We took the offered subscription by a telecoms provider for a portable wifi which is connected to the sim card. That affords me to have internet on my phone wherever I am. But not so fast. It seems to be working only in the metro. Whenever I would go out of town, it’s either a weak signal or no signal at all. I have informed the agent who sold the package and he gave me the usual reply that there is repair work being done in the area. Maybe it’s time to change my subscription?
Portable wifi often loses signal
- Thread starter Corzhens
- Start date
Most WiFi meant for public use operated in the 2.4GHz spectrum, because all WiFi devices support it, and it has a sort of happy medium between range and speed. However there's only 13 5GHz channels in this spectrum, where your device is typically operating on a channel width of 20Mhz, so interference is extremely common.
5GHz WiFi however operates on a much wider range of frequencies, so interference is a lot less common. I'd suggest looking into a 5GHz service if they offer it. They might not, because it's more heavily impeded by obstacles, but it is becoming more widespread due to all the congestion on 2.4GHz.
5GHz WiFi however operates on a much wider range of frequencies, so interference is a lot less common. I'd suggest looking into a 5GHz service if they offer it. They might not, because it's more heavily impeded by obstacles, but it is becoming more widespread due to all the congestion on 2.4GHz.
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Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
You seem to be on the right track...however I think the OP was talking about a mobile hotspot and not getting coverage. Additionally, there is no such thing as a 5GHz service, but the OP can get a 5GHz capable router. 🙂
N and AC largely operate on 5GHz, which are the latest two WiFi standards (N in particular has been on the market since 2009).
Hotspots (at least for Android phones) began supporting 5GHz broadcasting in 2015.
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Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
Right but that is not a service. You don't call Verizon or Comcast saying you want to subscribe to 5GHz. 😉
OP has stated they're providing the WiFi, which as we previously established, can be broadcasted at 5GHz. Back when I worked for a wireless ISP, we offered such service extensively.
A common example: https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/
...and for the higher end, a sector antenna, shielding, and proper radio can broadcast usable WiFi at 5GHz to a range of almost half a mile.
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Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
But cell phone companies like Verizon and AT&T are not broadcasting 5GHz frequencies out of their towers. From what I gathered from the OP, her mobile hotspot is getting a low cellular signal (cell towers broadcast in frequencies in the MHz, I can get a list if you'd like). 5GHz wifi will do no good if she has no cell service to her hotspot.
Neither myself nor the OP have mentioned cell service. The discussion has been very specifically about WiFi service being dodgy, which is a separate service many ISP's offer. Even Comcast does for those away from home.
Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
Portable wifi requires cell service. She is using a hotspot, which requires a cell service. OP is losing her "wifi" signal because she has no cell service in the rural areas, compared to when she is in metro areas. As mentioned, wifi will be dodgy if she has poor cell service.
Hotspots:https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/hotspots.html
Hotspots were not mentioned by the OP lol. Plus, why would someone without data service be able to rely on their hotspot to provide it? As you said, the hotspot is dependent on your cellular connection.
Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
A Hotspot is "portable wifi".
OP was in need of internet on their phone, so they signed up for portable WiFi. Which yes is poorly worded, but think about it for a second. If that meant hotspot, that sentence means the internet is provided to the phone by the hotspot ...which is supposedly fed from the same cellular service the phone is using. So how is it that the hotspot has data through that service but the phone doesn't?
Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
Perhaps OP has signed up for two different carriers. I have AT&T, but also have an AT&T hotspot, and a Verizon hotspot. Redundancy is key. However, it is also possible this is an unfortunate case of "I have wifi, so it isn't using my data plan!", when in reality, it still is.
Fair; in that situation it makes sense. But as many ISP's (including Comcast) do offer subscription-based WiFi service when you're away from home, it made more sense that it was in reference to a cellular provider doing the same, or their use of a wireless non-celluar ISP (which I had experience with). The original wording is just a bit problematic lol
Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
🙂 Comcast calls those hotspots, too. 🙂 Comcast actually uses their customers wifi routers to create the wifi away from home. I am not a Comcast customer, but it does seem really nice! I always try to connect to the wifi lol.
I'm aware. Though it's funny that the reason you believed hotspot was implied was because it was portable, and you stated that it couldn't operate at 5GHz, while that's most definitely not correct for everything called a hotspot such as Comcast's service. =p
Hotspot semantics lol and it wasn't even mentioned by the OP.
Steve Jobs
Up-and-Coming Sensation
It is also Comcast. 😀😀😀😀
OP said when she goes out of town, she said she gets weak signal or no signal, which could support my theory of it being cell based, but, I do see your theory of Comcastic mesh. Although, I am 95% sure OP is not in America, thus no Comcast (lucky her!)
This doesn't preclude other ISP's from doing the same, and WiMAX ISP's are prevalent in every country (yes, even North Korea), which frequently also offer long-range WiFi since almost all the PtMP hardware they utilize natively supports it.
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