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kylebwess
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4G LTE router recommendation

Mon Mar 06, 2023 1:30 pm

I am considering purchasing a Mikrotik 4G LTE Router for an urban setting in Ethiopia in East Africa, where broadband is usually spotty. The tower may be one kilometer from my location and I do have a line of sight. I have used 4G dongles in the past, but the speed has been inconsistent. I got good speed in the early morning but the performance went down during the day.

I only have one service provider, Ethio Telecom, that uses the following bands.

Technology Bands
Bands 4G B3 (1800)
Bands 3G B1 (2100)
Bands 2G B8 (900)

I would appreciate a recommendation for the relevant Mikrotik 4G LTE Router, preferably under $200. If anyone has used these routers in Ethiopia before then, please share your experience.
 
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Amm0
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Re: 4G LTE router recommendation

Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:22 pm

I can't speak to Ethiopia's cell carriers, but those bands are support on most of LTE products.

To decide, you need to know your planning to use inside or outside. And how much you care about how good the Wi-Fi is (e.g. the models with AX, like Chateau, are more expensive).

If you don't need 5G and sounds like your carrier doesn't offer it. But maybe someone more familiar with Ethio Telecom might know if they support "carrier aggregation". In that case, the higher category modems (e.g. LTE12, LTE18) would be of some benefit, since those can, with carrier support, use multiple bands at same time.
 
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Amm0
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Re: 4G LTE router recommendation

Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:30 pm

But my vote be for the wAPac-LTE, as they are a pretty good sweet spot and flexible. They come with internal antennas, but can be "upgrade" to use an external one. The wAPac still allow you to upgrade even the modem down the road, and are ARM-based so has all the feature. Only think is it has a VERY small flash.

If you don't need Wi-Fi, you might be able to get by with the older/cheaper wAP-LTE model. Or if you want "newer Wi-Fi", the Chateau do that, and maybe potentially higher cell speeds (again depending on if what/if any carrier aggregation you cell provider is offering)
 
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mkx
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Re: 4G LTE router recommendation

Mon Mar 06, 2023 7:53 pm

... the speed has been inconsistent. I got good speed in the early morning but the performance went down during the day.

This is what usually hapoens if MNO's cell tower is in heavy use ... large number of subscribers competing for scarce resources (throughput). The only thing you can do to get better service is to use antenna with very good antenna gain (i.e. 10dBi or better; make sure that antenna gain is good at all used frequency bands, many antennae have shitty gain at lower frequencies and good at higher frequencies) so you get better SINR and consequently better throughput during allotted air time.
 
hecatae
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Re: 4G LTE router recommendation

Tue Mar 07, 2023 11:14 am

https://halberdbastion.com/intelligence ... io-telecom

2x2 MIMO and 64QAM, according to Cellmapper, bands 3,7 and 20 are available:
https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=636&MNC=1

At a minimum I would choose an LTE6 device, LTE12 if the budget allows.

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