Siquijor SmartBro Sucks on Siquijor

hey brian, are you still happy with your purchase? i'm looking onto getting an antenna and wireless modem to replace my smartbro MF 180 stick modem

how did you connect before the uplift.com purchase?
how far are you from a smart cell tower?
do you have a clear line of sight to the cell tower?

uplift.com tells me that i can simply put my smartbro sim card into their wireless modem and connect. i thot the sim cards where just for usb sticks and cell fones, is that how wireless is done these days, with a sim inserted into a modem?

did anyone else buy a system from uplift or another seller?
would you mind posting your story here.

thanks...
norm : ))~

 

Hi Norm, Quite happy with the antenna, it makes the difference between having and not having internet most times.
Before the external antenna we relied on the one built in to the HUAWEI E5372s-32 pocket wifi.
As far as a clear line of sight goes, I'm not sure what the definition of that is. I can tell you the globe tower is about 2 miles away with trees and buildings between us and the tower. The antenna is mounted 30 feet in the air on a bamboo pole, i guess it might be possible to see the top of the tower if i was 30 feet up with binoculars?

The sim cards come in 3 sizes and are used in phones, usb sticks, pocket wifi's, modems, and tablets.
When/if you bye a pocket wifi or modem your sim chard might have to be changed in size. Adapters can be used but you risk damaging your sim card contacts inside the device, so for the sake of a couple bucks just get the proper sized sim and perhaps save yourself future grief.

If you only need the internet at home get something like a Huawei B593s-22 modem, if your needs are for in and out of the house then look at a pocket wifi like the HUAWEI E5372s-32. Both of these have internal antennas and external antenna connections. These 2 units will work with globe and smart in the Philippines. I can personally vouch for both of these units.

There are many pocket wifis and modems on the market using various frequencies and bands that will not be compatible with smart and globe or may not have external antenna connections. so choose wisely and remember you often get what you pay for.

If you decide to deal with Uplift, make sure you get the proper length of cable and the right adapter pigtails for the modem you choose to use.

 

hi brian... thanks for the followup. i've been in contact with uplift, who recommended an antenna and modem for our remote situation, and i'm going to order next week. i'll report back here after getting the components installed.

 

Your welcome Norm. I think you will be quite happy with the results of the new antenna. Just take your time setting it up with Ookla speed test , relax and enjoy the internet... Speedtest.net by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

 

Hi............... any developments on your antenna. Very curious on the result. Thanks.

 

On Siquijor I was in a resort in Siquijor Town which used Globe Tattoo. The internet access was very reliable and stable. The installation looked like they had an antenna on the roof. This example shows that it is possible to get reliable internet access. But which methods are required to achieve these?

 

kelpguy said: ↑
hi brian... thanks for the followup. i've been in contact with uplift, who recommended an antenna and modem for our remote situation, and i'm going to order next week. i'll report back here after getting the components installed.





Hi............... any developments on your antenna. Very curious on the result. Thanks.

 

i've moved and i'm not using antenna now but the antenna and modem work(ed) great most of the time. the down times seem to be ISP related and or interference from too many signals/users in the line of sight.

being 10km from the broadcast antenna and finding the sweet spot when pointing the antenna is very touchy. i had thots on building a mast mount out of a motorcycle axel and the bike wheel and using the wheel to turn the antenna. it would need a direction indicator, like a compass, a geared adjustment, like a scissors jack, would be optimal. you'd also need some method of locking the mast/antenna in place once adjusted.

one thing i wish i woulda purchased is a LTE modem but, at 10km out from duma, i could get 7mb in the wee hours using my 3G modem. i also pointed at an antenna near dauin and got similar speeds with a more consistent signal, probably cuz i was closer and there's fewer broadcast antennas and fewer users uses in the area

but if your thinking about getting an antenna, just write uplift and tell them your situation and ask for their recommendations. they answer the mail pertaining to sales quickly but support goes into the black hole.

my antenna is down at the moment and i'm open to lending it out with a 30ft mast, modem and cable for a test, just PM me. it's a parabolic antenna and ideally needs a clear line of sight to the broadcast antenna.