Boosting 3/4G signal
Discussion
Hi
I have had enough of our terrible internet connection and signed up to starlink. It’s a revelation, but does leave me with a dilemma.
We have a landline with the wired internet connection which we don’t use for calls, but is part of our alarm monitoring set up. We need monitoring for our home insurance, so it needs to work.
We have looked into getting a mobile SIM for the alarm monitoring, and while I can always get 4G in the garden, the alarm company tell me the signal isn’t strong enough. Ahead of seeing the alarm guys in a few weeks, does anyone have any helpful thoughts about our options?
I am wondering if a mobile signal booster in the loft, or a directional antennae on the roof would somehow help our mobile connection. Does anyone have any experience of boosting their mobile signal at home without using their broadband?
I don’t know the network they’d use for the SIM, but my preference would be to boost all mobile signal, not a specific network, if that’s possible within OFCOM rules. We are several hundred yards from our closest neighbour so I think signal pollution would be pretty minimal.
Grateful for any wisdom you can share
I have had enough of our terrible internet connection and signed up to starlink. It’s a revelation, but does leave me with a dilemma.
We have a landline with the wired internet connection which we don’t use for calls, but is part of our alarm monitoring set up. We need monitoring for our home insurance, so it needs to work.
We have looked into getting a mobile SIM for the alarm monitoring, and while I can always get 4G in the garden, the alarm company tell me the signal isn’t strong enough. Ahead of seeing the alarm guys in a few weeks, does anyone have any helpful thoughts about our options?
I am wondering if a mobile signal booster in the loft, or a directional antennae on the roof would somehow help our mobile connection. Does anyone have any experience of boosting their mobile signal at home without using their broadband?
I don’t know the network they’d use for the SIM, but my preference would be to boost all mobile signal, not a specific network, if that’s possible within OFCOM rules. We are several hundred yards from our closest neighbour so I think signal pollution would be pretty minimal.
Grateful for any wisdom you can share
Your best bet may be a fixed antenna, high up.
The height will help
A vertical antenna can have some 'gain' basically it's looking all around the horizon, not all around the sphere if you see what I mean.
In the old days, a modified car kit did the job.
These days you are probably looking at MIFI or something a bit similar.
The height will help
A vertical antenna can have some 'gain' basically it's looking all around the horizon, not all around the sphere if you see what I mean.
In the old days, a modified car kit did the job.
These days you are probably looking at MIFI or something a bit similar.
Try this for a start, https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage
It's most likely a combo of choosing the right network, and placing the antenna high up or externally will solve this. Virtually all "boosters" aren't licensed in the UK, and adding unlicensed kit into the mix isn't going to keep your insurers happy.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-inter...
That kit is over £1000, so playing around with a few PAYG SIMs to test is probably the next step.
It's most likely a combo of choosing the right network, and placing the antenna high up or externally will solve this. Virtually all "boosters" aren't licensed in the UK, and adding unlicensed kit into the mix isn't going to keep your insurers happy.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-inter...
That kit is over £1000, so playing around with a few PAYG SIMs to test is probably the next step.
You alarm should be provider agnostic, only your alarm company can really confirm if the gsm module will connect to an external antenna or not.
Many alarm systems now have alarm to ethernet bridges & allow the remote monitoring to be performed over the internet, again you’ll need to discuss this with your alarm provider/monitoring company.
Note you should advise them that you are using starlink as the isp could make a difference.
Many alarm systems now have alarm to ethernet bridges & allow the remote monitoring to be performed over the internet, again you’ll need to discuss this with your alarm provider/monitoring company.
Note you should advise them that you are using starlink as the isp could make a difference.
Finding out who the best supplier is in the area and then finding out their mast locations is going to be key.
You can then put a directional antenna on the roof pointing in the right direction then but it does of course depend on overall location. ie if you're in a valley or surrounded by high rise there is only so much that antenna can do.
There are companies that specialise in this sort of stuff, connecting you up to the mobile networks, not sure if the cost of hiring them would outweigh the cost of just keeping the copper line running.
You can then put a directional antenna on the roof pointing in the right direction then but it does of course depend on overall location. ie if you're in a valley or surrounded by high rise there is only so much that antenna can do.
There are companies that specialise in this sort of stuff, connecting you up to the mobile networks, not sure if the cost of hiring them would outweigh the cost of just keeping the copper line running.
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