Request for Recommendations on External Antennas

[Inkblot]

Greetings All

Yup... I've been lurking for the last couple of months quite happy with the 35% signal on my 128 package and consistent speeds. Should've known it was too good to last. A couple of weeks ago I moved my offices and lo and behold... no signal at the new location. I've got two options... to do business from my laptop perched on top of my office building, or to have an external antenna/dish installed.

I've browsed through suppliers (miro, poynting and webb)... as well as third party installers (nowire, powerband etc.)

To get to the poynt... uhm, point: I'll welcome recommendations on the most suitable antenna / dish for MyWireless as well as referrals to professional installers in the Randburg area.

Thank you.

Inkblot

PS: I noticed an interesting thingamajig at Webb Industries (www.webb.co.za) - 'New broadband wireless, LAN and Wi-Fi lightning protector". Has anybody installed this yet? Comments?

 

[dbnnet]

There's been much debate here on this.... but so far the most positive feedback
has been with those who have gone with the Grid Antenna from Poynting.
(Make sure you test your signal first though!)

<font size="1"><font color="black">Bay of Plenty :</font id="black"><font color="blue"> Signal 48% - SNL 17 - ber 71% :</font id="blue"><font color="green"> D-Link DI-604 - PPPoE :</font id="green"><font color="orange"> 8dBi Patch Antenna :</font id="orange"> Firmware 5.0.1.60</font id="size1">

 

[Headend]

Inkblot, I recently installed the Poynting grid. My signal went from 17% to 29%. However, the main gain I got was with the current high winds we are having, before I had the grid I often got disconnected because my signal fluctuated so much. Now my signal is rock solid no matter how hard the wind blows.

http://www.poynting.co.za/antennas/dish-a0011.shtml

The dish is really easy to install. Took me about 1 hour, most of which was spent drilling a 16mm hole through a double brick wall for the cable.

Headend
<font size="1"><b>Tower:</b> Mintek (82) - <b>Signal:</b> 29% (Poynting Grid Antenna) - <b>Firmware:</b> 5.0.1.60/A1 - <b>256k</b> package
<b>SNL:</b> 13dBm <b>BER:</b> 71% <b>RSCP:</b> -77dBm <b>ISCP:</b> -88dBm - Smoothwall and PPPoE</font id="size1">

 

[guest2013-1]

dont spend money on a dish, rather get adsl

Hell, my gran on a scooter with a memory stick is faster than Sentech's MyWireless!

 

[bdt]

G'day Inkblot, I may be able to help. Disclaimer- I do MyWi installs (in part) for a living. You don't mention in your post where your new office is which makes it tough to recommend any kind of antenna but I can tell you this: I've got short range (@ 2-3km) covered with the 12 or 16dBi yagi antennas, 3-5km by 40, 60 or 90cm dishes or 4-6km (ok- 5.9 is my current record but that IS line-of-sight; We can physically SEE the tower all-l-l the way over there in the distance!) by 90cm dish or 24dBi grid. Actually, I'm commissioning a grid at 5.65km (LOS!) tomorrow, I'm really keen to see how the numbers compare with my 60cm dish test data.

That's all fine for basic theory though- buildings and topology can REALLY screw with theory and force a change in plans. Mail me if you like, you have no need to take only MY word for it, you can get other ppl's opinions on my work.

Update: comparative results of 5.65km to Helderkruin, both from top of roof with reasonably clear LOS to tower (some minor hill action..)-
dish: SIG:32%, BER:71%, SNL:15%, RSCP -73dBm, ISCP -88dBm
grid: SIG:36%, BER:71%, SNL:18%, RSCP -69dBm, ISCP -87dBm

Speed test results (20 consecutive tests on the 128k package to rodent's speed test) down 7m of LMR400 cable give the following:
MIN: 93.5 MAX: 141.2 AVG: 116.57

Oh- and I have screenshots to back ALL of this up, I'm not just thumbsucking these numbers! This is a techie speaking- not some *gag* .. "marketroid" [] This is also my current distance record for an installed job- now I just gotta nail down that 5.9km test..!

 

[Robone]

Inkblot, I am about 4,5km away from Northpark plaza and about 400m from Rosebank tower and due to buildings etc I could not connect to Rosebank so I had a 40cm dish installed and now get my signal from Northpark.

Signal strength is about 32% with a BER of 71%. Used to be about 12% with a cantenna and 8% with a patch and 4 % with the modem antenna.

I would reccommend a good installer so he can line it up correctly. DIY might work, but rather get someone to do the tests and then quote, as you may buy a antenna that is not appropriate. Email me for a name if you want. Good luck

PS . Signal now is also rock solid and no disconnects, whereas previously it used to disconnect with the swaying of the trees.