Community Forums

manowell · 12-15-2018, 04:05 PM

or anybody else I should be looking at?

I want

Amplify campground Wifi, if there is any
Wifi inside and outside the fifth wheel (immediate area, nothing crazy)
Ability to tether my LTE4G hotspot as a source
Added encryption would be nice to keep out baddies

mbedtelyon · 12-15-2018, 05:38 PM

Bought our coach a year ago, and installed it immediately. No regrets using a fixed mount Sierra wireless GX440 and Mifi. Streams well and used it heavily for 3 months this summer. WiFi of course is only as fast as the access point your connected to.

ghaynes754 · 12-15-2018, 07:47 PM

WiFi Ranger everyday and double on Sunday's. Excellent support. Has a VPN built in that you can turn on or off (Safe Surf). Tether your hot spot or connect via wifi. Plays well with a cell booster like WeBoost.

Downside to Winegard is no direct tethering of your hotspot and if you need to change SIM cards (carrier change) it is a trip to the roof.

manowell · 12-17-2018, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

WiFi Ranger everyday and double on Sunday's. Excellent support. Has a VPN built in that you can turn on or off (Safe Surf). Tether your hot spot or connect via wifi. Plays well with a cell booster like WeBoost.

Downside to Winegard is no direct tethering of your hotspot and if you need to change SIM cards (carrier change) it is a trip to the roof.

Doesn't WiFi Ranger keep the SIM in the roof box, too? That why was was looking at USB tethering to it, to keep it inside.

manowell · 12-17-2018, 12:07 PM

Ordered the WiFi Ranger this morning. Now, waiting for UPS during the holiday rush....

CWSWine · 12-17-2018, 09:45 PM

I have owned a WIFI Ranger for about year now and recently pick up a Verizon Jetpack 8800. What advantage is there to tether the Jetpack to the WIFI Ranger rather than just using the Jetpack as a stand-alone device? If I do tether the jetpack to the WIFI Ranger will the WIFI Ranger keep the Jetpack charged?

docj · 12-18-2018, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWSWine

I have owned a WIFI Ranger for about year now and recently pick up a Verizon Jetpack 8800. What advantage is there to tether the Jetpack to the WIFI Ranger rather than just using the Jetpack as a stand-alone device? If I do tether the jetpack to the WIFI Ranger will the WIFI Ranger keep the Jetpack charged?

Tethering the Jetpack keeps it charged and, more importantly, eliminates one radio "hop" by passing the signal from the Jetpack to the Ranger via cable rather than wifi. This provides a small, but measurable, improvement in throughput speed.

I believe the 8800 has the ability to stay plugged in 24/7. The older 7730L will overheat its battery if it is charged continuously.

manowell · 12-18-2018, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWSWine

I have owned a WIFI Ranger for about year now and recently pick up a Verizon Jetpack 8800. What advantage is there to tether the Jetpack to the WIFI Ranger rather than just using the Jetpack as a stand-alone device? If I do tether the jetpack to the WIFI Ranger will the WIFI Ranger keep the Jetpack charged?

Their website promises:

Bonded Internet -- CONNECT UP TO 4 DIFFERENT SOURCES -- WiFiRanger connects multiple internet sources together, whether WiFi, Cellular, or Ethernet WAN. Connect up to four internet sources at a time.

WiFiRanger Automated Failover -- Automated Failover -- RECONNECTS AFTER GOING OFFLINE -- WiFiRanger reconnects automatically if the internet goes down. Stop wasting time shuffling all your computers and devices around when the internet goes down.

Both of which are features I'm interested in. I believe their product is based on Microtik's RouterOS, which I know is well capable of both of these. How they handle the implementation I don't know yet. Mine is on order.

Idea is that you'd just use campground (or other) Wifi as available, fail back to LTE hotspot if it's not.

CWSWine · 12-18-2018, 10:10 AM

I had myWIFI Ranger for about year and works great speed limited by the sources bandwidth. Yes, you can connect different sources to it like the campground WIFI and Jetpack and select one or the other but won't use both at the same time from my understanding.
My questions more about my WIFI router is mounted in my coaches bedroom behind the TV so if I connected the Jetpack it would also reside there. I've only had the Jetpack for short time but I have found in different locations in S&B home I get more bars than other locations. In the coach, I may find that the Jetpack will have a stronger signal setting in the front window of the coach than in the back of the coach. I'm not sure with the Jetpack if their reason to even connect to the Ranger and only use the Ranger if I need to use Campground WIFI. If I'm going to use the Ranger it would provide a secure link and faster link between the Jetpack and Ranger. My question is why even use the Ranger if the Jetpack is working properly?

It seems using the Jetpack I would better off with Cell antenna or cell signal booster rather than the WIFI Ranger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by manowell

Their website promises:

Bonded Internet -- CONNECT UP TO 4 DIFFERENT SOURCES -- WiFiRanger connects multiple internet sources together, whether WiFi, Cellular, or Ethernet WAN. Connect up to four internet sources at a time.

WiFiRanger Automated Failover -- Automated Failover -- RECONNECTS AFTER GOING OFFLINE -- WiFiRanger reconnects automatically if the internet goes down. Stop wasting time shuffling all your computers and devices around when the internet goes down.

Both of which are features I'm interested in. I believe their product is based on Microtik's RouterOS, which I know is well capable of both of these. How they handle the implementation I don't know yet. Mine is on order.

Idea is that you'd just use campground (or other) Wifi as available, fail back to LTE hotspot if it's not.

manowell · 12-18-2018, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWSWine

It seems using the Jetpack I would better off with Cell antenna or cell signal booster rather than the WIFI Ranger.

Which will lead to my next new thread, "4G LTE MIMO outdoor antennas...."

Cwald · 12-18-2018, 11:22 AM

I did a search on amazon and not sure what you ordered so if you could provide a link that would be great. I’m new to this RV thing and getting all the ducks in order.
Thanks

CWSWine · 12-18-2018, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manowell

Which will lead to my next new thread, "4G LTE MIMO outdoor antennas...."

Did a bunch of research on cell boosters and now I'm more confused then when I started? You even do that? I did read that Version is planning to roll out 5G in the first half of 2019 into 22 cities so I decided to wait till the 5G stuff gets on the market so I don't end up buying and installing twice. I plan at least for now saying with my soon to outdate 4G Jetpack.

manowell · 12-18-2018, 06:23 PM

I don't that that 5G enters this conversation for a long time, if ever. 5G is aimed at business, datacenters, super high bandwidth and super low latency. The cells have to be much, much closer together. This may never line the interstates like 4G.

But I'm looking forward to it! :-)

CWSWine · 12-18-2018, 07:48 PM

What I have been told in those 22 cities they are going to roll 5G out for home use to compete with the cable/DSL internet service and buy first half of 2020 it will be in most major population centers. I do agree it will take time before you get 5G everywhere just like it did for 4G. Verizon already has 5G hotspot due out first half 2019. Here is an interesting link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFBCkka_8AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manowell

I don't that that 5G enters this conversation for a long time, if ever. 5G is aimed at business, datacenters, super high bandwidth and super low latency. The cells have to be much, much closer together. This may never line the interstates like 4G.

But I'm looking forward to it! :-)