MiFi rather than home broadband.

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I have a rubbish broadband connection at home and little hope of it improving.
In the motorhome I have a Motorhome Wi-Fi system which is great. I don’t really understand the ins and outs of using a Mifi in the house instead of Broadband.
Could anyone tell me if my Smart Tv and my security cameras which record using Wi-Fi would still work, and also is it possible to buy an aerial to improve reception in the house.
Thank you for any ideas.
 
If you have a good 4/5G mobile signal it would work well and could be improved further with an external antenna on the side of the house.
I'm thinking along similar lines but I want to ditch the phone landline at the same time, but the Mrs won't hear of it 😕
I'd recommend using a mifi that doesn't require the battery installed to work as it causes the battery to swell if it's on charge permanently.
I use a Netgear nighthawk M1 in the motorhome for this reason, the Huawei mifi ballooned 😂
 
Providing you have a good signal it will work. It's better to buy a 4/5G router rather than a Mifi and Poynting's do some good directional aerials. You can improve the wifi around the house enormously by fitting a Mesh system.

You do need a good cell signal as the speed will vary with the number of connections to the cell.
 
If you have a good 4/5G mobile signal it would work well and could be improved further with an external antenna on the side of the house.
I'm thinking along similar lines but I want to ditch the phone landline at the same time, but the Mrs won't hear of it 😕
I've got that problem PIA.
 
It’s a yes to all you are trying to do.

Antenna is easy to source, router and sim, then just need to configure all your ‘kit’ to connect to the WiFi service you are getting from the MiFi unit.

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Thanks all.
My Vodafone broadband contract is out in February, in the meantime I need to find someone to set it up for me. I can follow directions but am lost with the jargon.
 
We recently had no broadband or phone for 6 weeks due to a collision outside our house. We used our Netgear M2 and rarely had an issue. The speed however doesn't compare to full fibre but we were able to stream movies, TV and work all our mobile devices.
I would say that if you have a decent WiFi signal you can live with, then go for it !!
 
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Ditched our landline and broadband 6 months ago, broadband was always extremely slow but always had a brilliant 4g signal and good mobile phone signal, both with EE. EE arranged a package for the home on 4g wifi and both of our mobiles, as a result we saved £20 each month. Smart TV and all other "gadgets" work well and are more reliable.
 
We did this years ago due to our 'monopoly' phone line supplier (only place in the UK mainland which doesn't have BT!). We first had a mains router (12v with a mains transformer) from Three (Huawei B310 I think) which worked well, then dedicated MIFI unit and subsequently phones only which is all we've had for a good while with the exception of a period when all mobile data services were cr@p when masts were being updated to 4G so we had to go back to expensive landline based stuff for a while :mad:. We now use our phones for internet and just tether (virtually not physically) to them from our laptop, PC etc.

We've had some fun again with Three due to their update masts to 5G but fortunately managed to get out of the contract with them after a few months due to lack of service and hubby is now back with Vodafone and I've gone to Talkmobile, both of which work fine. We done' stream (no smart TV!) but do download loads of stuff and it's not a problem.
 
We did this years ago due to our 'monopoly' phone line supplier (only place in the UK mainland which doesn't have BT!). We first had a mains router (12v with a mains transformer) from Three (Huawei B310 I think) which worked well, then dedicated MIFI unit and subsequently phones only which is all we've had for a good while with the exception of a period when all mobile data services were cr@p when masts were being updated to 4G so we had to go back to expensive landline based stuff for a while :mad:. We now use our phones for internet and just tether (virtually not physically) to them from our laptop, PC etc.

We've had some fun again with Three due to their update masts to 5G but fortunately managed to get out of the contract with them after a few months due to lack of service and hubby is now back with Vodafone and I've gone to Talkmobile, both of which work fine. We done' stream (no smart TV!) but do download loads of stuff and it's not a problem.
I don't have a smart tv either but stream loads to a firestick. It turns any tv into a smart tv!

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Similar situation as we are still on copper wires in our cul-de-sac despite everyone around us being on fibre, so slow but just about bearable. I’ve been running the Teltonika RUTX12 that I’m going to install in the MoHo by the office window, and even on the supplied ‘rubber duck’ antennas it’s getting around 3.5x the speeds of the home broadband.
 
Recommend you go to www.cellmapper.net , select the map of your area and see the locations of local mobile transmitters, which Providers use which transmitter and the Bands they use to broadcast and receive. This would tell you, for each Provider, the direction your signal is coming from to you can orientate your Mifi/router antennae accordingly.

The download the free app NetMonitor to your phone and. It will tell you the recieved signal strength from your Provider. Walk around your house looking at the app screen to find the place in which you receive the strongest signal. For another Provider, you need to load the NetMoniter app on a phone with a SIM from that Provider and do the same. NetMonitor tells you what Bands (frequencies) the signal is coming in over and whether it is 3g, 3g/4g, 4g LTE or 5g.

Eventually, you should be able to find the best Provider and mast for your location. Check the signal strength against the reception tables on the web. Better (stronger signals) are lower numbers of dBm. Lower than -70dBms is very good, -70 to -90 is acceptable and higher than -90 is getting towards poor. The nearer the mast, the stronger the signal. You can enhance reception by having a Mifi or a router with antennae. 2 x MIMO router receive the signal from 2 antennae and captures more signal. You can hide remote antenne in your loft, next to your router and carry the signal into the house via an ethernet cable and plug it in to a Mesh system to feed the whole house with wifi.

For example, where we are in West Yorkshire, our reported signal strength on a Teltonika router averages between -55 and -60 dBms and despite having plenty of trees between us and the mast, we get download speed of 20-30mb/sec and upload speeds of just less, using an Unlimited Smarty SIM from a transmitter broadcasting on Bands 1, 3 and 20. We have streaming without buffering. Cost is £16/month. Ditched the landline and virgin at £50/month.
 
Our broadband via sky is pretty pants and doesn’t really stretch to my home office even with a booster router. So I have a TP Link SIM Card Router and have a Vodafone Data Only SIM with unlimited monthly data for £20 a month and works a treat and I’m on Zoom calls, uploading/downloading large files and also currently have the World Cup streaming in the background (don’t tell my boss!) with no issues. Then when we go away in the MH we just take the sim with us and put it into the MH MiFI.
 
I don't have a smart tv either but stream loads to a firestick. It turns any tv into a smart tv!
Yeah I know, but there's so little we'd want to stream anyway we wouldn't use it. Downloading works for us as hubby can then take his stuff into the bedroom to watch as he pleases and we also take it away in the MH too on portable hard drives.
 
Since April this year, I have used my Huawei router with a giffgaff SIM for all my Broadband needs. No landline at all. No problems at all. I can take the router away in my motorhome and use it every where I go with no problems. No extra cost. Obviously when I get home I just put it back in it's usual place and continue. Home and away, total costs = £20 per month which gives me all the TV streaming I need - about 4 hrs per day.
It's just possible there may even be better deals than that, but I stay with giffgaff for reliability. Never failed yet to get broadband everywhere I go.
 
I'd recommend using a mifi that doesn't require the battery installed to work as it causes the battery to swell if it's on charge permanently.
I use a Netgear nighthawk M1 in the motorhome for this reason, the Huawei mifi ballooned 😂
I've had my Huawei mifi on permanent charge (battery installed) for years. No battery problems at all.
 
I have a contract with 3 for unlimited data at about £20 a month in the van. Comes with a router and I added an aerial for improved reception and broadcast. Works very well and with the van on the drive it gives me a backup network to my full fibre from Virgin, which seems to drop regularly. Never have issues getting some signal, other than when the cell tower trips occasionally in bad weather
 
We got rid of home broadband and phone line over 2 years ago and started using a huawei mifi and sim ( various networks tried ) for both at home and in the motorhome . In the van we added a roof mounted poynting brand puck antenna . At home , sometimes using mifi , sometimes hot spotting from our phones . Generally the entire set up for home and away has been fine , but we are now noticing that both at home and in the van buffering is getting more frequent while streaming tv and you tube etc . Tried other sim networks but still the same . So possibly its time for an updated antenna in the van and maybe a better router/mifi as well . So we are researching good replacements . Preferred option probably being one of the popular sharkfin style antenna . Not decided yet on the replacement mifi /router.
 
older antennae are set for 3g which was good at the time but have been superseded by 4g and then 5g. Each new iteration of the technology has brought increased speed and data throughput. The problem is that many of us were used to there not being so many people using the mobile technology for streaming films/tv. Now there are far more, so despite the speed of the data, buffering has dramatically increased

Think of it as a pipe. If you are the only person using it, you get a steady flow at full speed. Now add on multiple taps and you see everyone gets some, but not as fast as if you were connected alone. This is why data speeds are incredibly fast late at night, but start crawling as schools turn out. Buffering is a symptom of the system being used beyond it's practical design capabilities. Broadband and phone suppliers call it contention and allow for it on their networks with areas sometimes per street sharing pipeline each. Then everyone gets a connection, but the suppliers can quote a theoretical maximum speed, which rarely gets reached by the end user

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Not wholly the answer to the question but we have the BT Unbreakable package, so a Smart hub 2 and the Hybrid connect I have a Lan Cable to the wires office which goes in t a small switch from the switch to the Computer and another lan cable to the Hybrid Connect, if we were to loose the Broadband the Hub senses this and automatically switches over to the Hybrid connection.

So the question is could we go fully cellular, possibly but the BB still provides the most robust solution at 50Mps we can run zoom over the Cellular but wouldn't like to stress it much more particular as times when schools out or busy times at the weekend.

So from a business perspective it's £7 per month extra for the Hybrid box which from a business perspective makes sense from a belts and braces point of view.

Screenshot 2022-12-02 at 15.10.55.png
 
So possibly its time for an updated antenna in the van and maybe a better router/mifi as well . So we are researching good replacements . Preferred option probably being one of the popular sharkfin style antenna . Not decided yet on the replacement mifi /router.

The Poynting MIMO-3-(whatever takes your fancy digits) are a possible option and can be paired with a router with compatible connections. I’m running a Teltonika RUTX12 router (twin modem, dual SIM) which matches the MIMO-3-17 for 4x4 LTE, 2x2 Wi-Fi, and a GPS/GLONASS for tracking. There’s also a standalone Bluetooth antenna with the router for connectivity via that route.
 
We got rid of home broadband and phone line over 2 years ago and started using a huawei mifi and sim ( various networks tried ) for both at home and in the motorhome . In the van we added a roof mounted poynting brand puck antenna . At home , sometimes using mifi , sometimes hot spotting from our phones . Generally the entire set up for home and away has been fine , but we are now noticing that both at home and in the van buffering is getting more frequent while streaming tv and you tube etc . Tried other sim networks but still the same . So possibly its time for an updated antenna in the van and maybe a better router/mifi as well . So we are researching good replacements . Preferred option probably being one of the popular sharkfin style antenna . Not decided yet on the replacement mifi /router.
Might be worth checking if there is any work going on at the local masts as that can have a major effect on the signals, that's why we got shot of Three/ID, others had some blips too as they share the masts.
 
Might be worth checking if there is any work going on at the local masts as that can have a major effect on the signals, that's why we got shot of Three/ID, others had some blips too as they share the masts.
Poor wording on my part ,I should've made it a bit clearer. The buffering is apparent both at home and in the van when out and about .Which suggests a couple of things.

Home and away connection problems may be overload at the masts ( contention ) .IE a lot more people using 4g in order to stream etc , so putting heavier load on the masts capacity , rather than just making a quick phone call and putting minimal load on the masts capacity............Or as suggested in my post , our mifi and van antenna are just older tech and need upgrading.

Also , on recent trips we've only accessed on line data via one network, in our case Vodafone. So we will go back to having a standby network.Going to try O2 for the first time and check out how that works , both at home and when we're out and about.
 
My contract with BT ends in January, so goodbye BT.
I have a TP Link Archer MR600 router with external Poynting antenna, mounted on a pole fixed high up on North wall. I tried every position round the house including well above the roofline, which surprisingly was not the best signal.
I tried all the normal sim providers: Vodaphone, O2, EE, and 3. EE was marginally the best signal but not competitive on pricing. Now have a Tesco unlimited (O2) and as I am a clubcard holder It costs me £17 per month.
Works for all devices including Alexa, TVs, PCs laptop, tablets Sky box and phones.

Geoff

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If you live near a 5g mast, the speeds it can do are remarkable!

D50C9B00-FA2B-4EF5-AE7A-6A2778F4ECD1.png
 
Here in spain We changed to a TP link MR6400 using a Yoigo unlimited card. Benefit of this is that if Yoigo isn't available they will use anything that is. We have a unique problem ,& have had since earthquake in 2011 where a mast this side of Town was destroyed & never got replaced. This isn't a problem for 99% of properties but becuase we are lower down than anybody else , at least a metre, we suffer from poor signal strength & poor speed.
I use any external aerial which improves the signal strength but the speed fluctuates greatly & aerial requires moving during the day.
& no I have even tried it 12m in the air above the apex of the house only to get no signal whatsoever.
For me there is no problem whereas my wife wishes to stream tv so requires a decent download. 90% of the time there is no problem.
When we go away we just disconnect the router from mains & aerial ; reconnect the 2 flappy aerials & install in the van where I made up 2 types of 12v>9v transformers to run it. Worked perfectly all over europe ,in fact far, far better everywhere than it does at home.
The additional benefit of Yoigo is that although we are restricted to 23Gb when out of spain the whole of europe is included along with the same in the UK :hi5:& is guaranteed to remain that way forever , as is the price of 33€/month.
 

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