Re: Off-grid internet solutions

[rionzion]

Hi all… based in Ireland, i currently have a hawei usb modem on the 3g network. i have a mast some 4 miles away with a clear line of sight from some parts of the land i occupy but my actual “home” position is blocked by trees. The usb modem does work fairly reliably i.e. i can connect 99% of the time but generally get actual download speeds between 5 and 30 kbps – useable but not ideal! i’d like to boost that roughly by a factor of 10.

at the moment i’m considering the solution mentioned in the last post, i.e. getting a 3g router and inserting my 3g sim, then attaching an external aerial(s).

i could do with some advice from the more technically minded though…

1. can two external aerials be plugged into the router and used in tandem? – i notice the router linked in the previous post has a main rcf plug and an auxillary – would they work simultaneously?

2. i have a telescopic CB (ham) radio aerial about 16 foot long mounted on the roof of a nearby barn – would this serve the purpose or do i have to buy a “3g” aerial

3. is there a limit to how long a cable can be between the aerial and the modem? – presumably voltage drop could be an issue, would i need signal boosters along the way?

4. Is height the biggest issue in signal reception or is a line of sight more important? i could possibly mount my aerial onto the apex of my two-storey “ruin” (right next to me) which would make it about 25 feet off the ground but still with a heavy line of trees blocking view of the mast… or i could mount it pretty much at ground level in a field about 300metres away with a clear line of sight to the tower (i dont like the idea of buying 300metres of co-axial cable though!) – which would be the better option?

thanks in advance for any tips!