If you
have decided to buy an antenna to improve the speed of your 4G router but you
don't really know how to make it work correctly, in this post we are going to
explain the keys to installing your 4G antenna.
Tips to install your 4G Antenna
Find
the best location . Before anchoring or fixing the antenna, do several speed
and latency tests, ideally all at the same time and taking at least 3
measurements, then take the average and compare locations.
The
higher the better . Typically, having a lot of height, the 4G antenna will be
in a better position to obtain a “visual link” towards the operator's base
antenna (telephony antenna). In addition, you will thus avoid other
obstacles and the effect of the so-called "Fresnel zone"
Beware
of interference . Avoid that your antenna cable is close, parallel or
crossing AC cable, motors, air conditioners, etc. This can cause
interference.
Cables
and connectors . Each antenna for each use must have the appropriate
connector, typically SMA, make sure it is male or female. As well as the
adequate cable for its impedance, it must be 50 ohms. Screw and insulate
the connectors well.
Less
cable the better . This point is one of the most important: using low-loss
cables is ideal, since terminal equipment (routers, mobiles) work with very
little power in telephony, and the loss of signal is important, in fact, the
fewer meters of cable the better. , no more than 10, and they will always be to
give height to the antenna, not to pull the cable inside the house, in this
case, it is better to change the location of the router, shorten the cable
meters and then launch Ethernet cable or OK to use WiFi repeaters.
What 4G Antenna should I choose?
MIMO or SISO antenna? .
A MIMO
antenna (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) is the best option, since in 3G
bounces are used and in 4G it is transmitted and received with cross
polarization (in vertical and horizontal) which allows higher speed in the
transmission and reception of data (Inter alia).
Directional or Omnidirectional Antenna
?.
If your
antenna is going to be used in an urban environment, it is best to use an omnidirectional
antenna since they allow signals to be transmitted and received in 360
degrees and it is not necessary to orient them.
Otherwise,
if your antenna is going to be used in areas with low coverage or far from
telephone towers, we recommend using a directional antenna . These
have more range since they transmit and receive signals in a "straight line". This
type of antennas must be oriented towards the 4G tower of our operator.
Any 4G antenna manufacturer good?
The
answer is NO, unfortunately today it is very easy to “manufacture” a product,
fill in a technical sheet with “numbers” and put it on the market for
sale. But what is more complicated is that those numbers are real and the
operation is correct. Sometimes the cheap turns out to be
expensive. We, from our long experience, always recommend 4G Poynting antennas for
their reliability and durability.