First trip with Travlfi device

[AJMike]

My mobile phones use T-Mobile as a carrier because that service is best where we live, but I have not been particularly happy with it when we are traveling in our RV. I looked around for a hotspot using Verizon or AT&T but stumbled upon the Travlfi device and thought it might be a good compromise. I thought that the data plans were a big pricey but I liked the idea of automatic switching between carriers depending upon the strongest signal, so I bought one and just returned from our first trip with it.

We went boondocking up in the mountains where we have zero coverage with T-Mobile. Not just zero ability to get on the internet, but no bars at all so it seemed like a good place to test the Travlfi.

The good news is that even in the middle of nowhere we could get and use a signal and I was able to check my mail, browse, do uploads and downloads using the device. It does work, and while the signal was not particularly strong, and there was a wait for web pages to display, it was far better than no service at all.

There are some annoying limitations when using the device. There is no display that tells you the signal strength, so you have to judge based on response time. There is no display that tells you whose service you are using. There is no display that tells you how much data you are using. There is no display that tells you what level of service you have, 4G or 3 G. And as far as I can tell there is no way to set the wifi name or password, so you are stuck with what they give you for both.

To get any information about the device you have to have service and log onto their web page. Once there you can see how much data you have used and how long you have left on your pre-paid plan, but not much else. See the screen shot for a look at the data web page.

Still, with all of that, we had service and I was able to determine whose service we had by opening a speed test page and doing a check. The speed test told me that I was using AT&T, so there is that, although it seemed strange to me that AT&T, which is largely absent in most of the rural areas in southern Arizona, had a stronger signal than Verizon.

The only on-device information is given by 4 lights. There is a power light, telling you that the device is on, off or charging (ie, flashing), there is a wifi light that tells you when the device is ready to be used as a wifi device, there is a data light that tells you (by flashing) that data is being up/down loaded and there is a cell signal light that tells you that it has selected a cell signal.

The most annoying drawback of the machine is that it can take a very long time for it to be ready to use. Obviously I have no way of knowing exactly how it works internally, but it seems that it goes through a startup sequence looking for cell signals trying to decide which one to use. If one or more signals are absent (as in this case) it seems to spend a long time looking and trying to lock on before moving to the next one. During one startup sequence it took almost 15 minutes before it told me it was ready to use. Starting it at home, where there are strong signals, took only 90 seconds and the same download speed test app told me that it locked onto Verizon.

Hope this is of some help to those looking for cell service when traveling.

[jacwjames]

What is the cost of this service?


I went through the same process last year and ultimately decided to try Cricket. I also have T-Mobile which is pretty much useless and we barely get a signal at the house.

But I was very pleased with Cricket. I got a signal everyplace I stopped over the 20 states I traveled. Sometimes it wasn't fast but I did get a signal. I could even use it to make a Wifi call on the T-mobile phone when I didn't have a signal.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by jacwjames

What is the cost of this service?

The only monthly depends on the data package you select. That varies from $20/month (for 2 GB) up through $200/month (for 800GB). I picked the 10GB/month which costs $30/month. You can move from package to package as you need.

We don't do any streaming while traveling so I think that 10GB/month is probably more than we will need, but I will have to see how much better this works than our T-Mobile service before I decide to do this regularly. So far it has been OK.

One of the things I wanted is the ability to be able to get real-time mapping and traffic information, but T-Mobile does not seem up to doing that in many of the places we travel.

Originally Posted by jacwjames

I went through the same process last year and ultimately decided to try Cricket. I also have T-Mobile which is pretty much useless and we barely get a signal at the house.

But I was very pleased with Cricket. I got a signal everyplace I stopped over the 20 states I traveled. Sometimes it wasn't fast but I did get a signal. I could even use it to make a Wifi call on the T-mobile phone when I didn't have a signal.

Were those urban or rural areas? I thought that Cricket was an urban-only carrier. Is that wrong?

[2004Horizon]

Thank you for your candid comments.

I too "stumbled" on this TravlFi option and decided to order their "Journey XTR" 4G-WiFi-Router, because it has 6 antennas, which promises to improve the antenna gain, and that is directly proportional to the download speeds I want.

For the last 7 years I have gone through the learning curves of using 3G/4G hotspots, and now we have 5G available in major cities.

I also know first hand that antenna gain is very important and is directly related to download speed. So, when I get my Journey router with 6 antennas we shall see how fast-is-fast; and I will be able to verify if I an infact get 5G with higher throughput. If not, there is no reason to pay more for this router, but I think it will make a noticeable difference!

Note: 2 antennas are for 4G, 2 antennas are for 5G, and I think the other 2 antennas are for upload. (Just guessing.) There are no specs on antenna gain so you just have to try it and see.

AJmike commented on the slow connection time, and I gather from talking to technical support this may still be the case. However, I think I would be willing to tolerate up to 1 minute each time I need to log-on... so long as I don't get dropped from any one cell tower while I'm using the internet. We shall see!

I have 30 days to try out the device and return it if I don't like it. And I can sign-up for a cheap 2G/mo plan to test out the service. Then I plan to move to unlimited when I hit the road next month.

TravlFi's technical support team also explained to me that you can "prioritize" the cell phone tower you want to connect to first. For example, you can set your account to first look for T-Mobile towers, then AT&T, and then Verizon or any order you want.

Until I test this 6 antenna 4G-WiFi-Router out for myself, all I can add is that TravlFi, just today I understand, now offers a unlimited data plan for $129/mo. However, that maybe their definition of a 800GB/mo plan. IDK. All these carriers/service providers like to use the word unlimited when their is always a limit. However, with T-Mobile and ATT and Verizon still setting this limit around 80GB/mo then I would say this TravlFi provider is 10X that for another $20-$40/mo. (More or less.)

Whatever TravlFi means by "unlimited" I will figure out soon enough, but at least now we can count on 800GB/mo for $129 and over time all data gets cheaper, so we shall see.

The concept of "Virtual Sim Cards" is an interesting one and I don't know what that signals for the future?

https://travlfi.com/plans

These plans also have an "ad-on" price for Mexico and Canada, similiar to Verizon's model, but data is reduced heavily and it cost much more. However, at least it's an option.

[Griz44Mag]

I spent some time with a TRAVELFI rep a few days ago and the XTR 6 antennae version is compatible with several roof mounted antennae systems. You remove the 6 sticks and connect them to the 6 coax cables from the rooftop unit. I have not found so far anyone that has done this, but I have read some very encouraging reports on the XTR performance. Our maiden trip with our new (antique) Georgie Boy is scheduled late July and I should have the system up and working by then. Other reviews I have read seem to steer away from the "puck" and point to much better results with the XTR, which is an advanced AX style router with sim capability.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by 2004Horizon

TravlFi's technical support team also explained to me that you can "prioritize" the cell phone tower you want to connect to first. For example, you can set your account to first look for T-Mobile towers, then AT&T, and then Verizon or any order you want.

People's needs regarding internet service vary, and ours are relatively low. Since we don't do streaming when traveling and are often far enough away from decent internet service that we could not stream even if we wanted to, our needs are for reliable, but limited, internet access, and that means the ability to check to see if other carrier's might be better at any particular location.

A couple of months ago I switched from Travlfi to Solis, buying the Solis Lite hotspot which is the equivalent of the old Travlfi device I had. I switched for two reasons. First, the Solis device allowed me to have the device move to another carrier if the carrier I was using was not responding quickly enough. So if the strongest carrier was xxx, but it was overloaded with other users, then I could tell the device to check for the next best carrier and it would cycle through the options. I have used this functionality already and it does work.

Second, Solis offers non-expiring data. Since we use only small amounts of data (for our navigation phone, which does not have its own SIM card) and for email, news and Googling for campgrounds, our normal usage during a trip might be on the order of 2-3GB, sometimes more, sometimes less. With Travlfi I had to buy the 10GB plan and that data expired at the end of the month, so I ended up buying 10GB each month when I only needed a fraction of that. Solis allows me to buy 20GB, but I can use that data until it expires, and that makes it less expensive in the long run. In fact I am still using the data I bought a couple of months ago and at this rate the 20GB I bought will last me for 6 months or more.

I thought about getting a 5G capable device, but we normally boondock and are out in areas where there is not particularly good 4G service, and no 5G service at all, so it seemed silly to upgrade to a 5G device. Perhaps that will change in the future. The one thing I miss using the Solis Lite (and the Travlfi Journey1) is the lack of an outside antenna, which would probably increase our cell reception.

[Griz44Mag]

The TravlFi XTR showed up on the front porch today, 5 days earlier than expected from the initial ship schedule.
Got it out of the box, very simple to put the antennae's on, they are all labeled:
2 for LTE incoming service.
2 for WIFI 2.4 out to your devices
2 for WIFI 5.0 out to your devices
Plugged it in and sat it on the counter in the house.
I logged onto TravlFi from my phone and set up for the 10gig plan for testing purposes.
Indication was that activation could take up to 24 hours.
Reality was less than 5 minutes. So that was impressing.
Using the default info on the device I logged onto it with a P11 tablet, entered the admin interface and changes the names and passwords of everything. I named the visible WIFI after the bus and created some new passwords for it.
It took a few minutes after each change for the unit to set it up and reboot. No big deal. The initial info I was reading online at different forums said you could not do that, but this is as easy to reprogram as any AX style router I have ever used.
The instructions say if you press the reset (recessed) button it will all default back to factory setting. Nice to know.
With all that out of the way, I connected my WIFI TV, my tablet P11, and my phone to all use the devices WIFI and set up a netflix streaming movie on each. All three ran for 20 minutes before I shut them down. No issues.
The indicated network connection was Verizon, and was showing only 2 bars on the signal strength meter.
I took my tablet and walked down the street 4 houses away and still had an acceptable connection. I was going to get an external antennae for it but I don't think that will be necessary.
So time will tell. I'm moving the RV to a local campsite for a month so the wife and I can adapt our lifestyles and figure out what we need and don't need for life on the road.
Our planned trip will be over 4 months on the road with several weeks long stops scheduled at some chosen places and some relatives places that we have not seen in several decades.
I'll keep posting to this thread as we get more time and experience with the TravlFi, but I think with the new unlimited plan they offer, this is going to be a winner.

[Griz44Mag]

Just a quick followup from yesterday.
LOAD THE TRAVLFI app
It has a wealth of info (96 pages) and some neat features.
You can select which carrier to use as primary and a lot of other stuff.
The router is completely unlocked so those who want to customize can have it "Any which way you want"
You can even switch it to use a campsite WIFI for it's WAN feed, thus saving your data.
This morning I checked and it had switched carriers and had a full strength signal. A quick speedtest brought it up to the same speed I get on my 4G T-mobile phone.
So far - I am impressed how smooth and fast it has been.
The real test will be on the road.
One thing I will do when I install it in the RV, get a 5-48v to filtered 12VDC regulator to feed it and not use the 120V adapter, as the only time I have 110V is when we are docked or run the generator.
Other option I have considered is to install a 600W inverter for select 120V circuits (comm and TV) and run it off the AUX batteries. I'm still kicking that around. The previous owner installed 120V TV's (nice ones) and removed the 12V stuff. I also want to run my micro-computer without running the genset.

[2004Horizon]

The Tech support people at TravlFi pick up the phone quickly on the last several calls I made.

Today I called the to ask how to change TravlFi Router SSID and Password Change Instructions and they sent me the bare minimum.

I figured it out and I found some conflicts when you use the same SSID on the TravlFi as you do at home, but this is normal for any 2 modems that share the same name. ...And it's not so easy to know how to clear your WiFi adapter cash either, when your computer says "Connection Not Available."

So attached is a .pdf you can print out that explains it all so you don't have to

[2004Horizon]

I downloaded the "TravelFi" App. THIS IS NOT THE APP FOR THE "TravlFi" router so don't do that!

This other app is some completely different!

Griz44Mag: I was only able to use the TravlFi website. Are you sure there is an app for the cell phone?

...And where on the App or Website can I find the user control to select one cell phone carrier over another? I can't find it and TravlFi said to call them if I want to rearrange my carrier priority.

[Griz44Mag]

Originally Posted by 2004Horizon

I downloaded the "TravelFi" App. THIS IS NOT THE APP FOR THE "TravlFi" router so don't do that!

This other app is some completely different!

Griz44Mag: I was only able to use the TravlFi website. Are you sure there is an app for the cell phone?

...And where on the App or Website can I find the user control to select one cell phone carrier over another? I can't find it and TravlFi said to call them if I want to rearrange my carrier priority.

The user interface for all of the internal settings is found by:
1. Making sure you are connected to the router with the device you want to change.
2. Open up a browser page - I use Google but that should not matter.
3. on the address line type: 192.168.0.1
4. Have the admin login password available. (See label on the bottom)
HINT: using a full size computer screen is a big PLUS
You will be presented with many pages of settings and choices. If you are not familiar with how a router works, you will get an education working your way through it. I wound up factory resetting mine 3 times while I worked out all the nuances. It's doable - just work your way through.
Note: Every change you make will cause the router to reset - it's a 30-60 second delay, so be patient.
Work your way through all the menu options and sub options under each category - there's a lot here - so plan some major time getting to know the system.
On mine I changed:
The admin password
The SSID of both the 2.4 and 5.0 wifi channels
The passwords of both wifi channels.
I did some playing around with carrier selection, but as previously discussed, you are a lot better off letting the router chose the best source.
Good luck!!! Tech support is available with Travlfi but be aware they have a Q and A book to follow and if it's not in the book, you don't get good advice.
Don't be afraid of testing options but if you do, be ready to factory reset it and start over.
Personally, I found the whole process to be fun and educational at the same time!

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by 2004Horizon

I can't find it and TravlFi said to call them if I want to rearrange my carrier priority.

This was one of my problems with Travlfi. If I can't get a decent signal on a hotspot I may not have enough of a signal to make a call either, and in that case I could not call to ask them to change the priority.

I liked the Travelfi Journey1 but feel more comfortable with the Solis Lite because there is an actual cell phone app that connects to the Solis Lite and allows the user to make it switch to another carrier.

Of course if you are where there are no signals that does not help, but I have been in places where the preferred carrier was too busy to give me a decent signal and been able to change the carrier using the cell phone, which did not have a decent cell signal itself. All it needs to change the hotspot priority is a connection to the hotspot, not to the internet or phone signals.

[Griz44Mag]

Originally Posted by AJMike

This was one of my problems with Travlfi. If I can't get a decent signal on a hotspot I may not have enough of a signal to make a call either, and in that case I could not call to ask them to change the priority.

I liked the Travelfi Journey1 but feel more comfortable with the Solis Lite because there is an actual cell phone app that connects to the Solis Lite and allows the user to make it switch to another carrier.

Of course if you are where there are no signals that does not help, but I have been in places where the preferred carrier was too busy to give me a decent signal and been able to change the carrier using the cell phone, which did not have a decent cell signal itself. All it needs to change the hotspot priority is a connection to the hotspot, not to the internet or phone signals.

Please read my above post.
With the XTR you can log into the router without a cell signal, and change the supplier without having any signal.
The WIFI connection to the router does not depend on any outside communications.
The router interface (192.168.0.1) is the way to change anything and everything in the router.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by Griz44Mag

Please read my above post.
With the XTR you can log into the router without a cell signal, and change the supplier without having any signal.
The WIFI connection to the router does not depend on any outside communications.
The router interface (192.168.0.1) is the way to change anything and everything in the router.

Yes. As I wrote I had the Journey1 and my problems were with that. I know that the XTR is more flexible, but it is also considerably more expensive and larger. What I wanted was something the size of the Journey1 (our RV is very small and there is no good place for the XTR and its antennas) that would allow me more control, and that is why I bought the Solis Lite. I just hand it from one of the cabinet handles or, if we are stopped, I open the roof vent and hand it from that open/close handle.

It also offers data that does not expire so I can buy a large block at a fixed cost and use it as long as I want until I have used it all. And, of course, a phone app that logs directly into the device (like the XTR) and allows me to cycle through to the next strongest carrier.

The data is more expensive per GB, but since it does not expire a 20GB block has so far lasted us for perhaps 3 months and is far from running out. If your data usage is high this is not a good option, but it is perfect for us.