Waste
Well-Known Member
Hi All,
So I thought I would post this here, since it may be something that someone else need to know.
I've been using external LTE antennas for my Rain internet (using my own LTE router), this was on the old 4G packages, where you just went and got a SIM from Clicks stores and didn't get a router included.
Now with the new RainOne 5G modems. You don't have the options of using your own router, as they don't provide a SIM or send the router with a SIM. they use "eSIM" so there is no SIM in the router to switch to another router.
They also can't "migrate" your existing RAIN sim to the new 5G packages. You only have the option of using their modems (free to use modems).
The new modems don't have the ability to attach external antennas to them.
Also the new modems don't come with a "wall mount" bracket, so you have to stand the modem on a desk on it's side. Even though their website and every marketing material shows the modem attached to a wall. The new modems do have space where a wall-mount bracket could have slide in, but they are not supplied.
Basically my options are now to convert the modem to POE (using 12v injectors) and then mounting it inside a plastic container that I can mount up on a pole outside so that the mode is effectively outside, but protected.
The reason I have to do this is because my upload rate drops from 12Mbps to 3Mbps when it is inside the house, and as a web developer my upload speed is important. It makes little to no difference on the download speed. With my external antennas on the 4G modem, I got consistently 7Mbps to 12Mbps upload (not very good but beats the 3Mbps I have with the new modem).
Also for what it is worth, I'm on the cheap package where I get up to 30Mbps download rates and this you get whether the router is inside or outside.
Last thing, I also miss the concept where you could see which tower your SIM connected to. I used it initially to see in which direction I had to point my directional Poynting antennas. I luckily moved from outside Bloem to inside the city and now the only benefit to an antenna is getting better upload rates (but also consistent connection, I had very little trouble with my internet connection for years using external antennas).
So I thought I would post this here, since it may be something that someone else need to know.
I've been using external LTE antennas for my Rain internet (using my own LTE router), this was on the old 4G packages, where you just went and got a SIM from Clicks stores and didn't get a router included.
Now with the new RainOne 5G modems. You don't have the options of using your own router, as they don't provide a SIM or send the router with a SIM. they use "eSIM" so there is no SIM in the router to switch to another router.
They also can't "migrate" your existing RAIN sim to the new 5G packages. You only have the option of using their modems (free to use modems).
The new modems don't have the ability to attach external antennas to them.
Also the new modems don't come with a "wall mount" bracket, so you have to stand the modem on a desk on it's side. Even though their website and every marketing material shows the modem attached to a wall. The new modems do have space where a wall-mount bracket could have slide in, but they are not supplied.
Basically my options are now to convert the modem to POE (using 12v injectors) and then mounting it inside a plastic container that I can mount up on a pole outside so that the mode is effectively outside, but protected.
The reason I have to do this is because my upload rate drops from 12Mbps to 3Mbps when it is inside the house, and as a web developer my upload speed is important. It makes little to no difference on the download speed. With my external antennas on the 4G modem, I got consistently 7Mbps to 12Mbps upload (not very good but beats the 3Mbps I have with the new modem).
Also for what it is worth, I'm on the cheap package where I get up to 30Mbps download rates and this you get whether the router is inside or outside.
Last thing, I also miss the concept where you could see which tower your SIM connected to. I used it initially to see in which direction I had to point my directional Poynting antennas. I luckily moved from outside Bloem to inside the city and now the only benefit to an antenna is getting better upload rates (but also consistent connection, I had very little trouble with my internet connection for years using external antennas).
