Wifi router with cellular modem built-in options

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ipodmusicman

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Hi folks,

Trying to find a needle in a haystack in this thread is quite impossible so if I am the nth person asking the same question, please forgive me. :)

Our family has a house in Port Edward, KZN. Although we can get 3G in Port Edward, we are only able to get EDGE due to the location of the house. We are there for 3 weeks over the December holidays and not having reliable internet is very frustrating, esp when we want to speak to family overseas on Skype, browse the web for whatever, etc.

What we have figured out is if we climb onto the roof of the house, we are able to get 3G coverage on Vodacom. I got a ladder, armed with my iPad, stepped onto the roof and got 3G. Schweet !! I have been tasked for a solution come December 2014 so that we can solve our internet problems there.

I need a WiFi router that contains a built-in cellular modem that will allow me to connect an external antenna to be installed onto the roof. Currently, the only devices I can find only have a USB port to which you need to plug a modem into which is rather pointless since these modems do not allow for external antenna connections, so the only solution I can come up is to get a WiFi router with a built-in cellular modem to which I can hook up a wire that I run onto the roof with a Pringles can at the end - cantenna - hehehe - something along those lines. All I wanna do is get the device, put a SIM card into it, load data and allow our devices to connect to it via WiFi around the house.

Can you please recommend which devices I can look at that would fulfill my requirement or if you have a great alternative solution that will allow us to get 3G, please let me know.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to get something by at least March or so since some of the family are heading there for Easter and I'd like to get them to start playing with it and getting it up and running.

Thanks very much
 
It's not all-in-one solution, but if you can find a D-Link DIR-451 and a Sierra Wireless Aircard 875, you'll be set. The Aircard slots into the PC Card slot in the D-Link and has a connector for an external antenna.
 
ipodmusicman said:
Currently, the only devices I can find only have a USB port to which you need to plug a modem into which is rather pointless since these modems do not allow for external antenna connections,...
Click to expand...

Not true. Many USB modems allow for an external antenna connection. See here for an example.
 
@Nev1, I see the router you recommended does have a Wi-Fi AP. Silly me. This looks like the one that I'd go for.

Has anybody had any experience with this router?

However, there is merit into going with a separate modem and router - whereby you can upgrade the modem to LTE for instance without having to upgrade the router. Based on the fact that many USB modems (based on @1geoff99 above) do support an external antenna, this can be a viable option. I am going to look into this as well.

Any more recommendations are most welcome. :)
 
ipodmusicman said:
@Nev1, I see the router you recommended does have a Wi-Fi AP. Silly me. This looks like the one that I'd go for.

Has anybody had any experience with this router?

However, there is merit into going with a separate modem and router - whereby you can upgrade the modem to LTE for instance without having to upgrade the router. Based on the fact that many USB modems (based on @1geoff99 above) do support an external antenna, this can be a viable option. I am going to look into this as well.

Any more recommendations are most welcome. :)
Click to expand...

The Huawei B593 is LTE but will work with older 3G signals.
 
ipodmusicman said:
However, there is merit into going with a separate modem and router - whereby you can upgrade the modem to LTE for instance without having to upgrade the router. Based on the fact that many USB modems (based on @1geoff99 above) do support an external antenna, this can be a viable option. I am going to look into this as well.
Click to expand...

This works for me. Huawei E3276 LTE modem with external antenna plugged into a TP-Link MR3420 Version 2 router.

Some report that the MR3420 is unable to supply sufficient power to the E3276 modem, but I don't seem to have this problem. However, there are ways around it if it becomes an issue e.g. connect the E3276 via a powered USB hub. The MR3420 is cheap (R550 incl. delivery on bidorbuy) and I find it works well.

The E3276 can be expensive, but I bought one cheaply on eBay, e.g. this one should work with Vodacom and MTN (LTE and 3g).
 
I love the B683. It just works. There are no power or incompatibility issues with this device like you would get with a seperate router & 3G dongle.

A external antenna is also on option.

Only problem I had with mine was how to figure out how to enable the external antenna - you have to disconnect first, select external, & then reconnect.
 
T-Man said:
I love the B683. It just works. There are no power or incompatibility issues with this device like you would get with a separate router & 3G dongle.
Click to expand...

A separate router and dongle will be cheaper and more versatile, but I agree you may have issues. An all-in-one unit is more likely to work without problems, but at a higher cost (for the same 3g/4g specs).
 
Go with 3G embedded router with internal battery. Separate devices (even carefully selected) might work in one location and stop working in another due to the power issues.
 
Hi folks,

I am back onto the R&D for this project which I'll be installing at the beach house in December and this is what I've come up with.

Option 1

a) Huawei E3131 3G Mobile broadband modem, 21Mbps with external antenna slot - http://www.broadbandmall.co.za/3g-hsdpa-lte/modems/e3131 - R700
b) 3G/GSM Antenna with 10M SMA Male - http://www.scoopdistribution.co.za/product_info.php/3ggsm-antenna-with-10m-sma-male-p-1255 - R495
c) TP-Link MR3420 3G/4G Wireless N Router - http://www.dbg.co.za/product_info.php?products_id=423 - R499

Total = R1694

Option 2

a) Huawei B683 3G Wireless 28.8Mbps Gateway Modem - http://www.broadbandmall.co.za/3g-hsdpa-lte/3g-routers/b683 - R1600
b) 3G/GSM Antenna with 10M SMA Male - http://www.scoopdistribution.co.za/product_info.php/3ggsm-antenna-with-10m-sma-male-p-1255 - R495

Total = R2095

I am veering more for Option 1 due to the flexibility though, so if the dongle dies, I get a new one while with Option 2, I'd have to replace the router if, say, the cellular side dies.

Some additional questions.

1. Does anybody know what type of coax comes with the antenna above? I might need more than 10m so would like to buy some coax and SMA connectors just in case.
2. Can one disconnect the cable from the antenna and attach coax, like RG-58 to it?
3. Can anybody recommend different 3G dongles with antenna connectors besides the one I listed above?

Thanks a lot
 
I really hope it is RG58 since I'd hate to buy stacks of a certain type of coax that I'll never use. RG58 is coax I'd use regularly since being a radio ham, that is the coax used all the time. :)
 
ipodmusicman said:
Option 2

a) Huawei B683 3G Wireless 28.8Mbps Gateway Modem - http://www.broadbandmall.co.za/3g-hsdpa-lte/3g-routers/b683 - R1600
b) 3G/GSM Antenna with 10M SMA Male - http://www.scoopdistribution.co.za/product_info.php/3ggsm-antenna-with-10m-sma-male-p-1255 - R495

Total = R2095

I am veering more for Option 1 due to the flexibility though, so if the dongle dies, I get a new one while with Option 2, I'd have to replace the router if, say, the cellular side dies.
Click to expand...

On option 1 your dongle will die and you will end up taking option 2 (as well).

I find the USB dongles to be very unreliable - heating, lack of a decent USB power supply and then then some routers not being 100% compatible with a particular dongle version.
 
That is indeed a risk. I am hoping that somebody has the dongle / router combination above that can attest to the reliability and compatibility between the devices.

I've never owned or used a USB 3G dongle - how reliable are they in the medium term taking into account that this is going to the south coast of KZN which has its fair share of humidity - not as bad as Durban though.
 
It seems that Option 2 is the one I'll most probably go for. Granted, I'll loose out on upgradability to LTE, etc, but since this set up is going to be used on the KZN South Coast where heat and humidity is the norm, I'd imagine that an all-in-one unit to be more reliable.

More feedback on this type of set up is most welcome.

Just one thing though, it is recommended that LM400 cable be used instead of RG58 due to the high frequencies as well as the fact that you'll have much less loss on such a cable. The antenna will be mounted on a chimney and the cable brought down into the house and I'd imagine the cable having to be around 10-15m at most. LM400 cable is not cheap though and I am hoping that I'll be able to fit the SMA connector on.

Thoughts?
 
I haven't seen you mention a particular budget so why not pull out all stops and go for the B593s-601 (upgrade path) and LPDA-0092 antennas? Dongles and MiFi's are for travelling wilburys. Ill suited to fixed installations.

You can order the LPDA-0092 with 10m cable.
 
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LRM400 is overkill and very expensive. Fit SMA? - not. Not sure whether LMR240 will fit, it depends on the plug. On the distance up to 15 meters HDF195 is a good compromise. RG58 is bad, not suitable for 2GHz.
 
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