Updating our mobile-based Internet connection

[rangor gubbins]

Our home Internet access is via a 4G teltonika router with sim card. The aerial is on the roof above the chimney stack, then a 25 m SMA cable (it's two cables joined together) into the loft connected to the router.
There's now 5G signal available outside the house, so I'm thinking about upgrading our aerial and router to 5g. Whilst I'm doing that it seems like a good moment to think about better cable routing.
My questions:
1. Any recommendations for 5g routers? Our teltonika RUT 950 has been excellent so I'll probably just go with that brand again but there's a few models to chose from and I'm not sure what's best for my scenario.
2. Any recommendations for 5g aerials?
3. How much affect does the length of the SMA cable make on signal to noise ratio? Would it be better to have a short SMA cable but potentially have the router outside with an ethernet cable running into the house? Or have router inside the house but a long SMA cable with a join? There's a possibility I can reroute the SMA cable so that's it a shorter run into the loft and keep the router inside.

 

[Firegod]

You could also go a different route, and replace both aerial and router, and just get an all in one external 5G router. Then just run one CAT6 / CAT6a ethernet cable back inside to a POE plug and then from there, into whatever you want for your WIFI indoors (mesh nodes, wired APs, etc).

• zyxel fwa710
• zyxel nr7101
• dlink dwp-1010
• zte mc7010
• huawei cpe win

Some options there.

Or as you say, keep the antenna external and bring it back in doors to your 5G router. The longer the SMA cable the greater the signal attenuation and impact on signal quality.

 

[rangor gubbins]

Thanks for the ideas. I didn't know that was an option. I've got a zyxel access point and a switch, so adding a router to the network makes sense perhaps.
I'll have to look into what will give best signal performance, a dedicated aerial or a router with in built aerials.
My worry about sticking a router with inbuilt aerial high on the roof outside is access if anything needs fixing or replacing, e.g. Sim card, hard reset, or other errors. It's quite a major job to safely get up onto the roof.
With separate aerial and router I can put the aerial high up but have the router below the soffits which would be much easier to get to.

 

[Firegod]

Thanks for the ideas. I didn't know that was an option. I've got a zyxel access point and a switch, so adding a router to the network makes sense perhaps.
I'll have to look into what will give best signal performance, a dedicated aerial or a router with in built aerials.
My worry about sticking a router with inbuilt aerial high on the roof outside is access if anything needs fixing or replacing, e.g. Sim card, hard reset, or other errors. It's quite a major job to safely get up onto the roof.
With separate aerial and router I can put the aerial high up but have the router below the soffits which would be much easier to get to.

Totally understandable. Mine is on a pole mounted on gable end of a bungalow. So a long set of ladders is all that are needed. Even so, replacing the sim for example is a fiddly job! If it helps, I connect to a mast 4km away with the fwa710 and can get around 2-400mb download and about 70mb upload. But they are directional in nature so do need aligning. Again, might be awkward up on a roof. Just food for thought though.