Cellular Network Analyser - Review

Table of contents

RoadTest: Cellular Network Analyser

Author: davis358

Creation date: 27 Apr 2020

Evaluation Type: Test Equipment

Did you receive all parts the manufacturer stated would be included in the package?: True

What other parts do you consider comparable to this product?: For the capabilities and price point I'm not familiar with any comparable items. Most diagnostic devices are going to exceed the price of this device.

What were the biggest problems encountered?: No problems were encountered with the testing of this device.

Detailed Review:

Siretta Snyper LTE Review

Greg Davis

Package Contains:

SNYPER-LTE Graphyte Analyzer

Power supply

General purpose direct connect antenna

Directional antenna with coax

Live SCAN directional antenna

USB Cable

USB car charger

Tripod and cradle

Durable Hard carry case (Nice)

Quick start guide

Introduction:

I took on the responsibility to test the Snyper- LTE Analyzer due to my knowledge and work in electronics and also communications for specialty response teams.  Getting a cellular signal in rural areas and also in disaster zones can be very difficult and I thought this device would likely give a technician an advantage in mitigating that gap.  Specifically, my hypothesis was that this device would help give a bearing on different towers with signal strengths and cellular providers to better serve the needs of first responders in geographic location.  In areas that the cellular strength was weak data could be given to cellular technicians for faster mitigation time to make repairs or conduct network surveys.

Item Description (From Manufacture):

The SNYPER-LTE Graphyte (USA) is a high performance, multi-language network signal analyzer and cellular signal logger, dedicated to surveying and logging the 4G/LTE (USA) & 3G/UMTS North American networks. The unit can be left to conduct sequential surveys in a fixed location and automatically save them. Three types of survey can be performed: a “FULL” survey (4G and 3G), 4G/LTE only & 3G/UMTS only. SNYPER-LTE Graphyte (USA) can save multiple surveys each with different logging options. All survey results can be downloaded to a PC and displayed in a HTML graphical format to clearly show the logged detail over the survey session. This can identify unreliable base-stations & intermittent cellular service which is not possible with spot surveys. The full breakdown for the HTML summary graphs are displayed in corresponding CSV files. The SNYPER-LTE Graphyte (USA) also incorporates Siretta’s leading liveSCAN feature, which allows you to select a base-station signal immediately after a survey, conduct a liveSCAN logging session which can later be analyzed in a CSV logged recording.

Testing:

Prior to testing the unit was fully charged. During the charging period the manual (available online) and quick start tips guide (provided) were reviewed for a brief familiarization.  Once the unit was charged it was powered up and I was greeted with a very clear screen that was easy to see even in bright environments such as direct sun.  The buttons were firm and gave a good response indicating that the unit was built well.

For my testing I wanted to see if this unit would help identify strongest cellular signals and direction from which they were be received to help in a disaster zone.  Search and Rescue assets have cellular cradle points that have directional antennas to establish reliable communications, but without some type of analyzer it is a lengthy process to figure out which direction for those antennas to be pointed. Also to note these cradle points are capable of getting connected to more than one service.  Also in my testing I wanted to see how crowded environments such as large events were effected by cellular communication and see where those towers were and see what companies performed the best at that particular area.

During my testing I found that the Siretta Graphyte -LTE Analyzer did great in locating the direction of the strongest signal strengths with the included directional antenna.  We also used a longer piece of coax that helped get the analyzer antenna as high as the cellular antenna on the cradle point (picture below).  Using this diagnostic tool, we were able to increase the overall gain and data speeds by 15 megabytes.  This was due to getting the cradle point antenna directed to the closest available tower.  It also help determine which service would give the better quality in that area.  While this may have been possible without using the analyzer it would have taken a long time to do constant speed test and shift the antenna a few degrees every time. While monitoring the analyzer the antenna mast was very slowly moved a few degrees and the data from the analyzer was monitored.

I did find that the device was helpful by directing you to be in a better location to receive the best signal during the testing of all areas. It was interesting to see the data that was provided while looking at different elevations and how that effected the received strength from the provider.  It was able to provide data where capability gaps were located and with the easy ability to log that data in a CSV format it could be forwarded to cellular providers. With that data their technicians can make hardware adjustments and help map out future upgrades to a specific area.  Often times when a person calls to complain about cellular signals they can provide no data to justify the call.  With this device it gives the cellular technician data to mitigate any cellular gaps and gives them a better picture of their radiating antenna patterns.  One thing to note is that the more 5G systems are built in certain areas this tool would help providers determine where the maximum effectiveness of that placement would be.  All they would need to do is look at the data logged and see where geographically where their 4G platform is weak.  The included dock would make this device easy to mount in a company vehicle and constantly log data as the technician drove or worked on other projects.

One pretty awesome feature that is left out of some of the data online about this analyzer is the SNYPER cloud survey tool (pictures below).  It maps your surveys where it’s easy to track surveys uploaded so you can see quick data in a certain geographic area.  In the above I mention the ability to do constant surveying.  This feature makes this tool so much more functional at least in my test for the constant survey mode.

Conclusion:

The Siretta Graphyte Analyzer is an excellent diagnostic tool.  It is likely going to be for a trained technician or for someone with technical experience.  I found it to be easy to use with simple menus for different surveys.  I found it to be an accurate analyzer after putting different cellular devices in test mode and comparing signal readings.  I also noticed with the analyzer that cellular devices are more directional than I suspected and how it varied with the different manufactures (Brands). 

When it comes to doing surveys this analyzer was great for doing multiple surveys and logging them on its internal memory.  In the past I have used diagnostic equipment that didn’t log the data forcing the user to analyze the received results as it was incoming. This hinders the results of information intake and keeps the user in the elements longer.  With this device constant surveys are allowed and then later the data can then be pulled off the analyzer and reviewed on a PC. This gives a better sense of what was going on and better analyze the results of the survey in a controlled environment. The only con that I noticed while testing the unit is while doing surveys the battery life seemed a little shorter than what I had hoped for, but to be fair it comes with plenty of power options in the kit and is charged fairly quick via a standard USB charger.  Also that was under constant survey logging so the device was working without any break.

Overall the Siretta Graphyte Analyzer is a great tool at a fair price for what the device offers.  If I was in the market for this type of analyzer I would highly recommend it due to its ease of use, price, and performance.  I have also included various pictures of the devices contents, usage, charts provided, and analyzed data VIA PC.  If further review question are had I would be more than willing to assist with getting you the answers.