Them internet dongle thingies .. (1 Viewer)

[Charlie]

Currently using a Huewi internet dongle which to be fair ain't bad. I'm using it right now along with my I pad.

But is there a more powerful version that could be set up as a permanent feature in our vans ?

This wee device is really pretty good and with a piece or two of Velcro I've put it up well out of the way and hidden the cable away out of sight so quite pleased.

But if a proper better version is out there then it will have to be done !!

Cheers

 

[Gizmouk]

We use a Huawei E5776 which has been unlocked, so it'll take sim cards from any carrier. It's hidden away in one of the cupboards, so all very neat.
The only negative would be that it doesn't seem as sensitive to signal as my phone.

 

[Gizmouk]

This one:

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[Glandwr]

You can get them that will take an external antenna that you can mount on your roof. Greatly increase reception. 4g ones are reasonable in price now too.

Dick

 

[mentaliss]

Currently using a Huewi internet dongle which to be fair ain't bad. I'm using it right now along with my I pad.

But is there a more powerful version that could be set up as a permanent feature in our vans ?

This wee device is really pretty good and with a piece or two of Velcro I've put it up well out of the way and hidden the cable away out of sight so quite pleased.

But if a proper better version is out there then it will have to be done !!

Cheers

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The Huawei E5776 is an excellent unit and like all 'Mifi' it is marketed as a 'mobile' device with this in mind you will be paying for a very sophisticated 'nano' engineered mobile router which if fixed permanently you've surely lost the point of being mobile, many of my colleagues and I use these mobile devices with our laptops at airports, on trains, coffee shops etc, etc hence the word mobile...if you want to pay the money and wish to be the envy of your fellow MH visitors you could install a full size 2/3/4G Router + an Omni directional external roof aerial.

 

[DonA4000]

I just took delivery of the huawei E5377T which has a larger battery and you can use it to login to wifi hotspots (others may do the same) saving your data allowance and it can take a external antenna, there's also an app from huawei to allow you to change settings etc.

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[ABZSteve]

I bought the £18 vodafone R207 from Tesco and so far it has been crap. Only good for downloading e-mails but useless for browsing. The weather changes quicker than I can load the BBC weather forecast.

 

[Charlie]

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The Huawei E5776 is an excellent unit and like all 'Mifi' it is marketed as a 'mobile' device with this in mind you will be paying for a very sophisticated 'nano' engineered mobile router which if fixed permanently you've surely lost the point of being mobile, many of my colleagues and I use these mobile devices with our laptops at airports, on trains, coffee shops etc, etc hence the word mobile...if you want to pay the money and wish to be the envy of your fellow MH visitors you could install a full size 2/3/4G Router + an Omni directional external roof aerial.

But the van is mobile ? . Do you have a link to an omnidirectional one please ? Later this year we are going to have a solar set up and a satellite installed so may as well get the lot done in one hit as the installer recommended is down that Taunton way... So I'm looking at the various options so I get the right kit ..
thanks all !

 

[Charlie]

I bought the £18 vodafone R207 from Tesco and so far it has been crap. Only good for downloading e-mails but useless for browsing. The weather changes quicker than I can load the BBC weather forecast.

Well my friend with you living in Aberdeen I'm sure you wouldn't expect much from a £7 bottle of finest Scottish whisky ???

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[ABZSteve]

Well my friend with you living in Aberdeen I'm sure you wouldn't expect much from a £7 bottle of finest Scottish whisky ???

Your right, I wouldn't, because experience would tell me it would be crap; had no experience of the dongles so went with advice from others. Will watch this thread with interest and once you get the correct setup I may consider going down the same route

 

[DBK]

I'm struggling to understand the differences between the cheap and expensive mifi devices. I've got a Huawei 5332 which was about £40 and it works well. It takes an external antenna, which I think is essential, battery life is adequate but I run it connected to a USB socket so that isn't an issue.

I suspect they all transmit at about the same power, which will be limited by law, but some may be better at receiving weak signals than others.

I've never tried it on 4G, but only because I've never found a 4G signal and it doesn't link with WiFi, which some of the expensive ones do, but if you want to link with WiFi get an iBoost as I believe mifi WiFi performance is more for convenience than improved performance.

If anyone has a link to any reviews it would be useful.

 

[Stroppy Bird]

Do you have a link to an omnidirectional one please ?

Is this the sort of thing you mean?

http://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/low-profile-4g-mimo-lte-roof-mount-antenna/

It's worth having a look about the rest of the motorhomewifi website - lots of info. They are members on here and in my experience have very good customer service (we bought the wifi iboost from them).

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[Addie]

I've got a Huawei 5332 which was about £40 and it works well.....I've never tried it on 4G, but only because I've never found a 4G signal and it doesn't link with WiFi, which some of the expensive ones do, but if you want to link with WiFi get an iBoost as I believe mifi WiFi performance is more for convenience than improved performance.

Your E5332 is a 3G only device - as such it has only a single antenna socket. A 3G antenna has one connection, a 4G has two because it is MIMO (in short, two antennas for best signal and data throughput).

The Huawei devices have user configurable WiFi output - but because of their size and the fact people use them in their pockets they are limited to how powerful they can be (in terms of the range of your local devices). I find that 20-30 meters and for motorhome use they are fine. We have some high end devices (eg Huawei B890) which are 12v powered only and give a better overall range.

Any questions give me a shout or come and see Sophie and I at the Norfolk show this weekend.

 

[DBK]

Your E5332 is a 3G only device - as such it has only a single antenna socket. A 3G antenna has one connection, a 4G has two because it is MIMO (in short, two antennas for best signal and data throughput).

The Huawei devices have user configurable WiFi output - but because of their size and the fact people use them in their pockets they are limited to how powerful they can be (in terms of the range of your local devices). I find that 20-30 meters and for motorhome use they are fine. We have some high end devices (eg Huawei B890) which are 12v powered only and give a better overall range.

Any questions give me a shout or come and see Sophie and I at the Norfolk show this weekend.

Thanks for the clarification, I don't have a 4G sim for the mifi but there is one in my 'phone - and that's the thing that has never seen so much as a sniff of a 4G signal even though the phone is 4G capable. I am told 4G does exist but I think you have to go into the big cities to find it although someone on here said it was becoming more common in Ireland. Where I live in leafy Devon 2G is luxury!

 

[Candapack]

Is mifi ever any use for streaming from music or film services - eg Spotify or Netflix. Or is it more for if you need to check email, maybe post on Facebook etc.
(just read this before posting, impressed with myself for seemingly sounding like I know what I'm talking about. )

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[Charlie]

Your E5332 is a 3G only device - as such it has only a single antenna socket. A 3G antenna has one connection, a 4G has two because it is MIMO (in short, two antennas for best signal and data throughput).

The Huawei devices have user configurable WiFi output - but because of their size and the fact people use them in their pockets they are limited to how powerful they can be (in terms of the range of your local devices). I find that 20-30 meters and for motorhome use they are fine. We have some high end devices (eg Huawei B890) which are 12v powered only and give a better overall range.

Any questions give me a shout or come and see Sophie and I at the Norfolk show this weekend.

Are you going to the Malvern show ?

 

[Glandwr]

Is mifi ever any use for streaming from music or film services - eg Spotify or Netflix. Or is it more for if you need to check email, maybe post on Facebook etc.
(just read this before posting, impressed with myself for seemingly sounding like I know what I'm talking about. )

You can use a 3g mifi to stream. The data was so cheap in Morocco that we used to stream UK radio to the phone and bluetooth it to the cab radio as we went along. Basically it is the cost of data that is the limiting factor if you have a good setup. Not sure about film although you can download recorded film/TV from sites like filmon for viewing later.

Dick

 

[ianandkath]

the wife bought a dongle but it only works in the uk

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[jongood]

I have the same wifi antennae as the one that @Techno100 strapped to a modified tv ariel and have various 3g dongles.

Ive found that getting them outside the van makes a difference but height makes a much bigger difference to signal strength.
The budget alternative is to velcro your dongle/wifi antennae to an awning pole and shove it out of the heki.

Im always looking for something as good but a bit tidier/easier though. I think the ideal solution would be a good ariel on a demountable pole that would connect to either wifi or 3 g as appopriate.

Any thoughts on that one Addie

 

[Charlie]

Surely putting a dongle up a pole can do so much ? Perhaps almost nothing ? If height alone were they key then sites which are steep like the one we have just left in Ravenglass would have far better reception at the top of the site ?

 

[jongood]

Try it.

Even putting it out through the heki and resting it on the roof will make a difference.

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[DBK]

Surely putting a dongle up a pole can do so much ? Perhaps almost nothing ? If height alone were they key then sites which are steep like the one we have just left in Ravenglass would have far better reception at the top of the site ?

It depends where the transmitter is, but I have found an external aerial makes a big difference. The mifi has a web page you log into and this shows signal strength which with an external aerial can go from one bar to say three bars with the external aerial fitted, or more likely in a marginal location, from no signal to something usable.

But the location of the aerial is also a factor. I found at one location in Spain this year I couldn't get a signal with the aerial on the roof until I moved it across to the other side of the MH. Weather will also affect reception, rain or just high humidity will reduce reception and in Cornwall this Spring almost everyone lost the signal because of dust from the Sahara in the air. Aerials are a Dark Art!

 

[zac]

I brought our setup for just over £80, it is a router/wifi repeater 12v with an external aerial which just suckers to the van, it is basically similar to the iBoost although i have to say the iBoost is very well put together and the support is great from what i have been reading on the various forums. I did even buy an iBoost as a backup but when i was in Spain in December i decided to sell it to a fellow funster as i didnt really need it. The iBoost is very simple to operate and is definitely recommended for people who just want to power on and forget, a lot of thought has gone into the redesigned interface and ease of use.

My setup is for more someone that knows a little about I.T, It does exactly the same job though so connects to a wifi hotspot and repeats it in the van.

I also user a Netgear Aircard 762s for 3G/4G with an external aerial and if in the UK, also very good but hit and miss with signal depending on where you are, the aerial does improve the signal though. We use an EE data sim which costs £15 for 6GB Data over 3 months or if abroad i use a "3" Data sim which has 1GB data for £3 which lasts 1 month. This is normally good enough for what we use it for as if abroad we wont stream films etc (i just take them with us on an external 2tb 2.5" usb drive and attach to WDTV box running on 12v).

 

[mentaliss]

But the van is mobile ? . Do you have a link to an omnidirectional one please ? Later this year we are going to have a solar set up and a satellite installed so may as well get the lot done in one hit as the installer recommended is down that Taunton way... So I'm looking at the various options so I get the right kit ..
thanks all !

Have a look at : http://www.solwise.co.uk especially their info on 'Mimo' type aerial's, dont forget that 'LTE' tecnology is still in its infancy when compared to 2/3G some Mifi's do not actually support the tecnology so you may pay for something you dont need

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[mentaliss]

This is normally good enough for what we use it for as if abroad we wont stream films etc (i just take them with us on an external 2tb 2.5" usb drive and attach to WDTV box running on 12v).

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Sorry not highjacking the thread! but we use the 'Passport WD 2tb usb drive with our films but cant be bothered to change the file format's to view on our Cello tv...have looked at the WDTV box many times but an average sale price of ...£79.95 is a bit steep for a unit (design) thats several years old, so we looked at the ANDROID MX QUAD CORE......spec's says it plays most video/audio files remains to be seen if it works.....