Wireless Broadband Antennas
In areas with poor 4G reception, external antennas can be used to improve signal quality and obtain faster internet speeds. Our X750 and AP1300 model 4G modems are both compatible with a wide variety of 4G antennas that can be purchased from 3rd party vendors on Amazon and eBay.
How do I know if I need to use external antennas?
If you're using an X750 or AP1300 modem with the strongest carrier in your area but still aren't satisfied with your internet speeds, you may benefit from using external antennas. Before purchasing external antennas, first try testing out the different 4G bands available in your area. Different bands have different bandwidth capabilities, and some will perform better than others. You can view the instructions to change and test 4G bands here: Changing and Testing 4G Bands.
If you've tried changing 4G bands and still aren't satisfied with your speeds, you may want to purchase a set of external antennas. External antennas can help bypass physical obstructions to the 4G signal, such as metal roofs, walls, and trees. Another way external antennas can improve your signal quality is by increasing the sensitivity to the 4G signal by increasing the gain. Using antennas with higher gain is best when you can't determine the location of the nearest 4G tower, travel with your modem, or live in mountainous terrain. Lastly, external antennas can be used to create a more narrow beam that can target a specific 4G tower and increase the signal quality and range. This type of antenna is most useful when the location of a cell tower is known and line-of-site (or near line-of-site) can be obtained. Different antennas can accomplish these three actions to varying degrees. If you're unsure of which type of antennas to use, please email us at support@aeoninnovations.net with any questions.
How can I locate the nearest 4G tower?
if you live in a flat area and want to use narrow beam antennas to increase your signal range, you should try to find the location of your nearest 4G tower.
1) Use the CellMapper.net database to search for towers in your area.
Visit https://www.cellmapper.net/map and perform a location search for your street/city. You may need to manually zoom in/out of the map and reposition it to find your location. Using Google Maps in another window is helpful when navigating the CellMapper map manually. Once you find your approximate location, select the provider you want to view towers for. The green circles represent the approximate location of verified towers. If you need to to measure your distance from the tower, try using Google Maps' measure distance tool. If you don't see any towers in your area, it doesn't mean that no towers are present, just that they are missing from the database.
2) Use the CellMapper Android app to triangulate the position of the nearest tower.
The CellMapper app can be downloaded via the Google Play store. Please note that using the app will only provide results for the specific carrier your phone uses. Instructions for using the app can be found here: https://www.cellmapper.net/First_Time_Startup
Additional methods of locating 4G towers include: manually surveying a Google Maps satellite view of your area for tower structures, using your phone 4G signal bars as a "compass" to guide you in the general direction of a tower, and searching the internet for tower permits in your city. If you can't find the location of a tower, you can always manually "tune" a pair of narrow beam antennas by incrementally moving their position and testing your network quality/internet speed.
What antennas and equipment do we recommend?
Antennas
Outdoor Directional/Narrow Beam Antenna Buy Now on Amazon
Best for: Long-range signal improvement over flat terrain, permanent mounting, and maximizing internet speeds when a tower location is known.
Note: Two antennas are needed. You will also need two N-Female to RP-SMA Male adapters.
Outdoor Omni-Directional Antenna Buy Now on Amazon
Best for: Improving signal quality when there is mountainous terrain, a tower cannot be located, or there are multiple towers near the modem.
Note: Two antennas are needed. You will also need two N-Female to RP-SMA Male adapters.
Simple Magnetic/Adhesive 4G Antenna Buy Now on Amazon
Best for: Clearing small obstructions or mounting to a vehicle.
Indoor Paddle Antennas Buy Now on Amazon
Best for: Improving signal quality without mounting external antennas or using coax leads.
Antenna Accessories
Type N to SMA Adapters Buy Now on Amazon
SMA Male to SMA Female Adapters Buy Now on Amazon
Outdoor Mounting Kit/Mast Buy Now on Amazon
Coax/Cable Leads
Note: A pair of antennas requires two individual coax/cable leads.
16.4 FT Antenna Cable Buy Now on Amazon
49.2 FT Antenna Cable Buy Now on Amazon