Community Forums

Isaac-1 · 11-13-2020, 05:34 AM

The big thing to keep in mind here when it comes to cellular data is that you can spend a lot of money on equipment, for ever diminishing results. Amplifiers, boosters and external antennas will only help in fringe areas, and will rarely make ones connection significantly faster. They will also do nothing to help if there is no signal there to begin with, the place where such equipment helps is those locations where you have marginal signal, you know the type where you see a connection, but can't ever get a full web page to load.

Often the money spent on such fancy equipment installs would be better spent on a data plan from another provider. In other words for most people that must stay in contact, they would be better off with 3 $100 hotspots with data plans from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile vs 1 data plan and $1,500 worth of boosters and external antennas. As there are places out there where any given 1 of those three companies may be the only service in town.

docj · 11-13-2020, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

The big thing to keep in mind here when it comes to cellular data is that you can spend a lot of money on equipment, for ever diminishing results. Amplifiers, boosters and external antennas will only help in fringe areas, and will rarely make ones connection significantly faster. They will also do nothing to help if there is no signal there to begin with, the place where such equipment helps is those locations where you have marginal signal, you know the type where you see a connection, but can't ever get a full web page to load.

Often the money spent on such fancy equipment installs would be better spent on a data plan from another provider. In other words for most people that must stay in contact, they would be better off with 3 $100 hotspots with data plans from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile vs 1 data plan and $1,500 worth of boosters and external antennas. As there are places out there where any given 1 of those three companies may be the only service in town.

Excellent points!

sibe · 11-14-2020, 04:31 AM

Yep. Good points. Also Research. .. test
And buy a good foundation. .. I for one have spent and evolved . Leaving a box of expensive paper weights. Then once you say. I think I got this... 3 months later there is something better ..

Mile Marker 42 · 11-14-2020, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalfarm

We need as much internet as possible. I've heard it's best to have both Verizon and ATT.

What is best right now? What exactly do I buy? Do I have dealer install or is it easy?
No budget for this. Ok with spending a couple of grand if need be. Plus monthly or annual plans. We need the best you can get.

Thanks

Wife and I are on att and our young son on verizon when we travel. Very rarely does one work and not the other. Bought a WeBoost cell phone booster unit. Mounted their antenna on the crank up tv antenna. Really really helps. In fact on 1 trip, the difference between having internet or not was the WeBoost unit itself.

Calson · 11-23-2020, 03:24 PM

Cell tower signals are line of sight so if the campground is in a valley then there is not going to be good reception from any provider. There are cell tower maps that show locations of towers and which service providers have leased space on the tower.

Overall there are more Verizon towers around the USA and so a better chance of connecting than with AT&T and other providers. A separate issue is compatibility with the 4G boosters like the Winegard Connect.

RV 4G rates are where they were 10 years ago when I paid 4x as much in the U.S. as in any other country, even Mexico with its monopoly. The data plans I have found are all set up to be monthly and no rollover of unused minutes.

Up until a year ago I was paying $400 a month to AT&T for DSL at my house as they have the land line monopoly for my area. When Spectrum installed coax for broadband they offered more than 100x the speed and unlimited data for $50 a month.

We want 4G for internet to gain the added security as compared to Wifi but it is a highly exploitive situation at this time in the USA.

I have used the Verizon Mifi modems with a roof mounted antenna and it was better than nothing. Winegard in theory should be able to provide a better signal capture with its multi antenna dome but it is a poor design that requires going up on the roof to change out SIM cards.

docj · 11-23-2020, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calson

I have used the Verizon Mifi modems with a roof mounted antenna and it was better than nothing. Winegard in theory should be able to provide a better signal capture with its multi antenna dome but it is a poor design that requires going up on the roof to change out SIM cards.

Putting the SIM on the roof provides a 3-4dB improvement in signal strength rather than having the SIM inside the RV. I'm not sure how you can change a roof-mounted SIM without going on the roof.

sibe · 11-27-2020, 08:04 AM

As. A FYI

Roof mount. Pole . add on antenna. Helps.
But
I am off. Today and playing..... Have my mkrotik mini with mint and art sims. 7 db. Omni .
No a ant. Internal on. 97-103db. Just in room near window of tower.

Antenna on .. Omni in window. 93-97 db

Antenna outside 2 ft higher hanging from eave. 85-89....

Put sims. In !y Samsung a20s. Phone. In room near window. 98-100 db open window stood on chair held near antenna.. 88-92 db..
Interesting.. Phone pulls well..

Att v s mint T-Mobile. Signal close. Att tad stronger. Both use same tower..

Speedtest.
Att best. 23-27
Mint. 11'-19

Very mifi. 16-23

Friday morning...

Calson · 11-28-2020, 01:12 PM

The SIM is simply the card that identifies the device to the cellular network and nothing more. I had a SIM inside a jet pack that was inside the RV and ran a cable to a roof mounted antenna.

With the Winegard the SIM has to be inserted in the antenna housing up on the roof. Cheaper to manufacture it this way but a PITA to change out SIM cards.

Unfortunately I had the guy at Guaranty RV do the Winegard installation on the new Navion and he did it incorrectly and placed it behind the raised area for the forward over the cab bunk and next to the awning mount. This blocks the signal by a third of what it would be had he bothered to follow the Winegard installation instructions.

With my last RV I did all the modifications and the solar installation myself and I was hoping to avoid the time needed with the new Navion but I am now realizing that this is not going to be the case if I want things done correctly.