Why does the smartphone receive only from the antenna connector? Homemade passive mobile phone and internet repeater. We will tell you how to connect an external antenna to your phone

Principles and methods of amplifying 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, wi-fi signals. Suppose you have a country house where you go during the summer. Having relaxed in nature, we wanted to listen to your favorite music online from your social page, as you do at home or at work. But you don't have the usual 3G icon in the upper right corner of the phone. On the YouTube channel "Against the Current" they told the technical basics, the knowledge of which will help you choose the right additional antenna for your smartphone.

But at the same time, you are talking on a cell phone, sending an sms message, and receiving whatsapp with a short interval. What is the problem and can it be solved? Before that, you need to understand the communication system. Cellular communication is provided (distributed) using towers. By itself, it can look anything, even a wooden stick. It does not matter! It is important what equipment is on it. We are used to calling, receiving sms and using the Internet using a cell phone. In this case, we focus on one signal scale in the corner of the screen. In fact, these are different signals. The description below will be clear for you.

There are many more of these channels. The most common public networks are listed here. These signals are distributed by special devices (modules) installed on the towers. For each - 3G or 2G - separate. The latter is an antenna, it must have a certain design, since the frequency of data transmission depends on it.
The frequency of radio waves is measured in MHz (megahertz). For example:
- communication 1-2 G works at 890-915 MHz.
- 3G - 1920-1980 MHz.
- 4G - 2300-2340 MHz.
- Television 470 - 850 MHz.
- FM radio - 96 - 108 MHz.
- Wi-Fi - 2400 - 2500 MHz.
These are standard in Russia. Now are you starting to understand why the TV antenna does not catch Wi-Fi? To receive or distribute a signal at a certain frequency, you need an appropriate design.
Nowadays, as a rule, in developed cities, taking into account the current needs, towers 1-4g are installed around them. Taking into account the relief of cities, the heights of houses, on the roofs of public institutions or private ones, where no stranger can climb in, repeaters (repeaters) are installed in order to better distribute the signal. The distribution equipment itself or duplication is very expensive, given that the budget in Russia is limited, normal wireless high-speed Internet will not be distributed everywhere. Therefore, there will be no 3-4G Internet on the territory of your summer cottage due to the lack of appropriate modules on the tower. Well, if the nearest one with a module is less than 50 km, then there is a chance to catch this signal!

To do this, you need to purchase highly directional antennas operating at the frequencies that you are going to catch. A 3-4G design of this kind looks like this. It looks like a television, but the distance between the teeth matters, for Wi-Fi reception is different.

They must be clearly directed to the tower. Signal strength is measured in dbi (decibels).

The antenna has its own gain (for example, 20 decibels), but it must be remembered that you will be pulling a two-wire wire from the roof or from a pole to the house. For every meter of wire, the signal is lost approximately 0.5 decibels. At 20 meters, you can lose from 10 decibels. A narrow beam with a power of 5 decibels receives 80% at a distance of 3 km, so an amplifier must be installed at the end of the wire (at home).


If there are no towers with 3-4G within a radius of 50 km, then there will be no high-speed mobile Internet. If funds permit, install yourself a satellite Internet, provided that a satellite is flying over your area.

If during a telephone conversation there is a gap of several seconds, even GPRS is absent and it is stable. Then no amplifier will help.

The 1G 2G module has a certain number of cells that allow simultaneous two-way communication. If you have the above situation, then most likely there are 1000 cells, for example, local residents in the conversation - 10.000. Remember the new year, when it is impossible to get through.

Check with mobile operators, on MTS, Megafon or Beeline there is a difference in MHz. Choose the antenna carefully according to the desired frequencies. No need to connect two amplifiers! The wire from the amplifier can also be connected not to the repeater, but to the USB modem, if it has an antenna input. Dbi and dBm in our case, its designations on aliexpress have an equivalent meaning. Indicates the gain.

Now it is impossible to imagine life without a mobile phone, but in some cases it becomes useless. There is no connection or a very weak signal occurs in basements, in cars, in an area far from a repeater antenna, or in a city where there are many high-rise buildings damping the signal. In these cases, you can use a ready-made additional device or learn how to make and connect an antenna to a mobile phone with your own hands.

Before starting the search and reconstruction of external antennas for a mobile device, it is necessary to understand how a modern cellular device works. And it is a small radio station operating at different frequencies determined by the cellular operator. So, in the "transmission - reception" ratio: base station (BS) - telephone (MS) operates at 935.2-959.8 MHz, and telephone (MS) - base station (BS) - at 890.2-914, 8 MHz. The channel relationship from BS to MS is called Down Link, and MS to BS is called Up Link.

Any providers limit the communication range of a mobile phone from a base station at a distance of up to 35 km. With this configuration, the number of conversation channels reaches 8 and is the standard mode used in urban areas. Whereas GSM provides for a non-standard configuration with a communication range of 70-100 km (Extended Cell), but the number of channels becomes less - a maximum of 3. The latter mode is usually used in the coastal coverage area.

Which external antenna is suitable for a smartphone

Communication quality and signal strength are also influenced by location, terrain, weather conditions and seasons, and the sensitivity and power of the cell phone and main antenna. Automotive or standard installed on the street, preferably on the roof of a building or car. Like a television one, it must be directed towards the nearest base station. To do this, the device must be moved and rotated until the signal becomes stronger.

1. The wave contains a traverse with perpendicular reflectors. Their size depends on the frequency, which is directly proportional to the wavelength. Has a clear advantage of signal amplification in a rather small size. The disadvantage is the need for accurate guidance to the station.
2. Parabolic consists of a reflector and a feed. This design amplifies the signal quite strongly, but the installation requires certain skills. The disadvantage of this antenna is zero efficiency with inaccurate tuning.
3. The flat panel is a flat small square with the feed inside the reflector. The advantage of the device is a wide range of directivity, which does not require precise aiming, but at the same time gives an average signal gain.
4. A pin design is a small vertical rod that is both an irradiator and a reflector at the same time. The advantage of the antenna is its circular directivity, which does not require precise installation on the provider's base distributor. But there is a nuance, such an antenna should be placed so that there are no screening structures between it and the base. It is installed where no special signal amplification is required.

How to connect an external antenna to a mobile phone

Cell phones are usually tuned to high frequencies. Therefore, the quality of the cable and its connection is of great importance for the efficiency of the external structure. It is best to use a coaxial wire (RG-6 from reputable manufacturers) and a high frequency connector. If there is no jack for attaching an external antenna, you can use a speakerphone. In this case, the antenna wire is connected to the speakerphone, and the mobile phone is inserted into the jack of this device. You can also make the central core of the cable 3-4 turns around the mobile phone, near the built-in antenna.

Of course, this way of using the phone is not very convenient and is limited by the length of the wire. But these inconveniences can be avoided by making the mobile device stationary.

How to make an antenna for a cell phone yourself

An antenna "hastily" can be made from what is in the house

1. Take a copper wire and bend it into a diamond-shaped "figure eight" with a side of 8 cm. Connect the antenna to the phone with a cable, having previously stripped its ends. Attach horizontally to the ceiling where there is a stronger signal.
2. Use culinary foil by making a large "bag" out of it and placing your mobile phone in it.
3. An iron bowl of suitable size can be used by using it as a parabolic antenna with a mobile phone in focus.

Home antenna, which is mainly suitable for signal amplification. To do this, you will need: pliers, pliers or a knife, coaxial cable, soldering equipment, copper wire (8 cm) and an adapter for a mobile device (Chinese can be used).

1. Strip one end of the high frequency cable so as not to damage the center conductor, it will be connected to the antenna. The other end connects to the phone.
2. Solder the copper wire to the cable core so that the structure is sturdy and straight up. Solder the same wire vertically down to the cable sheath.
3. Fix both copper wires on a small wooden board, insulating them in the soldered places.
4. Fix this structure on the roof as high as possible, and connect the other end of the antenna cable to the phone using an adapter.

IMPORTANT. The vertical and horizontal connection of the copper wire to the cable must be strictly observed.

A portable antenna is suitable even if there is no network at all.

This is a fairly simple device, but quite effective. This device can be used anywhere. To do this, you will need: a radio antenna from an old tape recorder, a thin wire (0.5 m), a screwdriver, a soldering iron and a small washer.

1. Disassemble the radio antenna at the base.
2. Solder the wiring to the washer.
3. Assemble the antenna base by attaching the washer and wire.
4. Remove the cover from the phone and find the connector for the additional antenna.
5. Strip the other end of the wire by 1–2 mm (no more) and insert it into the hole in the center of this connector.
6. Fix the wire over the phone and look at the network scale. The indicator should show 6 out of 6 sticks.
7. The cover for the mobile device does not need to be installed.

In addition to homemade antennas, you can use purchased repeaters, which allow you to make a stable connection in any premises and remote areas. But the cost of such equipment is quite high and is comparable to the price of a good mobile phone, and more advanced solutions reach 2-3 thousand dollars. Therefore, at home, you can always use cheaper and available means of signal amplification.

In the villages, up to the present moment, there is no dedicated Internet line in most cases. It happens that the Internet can be connected via an ADSL line, who has a connected landline phone.

In most cases, all rural residents of Russia connect to the Internet using 3G modems. And the further the village is, the worse is not only the 3G Internet, but also the usual cellular communication.

To improve the quality of communication, the following amplification principles are used:

1. Using an antenna.
2. With antenna and amplifiers.
3. With multiple antennas and multiple amplifiers.

There are ready-made kits, but before buying them, you need to determine what to enhance and how. Sometimes one antenna is enough and sometimes not.

You need to know exactly in which range the 3G signal of the selected telecom operator is transmitted, and where the boundaries of this signal are. A regular cell phone or spectrum analyzer will do the trick to check the signal strength.

Checking the signal level

Before you strengthen anything, you need to catch something. We determine the range of working frequencies of voice communication and the Internet. The image above illustrates the entire spectrum of the frequencies involved: television signal, wi-fi, DECT, GSM, LTE, etc. It is important to understand in what range the base station at the point being checked is transmitted by the Internet. It can be transmitted in the UMTS 900 and UMST 2100 standard.

In Russia, 3G signal has its own standard: UMTS 900 and UMST 2100.

All smartphones and 3G modems work using both these standards. In cities, due to a small coverage radius, but a higher signal transmission speed and stability of work with a large number of connections, the UMTS 2100 standard is used.

Handheld spectrum analyzer SPECTRAN HF-6060 V4, which is used to determine the direction of the antenna

If you are not an installation organization specializing in installing 3G boosters for a one-time connection, you can use a 3G-enabled phone. We activate the built-in Netmonitor function in it.

Search the Internet for how to do this on your phone. Here are the most common codes.

Phone model	Menu entry code	Note
Apple iPhone	* 3001 # 12345 # *, press "call"	2g, 3g, 3gs, 4g, 4gs, 5. For firmware versions 5.0.1 and higher.
Android	* # 0011 # or * # * # 4636 # * # * or * # * # 197328640 # * # *	The menu should appear automatically after entering the last character, if not try another code
HTC (EVO, Incredible, Touch)	## 33284 #, press "call"	Select a network in the menu and see the signal level
HTC Wizard 8125, 2125	*#*#364#*#*	The signal level is displayed in conventional values. The higher the value, the higher the signal strength
Htc touch	##33284#	—
Samsung C170, X820	*#9999*0#	—
LG C900	##634#	If you ask for a password 2277634 # * # and press ENTER
Nokia 6215i, 6315	##2773	further code 000000

When we enter the engineering menu, various information appears, for example, the volume level, battery charging, IMEI, wi-fi, phone usage statistics. I do not recommend changing the values.

If you cannot find the parameters you need, please use a different phone. As a result, you need to define the Rx CH parameter. The first value surrounded by a red frame shows in which range the signal is received. If the value is within 10562-10838 it is UMTS 2100, if within 2937-3088 it is UMTS 900. Having determined the range of operation, you can accurately select a 3G signal amplifier, for example, high-quality Picocell 900 or Picocell 2000.

The yellow frame shows the level of 3G signal reception. Having constantly changing dynamic parameters of the signal level, we are looking for the best reception point. Less is better. Ideally, it is better to place the antenna higher on the roof, but you can find points of reliable reception inside the house.

Equipment selection

If you are in the reception area, it may be sufficient to install a good antenna with high gain. For example, an antenna AP-1900 / 2700-17 with a gain of 17 dB, but a narrow radiation pattern. Suitable if there is one base station installed next to you and there are no other signal consumers nearby.

Directional antenna AP-1900 / 2700-17 for cellular signal amplification

An antenna of the AO-2000-11 brand shows a fantastic result - with a high KU = 11 dB and a circular directivity pattern. It works on the principle of set and forget. Its advantage lies in the principle of operation. It can pick up a signal from several base stations at once, which significantly affects the speed of the Internet. No need to look for the direction of the signal.

Omnidirectional antenna, model AO-2000-11 for 3G signal amplification

In almost 80-95% of cases, when the 3G signal is somehow caught, it is enough to screw the 3G repeater TAU-2000 from Picocell to the antenna, and you will catch a stable 3G / 4G signal.

To prevent signal loss between the antenna and the amplifier, I recommend using a cable with a large cross-section, the lugs of which are commercially crimped or with a special tool.

5D / FB PVC cable with N-type connector (male)

Ready-made kits

When you know exactly what type of amplifier you buy and whether you need it at all, you can start buying equipment. If there are no retail points of sale in your city, buy from online stores or from an equipment manufacturer directly.

Kits can be of several types:

• without amplifier;
• with an amplifier;

Equipment connection diagram for amplifying 3G signal throughout the house

Consider kits without amplifiers. These kits include an antenna and a wire. Conveniently, if you have a modem or router, then the cost of strengthening the 3G / 4G signal will be minimal. A set of wires and an antenna will cost you from 5000 rubles.

Antennas are selected based on the terrain, number and distance to base stations. This kit can always be increased with an amplifier, the final price of the equipment will rise, as will the quality of the received signal.

Antenna kit connection diagram with TAU-2000 amplifier and wi-fi router

Any antenna can be used, including those given when selecting equipment, but it is better to buy a modem Huawei E392, although its price starts at 3200 rubles.

Watch a short video of everything stated in the article, if anyone is interested in the subtleties, go to the site indicated in the video clip.

And finally, I will share my observation: buy an antenna and equipment in specialized stores, and not in cellular salons, what they sell there does not work.

The Connect antenna is made for the beauty of the interior. The usefulness of this device is questionable. Can only be used as an extension cable for a modem

Ask questions if something is not clear. Good luck with your shopping.

Internet access is necessary for every person to work, study or for their personal needs. The mobile phone does not always pick up the internet. Not everyone knows how to amplify the 3g signal of a smartphone.

In cities where there are a large number of mobile operators, there should be no "dead zones" for the Internet according to the prior. In fact, everything is different: a person, moving around the area, periodically gets into them. This is due to architecture, the building material from which houses are built, metal structures. The reasons for poor Internet connection include the presence of a lot of industrial interference.

To protect the smartphone from mechanical damage, different cases are sold. If there are metal inserts inside the protection, this affects the quality of the received signal 3g and 4g.

When a user leaves the city, a 3g signal booster is required for a smartphone, where the internet speed is abrupt or absent.

Almost all people use 3g or 4g internet, which is offered by mobile operators. It provides access to networks anywhere, unlike a wi-fi network. But due to the congestion of communication lines, the Internet speed drops to the level of 2g. Even if the phone is on a tariff with a good 3g or 4g speed, it guarantees that the speed will not slow down.

Two solutions will help to improve the reception of a smartphone - this is software and with the help of devices purchased or made on their own. Each method has its advantages. With an integrated approach to increasing the speed of the Internet connection, the user will achieve the fastest signal possible.

Software settings

Sometimes people are unhappy with the speed of the Internet on their mobile phone. Everyone knows that the speed and quality of the Internet connection depend on the operator, the chosen tariff and coverage area. But not everyone knows that you can amplify the signal on a smartphone using the InternetSpeedMaster application. The program optimizes phone performance by modifying system files. Strengthening the antenna on a smartphone using the application is easy, but you need to be rooted, if the phone is rooted, then the installation will take 2 minutes.

Program setting for 3g and 4g amplification

How to configure InternetSpeedMaster program to amplify 3g and 4g signal:

1. log into the application and grant superuser rights;
2. if the device is rooted, enter ApplyPatch, reboot. The Internet signal booster on the smartphone will work;
3. if the user does not have superuser rights, enter the ImproveInternetConnection, then reboot the device.

This method does not work on all devices, so it is recommended that you first get root rights in order to surely increase the 3g signal on your smartphone.

If the user wants to return the old settings, it is recommended to enter the menu, press "Restore", confirm his actions by selecting the "OK" button.

Hardware improvement

You can strengthen the cellular signal on your smartphone by purchasing additional devices in specialized stores - a repeater and various types of antennas. Such devices significantly enhance the signal coming from the operator. In this situation, no manipulation of the device files is required.

All connected devices to the Internet 3g or 4g, included in the coverage area of ​​the antenna, increase the download speed. To amplify a 3g signal for a smartphone with your own hands in a country house or apartment, you need to take steps that will enable the operator's signal to reach as quickly as possible.

The antenna in your phone is important for two reasons: it affects the quality of reception and transmission of signals, and it also determines the level of radiation exposure when you put the phone to your ear. Radiation from mobile phones is a serious issue for those who think about their health. The antenna of your phone emits a strong signal in the frequency range of the cellular standard. In fairness, we note that it is still not completely clear what effect the high-frequency radiation of a mobile phone has on a person. Although work on assessing the "harmfulness" of phones has been going on for a long time (more than 15 years), so far, fortunately, the presence of a harmful effect of a mobile phone on human health has not been proven.

Despite this, a number of countries already have severe restrictions on the use of mobile phones by children.

Now - about the types of antennas. Currently, the following types of antennas are most common in telephones:

Internal (Patch antenna, PIFA antenna), hidden in the body and invisible to the eye;
- a whip antenna or a shortened dipole (Stub antenna) sticking out of the body like a stump;
- Retractable antenna, made of thin telescopic tubes and hidden in the body;
- combinations of the above antennas.

Internal- one of the most common and, perhaps, the most user-friendly antenna, completely hidden inside the phone. It never breaks due to rough handling and has good technical characteristics. The only drawback of such an antenna is that when you buy a mobile phone, you do not know exactly where it is located in the phone case. About why you need to know - a little later.

Recently, another type of internal antenna has appeared - such antennas protrude slightly from the body, but for the most part are located inside the phone. The need for such antennas arose along with the tendency to create thin phones - you need to somehow build a good antenna into a flat phone. However, it should be noted that a good small, flat and cheap antenna for a mobile phone has not yet been developed.

Shortened dipole or a pin. Such an antenna has very good characteristics, is perfectly visible, but is inconvenient for the user. In terms of prevalence - in the first place among manufacturers of inexpensive mobile phones, since this is the cheapest type of antenna. Such antennas often and easily break down with sloppy subscribers.

Retractable antenna or telescope. In Europe and Russia, this antenna is now found mainly in old GSM phones. In contrast, CDMA phones use telescopes quite often. In Asia (Japan, for example) and America (for example, the USA), such antennas are still popular. The reason - excellent performance and ease of execution - all of this is important for the manufacturer.

Such antennas often break and require delicate handling. It must be remembered that a phone with a telescope should (not all manufacturers, however, follow this rule) work perfectly, even if you do not fully extend the antenna out of the case. Many people are not aware of this and fully extend the antenna with each call. In fact, by extending the telescope, you only slightly improve the technical parameters of the antenna and increase the signal level.

This usually only helps when working in an area of ​​poor coverage or weak signal strength, but in a city it has no effect at all.

There are other types of antennas and even combinations of those already mentioned. Note that a mobile phone may have not one but two main radiating antennas. Two antennas, for example, are installed in 3G phones (combined UMTS / GSM or CDMA / GSM). There is nothing wrong with that, you just need to know where these antennas are located.

In addition to the main emitting antenna, a mobile phone may also have a Bluetooth (BT) antenna or a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna.

The HT antenna operates at frequencies of the order of 2.4 GHz and the level of its radiation is hundreds of times weaker than the radiation of the main antenna.

Now about why you need to know where the main antenna (or antennas) in the phone are located.

First, knowing where the antenna is located will prevent you from accidentally grabbing or touching it while talking. It would be nice if each manufacturer in the user manual indicated the location of the antenna in the phone. It would also be a good idea to point out in the manual that touching the antenna during a call is not recommended. No, it's not dangerous, just holding on to the antenna while talking on the phone degrades its performance. Without going into technical details, we can say that an antenna with a hand pressed against it can work significantly worse for reception and transmission. This leads to the fact that the radius of the cell, i.e. the area where your phone works reliably is significantly reduced. In each specific case, everything will depend on the type of antenna, on its location in the case and on how much the owner of the phone interferes with its work.

Moreover, if during a conversation you interfere with the operation of the antenna, the power consumption of your phone's battery can increase 2 times or more.

This is due to a change in the power balance of the radio channel - the phone increases the radiation power as instructed by the network controller.

Here are the final calculated data for a conventional GSM phone. If you change the antenna characteristics by improperly holding the phone, then

The cell radius for your phone is reduced to 20%, and the coverage is reduced to 30%, which can lead to a complete loss of connection; for example, you dial a number - everything is in order, you start talking, touch the antenna - the connection is interrupted;
- the resource of your battery during a conversation is consumed faster by 20-60%, i.e. battery life is reduced by more than half.

All this is especially noticeable outside the city, where the signals are weak, that is, at a great distance from the station of the cellular operator.

What's more, when you just hold the phone to your ear while talking and hold it correctly, your phone's receive and transmit signal levels may deteriorate. Sometimes at times if the antenna is bad. It all depends on the type of antenna, on its location in the phone case and on its proximity to the head, on the phone model. To one degree or another, all mobile phones are subject to this effect and do not think that by buying an expensive phone, you will get rid of all the problems. Degradation of parameters can be checked only in specially equipped laboratories.

A reasonable question arises, but how to call correctly without deteriorating the quality of work? How to hold the phone if not at the ear?

The answer is simple. You need to make the right calls without pressing the phone to your head / ear or holding on to it with your hands. It is best to use Bluetooth or headphones and keep the phone separate (for example, in a bag) away from metal surfaces.

Where can the built-in antennas be located? Stealth antennas are located primarily on the top of the phone and are often very close to the speaker that you put to your ear. Much less often, the antenna is located at the bottom of the phone. In some clamshells the antennas are hidden in the middle - in the upper part of the keyboard compartment. The antennas are often located in the thickening of the body.

Knowing where the antenna is located is useful for another reason - in this case, you will less irradiate yourself with high-frequency power (which is categorically not recommended to do, no matter whether it is harmful or not), or reduce the intensity of such radiation. The reduction in intensity is achieved simply by correctly positioning the phone in relation to the head - the distance between the emitting antenna and the head / ear should be as large as possible. It must be remembered that by increasing this distance by only a few centimeters, you reduce the intensity of high-frequency irradiation of the head tenfold.

Whatever they say about the dangers of cell phone radiation, remember the main thing - microwave radiation will certainly not benefit your body.

It should be added that the operating frequencies of the phone are close to those of a microwave oven. This means that the physical mechanism of action on bio-objects is the same in both cases - there is an internal heating of the tissue, and its temperature rises. Of course, the power of the phone is hundreds of times less than the power of the stove, but then you apply the radiation source directly to your head. Draw your own conclusions.

Source: Gazeta.ru