Nowadays, many people work directly on the Internet, they absolutely do not have to sit in the office to conduct their business. Many problems are solved through the network, so it is extremely important that a high-quality Internet signal is absolutely everywhere. If the cottage is located far enough from the city, plus the tower is not nearby, then you can not rely on high-quality Internet. But what to do in this case, not to go to the country? To build a tower near you? Everything is much simpler: you just need to do it yourself do-it-yourself Internet signal booster for cottage.
Bit of theory
Before you learn how to make the best Internet signal booster for your home, you need to understand a little what 3G and 4G are, and also because of which a bad signal can occur.
Not so long ago, many summer residents used satellite Internet, but this technology has almost completely outlived itself, now the vast majority of people use mobile Internet, which gives a very good speed for comfortable work on the network. Today in Russia there are three communication formats - 2G, 3G and 4G. As reported a little earlier, after 2 years, in 2020, the most modern format will appear - 5G.
To understand how the classification of communication formats differs, you need to know the following:
- 2G, aka EDGE, is the slowest mobile Internet, its speed does not exceed 40 Kb / s, and today it is practically not used anywhere.
- 3G is the first high-speed Internet, thanks to which it is very comfortable to surf pages. The speed of this communication format does not exceed 800 Kb / s.
- 4G - today in Russia - the fastest mobile Internet, its speed is 2-5 Mb / s.
- 5G - since the introduction of such a format has not yet occurred, it is rather difficult to say the exact numbers, but approximately the speed should be about 1 Gb / s.
Statistics are approximate, because theoretically, the speed can increase for each item, it all depends on the throughput of the operator.
Mobile Internet Signal Booster
Each person can personally improve the signal quality of a 4G modem, which can be purchased in any mobile phone salon of the selected operator. To use the Internet through such a modem, you need a computer or laptop. But you should also take into account the stability factor of the connection, if the operator is not able to maintain an uninterrupted signal (even if at a low speed), then it is rational to simply change it. Otherwise, the user will still receive a poor-quality Internet connection.
There are several possible options for how to amplify the signal. The most popular are:
- Extend the USB cable through which the modem connects to a computer or laptop. Thanks to this, the modem can be put somewhere higher or even taken out onto the street, while the quality of communication will be significantly improved.
- UTP extension cable for 3 or 4G modem. A regular USB extension cable is unable to work properly if the cord is longer than 4 meters. In this case, the extension cord can have a high-quality connection to a computer at a distance of up to 20 meters. Therefore, the modem can even be carried out on the roof of the house.
- Purchase a dedicated Internet signal booster. Not the cheapest way, because the cost of a full set will cost about 2800 rubles. ($ 50), however, the end result is really worth the money.
- With your own hands, make a special antenna that will improve the quality of communication.
- Change operator. At first glance, such a banal procedure may be the most effective.
- Select “3G only” or “4G only” mode.
We figured out the basic methods for improving Internet connections, now in more detail about each of them.
Extend modem via USB cable
To improve the quality of the signal, it should be understood that this is a wave that spreads unevenly in different parts of the house. This means that you first need to determine where the signal is the strongest and most stable. This will take a little time and patience, when this place will be determined, you should proceed to the next step.
Almost all modems display the dBm value, and it is worth paying attention to it. If this value is less than 70, the signal is simply excellent and it is here that it is best to place an Internet access point. When the signal level is in the range of 70-80 dBm - an average indicator, if the house does not have a better indicator, then you will not notice severe discomfort when surfing the pages. But when the dBm value is more than 100, the signal is very weak.
In practice, it is known that the strongest signal exists near the windows and closer to the ceiling. It is best to place the modem somewhere near the roof. In this case, do not worry about the device. All modems are not afraid of winds, rains and frosts, but it is undesirable to expose a device where there is a lot of sunlight.
So, if the place is determined, now you need to go to the store and just purchase a USB extension cable of the desired length. It is important to remember that if it is more than 4 meters long, this procedure loses all meaning, the signal quality will again be poor.
UTP Extender
If four meters of extension cable is not enough to seriously improve signal quality, then in this case, you should purchase a special UTP extension cable. Such a device can qualitatively lengthen the modem up to 20 meters. Therefore, if the access point needs to be taken to the roof, this is exactly what you need.
The extension cord consists of three parts:
- A USB port that plugs into a laptop or computer.
- The port where the modem is connected.
- A UTP cable that connects two ports. You can use the classic UTP-5E cable.
But if 20 meters of cable is not enough for you, then in this case you should purchase a more expensive shielded wire. High-quality information transfer will be stable at a distance of up to 50 meters.
4G internet signal booster for gardening
Often in stores you can see special antennas that are designed to amplify the signal. They are purchased along with the required amount of cable, the antenna should be installed on the roof of the house.
The complexity of the installation lies in the fact that one person can not afford it. Before mounting the antenna, you should choose its exact direction, which side will be the best signal. The process goes something like this: one person slowly twists the amplifier of the Internet signal to give, and the second on the computer looks at the frequency of dBm and in what place the value will be the lowest, in this direction the device should be fixed.
The antenna itself is connected to the modem, and the modem, already cable - to the computer. It is also worth noting that the modem should be no further than two meters from the signal amplifier, otherwise there will be no result. There are also some more connection difficulties. Not all modems have outputs for the antenna, but those that are are of insufficient quality, so it is likely that you will have to solder the input yourself. If you do not know how to do this, then it is better to refer the modem to the craftsmen who have soldered more than a dozen such devices.
This method is very complex and costly, moreover, the antenna must be grounded. However, in some cases, it is the antenna that becomes the savior. If the tower is far enough (more than 10 km), then this is the only right decision.
DIY antenna to amplify the signal
A homemade antenna can be used not only in the country, but also on a hike, making it quite simple. On a USB modem you need to wind a copper wire, how many turns you need is difficult to say, but there should be a lot of them. Most of the wire should be wound where the SIM card is located. At the end of the wire, you need to make a small screen out of the usual tin can, and if there is an unnecessary CD, then it is generally ideal for a home-made antenna. Such a simple Internet signal booster for cottages is capable of up to 20% improvement in communication quality, which is a very good indicator.
The second option is a homemade antenna
There is also a stationary version of the antenna. Two rhombuses should be made from a sufficiently thick copper wire. In appearance, the antenna should resemble an unrounded eight. A conventional antenna cable should be soldered to the joints of the rhombuses, wrap the modem with the second end of the cable, as indicated in the previous example. Mount the antenna with the modem on the roof of the house or put it in the window, and connect the modem to the computer using a USB or UTP extension cable.
Operator change
The quality of the Internet signal directly depends on the proximity of the towers located and the quality of the equipment. Therefore, before tinkering, it is worth trying to simply change the operator, sometimes this is the simplest and most effective method of amplifying the signal.
User Feedback
And what do they say about what it really is - the best amplifier of the Internet signal for giving, user reviews? Of all the above methods, people most often prefer conventional extension cords. In most cases, they help solve the problem. Also, many people respond well to acquired antennas. As for home-made devices, opinions are divided here. Do-it-yourself antennas have helped some, while others complain that no signal improvement has been observed at all. However, do not forget that people could simply not follow the instructions or simply do something wrong.