Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?

Cellular router

Needs the grid

One of 3 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.

What your site needs

Mobile network coverage at the site

A box that connects to the mobile phone network and shares the connection by wifi. It brings internet where no fibre or cable reaches. It depends on good mobile coverage at the site.

Cost

Low

Upkeep

Occasional

Skill to build

Basic

Lifespan

5-10 years for the router hardware itself (fast-moving cellular standards drive replacement faster than hardware failure)

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

Low

Output timing

On-demand/controllable

Skill to repair

Basic

Inputs

• Connectivity signal
• AC electricity

Outputs

• Connectivity signal

Compare the 3 ways to meet this need

Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.

• Cellular router (This page)
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No
  Choose it if no fixed line reaches you but mobile coverage is good.
• Fixed broadband / fibre connection
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Specialist · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No
  Choose it if fibre or cable reaches the house and you want the fastest, steadiest connection.
• Satellite internet terminal
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: High · Skill to build: Specialist · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No
  Choose it if neither fixed lines nor mobile coverage reach the site.

Sources

• General cellular-router industry lifecycle consensus

Limitations of this page

We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.