portable wi fi

Radar · Guru

portable wi fi

Hylda&Jon · Guru

We had an outside antenna fitted to our van and had internet in many places others didn't.(see photo. We just loosened the bolts (could use wing nuts) and raised it then pointed it

Before we moved to our next port of call we checked what direction the nearest Telstra aerial would be from that spot then, when we got to our destination, we raised the antenna and pointed it in that right direction then...voila!

I think this is the latest Mobile Telstra aerial location finder site: https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/our-coverage

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Jon

Yarra · Senior Member

Has that outside antenna got a name E.G. Manufacture, Type

Cheers

Hylda&Jon · Guru

Yarra wrote:
Has that outside antenna got a name E.G. Manufacture, Type

Cheers

If you mean on my van I wouldn't have a clue sorry and the caravan isn't here at the moment to take a look.

I just found a reputable antenna guy, told him what I was after, he scratched his head and looked at the back of my van for a while then turned to me and said 'this is what I can do'. After that I said 'buedy mate! go for it. and you see the result.

Cheers.

Jon

Radar · Guru

Will the outside aerial help in my situation where I am getting 4 bars of service on the wi fi gadget and it drops out at the laptop.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Hi Ralf

I don't know if it is the latest model if it is
make sure where you can atach the external aerial the holes are closed
I'm sure it will work than

Cheers John

Hylda&Jon · Guru

Radar wrote:
Will the outside aerial help in my situation where I am getting 4 bars of service on the wi fi gadget and it drops out at the laptop.

I'm no expert but from what I know, you shouldn't be getting any signal loss between the wi-fi gadget and the laptop.

Maybe someone with more knowledge than me could confirm it.

If you are getting 4 out of a possible 5 bars on the wi-fi gadget then I would think the aerial would increase it to 5 so should also improve your laptop signal.

Radar · Guru

I have tried the external aerial which is good quality improving the phone by at list 2 bars but don't improve the reliability of the internet service, still drops in and out.

My Samsung tablet seems to be more reliable at holding the signal, then Marilyns new Tosihba laptop just drops in and out or it wont pull the internet though. She was trying to pull our Optus account though, gave up in disgust. Then she tried to down load a update for her running system. Glass of red needed. Bad news, not happy.

ST391GQ · Senior Member

Even at home here in Orange...right in the middle of town near the old hospital..I only get 4 bars on my newish home computer...and that's with a 6 week old 4GX modem....running a Netgear A6200 wireless modem.

What I have found tho...is that the bottom of modem (where charge lead plugs into it) needs to be pointing at Netgear aerial directly...and Netgear aerial need to be horizontal..pointing straight at 4G modem.

Still only 4 bars out of 5 ....and that's at about 15 feet way!!!. Don't have any dropouts tho ...but still pretty p###weak for a so called high strength area.

Cheers Keith

Baz421 · Guru

Radar wrote:
I have tried the external aerial which is good quality improving the phone by at list 2 bars but don't improve the reliability of the internet service, still drops in and out.
My Samsung tablet seems to be more reliable at holding the signal, then Marilyns new Tosihba laptop just drops in and out or it wont pull the internet though. She was trying to pull our Optus account though, gave up in disgust. Then she tried to down load a update for her running system. Glass of red needed. Bad news, not happy.

You may have a virus/malware that imitates a Microsoft function that monitors internet usage through IE and slows down service (do you get any messages or screen freezes briefly???),,,, I threw away the name,, silly me.

But download and run this fro Microsoft to try and fix.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

It found and issue that McAfee and Malwarebytes didn't.

-- Edited by Baz421 on Tuesday 7th of April 2015 09:33:47 PM

Baz421 · Guru

4G frequency has changed a bit but we aren't having problems,,, what do you call a "good" antenna on your van Radar?

Here's some info, but we have no problem with 4G Telstra Dave phone and 4G Netgear modem with stick antenna.

https://telcoantennas.com.au/site/what-antenna-do-i-need

http://onwireless.com.au/mobile-phone-antennas/apple-iphone-antennas/antenna-patch-cable-for-iphone-4s.html

http://onwireless.com.au/7.5dbi-850-900-nextg-3g-gsm-3dbi-4g-1800-2100-omnidirectional-base-station-antenna.html - antenna we use is this one

http://onwireless.com.au/mobile-phone-antennas/antennas-telstra-zte-mobile-phone.html - patch leads here

Radar · Guru

The antenna we are using we purchased from a dealer in Emerald Qld. Then I made some inquires at Mudgee, Orange and spoke to people at the Gold Coast who make and supply parts for most mobile telephone people also I am using one of their antenna for my CB , I have faith in there product it's not fancy but is a black glass rod like what is on most out back trucks only I mount my one on the van when stationary or needed.

I think the problem we are having is with a overload of users and our new laptop is not coping as well as it should. Thank you everyone.

Baz we have just done a full scan, will check tomorrow thank you. Ralph

Izabarack · Guru

Radar wrote:
Well you can have 4 out of 5 bars of service showing, intermittent service very annoying. We are near orange with good strenght of single on phones

Ralph, indicated signal strength and download speed are not directly proportional. Signal strength is signal strength, that's all. Download and upload speed, what you appear to know as service, is dependent on the amount of traffic on the antenna sector you are using at any one time. Best example of the effect is that many who have stories of intermittent or slow service, find excellent service at three in the morning when only a few are online, in that area. Inskip Point in Queensland is a standout example. Through the day and early evening, drop outs and slow service is common but very early in the morning, no problems. Those no problem times are often at one or two signal strength bars. A typical country tower will have an antenna setup that divides the circle into three sectors. Three comms channels in the tower electronics then service each sector. Those comms channels have finite capacity; if lots of subscribers are online, they choke up and you get to experience that congestion as slow service and multiple dropouts. BTW, the capacity problem is not limited to Telstra. All the comms providers size their systems for any particular area and the number of subscribers they think will use the system at any time. Your equipment is not likely to be the problem you are having.

Iza

-- Edited by Izabarack on Wednesday 8th of April 2015 05:10:05 AM

-- Edited by Izabarack on Wednesday 8th of April 2015 05:12:28 AM

sandsmere · Guru

It may be the wi-fi itself.

A couple of years ago we had trouble in Charleville and went to the Telstra agent there and they said they couldn't do anything about it.

we contacted Telstra in Gympie where we bought the device and they said to bring it back to them. Told them we were 600 kms away and

the reply was " we can't do anything until we get the old one back ".

Rang Telstra complaints dept. in Brisbane, got a very nice lady, gave her all the details, she called Charleville while I waited on the phone.

A minute later she came back to me said to go into Charleville agent and they will give you a new one and just throw the old one in a rubbish bin.

Haven't had a problem since except for the odd slow service here and there.

Radar · Guru

Thank you for your replies, at present on limited internet, will get back to you all when in service.

wasn_me · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Radar wrote:
Well you can have 4 out of 5 bars of service showing, intermittent service very annoying. We are near orange with good strenght of single on phones

Ralph, indicated signal strength and download speed are not directly proportional. Signal strength is signal strength, that's all. Download and upload speed, what you appear to know as service, is dependent on the amount of traffic on the antenna sector you are using at any one time. Best example of the effect is that many who have stories of intermittent or slow service, find excellent service at three in the morning when only a few are online, in that area. Inskip Point in Queensland is a standout example. Through the day and early evening, drop outs and slow service is common but very early in the morning, no problems. Those no problem times are often at one or two signal strength bars. A typical country tower will have an antenna setup that divides the circle into three sectors. Three comms channels in the tower electronics then service each sector. Those comms channels have finite capacity; if lots of subscribers are online, they choke up and you get to experience that congestion as slow service and multiple dropouts. BTW, the capacity problem is not limited to Telstra. All the comms providers size their systems for any particular area and the number of subscribers they think will use the system at any time. Your equipment is not likely to be the problem you are having.

Iza

-- Edited by Izabarack on Wednesday 8th of April 2015 05:10:05 AM

-- Edited by Izabarack on Wednesday 8th of April 2015 05:12:28 AM

So true & well explained Iza. I lived at a small coastal, holiday, community Boomerang Beach. Full signal all the time. Service was reasonable out of holiday season. Long weekends & school holidays, forget about it through the day.

Cheers Pete

VK3TQ · Newbie

Hi Radar I am a newby to the forum and have not retired yet but getting there

I travel all over country Victoria most days with Elders using 3g/4g applications with phone, data and

tethered data into a digital voice communication system

I am a technician by trade and an ex manager at Icom

I have read the thread

First thing I noticed was you use OPTUS, forget it ...that is your problem I had 12 months of frustration, they do not work

in many areas, just areas of populous thats it. They are not focused for country users at all. A complete waste of time

Telstra are staggeringly better in their coverage of Victoria and southern NSW and I guess its the same for most other areas

I use a telstra 4g modem, without an outside antenna, and an iPhone / iPad with no external help, The Telstra modem has an antenna socket

but Ive never needed it,

However the assistance of a Yagi type beam ... i think what you purchased and was on the photos is the right thing to do

When you align the antenna, don't always go for maximum signal as this could be a busy cell, so the throughput could be

actually be slower as there may be more users connected. RF and data comms can be a science

The shortest run of coax possible, Beam needs to be about a metre clear of the van, if you point to a cell that maybe on a map

There can't be a lump of dirt in the way !!

Try this mob, really good http://telcoantennas.com.au/site/catalog/

Telstra have just updated their new 3g/4g/4gx modem, will serve to your tablet and Toshiba, has antenna connections

A mate at work has just got one and really works well, I have the older sierra wireless 640U 3g/4g

BTW 4Gx is telstras new super fast mobile broadband

I'm only pro-telstra as 2 years of frustration was giving me grey hair quickly, getting rid of Optus solved the problem

Rgs

Peter

Toyota 06 LC100 V8 Petrol/Gas ....Silver

with ironman suspension 2" lift , coopers SST, bullbar lights fridge cargo barrier, black tint Icom UHF, Icom 7100

Looking for a new off road van at present..... found a couple

mr glassies · Guru

bas if you have a telstra dave id download anyt thing on it weekly i have had 2 of them shut down on me loosing 400 business nos and all work photos

dibs

VK3TQ · Newbie

yes, forget to mention the phones.... i thought about a Dave, but remembered my shocking experience with a "Telstra I-Mate Jam"
absolute disaster from the day I started using it Battery lasted 3 hrs Totally unusable

I only report on my honest experiences like above the Telstra modems are good kit Sorry about your Dave They looked good on research
but I had that gut feel...ya know so thanks for the heads up, my gut was right !!

All phones have their issues, iPhones, Samsungs..I have a Note 2 as well Little trouble with the iPhone on Telstra , although some Samsung functionality is a lot better

anyway take care I actually have an exercise book as a back up, hard to go wrong with that !

Peter

Baz421 · Guru

mr glassies wrote:
bas if you have a telstra dave id download anyt thing on it weekly i have had 2 of them shut down on me loosing 400 business nos and all work photos

dibs

OK thanks, so far very good. Baz

Bucko · Senior Member

I'm sitting in suburban Sydney with 5 bars of reception with both wi-fi and land line broadband, the performance is pitiful, pages continually stop loading and seize up, my son tells me it's because of "netflixs" movies via broadband, all the Telco have given priority to the "netflix" on all wave lengths, so to hell with the ordinary net users?? Can anyone else verify this??????????

Buck.

Radar · Guru

Hi All, today I have some internet, good day and thank you all for your thoughts but was hoping you would tell me to press a button and I would have internet not intermittent net.

VK3TQ, no we were with Optus. Now with Telstra, that is why I am complaining and I am annoyed with myself for not bringing the Optus wi fi with us which is cheaper and you get what you pay for. Very little service but when have it you have it.

WASnMe, Thank you, I am starting to believe it's an over load problem by Telestra not keeping up with the users.

IZABARACIL. Learning all the time.

Bucko, my problem also.

Once again thank you for your replies. Ralph.

snapper49 · Senior Member

re Telstra dave
I have one and have no problems

You should never lose your contacts if you set the phone up properly
You should save all your contacts to the sim card or
You can do both ie to the phone memory and to the sim Doing it this way all your contacts will sho up twice on your contact list