PSA: Only use your cellphone connection as an absolute last resort

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n5amd
Posts: 37
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 9:05 pm
Location: San Antonio Texas
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PSA: Only use your cellphone connection as an absolute last resort

Post by n5amd »

Hey all,

I wanted to make a small PSA. Hotspots are great and easy to use and allow everyone to enjoy all things digital voice. However, when using them, please be sure to use a wired connection when possible and avoid cellphone connections unless you have no other means. On the backend, digital voice uses UDP to communicate and UDP is very susceptible to packet loss and latency. This quickly adds up in a conversation, especially when there is a round table discussion. Even though you may have a solid full signal on your 4G LTE phone, it may still incur major latency and packetloss. The same goes with a home wifi connection.

If you are in an area with decent repeater coverage, please use the repeaters. Most of them have solid, stable, low loss internet coverage and will typically yield a better experience than your hotspot on a cellphone connection. If you are at home with your hotspot, try and use an Ethernet cable when possible, even if that means relocating your hotspot near your wifi/router.

In short:
  • Use local repeaters if available, even when traveling
    Use an Ethernet cable for your hotspot at home
    Turn to your cellphones internet if there are no more options.
Again the key is to reduce lost packets and latency, and the wire will help with this. This will make everyones QSO experience better.

-N5AMD
Ben
N5AMD
www.n5amd.com
KB8AOB
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 3:42 am
Location: Buckhannon WV USA

Re: PSA: Only use your cellphone connection as an absolute last resort

Post by KB8AOB »

Unless you live in a rural area with great cell signals when it may be the best internet you can get and no repeaters in the region! 8-)
NQ4T
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:48 pm

Re: PSA: Only use your cellphone connection as an absolute last resort

Post by NQ4T »

n5amd wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:44 pm
Use an Ethernet cable for your hotspot at home
Except most of these are being sold paired with a RPi0W which doesn't have an Ethernet port.
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