Need help finding tower locations for Mifi 8000 (Sprint)

[Diebog]

Hi everyone, I'm new to all of this, I just got a Mifif 8000 and looking to get an antenna for it but need to find the tower that im using and what bands are available. Does anyone know how to find this information on the Mifif 8000? I've looked through all the settings and don't see things I've read are needed to find the tower like cell Id, MCC MNC LAC etc. Sprint is the provider and I've tried to use their tower locater but when I go to the website https://www4.sprint.com/pcsbusiness/co ... rmaps.html there is no map shown. Seems like it's not working. I've tried on multiple devices and it doesn't show any map. It's just blank. My cell phone is under Verizon so I can't use it to find the towers as it would show Verizon towers.

Anyone got any ideas? Or know how to find this info on the Mifi 8000?

Thanks,
Jeremy

[Diebog]

Here is the only info I can find

Mifi info.gif

[Diebog]

Anyone have any ideas? Can I use any of the info I posted to find the tower?

[shoulin333]

I moved to the 4000D which is band 41 only. One thing to note is that the MiFi 8000 is band 25, 26, and 41. 25/26 go further but are slower.

Band 41 does not like yagi antennas and I strongly recommend a panel mimo antenna if you are going to stick with your MiFi 8000, but as that device does not support band selection there is a change you could still get stuck on 25/26. The 4000D only supports band 41 so it is less of a problem.

With the 4000D you don't really need to know your exact tower/cell just the earfcn numbers that Sprint is currently using in your area for band 41. With the work t-mobile is doing on sprint towers these can changes often but a good list right now is.


41490
41094
41292
40270
40468

With a panel antenna for the 8000 or the 4000D (which has mimo flat panel built in) your best way to find a good tower is just slowly rotate it on your mount and monitor the signal/speed test. I ended up finding my best tower isn't even listed on CellMapper.

[Diebog]

Thanks for the input. I just got the Mifi 8000 so I do plan to stick with it for now. So would this antenna be a good way to go? https://www.amazon.com/Proxicast-Cross- ... B01NBSLNJ6

[shoulin333]

You could go with that that is two antennas in one or you could do two of these and put them spaced out a bit at 45 degree angles. (Research MIMO for more info on positioning antennas)

"Wilson Electronics Pole Mount Panel Antenna 700-2700 MHz, 50 Ohm (314453)" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F3W8VC8/re ... gFbSF3J3CC

Something to note however is the MIFi 8000 has really good antennas in it that can do 4x4 MIMO. When you plug in your 2x2 MIMO (max supported using the two TS-9 ports) the internal antennas become disabled so make sure your antennas are outside and high enough to make a difference, otherwise your signal is likely to get worse.

[Diebog]

Would I be better off with the 2 separate Wilson ones? How do I do 4x4 MINMO? Would that be using 4 antennas and a "Y" slitter achieve this sense the Mifi only has 2 antenna ports? Ill go with whatever you suggest I get. I have no idea on any of this stuff. I am located in the woods and don't have line of site to tower. I have a 2 story house and could put them on the roof on a pole if needed. If possible id like to get just the best option without having to buy and try different ones. If you were me what would you be buying (given you were going to stay with the Mifif 8000) Also I read to keep the extensions short as possible. Whats the max length I should go? And its best to use LMR-400 wire correct? What are the best low loss pigtails to go from the LMR400 to TS-9? I see so many one for sale, and read on a forum some of the cheaper pigtails/adapters actually made the signal worse so I would like to avoid that frustration. And is there a site that you guys recommend going with? I want to try and stay away from the cheap China stuff, Thanks again, I really appreciate your help!

[shoulin333]

I have 75ft (x2) of the 400 cable and have no issues.

I have tried all 4 carriers and many antennas and cables and adapters..... wastes a lot of money but learned a lot. Currently have Verizon, T-Mobile, and sprint load balanced.

I can get model numbers of my parts I settled on and add more lessons learned when I get back to a real keyboard later tonight. I’d hate for anyone to waste the money I did.... although the trial and error was fun!

[Diebog]

Ya that would be so awesome! Very much appreciated! You have all 4 carriers? Never herd of anyone that did. Just curious, but why? Is it for testing out products?

On the length, I just read that after a certain length of cable that you will get to a point where your worse off then just using the hot spot with no antenna. But maybe that was with cheaper LMR200 cable or something. I don't know the difference, just was told the 200 is a budget option. Id rather not cheap out as I want to do this one time if possible. It would be nice to have extra cable if it didn't hurt so I would have more flexibility to move around more to find the best signal.

So I live in a house that's basically a rectangle, one end are bedrooms and the other kitchen/living room. For some reason in the living room window I get far better reception the the master bedroom window and they face the same direction, just 40 feet or so apart. If possible Id like to have the router and hot spot in my bedroom where I have my office. So If I have to go to the other end of my house with the antenna for the best signal and to keep the router and stuff in my master bedroom, ill need quite a bit of cable. House is approx 52 feet long. So 75 feet of cable might work. Do you buy a big roll and put your own connectors on? Is that possible for me to do? Ive done the old style coax cable before. Are special tools needed? Or is it best to stick with pemade lengths?

[shoulin333]

I tried AT&T first but the service where I am at is not good, couldn't get above about 14 down. I work from home nearly full time (before covid) and even more so now so living rural with only two WISPs with one having poor up-time and the other crazy expensive for slow service diversifying my cell internet is a way to make sure I am always online and pretty fast at that.
I use a cheap EdgeMAX EdgeRouter X SFP to load balance all of these connections.





Now to the point...

I would recommend the following for going from antenna to N cable, to TS-9. I have tried all kinds of N to TS-9 adapters directly and because of the weight of the N connector they have all been crap so I used a couple parts to get there and it is strong.


N to FME adapter - (2x) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T6 ... UTF8&psc=1

FME to TS9 Adapter - (2x) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075C ... UTF8&psc=1


N type 75foot Wilson 400 Ultra Low Loss Cable - (2x)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018 ... UTF8&psc=1



For good measure, Lightning Arrestor and ground wire - (2x each) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JY ... UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HX ... UTF8&psc=1



Panel antenna (non - mimo) - (2x) https://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electroni ... 232&sr=8-4


Antenna mounting pole (2x) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B ... UTF8&psc=1



This is just what I use so please take a look at similar stuff but this stuff works well for me.

[Viper67857]

I would keep the cable runs as short as possible... Yes, high quality cable has less loss, but there's still loss that can be avoided. If the wifi doesn't reach everywhere from the location the LTE router needs to be in to keep the cable short, then just run ethernet cable to a normal router... No unnecessary LTE signal loss and ethernet cable is much cheaper and easier to route (lmr400 is thick as hell and not very flexible).

Also, I don't know much about the router you're using, but if it's at all possible I'd open it up and see if the modem has standard connectors for pigtails (like mhf4), and if so get 4 SMA bulkhead pigtails so you can run 2 mimo antennas with proper connections for 4x4 instead of getting 2x2 with those problematic ts9s.

[Diebog]

So I'm confused. You has said go with mimo antennas, but you went with non - mimo? Whats the difference? Is one for line of sight to tower? Again I'm in the hills of grass valley CA. elevation 2700 feet, there are many trees and canyons/hills. I get ok signal now (18-20 mbs) but I know with a better antenna I can get more. Also is the lightning adapters necessary? I don't have many lightning strikes where I live.

[shoulin333]

Sorry to be clear two non-MIMO antennas gives you MIMO. 1+1=2 sort of thing but two antennas allows them to be positioned apart, even towards two different towers in some cases.


Also if you hear the term Carrier Aggregation (CA) that can happen (automatically in mist cases) with just a single non-MIMO antenna and has nothing to do with MIMO.

When it comes to the lightning protection I see it like this. If you are going to put a lightning rod on the top of your house (an antenna) it should be grounded. Technically not needed but I would recommend.

[Diebog]

Ok thanks for clearing that up. I guess I need to do some research on this. So is Carrier Aggregation good or bad? Ive never herd it before. I wish I could just have someone say get this this and this and it will work perfect! My mind is very scattered with all of this. I know a decent amount about electronics but this LTE stuff is beyond me. Living in the hills ( not sure where your located for the antennas to work as well as they do) I just want to get the best setup for this location. I assume there is antennas more suited to hilly woods area vs the city? I guess again I still need to do more research. Any suggestions of a good site to read over? If not ill just google it.

My router is an Asus RT-AC68U. I chose that because someone had recommend it with the use of the Mifi and usb tethering which is how I have it connected right now. I don't see any external antenna ports on it. Vipers post above was talking about taking it apart and looking for standard connectors for pigtails (like mhf4), and if so get 4 SMA bulkhead pigtails so you can run 2 mimo antennas with proper connections for 4x4 instead of getting 2x2 with those problematic ts9s. I don't quite understand the 2x2 and 4x4 lingo (more research again needed) Or was he talking about taking the Mifi apart? I don't understand how using antennas on the router itself boosts the signal for the Mifi. There are 3 moveable antennas on the top of the Asus router but I thought they were to broadcast the wifi signal in the home and not to pickup the Mifi signal?

Thanks again!

[shoulin333]

How about this for start. Take the MIFi 8000 up to the top of your roof and see what kind of speeds you can get. After that if speeds are way better up there then look into antennas.

The MIFI 8000 has two antenna ports on the bottom. You have to pry off those two plastic caps. In the manual they are advertised as “test ports” or something but they are just TS-9 connectors hidden so they don’t have to explain what they are actually for.

[Diebog]

That’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that. So if it doesn’t improve I’d just be wasting my time? In the window I have the Mifi in I get better signal with the window open. When it’s hot and air conditioning is on I have it closed and loose a little bit. So just getting an antenna outside should be a plus I would think. I’ll try it on the roof and see. What are good SNR RSRP values I should try to get. I don’t quite understand them. I’ve read the lower the RSPR number the better. And higher the SNR the better? Is that correct. My Signal strength now is (RSRP) -111 dBm
SNR: 8 dB. Is there a optimal sweet spot.?

Also just looked up my router and it’s a 3x3. Is that not a good one to use? RT-AC65U

[shoulin333]

Well RSRP should be higher the better as it is a negative number. -89 is higher number than -111 and -89 is much better. SNR is a positive number so lower the better. Easy way to think of it is get all the numbers RSRP, RSRQ, and SNR as close to zero as you can get.


In real world practice in my location I find that RSRP of -102 or higher gives me a good signal. On some bands/towers/cells you can get faster speeds even if the RSRP is worse so make sure to do speed tests and don’t just look at the signals.


As to your router the MIMO there is for the WiFi signal as you mentioned is unrelated to LTE signal.

[Diebog]

Ok. I thought the 2x2 and 4x4 talk was about the router. Man this stuff is confusing to understand. Lol.

[Diebog]

So I just went on the roof and got some exciting results. My base line was 20 down .8 up. This is with the Mifi in the window. Up on the roof I got better and better results as I walked around and messed with angling it up/down. Next I got 29 down and 2.56 up, moved some more and got 36 down 2.96 up, Then to 40 down 3.7 up. Then as I was looking at the signal meter on the Mifi and had the Mifi 192.168.1.1 info on my iPad I saw the band switch from 25 to 41. I was then able to get all5 bars lite up on the Mifi and did a speed test and got 102 down and 4.12 up. Never sever een those speeds! Still on 41 I moved around even where I had only 3 bars not 5(full) and did a speed test and got 87 down and 2 up.

Why does band 41 make such a huge difference? Is there a way to lock on 41? I know you talked a little about that in the first post. If I angle the Mifi one way I can pickup band 25, and if I turn 10-15 deg to the left I find band 41. Hopefully if I get the antenna set on 41 it will stay there? I also found right above my bedroom up on the ridge of the roof pointing the same direction when I found band 41 and 101 download speed I can still get those results. I don't have a crawl space or attic, which makes it difficult to run wires. Direct tv is ran on the sidling, not ideal but only option. So Ill just poke out the wall where the direct tv comes in and run it up to the roof which keeps the length down quite a bit. Maybe 30_40 feet.

Given these results I am definitely going to get an antenna. Just need to decide on which antenna or antennas to get. Is it worth doing the 4x4 thing? Wish there wasn't so many options to have to choose from. LOL

[shoulin333]

Wow that is awesome!

With the MiFi 8000 you won't be able to lock on to a band but when positioning an antenna you will want to find the strongest location and then move about 1 degree at a time around your mounting pole. So if you can get to a real strong band 41 signal it would likely stay there unless the wind starts blowing hard or there is congestion. In that case in the future you could look at a different type of device where you could band lock.

The MiFi itself has 4X4 MIMO built in but the best you can do using external antennas will be 2x2 because there are only two antenna ports. (unless you preform surgery and open the thing up) You may not get quite as good of speeds that you are with the MiFi actually on the roof but you should be able to get close

[Didneywhorl]

The mifi8000s external antenna ports disable the internal 4x4 antennas when used. I dont think there is a way to enable 4x4 when using the externals.

I simple cabling setup is just buying your big LMR cables with sma male on one end and type N male on the other. Then use a short TS9 to SMA female pigtail/jumper between the LMR cable and the MIFI.

[Viper67857]

There's also the option of putting the mifi in an enclosure on the roof and running a high-quality active usb cable to it... Would be cheaper than antennas and you don't lose the 4x4 mimo that it has internal. Generally, if you see 5 bars with good SNR on a fast band on the device by itself, then adding antennas probably won't do much. Dropping from 4x4 to 2x2 may actually slow you down.

[Viper67857]

Vipers post above was talking about taking it apart and looking for standard connectors for pigtails (like mhf4), and if so get 4 SMA bulkhead pigtails so you can run 2 mimo antennas with proper connections for 4x4 instead of getting 2x2 with those problematic ts9s. I don't quite understand the 2x2 and 4x4 lingo (more research again needed) Or was he talking about taking the Mifi apart? I don't understand how using antennas on the router itself boosts the signal for the Mifi. There are 3 moveable antennas on the top of the Asus router but I thought they were to broadcast the wifi signal in the home and not to pickup the Mifi signal?

Thanks again!

Yes, I was referring to taking the mifi apart, sorry for any confusion. That Asus router is great as-is (I use the same one behind my wg1608).

[Diebog]

Never thought of putting the Mifi on the roof. What type of water tight enclosures are available that wont block the signal? Where would you look for one of these? And not sure what active usb cable is. Is it exterior rated? Meaning will sun and rain hurt it?

[Diebog]

Was thinking about putting it on the roof, and was thinking about a few concerns. Its pretty hot outside and the Mifi with the battery installed (wont work without a battery installed) what will the heat do being on top of the roof? There isnt much shade if any. I guess Id need a weather tight box with a fan to keep things cool? Has anyone done this before? What setup do you have?

[Diebog]

I took it apart and here is what I found. Looks like the antennas are in the actuall
Cover. How do I know if it's 4x4 or 2x2?

[Viper67857]

Looks like 5 antennas... I'd guess 4 are for 4x4 mimo LTE and the 5th is the wifi. And am I seeing things or are those mhf4/u.fl connectors near each of the antenna connections? If that were mine I'd probably fry it with my tinkering nature.

What you should do depends on your level of comfort with tinkering and possibly losing the device... The safe bet is a flat panel mimo antenna on the roof, some good cable and ts9 adapters...

The more fun route is trying to make it run without the battery and seeing if it's possible to connect 4 decent paddle antennas to those antenna connections and building it all into a nice enclosure... I say paddles because your signal seems good enough up there to not really need to invest in high-gain directionals. And running with the case open without the battery reduces heat and there's no battery to explode...

[shoulin333]

They look like the female connectors, just like those on a CoolPad. I have been looking at ebay/amazon to try to find a connector that would plug in there and then convert to SMA of some sort but it seems hard to find. Thinking about buying a few different cables, they are cheap, and just see what happens.


This one seems like it could work but would probably need some hot glue to secure.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adaptor-MHF4-t ... SwFzZbuh5m

sdf.png

[shoulin333]

looking further this may be a ms-156 connector.

[Diebog]

I'm totally comfortable tinkering with it. It seen these same connetors in iphones. They connect the wifi and cellular antennas. How can you tell one connector from another? Measurements? Which 4 are for MIMO Vs wifi? Also How is it possible to get this to work with no bat? I've thought about it and you would have to fool the pins that read the battery charge level and at the same time provide the voltage to the other pins to power the unit.

Also if I were to get some padel antennas do they sell wire with those small connectors like iPhones have? And what 4 paddel antennas would be best?

[bp2020]

How do you connect the MIFI 8000 to the Edgerouter?

[Diebog]

I was using the USB C cable via tethering but it kept dropping the signal. So I'm just using the Mifi by itself now. Thinking my router might be bad? I need to get the antenna situation figured out first then when I get stable download speeds I'll mess with adding a router. If anyone has suggestions for a router that would work the best with the mifi I'm all ears!

Also haven't had time to time to tinker with the Mifi to see if I can get it to run without a battery. But if anyone can verify for sure what the connector size is in those pics, that be great. And any suggestions if I was able to get the right connectors and pigtails, I'd need 4 panel antennas, what would be a good choice to go with? An if have to run 4 lines up to them correct? Would I use the same LMR400 cable?