Welcome to the community! Read our posting tips, and learn how to earn ranks, levels and badges to get started.

Ask any devices or smart home question in the Devices/Security or Network Troubleshooting Categories.


Happy posting!

Are you using 4G for Home Broadband?

GidsterGidster London, UKMember Posts: 224
100 Likes 100 Comments 25 Awesomes 25 Agrees
✭✭✭
edited August 2019 in Network Troubleshooting & Connectivity
Is anyone using 4G for their home broadband, as opposed ADSL, fibre etc. 
I see here there are a few folks stuck with BT and limited speeds due to being out in the wilderness (if the UK has such a thing): https://community.fing.com/discussion/41/bt-the-uks-biggest-isp-manages-an-average-of-40mbps
Could 4G be a good solution. I moved my mother-in-law to 4G - popping a £20/mo unlimited data SIM from Three into a £70 4G router from TP-Link. She was struggling to get 2mbit/s most of the time on copper but with 4G its usually in the 6-20mbit/s range. 

Head of Product at Fing
Tagged:

Comments

  • ddaw215ddaw215 Member Posts: 14
    10 Comments First Answer 5 Likes Photogenic
    ✭
    I have a Magic Box from Sprint (although I don't use it for broadband)! Seems to work well. I only got one because I like toys and its free. I don't know if its an option in the UK or if there are similar devices.
    https://www.sprint.com/en/shop/services/magic-box.html
  • keithkeith Member, Beta Tester Posts: 64
    25 Likes 10 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
    ✭✭✭
    In Australia and I guess other places, we have "fixed wireless" in some rural areas.
    Put simply, by me, it is like WiFi with directional aerials, range 15 klms or so Max. 
    Recently I found mobile services, 4G LTE, providing over 200mbps speeds for data, in a country town. 
    I investigated using mobile for my data at home. 
    Coverage was ordinary to say the least, using Samsung Note 4, hotspotting. 
    By accident, spoke to a Samsung support tech, he said newer phones, Note 9, 10, perform about twice as well, it's true, same tower but now connection is solid and phone makes an excellent backup when our fixed wireless is totally congested during peak hours. Netflix:(
    BTW both services are Not line of site.  Fixed wireless - 90db, 4G LTE much worse. 
    BUT, data cost is too high for 4G LTE (5G) so only good, for me, as backup. 
    Works well streaming and work. 

  • GidsterGidster London, UKMember Posts: 224
    100 Likes 100 Comments 25 Awesomes 25 Agrees
    ✭✭✭
    edited August 2019
    There's only one residential fixed-wireless operator I know of in the UK - Relish. I'm not sure they work outside London but they don't have a great reputation - unless you know otherwise?
    Actually just read they were bought by Three and rebranded earlier this year as "Three Broadband"
    Head of Product at Fing
  • keithkeith Member, Beta Tester Posts: 64
    25 Likes 10 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
    ✭✭✭
    edited August 2019
    I have had fixed wireless for 5 years I think. 
    Two generations of hardware, first was only 12/2 capable, second is about 50/25 capable maybe more.
    The best I have seen is an actual 45/20 and super solid.
    One dumb isp tech, little training, put me on 100/50, he thought it might help the congestion. 
    As I mentioned the main issue is congestion, has been four 4 years. 
    I am not LOS shooting over a hill through trees, only about 5 klms. 
    Despite identifying congest as the only issue, 6 week trained staff always blame weather, signal strength, distance, my plan, I think they are trained to say all that stuff. 
    After literally hundreds of attempts the get the infrastructure issue fixed, I gave up.
    Fixed wireless is excellent technology If the infrastructure is adequate. 
    They are trying to improve things by adding new users on 3.xghz, hopefully people closer to the towers.
    2ghz range is about 14 klms, 3.xghz is I believe half that and less tolerant of objects in the path.
    Give it a try if you can. 
  • MIBSWEMIBSWE Member Posts: 25
    10 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Likes
    ✭
    I used to have 4G for broadband. It was limited to 100GB of data each month for 200kr (£18). It worked well as I was based on the City and occasionally it would lose the 4G connection, but it general it worked very well. But now that most use is to stream content, the data limit was too restrictive, so had to move. However, when I looked at costs for 4G broadband, the rates had jumped much higher, so it would have cost a lot more to get 4G again.
  • atomicboyatomicboy Member, Beta Tester Posts: 67
    25 Likes 10 Comments First Answer Photogenic
    ✭✭
    In Ontario, Canada, about 7 miles from the tower (in the fresnel zone) running 3 Fixed Wireless LTE A 4G (IFWA-630 systems) from the same IP into a Load Balancing Router that allows WAN bonding through VPN tunnels to an Amazon Web Services EC2 instance.
    This takes the 3 services that are 25 down x 1 up and combines them into 75 down x 3 up ... Minus some overhead required by the process. Allows for higher redundancy if a WAN drops or performance degrades plus lots of monthly usage. This has to suffice until fibre comes in the next year or two.
  • tomdyglentomdyglen Member, Beta Tester Posts: 4
    Photogenic Founder First Comment
    ✭✭
    I have been having the same problem as I am out in the sticks too. I have just started looking at 4G and your comments have been most helpful.
    Thanks
  • AltasAltas Member Posts: 2
    First Comment
    ✭
    edited August 2019
    679E64F6-018B-4EEA-A866-F2D3F8A2C379.jpeg

    I use 4G since 3years in Switzerland as my main Internet Connection

    the best Modem for 4G is the Huawei B618.

    For better Signal i have an external 4G Antenna outside the House attached.


    i get a speed of 60/20, what is much better than DSL with 10/3

Sign In or Register to comment.