Mattie_B
@myvzw.com
| Suggestions on improving speed?
I was just wondering what if anything I could do to improve my speeds. I have put up a 800Mhz Yagi outdoors and maintain a steady 4 bars -72 through -74 dBm. The highest its ever went after the antenna install was -77dBm.
I'm running Vista Ultimate 64 Bit and didn't realize that the DRT optimizer thing doesn't work on Vista.
This is about the max I can get out at my place. Now I am about 8 miles away from the tower but I would think I should still get more since I have 4 out of 4 bars.
If I go in town and run the tests at a friends I can get around 1250 down and I can't get anywhere close to that here. Anything I can do to get over 1Mbps? |
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Max Signal
Premium
join:2008-03-07
Buffalo, NY
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Is EVDO running on 800 where you are ? You should check . Go to www.Wirelessadvisor.com , Type in you zip code . If all Verizon is using is 800mhz . You are fine with that antenna . If they have licenses on 1900 where you are then that is where EVDO will be . And that antenna is useless to you .Also keep in mind Yagi's are very directional and need very careful aiming . If not aimed exactly at the tower you are trying to obtain signal from the antenna is useless to you.
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www.MaximumSignal.Net |
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Mattie_B
@myvzw.com
| reply to Mattie_B
Yes I've confirmed that its the 800Mhz line. If I don't have the antenna hooked up I get no bars and no Rev A service. All I got before the Yagi was a -87 through -90dBm National access signal strength.
So as far as equipment I know I've got what I need. Its just a matter of getting a bit more speed.
Do you think an amp would help get me a few hundred more Kbps?
I know if I go in town closer to the tower I can get like 1250 down. I'd really like to get that at my house but I'm falling short. This is the best I've done on Speedtest for downloads here.
Also sometimes it can be hard to connect possibly due to the range I'm at. 7 Miles to the tower but when it gets foggy or rains hard sometimes the signal won't be found for a little bit. After I get it connected the signal is fine as long as I keep it active. If I let it go dormant it sometimes won't load pages. So I just ping google to keep it going. Would a amp help it connect on the first attempt in bad weather or help out? |
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Downrange
join:2008-04-28
Catawba, VA
edit:
May 10th, @12:23PM
| From what I've found, you've already gotten practically as much as you will get from VZW, unless you are parked under a tower. The best downloads I've ever gotten, operating portable on business trips to Northern VA, sitting under the cell tower, etc., were around 1600 down or so. As far as downloads, there's not too much difference that I can see between those speeds and 800-1000. I definitely wouldn't spend hundreds on an amp/antenna to get that.
Just my .02 |
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bigdawwg
Premium
join:2001-03-17
Newton, TX
clubs: 
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
| reply to Mattie_B
said by Mattie_B :Yes I've confirmed that its the 800Mhz line. If I don't have the antenna hooked up I get no bars and no Rev A service. All I got before the Yagi was a -87 through -90dBm National access signal strength. So as far as equipment I know I've got what I need. Its just a matter of getting a bit more speed. Do you think an amp would help get me a few hundred more Kbps? I know if I go in town closer to the tower I can get like 1250 down. I'd really like to get that at my house but I'm falling short. This is the best I've done on Speedtest for downloads here. Also sometimes it can be hard to connect possibly due to the range I'm at. 7 Miles to the tower but when it gets foggy or rains hard sometimes the signal won't be found for a little bit. After I get it connected the signal is fine as long as I keep it active. If I let it go dormant it sometimes won't load pages. So I just ping google to keep it going. Would a amp help it connect on the first attempt in bad weather or help out? Mattie, I'm the same situation you are in. I live in the fringe area, about 9 miles from the tower. What I think is happening is that I am so far away from the tower weather conditions are causing my RSSI to be 89 to 105. I still get speeds up to 1250/450, but at different times of the day. I'm thinking that an amplifier would help me. I will try one sooner or late. I'm using a Wilson Omni antenna on a pole 15 feet tall. Check Ebay out, you might get an amp for a lot less that a new one costs. |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
|  reply to Mattie_B
8 mile road
Hey Mattie , If you are truly 8 miles out and getting 800 down your kicking my butt. The only thing I know to do is to try this guys stuff.
'»https://signup.boingo.com/signup/SignupS···E420818?'
Later |
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Mattie_b
@myvzw.com
| Actually using google earth I'm 8 driving miles and 7 nautical miles from the tower. I had the same problems the past day and a half. Weather got pretty bad and the fog came. I was connected all day Sunday through the rain. When I disconnected that night I lost the signal all Monday day and night because of the weather.
I just can't believe fog makes things that bad. It finally cleared up about 20 minutes ago and presto I'm right back to 4 bars -75dBm and current speeds like this.
I realize the amp may not do much of anything when the weather is clear but its annoying the days it does get foggy. I just want to be able to connect to Rev-A without worrying about the fog. Would the amp help punch through it any better so the signal doesn't get lost? |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
|  OK 7 mile road? or ?
 I think that amp is doing very well for you My speed is still and always has been 600 u 400 d which is very poor for the service I could have but IM portable. If I was going to stay put a while I would get something a lot lt faster like roadrunner or fios or sonething, so dont sweat it . It is cheaper than SAT. |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
|  reply to Mattie_B
Re: Suggestions on improving speed? Wow!
 Mattie
Verizon must be monotring our displeasure because they are having a good morning in Porterville, I moved my modem and used the map guide to aim it more towards the tower which is a mile away.
So ... Well I guess I can almost live with that it amazes me that they can have such a wierd ratio in up and down but who cares I should be able to do better I think.
I'll try something later.
Later
JD
--
Kevin Mitnick was right !! I think.
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Mattie_B
@myvzw.com
| Thats without an amp. I wondered if getting a amp would help get through the fog better and connect? As of now if it gets really foggy and I'm not already connect I can't get connected.
When the weather is clear or slightly overcast its not a problem just when the fog rolls in. |
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Max Signal
Premium
join:2008-03-07
Buffalo, NY
·Verizon FIOS
| I sell amplifiers for a living and here is the honest answer. All we can guarantee with the purchase of an amplifier is the best reception possible ( lowest RSSI readings). With the best reception usually comes your highest upload, download speeds and lowest latency . But there are many other factors involved that you have no control that also effect your speeds. Such as network traffic , traffic on the tower you are connected to , number of T1 lines to said tower , Use or abuse of the frequency on the tower you are connected to by other users. I hope this clear things up for you
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www.MaximumSignal.Net |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
| 
Hey Wow
That was informative. Thanks, so ? for you , does splicing up a USB cable as directed in some of the forums on other pages work? By increasing the voltage to the modem,, I know it is fairly a stupid question and I probably already know the answer , but before I start taking the five minutes to tweak on a USB cable I thought I might ask, PS I'm poor right now in a temp location, so every damn penny kinda counts. It sucks being poor. I hate it.Haven't been there in a while.
Thanks
JD
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I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. I ain't no Edward Einstien!
Terry Bradshaw
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Max Signal
Premium
join:2008-03-07
Buffalo, NY
·Verizon FIOS
| A longer USB cable will give you increased reception, not great increase but it does help . If you are poor at the moment A good magnetic mount antenna ( on at least a 8 inch by 8 inch Metal surface)connected to your card could give enough of a gain in your signal strength to at least give you consistent signal without drops for the time being
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www.MaximumSignal.Net |
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Downrange
join:2008-04-28
Catawba, VA | reply to KIDPUTER
Kid, the UM-150 ships with a dual connector USB cable, and the manual says using it increases transmit power.
Max: how does the USB cable affect received signal? |
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Max Signal
Premium
join:2008-03-07
Buffalo, NY
·Verizon FIOS
| It seems to improve both send and receive on the device
said by Downrange  :Kid, the UM-150 ships with a dual connector USB cable, and the manual says using it increases transmit power. Max: how does the USB cable affect received signal? |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
| Yeah it has the "Y " conector that is supposed to increase the voltage, I think you can go into group policy editor and allocate more power also , in fact im sure of it , just cannot remember where exactley it is right now, somewhere in there though. It keeps a reserve for the USB hubs and you can change that , havent had much experience with any success on that issue though.
I did find a quite interesting little benifet, that I'll share with you in one of my developers f t p site , lots of good stuff if your in the game.
'»ftp://ftp2.bvrp.com/pub/'
Nice stuff, oh there was something else but ill think of it later Im tired.
Later
JD
OH OH
'»www.motodev.com' is quite generous with software and programs like handset loaners etc, modems , that kind of stuff you might want to check it out if your like me and get a new handset or pda every few days.
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I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. I ain't no Edward Einstien!
Terry Bradshaw
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bigdawwg
Premium
join:2001-03-17
Newton, TX
clubs:
·Verizon Wireless B..
·HughesNet Satellit..
| reply to KIDPUTER
said by KIDPUTER : Hey Wow That was informative. Thanks, so ? for you , does splicing up a USB cable as directed in some of the forums on other pages work? By increasing the voltage to the modem,, I know it is fairly a stupid question and I probably already know the answer , but before I start taking the five minutes to tweak on a USB cable I thought I might ask, PS I'm poor right now in a temp location, so every damn penny kinda counts. It sucks being poor. I hate it.Haven't been there in a while. Thanks JD I tried using both USB connectors, and it doesn't seem to change anything as far as download speed is concerned.
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Verizon EV-DO 5 Gig Plan | HN7000s Pro+ v 5.6.1.19 | G11 Freq 1410 Horizontal | Clients - P4 3.4 | 2.5 gigs Ram | Gateway AMD Turion 64 x2 1.6 Laptop | |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA | Hey thanks , thats what I thought .
Later
J.D. |
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KIDPUTER
Kevin Mitnick was Framed
join:2004-08-27
Porterville, CA
·Clearwire Wireless
|  Hey Big dawgie:
How is your Sat service , i used to do Wild Blue Installs when they very first started or should I say when ATT started marketing it for whatever reasons , I think they became partners to some extent . But I have used Hughes off and on for years when I couldn't get anything else , it was sooooo, much faster when they would allow us to use the PCI modem cards and we could multi-link them and still charge only one service fee, and they didn't monitor usage like they do now. Actually I have not personally used it for a while , Sat service ,that is , just to install it. Thats why I am asking , Wild Blue was a pain to put in , especially if the customer ordered they slower plans , I would usually talk them into a free trail period of the fastest service , just to get through the install faster. My deal was the Home Networking set-up, We got to set our own price on those , because they would not support it. At that time at least . Thinking back , that was a good gig.
Later
J.D.
--
I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. I ain't no Edward Einstien!
Terry Bradshaw
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bigdawwg
Premium
join:2001-03-17
Newton, TX
clubs:
·Verizon Wireless B..
·HughesNet Satellit..
| said by KIDPUTER : Hey Big dawgie: How is your Sat service , i used to do Wild Blue Installs when they very first started or should I say when ATT started marketing it for whatever reasons , I think they became partners to some extent . But I have used Hughes off and on for years when I couldn't get anything else , it was sooooo, much faster when they would allow us to use the PCI modem cards and we could multi-link them and still charge only one service fee, and they didn't monitor usage like they do now. Actually I have not personally used it for a while , Sat service ,that is , just to install it. Thats why I am asking , Wild Blue was a pain to put in , especially if the customer ordered they slower plans , I would usually talk them into a free trail period of the fastest service , just to get through the install faster. My deal was the Home Networking set-up, We got to set our own price on those , because they would not support it. At that time at least . Thinking back , that was a good gig. Later J.D. I have been having very low speeds in the evenings during the weekdays, but I noticed lately, speeds have picked up a little. On the weekends, my speeds have been good all day and night. A lot of people are having much worse speeds than I have been. It all depends on which satellite and transponder your on. I recently got Verizon EV-DO, and it blows Hughesnet out of the water most of the time. |
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