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News and Articles
Article: Using Solwise Patriot kits to extend WiFi networks
With the internet becoming an ever more important part of our day-to-day lives, there is more of a demand than ever before for strong, reliable WiFi signals. Unfortunately, WiFi has several key weaknesses when it comes to range, distribution and penetration which means this isn’t always possible, particularly when it comes to an external WiFi signal having to penetrate through surfaces such as the exterior of a vehicle or building. Such cases include being inside a caravan on a campsite, being inside a boat at a marina and being inside an out-building remote from your house.
Author: Daniel Coombs
Date: 25.04.2022
Article: Introduction to Fibre
Fibre optic communication is a method of transmitting data between locations using pulses of infrared light through an optical fibre cable. The light itself in this technology is a form of carrier wave that has been modulated to carry information. When compared to electrical cabling, such as Ethernet or network cable, fibre supports much longer distances (Ethernet cabling is typically limited to 100m), higher bandwidth capacities (10GB over 10km), and has immunity to electrical interference.
Author: Ryan Johnson & Daniel Coombs
Date: 25.10.2021
Article: What is the Difference Between a Modem, Gateway and a Router?
The terms modem, gateway and router are often used interchangeably, but in reality, they all mean something different from one another.
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 30.09.2021
Article: LTE Router Classifications
LTE, or Long Term Evolution, is the predominant form of 4G/5G technology available in the UK; the types of equipment which utilise this technology are divided into different classifications based on their maximum data throughput capacities, similar in convention to the different categories of Ethernet cable.
Author: Daniel Coombs
Date: 30.09.2021
Article: EnGenius Cloud: Facebook and Instagram WiFi
Do you operate a business in which strong and wide-ranging public WiFi is paramount? Are you looking to quickly and simply expand your business's social media profile and subsequently draw attention from more and more customers? Engenius Cloud Facebook WiFi is a new wireless service that allows you to achieve all of this in just 20 minutes of easy setup and is ideal for any Small and Midsize Businesses such as cafes, schools, gyms, hospitals and salons.
Author: Daniel Coombs
Date: 02.07.2021
Article: Local network deployment with EnGenius SkyKey
The Engenius SkyKey is the perfect management tool for any professional network environment, providing immense functionality and efficiency, the convenience of being able to remotely monitor and configure network equipment and simplifying the entire process of network engineering for even inexperienced users.
Author: Daniel Coombs
Date: 17.03.2021
Article: Using a Teltonika router with a Poynting antenna
Have you found yourself working from home only to discover your home broadband is insufficient for your needs?
Do you operate a business in a rural area with poor broadband speeds?
If so, then a Teltonika mobile router in conjunction with an external Poynting antenna may be precisely the solution you need to achieve suitably strong network speeds.
Author: Louise Barrett & Daniel Coombs
Date: 17.02.2021
Article: Teltonika - Solwise Top Partner in the UK
Steve Mace of Solwise is proud to receive the Top Partner award from Teltonika today. A lovely way to end what has been quite a year for us all.
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 23.12.2020
Article: QuWireless LTE/WiFi Antenna Enclosures for Teltonika Routers
QuWireless are manufacturers of antenna enclosures specifically for the Teltonika range of routers. QuWireless LTE and WiFi antennas for each model of Teltonika's RUT routers are a perfect solution for mobile installations such as yachts, boats, campers, caravans etc. If you are looking for a permanent fixed solution the QuWireless enclosures can be mounted for use with CCTV installations, hotspots, residential buildings or industrial estates.
Using the Teltonika router with the QuWireless antenna gives you an integrated complete solution with embedded router and multi band antennas all in one enclosure. Omni and Directional antenna options are available.
All enclosures are IP67 rated making them perfect for outdoor use – a stainless steel marine mounting kit is also available for the QuSpot omni antenna making that one ideal for ocean going boats and yachts.
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 23.09.2020
Article: Setting Up A 4G (LTE) Network in Your Home / Office
The 4G coverage in the UK has massively improved over the last couple of years, and for many people working from home or residing in more rural areas, 4G now presents a viable alternative to using a fixed-line Internet service, such as from the likes of BT or Virgin.
With a UK average speed of 35mbps, users now have plenty of bandwidth when it comes to communicating with their loved ones over a video call, watching high definition videos, running an online business and general day to day browsing.
In fact, you will often find it is easier to set up your own 4G based wireless network in your home or office than it is to arrange for a broadband or fibre package to be installed at your address.
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 07.09.2020
Article: I Connected My Router To An External Antenna, Now My Performance Is Worse
Question: Why is my router performance worse AFTER I connected an external antenna?
Author: Stephen Froneman of Poynting
Date: February 2020
Article: Introducing the EnGenius Certified Partner Programme
EnGenius continues to enhance its Partner Portal by adding a new level called the Certified partner programme to help partners become more familiar with the WiFi technologies, solutions and the products offered by EnGenius.
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 11.08.20
Article: Will working from home become the new normal?
Many of us have had to adapt, over recent months, no matter where we live in the world, to working from home. Within weeks the way we do business changed, is this a temporary fix or will this new way of working continue long after COVID-19 has gone?
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 02.06.20
Article: What is a Wireless ...........?
Learn more on WiFi Repeaters, Access Points, Mesh Units, Homeplug, Bridges, Patriots
Author: Solwise Team
Date: 02.03.20
Article: EnGenius EnSky Wi-Fi 6 4x4 Indoor Access Point review
Author: Mark Pickavance, techradar.pro
Date: 07.01.20
Video: Livestream recording of video review for the EnGenius SkyKey and EAP1250
Author: Geekanoids
Date: 17.12.19
Article: EnGenius Has A Brand New Wireless Access Point That’s Ready For The Faster Wi-Fi 6 Standard
"The first thing to notice about the EWS357AP is how well made it is. This square-shaped access point is designed to be mounted on a wall or a ceiling and it feels like it’s been built for the long haul."
"Verdict: The EnGenius EWS357AP is a great enterprise wireless access point that has the potential to be scaled up and expanded into a building-wide, high-speed wireless network with excellent security and easy implementation, even from a remote setting. The EWS2908P managed network switch is an ideal companion to the EWS357AP as it provides PoE (Power over Ethernet) and has all the onboard management software needed to roll out and control an entire network. The advantage of using Wi-Fi 6 in a home or office situation is a no brainer. As Wi-Fi networks become integral to our homes as power or water supplies, it makes sense to install a robust infrastructure that can cover an entire building with the fastest speeds for all devices. If I were building or renovating a home or office, I would take the time to install some Ethernet cabling so that using PoE and a rock-solid connection to the main home router is assured. It may be a year or two before Wi-Fi 6 is the dominant standard but if you are installing or updating a wireless network, it would make sense to upgrade to the new standard now."
Click here to read the full article
Author: Mark Sparrow - Forbes
Date: 02.12.19
Article: Spotlight on Poynting
We have been supplying antenna from Poynting for over 10 years and they have become a very well respected brand in the UK and Europe in that time. Their XPOL1 4G Omni antenna is actually our best selling product and one we have had on the books since 2013; in this day and age that is a long time for a product lifespan in the tech industry.
Poynting are one of our key brands, their 3G and 4G antenna range compliment the Teltonika range of routers nicely and as we head into the new period of 5G offerings the new XPOL2-5G is proving very popular too along with the PUCK2 and PUCK5. We don't have the whole Poynting range on our website however if you see something they offer but we currently don't do get in touch as we can easily source it for you. We often do special order items for resellers and customers and the lead-times are generally pretty good. Poynting offers a great range of quality antenna including specialist items for tunnels, mining, vehicles, marine all over 3G, 4G, 5G and WiFi frequencies. Poynting offers a good selection of specialist brackets for their antenna too along with cables to complete the set-up.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 15.11.19
Article: Introducing The mini-HELI Antenna Range From Poynting Antennas, published on Tunnelbuilder.com
"Poynting have an established history of providing circular polarised antennas for mine tunnels internationally. The MinePoynt (HELI) range of antennas are well established for several years and deployed in many mines and tunnels in Europe, Australia, Africa, USA, Canada and other countries internationally. With the high demand in underground antennas, and for new technologies such as WiFi-6 and LTE/5G, Poynting have developed a new range of antennas that offer both dual-band 2.4/5GHz and LTE/5G mine tunnel antennas in a smaller size enclosure. "
Click here to read the full article
Author: Tunnelbuilder.com
Date: 11.11.19
Article: Internet on Yacht Nova
"While equipping Nova for this voyage, we searched and found a range of dedicated aerials from a company called Poynting. We bought a good basic non-marine aerial (XPOL-1), spoke with their helpful and knowledgeable UK distributor Solwise, and ended up agreeing they’d provide us with the more substantial fully marinised (waterproof IP68) Poynting Omni-402 for the voyage. Both these aerials can be used to enhance marina wifi too, but we weren’t equipped for that – we wanted to use our own mobile SIM card when possible, for speed and security."
Click here to read the full article
Author: Jonathan Winter
Date: 14.09.19
Article: EnGenius Cloud
Click here to see our own Louise Barrett interviewed at the EnGenius Cloud launch in Milan
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 18.10.19
Article: What is EnJet?
Click here to read the full article
See the Enjet overview from EnGenius
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 11.10.19
Article: WPA3 – The Next Generation of Wi-Fi Protection
What is WPA3? Read our technical article for all the information.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 19.09.19
Article: 5G
What is 5G all about? Read our technical article for all the information.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 06.09.19
Review: EWS357AP
"The first Wi Fi 6 access point, and the cheapest."
Click here to read the full article
Author: James Smythe
Date: 08.07.19
Article: What is Wi-Fi6?
Wi-Fi has come a long way since the days of 802.11b. The next generation, Wi-Fi6, offers you High Efficiency Wireless (HEW). WiFi6 introduces better power control methods to avoid interference with neighbouring networks; in addition, there are also dependency improvements of power consumption and security protocols such as Target Wake Time and WPA3. For dense deployments throughput speeds are 4 x higher than 11ac meaning if you are needing to cover public areas you will see improved capacity, coverage and performance for your users. Wi-Fi6 devices have lower battery consumption which makes it an ideal choice in your smart home.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 09.07.19
White Paper: Solwise and Wi-Fi6
IEEE 802.11ax, marketed as Wi-Fi 6 by Wi-Fi Alliance, is one of two Wi-Fi specifications standards, of IEEE 802.11, both expecting full deployment in late 2019, the other is IEEE 802.11ay, and collectively they can both be classified as High Efficiency Wireless.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Ryan Johnson
Date: 09.07.19
Article: Entertaining the work experience kid!
Last week we had Alex from Beverley Grammar School join us, at Solwise, for 5 days. Alex is in year 10 and it seems the majority of students in the area tend to do their work experience around this sort of age. We have had students in from a couple of different schools over the years so we were happy to give it another go this year. I must disclose that Alex is my son and he has known a lot of the Solwise staff since he was born however we have a few new people that he had never met so that proved useful with him having to develop skills with new ‘colleagues’. On speaking with Lee Hamshaw, at Beverley Grammar, it was suggested it was ok for him to work where I do so long as he was working with other people and not directly with me. There is always the worry that if you know the student in advance that they may play on this however in this case Alex was respectful of my workplace and very respectful of my colleagues.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 26.06.19
Article: Solwise, EnGenius and 11ax (WiFi-6)
We are pleased to announce the next phase of WiFi has arrived at Solwise in the form of the all new 11ax (WiFi-6) EnGenius EWS357AP. Powered by Qualcomm Technologies' chipset, the EnGenius EWS357AP is built to deliver an enterprise quality WiFi service to budget conscious small and medium sized organisations.
EnGenius is a leading provider of best in class data solutions and this new member of the EnGenius Managed Solution family brings next-generation cutting edge features to budget conscious small and medium sized organisations. Early adopters will no longer have to wait to take advantage of enterprise-level features.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 25.04.19
Article: Rural Wireless Connectivity: A big problem with a simple solution
By Keith Bloomer of Poynting Europe GmbH. First published in February 2019.
Rural Concerns
According to a recent OFCOM report, over 1 million people living in the UK do not have access to download speeds of 10Mbps, and where the average download speed at the end of 2018 was 17Mbps - this in an age where consumers and businesses rely on high speed connectivity to operate, whether this is to FaceTime in an important meeting or to make a financial transfer. The UK is not alone, also mainland European mobile network operators in amongst others Germany, France, Italy and Denmark all encounter the same or similar connectivity challenges.
Mobile network operators are starting to wake up to the fact that rural communities, or in some cases ‘extra rural communities’, require expansion investment to improve the service levels of mobile broadband. And in some European countries it is known that local operators are in fact guaranteeing minimum service levels in rural areas where consumers or businesses sign up to their service. The recent OFCOM report found that rural businesses could receive an overall revenue boost of up to £141m driven by the implementation of 4G, representing a potential £45m boost to the UK economy and boost to underlying employment growth of 31%.
Increasingly, both mobile network operators and SME businesses are becoming aware that advances in antenna technology can significantly improve mobile connectivity performance quickly and at a relatively lost-cost. Improving download speeds in literally minutes by changing the antenna.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Keith Bloomer
Date: 05.04.19
Article: Teltonika, Poynting and GPS – for your vehicle tracking needs
The Teltonika RUT955 and RUT850_GPS both offer GPS functions that may be of use to vehicle owners. The integrated GNSS (GPS & GLONASS) functionality enables location tracking and logging using the Teltonika Automatic Vehicle Locator (TAVL) server. If you use the Teltonika routers acrossRUT955 your fleet you can manage them all remotely. With full support of the centralised Teltonika Remote Management System you will be able to access, control and monitor all of your routers within a single platform.
Geo-fencing functionality provides additional security – you can receive SMS/Email notifications when the device moves out of a pre-defined geographical area. The location can also be received by SMS on demand.
You are not limited to the Teltonika service, you can use other platforms such as GpsGate or similar. In the RUT routers configuration table you add the information into the GPS section – details such as APN, server address and so on.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 23.01.19
Article: Antenna Choices for your Vehicle
The Solwise antenna range has traditionally contained antennas that have been mounted on a pole or on a wall/building/portable building but in more recent times we are seeing more antennas used on vehicles. These include a wide range of vehicles such as cars, buses, lorries, caravans, motorhomes, boats, barges and even a space agency, an F1 team, mountain rescue teams and a defence contractor have all bought antenna hardware from us so who knows where some vehicle antenna have ended up!
Across our range we offer permanent and temporary solutions for antennas to mount on your vehicle; these antennas cover WiFi solutions and Mobile Data Solutions which means we have something for most situations.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 22.01.19
Article: Solwise, Guest Internet Solutions, Hotspots, WiFi and GDPR!
WiFi is a necessity in many industries these days and as such we need to ensure we handle people’s data with the utmost care. Whether you offer WiFi to just your staff or whether you offer it to guests too you need to be mindful about how the data is stored. The interesting point to note is how you collect the data depends on how you need to be concerned with the GDPR. I know you are reading this thinking; surely GDPR was just a bunch of hype back in summer 2018? Well no, it continues to be a thing and something, which if you offer WiFi to staff and guests, does affect you and will continue to do so, even after Brexit!
Click here to read the full article
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 30.11.18
Article: Neutron = Flexible
In 2018 we have seen some exciting updates with the EnGenius Neutron Managed Solution. As the UK Distributor Solwise is pleased to bring you the headlines.
Click here to read the full article
Click here to see the full Neutron range from EnGenius
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 21.11.18
News: Solwise to stock Edimax hardware
Edimax are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of advanced network communication products. We are pleased to add a number of Edimax indoor and outdoor access points along with their PoE Injector/Extender to our range.
Click here to see the full range we have to offer
Click here to see the full press release from Edimax
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 23.10.18
Article: Often 3G is good enough!
The RUT230 router from Teltonika is a machine-2-machine router for 3G data connections and ideal where you only need broadband speeds up to 10mbps.
So where you don't need the potentially faster speeds you might get from 4G (bearing in mind the average speed from EE for 4G data is about 25meg) then a 3G connection might well be worth considering. For example for an IP camera or simple data telemetry 3G data speed is perfectly adequate. As far as coverage is concerned where ever you have 4G then you also have 3G. Further there are some areas of the UK that have 3G but not 4G. Either way geographic coverage using 3G is just as good, if not better, than 4G.
Click here to read the full article
Author: Steve Mace
Date: 10.10.18
Article: Solwise, for all your Guest Internet Solutions
Solwise are pleased to announce they have been appointed as the main UK Distribution Partner for Guest Internet Solutions. Solwise have been a GIS reseller since 2012 and this partnership ‘upgrade’ comes as Guest Internet Solutions look to focus their core interest in developing the hotspot product range so the decision to offer wireless Internet to guests or improve an existing installation is easy to make.
Solwise has a long history of supplying high-quality hardware to resellers and end users alike. Solwise supplied brands include EnGenius, Poynting, IP COM, Teltonika, Aztech, HikVision, Solwise own-brand and Tenda as well as being a long-standing reseller of Guest Internet’s Hotspot Solutions.
Fulfilment options are available to resellers making the whole buying process easier for them and allowing them to get on with the business of selling and installing the solutions. Guest Internet Solutions offer high-performance, reliable products that are simple to install and use.
Paul Stephenson, Managing Director at Solwise commented “We are looking forward to building on the already good name and increasing sales of Guest Internet Solutions in the UK and with our international customers too.”
Click here to see the full range of GIS hotspots from Solwise
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 24.09.18
Choosing between a directional or an omni antenna.
Article: Choosing between a directional antenna or an omni for an LTE enabled router?
The choice of omni-directional and directional antenna is not always simple. We will try to explain the key differences experienced by using a uni-directional (aka ‘directional’) antenna vs. an omni-directional (aka ‘omni’) antenna.
The essence is that a directional antenna focuses its gain (reception) in one direction and reduces the gain (reception) in the other directions, much like a flash light does to a light bulb. The omni antenna provides similar reception in all directions (like a normal round light bulb). This can be both an advantage and disadvantage, for which a few points are listed for consideration.
Author: Stephen Froneman of Poynting
Date: 13.09.18
Click here to read the article in full
Solwise & GDPR
Article: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new privacy regulation that comes into place on 25th May 2018. GDPR is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union but it also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU. After Brexit it will still be applicable in the UK. We believe the GDPR is good for users and good for security across the web for online shopping such as you do with Solwise.
Whilst we feel that the GDPR is predominately aimed at regulating companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter, who process a lot of data, this new regulation affects us all – even smaller companies that process just a limited amount of data. Even if a company uses data legitimately there is still a lot of work to do around the GDPR to rework privacy policies, update user access to data held about them and essentially make it easier for us all to see what data is held where and why that might be.
Here at Solwise we take our responsibility for your personal data with the utmost seriousness. We never share your details with third parties without your permission and we never have, nor ever will sell your data to anyone.
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 01.05.18
Click here to read the article in full
Getting to the Poynt
Presentation: A guide to antenna implementation & considerations
Author: Andre Fourie
Date: 27.02.18
Click here for slides
Click here for Webinar
Product Review: Get your legs down - 4G-PATRIOT
'....this makes a handy addition for those that need to be connected whenever and wherever they are traveling.'
Author: Richard Easy
Date: 01.03.18
Click here
Case Study: Poynting provides WiFi to the passengers onboard the MS Mohnesee in the North Rhine "Westphalian Sea
Author: Poynting
Date: 08.02.2018
Click here
Case Study: Touring Book author replies on his Poynting Antenna to improve marginal reception while on tour in his motorhome.
Author: Poynting
Date: 08.02.2018
Click here
Case Study: Neutron at Shawcross Primary School.
Shawfield Primary School is a small, friendly primary school in Surrey Heath, in the County of Surrey and has 230 pupils and teaching staff. At Shawfield they strive to ensure that all the pupils reflect their motto ‘We Shine’.
With school budgets falling, a robust cost effective WiFi solution was required with all the benefits of an Enterprise solution but at a budget the school could afford. Most importantly there had to be no ongoing costs.
The IT Technician Brian Hooper commented “This is a very easy solution to use and its intuitive management provides good analytics of the users across the site”.
Author: Solwise
Date: 08.02.2018
Click here
Article: LTE Antenna installation advice.
Author: Andre Fourie, Chairman of Poynting Antennas
Date: 16.01.2018
Click here
Article: How to choose a LTE Fixed Wireless Antenna.
Author: Andre Fourie, Chairman of Poynting Antennas
Date: 16.01.2018
Click here
Product Review: Get your legs down - Solwise WiFi Booster Kit
'In the week or so that we’ve been using this we have found it invaluable. At our recent Twittercamp meet, five units were able to share one connection – one was even able to use a Now TV box thanks to the strength and stability of the signal. On our current site, my laptop struggles to pick up the site WiFi on it’s own, but through the aerial and router it’s fine – I’ve even been able to upload the video that will accompany this blog. It’s very quickly become an essential part of our caravanning kit as bloggers and I wouldn’t be without it now.'
Author: Richard Easy
Date: 01.04.17
Click here
Article: What is 11ac
Author: Steve Mace
Date: 01.11.2016
Click here
Article: WiFi at the Lawns Caravan Show 2014Article: 3G & 4G: Mobile Internet Solutions Overview
Author: Dave Yeomans
Date: 27.07.2014
Article: Why can buying a HomePlug be so complicated? Surely a 200AV plug is just a plug, don’t they all do the same thing?
Author: Louise Barrett
Date: 29.05.2014
Click here
Article: Do I need a bigger antenna for my WiFi router?
Author: John Kitson
Date: 20.05.2014
Article: Loch Ness Castle Lodges: Broadband and WiFi Installation
Author: Clive Watson
Date: 03.02.2014
Article: Real World performance of Solwise Homeplug powerline data transfer devices
Author: Paul Stephenson
Date: 24.06.2013