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30/10/2022, 05:49 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 08:32 PM by Eagle.)
So in the pursuit of 5G where I am , 16km away from cell tower and tried the M5 nighthawk , S20 5G , Mikrotik Chateau 5G and they all are unable to register on N3 or N78 and it fails to connect in a loop despite adequate signal. Details here : https://confusedbird.com/thread-139.html
So I have finally half solved my problem with my theory about using a mediatek based modem (The Zyxel NR5103E)
Here's what I have so far, was very difficult to take apart that plastic housing over all the connectors/ethernet ports etc, You need something thin to slide around it and wedge it up , it's held in by clips but after that it just slides out and rest is fairly straightforward.
Currently went from -126 RSRP on N78 to -110 RSRP with a 10m run of cable + TS9-SMA adapter using XPOL-V3
Goal is to fit inside the EPNT-2 to eliminate a 12m+ run of cable
More will keep being added as I'm posting and doing it as I speak
Going by longest part of PCB it's 190mm exactly so would it squeeze in 5mm extra u think?
These are album links so theres more than one pic (need to scroll)
Initial opening of router:
https://imgur.com/a/ATCeM2E
Process of unplugging trying to get black assembly off :
https://imgur.com/a/DMiJjzU
Half of the assembly off , there's some thermal pads/paste and a heatsink mostly just plastic on first half with internal antenna connectors soldered on and terminating to some kind of ipex connectors. Disconnected all the internal antenna connectors. I'll try get a picture of other side next. :
https://imgur.com/a/vuTwqRN
Can't seem to see any other way to get this apart other than a thermal pad that seems to be attached to a heatsink that's clipped tightly into the plastic assembly.
Should I just try pry the thermal pad away? :
https://i.imgur.com/m7iPaj0.jpg
These are the two type of small connectors going from internal antenna to PCB, no idea what exact ones they are :
https://i.imgur.com/7tPTw9O.jpg
Seems to be two PCB's joined together with a thin 8 shaped connector that makes contact between them.
The second plastic assembly just has another heatsink clipped into it, PCB is joined to it with a thermal pad.
Close up of the PCB and antenna ports, all internal antennas disconnected:
https://imgur.com/a/yz5boih
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30/10/2022, 08:27 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 08:43 PM by Seán.)
That looks promising on the PCB dimensions. Thank you very much for all the pictures, especially with the tedious disassembly process.
Based on holes C to C being 178mm apart in the technical document, this is how long 190mm will be:
185mm across appears to correspond with what appears to be the space between the crimp holes for the mounting plate. These appear to stick out by just a few mm, so there should be sufficient clearance from the PCB, especially with the Ethernet ports on one side and the heat sink on the reverse.
Pity about the heat sink as it will unlikely fit with that plastic assembly. If you separate this, you will need to either separate the heat sink or find another heat sink to use in place. This must consume a lot more power than the Chateau 5G as it didn't have a single heat sink inside, never mind a cooling fan!
From looking at the antenna connectors, they appear to be U.fl. If you have a U.fl pigtail handy, try pushing it on to see if it fits. If it does, the following pigtails would run from these ports to the SMA ports inside the EPNT-2.
Hopefully there is enough space to also fit the PoE splitter inside.
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30/10/2022, 08:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 09:47 PM by Eagle.)
Oh nice that looks very promising actually , And no problem happy to be the guinea pig for this  I got an answer from Three rep saying the Zyxel NR5103E will be coming to Three Ireland 5G broadband in early 2023.
So it may be helpful for any antenna setups in the future.
I'd say these just come off they're just held in by clips , could I just try make something to hold the fan blowing up and through both heatsinks the same way it was blowing air up through bottom-top ?
According to the bottom of the router it draws 24 watt max
Here's some heatsink and fan housing pictures and top post is updated
Any idea what I could do with those 4 internal antenna ports?
https://imgur.com/a/Ad9hP4l
Both connectors fit onto the old broken chateau LTE12 pcb , so what ones would I need to order?
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I reckon mounting the fan in some way that blows air across should be sufficient. The 24 watt rating will include around 10 watt to cover the USB3 port and several watts for the Wi-Fi module. As the Wi-Fi will not be used (I recommend disabling it in the web interface if possible), it will generate less heat than indoor use where it's serving Wi-Fi clients.
The top 4 internal antenna ports that are scattered on the smaller PCB are for the Wi-Fi. I'm surprised there are 4, unless it uses two for 2.4GHz and two for 5GHz with this supposedly being the 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 model. I recommend getting U.fl to SMA female connectors for these (again check if a U.Fl plug fits) and SMA male terminator plugs to screw on the SMA end. This way when the Wi-Fi module transmits its beacon signal, its energy is dumped into the terminator rather than bouncing back into the Wi-Fi radio module where it could cause damage or radio interference.
Going by the U.fl 4G/5G connectors, port 4 appears to be the Main TX and port 1 is its diversity (based on the longer antenna). Port 2 is likely the Main port for MIMO 2 and port 3 is the MIMO 2 diversity. These correspond with TS9 ports 1 to 4 based on the PCB traces. Ideally I would connect one antenna pair to ports 1+4 and the other to ports 2+3, if only your 5G connection would establish in this configuration. I'm also surprised you are able to get a connection at all with just ports 1+3 attached initially and ports 2+4 empty, considering ports 2 + 4 are marked "Main".
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30/10/2022, 09:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 10:00 PM by Eagle.)
Thanks a lot for looking through all that, could you link me the connectors and things I'd need to order so hopefully everything arrives this week. The two different connectors did fit onto the ports on the Chateau LTE12. So I'm guessing that's the ones I need.
This is what I got so far on the way/delivered
The WiFi seems to perform better than the Ethernet for some reason, it's automatically switching between 2.4 and 5 Ghz as well which is nice so I don't need two SSID's. I was getting 230-250 mbps on the WiFi 6 whereas I was getting 180-210 ish on the ethernet.
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30/10/2022, 11:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 11:01 PM by Seán.)
These are my suggestions for connecting the PCB within the EPNT-2:
30cm U.fl to SMA male pigtails 5 pack - For connecting the 4G/5G U.Fl connectors to the EPNT-2 SMA ports.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B098QFK42H/
10cm U.fl to SMA female pigtails - For connecting the Wi-Fi U.fl connectors to the SMA terminators.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YY7VG3K/
50 Ohm SMA male terminator - Safely adsorbs any Wi-Fi transmissions from the Wi-Fi module.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B8BXBLT/
25cm flat ethernet cable - Connect from the PoE splitter to the PCB ethernet port.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LF80OS8/
From another look at the Wi-Fi PCB, it looks like there are 3 and not 4 connectors (I mistakened a through-hole as one). In this case, the two next to each other are likely the Wi-Fi and the third further out is probably GPS (which wouldn't need a terminator). Another option here would be to attach these two U.Fl to the Wi-Fi SMA ports inside the EPNT-2, which would provide outdoor Wi-Fi coverage and let you connect directly to its Wi-Fi such as while doing antenna adjustments:
For attaching the XPOL2-5G, you would run the two leads inside the EPNT-2 and use two 10cm U.fl to SMA female pigtails to connect them.
When using these U.fl connectors, ensure the antenna switch is set to "INT", otherwise it will get no signal from the unused TS9 ports inside the EPNT-2.
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30/10/2022, 11:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 30/10/2022, 11:27 PM by Eagle.)
Thanks for that ordered those , Ill try order EPNT tmoro. I should probably refund the 10m cable XPOL V3 and go for a shorter cabled one so I can have 4x4 with highest gain possible, I wonder how the omni will perform against it maybe it isn't necessary?
Do those TS9 connectors on the board itself lose signal more than the internal antenna ports? I assume there's no need for them
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I suggest trying the EPNT's built-in directional + omni ports to start with. If it still gives trouble retaining the n3 or n78 connections or Three upgrades the backhaul, you can get the XPOL2-5G v3 with the shorter leads for higher gain on MIMO2.
The TS9 ports have longer PCB traces than the internal antenna ports (which are right next to the modem), so the internal ports should give slightly less signal loss over the TS9 ports.
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31/10/2022, 11:53 AM
(This post was last modified: 31/10/2022, 12:00 PM by Eagle.)
If I were to hook up the u.fl to sma female connectors I have onto the 4 internal ports would it be ok to turn it on? or do I need to plugin those wifi ones back into the small pcb as well to hook back up to the plastic assembly with the antennas on it. Was just wondering if I could test it like that with easy access to 4 SMA-u.fl connectors and can figure out which antennas are best to use.
I also presume I need to have everything like the fan , and LED readout board hooked up as well? Just don't want to break it
As for attaching it to the EPNT-2 , how would that work, do I just drill holes in it or how do I secure the PCB to the antenna / enclosure itself. I just don't fully grasp how it'll all pan out
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If you completely disable the Wi-Fi on the router, it should be fine to operate without its U.fl connectors attached as the Wi-Fi module should not transmit anything while disabled. Ideally, they should be either attached to the SMA terminators or to the Wi-Fi ports inside the EPNT-2 in case something activates the Wi-Fi module such as a factory reset.
I suspect not having the fan attached may trigger a fan fault warning. It will probably work fine without the LED status board. Indeed, I would attach the LED status board if it fits within the EPNT-2.
Mounting the PCB will be a challenge itself as its screw holes probably have difference spacing to the screw holes on the mounting plate. You can try aligning up two or more screw holes on the PCB with screw holes on the mounting plate inside the EPNT-2. It will need a few spacers to give few mm of clearance from the mounting plate (like fitting a PC motherboard inside the case), such that the screws don't put strain on the PCB while fastened.
Going by their product video, they mention you can make additional screw holes (e.g. with self tapping screws) or use double-sided tape. I don't recommend using a drill as the drill bit could damage components inside after drilling through.
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I've got the router setup in temporary setup resting on the plastic housing with wifi connectors and gps plugged in again. It's such a dumb issue, it won't maintain a 5G connection when 4 antennas are plugged in from what I can tell with the initial swapping around and following the 1+4 and 2+3 antenna pair setup. It will connect to 5G with two antennas plugged in, but when I boot it up with 4 plugged in , it doesn't want to hold it. I need to try figure out a way to get it to connect or it won't even work with the EPNT-2. Any ideas what I could do with the ports? maybe use combo of TS9 and internal? I've no idea  I just wish the N3 cell would work because that would solve everything. I saw someone saying they're trying to "reverse engineer the api" on another forum to unlock PCI locking and other features but haven't found any way of locking otherwise.
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The only workaround I can think of would be use the EPNT-2 with a separate XPOL2-5G (e.g. your current one before returning it). Connect the two U.fl ports that enable you to get 5G to the main two ports inside the EPNT-2. Connect the other two U.fl ports to the separate XPOL2-5G.
When you need to restart your router, place a foil freezer bag cover the XPOL2-5G. This will simulate disconnecting those two ports as the foil will block the signal. Once the router boots and has a 5G connection, remove the foil bag to bring those two ports back online.
I suggest giving the manual band selection a try again, but selecting just one 4G band at a time with 5G bands n3 and n78, e.g. 4G band 20 + the 5G bands, then 4G band 28 + the 5G bands, etc. If it establishes 5G, try a speed test. As you are currently limited by the mast backhual's capacity, you may get most of your speed with just a single 4G band in combination with the 5G bands.
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31/10/2022, 07:43 PM
(This post was last modified: 31/10/2022, 07:50 PM by Eagle.)
I can't get it to do any other combo other than B28 , N3, N78 , B20,N3,N78 , and B20+N78 or B28 + N78 doesn't work on their own so far unless it will with swapping ports, which makes zero sense to me. Only with LPDA's consistently so far.
Another thing that's really weird is LPDA's in port 4 and 2 (con 4 + 2) (going by the PCB markings) will consistently connect to B28+N3+N78 // B20+N3+N78 and it will get decent speeds , it seems to hold a connection and drop off for 1-2 seconds whenever it latches onto stronger N3 cell for a sec which decreases peformance for a second or two but insta swaps back to weaker one so performance holds up for most part. Saw some 150 mbps down results with it , but it's random , usually 50-150 in that range, upload is aggregating too , saw it spike to 30 but seems to hover around 20. Performs better by hooking up to the internal antennas over the TS9 ones. Improved signal by 1-2 dB overall by not using TS9. So it seems to hold onto that weaker sector as well but the performance drops off when it tries to get onto the stronger N3 cell. You can see briefly when it does manage to connect to strong N3 cell the speedtest does a massive spike in speed DL/UP.
But when I put XPOL in these two same ports, it cant seem to hold any combination at all. It won't do the same thing LPDA does. I also notice it'll say NR 5G NSA but when I look at bands it'll only say B28 B3 B1, so it doesn't actually seem to register at all, just falls back to LTE/LTE-A then right after. Whereas the LPDA will show it's N3,N78 on that menu , so it's actually connected.
The other issue now is at least with these internal ports , when I have the LPDA connecting to B28,B1,N3,N78 and then I plugin the XPOL in 1 and 3 it'll fall back to LTE again and will behave the same way as if XPOL is plugged in to 2+4.
Is there potentially a threshold with signal or something that makes it behave this way or is the mismatch in cable runs between LPDA and XPOL an issue maybe when 4 plugged in together?
My only hope is that when N78 is even stronger without cable run it might just connect to say B20+N78 which doesn't work atm. Weirdly enough I was consistently getting B20+N78 on it's own with LPDA when I had router on B8 version but now it won't do that at all, even with XPOL in the two good ports which has much better N78 signal. What I don't understand is why XPOL doesn't work when LPDA does only thing I can think of is some LTE signal threshold required to establish connection and the LPDA is just that little bit stronger.
One thing to note with XPOL is it's providing slightly worse signal than the LPDA's on most LTE bands , talking about 3-4 dB max. SINR values as well, give or take 3-4 dB weaker.
Is it possible to return say for example a S22 if I go into Three shop and try it for a day and say I don't want it when I see the X65 modem has the same issue as the S20 with X55?
I would be up for trying that since the M6 has the new X65 modem/chipset. I apologise for all the questions and theorizing , I've sunk that much money+effort into trying to get 5G where I am I don't want to give up especially after experiencing that 250 mbps consistently the other day ,especially peak time , and now that I know it's possible seeing the Exynos connect and the Zyxel... shame I haven't been able to find a way to reliably replicate it though
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That's a pity about it refusing to connect with the XPOL. Based on the LTE bands being weaker and it consistently choosing the weaker band n3 cell, I also reckon the band n3 RSRP falls below the minimum threshold with the XPOL, especially with it being around -116 to -117dBm from the LPDAs based on your last screenshots. For example, the 5G carrier cut-off could be -118dBm.
There is a good possibility that it will connect with a much shorter cable run with the XPOL (or EPNT-2) as this should boost the RSRP on band n3 by about 5dB (based on its 0.514 dB/m cable loss).
Based on it not connecting to 5G band n78 on its own, it looks like the b10 firmware has an issue with TDD upload synchronisation from that distance. By using n78 as CA with n3 as the primary 5G band, the n78 carrier becomes download-only, which does not depend on TDD upload synchronisation.
The UK Samsung S22 has the Exynos 2200 going by the Amazon reviews, so it's likely the Irish stores will have the same chipset. So far I'm not aware of any router that uses the Exynos or Shannon modem.
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31/10/2022, 09:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 31/10/2022, 09:32 PM by Eagle.)
After further testing I've figured out the copper kind of pigtails I have are the culprit for the being unable to get it to work with LPDA's again, they must be poor quality and made me waste 3 hours scratching my head and thinking I broke the router somehow
The mikrotik ones I took out of the LTE12 work fine but leaving two ports unplugged on the PCB won't transmit any data so I couldn't test it but they stayed on 5G again so that's that ruled out. I don't have any other pigtails to use sadly until these new ones come hopefully they are better.
I am going to buy the Galaxy flip 4 tomorrow and return it within the 14 days to test whether the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen (X65) works and after realising like you said S22 has exynos 2200. If it did it means I can just sell up the rest of my equipment and get the M6 and put it in the EPNT-2 and call it a day  It has cell locking and everything else so I'm hoping the 5G issue I have was just isolated to X55 because if they exynos can connect as well as the mediatek then theres hope.
I will re-test again now to see if I can get XPOL to do anything different.
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01/11/2022, 01:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 01/11/2022, 06:19 PM by Eagle.)
Went into Three store to be told they don't do 14 day return period if you buy in store so have to wait till tomorrow for it to be delivered from buying the Galaxy flip 4 online. Managed to get it connected on LPDA 4+2 but when it's xpol on its own in port 4 and 2 it won't connect to it or hold it. Really odd especially since it has more N78 signal. EPNT-2 And pigtails arriving tomorrow. Kind of hoping the X65 modem fixes the faults of the X55 as that would solve everything.
The other catch is with LPDA since N78 signal is already around -126 RSRP , now that it's raining it won't pick it up at all
I did notice that when it's on the combo I want it is aggregating B28+N78 for upload and I get 10-18 mbps up.
The thing that baffles me is why it won't initialise with all 4 ports populated , it's got to be the difference in signal or something. Still have no idea which ports do what as I couldn't find any datasheet online similar to Mikrotik where they map out the ports.
Going from the videos from Qualcomm about the X65 , it apparently will have better range/coverage and AI assisted antenna tuning based on how you hold your phone. Wonder if that AI will overcome the limitation of previous snapdragon X55 devices
I think the next problem is if the flip 4 works tomorrow I'm going to need to get a hold of a Netgear M6 Nighthawk and they seem to be all US ones. Haven't found one yet.
PoE injector , PoE splittter and the cable glands arrived today. The rest of the stuff should arrive tomorrow. Flip 4, EPNT-2 and the pigtails.
I've managed to get it to fairly consistently connect to 5G with the two LPDA's but not been able to get it to connect the same way on XPOL. I really don't understand how it can vary other than it requiring a stronger LTE connection to establish?
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02/11/2022, 02:40 PM
(This post was last modified: 02/11/2022, 06:09 PM by Eagle.)
EPNT-2 and pigtails arrived only thing missing is the terminator but I can connect it to the wifi antenna right?
How would u orientate this? The power PoE part got to fit in here too right? LED panel gonna be hard to fit too.
Another issue I ran into and only just noticed the PoE splitter that's meant to plug into the router, the pin hole is too small on the jack. The poe one fits the b535 and I had even used the zyxel plug to power the B535 but the pin on the zyxel is too big , or is it just really tight fit.
I assume I connect main 1 and 2 on the PCB markings to main 1 and 2 on the antenna as well? resting the heatsink against the plastic casing should be ok shouldnt it? seems mounting up high near top seems best.
As a test I took the U.fl and plugged them into wifi , the ones I'd use for 4G/5G and I booted it up without the LED panel and the fan connected, it did still boot up and I connected up over wifi , I screwed two self tapping screws in top right hole and bottom left and it seems to hold it ok. I think the internal antennas wouldn't work without all 4 having something plugged in so I'm going to need to try turning off Wi-Fi and plugging all 4 in until those terminators come on friday. My main issue is the DC jack not fitting the router's jack pin
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02/11/2022, 07:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 02/11/2022, 07:12 PM by Seán.)
This was my main concern with ordering ordering the PoE injector / splitter before getting the router. Besides the DC jack being too narrow (appears to be 2.5mm inner diameter), it looks like the kit is not going to provide enough power either based on the 1A output and the 4A rating on that white adapter.
I had no luck finding a reasonably priced 2.1mm -> 2.5mm adapter, and with the splitter being bulky and underpowered, I suggest going for the following:
Gigabit 30W PoE+ Injector (double the power):
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LQP8CYD/
Gigabit PoE+ Splitter with 12V 2A output and 5.5 x 2.5mm DC jack (much more compact unit also):
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09CYGW46K/
The PoE Injector and Splitter you have should work fine with the MikroTik Chateau 5G as mine draws about 0.3A to 0.4A while operating including Wi-Fi. I'm surprised how power hungery that Zyxel is to need a 4A power supply. I reckon it only needs 2A max with the Wi-Fi disabled as most of this power will be reserved to cover operating a fully loaded USB3 port (e.g. external HDD), all Ethernet ports filled, lots of Wi-Fi 6 clients and some headroom.
Inside the EPNT-2, the top-two right SMA ports are primary / diversity for directional MIMO1 and the lower two are primary / diversity for omni-directional MIMO2. Indeed connect the main to the corresponding mains on the EPNT-2 to start with, Port 4 -> Cell 01 Main.
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Thanks for that , ordered those with Prime so that they'll come on Friday. At least I can hopefully set it up and mess about with it for the weekend
Ok so I did a really rough idea of what I think I need to do , I will tidy up everything with cables and stuff when I actually have the right PoE splitter. So I should probably use 4/5 of the u.fl to SMA male connectors on the internal antenna ports as that gives 2-3 dB better signal than the externals. I just used two screws to hold it in place seems to be holding pretty strong.
I'll try populating all 4 ports in that order and we'll see if it'll connect then. Hopefully it does. I managed to get it to work with 1 LPDA and one XPOL antenna and the B28+B3+B1+N78 upload increased a lot. It went from 8mbps to consistent 23-27 mbps , seemed to be using the N78 upload when XPOL was in the right port. Usually it would drop the 5G connection and not come back when swapping but it held with the LPDA having -124 RSRP which was more than usual today.
I have ipex-SMA female connectors as well , what should I do with those? do I connect them to the terminators just?
When there's nothing plugged into those Wi-Fi PCB connectors do they still try to broadcast signal? I'm assuming yes when I'm getting connectors for them just wondering what would happen to the hardware if it's left as is  .
I can put double sided tape under that fan to keep it upright and blowing air onto that area where the thermal pads are just like how it was in the assembly itself. The lid seemed to close fine even with cables all over the place like this. I'm wondering how I should seal the thing underneath so that nothing can come in? Both of the LHG's I had was infested with earwigs until I sealed them up completely. Got a fright when I went to change SIM card one day
Router seemed to work without the LED thing but I'll try find a way to get it plugged in and seated somewhere.
There's some earthing cable attached to the EPNT-2 , wondering where does that go as well.
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Tidied it up a bit turned off Wi-Fi , hopefully the splitter will fit in cozy and everything is double sided taped and tied down , fan blowing over the warmest area and LED panel double sided taped down as well so everything is plugged in to make sure it doesn't cause any issues. Just waiting for Friday now so I can power it up
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