USB Dongle v Wireless Modem

[somo]

I am using a usb dongle for my True move connection and it works great in most areas.
However in my vllage I have only a week signal which is OK most of the time but does try my patience.
I was thinking about buying a signal booster with Yagi arial (about 6k Baht and may not work that well) but wondered if just using the True wireless modem
would also improve reception (and cheaper)
My logic may be faulty but if the wireless modem can grab the signal and broacast it around 100 sq metres then putting it
right next to my laptop may give me a stronger signal than the usb dongle.
Alternatively are there any ariels available that attach to the dongle and improve its reception.

Anyone with knowledge or experience of using both devices please advise.

[Chicog]

You can get an external antenna that plugs into the Huawei dongles most providers use, but in use they are a bit hit and miss.

[Sayonarax]

Just use a USB mounting base that you can move around.

[somo]

You can get an external antenna that plugs into the Huawei dongles most providers use, but in use they are a bit hit and miss.

Do you know where I can get one?

[Chicog]

You can get an external antenna that plugs into the Huawei dongles most providers use, but in use they are a bit hit and miss.

Do you know where I can get one?

On ebay, but you'll need to check it supports your particular dongle.

Something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mobile-Broadband-CRC9-Antenna-11dBi-Huawei-Aerial-Signal-Booster-3G-UMTS-Boost-/321141187776?pt=UK_Computing_Mobile_Broadband_Devices&hash=item4ac581a4c0

[Chicog]

^ That one I posted supports the following:

Antenna compatible modems:

Huawei:

E3131, E353, E367, E372, E173, E122, E160, E169, E176,

E176G, E230, E583C, E600, E612, E618, E620, E630, E660A, E1612, E1762,

E1821, EC321, UMG1691, UMG181, E182E, MF668, E1820, E1823, Vodafone 4505 and many many more... (CRC9)

Alcatel: OT X221S

ZTE: MF612 and many more (CRC9)

You just need to check for the small, round CRC9 port on the side, into which it plugs.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

It doesn't work like that. You can position the MiFi for the best signal. Putting it next to the laptop wouldn't give a better signal, unless the best mobile reception happened to be there.

Some people will put the things at the top of a pole.

[BudRight]

Oh man...you could do some really neat stuff.

1. Find out the frequency that your dongle uses for the Internet.

2. Take the speed of light c which is 3 X 10^8 and divide it by the frequency. This is the wavelength in meters.

3. That wavelength can be the length of your antennae. It will probably be about 600 centimeters but it must be EXACTLY the right length.

4. Adapt the micro BNC connector to plug into a full sized one so you can use a standard radio signal amplifier and impedance matching unit. Take it up to 50 watts

5. Mount the bastard on your roof (at 50 watts you don't want the antennae next to people)

6. Goodbye connection problems.

[RKASA]

Do some research and know where the tower you are trying to use is located and whats between you. It is a usb aircard so put it in a laptop and travel from tower to home and spots in between - find out how weak it really is and where. Take the laptop to the roof top and other places around the home to see if it works better - you may not need much ant. or lots of ant.

My air cards don't work when connected to usb cables or hubs - only in my 3g router and the PC or a laptop itself. I have a router dlink DWR-112 which has a usb port for an aircard on the top and it can be located up to 100 meters by cat5 cable from the PC or used wireless - mine has shown a good range of up to 75m WiFi and that was with three brick walls. It will dial out automatically for internet if anyone on the LAN uses internet and disconnects after 3min of no internet is in use - in the mean time the LAN is still up and you can file share print share etc. as it provides full secure wifi and 4 ports for the LAN.

I am not limited to a few devices like many of the mifi's do. It is a real router with WAN LAN ports and wifi. So maybe depending on where around the home is the best signal - just put the router there and remote the power to a convenient location if need be - then you can (if needed-rarely) reset the router by cycling the power or at least just turn it off. You can talk to and control it from your browser as far as port forwarding, DNS, wifi passwords etc etc. You can also just unplug the air card from it and leave home with it. I have mine working with both dtac and true aircards just fine.

[Teddy1]

How can I connect the PlayStation 3 to the internet with the Vodafone Huawei E220 USB dongle?

[mikejphuket]

Do some research and know where the tower you are trying to use is located and whats between you. It is a usb aircard so put it in a laptop and travel from tower to home and spots in between - find out how weak it really is and where. Take the laptop to the roof top and other places around the home to see if it works better - you may not need much ant. or lots of ant.

My air cards don't work when connected to usb cables or hubs - only in my 3g router and the PC or a laptop itself. I have a router dlink DWR-112 which has a usb port for an aircard on the top and it can be located up to 100 meters by cat5 cable from the PC or used wireless - mine has shown a good range of up to 75m WiFi and that was with three brick walls. It will dial out automatically for internet if anyone on the LAN uses internet and disconnects after 3min of no internet is in use - in the mean time the LAN is still up and you can file share print share etc. as it provides full secure wifi and 4 ports for the LAN.

I am not limited to a few devices like many of the mifi's do. It is a real router with WAN LAN ports and wifi. So maybe depending on where around the home is the best signal - just put the router there and remote the power to a convenient location if need be - then you can (if needed-rarely) reset the router by cycling the power or at least just turn it off. You can talk to and control it from your browser as far as port forwarding, DNS, wifi passwords etc etc. You can also just unplug the air card from it and leave home with it. I have mine working with both dtac and true aircards just fine.

Thank you- sounds like the router is exactly what I am looking for. I tried a year ago when CAT went 3G but my computer shop said nothing would work. Nice to have a model number to work from.

[RKASA]

Do some research and know where the tower you are trying to use is located and whats between you. It is a usb aircard so put it in a laptop and travel from tower to home and spots in between - find out how weak it really is and where. Take the laptop to the roof top and other places around the home to see if it works better - you may not need much ant. or lots of ant.

My air cards don't work when connected to usb cables or hubs - only in my 3g router and the PC or a laptop itself. I have a router dlink DWR-112 which has a usb port for an aircard on the top and it can be located up to 100 meters by cat5 cable from the PC or used wireless - mine has shown a good range of up to 75m WiFi and that was with three brick walls. It will dial out automatically for internet if anyone on the LAN uses internet and disconnects after 3min of no internet is in use - in the mean time the LAN is still up and you can file share print share etc. as it provides full secure wifi and 4 ports for the LAN.

I am not limited to a few devices like many of the mifi's do. It is a real router with WAN LAN ports and wifi. So maybe depending on where around the home is the best signal - just put the router there and remote the power to a convenient location if need be - then you can (if needed-rarely) reset the router by cycling the power or at least just turn it off. You can talk to and control it from your browser as far as port forwarding, DNS, wifi passwords etc etc. You can also just unplug the air card from it and leave home with it. I have mine working with both dtac and true aircards just fine.

Thank you- sounds like the router is exactly what I am looking for. I tried a year ago when CAT went 3G but my computer shop said nothing would work. Nice to have a model number to work from.

They stock these at lotus (here anyway) about 1400baht for the router - there are a few other brand and higher end models of d-link too, but this one was about the cheapest. It also has share port which allows printers and drives plugged into the other usb slot to be shared accross the LAN but you will find only the storage devices work for this if your on win7 >

[ravip]

Matching a device to your dongle is a huge hit & miss story.

I bought a HAME A1 WiFi Router + 1800mAh POWER BANK + 3G Router from Ebay which works beautifully with a Huawei E1550 dongle. Perfect for travelling - inside the vehicle all could use their mobile devices etc.

But I could never find a higher speed dongle that works with it.

(Although the compatibility list includes certain dongle models, it does not work as it should - should try before buying, is my advice)

[mikejphuket]

Thank You RKASA !! Got the DWR 112 and is just what I have been needing for too long.

Do some research and know where the tower you are trying to use is located and whats between you. It is a usb aircard so put it in a laptop and travel from tower to home and spots in between - find out how weak it really is and where. Take the laptop to the roof top and other places around the home to see if it works better - you may not need much ant. or lots of ant.

My air cards don't work when connected to usb cables or hubs - only in my 3g router and the PC or a laptop itself. I have a router dlink DWR-112 which has a usb port for an aircard on the top and it can be located up to 100 meters by cat5 cable from the PC or used wireless - mine has shown a good range of up to 75m WiFi and that was with three brick walls. It will dial out automatically for internet if anyone on the LAN uses internet and disconnects after 3min of no internet is in use - in the mean time the LAN is still up and you can file share print share etc. as it provides full secure wifi and 4 ports for the LAN.

I am not limited to a few devices like many of the mifi's do. It is a real router with WAN LAN ports and wifi. So maybe depending on where around the home is the best signal - just put the router there and remote the power to a convenient location if need be - then you can (if needed-rarely) reset the router by cycling the power or at least just turn it off. You can talk to and control it from your browser as far as port forwarding, DNS, wifi passwords etc etc. You can also just unplug the air card from it and leave home with it. I have mine working with both dtac and true aircards just fine.

Thank you- sounds like the router is exactly what I am looking for. I tried a year ago when CAT went 3G but my computer shop said nothing would work. Nice to have a model number to work from.

They stock these at lotus (here anyway) about 1400baht for the router - there are a few other brand and higher end models of d-link too, but this one was about the cheapest. It also has share port which allows printers and drives plugged into the other usb slot to be shared accross the LAN but you will find only the storage devices work for this if your on win7 >