We dealt with sub-par shitty end of the line DSL for way too long.
Getting less than half of what I paid for.
It got worse with the Covid lockdown.
Sometimes I couldn't even upload a photo without severely reducing the size and resolution. Forget about a video.
On a good day it was 1.3 down and .3 up, and that was after running a dedicated cat6 from the demarq to the modem jack in the office, to eliminate noise inherent with the old copper phone wiring daisy-chained from room to room.
So I finally took the time and dug into the problem.
The solution has been nothing shy of amazing.
Mofi 4500 sim7 router - $300
Ebay Page Plus (Verizon) Unlimited Data SIM- $55 month (DSL was $77)
Proxicast 7-10 dBi gain antenna - $100
Ebay 6 ft. N Male to SMA Male Coax Cables - $20
The system did OK with the paddle antennas that shipped with it, but getting the directional antenna and pointing it at the tower increased stability and speeds enough to justify the cost.
Speeds vary due to traffic tower and weather, but at its worst it's 3-5 times faster than DSL was. At it's best it's 20-40 mbps down and 6-20 up.
It will even pop a 50 down every now and then.
I settled on putting it all in my 3rd floor walk up attic. The space is semi-conditioned so heat is not a concern. The antenna is outdoor rated, but I like keeping it all out of the weather, so it's mounted in a window facing the tower.
Interesting sidenote: I setup these for a couple of friends who live in more densely populated areas, and their speeds typically are not as good as mine are.
We are pretty sure it's due to excessive loads on the towers.
These can also be setup to use ATT and other carrier SIMS. I chose Verizon because they have the best coverage in our area.
Starlink, if it delivers as touted, will be our final solution, but for now this is the best we've had.
Getting less than half of what I paid for.
It got worse with the Covid lockdown.
Sometimes I couldn't even upload a photo without severely reducing the size and resolution. Forget about a video.
On a good day it was 1.3 down and .3 up, and that was after running a dedicated cat6 from the demarq to the modem jack in the office, to eliminate noise inherent with the old copper phone wiring daisy-chained from room to room.
So I finally took the time and dug into the problem.
The solution has been nothing shy of amazing.
Mofi 4500 sim7 router - $300
Ebay Page Plus (Verizon) Unlimited Data SIM- $55 month (DSL was $77)
Proxicast 7-10 dBi gain antenna - $100
Ebay 6 ft. N Male to SMA Male Coax Cables - $20
The system did OK with the paddle antennas that shipped with it, but getting the directional antenna and pointing it at the tower increased stability and speeds enough to justify the cost.
Speeds vary due to traffic tower and weather, but at its worst it's 3-5 times faster than DSL was. At it's best it's 20-40 mbps down and 6-20 up.
It will even pop a 50 down every now and then.
I settled on putting it all in my 3rd floor walk up attic. The space is semi-conditioned so heat is not a concern. The antenna is outdoor rated, but I like keeping it all out of the weather, so it's mounted in a window facing the tower.
Interesting sidenote: I setup these for a couple of friends who live in more densely populated areas, and their speeds typically are not as good as mine are.
We are pretty sure it's due to excessive loads on the towers.
These can also be setup to use ATT and other carrier SIMS. I chose Verizon because they have the best coverage in our area.
Starlink, if it delivers as touted, will be our final solution, but for now this is the best we've had.
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