Replace Router for Three's 4G Internet

Tipsy McSwagger

I have Three's 4G internet and it really is garbage. I am stuck with them though as I cannot get fibre. The router is the Huawei B525. It can be fine during the day but after 6pm I am using my phone as a personal hotspot a lot of the time as there is no connection.

Would replacing this router with the Huawei B593s-22 make any difference to the speeds I am getting? Or does it even matter what router the sim card is in?

Darc19

Find out where the mast is. Then place the router on the window upstairs (unless it's a bungalow) facing the direction of the mast.

Get a booster or range extender and you should see big improvement.

Even at the worst of times I get about 5mb download.

GinSoaked

The Huawei B593s-22 is a good router but obsolete afaik?

I expect three will be totally overloaded with everyone home from work and trying to work from home so I wouldn't waste money trying to upgrade anything.

Tipsy McSwagger

Darc19 wrote: »

Find out where the mast is. Then place the router on the window upstairs (unless it's a bungalow) facing the direction of the mast.

Get a booster or range extender and you should see big improvement.

Even at the worst of times I get about 5mb download.

At the worst I can’t connect. I’ll try the WiFi extender.

smuggler.ie

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

At the worst I can’t connect. I’ll try the WiFi extender.

WiFi extender will only extend/improve your home WiFi signal. Where it might help your devices to get better signal from router, it will not improve signal from Three mast to your router. Don't be mistakenly mixing these.

On your B525 :
in Home tab see what connection you have - 4G/3G and many signal bars shown
in Settings>>System>>Device Information take note of and post here:

RSRQ: -?dB
RSRP: -?dBm
SINR: ?dB

or

RSSI: -?dBm
RSCP: -?dBm
ECIO: -?dB

Also, for most accurate results, internet speed should measured on Ethernet cable connection directly to router, with all other devices disconnected (WiFi off)

Tipsy McSwagger

smuggler.ie wrote: »

WiFi extender will only extend/improve your home WiFi signal. Where it might help your devices to get better signal from router, it will not improve signal from Three mast to your router. Don't be mistakenly mixing these.

On your B525 :
in Home tab see what connection you have - 4G/3G and many signal bars shown
in Settings>>System>>Device Information take note of and post here:

RSRQ: -?dB
RSRP: -?dBm
SINR: ?dB

or

RSSI: -?dBm
RSCP: -?dBm
ECIO: -?dB

Also, for most accurate results, internet speed should measured on Ethernet cable connection directly to router, with all other devices disconnected (WiFi off)

4G, full bars

RSRQ -11.0db
RSRP -90dBm
SINR 12db

smuggler.ie

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

4G, full bars

RSRQ -11.0db
RSRP -90dBm
SINR 12db

Stats look good...refraze - perfect, RSRQ tiny bit low - still, you should have no issues of getting descent speed unless:

1. congestion on mast - nothing you can do. Try to set router on 3G - in some cases it works better
2. test done on poor WiFi - as above, test wire connection directly to router, consider wire connection where possible, improving WiFi across house

Tipsy McSwagger

Goes to shyte after 6pm is the big issues

smuggler.ie

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Goes to shyte after 6pm is the big issues

What speed you consider good and bad?

Replacing router wont make difference.
When speed drops down below ~15-20Mbps - switch router to 3G only - should get steady ~25Mbps
This from my experience, your situation could be bit different , but fingers crossed

Tipsy McSwagger

smuggler.ie wrote: »

What speed you consider good and bad?

Replacing router wont make difference.
Wwhen speed drops down below ~15-20Mbps - switch router to 3G only - should get steady ~25Mbps
This from my experience, your situation could be bit different , but fingers crossed

Thanks for your help I really appreciate it. I would be thrilled to get 5mb after 6pm.

smuggler.ie

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Thanks for your help I really appreciate it. I would be thrilled to get 5mb after 6pm.

What you get tops on "good" day?

Tipsy McSwagger

smuggler.ie wrote: »

What you get tops on "good" day?

Around 18mb

smuggler.ie

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Around 18mb

And did you tried 3G only mode?

Sounds like you in well populated area - my stats bit lower and i had tops 140 at some point (no longer, must be Three done something, current tops 70-80 DL/ ~30 UL, night ~50/30). I am using external antenna to get signal to what i have now, without it its poor.

Tipsy McSwagger

smuggler.ie wrote: »

And did you tried 3G only mode?

Sounds like you in well populated area - my stats bit lower and i had tops 140 at some point (no longer, must be Three done something, current tops 70-80 DL/ ~30 UL, night ~50/30). I am using external antenna to get signal to what i have now, without it its poor.

Gonna try everything the weekend. Losing the will to live and I work from home all year round.

ED E

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Goes to shyte after 6pm is the big issues

Theres a very small chance anything you do (other than setting 3G maybe) will do anything, classic contention.

Dermobrickie

I'm kinda in the same boat, I have the b593 and my speeds have gone completely.
The problem is I have mounted it higher around the same time, I could never get lte before but now 3g won't load any thing (wired) and lte is .50 down and 5.6mbps up. Any ideas?

GinSoaked

When the upload speed is faster than the download it almost 100% guaranteed that the mast is overloaded.

People aren't uploading much so there is bandwidth spare for uploading, but everyone is downloading and using all the bandwidth.

smuggler.ie

Dermobrickie wrote: »

I'm kinda in the same boat, I have the b593 and my speeds have gone completely.
The problem is I have mounted it higher around the same time, I could never get lte before but now 3g won't load any thing (wired) and lte is .50 down and 5.6mbps up. Any ideas?

Patchy coverage in the house, could be effected even by insulation used in the walls. I have no coverage in mid house even for GSM, however, at the windows phone might pick up 1 bar 4G
Location, location, location - from experience, router position is very important down to tilt/angle toward mast and even 1/2 inch increment can make difference.

Dermobrickie

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Patchy coverage in the house, could be effected even by insulation used in the walls. I have no coverage in mid house even for GSM, however, at the windows phone might pick up 1 bar 4G
Location, location, location - from experience, router position is very important down to tilt/angle toward mast and even 1/2 inch increment can make difference.

Sorry I ment I mounted the aerial higher on a pole on the gable.

smuggler.ie

Dermobrickie wrote: »

Sorry I ment I mounted the aerial higher on a pole on the gable.

Same apply, up/down/tilt/angle
if using external aerial, review your local mast services/locations/directions
siteviewer mast locations 99% accurate, but no cell ID's reference
cellmapper cell ID reference, but from my experience, actual mast location might be inaccurate by mile/km
Comparing these two you should be able to get right direction for desired mast location.


tips and takeaways might help
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057089101
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057916642
...other in Midband forum....

Dermobrickie

What sort of km range should I be looking?
There a lte mast 8km from me is it to far?
I have an omnidirectional poynting aerial.
Is I best to put SIM in fone and get up on gable to see witch mast it is connected to,or can I do it when it's in the router?

smuggler.ie

Dermobrickie wrote: »

What sort of km range should I be looking?
There a lte mast 8km from me is it to far?

As it is omni, it takes signal 360 and picks strongest signal that might not provide best speed. Unless "shielded" by wall, it might not be able to pick the signal from desired mast with LTE service. To my understanding, mast best to cover ~5km radius, whatever after that will be severely effected by terrain (see https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/ In UK current height restriction for masts is 25 meters - believe Irl will be same), other factors, but can reach way more. On cellmapper you can see masts indicated to reach 20-30km distance

Again, due to nature of service, its case-by-case situation and in some instances 3G might be much better than 4G

Dermobrickie wrote: »

Is I best to put SIM in fone and get up on gable to see witch mast it is connected to,or can I do it when it's in the router?

Whatever suits you best, phone works similar as omni, but gain could be better on areal

Dermobrickie

Thanks for the help smuggler, I am just reading a blog from seosean and it is saying the same thing as u. And was reading posts u linked to, plenty to try and get my head around. One last question how do I find what cell I am connect to? It doesn't say it in router webpage, and in device info it doesn't show any of the following.
Maby removed from firmware?

On your B525 :
in Home tab see what connection you have - 4G/3G and many signal bars shown
in Settings>>System>>Device Information take note of and post here: RSRQ: -?dB
RSRP: -?dBm
SINR: ?dB
or RSSI: -?dBm
RSCP: -?dBm
ECIO: -?dB

Dermobrickie

Having a look on https://www.scadacore....th/rf-line-of-sight/ and I need to raise my aerial 24m to have a line of site for the late mast. Not possible, I have a h+ mast 3-4ks away so might try to get a good connection to it, will try and block interference from back of aerial.
Thanks again smuggler this routing will keep me sane during these tough times.ðŸ‘

smuggler.ie

Cant remember for sure(could check later tonight), but i think the stats info not available on B593, unfortunately. I dont think it is on any firmware versions.
You might need to look for third party soft/app to be able to read it


this process will keep you busy for a while, sure.
Good luck

Edit:
With omni , LOS is not that important

Who is your mobile provider with?

Dermobrickie

three

GinSoaked

Dermobrickie wrote: »

three

They didn't have enough bandwidth before the lockdown so they are hardly likely to have any spare now.

You can't even get onto My3 half the time there are so many people using it.

Tipsy McSwagger

GinSoaked wrote: »

They didn't have enough bandwidth before the lockdown so they are hardly likely to have any spare now.

You can't even get onto My3 half the time there are so many people using it.

I believe this is the issue. Complete congestion especially after 6pm when everyone is online. I woke up one morning at 6.30am and tested using speed test app, got 133mb download. If I tested at 6.30pm I’d be lucky to get 2mb.

The worst thing is my estate is brand new with around 50 houses, and the fibre lines are right outside my house. Eir won’t make them live though as it’s not commercially viable.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Who is your mobile provider with?

Just to be clear. You said you use your mobile as a hotspot after 6pm. Your mobile is the same provider as your broadband?

Why is the hotspot workable when your router isn't if it's the same provider?

smuggler.ie

Dermobrickie wrote: »

... One last question how do I find what cell I am connect to? It doesn't say it in router webpage, and in device info it doesn't show any of the following...

Got my old-good B593 powered up....


On B593
System>>Diagnosis>>under Method select Wireless status check
It wont show cell ID, but you get signal stats

Dermobrickie

all it says is RSSI -83 to -89dbm.

Dermobrickie

Dermobrickie wrote: »

all it says is RSSI -83 to -89dbm.

Don't hijack threads. Start your own on

Tipsy McSwagger

Just an update. Our lines have been turned on which has come as a massive surprise. Anyway I’ll be getting fibre broadband on Tuesday and ditching the 4G muck. Only thing is I still have 14 months left on my 3 contract which is a shame.