External Antenna Makes Massive Difference For Me!!!

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.