Fastest Modem for Upload?

[Ztrain727]

While I decide on a parabolic antenna...

Does anyone have any experience getting faster uploads from different modem configurations, using one or more of the following:

1. A modem that supports MIMO uploads
2. A modem with higher gain on the antenna outputs that amplifies UL as well as DL
3. A low noise amplifier (LNA) between the modem and antenna, if that’s even a possibility.

I was investigating a GOES LNA, which has an 80mhz band centered on 1688mhz and a saw filter. This would overlap with LTE B4 (1710-55mhz) but I have no idea how uploads are amplified, if at all, so maybe this is just totally off base.

Any clarification on what amplifies upload signal would be hugely appreciated!

Thank you all so much!

[Didneywhorl]

Upload and download on most LTE modems generally share the diversity antenna port. It really depends on the modem, but it generally is not a good idea to have one port not match the other, as MIMO antenna useage doesnt seem to like that much. Overall I would simply recommend the highest gain antennas you can find, paired with a modem that can carrier aggregate on the uplink. I know the new Sierra EM7411 can 2x CA on the uplink. Otherwise I never really paid attn to this spec.

[Ztrain727]

Ah interesting. Thank you very much for explaining that! So probably makes sense to start with the parabolic antenna and go from there.

As for a modem that supports CA uploads, I don’t know if the tower/carrier I’m using has multiple bands. So far I’ve only seen B4. Not sure if there’s some way to see if there’s another, but then I’d potentially need another directional antenna for that band unless it was also supported.

I think I’m hung up on the amplifier thing because it makes sense to me the tower is high power antenna (look at the size of those power lines they run!) and your modem is tiny low power antenna, so it sure would be nice to send signal back, directional or not, with as much amplification as possible.

For example, if my phone here was directly connected to a cell tower configured the same, upload/download speeds between those towers should be identical. If I could amplify my broadcast to even 1% of that tower however, I’d be in the 3mbps UL range, 30mbps DL rather than .07mbps UL, 30mbps DL

But I feel I must be missing something and it’s a lot more complex than my best simple analogy

[mtl26637]

I think the size of the cable is due to cable length rather than power. Running RF cables at lengths of 200-300 feet your gonna need some extremely low loss cabling. Look at the size of regular cable tv coax compared to LMR400 or even LMR600 RF cable. Its crazy the difference between diameter and how stiff the cable is. Most cell towers I've look up frequencies/power outputs on are around 100-200W if I'm remembering correctly.

Cheapest way to boost uploads is "line-of-site" of antennas and antenna height esp. if you are kinda far away. Keeping the modem at the antenna you can do away with signal loss due to cable lengths. I would think any decent newer LTE modem would have upload speeds of 'up to' 30Mbps with proper antennas and if the provider offered the speeds.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Bring the modem to cell tower and do a speed test the results may surprise you.

And give you needed clues on what needs to be improved.

[Viper67857]

For example, if my phone here was directly connected to a cell tower configured the same, upload/download speeds between those towers should be identical. If I could amplify my broadcast to even 1% of that tower however, I’d be in the 3mbps UL range, 30mbps DL rather than .07mbps UL, 30mbps DL

But I feel I must be missing something and it’s a lot more complex than my best simple analogy

There's not as much spectrum allocated to upstream, and upstream CA is rare, so unless downstream is heavily congested while upstream is wide open, the two will never be equal. That said, a good parabolic mimo can potentially give you a helluva boost in both directions. Mine tends to give me 30-40up, 50-130 down, with bands 2+12+30. YMMV.