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Wireless Internet access services provided by mobile network operators are an increasingly popular access method chosen by subscribers. Depending on the transmitter and mobile operator, wireless access services can be provided using different data transmission techniques. The most popular technology is LTE allowing to achieve real throughputs up to 100 - 150 Mbps (in theory up to 600 Mbps).
This article focuses mainly on the antenna selection to improve the LTE network signal, which can improve both, the download and upload speeds.
Location of the transmitter and modem parameters (band aggregation, antenna connectors)
When selecting an antenna, it is important to obtain information on the location of the nearest transmitters emitting signals in a particular standard. Such information is provided by customer service offices of the respective operators. It is also worth to verify the frequency of emission assigned to a particular service.
Having obtained information on the location and supported bands, you should measure the distance to the transmitter, check the distribution of connectors of the device (modem/router with built-in modem) and whether the router aggregates bands. Details on band aggregation should be found in the modem or router manual/specification:
- 2 CA – use 2 frequencies simultaneously, speed up to 300 Mbps,
- 3 CA – use 3 frequencies simultaneously, speed up to 500 Mbps,
- 4 CA – use 4 frequencies simultaneously, speed up to 600 Mbps.
Antenna selection
Case 1.
If the base station supports several bands, e.g. LTE800, LTE180, LTE2100, and the router has an aggregation function, a broadband antenna should be used (this is the antenna most often recommended by Dipol to receive LTE networks in Poland in almost 100%).
- When the transmitter is located above 6 km away, we recommend using the TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 A741024 antenna (it's the best antenna in Dipol's offer for LTE networks):
TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 A741024 antenna
- When the transmitter is located at a distance of below 6 km away, we recommend using the ATK-LOG ALP LTE MIMO 2x2 A7054_10 antenna:
ATK-LOG ALP LTE MIMO 2x2 A7054_10 antenna
Case 2.
When the base station supports only one band, e.g. LTE900 or LTE800, and is located at a significant distance from the receiving site, a band antenna should be used.
- When the transmitter is above 8km away, it is recommended to use ATK 20/800-980 MHz A7027 band antenna. It is the best band antenna in the Dipol offer for 800-900 MHz networks. Note that modems are usually equipped with two antenna connectors, so it is necessary to buy two antennas (the distance on a mast between the antennas should be at least 37 cm).
20-element ATK 20/800-980 MHz GSM antenna A7027
- When the transmitter is located less than 8 km away, it is recommended to use a wideband antenna. This is a safer and future-proof solution that will make the user's system ready in case the operator launches new bands on the transmitter.
TRANS-DATA LTE KYZ 10/10 A741024 antenna
Connector type
Most desktop routers have the SMA connectors:
SMA socket – the most popular connector in LTE modems/routers
For mobile modems, two connectors are most common:
- TS5 (CRC9) – often found on Huawei devices
- TS9 (CRC9) – often found on Huawei and ZTE devices
In this case, you need to use additional connectors for the antenna – adapters from the SMA connector to dedicated to the modem:
