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Wireless M-bus placement guide

Introduction – How to Achieve Optimal Range with MIVO Connect#

When working with wireless collection of measurement data via Wireless M-Bus, coverage and range are critical to ensure reliable data acquisition. Many factors influence how far the signal reaches – and how well it penetrates walls, floors, and other obstacles. This makes it difficult to provide concrete answers to questions about range.

That’s why we’ve created this guide, highlighting what’s important to consider when planning and installing MIVO Connect and its wireless antennas. The guide includes best practices, recommendations, and real-world examples showing how different setups can cover anything from single stairwells to entire residential areas.

Antenna Placement is Key#

  • Place the antenna as high and central as possible – ideally outdoors.
    It’s often better to run a longer antenna cable (15–30 meters) than to compromise with poor placement.

  • Outdoor antenna facing the building
    An outdoor antenna aimed at the property will yield significantly better results than one installed inside the building.

  • Transmission interval and power
    Choose meters/sensors with 25 mW transmission power and a frequent send interval.
    As a general rule, the sensor should transmit 3 times more often than the resolution you want in your data collection.
    Example: If you want 15-minute values, the sensor should send every 5 minutes.

Range Recommendations for Quotations/Planning#

  • Indoors: Up to 50 meters
  • Outdoors with clear line of sight: Up to 150 meters

Repeater When Needed#

If there are buildings more than 150 meters away or if the signal needs to pass through several walls/floors – plan to install a Wireless M-Bus repeater to boost the signal.

Example: Placement of Outdoor Antenna for Wireless Collection in MIVO#

The image below shows an example of how a MIVO ANT04 outdoor antenna has been centrally placed in a courtyard to cover all stairwells. The antenna (marked with a purple circle and red arrow) is mounted in the courtyard, providing optimal coverage for the following addresses: 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, and 20F.

  • The antenna is connected to a MIVO Wireless M-Bus Extender, and in this case, the base unit (e.g., MC01) is also installed at the same location.
  • The setup covers approximately 170 wireless meters, primarily temperature and energy meters.
  • Thanks to the antenna’s central placement, no repeater or external gateway is needed, simplifying the installation and improving system reliability.

This is a strong reference example of how strategic antenna placement can cover an entire courtyard with minimal infrastructure.

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Example: High-Mounted Outdoor Antenna for Wide Coverage in MIVO#

The image below illustrates how a MIVO ANT04B outdoor antenna has been mounted on a TV mast approximately 10 meters above ground level, marked with a red circle. The elevated placement enables very broad coverage of the area along Ottevägen.

  • The antenna is connected to a MIVO Wireless M-Bus Extender, which is in turn connected to the base unit.
  • The setup covers approximately 200 wireless meters for both water and heat metering.
  • The most distant building (to the left in the image) is located about 193 meters away, demonstrating how effective the range can be with optimal antenna placement.
  • Despite the large distance and number of meters, no repeater was needed in this case, though due to the load, it would still have been recommended to consider a repeater for future operational stability.

This example demonstrates how a well-placed high-mounted antenna can provide excellent coverage across a large residential area – especially in open environments without major obstacles.

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