Computer Help Needed

Hi All,

My problem. I have a motorhome and am frequently out in the middle of nowhere. I have a 3 Dongle and a Huawei E5830 thing we can put the dongle sim card into to distribute the signal to 5 computers.

However, often we can get no signal at all. I've been reading a bit about WiFi Extenders, but don't understand if they'd work with what I've got, replace what I've got, be a waste of time or what?

I need to run two laptops, but would be prepared to buy 2 units if they did the job and pretty much guaranteed a signal.

Any advice appreciated - please try to keep explanations simple as I'm very much not a computer techie!

[shamen]

Re: Computer Help Needed

Wifi extenders wont help you sadly, its the 3G signal which is the problem. The wifi signal goes from the E5830 to your computers, as long as you are within 100 meters of the E5830, wifi signal is not your problem. The 3g signal goes from the E5830 back to the network tower and off to internet land.

I do a lot of camping and outdoors type stuff and getting 3G is a real pain in most areas. Even centerparcs at longleat has a 3G mast very close by, but trying to get a 3g signal in the parc itself is terrible thanks to all of the trees.

Ill try not too be too technical in this lot, but its the best i can come up with without bouncing off into things like signal propagation, DB, EIRP and other such tehcnical terms for mobile networks. My experience is 7 years working in the cellular industry as a network tech and ive been working with microwave technologies for about 12 years.

3G signals operate at 2.1ghz frequency which means that pretty much anything that has water in it (trees, bushes, hills) will absorb a lot of the signal. 3G networks were also designed with population coverage in mind, so while a 2G or 2.5G GSM network may have more rural coverage, the 3G networks tend to have better coverage in populated areas. So being in the middle of woods, for example, will be a pain in the proverbial. Sometimes the E5830 will get you online, but only at the 2.5G speeds. Usable, but slow.

There are some options, for example you can buy a 3G Wifi point (similar to your E5830, but with an external antenna connector) that you then connect to a 3g amplifier and a 'directional' high gain antenna. This can improve signal quality back to the 3g network, but the amplifier is technically not licensed under UK radio laws. Lots of people still do this though, but the kit has to be bought from somewhere like china directly (i hear dealextreme.com has some interesting items). If you want to just buy a 3g card with external antenna connector and then put an antenna on your motorhome, this would improve things but again, its hit and miss depending on the place you are going.

I have also had some success in the past by building a 'cantenna' out of a pringles can, but instead of putting an antenna element in the tube, i stick the bottom of my 3G dongle in there instead. This makes it so that the signal from the 3G card does not go out in 180 degrees, but focuses the signal in one direction (much like focusing a torch beam onto one place). Point it in the direction of the cell tower and the signal improves. But it is a hack and is a hit and miss solution.

If you know the place you are going to be camping at, go to the website of your mobile company and put the postcode into their coverage checker. It should tell you if 3g (or 2g) coverage is expected there. These maps are based on people using standard dongles or phones, so coverage in areas which are listed as having 'none', but with 3g coverage shown not too far away, sometimes can be achieved using a high gain directional antenna (such as a yagi).

*edit* I have used this model before http://www.dealextreme.com/p/1990-21...n-female-29147 and that gave me 3g coverage when my USB dongle (without that antenna on) had no bars at all. Of course, you will need a 3G dongle that supports external antennas and then a 'pigtail' connector with the correct couplings on to connect the antenna to the dongle. Also bear in mind that the longer the wire between the dongle and antenna, the more signal is lost.

If you do use a Yagi antenna, then its always best to know where to point it. http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/ allows you to search for local cellphone masts based on postcode, so you can find out where the nearest tower is for your operator and point the antenna in that direction. Some of that database is out of date, but most of the cell towers are in there.

I hope this helps, i know the pain you are going through all too well