T-Mobile outdoor antenna shopping

[TwoEightZero]

I live in a very flat rural area. I am dumping my MOFI and moving onto better things. I've been a Cellmapper for quite a few years now. I'm a huge T-Mobile fan, supporter almost tower landlord lol. Anyways I am trying to redo my home setup and get confused by the term MIMO. 2x2. 3x3, 4x4!! I know the more aggregation the faster the result. I may not need 4x4 but I also don't want to be buying something I can't benefit from.

Where i'm at were strictly band 2, 12 I believe i've been following enough to see T-Mobile faze out band 4 as I always remembered seeing it in my area too.
I have 2 towers in my area that should not be a problem connecting too depending which way I would point an antenna or antennas.
Mappsville, VA 3 miles away to my NE bands 2.12
https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310& ... lours=true

Parksley, VA 3.2 miles away to my SW bands 2,12
https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310& ... lours=true

I included the general towns where the towers are incase more info was needed or the links didn't work.
Since there are only 2 bands does that mean I could only mimo 2x2? Or does the tower have multiple band 2 outputs that would allow MIMO to happen many more times?

[Viper67857]

Carrier aggregation is connecting to multiple bands... MIMO can work with even just one band. MIMO basically just increases the amount of data you can move across a given spectrum. 2x2 can up to double the data rate from a single antenna, while 4x4 can up to quadruple it.

In order to take advantage of 4x4 mimo, you'd need at least a cat16 modem with 4 antenna inputs, and 4 matching antennas (or 2 matching 2x2 antennas). Any modem in that category should also have no problem aggregating bands 2 and 12 to fully maximize your potential from either of those towers.

[TwoEightZero]

So is it basically a gamble? Buy the 4x4 antenna and modem then hope for the best? Or is there something to look at saying yes... This tower will allow X amount of mimo? I really like the idea of mounting everything In the The Wireless Haven 4x4 mimo antenna but don't want to be pissing away money for something I can't currently use.

[gscheb]

What kind of antennas you have now?

[shoulin333]

This is what I use for TMobile. Works awesome for band 66.


I do not have a line of site but was able to use cellMpapper and a protractor to aim it right on. I am getting 60+ down and 40+ up. I was able to get near 60 down with a smaller yagi but no way near 40 upload.

Log Periodic Directional Yagi... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075C8FX3S?re ... b_ap_share

[TwoEightZero]

I previously had a SIM 4 MOFI with a Proxicast 11 dBi Yagi (698-2700 MHz)installed outside my window on a 6' Pole. With 25' Low-Loss LMR240 Size Coax N Male to SMA Male Jumper Cable. The secondary port using the paddle antenna on the router sitting on my mantle. I've averaged 30-50 Mbps when the setup was working.
I'm currently looking to replace the broken MOFI and build something newer and better. Just looking for options and planning.
I have an additional 60' of lmr400 and a Wilson 10.6 dbi yagi in the garage but never mounted them both or tried them both together.. figured the mismatch coax length may raise the vswrs or something and burn it up

[gscheb]

I previously had a SIM 4 MOFI with a Proxicast 11 dBi Yagi (698-2700 MHz)installed outside my window on a 6' Pole. With 25' Low-Loss LMR240 Size Coax N Male to SMA Male Jumper Cable. The secondary port using the paddle antenna on the router sitting on my mantle. I've averaged 30-50 Mbps when the setup was working.
I'm currently looking to replace the broken MOFI and build something newer and better. Just looking for options and planning.
I have an additional 60' of lmr400 and a Wilson 10.6 dbi yagi in the garage but never mounted them both or tried them both together.. figured the mismatch coax length may raise the vswrs or something and burn it up

Well if your speeds that good with just one antenna you get a real Mimo set up that should be a good jump in speed itself.
Mimo just means more than one antenna.
So two antennas is 2x2 Mimo. Then 4 antennas is 4x4 Mimo.

What do you mean the Mofi is broken?

[TwoEightZero]

Wonderful thank you. So technically if a modem was to ever have six ports in reality it could be 6x6. The tower offerings don't matter? In all reality I personally won't see much a difference between 50mbps and 300. I stream TV shows and surf the web. Plus it's fun to show all your friends your amazing speed test results.

I made a post in the Modems section explaining everything. It hasn't got much traction. I assume I was 2 detailed and nobody wanted to read my book of a post.
The MOFI stopped working after 2 years. I came home from work one day to no internet. The sim is good and works in other devices. I've tried MOFIs only option of fixing it. It didn't work. Basically there are 2 lights lit. WAN and Internet. Whether the SIM card is in, out, modem in or out same result. I can't access it via WiFi or LAN directly plugged into my Windows PC.

[Didneywhorl]

Just to simplify. MIMO basically means how many antennas are connected to the modem.

IE: 2x2 MIMO is using 2 antennas, 3x3 MIMO uses 3 (rare though), and 4x4 MIMO ..... ..... 4 antennas.

Theres more nuance to how it works, and what 2x means vs x2 etc, but thats the basic idea for the end user.

[TwoEightZero]

Ok I think I understand it now. Before investing in a 4 port modem and a 4x4 mimo antenna I need to borrow a Galaxy S9, Pixel 3 or phone with the Cat18 modem or similar in it and do a real speedeest at my towers. I have a Router coming tomorrow to get me going in the meantime!