Boosting a cell phone signal 500-1000ft away?

[undercover]

I live in a rural area with terrible internet options. Our DSL has been acting up so I went to get a 4G fixed internet router. It plugs into the wall and uses standard SMA connectors for two mobile antennas.

In and around my house (even tested outside) I’m luck to get 1-5Mbps and it’s not consistent. I drove to the top of our property on a hill and I can get nearly 10-12Mbps. So, I’d like to have a stationary antenna and run a feed line down to the router. Problem is...it’s a long way (title).

Is there a cable where this would work or a booster that would work near the modem in the home? Or would the booster need to be at the antenna?

I’m thinking this probably isn’t going to work but maybe someone has ran across this or knows who I might can ask.

[thedigitalone]

How long is "a long way"?
Is there power available at the top of the hill?
Does the 4G device have a network plug on it?

There is going to be a lot of signal loss (attenuation) on the feedline from the antenna to the router, it would be better to site the device at the top of the hill and run a long network cable.  You should take into consideration lightning strikes if that's a possibility in your area.

[BudgetSlasher]

You say it uses standard SMA connectors? Those are the connectors for coaxial cable if I recall right. Google says the maximum run for coaxial cable is 500 meters (~1,600 ft). But that is probably when used for a TV system. I do not know if your little modem (which is designed to have the antennas directly attached) can run over coaxial, let alone the resistance of 500-1000 ft of it.

That brings me to some questions: 500 to 1000 is a large range, could you be more precise? Do you have a budget? What is at the property edge (she, power, ect). How would you get any cable out there, do you have a trench?

There are wifi solutions that could reach out (directionally) over 500 to 1000 feet, but you are talking a over a grand and needing power out there.

They do make LTE signal boosters. I do not know much about they, but a quick google says they are $500 - 1,500. I don't know if they have a better antenna and could be placed in the home of if they would need to be placed on the edge of the property. The added hop for internet may add latency.

You are probably in the range where if you placed the modem at the property edge and converted the network signal to fiber (that's likely too far for ethernet) you could run it to the house and then convert back to ethernet for the short run to your device or devices. It would probably be costly as well.

How was the DSL acting up? And did the company try and fix it?

[undercover]

Google Maps says it’s 413ft but it’s a slope so I’ll say it’s around 500ft. That sounds right to me just by eyeballing it.

Even if I could run a power extension cable that far, I’d still have to have a way to house the modem and any kind of ethernet to fiber adapter for the run back down to the house. Probably not feasible to do that although it would definitely work it sounds like and it’s probably my only option.

I looked at a booster too but all it does is take the signal you have outside and amplify it inside for cell phones. In theory I just need an antenna but I don’t get good signal around the house itself.

We’ve had problems with our antiquated AT&T DSL for years. It’s a legacy system they bought out years ago and they’re not willing to upgrade it or really service it beyond obvious issues. They’re letting it die out as they won’t let anyone new sign up and if you cancel your service, that’s it. It isn’t complete crap all the time but there are many times where it’s just super slow and high latency for hours. Was gonna keep the AT&T and have the 4G modem as a backup when needed.

I was hoping maybe there was a cable that was suited for a 500ft run and still maintain signal or maybe you could power the system from the house/modem location but I guess that wouldn’t make sense.

I’m hoping SpaceX’s Starlink comes soon. I’m signed up for the beta.

[Dancin'Dog]

I have a device that runs WiFi through an electric power line.  I use it to share our internet between our cabin and my shop, which are about 300' apart.  It's called a Linksys Powerline AV network kit PLK 300.  i don't know the maximum range, but it will probably work. 




You could probably run a 110V line to your 500' away cellular reception area to power your WiFi hotspot, feed the signal into the 110V line sending the signal to your home.  The device has a receiver unit which will be located in your home, and it feeds into a regular router. 


I've been using this for probably 8-10 years.  There may be a better solution now.

[lthenderson]

Just trying to think outside the box a bit but rather than putting up an antenna on a hill a long ways away, could you just put a tall antenna up close to your house and accomplish the same thing?

[BudgetSlasher]

Just trying to think outside the box a bit but rather than putting up an antenna on a hill a long ways away, could you just put a tall antenna up close to your house and accomplish the same thing?

Perhaps even roof mounted? Though I am not sure I would want a tall antenna connected via wire to a consumer grade electrical device (that wasn't build with that use case in mind) in my house. Seems like a lightning strike away from a problem.

Back to the OP.

One thing to consider it how the cell signal performs over the course of the year. My in-laws have good-to-great cell service at their house in the winter and poor-to-moderate signal in the late-spring to early-fall. (This pattern has been repeated as long as they have lived there ~10 years). Some people blame the trees leafing out (as that happens at that time), I personally think it is all the seasonal residents and tourist returning; I will have to ask how this year has gone.

As it sounds like any project would be considerable effort and some amount of money, I would hate for you to choose a path that works now only to find that during different conditions or times of the year turns out to be less than ideal.