NBN (FTTN) vs 4G/5G (Also with Modem & Roof Antenna)

wfdTamar on 04/01/2024 - 14:19

My house can only get FTTN type NBN and only gets just over 50Mbps (maybe 55) even on a 100Mbps plan.

As I'm away from home over winters I've been using Boost sims with the Cashrewards cash backs for over a year now either in my phone, or in an old Telstra modem I bought for under $50 a few years ago. That gets me a decent speed most of the time (25-40 Mbps). It's a cheap way to get acceptable internet with only the slight hassle of having to activate a sim every few weeks.

I've bought a dual sim 4x4 MIMO 5G modem/router and a spiffy 5G 4x4 MIMO antenna (way overkill) to see if I could get a better connection. There's a 5G Telstra & Optus tower with line of sight about 1.5 km away from my roof. I can also use the modem in my motorhome, so I've got a one year Amaysim sim as well in the second slot to have an Optus network option too (although that's 4G only, but that should be fine camping).

I got pretty good speed just having the modem sitting looking out the window using the little stick antennas that come with it. Around 80-90 Mbps on 4G (couldn't get 5G).

After installing the roof antenna (lined up straight at the tower visually) a few speed tests showed 115 down & 90 up on 5G. Even 4G was about 105/40 Mbps. I need to test at some other times and via an ethernet cable to the modem (rather than wifi). Maybe try it not pointing directly at the tower too just in case it's better offset a bit.

Pretty big initial outlay with modem, antenna, cables and mount. You could get good results with a simpler modem and antenna.

https://www.cudy.com/productinfo/1247700.html

https://www.rfi.com.au/LTE-XPOL-4X4-5G-D?quantity=1
(seems to be a rebadge of the Poynting XPOL-24)

(with 6 metre 240 cables)

Internet Broadband Mobile Broadband Plan nbn

Comments

  • freefall101 on 04/01/2024 - 14:43
    +1

    FTTN should hopefully be pretty rare in the next year or two, I finally got my upgrade in December to FTTP and getting back on a gigabit feels like coming out of the dark ages. Address checker is here - https://www.nbnco.com.au/residential/upgrades/more-fibre.

    This is a great guide for in the meantime to do a proper 4G/5G setup though, especially considering the threads on here about using a mobile phone or small 4G router for their home internet.

    • wfdTamar on 04/01/2024 - 14:48
      +1

      FTTP is still 18-24 months away here. The problem with NBN is the minimum cost is around $50 month. Also paying for the months I'm away doesn't suit me. Although I can use an ISP like Launtel which allows turning on/off and changing speeds daily.

      • SuspiciouslySquishyG on 05/01/2024 - 07:58

        Same here. When they listed suburbs, ours was November 2023. When I looked up in November, it said September 2024.
        Now it says it will be available from September 2025.
        I am also getting roughly 45 mbps on a 100mbp plan as we are far away. Everytime we sign up online, we get a call asking us to downgrade as they can’t deliver the speeds we signed up for.

        Seriously considering switching to a 4G/5G sim and chuck the FTTN modem in the bin.

        • wfdTamar on 05/01/2024 - 09:07
          +1

          Check here what towers and networks are near you (put your address in):

          https://www.rfnsa.com.au/?first=1

          I got my antenna here, but only because I wanted a particular one. If the run of cables from antenna to modem is 5 metres or longer get upgraded cables so the loss isn't so bad as if you use standard cables. Sometimes the cables are packaged in with the modem and a set length (5 or 10 metres). They'd usually be the lower quality thickness. Others you can buy the antenna and cables separately and just the length you need rather than extra long ones. I needed 6 metres so could have got 10 metre packaged ones, but there'd be extra loss doing that.

          I went way overboard with antenna and modem as I wanted something to use camping where I could be a long way from a tower. If your tower is close and line of sight you could easily manage with a simpler combo. I'm not sure of what 'close' is :-)

          The other thing is the long term cost of sim plans. At the moment the Boost sims are a bargain (as you usually can make a profit buying them), but I can't see that lasting.

        • Chaddy on 07/01/2024 - 17:49

          If you want FTTP and your running a business just order NBNEE NBN Enterprise Ethernet this will get you 100Mbps for free install with a cost of $300 a month sometimes slightly cheaper depending on ISP and the length of the contract.
          This will work out cheaper then a professionally installed 4G connection which generally costs around $6000 as they install equipment that is designed to pick up the frequencies for whichever mobile network you want to connect to.
          Plus with NBNEE its dedicated bandwidth so no congestion.

  • GordonD on 04/01/2024 - 15:46

    So what's the OP's question?

    • wfdTamar on 04/01/2024 - 16:02

      No question. Just sharing results of an alternative to NBN.

  • AndyC1 on 04/01/2024 - 16:20

    See if you can get some software that allows you to tweak the modem like LTEHMonitor or LTEInspecteur do for the Huawei B818 as you should be able to get allot faster with your setup.

  • OMGJL on 04/01/2024 - 16:21
    +1

    well, it's a good ride with Boost until you see "Something Went Wrong" page.

    • wfdTamar on 04/01/2024 - 16:24

      I can't believe it's been going on so long.

  • Dacs on 06/01/2024 - 00:50

    How much did the antenna and cable cost, and what does it come included with?
    Can it be set up and moved around easily?

    I've been using broadband mobile with Belong for a few years now, currently with a Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro (ZTE MU500).
    I'm in an inner-city apartment and have the modem outside under cover, but because of buildings around I only get 2 or 3 bars signal strength (around -105dB) with no external antenna. It's generally okay for streaming video but would be nice to have it a bit quicker.

    • wfdTamar on 06/01/2024 - 07:34

      Ok, keep in mind that I went overboard. I wanted as good as I could get at home with the option to use at least the modem while travelling in my motorhome where I definitely wanted a good setup (gotta be able to Netflix while at a remote camp site!).

      Cudy P5 modem $549 (or you can go as cheap as a used 4G one that has 2 antenna ports for under $50).

      Antenna mount (bolts onto the fascia board) $63.80 Bunnings. This is about 1.5 metres, but it was too unstable full height, so I didn't use one length of it. The other type is a tripod for on the roof surface. They're a bit more stable in wind.

      The antenna is the most expensive thing $580. You can get a decent 2x2 one for a few hundred or cheapo generic ones really cheap (like under $50). I have no idea if they're any good.

      4 x 5 metre $140 (plus $58.50 shipping to Tas for antenna & cables) The cabling from antenna to modem can add quite a bit, particularly if the length needs to be long (over 5 metres), as then you want to go for thicker, better shielded ones that cost more per metre.

      Because of the way it's routed down through the roof space I'll leave the cables in place. I'll take the modem camping (in a motorhome which has its own antennas). I had thought to take the antenna too, but it's quite big and being directional, on the motorhome would need a system to raise and rotate it to point at towers. I could do it, but I'll see how the fixed omnidirectional antennas go first.

      (I'm far from an expert, but a DIY tinkerer). 5G is great if you're very close to a tower (like even under 1 km), otherwise just think 4G, which is fine for streaming 4K if you get over 25Mbps. If you have line of site (an unobstructed view) to a 4G tower you could get a directional 4G 2x2 antenna (2x2 means inside it there are 2 antennas with 2 cables to the modem). 4x4 means 4 of both). If you don't have line of site a directional may still work, but may work better not pointed directly at the tower as the signal could be better bounced off a building or hill. If you're unsure of the signal direction then an omnidirectional antenna is better. They can receive from any direction, but not as far.

      Another issue is what frequencies the tower uses. If you look up towers around you that Belong (Telstra) use you can find out the frequencies (or bands). Then when looking at antennas look for the best gain on those frequencies. A basic one might have 3dBi. A good one 10dBi. (if you have a long cable run and use cheap, thin cables you can lose a few dBi just from the cables).

      The ZTE MU500 may have a couple of TS9 antenna ports under little flaps. The cables from an antenna usually have SMA male ends, so you need SMA male to TS9 adaptors (cheap on ebay). Your apartment complex may frown upon an antenna outside that's visible So you need something discrete.

      • wfdTamar on 06/01/2024 - 07:36

        SMA to TS9 adaptors
        https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/164684093340

      • Dacs on 07/01/2024 - 13:26

        Thanks for all the info!
        Yes the ZTE MU500 has TS9 connectors for dual external antennas.
        I wouldn't be able to mount a big antenna on a roof or balcony balustrade. Maybe a small one inconspicuously in the corner of the balcony but I'm not sure how much difference that would make.

        If my signal using the internal antenna is -105 dB, does that mean a 3 dBi antenna would only bring it up to -102 dB or are they completely different measurements?
        Have you checked the signal improvement on your setup?

        • wfdTamar on 07/01/2024 - 13:40

          No, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that as I was getting maybe -110 to -115 (that's the RSRP figure) on 4G with just the stick antennas on the modem, but now -71 with the big one (although it's pointed at a different tower and getting 5G - which I couldn't get before).

          I'd try to find something that has 5-6 dBi gain or more. There are a lot of cheap ones. Some with barely credible claims like this (I mean 15 dBi for $10!). Can't even tell how many cables come out of it.

          https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/386107486662

          Something like this might be good. It is directional though so you need to have line of sight to the tower. It is 300mm high too so pretty big. Jeez, I might even grab that if you don't fancy it as the one I bought for my motorhome looks like it may not turn up. Could be mounted discretely. You can check the frequencies it works best on at the Comset site.
          https://comset.com.au/product/lte-mimo-panel-antenna-3g4g5g-…

          https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/116027158138

          • Dacs on 08/01/2024 - 18:50

            @wfdTamar: Thanks for leading me down the rabbit hole ;-)

            I've been checking out a bunch of articles and Youtube videos about antennas. For urban areas where there is no direct line of site, it seems that an omni antenna gets better results, but the the reviews are very variable depending on the type of antenna, the make, who tested it and the conditions.

            Ultimately I think it comes down to having to try it out in place and see what kind of difference it can make in practice. I'll carry on pondering.

            • wfdTamar on 08/01/2024 - 20:03

              @Dacs: Yes, if in doubt get an omni. Maybe if you buy off Amazon you might have the option to return it?

              Have you identified a tower near you?

              • Dacs on 09/01/2024 - 12:16

                @wfdTamar: That's a good idea about Amazon. Their range and prices are not so good though.

                There are a several towers near me and I think the connection jumps around between them during the day.

            • Chaddy on 26/02/2024 - 17:39

              @Dacs: You can't install an Antenna in an apartment building, you would need permission off the body corporate and you would need planning permits as well from the local council.
              Just use whatever Fibre service is available you will have at least one.

              • Dacs on 26/02/2024 - 18:00

                @Chaddy: It's not like I'm thinking of putting an antenna on the roof. Maybe just getting a small one that sticks on a window inside or sits on a table.

                I've already been using a pocket broadband modem for several years as for my home internet service and it's been quite adequate, however a bit of extra speed is welcome if it's an easy fix.

  • wfdTamar on 24/02/2024 - 07:18

    Update - now tried the Cudy P5 in my motorhome. Using the Poynting 2x2 puck omnidirectional antenna fixed to the roof & a Comset 2x2 directional antenna. Got 166Mbps!

    https://comset.com.au/product/lte-mimo-panel-antenna-3g4g5g-…

    • Dacs on 24/02/2024 - 08:07

      Nice!

      So you've got another two antennas for your motorhome in addition to the two for your home?
      But you can only use one at a time, right?
      Did they both give you the same speed?

      • wfdTamar on 24/02/2024 - 08:25
        +1

        I have one 4x4 on the house.

        I had a 2x2 on the MH and added a (used off ebay) 2x2 as well that I mount on a pole (still have to work out proper way to do that) and can aim at a tower. I use both those antennas together as each has 2 leads. It might work ok with just one of them (I didn't test that).

        I just move the modem from one to the other and screw in the antenna leads. It runs off 12 volt, so simple cigarette socket adapter power lead.

        Get maybe 115 in the house, but 165 in the MH (just in the backyard aimed at the same tower). It could be time of day or height differences, but it makes the expensive 4x4 house antenna look a waste of money.

  • Chaddy on 26/02/2024 - 17:41

    That is actually slow for 5G should be over 200MBPS if not 300Mbps.
    Are you in the middle of no-where by any chance?
    4G you should be getting 100Mbps but 5G should be well over that.

    • wfdTamar on 26/02/2024 - 17:58

      Now I think about it I’m using Boost sims which are speed capped. Might get faster speed with a proper Telstra one.

      • Chaddy on 26/02/2024 - 18:28

        Yeah you could well do, however the tower you are connecting to could also be suffering congestion.
        I know Telstra are pretty slow to upgrade a lot of towers.
        You might notice a difference once 3G is turned off later in the year.

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