WFR/ATT Mobley & Unite Explore/Vrz S6 info sharing

[Smitty77_7]

Completed update of Communication Cabinet and new gear. Some more info on post install info sharing.

What (New and old mix):

-ATT Unite Explore AC815 & Mobley 

-Verizon Samsung S6 

-Mobile Mark MLTM301 MIMO/GPS Antenna

-Maximum Signal Max Amp and X's 2 13" magnetic antenna (Thanks Gord!!!)

-WiFi Ranger GOac & EliteAC flat mount flat mount

-Power bar run to cabinet next to Communication Cabinet

Some results after final hook up of gear. No particular order, and average of only 3 tests each spanning about 55 minutes. All gear routed thru WiFi Ranger as the focal point for these tests.

->Unite Explore AC815 MiFi connected to Mobile Mark MLTM301 rooftop antenna:

-Tethered to WFR (Got that to work the old fashion way. Slept on it and the today it plugged and played well together. No clue why I had trouble the other day...).

Ping 38 Down 65.51 Up 15.66

- WiFi connection to EliteAC

Ping 33 Down 22.55 Up 13.18

-WiFi connected to GO2ghz

Ping 46 Down 22.55 Up 8.82

-Exception here. Laptop WiFi connected to the Unite Explore 5G signal, bypassing the WiFi Ranger. About 20' from Communication Cabinet, with multiple walls and the cabinet door in the way.

Ping 47 Down 53.75 Up 13.42

-------- End of Unite Explore test ----- (The tethered test was the top dog of all the testing for download speeds. With not surprising the direct WiFi connection to the MiFi number two.) ----------

->Mobley

-WiFi connected to EliteAC

Ping 38 Down 20.97 Up 13.93

-WiFi connected to GO2ghz

Ping 46 Down 17.57 Up 13.33

===========

Was pleased to see the Mobley did so well, even without MIMO rooftop Mobile Mark antenna assistance (Compared to the Unite Explore with the Mobile Mark in the loop.)

I had the Maximum Signal off due to the strong ATT signal. And besides the inside antenna, is ~18 away from the Communication Cabinet, with the mention walls and cabinet door in the way too. 

I also did not A/B in the X's 2 Maximum Signal 13" antennas, and as mentioned on a test posting yesterday, will hold off on doing this until we're traveling. 

My main objective was to get all of the administration and connectivity 'stuff' taken care of. As well as the Oppo Bluray/Samsung Smart TV/DirecTV and a few other isolated items, all connected to the new WiFiRanger. 

And I wanted to see if their would be any difference in testing results by shifting from the EliteAC to the GO2ghz on the WiFiRanger Control Panel (And their was.) 

That's about it, so return to your normal activities. Except for Joel if he's reading this, as I have a specific WFR question below:)!

Best to all,

Smitty

Doc/Joel - A question about control panel settings....

I have the Control Panel set to broadcast both SSID for the 2.4 and AC. Default is to only broadcast one name. What happens if I change the setting back to the default, broadcast only one SSID for the unit. If I attach with a device that is within useable range and is 5ghz/AC capable, does the WiFiRanger use that for communication? And then assume stepping down to 2.4ghz if out of range? (And of course if my wife's older 802.11n 2.4ghz would connect via 2.4 too.) Where do most people use the individual broadcasting? Is it to say let one group of users to be on the 2.4, and reserve the 5ghz for another group? Sort of a level loading of the unit? Assume since the default is to broadcast only one SSID, that this is the norm?

TIA:)!

[Jack Mayer]

Smitty, thanks for the testing. It is interesting (at least to some of us). And exactly what I would expect.

I'll predict that with the amp vs the MIMO you will find that the MIMO is better almost all the time. But the amp will come into its own when the detectable signal level is in the -115db area or worse. My findings show the amp really does not do much before that. If anything. And that is really how it is intended to work, unlike the weBoost that boosts all the time. 

[Smitty77_7]

2 hours ago, Jack Mayer said:

Smitty, thanks for the testing. It is interesting (at least to some of us). And exactly what I would expect.

I'll predict that with the amp vs the MIMO you will find that the MIMO is better almost all the time. But the amp will come into its own when the detectable signal level is in the -115db area or worse. My findings show the amp really does not do much before that. If anything. And that is really how it is intended to work, unlike the weBoost that boosts all the time. 

10-4 Jack! 

And as I think Joel (May have been Dutch(?)) pointed out, MS Max Amp also cleans up SNR too. Where as the readings I saw in the Grand Canyon with the WeBoost Sleek, the SNR seemed to be amplified too (My term, probably not accurate.). As I understand it, the WeBoost bigger 4G-X and 4G-M amps also don't clean the SNR(?). For sure, it's more then just about overall signal amplifications, and staying compliant with new FCC regulations has complicated the heck out of this signal amping dance! MS Max Amp does that part of the dance well:)!

Looking forward to this years trip, and testing the difference between the devices and antennas used.  

One thing I did not share is that I was first worried about the GOac vs GO2's signal strength. (I use WiFi Explore app on my MacBook Air for these readings.) Then I had a 'duh' moment, and realized that the weaker signal was the 5ghz AC. I used this when the Verizon S6 Hotspot is the source for data, and it is out in the front living area of the coach, closer to the MS Max Amp's Internal Antenna. (Communication Cabinet is in the rear bedroom. So the mentioned 18-20' distance, walls, and cabinet door does really cut down that spectrums signal strength. (The Samsung S6 is 802.11AC MIMO Dual Band is connected to the GOac.) The longest wifi feed from the rear Communication Cabinet is to the front caps Samsung Smart TV. Where using only bars, the WFR's 5ghz is reflected as being 3 bars, while the 2.4ghz is four bars. Can live with both of these signal strengths, as their more then supportive. (But a future project is a CAT5/6 cable feed from the Communication Cabinet to the Audio Compartment:)!)

Time for me to stop playing with the communication stuff for awhile, and get the rest of the pre flight trip take of maintenance completed:)!

Best to you, and all,

Smitty

[Jack Mayer]

Exactly right Smitty. The SNR is improved on the Max and not on the -M. I assume the same on the -X (but I don't have one). It is all  a mess as far as performance goes. It is hard to compare them, honestly. For the most part the weBoost "outperforms" the Maxx. That is because it is just hammering the tower at very manageable signals the  Maxx does not boost at. But the bottom line is that the weBoost, in "manageable" signal areas does outperform the Maxx. However,  my experience is that as soon as you get to a REALLY bad area the mobile Maxx does outperform the weBoost -M. At least in my testing...and I have run literally HUNDREDS of tests. But that only happens in these very bad areas.

I'm still thinking that a MIMO antenna setup....of the proper antennas....will outperform all the amps. But I have only partially proven that at this point.

[Max Signal]

Thanks for your explanation Jack .It is very frustrating when concerned with the FCC rules.We at Maximum Signal are proud that we build to FCC standards. And By doing such the Maximum Signal booster will keep lowering its output to be a passive  device ,.when in moderate to good signal areas. It is fortunate that when a less desirable coverage areas our booster will receive a signal down to a negative -127 and no signal indicated on the device and it will take you to a 4G signal . Isn't that the point of a booster? The reality is if you are in a moderate signal area why do you need a booster, when that is the point of the new FCC rules.

 

[Jack Mayer]

People do need to be educated on the behavior of the new FCC - conforming amps. They do behave quite differently than amps have in the past. People will NOT see boost in moderate-good signal areas. 

[Max Signal]

That is why I appreciate your understanding of the rules Jack and how our product does conform. Others do not care whether you are in compliance with the new rules. Or features we do have that others do not .

[docj]

On 4/15/2017 at 3:11 PM, Jack Mayer said:

People will NOT see boost in moderate-good signal areas. 

I finally had the time to restring my antennas so the SuperMaxx is now on the roof and one of the original inside ones is now on the ceiling of the coach about mid-way down its length.  This configuration appears to avoid the oscillation problems I was seeing when the SuperMaxx was inside.

What's very clear now is that I'm seeing measurable and reproducible effects of the MaxSignal amp even though I'm in a relatively high signal area.  When I sit in my favorite recliner facing forward the indoor antenna is to my back.  Running the Signal Check Pro app on my phone the RSRP is ~-104 dBm when my phone has a clear line of sight to the antenna.  If I move it slightly, so my body blocks its line of sight, the signal immediately drops to ~-109dBm.  Moving the phone back reverses the process.  I can do something similar with the phone just sitting on the dining table about 4 feet below the antenna.  In this case holding my hand above the phone results in a drop of ~3-4dBm.

As Jack has noted, these are modest levels of amplification because the signal I'm receiving is already a good one.  If I want to see impressive signal gains displayed I can hold the phone within 2 feet of the antenna and the app will read ~-90dBm for a brief period until the amp reduces the unnecessary gain.  That "excess capacity" will be called upon when we're no longer in a high signal area.

What's important to understand is that receiving digital signals, whether they be wifi or cellular, is not a situation in which "more is better". As long as adequate signal strength accompanied by a good signal to noise ratio is being received, additional amplification won't improve performance.  That's the same reason that your HDTV picture looks pretty much the same almost right up to the moment when the signal is too weak to receive at all.  Digital signals are either "acceptable" or they're not.  It's not like the old analog days where the larger the signal the better was the rule.