I wish to add internet access to my cottage which is located about 1.5-2 km from the closest 4G+5G enabled cell towers (2). What gear would I need to purchase from MIkroTik in order to make sure I’ve done my best to get the best possible reception? I’m planning to use the RB5009UPr+S+IN as the router, which distributes eth-cables to different locations within the cottage. I have an unused chimney channel so I am able to pull a cable from the router to the roof. There are also rather tall trees nearby so I could potentially place an antenna higher than the roof (chimney) of the cottage, taking the cable from the router through the side (plinth) of the building.
4G and 5G are different, Mikrotik has not (yet) AFAIK many “bleeding fast” 5G capable outdoor devices, there are people that use Chateau 5G Ax (which has LTE cat20 and 5G modem) inside electrical boxes (and it is not cheap, list 595$)…
Your other option is the Chateau 5G R16 which has a newer 5G modem in it. This is a cheaper option than the Chateau 5G AX. If you wanted to get the Chateau 5G outside, some people have been known to put them in a waterproof plastic box to enable mounting it up high on a roof or pole. It’s possible to power it by using 2 x Mikrotik Gigabit POE injectors. Plug one of them in the wrong way round on the end of the ethernet cable and then into the chateau 5g, use a male to male barrel adapter to supply the power to it.
Before purchasing anything though check that 5G is actually available from a provider in the area of the cottage as you’ll be wasting money on a 5G device if it isn’t and would be better off with something like the lhg lte 18 especially if the mast is a way away.
Run a speed test with a 5G-enabled phone to get an idea of what speeds you can expect before buying an indoor 5G product from MikroTik. If you need a 5G outdoor device with a directional antenna you’ll have to look for another brand.
Apologies for the long delay in getting back to you. I was first going to go with LTE18 + Chateau LTE18 ax, but realized there’s LTE modem redundancy in this setup.
Great input! Many thanks. I’m not in a hurry and decided to wait for the 5G models, assuming they’ll be released this year.
I’d choose the ATL 5G because:
-More RAM (512 MB)
-Better antenna gain (16 DBi), almost as good as LHG LTE18. I couldn’t find the antenna gain figure for the ATL LTE.
-MIMO 4x4
-eSIM option
-Easier to aim (not parabolic)
I’d like to fix the ATL 5G as high as possible, right on top of the treeline. How would you accomplish this? Would you just buy a hollow metal pole and attach it to a tree? Then, you can turn the pole to change the direction of the dish.
The top of the tree may tend to sway significantly so not sure if thats ideal, in my experience its always windy.
A pole on a fixed object like house may be better unless there is an earthquake every time you want to use the connection.
Agree with @anav here, don’t put it on a tree. It’s better to put it on a fix pole attached to your house. My ATL is attached to the roof beams by using L shaped mount for an old style TV antenna.
