WaveForm QuadPro User manual

[phone]
www.waveform.com
[email protected]
Your QuadPro is designed, sold, and supported by
Waveform and our team of Signal Specialists.
We’ve helped over 50,000 customers improve their
signal since the company was founded in 2007.
If you have any issues at all, please reach out.
3411 W. Lake Center Dr.,
Santa Ana, CA 92704
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST:
We know, reading manuals isn’t always fun. But we promise it’s worth it.
We’ve helped thousands of customers improve signal to their cellular routers.
We’ve compiled everything we’ve learned in this manual.
Give it a read before you start: it’ll save you time and help you get the best
performance out of your QuadPro.
in CaliforniaDesigned by
Directional 4x4 MIMO Antenna
QuadPro

QuadPro Antenna & FlexMount
QuadPro Antenna
What’s in the Box
BLUE BAG
4x U.FL to SMA Pigtail Adapters
BROWN BAG
1x, 2x, or 3x UltraFlex-Quad Cables
(Kits include 10 ft and/or 20 ft lengths)
BROWN BAG
Quad Window Entry Cable
2x
UltraPole
BROWN BOX
4x4x
5x 5x
4x1x
FlexMount w/
Assembly Hardware
4x
1x
1x
2x
5x
1x
Cables, Adapters, UltraPole (Only Included with Complete Kit)
If you purchased the complete QuadPro Kit, you will also receive the following.
2

Heads up: Using MIMO antennas to improve your signal can take a bit of patience.
We’d be surprised if you saw better data rates immediately upon connecting your QuadPro.
Be prepared to spend an hour or two to nd the best location & direction to aim your antenna.
This manual is based on feedback from hundreds of customers like you. We’ve revised it
dozens of times to make it as helpful as possible.
We promise you’ll be glad if you read it from start to nish before you get started. It’ll help
you save time, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure your system works as well as possible.
Who We Are
Hi! We’re Waveform. We’ve been around since 2007, and while we’ve grown a bunch since
then, we’re still a small team. There’s just a handful of us answering texts, and picking up calls.
The four of us pictured below lead support and product development. Feel free to reach out
to us at any time; our emails are all just our rst names @waveform.com
Stuck? Have Questions? Please: Contact Us!
We’re a small team, but we really care about helping you get the best results.
If you’re having issues, please reach out. Sometimes a small tweak can make all the difference.
Even if everything goes smoothly, let us know how your system is performing! And we love
getting feedback: if you think of a way we could make our antenna, accessories, the install
process, or this manual better - let us know!
Call [phone], email [email protected], or book a meeting at waveform.com/meet
to chat with a Waveform Signal Specialist. We’re available from 6am-5pm PT, Mon to Fri.
Install Manuals, Who Needs ‘Em?
Sina (CEO)Marcus (Product)Harry (Support) Conold (Support)
3

Before You Start
00
Whether it be inside, outside, or on the roof, it’s important that there’s at least some 4G LTE or
5G signal where you’re installing your QuadPro. Ideally, the cell signal should be “usable.”
What Do We Mean by “Usable”?
When using your cellular router or hotspot, you should be able to complete a data speed
test before connecting your QuadPro. Connect to the Wi-Fi of your cellular device and visit
speedtest.net to run a quick data speed test.
MIMO antennas, like the QuadPro, will help condition your outdoor signal and get you better
data rates. But if the signal outside your building isn’t usable to begin with, an antenna might
not help. You can certainly still give the QuadPro a shot, you may not get the results you’re
expecting.
Compatibility
Your QuadPro supports almost every 4G LTE and low/mid-band 5G service in use in the US,
Canada, and across the world. Here are the bands that it covers*:
All supported 4G (LTE) Bands: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B11, B12,
B13, B14, B17, B18, B19, B20, B21, B22, B25, B26, B28, B29, B30,
B32, B34, B37, B38, B39, B40, B41, B42, B43, B46, B47, B48, B50,
B51, B53, B65, B66, B67, B69, B70, B71, B74, B75, B76, B85, B103,
B106
All supported 5G (NR) Bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n13, n14,
n18, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n34, n38, n39, n40, n41, n46, n47,
n48, n50, n51, n53, n65, n66, n67, n70, n71, n74, n75, n76, n77, n78,
n79, n80, n81, n82, n83, n84, n85, n86, n89, n90, n91, n92, n93, n94,
n95, n96, n97, n98, n99, n100, n101, n102, n105
*The bands your router actually uses may vary from this list.
USA
B2/n2, B4, B5/n5, B12, B17, B29, B30, B46, B66/n66, n77
B2/n2, B4, B5/n5, B13, B46, B48/n48, B66/n66, n77
B2, B4, B5, B12, B25, B26, B41/n41, B46, B66, B71/n71, n77
CANADA
B2, B4, B5, B7, B12, B13, B17, B29, B46, B66/n66, B71, n78
B2, B4, B5, B7, B12, B17, B25, n41, B66/n66, n71, n78
B2, B4, B5, B7, B12, B13, B17, B25, B26, B29, B46, B66/n66, B71/n71, n78
4

1Read this manual, ideally from start to nish, so that you understand the whole
installation process before you begin.
2Find the best antenna location and direction (Pages 6-7).This step is the most
time-consuming, but it’s worth the effort and has a huge impact on your system’s
performance. Make notes of your readings in the table on page 15.
3Verify performance and connect everything (Pages 8-9).Before making any holes in
your roof or walls you’ll fully connect your system and run speed tests. If everything
looks good, you’ll nalize the cable runs and hard-wire everything.
4Mount your QuadPro (Page 10-11).You’ll assemble your QuadPro with its FlexMount
and mount it to your building.
5Tell us how your system is doing. Nothing makes our day like hearing from customers.
And if for any reason you’re not seeing the results you were hoping for, we can help.
Call [phone], email [email protected], or book a meeting at
waveform.com/meet. We’re available from 6am-5pm PT, Monday to Friday.
How Much Improvement Should You Expect?
In short: It’s hard to say. Many people see an increase in data rates of between 50% and
200%, but some people may only see 10%. Despite all the science, wireless signals often work
in strange and magical ways.
One thing is for sure, the more locations and directions you try the more likely you are to see
a big increase in data rates. If you’ve gone through this manual and aimed the QuadPro as we
suggest, but you’re still not seeing much improvement, please reach out to us for help.
What Tools Do You Need?
Your QuadPro includes all of the tools necessary for its assembly, but you may need additional
tools to mount it against your building.
Please refer to your mount(s) included manual(s) or nd them online at
waveform.com/exmount-manual and waveform.com/ultrapole-manual, respectively.
Install Process Overview
01
5

Finding the best position for your QuadPro is the most important part of the installation
process. In this section, we explain the best and simplest method for positioning and aiming
your QuadPro. Section 06 covers some more advanced tips for additional optimization.
The Goal
Your goal is to nd the best location and direction for the QuadPro. Its position should
maximize the data rates from your cellular router. It can take a little patience, but spending
some extra time here can have a huge impact on performance - it’s worth the extra effort.
1. Prepare your Test Setup
Is your cellular router battery-powered? Or,
do you have a power extension cord?
If so, connect your QuadPro directly to your
cellular router (as shown below), restart
your router, and take them both outside to
start testing.
Can’t take your router outdoors? No problem. For your test setup, keep your router powered
indoors and add the UltraFlex-Quad cable into the setup to bring the QuadPro outside.
If you’re leaving your router indoors, your speed tests may be limited by the router’s Wi-Fi
range rather than its cellular connection. Ask someone to stay near the router so they can run
speed tests as you try different positions with the QuadPro outside.
Positioning and Aiming the QuadPro
02
POWER EXTENSION
CABLE
QuadPro
Antenna
U.FL Pigtails
(for routers w/ internal ports)
Speedtests on the
Cellular Router’s Wi-Fi
Connect Cables to
your Router’s Cellular
Antenna Ports
Optional UltraFlex-
Quad Cable
6

Not sure which ports to connect to? Some cellular routers have both Wi-Fi and cellular
antenna ports. Make sure to attach your QuadPro to your router’s cellular ports, not Wi-Fi.
Some devices only have internal antenna ports. Refer to your router’s manual, our device-
specic guides at waveform.com/hotspot-guides, or reach out to us for help if you’re unsure.
2. Get Ready to Perform Speed Tests
Since the goal is improved data rates for your cellular router, it makes sense to judge the best
position for your antenna by measuring your data rates. We recommend using Speedtest by
Ookla for this. Visit waveform.com/speedtest to get there easily.
Once your test setup is ready and your testing phone or laptop is connected to your cellular
router, you’ll have everything you need to start testing at different positions outside.
Go ahead and run a couple of speed tests to get a baseline. You’ll notice your results uctuate
a between tests – that’s completely normal.
3. Take Outdoor Measurements
With each new location, restart your cellular router by disconnecting and reconnecting the
power. This forces the device to connect to the best bands available at that location.
We recommend running 2-3 speed tests at each of the following outdoor positions with your
QuadPro, and writing each of your results in the table on page 15.
Don’t just go to the highest point of the roof! While signal is generally stronger the higher you
go, there’s also often more interference. We’ve found it’s often better to mount the QuadPro
on the side of the building where antennas are better shielded from interference.
If you’re running into issues, we’d love to help. Call [phone], email help@waveform.
com, or book a meeting at waveform.com/meet to chat with a Waveform Signal Specialist.
We’re available from 6am-5pm PT, Monday to Friday.
7

Once you’ve identied the best position for your QuadPro, it’s time to hook everything up.
Don’t drill any holes in your walls yet! Start with a temporary install and test performance rst.
Keep your QuadPro at the position you’ve identied, but move your router indoors and
perform a nal round of tests to make sure everything is performing optimally.
If you purchased your QuadPro as a complete kit, follow the steps below to assemble and
install your kit. If you only purchased the QuadPro, your assembly may look a little different.
Getting the Complete Kit Set Up
Refer to the diagram to the right as needed.
1Place your QuadPro near the best position you found in section 2.
2Connect your QuadPro to your UltraFlex-Quad cable and run the cable into your
building.
If you don’t want to drill holes into your walls or roof to route your cables, install your
Coax Window Entry cable in a window, and connect it to your QuadPro and/or
UltraFlex-Quad cables.
3Connect your cables to your router’s cellular antenna ports and hand-tighten the
connections.
If your cellular router only has internal U.FL ports, install the included U.FL pigtail
adapters, and connect them to your UltraFlex-Quad cable.
4Restart your cellular router, wait for it to reconnect, then perform 1-2 speed tests to
verify that you are happy with your system’s performance.
• Before attempting to route the cables through your building, lay the UltraFlex-Quad cable out at to
straighten it. This will make it easier to work with.
• A nger-tight connection is sufcient to secure the connectors. Tools are not required to tighten them
and may cause damage.
• Unsure how your cables connect to your router? Refer to your router’s manual, our device-specic guides
at waveform.com/hotspot-guides, or reach out to us for assistance.
Install Tips
03 Connecting Your System
8

QuadPro
Antenna
OPTIONAL:
Adapters
Only included in the complete kit.
Adapters are required for routers
without SMA ports.
OPTIONAL:
UltraFlex-Quad
Cable(s)
Only included in the complete kit.
Lengths vary by kit.
Keep track of the cable paths
by matching each label number
(e.g. Cable 1 to Antenna 1).
OPTIONAL:
Quad Window Entry Cable
Only included in the complete kit.
Can be connected at any point in the
cable path.
Your Cellular
Router
Your Quad Window Entry Cable can be connected at any point in your system as needed. Follow the
manual included or nd it online at waveform.com/window-entry-manual
How to Install the Quad Window Entry Cable
Loosely position the
window entry cable in your
window frame, with its
larger case outside.
1
Connect its indoor
connectors to your router
or UltraFlex cable.
3
Connect its outdoor
connectors to your
QuadPro or UltraFlex cable.
4
Check that your window
fully closes. If not, please
reach out to us for
assistance.
2
9

Now that you have all the components in your system connected and you’ve veried that you
are happy with your data rates, it’s time to permanently mount your QuadPro!
Your QuadPro, equipped with the FlexMount, can be installed against a pole or directly onto
the exterior of your building.
Mounting your QuadPro with the FlexMount
For the full instructions, follow the FlexMount’s included manual, or nd it online at
waveform.com/exmount-manual, then resume this manual to complete your installation.
If your kit includes the UltraPole, refer to its included manual, or nd it online at
waveform.com/ultrapole-manual for additional instructions on its assembly for your system.
We’re Here to Help!
We know that every use case is different and the steps for mounting your antenna may differ
for your unique location. Don’t worry! If you’re running into issues, or have any questions, just
reach out.
Mounting Your QuadPro
04
Secure the FlexMount to
your wall using its wall
screws and anchors.
or
Secure the FlexMount
to your pole using its
U-bolts.
1
Use the provided socket
wrench to remove the
installed washers and
nuts from your QuadPro.
2
Place the bolts of your
QuadPro through your
FlexMount and reinstall
the washers and nuts.
3
• Mount the QuadPro with its cables facing downward to ensure proper weatherproong.
• Create a small “drip-loop” in your cables before they enter your building to help prevent water from
entering your building.
• When wall mounting, position your FlexMount against the wall and mark the locations of its holes with a
pencil or marker before drilling any holes.
Install Tips
10

There are a couple of nal steps before your installation is complete.
In this section we’ll describe how to weatherproof and properly ground your system. These
steps are crucial to ensuring the longevity of your system by protecting it from the elements.
Weatherproong Your Outdoor Connections
The QuadPro and UltraFlex-Quad cables come with weatherproong boots to help
waterproof each outdoor cable connection. Once your connectors are tightened, slide the
weatherproong boots over all of the outdoor cable connections, as shown below:
Grounding Your System
It’s important to ground your FlexMount and UltraPole (optional in the complete kit) to a
suitable electrical ground in order to help protect your equipment. Equipment mounted
outdoors can be prime targets for lightning strikes. Grounding a mounting pole with 10 AWG
or lower gauge (thicker) grounding cable is required by the National Electric Code (NEC).
Follow the instructions within the manuals included with your FlexMount and UltraPole to
properly ground them for your system. The general steps are described below:
Protecting Your System
05
1 2
• If you’re unsure about your
grounding setup, reach out to an
electrical contractor.
• Expanded instructions on
grounding and examples of suitable
electrical grounds can be found at
waveform.com/grounding
Grounding Tips
Attach a ground wire
to your pole. e.g. Some
mounting poles use a
grounding bolt & nut.
1
Attach the Ground Wire
to a suitable Electrical
Ground.
2
11

Advanced Optimization
06
By this point, you should have a really solid understanding of how to position and aim your
QuadPro and get great performance. In fact, we’re convinced that for 95% of people, the
instructions provided in this manual so far are more than enough.
If, however, you’d like to go a little deeper and get technical to optimize your system even
further, here are some general guidelines.
1Look up your nearby towers on cellmapper.net by performing a “Tower search” with
the “eNB-ID” that your cellular router is connecting to. An eNB-ID is a unique cell tower
identier that can often be found in your cellular router’s admin interface.
2Aim your QuadPro at each nearby tower. Run speed tests for each tower to nd
the fastest bands, and compare speed tests. If your cellular router also supports
bandlocking, band lock it to every band that the tower transmits, and run speed tests
for each tower on each band to nd your fastest band(s) and tower.
3Try enabling multiple bands and using carrier aggregation to nd the fastest band
combination. Carrier aggregation is supported by most cellular routers and allows them
to connect to two or more bands simultaneously. However, it doesn’t always result in
faster data speeds so stick to a single band if that gets you the best results.
Unfortunately, many cellular routers don’t support band locking or carrier aggregation, and
some don’t list eNB-IDs or any other tower identiers, making these steps impossible. Every
cellular router is so different that we could never cover them all with just one set of instructions.
However, we’ve written up guides for some of the most common devices, you can nd them
online at waveform.com/hotspot-guides. We suggest reading our guide for your router, or
referring to your user manual.
We’re Here to Help!
We know, there’s a lot of information out there and this can get very technical. If you’re running
into issues, aren’t happy with the performance of your system, or you’d just like a hand, we’d
love to help!
Call [phone], email [email protected], or book a meeting at waveform.com/meet
to chat with a Waveform Signal Specialist. We’re available from 6am-5pm PT, Mon to Fri.
12

> Having difculties connecting your U.FL pigtails to internal antenna connectors? U.FL
connectors are small and can be difcult to install on the rst try. We suggest that you use a
tweezer to hold the cable in place and a pencil eraser to push the U.FL connector down.
> Does your cellular router need different adapters for its cellular antenna ports? If so, please
reach out to our team so we can help you obtain the parts you need.
Need Help with Adapters?
07
Some Final Tips
09
> Don’t judge your signal by signal strength or quality alone.
You may nd that your RSRP signal strength and SINR/RSRQ haven’t improved much, but
that your data rates are meaningfully better. There’s much more to an antenna than just gain:
our antennas are optimized for MIMO isolation to get you the best 5G data rates possible.
> If data rates decrease over time, consider re-optimizing your system.
Occasionally carriers will update their towers to broadcast different bands, light up new
towers, or simply turn off existing towers altogether. If your data rates get worse, try
repositioning and reaiming your QuadPro to get the best results.
Have Line of Sight with Your Cell Tower?
08
If you have direct line of sight to your nearest cell tower,
the four individual log periodic antennas in our 4x4 MIMO
Log Periodic Antenna Kit, may provide you with superior
performance over the QuadPro:
»For large buildings/hills/mountains/etc., you’d
mount its four antennas horizontally side-by-side.
»For large elds/plains/etc., you’d mount its four
antennas vertically top-to-bottom.
4x4 MIMO Log Periodic Kit
waveform.com/4x4-LP-kit
13

Tell Us How It Works
10
Did your installation go well? Are you having trouble positioning your QuadPro? Do you think
our manual could be improved? Are your data rates not quite what you were hoping?
Please tell us: Call [phone], email [email protected], or book a meeting at
waveform.com/meet to chat with a Waveform Signal Specialist. We’re available 6am-5pm PT,
Monday to Friday.
We’re a small team who loves hearing how our products perform and helping folks get the
absolute best data rates in any given situation. So please, reach out!
Send us a video of your install and get $30
We want to feature videos of our customers who’ve had success with our
QuadPro antenna.
Take a video that’s at least 30 seconds long showing how you installed your
antenna as well as the speed test results you’re getting. Send it to us via email at
[email protected] and we’ll send you $30 via PayPal!
Get 5% back for each friend or neighbor you refer!
Hopefully by the time you’ve nished installing and tuning your QuadPro, you’re
as excited about this product as we are.
One of our biggest challenges is spreading the word. Most people don’t know
that products like your QuadPro exist.
Help us get the word out: Everyone you refer gets 5% off their kit, and we’ll also
give you 5% of whatever they spend in cash (via Paypal).
Simply visit waveform.com/referrals to get started.
Two ways to get some money back!
14

Your Data Rate Measurements
11
Use this table to make notes of your data rate measurements while you’re positioning and
aiming your QuadPro at the various positions described in section 2.
Important: each time you move to a new location, power cycle your cellular router so that it
connects to the very best bands available.
Position Download Speed Upload Speed
15

Need help? We’re ready and waiting.
MIMO Antennas, like the QuadPro, aren’t always easy to
install. But the end result is worth it.
One of the benets of buying from Waveform is our
lifetime technical support on every system we sell. We’ve
installed hundreds of these devices ourselves, and can
walk you through troubleshooting and ne-tuning your
installation for best results.
Simply give us a call at [phone], email us
at [email protected], or book a meeting with our
fanatical support team at waveform.com/meet.We’re
available from 6am-5pm PT, Monday to Friday.
We love helping solve tricky install problems.
v1.0.1
[phone] www.waveform.com
[email protected]
3411 W. Lake Center Dr.,
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Designed by Waveform in California