NeoBroadband - WFT?

[beerygaz]

So I borrow a desktop router & Neotel SIM to try the service. I'm getting just on 6Mbps if I put the desktop unit in rather an awkward place in the house. Being impressed with the service, I sign a 24-month contract for the NeoBroadband 8Mbps service and the man comes to install a permanent directional antenna.

Then the man packs up and leaves because there is "no signal strength" where I live. He can't get better than 4Mbps speeds with his setup. How am I getting better speeds than that with a crappy Huawei desktop router than he can with a compass and a higher gain antenna?

Anyone know the Neotel architecture and tech better than me who can offer a more rational explanation than just a shrug?

 

[beerygaz]

This would a far more credible query if I could spell WTF in the thread title! :wtf:

 

[SideWinder]

Yip, this is possible. Almost the same happened with me. Did my own test, still the old Hauwei with outdoor antenna, worked well on 10 Mbps. Ordered the 2 Mbps service. Techie came out after 2 days, got on roof and looked pretty puzzled. "No signal", he proclaims, and starts packing up.

Not taking this laying down, I said "Impossible, look behind you on my chimney is my borrowed rig, how come it is working just fine?" Errr.. Mmmmm chough...splutter....came the replay, "Maybe it's got something to do with your elevation relative to the tower"...Hogwash, I said. Please test again, using the band new outdoor unit (to be used for my installation) from his bakkie. "OK", he says, and 5 minutes later had good signal....and completed the installation.

Turned out the techie's test unit was faulty!!!!, and he did not realise this, can you imagine how many callouts he must have done like this.

As a tip when doing test, get the best signal you can without a permanent installation, then log into the router (outdoor) and screen capture the "Net Status" (on outdoor unit) or "Wireless Status" on the Hauwei router. Using this, gives you will be able to "find" the best signal strength quickly.

Do a screen capture once you have the best signal, and keep it for reference.

BTW, the outdoor unit gave me 3 dBm better signal that the white Hauwei with external antenna.

 

[beerygaz]

Thanks SW, I'm not sure whether to feel better or worse now. Better in that I feel vindicated in my sense that there must be a better signal to be found with a high-gain outdoor antenna than with an indoor unit. And worse because how am I going to convince Neotel (or their "last mile" contractor) to come back and try again.

Anyone know what make/model external unit they use? It may be time to get one and get up on the roof myself.

Second question - the external antennae on the B593 - are they WiFi antennae or LTE antennae? Could I just install a couple of Yagi's to my existing unit to get a better signal?

 

[jcheek]

<snip>

Second question - the external antennae on the B593 - are they WiFi antennae or LTE antennae?

They're wideband GSM/2G/3G/LTE flat whip antennas that will work up to about 2500MHz.
But to be honest, the built-in antennas give about the same (or better) performance.
Coincidentally, they would probably also work for 2.4GHz WLAN, if that's what you meant. But on the B593, they're used for the LTE modem and not the integrated Wireless Access Point.

Could I just install a couple of Yagi's to my existing unit to get a better signal?

Absolutely! Not Yagi's per se, rather wideband LPDA antennas.
If you've got any kind of Neotel signal to start with (sounds like you have), then they should sure help.
See here for some possible inspiration - this was with Telkom LTE, but you'll get the idea.

 

[SideWinder]

Beerygaz,

The external modem - with integrated antenna - is a ATEL unit, just google atel lte. Not much info available.

Make sure they do the test with an outdoor unit.

 

[beerygaz]

Thanks SideWinder, I can't find much either, certainly nothing for private sale. They did do the test with an outdoor unit, and came back saying there were 3 towers and none of them provided better than 4Mbps speeds (and I want the 8Mbps service). I'm at a loss. I've tried BitCo and even after cutting down a tree at great expense they can't get reliable LOS. ADSL wobbles between 1 & 3Mbps so that's out. No fibre comes past my house. My best connectivity right ow is to JAWUG with a self-installed grid antenna. I'm going to have to move house, that's all there is to it.

 

[SideWinder]

Haha, previously, one bought a house based on Location, location & location, but these days it seems one has took at Location, Location, Location & "insert favourite ISP here" coverage!!