Improving iBurst signal

[evablunted]

Greetings
I have a UTD connected to a PC in my office (Rissik St, JHB CBD). The signal has intermittent failures. One moment the signal will be 100% (for like 5 seconds) then next moment is 0% (2 seconds). As you can imagine this is causing me considerable frustration.

I called iBurst and they suggested a directional antenna. One of the guys here at work also suggested that I take a look at the pringles idea. I have not been able to get much info on the pringles idea.

Any of you guys know where I can get info on the pringles container idea and how effective is the directional antenna (considering that it's max length is 3m and that I can really put it outside because of this limitation).

What's your take on this matter?

 

[craigsa]

Well i can tell u i am down the road from ya and using the external antenna and am having the same problems so good luck with that option. Seems that the tower we are connecting to is over saturated. Last 1 - 2 months been really bad.(could be wrong about reason)

 

[ic]

The FAQ thread has a link to a DIY Parabolic reflector solution that should work to improve your UTD's signal strength...

There have been all sorts of forumite suggestions about improving signal strength - several seem to be up the pole on this issue...

 

[Phoenixhost]

I think the problem is with the base station not the antenna, I can try and solve the problem by selling you a directional antenna, 50-50 chance we could connect to another Base station. Send me a PM and I will gladly help out at a cost.

 

[regardtv]

Hi,

I had a client on iburst that side of town as well... Tried external antennas etc etc ...

ADSL got installed last week .. problem solved

 

[Phoenixhost]

Hmmm, I wonder if he tried one of our home made antennas, I can only speak for myself, before I was getting 20kB/s with the antenna, well the results speak for them self!

results:

Your connection is: 643 Kbps (about 0.6 Mbps)
You downloaded at: 78 kB/s
Your TRuSPEED: ^info^ 688 Kbps :: 83 kB/s (7% overhead factored)
Bottom Line: You are running: 11 times faster than 56K and can download 1 megabyte in 13.13 second(s)
Diagnosis: Awesome! 20% + : 109.45 % faster than the average for host (co.za)

Speed test site, http://testmy.net

If our antenna does not work, no charge!

 

[Kei]

Your connection is: 643 Kbps (about 0.6 Mbps)
You downloaded at: 78 kB/s

That's crap speeds. Slimothy and I exceed these figures

 

[ic]

I have heard tell that there is a 3rd party external iBurst antenna that is being produced [local design & production AFAIK] and will give an ~18dB gain compared to the ~8dB that WBS are flogging...

 

[GRES]

Yes, it's my one.
> +18dB
Samples available. Full productiom from next week.

from 12:00 busy downloding SUSE. Average 111kB/s
connected to tower 14 - Oakland Park. Signal -76dB
Ping <60.

 

[ic]

I heard you're getting 1000 of them produced, GRES I think you have a winner there if the report I heard is accurate - and supposedly cheaper than the WBS patch antenna?

PS: I didn't find out if yours is directional or omni...? These days I think a directional is probably better for WBS' iBurst as per regardtv's "My thoughts" thread...

 

[GRES]

+/- 30 degree vertical
+/- 10 horizontal
f/b >20dB

equal of 4 x 3 element YAGI set

To find out direction and signal levels one can use standard Hyperterminal.