Which WiFi System in France?

[HKF]

We have our new-to-us MoHo and need to connect to the internet for work. We live in France and are currently on holiday in France. We're using my husband's phone at the moment, which is on SFR, but the connection is extremely slow. We plan on touring around Europe. How can we get better WiFi, please? What equipment do we need? I don't understand much about these things, so a really simple explanation would be great Thank you so much

 

[Pilote87]

HKF - I use a Huawei modem with an Orange DIM card in it - cost is 25€/month for 40 gb I've never had a problem with it when out on the road, but I have to check the signal strength when at home and put the modem in the best room for reception. We don't have a land line. However fibre optic cables have been run past our house, complete with a junction box on the nearest pole. Rumour is that we will be able to arrange a connection in October.

John

 

[Wizz]

I'm currently looking at a Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile router/modem, with the possible addition of a Poynting portable antenna.
The combination seems to get very good reviews.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone hear who may have experience of the set-up.
(duplicated in best mobile coverage post also)

 

[Off da Grid]

You don’t need to use the network your network provider partners with.
Find the network settings and turn off automatic network selection, choose a different network and try each till you find the fastest one.
Sometimes a 3G network can be faster than 4G so try turning off 4G if you can.
I have the Netgear M2, I tried the pointing aerial and it was worse so sent it back.
It picks up a signal where my mobile won’t and usually twice as fast when it does.

 

[Boris7]

Your question is a bit misleading, WiFi comes from a router.

The router gets its input from either a broadband supplier or a 4/5G signal (there are other methods, but these are the normal ways)

So assuming your talking 4g your phone may suffer from either-

a) poor signal strength in the current area or
b) poor signal strength inside the MH

so take the phone and laptop outside, if the internet speed gets better it’s b) if nor it’s a)

if it’s

a) check on line for other providers that will give faster speeds

if it’s

b) you need a a mobile router and possibly an external antenna.

Best options are a separate data SIM card (check coverage) a mobile router and possibly an external antenna, in my experience modern 4g routers are less likely to need an external router

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[Lenny HB]

You don’t need to use the network your network provider partners with.
Find the network settings and turn off automatic network selection, choose a different network and try each till you find the fastest one.
Sometimes a 3G network can be faster than 4G so try turning off 4G if you can.

That only works when roaming in a different country

 

[Raul]

I use a teltonica router with a mimo antenna. It will squeeze every drop of data out of any weak signal. My best speed test was 42 mps in rural Romanian hills, 4 bar signal. In town, I got 82mbps on 4g full signal with local sim on orange.

 

[autorouter]

The worst limitation on using your phone as a hotspot is the size of the antenna, which is obviously limited to fit inside the phone. Phones generally don't have any method for attaching a bigger better antenna. Because mobile phones and routers are limited in power output by the regulations, the only way to get a better signal is to use a bigger better antenna.

There's many different designs of antenna, see here for example:

Solwise - 3G/4G/5G Mobile Broadband Outdoor Antenna | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

The one I use is this one:

Solwise - MIMO-3-15 POYNTING 5-in-1 MIMO 2xLTE, 2xWiFi, 1xGPS - A-MIMO-3-V2-15 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

which has a pair of 4G (mobile phone data) antennae, a pair of wifi antennae, and a single GPS/GLONASS antenna.
There's a similar one with just the mobile data antennae, slightly cheaper.

Solwise - MIMO-3-12 POYNTING 2 IN 1 HIGH PERFORMANCE MULTI FREQUENCY ANTENNA - A-MIMO-0003-V2-12 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

You'll need a mobile broadband router to connect to the phone mast, and provide you with local wifi within your motorhome. Obviously it will need connections for the antennae - not all routers have, so check before buying.

I use a Teltonika RUTX11 mobile broadband router, which has connections for mobile data (4G), wifi and GPS. It is a robust professional unit, as used by intercity coaches and remote industrial installations. It has dozens of extra functions that you can explore or ignore. I'd consider one of these if you're using it for work.

Solwise: RUTX11 Teltonika CAT6 LTE/4G & WiFi 11ac Router - TL-RUTX11 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

The antenna is 5G-ready, in other words it will send/receive 5G. So when you upgrade to 5G, you only need a new router, the antenna will be OK for 5G.

 

[Boris7]

I'm currently looking at a Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile router/modem, with the possible addition of a Poynting portable antenna.
The combination seems to get very good reviews.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone hear who may have experience of the set-up.
(duplicated in best mobile coverage post also)

As Wizz said, I think these threads are crossing over

Best mobile coverage

Can you tell me your opinions for the best mobile phone coverage up and down the coast. I usual try and us my hotspot on my phone to connect to the internet but sometimes to no avai. I am on SKY

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[MisterB]

I'm currently looking at a Netgear Nighthawk M1 mobile router/modem, with the possible addition of a Poynting portable antenna.
The combination seems to get very good reviews.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone hear who may have experience of the set-up.
(duplicated in best mobile coverage post also)

You don’t need to use the network your network provider partners with.
Find the network settings and turn off automatic network selection, choose a different network and try each till you find the fastest one.
Sometimes a 3G network can be faster than 4G so try turning off 4G if you can.
I have the Netgear M2, I tried the pointing aerial and it was worse so sent it back.
It picks up a signal where my mobile won’t and usually twice as fast when it does.

M2 for me aswell, works great so far around France and the UK. An external aerial doesn't always add anything to what it already provided other than sometimes a faster upload speed

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[royw]

while we lived in france we used bouygues and got around 120mg unlimited data no cap and no contract i persuaded at least twenty others to use the same - everyone a success some needed ext antenna some not.

 

[Off da Grid]

That only works when roaming in a different country

Sorry to point out but the original poster was in France on a U.K. based network provider, so my original answer is correct.
There are sim only deals available in the U.K. that roam on our home networks but they are expensive and offer very little data.
They are usually only good for devices that are used for equipment that needs remote monitoring where fixed comms are not available or only required on a temporary basis.
Modern satnavs can do this to some extent.

I looked into this before I got my Netgear M2 instead I have the lowest price EE sim only phone deal £8.50 per month 250mb of data and throw data from my phone tariff at it when I need more data on the mifi.
I actually use the mifi at work to watch YouTube videos during my breaks on the company tablet, as it only has limited data.

 

[HKF]

Your question is a bit misleading, WiFi comes from a router.

The router gets its input from either a broadband supplier or a 4/5G signal (there are other methods, but these are the normal ways)

So assuming your talking 4g your phone may suffer from either-

a) poor signal strength in the current area or
b) poor signal strength inside the MH

so take the phone and laptop outside, if the internet speed gets better it’s b) if nor it’s a)

if it’s

a) check on line for other providers that will give faster speeds

if it’s

b) you need a a mobile router and possibly an external antenna.

Best options are a separate data SIM card (check coverage) a mobile router and possibly an external antenna, in my experience modern 4g routers are less likely to need an external router

Hi I'm so sorry my post was misleading. I did say I know little about these things Thank you for your help, though. I'll try my laptop outside tomorrow and see how I get on. Thank you again

 

[HKF]

Sorry to point out but the original poster was in France on a U.K. based network provider, so my original answer is correct.
There are sim only deals available in the U.K. that roam on our home networks but they are expensive and offer very little data.
They are usually only good for devices that are used for equipment that needs remote monitoring where fixed comms are not available or only required on a temporary basis.
Modern satnavs can do this to some extent.

I looked into this before I got my Netgear M2 instead I have the lowest price EE sim only phone deal £8.50 per month 250mb of data and throw data from my phone tariff at it when I need more data on the mifi.
I actually use the mifi at work to watch YouTube videos during my breaks on the company tablet, as it only has limited data.

Hi. Just to clear this up, I am in France but also using a French provider....SFR

 

[HKF]

The worst limitation on using your phone as a hotspot is the size of the antenna, which is obviously limited to fit inside the phone. Phones generally don't have any method for attaching a bigger better antenna. Because mobile phones and routers are limited in power output by the regulations, the only way to get a better signal is to use a bigger better antenna.

There's many different designs of antenna, see here for example:

Solwise - 3G/4G/5G Mobile Broadband Outdoor Antenna | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

The one I use is this one:

Solwise - MIMO-3-15 POYNTING 5-in-1 MIMO 2xLTE, 2xWiFi, 1xGPS - A-MIMO-3-V2-15 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

which has a pair of 4G (mobile phone data) antennae, a pair of wifi antennae, and a single GPS/GLONASS antenna.
There's a similar one with just the mobile data antennae, slightly cheaper.

Solwise - MIMO-3-12 POYNTING 2 IN 1 HIGH PERFORMANCE MULTI FREQUENCY ANTENNA - A-MIMO-0003-V2-12 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

You'll need a mobile broadband router to connect to the phone mast, and provide you with local wifi within your motorhome. Obviously it will need connections for the antennae - not all routers have, so check before buying.

I use a Teltonika RUTX11 mobile broadband router, which has connections for mobile data (4G), wifi and GPS. It is a robust professional unit, as used by intercity coaches and remote industrial installations. It has dozens of extra functions that you can explore or ignore. I'd consider one of these if you're using it for work.

Solwise: RUTX11 Teltonika CAT6 LTE/4G & WiFi 11ac Router - TL-RUTX11 | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

The antenna is 5G-ready, in other words it will send/receive 5G. So when you upgrade to 5G, you only need a new router, the antenna will be OK for 5G.

Thank you so much for all this info! It's very much appreciated I'll sit down tomorrow and get my head around it. Thank you again

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[Lenny HB]

Sorry to point out but the original poster was in France on a U.K. based network provider, so my original answer is correct.

You obviously didn't read OP, he lives in France and is using an SFR Sim which is a French network.

 

[HKF]

You obviously didn't read OP, he lives in France and is using an SFR Sim which is a French network.

Lenny HB As an aside.....I'm a girl. S'ok though, I'll let you off

 

[Lenny HB]

Lenny HB As an aside.....I'm a girl. S'ok though, I'll let you off

I knew that
You said your hubby was using an SFR Sim I assumed he lived in France as well.

 

[Raul]

M2 for me aswell, works great so far around France and the UK. An external aerial doesn't always add anything to what it already provided other than sometimes

The antenna counts when you are far away from masts in rural locations. In town, on Buld up areas, antenna is not needed.

 

[Lenny HB]

The antenna counts when you are far away from masts in rural locations. In town, on Buld up areas, antenna is not needed.

It sure does our recent 4 week trip in the UK nearly every place we stopped data was too slow for streaming and even slow browsing without using the WiFi with the MIMO aerial and we were sometimes near towns.

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[Raul]

I know it does Lenny, a 5db gain is massive help when signal is poor and wait ages for a page to load up.
I should of been more clear, the new modern modems with cat6 and above have carrier aggregation built in. Like the nighhawk, tplink 750, they work well when near masts. Take them in the sticks, or far away from masts, and they are dead or very slow, without antenna.
Same goes for the antenna, a wide band frequency it will help you in various situations. I’m a strong believer of: buy cheap-buy twice. That’s why, with help from you guys, I bought something based on real life experience and well proven technology.
As it stands, the mimo beats any built in antennas.

 

[MisterB]

I know it does Lenny, a 5db gain is massive help when signal is poor and wait ages for a page to load up.
I should of been more clear, the new modern modems with cat6 and above have carrier aggregation built in. Like the nighhawk, tplink 750, they work well when near masts. Take them in the sticks, or far away from masts, and they are dead or very slow, without antenna.
Same goes for the antenna, a wide band frequency it will help you in various situations. I’m a strong believer of: buy cheap-buy twice. That’s why, with help from you guys, I bought something based on real life experience and well proven technology.
As it stands, the mimo beats any built in antennas.

M2 spec -

• LTE CAT 20, up to 5-band CA and 4x4 MIMO

I don't doubt that a mimo will add considerably to most mifi's - it's just my experience that my M2 has worked sufficiently without a mimo and on a few occasions actually worked better without. That doesn't mean it always will of course and of course a different mimo may have produced different results.

There is also guy who advertises on eBay in Australia who does some sort of mod on the casing to access the additional inbuilt spec .....

 

[SteveRallye]

We have a well known UK wifi booster ariel fitted. All was great till we went to a Carsington Water rally a few weeks ago. Right up above with views we expected perfect reception. All we go was No Service. I put the sim card into our spare 3 dongle we used previously and perfect signal even watched smart tv. However when we put it back in the booster it worked briefly then no service. We at 1st blamed the magnetic dongle supplied with the booster but then tried the same dongle free standing and it worked. So we now think its the booster. However the company who supplied it initially gave me advice by email but since I suggested that it may be a fault on their booster ariel nothing heard. Still ongoing so will not name and shame till I have got a solution. The loss of signal has occured since at another location but it is currently working on booster but a bit slow. Just as well we kept the old dongle.We are on the unlimitted plan with 3 at £24 per month.

 

[HKF]

I knew that
You said your hubby was using an SFR Sim I assumed he lived in France as well.

Aaarrgghhhh, you got me!

 

[HKF]

I know it does Lenny, a 5db gain is massive help when signal is poor and wait ages for a page to load up.
I should of been more clear, the new modern modems with cat6 and above have carrier aggregation built in. Like the nighhawk, tplink 750, they work well when near masts. Take them in the sticks, or far away from masts, and they are dead or very slow, without antenna.
Same goes for the antenna, a wide band frequency it will help you in various situations. I’m a strong believer of: buy cheap-buy twice. That’s why, with help from you guys, I bought something based on real life experience and well proven technology.
As it stands, the mimo beats any built in antennas.

Hi. Can you please tell me exactly what you're using, perhaps with links to Amazon etc? If it's working for you, I'm happy to buy the same system. Thank you

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[Raul]

M2 spec -

• LTE CAT 20, up to 5-band CA and 4x4 MIMO

I don't doubt that a mimo will add considerably to most mifi's - it's just my experience that my M2 has worked sufficiently without a mimo and on a few occasions actually worked better without. That doesn't mean it always will of course and of course a different mimo may have produced different results.

There is also guy who advertises on eBay in Australia who does some sort of mod on the casing to access the additional inbuilt spec .....

A lot of tech in then M2 you will not be using, the 4x4 aggregation it as useful as the proximity to the towers and their broadcast band. As Autorouter said: the antenna In the modem is tiny compared with external one, because of regulation of radiation power limits. Don’t get me wrong the M2 Is a wonderful gadget, but you get a portion of its ability in current time. A external antenna, can not hinder performance. I don’t believe that. But it can add some dB gain, when weak signal is present. We all want data in difficult to reach locations, not where is accessible with a mobile phone thether.

 

[Raul]

Hi. Can you please tell me exactly what you're using, perhaps with links to Amazon etc? If it's working for you, I'm happy to buy the same system. Thank you

I have the antenna linked above by Autorouter (see his link for spec), the poynting v3 -15, and a teltonica rutx11 by teltonica, router. This router it takes two sims, and provides a fail over, switching to the stronger present signal. Both purchased from netxl UK, a company base in Surrey. These choices have been made on experience of real life users, and helpful members in here. It’s the dogs danglies, very robust equipment. I bought twice, as I am replacing my house broadband with mobile sim with the poynting antenna and the rut11 modem. Very capable equipment, at a industrial grade.

 

[HKF]

I have the antenna linked above by Autorouter (see his link for spec), the poynting v3 -15, and a teltonica rutx11 by teltonica, router. This router it takes two sims, and provides a fail over, switching to the stronger present signal. Both purchased from netxl UK, a company base in Surrey. These choices have been made on experience of real life users, and helpful members in here. It’s the dogs danglies, very robust equipment. I bought twice, as I am replacing my house broadband with mobile sim with the poynting antenna and the rut11 modem. Very capable equipment, at a industrial grade.

Thank you so much I really appreciate your help

 

[mitzimad]

Sorry to point out but the original poster was in France on a U.K. based network provider, so my original answer is correct.
There are sim only deals available in the U.K. that roam on our home networks but they are expensive and offer very little data.
They are usually only good for devices that are used for equipment that needs remote monitoring where fixed comms are not available or only required on a temporary basis.
Modern satnavs can do this to some extent.

I looked into this before I got my Netgear M2 instead I have the lowest price EE sim only phone deal £8.50 per month 250mb of data and throw data from my phone tariff at it when I need more data on the mifi.
I actually use the mifi at work to watch YouTube videos during my breaks on the company tablet, as it only has limited data.

my reading of the original post was they lived in france and were using a french sim they mention is on fsr

 

[HKF]

my reading of the original post was they lived in france and were using a french sim they mention is on fsr

Correct We live in France and use a French sim on SFR (Société Française du Radiotéléphone)

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