Virgin won't install - help

[Dannysingh8]

I've just moved into my new house and signed up for Virgin Broadband through their black friday deal (100mb for £25) last week and the install was booked for Monday. However, the mrs got a call from Virgin yesterday saying that they won't be able install because they can't dig 14m underground to get to the property.. surely there must be a solution for this?? 

[Dannysingh8]

Hey guys, here's an update:

Tested all 4 carriers (Three, O2, Vodafone and EE). I wasted £5 for Three data which eventually showed 3G, but I couldn't even load the speedtest website! We ran some tests on the Mrs EE sim but again, very slow. Vodafone worked pretty well in all rooms with constant 4G coverage and decent speeds but when compared to O2, it couldn't match it. With o2, I had 4G+ in every room and the speeds even reached 25mpbs when placed near the windows both upstairs and downstairs.

My only worry is where to position the router. I would have loved to put it behind my TV so I could connect my PS5 via ethernet for a stronger connection but the speeds I got here with o2 were only 10mbps. However, if a 4G router and external antenna can increase the speeds then it's all good. 

I'm tempted to try National Broadband as they have a 14 day money guarantee so no dramas. Here is their offering:

Based on your postcode, we’d recommend you opt for our ’Router Only Set-Up’. 

Upfront Cost - £99.00 

Monthly Cost - £34.99 

18 Month Contract – UNLIMITED DATA

It looks like they provide the TP-Link Archer MR600 router which seems to have good reviews plus works on o2. I've asked them why they didn't offer me the option of an external 4G antenna which they can install for £299 to increase speeds even further. Here's the link if anyone is interested - https://www.4g-internet.co.uk/our-plans-antenna

On the flip side, they're charging £35 a month for an unlimited data sim however with Tesco Mobile (o2 carrier) it's only £25. I've emailed National Broadband and will see what they say.

[Dannysingh8]

Merry Christmas all!

I've managed to find the nearest mast and draw my house for you to all review:

As you can see above, the position of my house is not the best but my plan is to the place the router (Huawei B525 300) and antenna (Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001) - if speeds are not great, at the back of the house as it's still quite close to the line will look better here compared to having it at the front.

What do you guys think?

[jpeg1]

That looks good, but rather expensive.

Just for comparison, I recently set up a similar arrangement, 

Archer MR600, not tied to a contract - £120 from Amazon

Antenna outside on windowsill £15   https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08XXG5993

In my case the signal was good enough that the expense of a directional antenna for just a few more dB signal wasn't justified.  The link speed probably wouldn't be any better.  An omni antenna also allows change to a different network that might be in a different direction.

[Dannysingh8]

Thanks jpeg.

Really appreciate your help guys, I have one final question before making the plunge.

I went on cell mapper and wanted to check which carrier has a better signal. Both are from the same mast, please see below:

o2

Vodafone

Can someone explain which one is better?

Thanks again guys.

[jpeg1]

The best signal now may not be the best one next week or next year.  It depends entirely on the different networks' plans. 

Don't commit to a lengthy contract tied to the router as you mentioned above.  By the router for cash. Get a monthly contract sim for the best signal according to your phone now, and you can change when you want or need to.

[Dannysingh8]

Oh yeah of course, i'll buy the router outright and get a tesco mobile sim for £25 a month.

[Dannysingh8]

Just debating between the Huawei B525/35 and TP Archer MR600 router.

Which one would you guys recommend? Reviews online seem pretty close, can't call it.

[carl_pearce]

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@Dannysingh8 wrote:

Just debating between the Huawei B525/35 and TP Archer MR600 router.

Which one would you guys recommend? Reviews online seem pretty close, can't call it.

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I use a B535-232 with a third party app (Paid for pro version) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.thecoder.huactrlpro&hl=en_GB&gl=US

The reason being I find 4G a better overall download/upload performance over 4G+.

This is my area though, yours may differ!

[jpeg1]

I've only used the MR600, so can't compare them.  No complaints about it at.

[Dannysingh8]

I get both 4G and 4G+ in the house but definitely notice the increase speeds upstairs near the window with 4G+. 

I'm thinking of going for the Archer MR600.. does this support 4G+?