Community Forums

AlexSian · 12-20-2010, 03:54 PM

You can read my entire review at: http://j.mp/wifiranger

THE BOTTOM LINE
The WiFiRanger has one feature that no (current) mobile broadband router does: WiFi as an internet source.

Beyond that hardware feature, I'm pleasantly surprised by the company's commitment to the RV community and will be recommending it to most every RVer that asks my opinion about mobile broadband routers. Its certainly not for everyone -- and it doesn't seem like it was meant to be. The people behind the WiFiRanger have targeted the RV community and other roadwarriors as the main audience for their new toy, and they seem pretty determined to refine the product to meet the needs of that target audience.

As with any first version of new technology, I am sure that there will be some growing pains along the way, but at this point I am quite confident in the abilities of the manufacturer to pull off what they have set out to accomplish. Early adopters of the WiFiRanger are bound to have ideas on how they would like to improve the product, and I am hopeful that there will be some uservoice-like website put up to allow the customers to help piroritize future enhancements.

We have an opportunity to help shape a product's success and I'm curious what people really want to see in their future mobile broadband router?

mrschwarz · 12-20-2010, 08:12 PM

I purchased one. I have a few concerns with it. I have a 4G air card that doesn't work yet, but they are trying to get it to work by Wednesday. Here are some of my concerns and things that you should be aware of:
1. There are a number of typical router features that are not yet available. A few examples: administrator password, DHCP changes, permanent IP leases, logs, etc. My biggest concern is no administrator password.
2. The router 'phones home'. I was in a hotel having issues and support sent me a copy of my performance log. I never sent it to them.

On the other hand, as the original OP said, they have a real commitment to support. I have been having an ongoing conversation with them about it.

Outlaw45 · 12-21-2010, 10:39 AM

i have used my ranger a couple of times. no problem as yet. i like the product, easy to use.

Outlaw

slabman · 12-23-2010, 11:08 PM

Alex, looks like a great device to me. Since I still have that old Express card you guys sold me, do you know if they have plans to offer offer a connection slot for this device? Or am I doomed to finally have to "upgrade" to a USB modem?

I also wonder if the antenna is as good as some of the other range extenders out there, like the Pepwave Mini Surf? Or would the Pepwave connect to this device to improve reception?

AlexSian · 12-29-2010, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slabman

Alex, looks like a great device to me. Since I still have that old Express card you guys sold me, do you know if they have plans to offer offer a connection slot for this device? Or am I doomed to finally have to "upgrade" to a USB modem?

I also wonder if the antenna is as good as some of the other range extenders out there, like the Pepwave Mini Surf? Or would the Pepwave connect to this device to improve reception?

Happy New Year Bob
you could probably get away with using a USB-to-expresscard adapter, but sooner or later you're going to want to switch to USB. cards are a dying breed.

I think the wifiranger's built in tx/rx antennas are really good. I can't say they receive AS good as pepwave surf (i haven't had time to do serious range testing) but I do know that the WR is way better at finding hotspots than any built-in wifi on my computers.

Yes, you could still add a pepwave surf to a WR via WAN port, but the folks at wifiranger are also planning an external drone antenna solution that will likely put the pepwave surf option to shame.

Dr4Film · 12-29-2010, 07:10 AM

I prefer the setup that I have put together to handle all of my WiFi needs.

I use the Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G Router which will allow 5 of my devices to hook up to it. I have two laptops, one printer, one TiVo, and one Samsung TV / Blu-Ray. All of them connect wireless to the router.

Then, if I am at a RV park or somewhere that has Free WiFi, I use the Rogue Wave WiFi Hot-Spot Antenna to bring in those weak WiFi signals and boost it for upload and download performance. It is a POE system which I hooked up to an old Netgear N Router to use it wireless with all of the same devices listed earlier.

When using the laptop antenna where I am presently, I can see maybe 8-10 connections. When using the Rogue Wave, I can see 50 connections. Most of those are not usable as they are private ones but those weak public signals I saw on my laptop with poor performance are now very strong signals with great performance.

I don't think the WiFiRanger can match that.

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

AlexSian · 12-29-2010, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

I prefer the setup that I have put together to handle all of my WiFi needs.

I use the Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G Router which will allow 5 of my devices to hook up to it. I have two laptops, one printer, one TiVo, and one Samsung TV / Blu-Ray. All of them connect wireless to the router.

Then, if I am at a RV park or somewhere that has Free WiFi, I use the Rogue Wave WiFi Hot-Spot Antenna to bring in those weak WiFi signals and boost it for upload and download performance. It is a POE system which I hooked up to an old Netgear N Router to use it wireless with all of the same devices listed earlier.

When using the laptop antenna where I am presently, I can see maybe 8-10 connections. When using the Rogue Wave, I can see 50 connections. Most of those are not usable as they are private ones but those weak public signals I saw on my laptop with poor performance are now very strong signals with great performance.
I don't think the WiFiRanger can match that.

If I'm not mistaken, that RogueWave + Antenna is +/- $370, right?
at that price, it had better kick the $148 wifiranger's butt!

aside from being pricey, the other compromise your solution appears to have is that you need to touch each one of your devices to switch network settings from OverDrive to Netgear, whenever you need to go from cellular to wifi.

the wifiranger simplifies switching from cellular to wifi and would not require you to change settings on any computer/tivo/etc, because you are still connecting them to the same router. you only change setting in router to tell it to use wifi as internet source instead of cellular modem.

i should also mention that the forthcoming wifi drone antenna that wifiranger should have out in first quarter next year, will feature 1-watt power... significantly more power than the 800mW of the Rogue, and at significantly less cost.

do i think folks like you, who have a working solution, should consider the wifiranger? no, not really. if you have something you like, stick with it.

but for those who want similar results at less expense and less hassle, the wifiranger is certainly an option i would add to short list for consideration.

-- alex

SCVJeff · 12-30-2010, 12:54 AM

I'm with Bob on the PCMCIA issue. My Sprint card works great and there is a gain antenna on the roof that makes all the difference between a reasonable connect or none at all. Id rather run at 3G speeds than nothin'.

Maybe we need to design a USB weatherhead out of PVC and USB extension. Then this thing will look good.

DennisZ · 12-30-2010, 08:54 PM

I just ordered a WiFi Ranger, they are on sale for $99.95 and if you use the discount code from Alex you get an additional $20 off that price, so for about $80 plus shipping it looks like a great deal.

Dennis

Arch Hoagland · 12-30-2010, 10:59 PM

I have used this for two years now.

JEFA Tech: Long Range WiFi Repeater Kit for RVs

I attached the antenna to my rooftop TV antenna and have been able to connect to sites a half mile away.

Midniteoyl · 12-31-2010, 12:12 AM

The strongest security is WPA?

Dr4Film · 12-31-2010, 09:00 AM

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.

nosnow222 · 02-16-2014, 03:20 PM

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.

Dr4Film · 02-16-2014, 04:30 PM

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. I no longer have the Sprint Overdrive. The unit was replaced multiple times due to heat related issues over the two year contract so I gave it up after the contract was finished. I now use my Sprint Samsung SIII when I need to have a HotSpot with a good cell signal.

I am still waiting on the Wilson guys to deliver their promised 3G/4G Wireless Booster which will be installed as soon as they come out with it.

Dr4Film ----- Richard