Rocket HUB external antenna

[BeerHunter125]

I'm wondering if Rogers will ever introduce a Rocket HUB with external antenna capabilities again. My trusty old NetComm is getting aged and limited to 3G.

***Edited Labels***

[kco]

This post in this thread outlines what I did to get 2nd level support:

http://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/forums/forumtopicpage/board-id/MobileInternet/message-id/3037#M...

My case was more complex than most ( a non-Rogers router PLUS trouble on Roger's tower) so it took some effort to get to the right support.  But I suspect it will not be that difficult to get 2nd level support if you supply the information outlined in the thread and ask for help in determining which tower and frequency they recommend.  You will need to go through normal support and ask for help from 2nd level.   If you provide your street address or land location and the phone number associated with the MF275R hub 2nd-level can quickly locate where you are connected.  Make sure you leave your MF275 connected because they may check your connection before calling you.

Good luck.

[phaggard]

Anyone have any experience with this antenna? It has almost no reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/WideAnt2-X-Antenna-Rogers-Enclosed-Polarizations/dp/B01B8F84CQ

[RogersZia]

Hi @phaggard,

Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums!

You've come to the right place for assistance. Lack of reviews on the link is quite discouraging. If you read the more recent posts in the thread you'll see several members of the Community have discussed different models of antennas to help with the Rocket Hub. I seem to recall you used to have a old Wilson signal booster with your  Rocket HUB, have you had a chance to upgrade the equipment?

Is anyone else in the Community familiar with the antenna @phaggard shared?

RogersZia

[phaggard]

The Wilson equipment I used to have was for an older version of the rocket hub. We bought a new ZTE MF275R form you last year and used it with only the paddle antennas it came with. It worked but was still somewhat unreliable, especially in the afternoon. I would like to try adding an antenna but I do not know which one would be the best choice.

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @phaggard

I was browsing through this thread and observed several external antennas were discussed. Have you had a chance to go over the thread yet?

I suggest posting more details about the signal strength at the hub, closest tower(s) information etc. so that the Community can provide you some suggestions. 

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[RM6]

Rogers rocket hub Model 3G25W-R with Yagi Antenna

Were moving to a cottage in Turkey Point, Ontario

Was wondering if Rogers rocket hub Model 3G25W-R with Yagi Antenna will work in this area and how well?
Thanks

Rick

[RogersPrasana]

Hi @RM6

Welcome to the Community Forums and thank you for posting!

Moving can be exciting! You can definitely take a look at our coverage map here and confirm the available coverage where your cottage is in Turkey Point, Ontario. 

Anyone in the Community from the Turkey Point area to confirm network coverage in the area.

RogersPrasana

[northofbolton]

I use a Uniden U70 booster and an external antenna mounted on the roof.  I added an extension to the pole as we are in a hollow and have trees surrounding us.  The signal is boosted and relayed  via wiring to an antenna in the house.  The hub picks up the signal from the antenna in the house rather than the cell tower.  This also provides a signal for our cell phones from other providers the tower services.  I have an additional indoor antenna in the basement which is fed from the booster. This gives us a cell phone signal in the basement.  I do not use the hub as a router.  I feed the hub signal to a main router which gives me a signal for my laptops, gaming devices, smart TV etc. to use either wireless or wired.  I also feed an additional router at the other end of the house so we get a relatively good wireless signal regardless of where we are in the house.   None of this is cheap but if you depend on this for work etc. then it could be worthwhile looking into.  The downside as per usual is the cost of running a hub and the ongoing data charges.  Both Rogers and Bell have the $100 gb for $145.00 per month with $5.00 per gb overage fee.  Bell had a short term offer in the Alliston area at the tail end of 2015 when they offered 100 gb for $60.00 a month and $4.00 per gb overage but unless you knew about the offer from someone then you were out of luck.  I found out the day after it ended but with a phone call to Bell and some pleading I was finally told I could have the offer and that I could get my ZTE modem at the Bell store in Alliston.  When the hub arrived and I went to pick it up the lady at the store was unable to activate it and told me I had to have someone come to my house and install and activate it.  I was told I would be called within the next few weeks.  I waited and waited and nobody callled or showed up.  When I called to find out the status I was told I could not have the $60.00 package.  At that point I  cancelled my long standing Bell account and went with the identical Rogers hub at the $145.00 for 100 gb package.  I have two of these hubs for a total of 200 gb per month.  Knowing that some people are getting 100 gb for $60.00 a month just shows you that rural folks are no doubt getting overcharged and under serviced.  Best option is a point to point solution but you have to see a tower with no obstructions.  Definitely much cheaper if your lucky enough to be in that situation. 

[nadine31]

With the pandemic, our Rocket Hub has been a struggle.  Data limit is insufficient and speeds are an issue.

Very quickly:  we've been using the Rocket Hub (ZTE MF275) since 2017.  Average signal was in the upper -90s dbm, 2-4 mbps download speed.  We've tried cell phone booster, and had the hub near the booster, but didn't  really improve signal, nor speeds.

We recently purchase a MIMO external antenna (as recommended in this thread, via Amazon/CityWireless).

Tests outside, ground level, roof and 15' above roof --> best was -94dbm.  This was pointing towards tower (4km away, through trees, foliage)

Tests inside, weird thing, one very specific spot in the living room (left side of couch, on coffee table) provides a solid -89dbm (worse case -92dbm), speeds are 5-8mpbs down, and similar for upload.  Additional note, living room has very high cathedral ceiling and west wall is all windows.  Everywhere else in the house is about -100dbm.

How come outside setup did not achieve better signal?  Why inside is better, but is subject to a very, very specific placement in the living room?

If we invest in a 75' tower/mast, to install a pair of yagi antennas (setup as described in this thread), pointed to the tower 4km south (700mhz), establish direct line of sight above tree line, what would be the signal improvement and speed improvements?  Don't mind investing $3K, but would need to know what it would represent in regards to signal and speeds improvements.

Thanks in advance,

[opticalmike]

5 G isn’t far off
I’d try the yagi without the tower and the LTE signal booster. Winter is almost here.
The leaves will be on the ground soon.
If that helps.

[Daveee]

I use a ZTE-MF275R Rocket Hub with external antenna. It is a MUST in this area, and does help a lot. It won't work without it especially since we have a steel roof.

[Daveee]

Try ZTE-MF275R

[911Grizzly]

I am considering adding one of the available mobile hotspots to my existing Rogers cellphone plan, to use for internet access at my remote, off-grid cabin in Northern Ontario.  My question relates to connecting an external antenna (ie. a signal booster) to the hotspot.

Currently, I use a Wilson Weboost booster (connected to a roof-mounted Yagi antenna) to get a stronger signal from the closest cellphone tower, which is more than 10 miles away.  The boester gets my iphone signal strength from one bar up to 3-4 bars.

One hotspot currently offered by Rogers is the ZTEMF279T.  I found the user manual for this unit online, and can see it shows an external antenna connection on page 4.  However, it does not describe the type of connection port, nor does the manual contain any information about connecting it to an external antenna.

Any information about connecting an external antenna to any of the current Rogers mobile hotspots would be appreciated.