Remote work or freelancing in the outback. Aspects of communication. Part 2. There is a connection

In the previous article I touched on the topic of “dacha” Internet and devices for getting this Internet. But not all of them have their cellular network within sight, and the modem whistle of the cellular operator may simply be useless. And here come to the aid of special routers, amplifiers and directional antennas. In this article I will tell you how you can achieve a level of comfort on the Internet, comparable to urban.



For a start, let's go through the types of antennas that are used to organize radio communications. There are three types and their various modifications.


Wave channel or YAGI
Pros: ease of manufacture, low cost
Cons: badly catches the reflected signal, subject to deformation (if not in a protective casing)
Objects of application: Basically, stationary communication in a relatively narrow frequency range
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Circular or OMNI antennas
Pros: hung and forgot
Cons: small KU in the calculation of the spent materials, catching noise from all sides
Objects of application: Usually, a circular antenna is used for signal distribution, not reception. Exception - moving objects - cars, yachts. Or when there is no possibility to catch a signal (dense urban development, several different signals around)


Panel antennas
Pros: a small volume in space, a large area of ​​signal reception (especially helps when the signal is on the verge or is reflected from the heap of places). High variability of performance, as well as in terms of frequencies, and in terms of the characteristics of the AC and Directional Diagrams
Cons: price, large sail
Objects of application: from operator antennas to homemade products, often antennas are located directly on the board

When I began to look for solutions to improve the speed of the Internet, I spoke with many experts. As a result, we got a short list of things that definitely need to be paid attention to:

0. Recall school physics about waves and follow logic.
1. Before you figure out and strengthen something, you need to measure the speed of the Internet early in the morning, in the afternoon, in prime time in the evening (about 20 hours), late at night. If the fluctuations are more than 30%, then the base station is loaded. Correct only the search for a less loaded BS. And that is not a fact.
2. Carefully consider the possible solutions - the pros and cons of the cardinal
3. Do not be greedy. Yes, initial costs seem wildly high. Here the principle of “necessary and sufficient” rises at the head of the table.
4. You should not be tied to the locked device. Programs can be crookedly written, another operator can start working better than the selected one. Therefore, only originals or unlocked + uniquely original software
5. Thoroughness. It is worth checking all the operators - one of them can often bring a surprise (there were cases when Megafon and MTS were loaded clean, and Beeline calmly gave 15+ Mbit per download \ return.
6. Patience. Installing the system is not about three minutes, especially if you do not do it every day. Each degree, each centimeter above / below - can give differences in a couple of megabits. Experienced engineers hold the antenna with iron when they tighten the fasteners - otherwise the direction may be lost a little, which will have a negative effect on speed.
7. If there is an opportunity to entrust the pros - it is better to entrust the pros. You can stumble when compiling hardware compatibility (software, power, connectors, etc.), you can make mistakes when you crimp the cable, pick up pigtails for modems, and align the antenna.
8. Time. From and to can take from one day to one week

Drinking theory, I turned to practice. The conditions are as follows: the nearest tower with LTE support is located in a straight line at a distance of 3-4 km, but trees block the way to the signal. And if in the winter the lack of foliage has a positive effect on the signal, then in the summer, the quality of communication drops noticeably, and so far I don’t want to raise the mast with the antenna and engage the lightning conductor. There are no obstacles other than trees in the path of the signal. The forest belt is short, about 100 meters.

View of the BS


My first step towards a good internet was the antenna.
LTE MiMo INDOOR


TTH:
Antenna design: Indoor
Antenna type: wave channel
Supported communication standards: LTE, HSPA, HSPA +
Operating frequencies, MHz: 790-2700
Gain, max. DBi: 11
Voltage standing wave ratio, not more: 1.25
Wave resistance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without mount), mm: 160x150x150
Mass, not more, kg: 0.6



The manufacturing company is located in Saratov and offers a fairly wide range of devices. I was attracted by a wide range of operating frequencies, support for 3G \ 4G and the presence of two antennas at once, which was suitable for my Huawei E5372 router. Having a clear focus, you could put it on the window sill, send it to the BS and enjoy the connection. I must say that the reception has become much more confident, and the signal level is higher. The result, which was achieved: 3G is caught perfectly, 4G is caught and there is even a connection, but the reception signal is extremely low. Suitable for work only in 3G or until there is no foliage on the trees. Also, I was not satisfied with the absence of an Ethernet connector, as there was a need to connect a hardware VoIP phone.

Pros: compact, there is a USB extension cable for connecting USB modems, a good level of gain, directional
Cons: Installation is required at the window, the gain does not match the stated.

Price: 1590 rubles + 5700 router (Huawei E5372)

3G / 4G OMEGA MIMO


TTH:
Antenna design: street
Antenna type: panel
Supported communication standards: LTE, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA +, DC-HSPA
Operating frequencies, MHz: 1700-2700
Gain, max. DBi: 15-18
Voltage standing wave ratio, not more: 1.5
Wave resistance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without mount), mm: 450x450x60
Mass, not more, kg: 3.2 kg



This is not an antenna, but fantastic. When I saw the box, I thought it was a very big pizza, when I picked it up, I realized that it was also quite heavy. The sealed case of a square antenna with a side of 45 centimeters is made of UV-resistant plastic. The antenna involves mounting on the mast and tilting vertically, as well as changing the angle of polarization by 45 degrees - and all this with a standard mount. Since the sail of such an antenna is rather serious, and the weight exceeds 3 kg, the fasteners are impressive. The antenna works in 3G and 4G networks with MIMO support. Serious dimensions make it possible to obtain a quite plausible gain, and therefore a stable connection. About the speed I will write below, comparing the two sets that were in my hands. This antenna works in conjunction with my Zyxel Keenetic LTE router. Overall, very pleased with the device.

Pros: High gain, convenient mount, sealed outdoor design
Cons: heavy weight, high windage

Price: 4200 rubles + 7000r router (Zyxel Keenetic LTE) (this price does not include cable assemblies. I took the N-male cable assembly - 3 meters 5D-FB - N-male ) +2400 r

Zyxel LTE 6101 vs Zyxel Keenetic LTE + 3G / 4G OMEGA MIMO

Zyxel LTE 6101

Since I had the opportunity to compare two sets of equipment, one self-assembled and the second ready, I wanted to know whether to give 25 thousand rubles for a ready-made Zyxel LTE 6101 device or spend some time and effort to assemble a set of a router, wires and antenna itself for 11,200 rubles.
I disassembled the Zyxel LTE 6101 external unit, in which the LTE modem with an antenna is hidden. This arrangement allows you to minimize the length of the cables from the antenna to the modem, and thus reduce the signal loss in the cable. The outdoor unit is sealed to IP65 and withstands heavy rain, thanks to rubber gaskets at all junction points, including plugs and cable entry. The modem's power supply in the external unit is based on POE technology, which means that only one Ethernet cable will flow from the external unit. Its length can be up to 100 meters, but I had the opportunity to test a 30 meter cable, which was enough with a margin to comfortably place the equipment in a large house. The second block, the router, is somewhat unusual. Connect another router to work with an external unit does not work, so you need to be prepared for the fact that the device is sold in a complex. By itself, it looks good, has a pair of gigabit Ethernet connectors and a separate blue connector for connecting an external unit. External and internal blocks have bolts for connecting the ground, which will save equipment from interference and jumps during a thunderstorm. Convenience settings and comfort work at height. The device from the discharge - got it and works. Naturally, I could not help but disassemble the external unit. Photo under the cut.



Zyxel Keenetic LTE

The second step was the self-assembly of a similar kit based on Zyxel Keenetic LTE. This is the only Keenetic in the series that has a built-in 4G modem, all others require an external USB-modem connection. The source of Internet access can also be a network provider distributing access via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. In my case, only Internet access via LTE is used, so we insert the SIM card into the appropriate slot and turn on the router. In the usual case, where the network coverage is good, the signal level will be displayed on the front panel, and access to the network will appear immediately or after a short setup via the web interface. In my case, the signal strength is too low, so I needed to use an external antenna. On the back of the router there are a pair of connectors for connecting a MIMO antenna and a switch from the internal antenna to the external one. Having connected the 3G / 4G OMEGA MIMO antenna , I got a connection even at a decent distance from the base and through an obstacle in the form of a forest belt. But it is worth considering that in the case of this bundle it is necessary to place the router as close as possible to the antenna, since even in the best cable attenuation will still occur, which means that the speed will be lower. This is the main difference between the Zyxel LTE 6101 and the Zyxel Keenetic LTE + external antenna.
I also could not resist and opened the Zyxel Keenetic LTE for inspection. Photos under the cut



Polarization
If you look at the photo of the disassembled external unit from the Zyxel LTE 6101, you can see how the antenna is rotated 45 degrees relative to the case. In order to get a good signal level and maximum speed, it is required that the polarization of the receiving antenna coincides with the polarization of the BS antenna. On the antenna itself, the direction of polarization is indicated by an arrow. For example, my connection speed increased by one third when I turned the antenna 45 degrees. It is difficult to predict in advance, so when installing this fact, it is worth considering and trying different installation options.

And now it is quite natural to compare three sets for 7290, 11200 and 25000 rubles.



findings
As can be seen from the screenshot, Zyxel LTE 6101 leads in speed. The location of the modem next to the antenna and the minimum cable length between them affects. The device is interesting, sensible, but not budget. Suitable for those who are willing to pay for a stable and reliable connection.
The second is the Zyxel Keenetic LTE with an external antenna. The bundle is certainly very worthy and is close to the Zyxel LTE 6101 in speed and reception. Therefore, for those who are not critical and who are willing to spend time laying the cables and adjusting the antenna (the same should be done with the Zyxel LTE 6101) then this kit will be noticeably more budget and functionally richer. At least, because Zyxel Keenetic LTE has a built-in SIP telephony adapter and 5 gigabit ports.
The latter kit (LTE MiMo INDOOR + Huawei E5372) has a significant drawback due to the lack of Ethernet ports. In addition, in the current conditions, when the foliage blocked the signal path, 4G was not caught even with an external antenna, but the 3G connection was quite decent. True pings are quite substantial and speaking over VoIP is not very comfortable. Such a connection is suitable for those who need the Internet just to surf.

BONUS

SOTA-5


TTH:
Antenna design: street
Antenna type: panel
Supported communication standards: LTE, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA +, DC-HSPA
Operating frequencies, MHz: 790-960, 1700-2700
Gain, max. DBi: 10-15
Voltage standing wave ratio, not more: 1.5
Wave resistance, Ohm: 50
Assembly dimensions (without mount), mm: 310x270x90
Mass, not more than, kg: 1.5 kg



Someone turned to me with a request to help distribute Wi-Fi in the country. The plot of half a hectare and the distance of the bath with a gazebo from the house did not give a chance to a simple router to provide the entire plot with a signal. In this situation, either the second router rescues at the desired point where the Ethernet cable is pulled, or a repeater that can catch the signal from the router and amplify it in place. But there is an easier and more reliable option - an external antenna to cover the area with a Wi-Fi signal. I had a SOTA-5 antenna and, thanks to its multi-bandwidth, it was possible to use it not only for communicating with BS cellular operators, but also for receiving and transmitting a Wi-Fi signal. The coverage area is quite large, and the radiation pattern makes it possible to more or less clearly limit the coverage area with a signal and not block neighboring Wi-Fi points. Completely tight execution, convenient and reliable fixture, the Russian production - everything that can be wished from such equipment.

Pros: Hermetically, simply, reliably
Cons: Put and forget where put