External Antenna Makes Massive Difference For Me!!!

Looking at your photo attachment, I’m assuming the can is in the window still and oriented a certain way because the 1 and 2 antennas in the gateway are operating as usual and their position/orientation still plays a role in your signal?

Because of your stupendous experience, I watched a video again showing the detailed installation. Between not wanting to do that -- my luck would be that as I was unplugging the little connector, I'd break off a pin or something -- and my average speed of 200 being great for me, so much better than the single-digit speeds of my former DSL provider, I can't see myself removing the sim card cartridge, removing the battery -- both which you have to do to get to the area to attach the pigtails -- going through all that and risking that I might have to return the antenna because either it does nothing or my speed is only marginally better.

Before my gateway arrived four months ago, I was looking at the possibility of an external antenna, because I thought I might need one, given my distance of 5 miles to a tower.

I have an advantage over some people regarding antenna use, in that living on a few acres where I do, I could even hoist the antenna in the air, using that 30 feet of cable that comes with it, if I had to. However, my experiments with trying the gateway on the roof, and holding it up and how disappointing my speeds were there, makes me think, getting the gateway higher, or an antenna higher, would not help me, and might even make it worse, because I have medium-duty power carrier lines on that side of my property between me and the tower. They aren't the giant power towers and lines, but they are bigger than ordinary neighborhood telephone lines. Anyway, it's possible getting closer to the level of those wires is not going to help me.

I would recommend that anyone considering trying this, try to read (or watch videos) of the experiences of all the people who have done it that you can find, especially those in comparable situations to your own.

Bond's situation is on the extreme end of success, but for some people who got only a few Mbps speed, and this boosted it to 35, they are pleased with that. Well, one guy whose video I watched did that, but he was using the antenna in the window instead of outside, maybe because he lived in an apartment.

Odd I just posted a reply seen a typo so I changed the one typo and it said my post now needs to be approved by the moterators? I had typed hole and wanted hold both are not bad words.

Timsw wrote:

Looking at your photo attachment, I’m assuming the can is in the window still and oriented a certain way because the 1 and 2 antennas in the gateway are operating as usual and their position/orientation still plays a role in your signal?

Yes sort of. Originally I wanted to use 1 and 2 since the ethernet is on the left but it was much more easy to use 3 and 4 as no further disassembly was needed. As you now see I had to install a home run to the Google puck so I put that on the right side now. Back to you question it does not seem to make a difference. No matter how I move the can nothing changes. I even wrapped the can in foil for 5 min no change in any signals so seem it is not using the internal ant at all. I assume the large outside is so powerful it overrides the inside one. I still like having it just in case who knows.

Timsw wrote:

Because of your stupendous experience, I watched a video again showing the detailed installation. Between not wanting to do that -- my luck would be that as I was unplugging the little connector, I'd break off a pin or something -- and my average speed of 200 being great for me, so much better than the single-digit speeds of my former DSL provider, I can't see myself removing the sim card cartridge, removing the battery -- both which you have to do to get to the area to attach the pigtails -- going through all that and risking that I might have to return the antenna because either it does nothing or my speed is only marginally better.

I did not have to remove the battery just 2 screws on the bottom then 4 inside, slide out, pop off and snap on the new leads put back together 10 min job. I would say if you have an n41 antenna near you it is worth it as you can get over 500 but if you have a n71 I don't think you will gain anything.

Timsw wrote:

Before my gateway arrived four months ago, I was looking at the possibility of an external antenna, because I thought I might need one, given my distance of 5 miles to a tower.

I have an advantage over some people regarding antenna use, in that living on a few acres where I do, I could even hoist the antenna in the air, using that 30 feet of cable that comes with it, if I had to. However, my experiments with trying the gateway on the roof, and holding it up and how disappointing my speeds were there, makes me think, getting the gateway higher, or an antenna higher, would not help me, and might even make it worse, because I have medium-duty power carrier lines on that side of my property between me and the tower. They aren't the giant power towers and lines, but they are bigger than ordinary neighborhood telephone lines. Anyway, it's possible getting closer to the level of those wires is not going to help me.

As they note on the site that sell the ext ant height is not always best. As you see with me I gained tremendous signal power but also my SNR is worst. So going outside and ext gives you more of the signal you do want and also more of what you don't want. In my case higher would hurt me as I don't want to get that n71 tower. So where I am I point at the n41 tower, I now get the B66 since it is just to the W, and my roof blocks the closer n71 tower to the NW. So if I was higher I would have a worse SNR as the signals from the N would now compete on the antenna.

Timsw wrote:

I would recommend that anyone considering trying this, try to read (or watch videos) of the experiences of all the people who have done it that you can find, especially those in comparable situations to your own.

Bond's situation is on the extreme end of success, but for some people who got only a few Mbps speed, and this boosted it to 35, they are pleased with that. Well, one guy whose video I watched did that, but he was using the antenna in the window instead of outside, maybe because he lived in an apartment.

My case is very unique and I put a lot of research into my plan. Plotting towers and angles mapping antenna locations on towers, measurements with my cell, holding the can outside for testing. Also I think unique since the 4G tower is to the W .5 miles, the n71 is 2 miles to the NW, and the upgraded n41 is 3 miles to the SW. So in my case I need want the faster n41 but due to can logic I need to also have the B66 and I don't want the closer n71 to the NW.

So each person needs to do their own homework and see if adding an ext ant will help. The company does have a money back guarantee so there is not real $ risk.

Yes this is 007BondMI6 I tried to reply to you but for some reason it says I cannot post until moderators approve me posting no idea why as I cannot even reply to anything. There is nothing bad in my post and all I have done is try to help people keep and get their TM can working better. So no idea why my account needs to have approval. Anyways I think this is as close to my original reply as I can remember.

Moneypenny wrote:

There is nothing bad in my post and all I have done is try to help people keep and get their TM can working better.

Uh oh, I've been consorting with a suspected GW alterator? I didn't do it! Don't they know you're with MI6? I read the terms of service about the gateway  when I got it and when it worked well by itself it was a relief. No outlaw activities for me.

On one hand, the people doing this to the gateway have the potential of being loyal customers in years to come, and just want the service to work for them, and by sharing information are just trying to help some truly desperate people, who may be crushed that they can't get the speed they hoped for. But...it is against their rules. And this is the TMO discussion board set up by the company. You know what I mean?

I was thinking about the reason they might not have included an external ant port to begin with, and other than saving a few dollars, it might have something to do with lightning strikes damaging the gateway when connected to something that is going outside. Or, too many people getting doubly frustrated that they went to such lengths ordering an antenna, and having to return it when it didn't work, and it just makes them madder at T mobile. 

On some equipment you buy, sometimes there’s a seal on it that if broken, the warranty is violated, but they aren’t even charging for this gateway, so you can understand why their policy is to not allow its disassembly or alteration.

In ancient times, Ma Bell used to charge for phone rental of a Bell phone, calling it an "instrument." I had an uncle that got their new touch-tone phone and paid something like $5 more a month than a rotary dial phone would cost. When the phone plug was modular and companies started selling cheap phones that worked very well, Bell made threats that anyone caught using an "instrument" which was not one of theirs could be prosecuted. Their claim was one of these cheap phones could damage their network, which was not true at all. All it would do was cut into the profits they made from the absurd prices they used to charge for a phone. Eventually, Bell's monopoly was broken up, and you could get any phone you wanted, and even sign up for other long distance services. 

Anyway, I think TMO is being reasonable about their policy compared to Bell, and it's not about profits. It's that they know that they would get customers leaving and wanted to have as many undamaged gateways as possible to recycle.

Timsw wrote:

Moneypenny wrote:

There is nothing bad in my post and all I have done is try to help people keep and get their TM can working better.

Uh oh, I've been consorting with a suspected GW alterator? I didn't do it! Don't they know you're with MI6? I read the terms of service about the gateway  when I got it and when it worked well by itself it was a relief. No outlaw activities for me.

On one hand, the people doing this to the gateway have the potential of being loyal customers in years to come, and just want the service to work for them, and by sharing information are just trying to help some truly desperate people, who may be crushed that they can't get the speed they hoped for. But...it is against their rules. And this is the TMO discussion board set up by the company. You know what I mean?

I was thinking about the reason they might not have included an external ant port to begin with, and other than saving a few dollars, it might have something to do with lightning strikes damaging the gateway when connected to something that is going outside. Or, too many people getting doubly frustrated that they went to such lengths ordering an antenna, and having to return it when it didn't work, and it just makes them madder at T mobile. 

On some equipment you buy, sometimes there’s a seal on it that if broken, the warranty is violated, but they aren’t even charging for this gateway, so you can understand why their policy is to not allow its disassembly or alteration.

In ancient times, Ma Bell used to charge for phone rental of a Bell phone, calling it an "instrument." I had an uncle that got their new touch-tone phone and paid something like $5 more a month than a rotary dial phone would cost. When the phone plug was modular and companies started selling cheap phones that worked very well, Bell made threats that anyone caught using an "instrument" which was not one of theirs could be prosecuted. Their claim was one of these cheap phones could damage their network, which was not true at all. All it would do was cut into the profits they made from the absurd prices they used to charge for a phone. Eventually, Bell's monopoly was broken up, and you could get any phone you wanted, and even sign up for other long distance services. 

Anyway, I think TMO is being reasonable about their policy compared to Bell, and it's not about profits. It's that they know that they would get customers leaving and wanted to have as many undamaged gateways as possible to recycle.

Well my first brand new best I could tell gatway day one was upgraded and got stuck in a boot look I was down for 3 days, then they sent me a refurb that was clear not checked before sending as it started right up to RF failure, now we are at over a week of brand new service down and the third refurb shows up and lucky it worked. The real issue is they are getting them back but just reboxing them and not even checking them for issues. I put a note in both saying what was wrong and that it needed to be fixed before sending to someone.

Yea I guess but bottom line is my home shows as Ultra 5G and that's just not the case really at least not with just the can. Also I was told on the phone I was close enough to have 5G as they were only sending to customers that could use the 5G at the time I signed up. So I expected 5G service can only but they did not deliver. Also there is no way unless they build a new tower that I would get 5G can only. The can in any window cannot hold the 5G it is to weak so that leaves me with ok signal from the 4G tower only. That is not the service I signed up for. So TM should be happy I am not sending the can back that I have invested weeks of time to investigation, several hundred dollars in equipment just to make it work as good as they sold me on.

I don't like or want to use Comcast it was my only options I am glad to have an option that’s why I have put so much into making it work for me.

I can sure understand the lightning angel but shoot they tell you to put it in a window of a second fl if possible so go figure. Did you see the one guy he put it on a pole and covered it with a plastic bucket now that's desperate. I seen another guy with it in his roof vent to get a signal. At least I have done something practical and along the lines of good design.

The full price of the Gateway is like $300 if I break it I will pay for it if needed. I actually bought one off ebay should come next week. I want to have a backup unit in case of failure as it takes at the least several days for them to send a replacement. Not sure how the people are getting them to sell but I see many for sale. Heck with the money I am saving by not paying Comcast the outrageous fees I can afford to pay for the can if I break it.

There are other post about ext antennas this is not the first on here maybe the most detailed but again I was looking to help people that want to keep the service but are in a similar spot as me.

I did see the video of the plastic bucket on a pole guy. LOL. I thought it was genius. He knew how to insulate and ground it.

Timsw wrote:

I did see the video of the plastic bucket on a pole guy. LOL. I thought it was genius. He knew how to insulate and ground it.

That bucket not sure if it will hold in a windstorm but I like his determination.

Seems I can post.

Nice description and pics of your setup. 
 

With the outdoor antenna, is it necessary to have the gateway near the window?

dilbert wrote:

Nice description and pics of your setup. 
 

With the outdoor antenna, is it necessary to have the gateway near the window?

No actually you can have it many feet away I just chose this because it was convenient for me. Based on my testing you can locate the can anywhere you need just run the cables to it.

What were your readings before installing the antenna? download and upload speed please?