Home Signal Boosting

[gifters]

I'm looking at putting a couple antennas in my home. I all ready have an external antenna left from the previous owner although it looks like it connected straight to a Cellular modem/router as the cable coming off it is not a standard F Connector.

 

I'm looking to see what others have done, what equipment they're using, and their results.

 

I think I'm gonna buy piece by piece and do the installation over a period of time. If you know of anywhere to get a good deal on antennas or boosters ect. online please pass it on hear.

 

Thanks,

Gifters

[COZisBack]

I'm looking at putting a couple antennas in my home. I all ready have an external antenna left from the previous owner although it looks like it connected straight to a Cellular modem/router as the cable coming off it is not a standard F Connector.

 

I'm looking to see what others have done, what equipment they're using, and their results.

 

I think I'm gonna buy piece by piece and do the installation over a period of time. If you know of anywhere to get a good deal on antennas or boosters ect. online please pass it on hear.

 

Thanks,

Gifters

 

If you have WiFi and high-speed internet at home already, getting an Airave from Sprint is your best solution.

[gifters]

If you have WiFi and high-speed internet at home already, getting an Airave from Sprint is your best solution.

My home internet has a data cap

[COZisBack]

My home internet has a data cap

 

Ouch. Well from what I've seen around here, people have been able to install 1900 3G Repeaters, but that there isn't a 1900 LTE repeater at this time.

[gifters]

Ouch. Well from what I've seen around here, people have been able to install 1900 3G Repeaters, but that there isn't a 1900 LTE repeater at this time.

 

LTE isn't up in my area yet, 800 voice/3g seems to be on since my phone works in the basement calls are ok data only works sometimes, Verizon wouldn't even do that. I assume for LTE we're waiting on the back haul (microwave I think) but once that gets upgraded :I assume everything will improve as well.

[COZisBack]

LTE isn't up in my area yet, 800 voice/3g seems to be on since my phone works in the basement calls are ok data only works sometimes, Verizon wouldn't even do that. I assume for LTE we're waiting on the back haul (microwave I think) but once that gets upgraded :I assume everything will improve as well.

Gotcha. So what part of your service are you focusing on improving?

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[gifters]

It would mostly be 3g around the house and voice and 3g in the basement. We have a lot of trees around here, with the antenna already mounted on the roof it should get a lot better reception than our phones. I won't have fun climbing the roof to take a look at the antenna cable as its about 60' higher than our back yard. Eventually I was thinking that I may be able to catch 4g better when its available and compatible boosters are out.

[WiWavelength]

My home internet has a data cap

 

How would an RF signal booster ameliorate your home broadband data cap?  Do you actually use that much data on your handsets while inside the house?

 

AJ

[gifters]

How would an RF signal booster ameliorate your home broadband data cap?  Do you actually use that much data on your handsets while inside the house?

 

AJ

 

The more I can do from my phone the less I'll use my computer, we also don't do cable, we have OTA which is fine but there are some other shows we'd like to watch as well.

[Terrell352]

How would an RF signal booster ameliorate your home broadband data cap?  Do you actually use that much data on your handsets while inside the house?

 

AJ

Cutting the cord is great unless you have data caps. While I only use about 3-6 gbs on Sprint a month. I use 310-400gbs of data a month on Cox and they have a cap of 300gigs that I go over almost every month even when we try not to. They send me a letter saying they can cut off service if I don't stop every month while before I cut off cable this never happened. Netflix alone uses 2.4 gbs a hour. Not to mention hulu, amazon instant, streaming music, downloading music. I can see why he would want to do this. I probably would use Sprint a little more but not alot as I don't want to be a data hog.

[CrossedSignals]

Try www.solidsignal.com.  They have a pretty good selection of Wi-Ex and Wilson Electronics boosters.

 

Also might want to try eBay for used equipment. 

Edited October 8, 2013 by CrossedSignals

[gifters]

Just got a couple ceiling antennas off Fleabay for $40. I need to figure out what type of connector is hooked up to my antenna and get an adapter to take it to RG6... Also need to run my RG6 cable out side unless I can figure out how to hook up to the old Satelight Coax that is already run outside.

 

So this is connected to my antenna

 

And this is the old line with an F connector that goes into my house

 

I'm guessing there's not much that I can do since the Antenna cable is probably 50 ohms and the Old Satellite cable is probably 75 ohms

 

I haven't seen whats preventing me from running new line into the house. My step stool too short and I haven't gotten out the ladder yet.

[WiWavelength]

Cutting the cord is great unless you have data caps. While I only use about 3-6 gbs on Sprint a month. I use 310-400gbs of data a month on Cox and they have a cap of 300gigs that I go over almost every month even when we try not to.

 

In that situation, Sprint is not going to "ameliorate your home broadband data cap," as I state in my previous post.  You are using hundreds of gigabytes per month through your DOCSIS connection.  If your cap is 300 GB, yet you use an average of 350 GB per month, you cannot shunt that extra 50 GB over to Sprint.  A reasonable person would see that constitutes abuse of an "unlimited" connection.

 

AJ

[gifters]

I know that comment wasn't directly directed at me, but are you saying that if I'm at home I can't utilize my phones internet watch youtube or steam any media? BTW I think I have an N connector hooked up to the antenna.

[WiWavelength]

I know that comment wasn't directly directed at me, but are you saying that if I'm at home I can't utilize my phones internet watch youtube or steam any media?

The simple answer is that you should be using Wi-Fi at home. "Unlimited" wireless mobile data is a tenuous prospect. If you want it to last as long as possible, then you should help it along by offloading at home, where you should have a secure broadband connection.

 

AJ

[bmoses]

so if i understand this correct, you have an antenna mounted "outside" and another antenna mounted inside and are wanting to connect the 2 with a cable, without an amplifier in between, to in essence bring the signal that you get outside, inside. am i correct in that understanding? will doing something like that work? 

 

my building i work in eats signal for breakfast, outside you get a perfectly acceptable/usable signal. walk inside and the signal drops about 20 dbm. if i could setup an antenna outside or at least near a window and run a cable to another antenna inside closer to where i work, to essentially make my signal be like i was outside, without having to actually amplify the signal, that would be awesome!

[Terrell352]

I understand what your saying now AJ

The simple answer is that you should be using Wi-Fi at home. "Unlimited" wireless mobile data is a tenuous prospect. If you want it to last as long as possible, then you should help it along by offloading at home, where you should have a secure broadband connection.

 

AJ

[gifters]

That would be great if a home broadband provider without a data cap was available... unfortunately that was the case. The store rep sold sprint unlimited data as a solution for my problem...

[gifters]

so if i understand this correct, you have an antenna mounted "outside" and another antenna mounted inside and are wanting to connect the 2 with a cable, without an amplifier in between, to in essence bring the signal that you get outside, inside. am i correct in that understanding? will doing something like that work? 

 

my building i work in eats signal for breakfast, outside you get a perfectly acceptable/usable signal. walk inside and the signal drops about 20 dbm. if i could setup an antenna outside or at least near a window and run a cable to another antenna inside closer to where i work, to essentially make my signal be like i was outside, without having to actually amplify the signal, that would be awesome!

At this point in time I am just wiring my house, I currently don't have LTE being broadcast in my area, so either I'll buy a used signal booster that covers my sprint 3G on the cheap and wait for a Sprint LTE compatible booster or just wait for a Sprint Booster

[bmoses]

At this point in time I am just wiring my house, I currently don't have LTE being broadcast in my area, so either I'll buy a used signal booster that covers my sprint 3G on the cheap and wait for a Sprint LTE compatible booster or just wait for a Sprint Booster

 

ah, thanks for the clarification. i have a wilson sleek that i use at work that does great for boosting voice and 3G but it doesn't support sprints' 4G. and the 4G version is $130! plus it doesn't support 2500/2600 frequencies we will have down the road. there are about 8 of us that work here on sprint and all the systems for boosting/amplifying signal for buildings are freaking expensive!

 

i don't want to hi-jack your thread, but since its along the same lines, does anyone know if you can have 2 antennas, one on each end of a cable, and have them passively bring the outside signal inside without having to boost/amplify it?

[WiWavelength]

That would be great if a home broadband provider without a data cap was available... unfortunately that was the case. The store rep sold sprint unlimited data as a solution for my problem...

 

What a minimally educated Sprint sales rep tells you does not indemnify you against violation of Sprint's Ts and Cs.  If you plan on using "unlimited" Sprint data to transfer dozens of gigabytes per month as a supplement/replacement for capped home broadband, then you deserve to get booted ASAP -- especially if you engage in illicit tethering.

 

Discussion of such also violates S4GRU rules.  This site is not going to engender those who think it appropriate to suck the "unlimited" teat for as much as they can to the detriment of others.  S4GRU's mission is to educate what Network Vision entails, where/when deployment is occurring, and how to use this newly rebuilt network sustainably.

 

AJ

[gifters]

What a minimally educated Sprint sales rep tells you does not indemnify you against violation of Sprint's Ts and Cs.  If you plan on using "unlimited" Sprint data to transfer dozens of gigabytes per month as a supplement/replacement for capped home broadband, then you deserve to get booted ASAP -- especially if you engage in illicit tethering.

 

Discussion of such also violates S4GRU rules.  This site is not going to engender those who think it appropriate to suck the "unlimited" teat for as much as they can to the detriment of others.  S4GRU's mission is to educate what Network Vision entails, where/when deployment is occurring, and how to use this newly rebuilt network sustainably.

 

AJ

 

I never brought up tethering, I have no plans to root my phone or do whatever is required to engage in illicit tethering, I do not appreciate the reference to that since I never brought it up. Also checking the T of S there is nothing that states you must have a broad band connection at home.

 

Additionally according to Sprints T of S waiting on hold with CS can be against their terms as well.

[gifters]

As a follow up question, what is the party line on wirelessnwife.com which uses Sprints 4G LTE network for internet service? The have "unlimited" internet plans for $60 a month

[swintec]

As a follow up question, what is the party line on wirelessnwife.com which uses Sprints 4G LTE network for internet service? The have "unlimited" internet plans for $60 a month

 

I would imagine they probably pay per GB or something similar. Maybe bandwidth at 95% and hope their users dont go hog wild.  There biggest consumers are more than likely home users.