Receiver conversion

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13 Jan 2020
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Hi, first post and stupid question time. I recently had what I believe is called a wimax system installed to provide home broadband. This consists of a small dish outside the house from which an ethernet type cable runs into the router. I've now changed this for a 4g router which has sma connections. Is it possible for the dish receiver to act as an external amplifier if the cabling was replaced to sma?? Only trying to save myself a few quid!!
 
Wimax operates at basically ten times higher frequencies (than 4G) which are very directional and fade faster with distance.
Hence those different (than 4G) highly directional antennas to amplify signal.
 
Thank you. So totally incompatible and I'll just have to fork out on a 4g antenna then. As regards the antenna, once it's connected via the sma ports is the signal received 100% via this means or does the router still play a part? I'm just considering possible alternate locations...
 
And there are no stupid questions
Just because you don't know something it doesn't make you stupid
It's stupid when you don't know but won't admit it and ask
 
Thank you. So totally incompatible and I'll just have to fork out on a 4g antenna then. As regards the antenna, once it's connected via the sma ports is the signal received 100% via this means or does the router still play a part? I'm just considering possible alternate locations...
No antenna will automatically guarantee high signal strength, if you're farther from 4G transmitter.
In fact some cheap external antennas have very little amplification over usual "bunny ears" of routers and if there's longer low quality extension cable that can attenuate signal fast.

Some external 4G antennas are omnidirectional, obviously at the cost of low amplification, but without need to point them toward transmitter.
Other 4G antennas are directional and need to be pointed at transmitter, or signal only weakens.
Highest amplification/best directionality antennas looks like rake style aerial TV antennas, obviously at the cost of space needed and really needing mounting them outside.

Also instead of single antenna you likely want cross polarized antenna, which actually has two antennas in 90 degree angle to each others allowing simultaneous use of two signals at different polarization.
In case of 4G antennas should be near 45 degree angle to horizon, which is very visible with rake antennas.
Router capable to that have two antennas/connectors for them.

At least for Huawei routers there's LTEwatch you can use to really monitor signal parameters/strength when moving antenna:
https://www.lte-anbieter.info/ltewatch/index-en.php
Don' know if that works with other routers.
 
The 4g router I have is a Huawei actually, from 3. So that link is perfect thank you. And thank you for the rest of the advice, I'd read somewhere about the cable length affecting signal strength which was why I was wondering if when fitted does the external antenna completely take over from the routers internal antenna. If so it means I can put the router in the corner of the wall close to where the cable exits the house through a hole. Otherwise I'd have to keep the router near the window which will use up additional cable.
 
Router uses either internal antennas or external ones.
Selection is automatic, but there could be also setting for manually locking it.

You might get some signal improvement just by turning router to point different directions.
At least that could tell direction of closest 4G transmitter, if you don't yet know it.

When first opening LTEWatch you'll likely want to change language to English.
One of the buttons opens settings, where you'll see German flag in selection list box.
Also might need to change that first setting from standard to password.
Then just check and if necessary correct router's IP address and give password. (default should be admin)
After few seconds it should start giving values with those graphs being especially good for checking changes in signal level.


Different cables have very varying attenuation.
Page is in Finnish but it has good table showing attenuation (decibels per meter of cable) of different standard cables at various frequencies:
https://www.satshop.fi/liittaminen/3g-4g-gsm-wlan-kaapelit.html
That RG-174 would really suck.
If you have antenna with 5dB amplification, three meters of RG-174 nullifies that at 1800MHz.
Must be some long resistor instead of signal cable...
 
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