Community Forums

NewmarKate · 08-22-2021, 09:02 PM

Has anyone changed out the “given” Winegard SIM card for an AT&T SIM and which enabled the wifi system to work? Just picked up my 2021 Kountry Star and this wifi set up is BEYOND comprehension. I am BEYOND frustrated and am no dummy with technology. Undergrad Information Tech and MBA 😡😡😡😡

Suburbazine · 08-22-2021, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewmarKate

Has anyone changed out the “given” Winegard SIM card for an AT&T SIM and which enabled the wifi system to work? Just picked up my 2021 Kountry Star and this wifi set up is BEYOND comprehension. I am BEYOND frustrated and am no dummy with technology. Undergrad Information Tech and MBA ��

If you go up to the shark fin and take the cover off, you can load in other SIMs. Be warned only ATT and T-Mobile are supported and they MUST be provisioned as data-only plans.

I wasn’t particularly impressed by the whole setup combined with limited data capacity so I switched to a Pepwave system and two separate plans, 300gb ATT and 800gb Sprint. The Pepwave has InControl which manages it similarly to a Ruckus system.

gandalf51 · 08-23-2021, 06:09 AM

It is on the roof inside the unit. I had to disassemble it partially to find the sim card socket.

hogdriver · 08-23-2021, 08:58 AM

I just went thru this SIM card swap thing on my 21 DutchStar.

I’ve had a WiFi Ranger for years on my other coach but admit I did not fully understand how the system works. You might be smarter than I am but I don’t think WiFi Ranger does a great job of explaining their integration. Granted there are many postings by tech savy people that put together better systems. I just wanted something simple that works well enough.

I’ll explain my setup. On the roof of my 21 DutchStar the blade antenna is a Denali. Inside that antenna is the SIM card and also antennas for receiving park WiFi signals. It has a CAT6 cable inside the coach to my router called the Spruce that you can connect via cable to a device or connect via WiFi. You can also connect another cellular data source (iPhone, Nighthawk, any cellular data device) via the USB and provide “tethered” data to your Spruce router.

The WiFi Ranger control panel has drop down tabs to select which device (Denali or Spruce) you want to select and which data source you want to select (WiFi, tethering, cellular SIM).

I originally tried swapping my ATT Mobley SIM with the not activated factory SIM. No luck of course, the Mobley SIM was PIN locked. Worth a try. Later I answered an ad and bought a T-Mobile 100gb/mo that WiFI Ranger was selling and added to my existing T-Mobile account…..guaranteed to work. I installed it, no workie…..drats! I called WiFI Ranger support and left a voicemail and the tech called me back within 24 hrs. He was very nice and walked me thru the menus and a few resets and voila, I have cellular data now.

I know for network savy people this sounds simplistic, I haven’t worked with networks or routers for 20 years and I just wanted something simple. If I was a remote worker I’d invest much more effort in this system but I just wanted the basics.

docj · 08-24-2021, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogdriver

I’ll explain my setup. On the roof of my 21 DutchStar the blade antenna is a Denali. Inside that antenna is the SIM card and also antennas for receiving park WiFi signals. It has a CAT6 cable inside the coach to my router called the Spruce that you can connect via cable to a device or connect via WiFi. You can also connect another cellular data source (iPhone, Nighthawk, any cellular data device) via the USB and provide “tethered” data to your Spruce router.

I'm glad that your Ranger works for you. But, in the interest of clarity, I wanted to point out that the Denali device is NOT an antenna. It is a complete, self-contained router that has all the capabilities of the Spruce router inside the coach. WiFiRanger has been using such a dual router configuration for more than 10 years.

BBelanger · 08-24-2021, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj

I'm glad that your Ranger works for you. But, in the interest of clarity, I wanted to point out that the Denali device is NOT an antenna. It is a complete, self-contained router that has all the capabilities of the Spruce router inside the coach. WiFiRanger has been using such a dual router configuration for more than 10 years.

"It has all the capabilities of the Spruce"

The Denali cannot pickup a 5.8G wifi signal, It can only get the 2.4. The Spruce will give you the 5.8 capability.

One more untruth Doc... Jeezzz...

Bill Bélanger

Suburbazine · 08-25-2021, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBelanger

"It has all the capabilities of the Spruce"

The Denali cannot pickup a 5.8G wifi signal, It can only get the 2.4. The Spruce will give you the 5.8 capability.

One more untruth Doc... Jeezzz...

Bill Bélanger

I would probably attribute this to confusing the Everest with the Denali. It could happen, especially when you have so many different products that look alike.

docj · 08-25-2021, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbazine

I would probably attribute this to confusing the Everest with the Denali. It could happen, especially when you have so many different products that look alike.

The purpose of my post was simply an effort to clarify that the device on the roof was not simply an antenna but, rather, was a complete router. It was never intended to be a point-by-point comparison of the two devices.