All cellular (wireless) routers have transmission blocks for wireless communication which are based on industry and telecom standards. It is therefore crucial to choose the right antenna for your application. Never underestimate the role of the antenna as it will directly influence customer satisfaction and your bottom line.
It is important to understand some principles of antenna design when considering an antenna.
Our partner WiLink, based in Warsaw Poland, did a test of the POYNTING PUCK-5 and MIMO-3-V2-15 antennas and the Peplink HD-4 cellular modem. Two MIMO-3-V2-15 and two 2 PUCK-5 antennas were mounted on a vehicle which drove from Warsaw to Karpacz in the south of Poland. During this trip the router in the vehicle were continuously streaming HD video to the control and monitoring centre at the customer site.
The goal of this trip was to judge which antenna would best fit the projects’ requirements. It was also a good opportunity to see (in practice) what the difference in performance are between the much bigger MIMO-3-V2-15 vs the smaller PUCK-5 antenna.
The trip was approximately 500 kms long, driving in and around Warsaw, Lódż Wrocław, Jelenia Góra and Karpacz, in the south of Poland.
The system was set up as follows:
A Peplink MAX HD4 LTE-A Quad 4G LTE Mobile Router with 4 modems were used. We used SIM cards from one network provider (PLUS) in two of the modems. We then connected two different antennas (PUCK-5 vs MIMO-3-V2-15) to these modems. We inserted SIM Cards from different network providers (Orange and T-Mobile) in the other two modems and connected a PUCK-5 or MIMO-3-V2-15 to each.
To summarise the modems were linked to the following antennas and network providers or carriers:
The PUCK-5 is a robust multifunctional 5-in-1 ultra-wide band omni-directional antenna with 2 m RKT-031 cable and a variety of mounting options. In the antenna enclosure you will find:
The MIMO-3-V-2-15 is a high performance, robust multifunctional 5-in-1 Antenna that comes with 2m fire-retardant high-quality cable and a variety of mounting options. In the antenna enclosure you will find:
It was critical for the customer to have a constant, live video stream from the vehicle to the monitoring centre in Warsaw, at the best quality possible.
As one PUCK-5 and one MIMO-3-V2-15 were operating on the sim-cards of the same service provider, we could compare their performance on the same network. The other antennas were mounted to the other 2 available modems and connect to two different operators. For the most part the vehicle was driving at speeds above 120km/h as 140 km/h speeds are allowed on the highways and 110 km/h on the “dual carriage ways”.
The test drive clearly demonstrates the importance of the choice of the right antenna for your applications:
The download and upload speeds varied during the trip and the differences in the network coverage of the different operators were visible during the trip.
Our partner and their customer were extremely impressed by the performance of the antennas as well as the additional value that the POYNTING antennas View Compare to their systems. The antennas do have a great impact on the bottom line and overall customer satisfaction.
You cannot always pick the best antenna available as there are restrictions due to size, personal preference, budget etc. It is therefore important to understand the compromise you must make when choosing an alternative antenna.
To summarise the MIMO-3-V2 will keep you connected whether you are travelling in remote areas (through the mountains or at the seashore), but also in large cities and urban areas. Whether you are taking the high-ways or the country roads a POYNTING “anywhere and everywhere” MIMO-3 antenna will keep you connected.
If the connectivity is less critical or you are traveling in areas with better signal, the PUCK-5 antenna will be a really good choice and will outperform most other available solutions in terms of connection reliability and overall performance for mobile and fixed installations.
POYNTING antennas come in different size and form-factors and are always optimized for performance. POYNTING – Making Wireless Happen!
Keep safe! Keep Healthy.
Tjeerd Huitema, MD POYNTING Europe GmbH