WiFiRanger Review: 3G/4G Router + WiFi Repeater

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

Any knowledgeable PC person can usually crack a WEP in a few minutes or less. WPA would maybe take them 5-15 minutes, WPA-2 would take them even longer, maybe 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer, depending on the "strength" of the code. So I would hope that the WiFi Ranger would have the best security available in today's technology while looking at better ways to secure the device. WPA is not the best! May I suggest to the WiFi Ranger Team that you should be at the conference table discussing how do we make this unit as secure as possible with the latest technology and with all of the 'Bells & Whistles" that the RV community wants, needs and requires. Personally for now, I prefer to "choose" what hot-spot I want to use not totally on signal strength but also on how useful the signal is with upload and download speeds and how well it stays connected. My wife likes to watch her Thailand TV channels to keep current with the news and events from her country along with the soap operas, comedy shows, Thai idol, etc. so the connection speed and quality are important for me. I do not want to have some device "thinking" for me and constantly searching out the best connection for me to use in addition to the lag time between those connection changes. When the technology for this device catches up to where it needs to be, with seamless connection switches, super long distance exterior antenna capability for those far away Hot-Spots, being able to pound through the exterior walls of the RV along with getting through, over or around all of the other "objects" that block good signals when in RV parks, when all of that is available in the "WiFi Ranger", that's when I will take a real long hard look at spending my money on their technology. In the meantime, I will continue to operate with the Sprint 3G/4G Mobile Overdrive, (one of the best on the mobile market today), and the Rogue Wave, RV Exterior Antenna that reaches out up to 7 miles. And, yes, for $370, I do believe it that for the present, it does "kick butt". Dr4Film ----- Richard.

The security discussed here is on the client to Ranger link, right? This you and Ranger have control over. And best to use WPA2 with AES cipher and a passphase created using strong password rules. That said, you nor Ranger don't have control over the authentication and cipher on the Ranger to internet source link. Usually weakly protected...

[Dr4Film]

Not sure I understand your question but if it has anything to do with the Wi-Fi/Ranger unit then the question should be directed to them.

I haven't look at that unit in a long time because i don't think they have the knowledge and resources to bring that product to the marketplace where it needs to be with the technology that is available now and for the future.

There are way too many other very useful devices for Wi-Fi versus this one.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[vsheetz]

I have used a Hawking Technology outdoor wireless repeater to as a 'mobile router' and 'wifi as internet' for a few years and before these terms came to common usage. One weatherproof unit with dual radios for the back haul internet wifi connection (fixed 11 dBi directional panel antenna) and another for the local wifi network (connectorized dual 5 dBi antennas). Works very well.

I also use a 4G hotspot device on the Verizon network when WiFi internet source is poor quality, unreliable or unavailable.

[Jack Mayer]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

So sorry to hear about the problems you have had with a POS product that at one time was heavily advertised on this forum.

However, I saw right through their scam early on and avoided what you are going through now.

I've been extremely happy with the Rogue Wave Plug-N-Play system for my Wi-Fi needs.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

At the risk of starting a big argument.....

I find it interesting that claims of 7 mile capture of wifi are used with a product (the Rouge Wave) that is based on the same technology as the WFR Marine was. A Ubuiquity Bullet/8dbi omni. I challenge some one to show me reliable capture of wifi at 7 miles when you do not control the other side of the connection. I can capture easily at 5-6 miles with that equipment if I control both ends. But I've been in the business, sold capture equipment, built wifi networks, done long range bridging. You are not going to reliably capture wifi APs used in setting up hotspots in RV parks/McDonalds, etc. at 7 miles. It simply is not going to happen.

The equipment used in the WFR is state of the art, and the target market is capture in an RV park. It does that reasonably well. I use the same equipment but with an 8dbi omni (like the Rouge)...Titanium with omni. It captures well in a park and local area. If I need more I use a Nanostation instead.

I would not want anyone to believe that setting up this equipment (Bullet/8dbi omni) is going to typically result in wifi capture at 7 miles. One mile - yes, and pretty reliably if you have a clean shot at the AP. Longer....very iffy and it depends totally on the AP you are targeting. Across water, maybe a little farther, again depending on the AP. The problem with long distance across even water is signal timing starts to become a factor. So lets be realistic about what can be accomplished.

The Rouge Wave is a nice setup...no argument there, though.

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by Jack Mayer

At the risk of starting a big argument..... I find it interesting that claims of 7 mile capture of wifi are used with a product (the Rouge Wave) that is based on the same technology as the WFR Marine was. A Ubuiquity Bullet/8dbi omni. I challenge some one to show me reliable capture of wifi at 7 miles when you do not control the other side of the connection. I can capture easily at 5-6 miles with that equipment if I control both ends. But I've been in the business, sold capture equipment, built wifi networks, done long range bridging. You are not going to reliably capture wifi APs used in setting up hotspots in RV parks/McDonalds, etc. at 7 miles. It simply is not going to happen. The equipment used in the WFR is state of the art, and the target market is capture in an RV park. It does that reasonably well. I use the same equipment but with an 8dbi omni (like the Rouge)...Titanium with omni. It captures well in a park and local area. If I need more I use a Nanostation instead. I would not want anyone to believe that setting up this equipment (Bullet/8dbi omni) is going to typically result in wifi capture at 7 miles. One mile - yes, and pretty reliably if you have a clean shot at the AP. Longer....very iffy and it depends totally on the AP you are targeting. Across water, maybe a little farther, again depending on the AP. The problem with long distance across even water is signal timing starts to become a factor. So lets be realistic about what can be accomplished. The Rouge Wave is a nice setup...no argument there, though.

Agree with the range comments. Thus aligns with my professional wireless and personal RV experiences.

[Dr4Film]

The range of "up to 7 miles" as stated by the Rogue Wave web site is for mainly over water.

WaveWiFi Rogue- Land and Sea WiFi Provides Long Range Wifi Boosters for Boats, RVs, and Marinas

I have personally had it travel well over 5 miles by crow when sitting at my brother's place on top of the hills overlooking Dansville NY. I was able to connect to the Truck Stop located in Dansville near the I-390 Freeway.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=8...=h&mra=ls&z=12

If there are ANY objects blocking your line of sight from the AP then the distance it can travel and produce a good usable signal is reduced.

However, in most RV Parks if you are not sitting directly next to the AP you will not have any usable signal. The Rogue Wave solved that for me no matter what site I have or how many RV's are blocking my line of sight.

The antenna gets over the RV's along with the additional POE that increases the signal strength.

The Wi-Fi Ranger cannot provide the same service.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[Pirate]

I have a Jefa Tech system. Get this, I bought it years ago. I called last week to get a screw for the antenna because I was having trouble removing it from the mount. They said the screw was part of the antenna and not used for mounting so out of the blue the lady says we will mail you a new antenna. That's like a $50 item and I didn't even ask for it. How is that for customer service. Besides that, the device works great.

[docj]

Originally Posted by nosnow222

Our experience with the Wi-Fi Ranger is that is DOES NOT WORK! We ordered and paid for the New Ranger Sky model. What they sent us was an inferior model that was a couple of years old and does not work! When we called and asked why we didn't get what we ordered, we were told that "it isn't available yet, so we sent you the old one instead. We will send you the new one when it is available (aprox 6 months) and you can keep this one for free." Than why charge us the cost of the new model? Why didn't they just tell us that the one we wanted wasn't available instead of lying to us and sending us a product we did not want? It than took us four months to get a refund for something that we did not want! And we are still fighting to get a refund for the expedited shipping that we paid to get the "new model" before leaving on a long trip. Nothing but lies from this company at every turn. Personally, based on our experience with this company, we will never order anything from them again.

You have reopened this old thread in order to continue your rant against WiFi Ranger. I have already responded to your other thread, but I'm going to respond to this one in an effort to correct your facts so that others aren't confused by the situation.

Our records clearly show that your husband first called in October to inquire about the WiFi Ranger Sky which is a $399 device.

An order was subsequently placed online for a Go2 Special Introductory Offer through which you received a Go router in advance of receiving a Go2 router once it became available a few months later. Both routers would have been yours to keep, all for the $199 price of the Go2 alone. This offer was clearly stated on the WiFi Ranger website and we had numerous other customers take advantage of it. Despite your contention that the order was placed over the phone, I have a copy of the electronic transmission from PayPal which documents that an online order was placed.

There is no evidence that you were talked out of buying a Sky; from what we know of your application the Sky would have been the appropriate product. None of our technical staff would have recommended using a Go or Go2 to connect to an indoor hotspot at a distance of 800 feet. A reasonable assumption is that you decided to try the $199 solution to avoid paying $399 especially since the two devices could have been integrated together if it later became necessary to purchase a Sky in order to achieve your performance objectives.

You were shipped a WFR Go with all necessary documentation showing that you would receive a Go2 when it became available. As for why you were charged for a Go2 when you didn't receive it, those were the terms of the offer which you took advantage of. You were being given >$300 of product for $199. There was no fraud if the offer you accepted was fully disclosed on the WFR website. I don't think any of the many other customers who accepted this offer thought they were being deceived.

As for the issue of the PayPal refund, you made your purchase through PayPal because that is the merchant processor our website uses for payment purposes. From a merchant's perspective even when you use your credit card as a PayPal "guest" the transaction is coded as being with PayPal. In accordance with the terms under which we do business with our merchant processor (PayPal) we must make all refunds through them. Normally when you use a credit card as a PayPal refunds go directly back to the same card. Depending on your card issuer, refunds can take up to a month to show on your account, although they rarely take more than 7 days.

You left out of your response the fact that you informed WFR that your husband could no longer access his email account and that was why he couldn't access the PayPal refund that had been issued. One of your statements was that when his computer died his email died with it. Although I find that hard to believe, in no way is that something WFR has responsibility for. There actually would be no reason for your husband to have access to his email if, indeed, he had made the purchase on a credit card rather than via a PayPal account. Access to his email would, however, be required in order to have refunded money transferred to your bank account if he did use a PayPal account and not a credit card. This confusion might cause a person to question your veracity on this issue, but regardless, it is not something WFR should be involved in.

In summary, you appear to have made a purchase that you did not fully understand for a product the performance specifications for which didn't meet your needs. You were shipped exactly what you ordered and when you requested it your money was completely refunded through the proper channels.

As far as WiFi Ranger is concerned we have fully accommodated your requests and further public efforts on your part to distort our actions will be a matter we will have to discuss with our attorneys.

Joel Weiss

[docj]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

So sorry to hear about the problems you have had with a POS product that at one time was heavily advertised on this forum.

However, I saw right through their scam early on and avoided what you are going through now.

Richard:

I normally respect your posts so I was rather taken aback by your remarks.

WiFi Ranger has been delivering routers to the RV community for nearly four years and has a base of several thousand satisfied customers. There is no question but that the products delivered several years ago had stability issues but those of us who suffered through their growing pains now have reliable devices that we use daily. After exhaustive testing we just released a firmware update that provides substantial operational performance.

As for your observation that WiFi Ranger is a scam, I'm sure lots of forum participants would like to learn more specifics. The term scam implies something improper or illegal and I'm not aware of WiFi Ranger doing anything that falls into either category. As already noted, some of their early firmware was probably a bit pre-production quality, but that was water long under the bridge more than three years ago.

I welcome the amplification of your comments.

Joel Weiss

[EngineerMike]

This has become a very comical thread. I'm loving it.

[docj]

Originally Posted by EngineerMike

This has become a very comical thread. I'm loving it.

IMHO this forum shouldn't be used for public debate of private issues. But neither must a company permit libelous statements to remain unanswered. I apologize to any forum members who might have taken offense as a result of this exchange.

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by docj

Richard:

I normally respect your posts so I was rather taken aback by your remarks.

WiFi Ranger has been delivering routers to the RV community for nearly four years and has a base of several thousand satisfied customers. There is no question but that the products delivered several years ago had stability issues but those of us who suffered through their growing pains now have reliable devices that we use daily. After exhaustive testing we just released a firmware update that provides substantial operational performance.

As for your observation that WiFi Ranger is a scam, I'm sure lots of forum participants would like to learn more specifics. The term scam implies something improper or illegal and I'm not aware of WiFi Ranger doing anything that falls into either category. As already noted, some of their early firmware was probably a bit pre-production quality, but that was water long under the bridge more than three years ago.

I welcome the amplification of your comments.

Joel Weiss

Joel,

I apologize for using such a strong term as scam. Totally out of character for me. This was an old thread that resurfaced so I wasn't up to speed on the WFR and it was totally based on my observations back when the product was first introduced.

I am also appalled at how people can so easily misrepresent poor customer service so I appreciate your clarification of the actual events that took place. I believe that regardless of how good or bad a product is, the customer service department is what really determines the quality of the company.

It appears that the product has evolved into something that will fit into certain peoples Wi-Fi usage.

I've been very happy with the way I have setup R HOME for Wi-Fi. I have no immediate plans to change anything once I got rid of the Overdrive due to heat related failures. I now use my Samsung as a Hot-Spot if needed when my Rogue Wave cannot find an open network.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[Jack Mayer]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

The range of "up to 7 miles" as stated by the Rogue Wave web site is for mainly over water.

WaveWiFi Rogue- Land and Sea WiFi Provides Long Range Wifi Boosters for Boats, RVs, and Marinas

I have personally had it travel well over 5 miles by crow when sitting at my brother's place on top of the hills overlooking Dansville NY. I was able to connect to the Truck Stop located in Dansville near the I-390 Freeway.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=8...=h&mra=ls&z=12

If there are ANY objects blocking your line of sight from the AP then the distance it can travel and produce a good usable signal is reduced.

However, in most RV Parks if you are not sitting directly next to the AP you will not have any usable signal. The Rogue Wave solved that for me no matter what site I have or how many RV's are blocking my line of sight.

The antenna gets over the RV's along with the additional POE that increases the signal strength.

The Wi-Fi Ranger cannot provide the same service.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

I'm only replying to this to correct technically incorrect information. I have no argument with the Rogue or any other wifi capture product. Many of them work well. All of them need to be used in appropriate conditions/circumstances.

To state that WiFi Ranger cannot provide the same service is incorrect. It can. In the scenario you described above "The antenna gets over the RV's along with the additional POE that increases signal strength" the WFR operates IDENTICALLY, and within the confines of the RV park will provide similar or identical service. That assumes using the equivalent product - which would be a Go2 Router and a Mobile rooftop unit. The antenna on the Mobile is not as powerful as the Rouge antenna, (3 dbi vs 8dbi) but within the confines of an RV park it does not matter.

And not to be nit-picky but technically the POE does not increase signal strength...it is simply the power source. The better performance derives from the height of the antenna, the more sensitive radio set in the Bullet, and the power of the radio in the Bullet. The POE is simply the electrical source. That POE is built into the Go2 router in the case of the WFR.

[gman69]

Originally Posted by Pirate

I have a Jefa Tech system. Get this, I bought it years ago. I called last week to get a screw for the antenna because I was having trouble removing it from the mount. They said the screw was part of the antenna and not used for mounting so out of the blue the lady says we will mail you a new antenna. That's like a $50 item and I didn't even ask for it. How is that for customer service. Besides that, the device works great.

i agree. they are always available and go out of their way to answer any questions and help with issues (usually due to a poor WIFI network in the campground, and not the JEFA repeater). i am pleased with the performance and ease of use with the Jefa repeater. for me, a great product, with a great price and superb cusomer service.