Which 3G Antenna do I need?

The table below shows the current 3G Broadband Dongles and the Antennas that are available. If you aren’t sure which dongle you have, my post on how to boost your 3G signal will show you where to find this information.

There are two different types of antenna available. The standard Clip Antenna is designed to be a portable solution that clips onto the screen on your laptop or sits on your desk. It is omni-directional, which means that it will pick up signals from all directions. The High Gain 3G Directional Antenna is a more powerful signal booster. It is directional, which means that you will need to point this towards your networks transmitter in order for it to improve the signal. The High Gain antenna when positioned correctly will make a significant difference to the signal you receive, and can be wall mounted as a permanent fixture.

To find your dongle quickly, press “ctrl” and “f” on your keyboard, and then type in the model number of your dongle excluding the manufacturer or network eg: E160G to search this page. If your dongle is not listed here, don’t worry, this is only a snapshot of the most popular dongles.

If you still can’t find your dongle, please add a comment with the network, dongle make and model number and I’ll find out which antenna you need and add it to the list alternatively the Universal antenna will work with all USB modems.

Clip Antenna or High Gain Antenna – Universal Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
3	MF622	Huawei	E166
3	MF627	Huawei	E169G
3	E169G	Huawei	E170
3	E220	Huawei	E172
BT	E170	Huawei	E176
BT	E180	Huawei	E180
Huawei	K3250	Huawei	E216
Huawei	K3565	Huawei	E219
O2	USB Stick	Huawei	E220
Option	225	Huawei	E230
Option	510	Huawei	E270
Option	Icon	Huawei	E510
Orange	Icon	T-Mobile	510
Orange	MF330	T-Mobile	530
Orange	225	T-Mobile	E110
Vodafone	E172	T-Mobile	E170
Vodafone	USB Stick	T-Mobile	E220
Vodafone	USB Stick Lite	ZTE	MF330
Vodafone	K3520	ZTE	MF622
Vodafone	K3760	ZTE	MF627
Vodafone	E270	Sierra Wireless	875U

Clip Antenna or High Gain Antenna – CRC9 Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
3	E156G	O2	E169
3	E160G	Orange	E160
3	E169	T-Mobile	E160
Huawei	E156G	Virgin	E160
Huawei	E160	Vodafone	E620
Huawei	E160G
Huawei	E169
Huawei	E620

Clip Antenna or High Gain Antenna – SSMB Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
Huawei	E800	Sierra Wireless	880E
O2	880	Sierra Wireless	880
O2	880E	Vodafone	E800

Clip Antenna RMCP Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
Option	Data Card	Orange	GT Max
Option	Express Card	Vodafone	Data Card
Option	GT Max	Vodafone	Express Card

Clip Antenna R151N Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
Novatel	U630	Vodafone	X950D
Novatel	X950D	Vodafone	U630

Clip Antenna TS9 Connection
Make	Model	Make	Model
O2	Compass 597	Sierra Wireless	888

Tags: 3G Dongle, 3G signal Booster, aeriel, Antenna, ariel, broadband antenna, e160 antenna, e160g antenna, huawei antenna, k3529, k3565 antenna, k3760, MF627 antenna, Mobile Broadband, mobile broadband aerial

Mobile Accessories, Mobile Technology | andysimpson | March 2, 2009 10:52 am

By m hickey, March 7, 2009 @ 7:25 pm

huawei model no k3520 not on list. it has micro sd connection on side. running on vodafone (ireland).any compatible booster???
By Andy, March 9, 2009 @ 9:39 am

Hi, We've got that one listed as the Vodafone USB Stick, so it takes the Universal one. I've been trying to track down the manufacturer of that one for months, so thank you for that!

Will get the lists and site updated now.

Andy
By GERALD, March 26, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

ANDY
I am using a HUAWEI E156G on a 5 metre cable which improves the signal from 1-3 up to 5bars will a high gain CRC9 improve the signal any more

GERALD
By Andy, March 27, 2009 @ 9:39 am

Hi Gerald, I'm pretty sure that 5 bars is the most that you can get, so the high gain one probably won't make much more of a difference if you've already got maximum signal.

If you can get more than 5 bars, then yes it will improve it.
By Sara Noble, April 23, 2009 @ 3:21 pm

Can you tell me if it is possible to buy a booster for the Dell E3400 Lattitude laptop? The sim card sits behind the battery so there is no dongle to attach the aerial to.
Thanks
By Andy, April 23, 2009 @ 3:34 pm

Hi Sara, laptop antenna's are something we're currently looking into. i've tried to find information on the E3400, but am not having much success. The Antennas don't connect to the sim card, they connect to the antenna that is built into the USB dongle or laptop. If you know where the antenna is located within your laptop casing, (i'd imagine around the screen) then you will be able to use the universal one with your laptop, you'd just need to secure it in place with an adhesive pad.
It will improve the signal, but as I have no way of testing I can't say by how much.

Hope this helps
By Maggy, May 16, 2009 @ 9:12 pm

Hi Andy,

when I am in Morocco I use this USB Dongle: http://www.wana.ma/modems-samsung.php

Is it compatible to your "3G High Gain Directional Antenna – Universal" or the "Clip Antenna for 3G USB Modems – Universal"?

Is the High Gain Antenna "stronger" than the Clip Antenna?

In Morocco there are these alternatives: http://www.wana.ma/accueil-modems.php
Is there another compatible one mentioned?

Thanks and greetings from Germany,
Maggy
By Chris Willsher, May 17, 2009 @ 8:29 am

HUAWEI E870 (Vodafone)? Which antenna please?
By Andy, May 21, 2009 @ 11:54 am

Hi Chris, Apologies for the delay – I've been on hols!

The Vodafone E870, if its the express data card, rather than a USB modem uses the SSMB Connection, the same as the E880. To fit it you have to remove the small antenna that flips up on the card, and connect the clip antenna or high gain antenna into where the flip one detaches.

Andy
By Andy, May 21, 2009 @ 11:55 am

Hi Maggy,

The samsung Modems don't have a dedicated antenna connection, so you will need to use the universal one for it.

In terms of signal strength, the High gain should make more of a difference as long as its pointing in the right direction.
By Maggy, May 21, 2009 @ 1:22 pm

Thank you!
By Steve, May 23, 2009 @ 10:10 pm

Hi peeps

Just a quick 1 can the crc9 high gain antena b mounted on a ouitside wall is it water proof .
By Andy, May 23, 2009 @ 11:06 pm

Hi Steve,

They are designed to be wall/pole mounted, but are for internal use really.

We can source an outside antenna, these retail around the 70-75 mark, but will need to confirm availability with our supplier – I'll drop you an email on Tuesday once I've spoken to them.

Andy
By Steve, May 23, 2009 @ 11:30 pm

Ok mate nice 1 the prob I have if I use modem in side my flat I get 3 bar hspda signal but down load speeds of about 60 Kbps . If I put the modem on outside of window I still get 3 bar hspda signal but the speed is between 2.2 and 2.8 mb how can they b so much diffrence between 1 side of the glass to the other. ?
By Steve, May 23, 2009 @ 11:33 pm

Oh yeah modem is huawei e160g cheers for ya help
By Andy, May 23, 2009 @ 11:44 pm

Crazy isn't it. Chances are that its not the wall/window causing your problem, but some other electrical device causing interference.

chances are you've got cables and pipes in all the walls all around you, and its these that are scrambling the signal rather than the glass…

do you know which way it is to your nearest transmitter?
By Steve, May 23, 2009 @ 11:57 pm

yes mate I do no where the mast is and what direction it is and it's 0.3 mile away from my flat . And there is no pipes or wires in the wall where I'm using the modem. what else would give such diffrent speeds the only diffrence is each side glass LOL I'm stumped
By Steve, May 24, 2009 @ 12:00 am

Plus my Walls r 2 feet thick LOL
By Diane, May 26, 2009 @ 5:32 pm

I have a Tmobile 530 and it drops out after 15 minutes. I have been told that it is a weak reception area, although not when sold it. What, if any, antenna would work.
By Andy, May 28, 2009 @ 1:17 pm

Hi Diane,

I've had a look at our supplier lists, and its the same as the T-Mobile 510 so it's the universal one that you'll need.
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/cat/TMobile-510.htm

Andy
By barry jackson, May 28, 2009 @ 3:27 pm

Orange dongle (icon 225) ce 0682 which Antenna will I need please.
By Andy, May 28, 2009 @ 3:38 pm

Hi Barry,

Can you see your dongle listed on this page? We do antennas for an icon dongle, and a 225, but they're two different ones..
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/cat/Orange.htm
By early, June 2, 2009 @ 10:41 am

hi i have 02 mobile broadband mc930d. i get gprs/edge signal 237kbps but when im at my mums i get 7.2mbps on 3g. my mums house is 2miles from mine. will one of these antennas make a difference to me and what one will i need cheers lee
By Andy, June 2, 2009 @ 10:51 am

Hi Lee,

The MC9930d takes the universal antenna or the universal high gain antenna.

Both will make a difference, but it really is down to signal strength where you are. If signal is really bad, then I'd suggest the high gain one, and point it towards the nearest O2 transmitter.
By early, June 2, 2009 @ 10:58 am

ok that great thanx very much. il give it a try pal
By barry jackson, June 5, 2009 @ 3:53 pm

Hi Andy
Barry agian, you say there are two different antenna's for the numbers I sent in but both those numbers are on my Orange Dongle icon225 & ce 0682 can you advise me which one I need to use please many thanks
By Andy, June 5, 2009 @ 4:02 pm

With out seeing it, I'd guess that the CE number is the safety mark number – if the CE number looks the same as the one on this post, then its the safety number and you can ignore it.

The antenna for the Icon is the universal antenna
By TK, June 22, 2009 @ 7:51 pm

Hi Andy.
Will your 3G Antennas boost a 3-Skypephone S2?
If yes which one?

I currently use it as a HSPDA modem for my Asus PCEEE 901 3G Broadband connection & when I am in a favourable signal area, speed is fine upto 2+mbs
However the 3Network coverage inside my home becomes non-existant & we have to rely on wifi.
Sometimes I have to go outside & stand on a chair just to get GPRS.
The nearest transmitter in the area is an 'O2' one approx 3miles away across flat terrain.
All others are 6-8 miles away on higher ground.
Please dont say move house! According to all the network provider websites there is good 3G signal in the village. But none of us can find it!!
Cheers
TK
PS: I dont suppose these antennas will also boost phone GPRS signal as well 3G?
By Andy, June 22, 2009 @ 9:18 pm

Hi TK,

In theory, yes they will. You'd need to use the universal one as this has a connector pad that straps onto your dongle or card (or phone in this case)
as long as you sat this pad as close to the aerial on your phone, there's no reason why it won't do the same job.

With regards to GPRS signal, the clip antenna will work on both GPRS and 3G, but the High Gain ones are 3G only.

If O2 and 3 are still sharing transmitters, then you should be ok using the clip antenna at home, but if they're not (I think they switched to partnering with orange) then the clip antenna may not be strong enough, in which case I'd suggest to go for the High Gain one and point it towards the 3 transmitter.

On a similar note, 3 themselves don't have a GPRS network, so for a GPRS signal, you'll actually be using their partner, (o2 or orange)
By Glyn, June 23, 2009 @ 9:56 am

Hi
What model(s)can I use with my Vodafone supplied Huawei K3520 (not K3250). It is for a fixed installation so I would prefer a high gain unit
Thanks
Glyn
By Andy, June 23, 2009 @ 10:02 am

Hi Glyn, the K3520 is the same as the Vodafone USB Stick, so its the High Gain Universal Antenna that you'll need.
http://www.unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/product/189…
By TK, June 25, 2009 @ 1:35 am

Hi Andy..
Many thanks for the swift response.
It seems the 3-Network has now piggy backed Orange
I will give your suggestion a try when everything is back in stock..
Cheers
TK
By Dave, June 26, 2009 @ 10:47 pm

Huawei E180 is not listed (provided bt BT). Which 3G clip antenna do I need? Thanks, Dave
By Andy, June 29, 2009 @ 10:21 am

Hi Dave,
Apologies for the delay. The E180 doesn't have an external antenna connetion, so you'll need the Universal one.

Andy
By Bob large, July 6, 2009 @ 6:43 am

I have a Verizon USB 720 Running on 3g. Need to boost. Thinking about the directional. I tried the one that plugs into the USB under the little flip up antenna and no better. Thanks
By dean, July 7, 2009 @ 5:25 pm

If my dongle doesn't have an antenna connection, do i just need the universal one?
By Andy, July 7, 2009 @ 5:28 pm

Hi Dean, yes, if your dongle isn't listed or doesn't have an antenna connection, then the universal one will work
By Becky, July 20, 2009 @ 1:44 pm

Hi Andy, I have a T-mobile dongle (only just got it not sure what model it is until I get home!) and I cannot get a 3G signal indoors at all. I have tried every room in the house and they only place I can get it is outside but even then it is weak.

Will these antennas work for me if I cannot get a signal inside? When I bought the dongle I was told I was in a "good" 3G signal area.
By Andy, July 20, 2009 @ 1:49 pm

Hi Becky, It's tricky to say for sure, but I'd say that the clip antenna will probably improve things outside, but it may not be strong enough to make much difference in the house.

If you know where your transmitter is, I'd say to go for the high gain one and make sure it's pointing at your nearest T-Mobile transmitter. If it doesn't work, we offer a 30 day no quibble money back so you can return it for a full refund.
By Becky, July 20, 2009 @ 2:03 pm

Thank you very much, I will try that!
By Karam, July 30, 2009 @ 8:38 am

Hi,

I'm using O2 (Ireland) Sierra Wireless Compass 888 and would like to know if it is compatible (antenna-wise) with the 880 listed.

Thanks.
By Andy, July 30, 2009 @ 11:03 am

Hi Karam,
The 880 and 880e are data cards rather than USB Modems, so it's highly unlikely that they will take the same antenna as the USB modem 888. I've looked on the sierra wireless website and it looks like there isn't an antenna connection, so you'll need to use the universal antenna
By Karam, July 30, 2009 @ 10:16 pm

Hi Andy,

thanks for the reply. There is a small 'hatch' on the side of my dongle that has what looks like an connection for an external antenna. I'll keep an eye out for further info later.

Cheers.
By Andy, July 31, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

Hi, Just heard from our supplier that it takes a TS-9 connector, so you;'ll need this one:
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/clip-antenna-for-3g-us…

there isn't a high gain one available on our site at the moment, but we can get it if you need it. Price will be the same as the other high gain antennas
By Andy, July 31, 2009 @ 4:27 pm

Post updated to include Sierra Wireless Compass 888

Andy
By Ted, August 3, 2009 @ 5:12 pm

Hi I`m Ted, can you advise me which antenna I need to use to boost the signal strength for my laptop usb Novatel, MC990D,Dongle, supplied by Movistar. I live in south western Spain and have searched the net for this model of dongle with no luck,so far. 30KBPS is driving me crazy. Cheers Ted.
By Andy, August 3, 2009 @ 7:13 pm

Hi Ted, this isn't a dongle we have listed yet, but I'll query it with our suppliers tomorrow and update this comment when i know more
By Grant, August 11, 2009 @ 4:37 am

I have the huawei model ec 168 do u have an antenna for this.
By Andy, August 11, 2009 @ 9:39 am

Hi Grant,

Our supplier doesn't have the E168 listed yet so can you have a look and see if there is a connector for an antenna anywhere on the dongle?

If there isn't you'll need the universal one. If there is, let me know which network you're on and I'll try and track it down for you.

Andy
By PJ, August 11, 2009 @ 10:41 pm

Hi Andy,
Please advice if a clip on antenna should be sufficient or high gain is needed. I live in London about 10 min walk from the next o2 mast (shared w. Voda & 3) just behind a tiny hill, I am so O2 website in a good coverage area. I get just above half the time a 'very low' hsdpa signal (i find the speed ok), rest of time gprs (which is too slow to deal with my e-mails).
- I like to ensure that I have 90%+ of time a hsdpa signal. (I sit most of the time with my laptop next to the window, but like to sometimes move into the room.) – If I take a high gain ant. how much speed difference can I usually gain by moving the hsdpa very low to eg. low or good. – Will adjusting the direct. High gain ant. when moving around take much time or is the approx. direction with or with out wall the same? – Also do directional antennas suffer when working in a garden surrounded by houses, in comparison to non directional ant.?
Apologies for asking so much, its just that the clip on ant. are much cheaper than high gain, and im on a tight student budget.
By PJ, August 11, 2009 @ 10:48 pm

Maybe I should also add that ca. 20% of the time the network just disappears or gets unusable altogether. Maybe this is when loads of people log in, maybe they had techn. network problems. – Will an antenna also help getting the uper hand in the competition for signal with my neighbours (so to say)?
By sue, August 11, 2009 @ 11:19 pm

I have a Orange dongle, Model GI02255 have you a strong antenna for this as I have a very week signal?
By Andy, August 12, 2009 @ 9:53 am

Hi PJ,

It's near impossible to say how much difference either of these antennas will make to the signal you get on your dongle as there are so many factors that can affect/reduce your signal.

High gain will make the biggest difference, but will need to point at the o2 mast – set up should only be a couple of minutes at the most, as long as you know which direction the mast is. The more buildings and structures between your antenna and the mast, the more likely it is that your signal will be reduced, although it will still be stronger than it would be with out it.

The best advice I can give really is try one, if it doesn't do what you want return it under our 30 day money back guarantee
By Andy, August 12, 2009 @ 9:53 am

No – the antenna wont give you priority over other users as who gets what is determined by the network.
By Andy, August 12, 2009 @ 10:05 am

Hi Sue, I can't find any record of that model anywhere. Can you double check to see if that's the right one?

This post shows you where to find the model number: http://www.unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/03/how…
By Grant, August 13, 2009 @ 9:33 pm

Hi Andy,

What do u mean by a dongle.

Grant
By Andy, August 14, 2009 @ 9:51 am

Sorry, Dongle is another name for the 3G USB Modem