What can i do to improve my mobile wifi signal?

[princessfluffy]

Hi im a noob when it comes to these kinds of stuff >.< Internet in my area is really slow and im wondering if getting a repeater can help my mifi? I'm using Huawei e5330 and i get like 30-90kb downlad speed :/

 

[Yummiesttag]

If your really close to the device and you get those speeds getting a repeater wont help you.
If that is running off a cellular signal then that's where the problem would be, you might need to put it closer to a window so it can get a better signal from the cell towers.

I would try that first vs buying a repeater.

 

[Solandri]

Hi im a noob when it comes to these kinds of stuff >.< Internet in my area is really slow and im wondering if getting a repeater can help my mifi? I'm using Huawei e5330 and i get like 30-90kb downlad speed :/

The e5330 is a 3G device, so 30-90 KB/s may in fact be the best it's capable of. It depends on the strength of the 3G network it's connecting to.

Talk to your cellular internet provider and see if they offer a 4G device and if your area has 4G service.

Try taking the e5330 upstairs and placing it near a window as suggested. If speeds improve, you might just be in a poor service area. In which case a cellular signal booster may help. That's a device you mount onto your roof, which receives cellular signals, boosts them, and rebroadcasts them into your house. However, they are very specific as to what carriers, bands, and type of service (3G or 4G) they support. So you really have to do your research before buying one. Also, unless you have some way to test the signal strength from the roof (e.g. if your phone uses the same cellular provider), there's no guarantee how much a booster will help.

Are you in a rural area, or are there other people nearby with the same slow internet problems? Often a solution which is unaffordable for one person can become cost-effective if you and a dozen neighbors and businesses pool your resources.

 

[princessfluffy]

Hi im a noob when it comes to these kinds of stuff >.< Internet in my area is really slow and im wondering if getting a repeater can help my mifi? I'm using Huawei e5330 and i get like 30-90kb downlad speed :/

The e5330 is a 3G device, so 30-90 KB/s may in fact be the best it's capable of. It depends on the strength of the 3G network it's connecting to.

Talk to your cellular internet provider and see if they offer a 4G device and if your area has 4G service.

Try taking the e5330 upstairs and placing it near a window as suggested. If speeds improve, you might just be in a poor service area. In which case a cellular signal booster may help. That's a device you mount onto your roof, which receives cellular signals, boosts them, and rebroadcasts them into your house. However, they are very specific as to what carriers, bands, and type of service (3G or 4G) they support. So you really have to do your research before buying one. Also, unless you have some way to test the signal strength from the roof (e.g. if your phone uses the same cellular provider), there's no guarantee how much a booster will help.

Are you in a rural area, or are there other people nearby with the same slow internet problems? Often a solution which is unaffordable for one person can become cost-effective if you and a dozen neighbors and businesses pool your resources.

I get up to 1mbps at midnight :/ Placing it near a window did improve my download speed (during the daytime) a bit. It reached up to 120kb/s. I also know a few neighbors getting the same problem!

 

[Solandri]

I get up to 1mbps at midnight :/ Placing it near a window did improve my download speed (during the daytime) a bit. It reached up to 120kb/s. I also know a few neighbors getting the same problem!

If you get up to 1 Mbps at midnight, it sounds like the 3G network is just overloaded in your area during the day. If that's the case, boosting the signal strength won't help.

• 
  ■ DSL or Cable Internet are not available in the area?
  ■ Are there any wireless Internet providers nearby? Those will mount an antenna on your roof and aim it at their antenna to get you internet over long-range wifi.
  ■ If there's a local Starbucks or McDonalds with free wifi visible from your house, you could conceivably get an antenna and connect to their wifi from a distance. That's not exactly kosher, but it's not illegal too. Probably best to discuss it with the store first, and come to some arrangement.
  ■ Satellite Internet is available nationwide (assuming you're in the U.S.) with rather small download quotas. However, I think they require DSL for upload bandwidth.