A Farmers Weekly reader from Norfolk has found a
low-cost way to improve his broadband connection using a mobile
broadband dongle.
Anthony Bryan from Eccles on Sea in Norfolk has contacted FW to
share his discovery with farmers seeking low-cost basic broadband
internet access at remote farmhouses.
“Mobile phone and mobile broadband radio coverage is weak and
patchy in the area I live at ground level,” he says.
“But I have experimented to improve mobile broadband access and
reliability and obtained good results (up to 3.6 megabits/second
using 3 dongle) by increasing the height of the aerial device.
“By mounting a USB mobile broadband ‘Dongle’ on a long plastic
tube using rubber bands and string, and connecting via a
Maplin active USB extension
lead to a computer I obtain internet access that is good and
reliable enough for personal business purposes.”
Mr Bryan, who is a retired telecommunications professional, said
his dongle was mounted at 6 metres and the key to success was
achieving line of sight reception from the nearest local mobile
phone aerial site.