How to connect at home, on the road and at camp?

My work world is 100% dedicated to computers and technology. My personal world is not. So here is how I am trying to get the best of both worlds…and how it’s working.

Questions I want to answer

1. Ultimately, what equipment do I need for improving connection strength and quality the further out I go?
   1. Is a HotSpot worth the investment?
   2. Is the antenna in my iPhone better for signals than a HotSpot?
   3. How much do Cellular boosters really help and when to use it?
   4. How much do MIMO antennas really help and when to use it?
   5. Should I invest in Satellite internet?
2. Is there a point of no return?

Assumptions

• I did not want to go beyond $1,000.00 for equipment nor increase my monthly bill > $50
• I prioritized 4G networks and devices
• Because 5G is newer and lacking infrastructure, I tracked it but didn’t prioritize it
• Because 3G is end of life, I didn’t track it
• Because Starlink does not support mobile yet and it is expensive, I did not invest in it

Logical Architecture

Something I learned

• Bars don’t really indicate strength and quality.
• You can find your cellular tower data by dialing certain numbers based on your carrier.
  • visit weBoost for detail: https://www.weboost.com/blog/how-to-test-signal-strength-on-your-phone
• Distance from a tower is not 1 for 1 measuring strength and quality.
• Cell Signal Strength is best measure by RSRP (strength) and RSRQ (quality).
  • RSRP is short for Reference Signal Received Power, used when measuring 4G LTE networks.
    • A cellular phone or another LTE-equipped device would display signal strength in RSRP
    • measured 0dBm (best signal) to -110dBm (weakest/no signal)
    • An RSRP of -95dBm would be a strong signal whereas -115dBm would be very weak
    • Many devices show RSSI for LTE connections along with RSRP, but RSRP is a better indicator of signal strength
  • RSRQ is Reference Signal Received Quality.
    • This again only applies to 4G LTE networks and is a measure of the signal quality of a cellular connection.
    • RSRQ is typically displayed in a range from 0dB (highest quality) to -20dB (lowest quality).
    • Typically better signal quality results in a more reliable connection.
• What is RAT vs. LTE?
  • Radio Access Technology or (RAT) is the underlying physical connection method for a radio based communication network. 
    • Many modern mobile phones support several RATs in one device such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GSM, UMTS, LTE or 5G NR.
  • Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals
• Why is LTE RSRP frequently lower than RAT RSRP?

Bill of Materials

• Mobile Hot Spot
  • Purpose: Mobile network connectivity based on cellular.
  • Product: Verizon JetPack MiFi 8800L 4G LTE
• MIMO Antenna
  • Purpose: to improve cellular signal strength to Hot Spot when nearer to a cellular tower.
    • “near” to be defined.
  • Product: 6000450 Netgear MIMO Antenna with 2 TS-9 Connectors
• Cellular Booster
  • Purpose: to improve cellular signal strength to Hot Spot when further from a cellular tower.
    • “further” to be defined.
  • Product: 477154 Drive Reach OTR Booster
  • Boosting in the RV
    • Purpose: Power provided by outlet, Antenna is fixed to ladder.
    • Products:
      • 311229 Drive Reach OTR Outside Antenna
      • 314401 Slim low-profile inside antenna
      • 850029 Power Supply
  • Boosting outside the RV
    • Purpose: Power provided by 12V DC Power (Cigarette Lighter port), Antenna needs to be portable.
    • Products:
      • 311125 Wilson 12 Inch Magnet Mount Antennas
      • 314401 Slim low-profile inside antenna
      • 970019 SMA Female to SMB Plug Adaptor
      • 850015 Wilson AC/DC 12V/1.8A Wall Power Supply

Performance Testing Cases & Results

1. Test on available WiFi (if available)
2. Test with only iPhone Cellular
3. Test with only HotSpot Cellular
4. Test with HotSpot + MIMO (when signal strength is not too weak)
5. Test with HotSpot + weBoost + OTR Antenna (when in the RV)
6. Test with HotSpot + weBoost + Magnet Antenna (when away from the RV)

Locations

1. Elizabeth, Colorado – Suburban (EC)
2. Tysons Corner, Virginia – Urban (TCV)
3. Marquette, Michigan – Remote (MM)

Location	HotSpot/MIMO/Boost	Download (mbps)	Upload (mbps)	Bars (4G LTE)	RSRP (Strength)	Date
EC	HotSpot	91.0	6.82	3	-104 dBm	22-06-15
EC	HotSpot+MIMO	92.6	9.59	3	-103 dBm	22-06-15
EC	HotSpot+weBoost+OTR	62.8	16.7	3	-100 dBm	22-06-15
EC	WiFi	375.02	290.51	–	-88dBm	22-06-22
TCV	iPhone (LTE)	13.7	9.22	1	-88 dBm	22-06-28
TCV	HotSpot	5.94	13.67	1	-88 dBm	22-06-28
TCV	HotSpot+MIMO	4.63	20.95	2	-88 dBm	22-06-28
MM	iPhone (LTE)	1.63	0.66	3	-98 dBm	22-07-11
MM	HotSpot	3.08	.54	3	-104 dBm	22-07-11
MM	HotSpot+MIMO	14.67	1.42	4	-104 dBm	22-07-11

Performance Testing Observations

• iPhone is faster in urban areas
• HotSpot is faster in suburban and remote areas
• MIMO boosts speeds in suburban and remote areas
• weBoost boosts speeds in remote areas

Metrics

• https://www.speedtest.net/
• weboost iphone app
• netanalyzer iphone app
• opensignal iphone app

References

1. https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/
2. https://www.waveform.com/
3. https://www.weboost.com/
4. https://5gstore.com/blog/2021/04/08/understanding-rssi-rsrp-and-rsrq/
5. https://www.weboost.com/blog/how-to-test-signal-strength-on-your-phone
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_access_technology