USB modems are used by many people. But sometimes the signal quality leaves much to be desired, and you have to resort to various additional antennas and amplifiers. The article discusses their main types.
Signal Amplifiers for USB Modems
Everyone has long known that the mobile Internet in the vastness of our vast homeland seems to be there, but it seems to be gone. He is in large settlements. And in smaller cities, you will not find it with a flashlight in the afternoon. The quality of 3G Internet in such cities is simply terrible. Low speeds, frequent disconnects. And all because the towers of telecom operators are at a fair distance from these cities. And what do the locals do? Use wired internet. And if you need mobility? In this case, manufacturers, and even the "craftsmen" came up with signal amplifiers for the USB modem. What is it and where to find it? But now we’ll figure it out.
What is a signal booster
The modem signal amplifier is called a special design that allows you to "catch" the signal coming from the camera tower and, amplifying it, transmit to the modem. Amplifiers come in many types and forms. There are devices manufactured by serious companies. And there are creative products of our “Kulibins”. Which ones work best is hard to say. Of course, the products of serious companies have done everything beautifully and repeatedly tested under different conditions. And for the "homemade" everything is developed and works for "maybe", but for free. Which option to choose for yourself is everyone's business. All of them somehow work. It remains only to figure out how good.
In general, the strange thing is this signal amplifier for a USB modem. Reviews about him are twofold. Some people like the quality of the signal, and some, on the contrary, are not happy, because they expected much more. Well, let's try to figure it all out and decide which amplifier to choose and whether to buy it at all. Perhaps it will be possible to completely do it on our own by making a simple reflector from improvised materials.
Factory Amplifiers
The amplifiers assembled at the factories are an external antenna with a reflector and a mount for a USB modem. Usually made in good faith and repeatedly tested. It is enough to deploy such an antenna in the direction of the tower of the telecommunications operator and connect the modem. That's the whole setup. Such signal amplifiers for the USB modem are the most acceptable. Because, if you use the products of "craftsmen", you can stay completely without a modem.
But, besides such simple antennas, there are professional wireless solutions. The so-called 3G repeaters. These devices consist of two units equipped with a Wi-Fi transmitter. One of them is exposed outside, and the second remains near the computer, and the modem is connected to it. A very good solution, but quite expensive compared to conventional reflex antennas.
Now factory signal amplifiers can be bought almost everywhere both in the market and in the electronics store. There are no specialized places for their sale.
Amplifiers REMO
The leading manufacturer of amplifiers in our country is the REMO plant. The signal amplifier for the REMO USB modem has an attractive appearance and, most of all, it works. REMO has a wide range. This is Connect 2.0 and Connect 3.5 and the most popular is Connect Street Mini.
The REMO plant is located in Saratov and specializes in the production of industrial electrical equipment. But recently, the plant also aimed at the mass consumer segment. Oddly enough, they began to produce precisely Internet signal amplifiers. A very unusual beginning. I wonder what will happen next? The quality of all products of the REMO plant is on top. Recently there was a modernization of production. Probably, this made it possible to produce mass-oriented goods.
The most expensive in the company's lineup is a signal amplifier for Connect 3.5 3G-4G USB modems . It was created in tandem with the American company Upvel, specializing in the production of signal amplifiers.
Connect street mini
Among all the amplifiers in the budget segment, Connect Street Mini stands out. With its fairly low price, it has very good characteristics. It is specifically designed for mobile networks in the UMTS 2100 format. However, it only supports 3G technology. Here is his “big brother” - the signal amplifier for the Connect Street USB modem is also capable of working with 4G networks. But it costs, respectively, more expensive.
Connect Street Mini is convenient in that you can easily move it anywhere. Small dimensions make it very mobile. And from the mobile Internet this is exactly what you need. Amplifiers such as Connect Street and Connect Street Mini are the most popular. They don’t take up much space, they cost a penny, they are easy to install and configure. And most users just need simplicity without a bunch of extra "bells and whistles".
Connect 3.5
Connect 3.5 is a 4G internet signal booster for a USB modem with Wi-Fi router features. In addition to amplifying the signal, it is also capable of “distributing” the Internet to all devices around. Good combination of features. In addition, the Connect 3.5 amplifier has a shockproof housing that will protect it from many mechanical damage.
The dimensions of Connect 3.5 are quite compact. You can take it with you wherever you go. In general, the REMO plant has recently begun to produce very high-quality products. Perhaps that is why the Americans from Upvel decided to cooperate with him. In any case, the device turned out to be stylish and useful.
3G repeaters
3G repeaters are called complex signal amplifiers for a USB modem, using a Wi-Fi network to transfer the amplified signal directly to the modem. Such devices are the most expensive solution to improve communication and not everyone can afford it. A prominent representative of these devices is Nextivity Cel-Fi RS2.
Nextivity is able to work at a distance of 1.2 km from the signal source and uses a frequency of 5 MHz to transfer information between its blocks. The repeater copes with its task (signal amplification) perfectly.
3G repeater, of course, is a convenient thing, but very expensive. And if something else “flies” in it, then it will not be easy to fix it. So far, with our speed of the Internet, it makes no sense at all to throw out a ton of money for such an expensive solution. Anyway, the increase in speed from it will not be so large.
Creations of "folk masters"
If you do not want to spend money on specialized means of signal amplification, you can try to assemble a simple amplifier with your own hands. You do not have to expect much acceleration from him, but cheap and cheerful. But you need to know that using such signal amplifiers for a USB modem is quite dangerous. You can lose the source of the Internet.
Strictly speaking, using improvised means, you can collect just a regular reflector. But it is quite possible that just it will be enough to ensure constant and quick access to the Internet.
So what does it take to assemble a simple reflector? A piece of sheet aluminum (if not, you can use foil), tools for working with metal and a USB extension cable. An aluminum sheet measuring 20 * 20 cm needs to be bent into an arc so that the reception is better. After that, in the center of the sheet you need to make mounts for the modem. It must hold tight. Otherwise, you will not see either a modem or the Internet. After everything is ready, it will be necessary to fix the structure behind the window, directing the reflector towards the operator's tower. Now we fix the modem in the holder and connect it to the USB extension cable.
This design can also be used as a signal amplifier 4G USB-modem. But you must remember that if you live on the first floor, you can lose both the modem and the antenna. So at night it is advisable to remove the structure.
Conclusion
Now on the market there are a lot of solutions to combat low-quality radio signals. Which one is better is hard to judge. As a rule, the more expensive - the better. But not always, it is possible that an expensive antenna will behave worse in your particular case than a makeshift reflector. There is no consensus in this area yet. But there are interesting offers. For example, Connect 3.5 or Nextivity Cel-Fi RS2. The signal amplifiers for the USB modem are still quite dark, so you need to try it yourself.