Claro modem antenna advise ?
Submitted by syzygian2 on Thu, 2013/01/03 - 20:12.
Awhile back we signed up for Claro's 4G internet service, which should provide downloads up to 5Mbs on the HSPA+ network. Since we live in the campo about 1k SE of the town of Nandasmo we expected a lot worse, and got it. Typically downloads are less than 100kbps on the EDGE network. That's good enough to surf the web, slowly, and deal with banking, but not much more. The RSSI is about -83dBs. We're line-of-sight to towers in Catarina and Nandasmo, blocked only by trees. I've discovered that if I take the computer 200m north, to where I can see the towers, the download jumps up to as much as 4000kbps on HSPA+, and more importantly, I can use my MagicJack.
Now, I just received my Wilson Electronics magnetic-mount cellular antenna with a connector for the Huawei 367 modem from Claro. It's up on the zinc roof. Amazingly, the RSSI improved to -57dBs, but download only improved to 160kbps, with upload around 80kbps, below MagicJack's minimum 128kbps. Still only on the EDGE network. I did find that the MagicJack will now work to call my other Magicjack in Phoenix, and also to my mother's ATT landline in Calif, but anything else is choppy. Strangely, while connected, it operates at 20kbps up/down. When I connect down the road to cellphones in the US, without the antenna, it operates at 80kbps. Also strangely, the RSSI while on HSPA+, is around -93dBs.
So, What's going on here? Are signals cancelling each other out. Tomorrow I'll move the antenna to the back of the house, thinking the neighbors zinc roof is blocking the tower in Nandasmo. I don't know much about this stuff, but expected a much better improvement in the download speeds, especially with RSSI at -57dBs. Any ideas out there? Thanks, Mike
4-G Cell booster
I haven't found any Wilson booster listed for 4-G yet, all are still 3-G.
What would be the difference?
Cell boosters just repeat the signals they receive. As there is no change with the radios when Enitel goes from 3G to 4G, I would not expect any change in what a booster would have to do.
Claro 4G
Has anyone found a router that will accept the 4G USB cards and transmit WFI? I used a Cradle Point router with my 3G chip but it doesn't support 4G. I would like to use my I PAD with the 4 G.
Hi, I'm not sure if this
Hi, I'm not sure if this will help, as I'm not up on computer tech. About a year ago I bought a Sapido 1132 router off of Ebay and had it sent to Somoto (free shipping). I have lent it to a friend, so I don't have the full numbers, but at the time, I paid $39.00. I only used it a few times, once when there were three campers here, and we were all able to access the internet at the same time, although, I did disconnect the others when I wanted to download a movie. I looked on Ebay and found a 3G/4G Sapido that looked like the one that I bought, but the price was $72.00 !
I did an Amazon search to see what shows up
Seems like most of the modems available through Amazon are locked, but this one, another Cradle Point, isn't: http://www.amazon.com/Cradlepoint-Mobile-Broadband-Router-MBR900CP/dp/B0... One reviewer notes that it works in Costa Rica.
I have a Mac which has WiFi sharing built in, in case you were considering getting a new computer. Range on the WiFi is very short, but it works for my Kindle and my cell phone if they're next to the machine.
Rebecca Brown
Routers and Modems are two completely different things.
The link you offered is to a Router - not a modem and routers are not "locked". Routers like this have a USB slot that accept a USB Modem but the routers require firmware compatible with Nica USB modems and most are not. This particular router is obsolete and out of production for more than a year and probably will not support a modern Nica 4G modem. Can't find any indication on the Cradlepoint website that looks hopeful.
I have tried several different routers including TPlink & Sapido without any luck with most of the USB modems here. You need to check the compatibility list in the manufacturers' websites. Unless you have a mule routers & modems require a TELCOR permit to import and mine expired & I have not been to Managua to renew it and look for another router.
My obsolete Cradepoint CT350 does support the Claro 3G ZTE MF-190 Modem and that runs the the cyber very well when the cable internet is down. 2 MB up/down here in SJDS & C$25 per 500MB bandwidth so it is a couple of bucks a day when the power and/or cable internet is down. Used router price on Ebay about $35.
PCs support ICS to allow a Nica USB modem an interface to a real router with wired & decent WIFI signal outputs. That approach using the cyber administrator's PC runs the cyber well also.
The 3/4 G USB modems herein Nicaragua are locked and unlock firmware is available on some of the underground sites but I have not tried that approach. The Iphones and Android devices that support 3G contain an unlocked modems. Don't know why completely unlocked quad band modems are hard to buy but you still need a solution to share the access.
Guy asked about routers
My alternative solution was to buy a Mac that can share its internet connection. Range is very short, but that's fine for Kindles and phones, though not for guests staying in the back bedroom.
Rebecca Brown
Guy asked about routers
and you offered nothing meaningful & instead a Googled link to an out of production, obsolete model. I doubt if he needs your help to do that.
Repeat: The manufacturers' websites contain a list of modems that their routers will support but you usually have to dig. If your Nica modem is not listed my experience with a sample of 4 routers it probably with a will not work. Because a router will work with a Costa Rica modem means nothing.
You did not need to spend the big bucks for a Mac although they are terrific computers for the intellectually challenged. Windows 7 & 8 have simple built in wireless internet connection sharing just like a Mac and XP & Vista will do that too if you jump through a few hoops. Or use ICS on a PC with a cheap external router for a better shared wireless and wired connection.
OK OK Macs are used by a lot of professionals for graphics, music, etc and may be worth the bucks for that but PCs are in those games now too. BTW do you know that Macs use the same hardware as a PC and the primary difference is the OS and not the machine?
Nobody was answering the guy
If someone had, I wouldn't have suggested that.
So now that you've proved me wrong, tell him what he needs to do. Maybe the answer is that he can't find a wireless router that will take a 4G chip in Nicaragua.
So, what does he want to do and how can he do it? I'm happy with my wireless solution because I don't want to have wifi for more than my Kindle and phone. Sound like that's also doable on some Windows machines. Might be enough for him for his needs; might not be.
Rebecca Brown
Claro 4-G
Has anyone found a router that will accept the 4G USB cards and transmit WFI. I used a Cradle Point router with my 3G chip but it doesn't support 4G.
I think right now (since maybe New Years), Claro is
having some staff holiday issues. I've been on EDGE for a couple of days now with my 4G modem (but as of yesterday getting better on my 3G phone). EDGE is working for internet which it hadn't been in Jinotega when I first got the 4G modem, and is faster than the 3G modem was. HSPA+ is currently not showing up and that was my usual protocol/system before the first.
This might not have anything to do with your problems, but testing stuff right now might give results that will be different after 7 January. (I've also noticed that after some apparent roll back (speeds mostly), that Claro tends to come back better than it had been before).
Rebecca Brown
Claro is sporadic
For a few days last week my EDGE signal was barely 60kbps down with 20kbps up. Then suddenly it improved to about 140 kbps down with 60kbps up, better than normal for a couple of days. I figured maybe they tweeked the system or something.
My guess
With a spectrum analyzer you could do better than a guess but I am not planning to bring mine down there so here is my guess.
The issue is multipath. At 900MHz trees are a bad thing as far as reducing signal but are probably not the cause of the multipath. It is likely the signal bouncing off some building, zinc roof or some such. If this is the case, pointing your antenna for minimum multipath rather than maximum signal strength may fix things.
Again, without a spectrum analyzer this is a bit difficult to do but try pointing the antenna maybe 10-20 degrees either side of maximum signal (or maybe a better measure would be 10dB lower in signal strength) and see what happens.
Thanks Fyl
The antenna is multidirectional. Would putting a metal barrier on one side to block signals help at all? Or should I buy a directional antenna? I'm hoping the move to the back of the roof to avoid the neighbors zinc roof will clear it up. Another possibility is maybe to raise it higher.
Directional is better
Not being directional means you will get bounces off of everything. Getting the antenna above other stuff will help but the reflection most likely to be creating the multipath might be a building or some other big object far away. Because of the attenuation of the direct signal by the trees, a reflected signal from something with a clear direct path to the tower and you could be equal to or stronger than the signal from you to the tower.
A directional antenna would be best but you could try playing with a reflector and see what you get. A flat sheet or, better yet, a V-shaped reflector with the angle between 60 and 90 degrees should do it. It could be metal screen or even just a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil. You would place it a few inches behind the antenna (optimum position depends on the angle and and impedance mismatch introduced by it).
When you are playing with it you may find out the source of the reflection by seeing a strong signal in a totally different direction than the direct path to the tower -- including directly behind. The reflected signal may be a better choice than the direct signal.
Clearly You Have
a robust signal (4Mbs) that many of us would die for, and only 200m away. Is that location still on your property? If so, you could put up a tower with a directional antenna, yagi or parabolic, feed the signal to an amplifier at the tower (85 Db gain, $95 from China) and push the signal down a length of LM400 to a local antenna at your house.
L-Com has an 800 Mhz parabolic that breaks down into two halves and a feed horn for easy suitcase shipping. The price was reasonable.
Wison's site has a formula that allows you to plug in the antenna and amplifier gains, and cable losses.
Unfortunately, NO
My property runs east-west and the "sweet spot" is 200m north along the road. Yesterday after being disappointed I took the laptop back there to check the signal and was getting HSPA+, but download this time was only about 1Mbs with about 200kbps up. I'd be happy with that! Rebecca may be right that Claro is having some problems now.
Another thing that puzzles me is that when I sign on in the morning the security/other programs upload data at about 400kbps, but it quickly slows to a snails pace. I sometimes wonder if Claro is putting limits on the speed. Don't know why they would since I only use about 1G per month of the 5G paid for.
I was hoping to relocate the antenna today, but no chance yet.