with the greatest coverage measured at an aggregate national level.

https://rootmetrics.com/en-GB/content/uk-mobile-performance-review-1H-2021

matelodave

Just done a speed test on Smarty (3) = 21mbit/s and 1p mobile (EE) = 11mbit/s which is better than the 4-5mbi/s  it usually manages.

We live in a fairly dead area for mobile service

dsingh26

matelodave said:

here's some info https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/rf-best-products-uk/best-5g-routers-reviews

loads of info on t'interweb - probably not worth going for 5G at the moment unless there's some info on the area being upgraded, although if you are going to put up an external antenna it might be worth future proofing yourself.

Here's a 4G/5G antenna  Poynting XPOL-1-5G Omni 2×2 MIMO 4G/5G Antenna | 4G Router Store

Thanks for the info mate.

UPDATE:

Tested all 4 carriers and o2 trumps them all. I wasted £5 for Three data which eventually showed 3G, but I couldn't even load the speedtest website! We ran some tests on the Mrs EE sim but again, very slow. Vodafone worked pretty well in all rooms with constant 4G coverage and decent speeds but when compared to o2, it couldn't match it. With o2, I had 4G+ in every room and the speeds even reached 25mpbs when placed near the windows both upstairs and downstairs.

I don't think 5G would make sense at the moment, my plan is to go with o2 and double the speeds with a 4G router and external antenna if possible. 

My only worry is where to position the router. I would have loved to put it behind my TV so I could connect my PS5 via ethernet for a stronger connection but the speeds I got here with o2 were only 10mbps. However, if the router increases the speeds then it's all good. 

I'm tempted to try National Broadband as they have a 14 day money guarantee so no dramas. Here is their offering:

Based on your postcode, we’d recommend you opt for our ’Router Only Set-Up’. 

Upfront Cost - £99.00 

Monthly Cost - £34.99 

18 Month Contract – UNLIMITED DATA

It looks like they provide the TP-Link Archer MR600 router which seems to have good reviews plus works on o2. I've asked them why they didn't offer me the option of an external 4G antenna which they can install for £299 to increase speeds even further. Here's the link if anyone is interested - https://www.4g-internet.co.uk/our-plans-antenna

On the flip side, they're charging £35 a month for an unlimited data sim however with Tesco Mobile (o2 carrier) it's only £25. I've emailed National Broadband and will see what they say.

GrumpyDil

dsingh26 said:

I was at my house earlier today and managed to test both the o2 and Vodafone sims. The speeds fluctuate on both sims in different rooms, at different times of the day but overall, it seems o2 was better. Upstairs I placed both devices near the windows and with o2 I was getting 20mbps (even sometimes nearly 30mbps!) whereas with Vodafone it was slightly lower. Downstairs behind the TV the speeds were not great on both (10mbps, sometimes even 4-5mbps) but near the window was higher. In the kitchen I could get 20mbps on o2 and slightly lower on Vodafone.

I'm waiting on a Three sim to arrive and will test the mrs phone (EE) before making a final call, but so far o2 seems the best option!

GrumpyDil said:

My suggestion would be too find the fastest carrier for you but then to consider a mobile router plus external antenna . Using that combination we managed to consistently get 70mb + on the O2 network. Without the external antenna speeds were up to 20mb.

Do you have a link to the router plus external antennas by any chance mate?

It was a Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 aerial and a Huawei B525 300 router.

Worked well for me but there are newer models out there. That aerial is omni directional but if you can find the direction of the relevant aerial mast then a directional aerial can pull in a stronger signal. 

brewerdave

dsingh26 said:

matelodave said:

here's some info https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/rf-best-products-uk/best-5g-routers-reviews

loads of info on t'interweb - probably not worth going for 5G at the moment unless there's some info on the area being upgraded, although if you are going to put up an external antenna it might be worth future proofing yourself.

Here's a 4G/5G antenna  Poynting XPOL-1-5G Omni 2×2 MIMO 4G/5G Antenna | 4G Router Store

UPDATE:


My only worry is where to position the router. I would have loved to put it behind my TV so I could connect my PS5 via ethernet for a stronger connection but the speeds I got here with o2 were only 10mbps. However, if the router increases the speeds then it's all good. 

Find the best position for the router, MAKE SURE it has a free LAN port and use powerline adapters for the PS5 ??

matelodave

GrumpyDil said:

dsingh26 said:

I was at my house earlier today and managed to test both the o2 and Vodafone sims. The speeds fluctuate on both sims in different rooms, at different times of the day but overall, it seems o2 was better. Upstairs I placed both devices near the windows and with o2 I was getting 20mbps (even sometimes nearly 30mbps!) whereas with Vodafone it was slightly lower. Downstairs behind the TV the speeds were not great on both (10mbps, sometimes even 4-5mbps) but near the window was higher. In the kitchen I could get 20mbps on o2 and slightly lower on Vodafone.

I'm waiting on a Three sim to arrive and will test the mrs phone (EE) before making a final call, but so far o2 seems the best option!

GrumpyDil said:

My suggestion would be too find the fastest carrier for you but then to consider a mobile router plus external antenna . Using that combination we managed to consistently get 70mb + on the O2 network. Without the external antenna speeds were up to 20mb.

Do you have a link to the router plus external antennas by any chance mate?

It was a Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 aerial and a Huawei B525 300 router.

Worked well for me but there are newer models out there. That aerial is omni directional but if you can find the direction of the relevant aerial mast then a directional aerial can pull in a stronger signal. 

Unless you know exactly where your mast is and can be pretty well assured that you wont be changing providers who will probably use another mast you might be as well to get an omni.

TBH the installation cost of £299 for an £80 antenna looks a bit steep to me. Personally I'd look at placing the router on a windowsill in an upstairs room where you get the best signal and see how well it performs before lashing out on an external antenna. I also wouldn't use a mobile router especially if you feel you want to use an ethernet cable rather than wifi for some stuff

The Huawei router and Poynting antenna mentioned above gets good reviews and would be my choice if I was going down the 4g route.

dsingh26

GrumpyDil said:

dsingh26 said:

I was at my house earlier today and managed to test both the o2 and Vodafone sims. The speeds fluctuate on both sims in different rooms, at different times of the day but overall, it seems o2 was better. Upstairs I placed both devices near the windows and with o2 I was getting 20mbps (even sometimes nearly 30mbps!) whereas with Vodafone it was slightly lower. Downstairs behind the TV the speeds were not great on both (10mbps, sometimes even 4-5mbps) but near the window was higher. In the kitchen I could get 20mbps on o2 and slightly lower on Vodafone.

I'm waiting on a Three sim to arrive and will test the mrs phone (EE) before making a final call, but so far o2 seems the best option!

GrumpyDil said:

My suggestion would be too find the fastest carrier for you but then to consider a mobile router plus external antenna . Using that combination we managed to consistently get 70mb + on the O2 network. Without the external antenna speeds were up to 20mb.

Do you have a link to the router plus external antennas by any chance mate?

It was a Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 aerial and a Huawei B525 300 router.

Worked well for me but there are newer models out there. That aerial is omni directional but if you can find the direction of the relevant aerial mast then a directional aerial can pull in a stronger signal. 

Thank you! Are you still using this to this day? 

matelodave said:

GrumpyDil said:

dsingh26 said:

I was at my house earlier today and managed to test both the o2 and Vodafone sims. The speeds fluctuate on both sims in different rooms, at different times of the day but overall, it seems o2 was better. Upstairs I placed both devices near the windows and with o2 I was getting 20mbps (even sometimes nearly 30mbps!) whereas with Vodafone it was slightly lower. Downstairs behind the TV the speeds were not great on both (10mbps, sometimes even 4-5mbps) but near the window was higher. In the kitchen I could get 20mbps on o2 and slightly lower on Vodafone.

I'm waiting on a Three sim to arrive and will test the mrs phone (EE) before making a final call, but so far o2 seems the best option!

GrumpyDil said:

My suggestion would be too find the fastest carrier for you but then to consider a mobile router plus external antenna . Using that combination we managed to consistently get 70mb + on the O2 network. Without the external antenna speeds were up to 20mb.

Do you have a link to the router plus external antennas by any chance mate?

It was a Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 aerial and a Huawei B525 300 router.

Worked well for me but there are newer models out there. That aerial is omni directional but if you can find the direction of the relevant aerial mast then a directional aerial can pull in a stronger signal. 

Unless you know exactly where your mast is and can be pretty well assured that you wont be changing providers who will probably use another mast you might be as well to get an omni.

TBH the installation cost of £299 for an £80 antenna looks a bit steep to me. Personally I'd look at placing the router on a windowsill in an upstairs room where you get the best signal and see how well it performs before lashing out on an external antenna. I also wouldn't use a mobile router especially if you feel you want to use an ethernet cable rather than wifi for some stuff

The Huawei router and Poynting antenna mentioned above gets good reviews and would be my choice if I was going down the 4g route.

I've managed to find the nearest mast and draw my house for you to all review:



Apologies if this takes up the whole screen, I just pasted a screenshot from my phone!

As you can see above, the position of my house is not the best but my plan is to the place the router and antenna (if speeds are not great) at the back of the house as it's still quite close to the line will look better here compared to having it at the front.

What do you guys think?