For those who live in a village, in a village or in general inaccessible farm, the issue of access to the Internet is more relevant than ever. Dedicated wire lines will not yet appear in remote corners of our homeland, so you have to use an alternative option in the face of 3G modems.
Let's try to figure out what kind of device it is and how to increase the Internet speed of a 3G modem. And to do this the most painlessly in terms of price and reception quality.
What is a 3G modem
This is a device that uses the networks of mobile operators for reception and transmission. And most importantly - wireless networks. The advantages of this type of transceivers are the lack of wires, ease of connection and mobility. The downside sins with poor communication quality, coupled with an unstable signal, so the 3G Internet speed can fluctuate in a wide range - from 0 to the declared 5 Mbit / s.
Why exactly 3G?
Internet providers are reinsured by drawing leased lines to more or less large villages, counting on a small consumer capacity. Therefore, very often in the service center you can hear about the lack of technical ability to connect. In the private sectors, there is no talk of a wired network at all.
Some providers offer to pay for the installation of such networks of the administration of the village or farm (all the residents have thrown off - it went). But in this case they are no longer reinsured, but, on the contrary, take the number of users with a margin, that is, the amount at the output is almost unbearable.
Therefore, the only thing that remains for a villager who suffers from Internet communication is to choose a 3G modem. Internet speed, of course, is not so hot in this case, but better than telephony with 128 Kbps.
Advantages and disadvantages
The indisputable advantage of the 3G modem is mobility. This is especially true for people who, due to circumstances, constantly move around while using the Internet for work or entertainment. And for residents of villages and farms, this is sometimes the only solution to the issue of communication with the World Wide Web.
The rest - solid flaws. The speed of the 3G modem’s Internet is affected by terrain, rain, snow and even fog, and the tariffs of mobile operators are simply predatory compared to the leased line, while the quality of services provided leaves much to be desired. The signal stability of this kind of transceivers does not lend itself to any criticism.
Where is the exit?
Despite this weighty list of shortcomings, this does not stop the villager. Literally in every house where there is a computer or laptop, you can see a 3G modem. Internet speed, as mentioned above, leaves much to be desired, so there is only one way out - to increase the speed of receiving and transmitting a signal with your own hands. Kulibins in our country have not yet been extinct, which means we will use the methods they tested and the means at hand.
How to increase 3G internet speed
On the vast expanses of the Network, there are many ways to speed up 3G Internet, but it’s worth noting that all kinds of software and manual modem configuration help only by 2-3%, and this is a ridiculous increase. Soldering antenna cables into the modem unit is extremely undesirable - the reliability of this method is in question, but you can easily damage the device.
Wrapping copper wire and synergy with a tin can also not give significant results, even if you install the receiver on the roof of the house.
The only option that is verified and plausible from the point of view of the laws of physics does not require large expenditures and works 100% - this is the use of a parabolic antenna, which is used for broadcasting satellite TV. Moreover, the larger the diameter of the "plate", the higher the 3G Internet speed. It is also worth mentioning the gain - the best option in our case is 19 dB.
Speeding up the Internet with a parabolic antenna
Any antenna is suitable for the experiment, but it is better to take the "plate" from the Tricolor, which has already proved itself on the positive side. It costs inexpensively - within 1000 rubles (the price on the official website is 750 rubles). Installation is simple and is carried out using the standard bracket (for more details, see the device’s instruction manual).
The bottom line is that in the focus of the antenna, instead of the connector, we install our 3G modem. This will allow electromagnetic waves to focus on the signal at the point of the modem. That is, the “dish” is used for its intended purpose, but with a slight correction - it focuses not on satellite channels, but on the waves of a mobile operator, thereby increasing the speed of 3G Internet (Megafon, MTS, Beeline - any provider will not resist )
You can go even further by distributing the Internet throughout the house through a Wi-Fi router. To do this, connect the modem from the "plate" via a USB cable with a router and connect to the network from anywhere in the house via a laptop, tablet or personal computer.
To protect our modem from all kinds of elements, you can waterproof it with any plastic flask (a box of vitamins, pills or something like that). In any case, the technical design of such a device will not cause problems. But in order for the speed of 3G Internet (MTS in particular) to be at a high level, it is necessary to correctly configure our antenna.
Antenna setup
To properly configure the "plate" we need any software that allows you to control the signal level on our device in real time. At numerous forums and specialized resources, they speak extremely warmly about the WlanExpert utility, which can be downloaded on the official website of the developer. It is designed just for the dynamic monitoring of the cellular signal level (and of any operator).
If there is no desire to use third-party software, then you can resort to the standard programs that flash-modems of operators are equipped with. Although the dynamics of change can be traced too tightly and belatedly, nonetheless, the utilities work. The main thing is that you can control the signal level while tuning the antenna.
All you have to do is turn the “plate” up or down to search for a stable and maximally filled signal from the mobile operator. Then the antenna is pre-fixed and checked for a day or two. If the signal is normal, then mount “tightly” and use high-speed Internet.
Fine tuning
After you have connected the modem and started the signal control program, you need to technically adjust the level of reception / transmission. Using the example of the aforementioned WlanExpert program: the signal readings should be smaller in absolute value. In other words, -50 dB will be better than -60 dB.
It is worth noting that the antenna mounts must be loosened during tuning, since the tightened bolts will not allow you to fine-tune the signal (too tight and scattered travel). First you need to adjust the reception in a horizontal plane, checking the readings of the program (the assistant in this case will clearly not be superfluous). After you find the desired point, mark the position of the antenna with a marker. Then it is necessary to carry out a similar adjustment in a vertical plane with the same conditions.
After a stable signal is found, fix some bolts to the bracket, but not all, as additional rotation of the “plate” may be necessary. After these manipulations, you can try to twist the modem itself (along with a plastic bulb) for finer tuning. As soon as the optimum signal is found, it is necessary to insulate the junction of the cable and the bulb.
This completes the adjustment. If within a day or two the signal did not change dramatically and the connection was stable, then you can tighten all the bracket bolts and enjoy the high speed of the Internet.