RV internet solution - mofi cradlepoint mobley ubiquity m1 weboost

[trs80]

I am wanting to upgrade my current setup. I have a simple travel router that all my devices attach to. While driving (or in areas with no wifi) it is wireless bridged to my mobley. In areas of wifi I have it hardwired to a ubiquity nanostation to get me some range.

This works fine, but sometimes I need better cellular, and I thought about upgrading from the mobley to a Nighthawk M1 (moving mobley sim) and adding a weboost X RV.

BUT...this took me down the rabbit hole. A Sailing friend bought the Mofi4500 with wilson wideband omni external antenna and has been pleased thus far. ...started researching that and found a lot on this forum like the Cradlepoint CBA850LP6 from LTE Fix. ....but a lot of this data is from 2019 and a lot changes in 6-12 months. The Sim7 version of the Mofi is out (not sure if it is even better in my use case though), the Cradlepoint SW seems to be forcing folks to the cloud unless the dont upgrade, etc.

So, If you had a couple hundred to spend to upgrade some of the components (but say less than $1000) and you wanted to get your moneys worth (I know ...subjective) where would you suggest I focus my efforts/research?

Use Case/details:
Family of 5 with some internet connectivity on the switch and phones for games
Streaming youtube/disney+/youtubeTV etc on 2 Rokus, ipad, and multiple pixels
Some video conferencing for work and school
...so more than just email and web surfing
We have the mobley "unlimited" and a shared 25 GB plan on ATT for 3 phones. An additional phone on cricket with its own data plan. I am not opposed to getting a Google fi sim for backup/supplement.


I am not unhappy with the ubiquity for longer range connection to wifi
I would like some level of longer range LTE coverage
I have a couple wifi APs (one travel and one full featured)
...so I am mostly happy with the wifi side, though for a more integrated solution I would consider changing it up ...more focused on Cell improvement (and I know you cannot create signal from nothing and need something to boost)

Would you go with the Cradlepoint or the mofi (and which one)? Go with the M1 combined with the weboost? Use the weboost with the mofi or cradlepoint?

I know the wifiranger and winegard are out there ...but I like that I could more easily take the weboost with me if we upgraded coaches, the wifiranger seems to have inventory issues and I want to pull the trigger, the winegard does not seem to get good reviews.

Am I missing others?

[Spk64]

I installed the following last year and have been pleased.

Cradlepoint has now gone to Subscription service on updates so not sure I would recommend them. The device performs well though. I dropped the update service after the free year so stuck with that firmware.
https://5gstore.com/product/9042_cra..._b_1_year.html
Antenna roof mounted
https://5gstore.com/product/8640_pan...nna-white.html

A popular alternative is the Pepwave. https://5gstore.com/product/7865_pep...x_br1_mk2.html

We have traveled out west and recently down to panhandle of Florida, East to West Virginia. The system performed well in most all cases. We might have had one or two locations with sub-par cell service.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by trs80

Am I missing others?

Seems you didn’t mention Pepwave. They make pretty much exactly what you are looking for. Similar to Cradlepoint but generally less expensive and more user friendly than Mofi.

We have the Nighthawk (Mobley SIM) with a WeBoost Drive 4g-X. The Nighthawk is very good, but we find it usually works best with a $30 Netgear MiMo antenna than with the Weboost.

We connect to the WiFi Ranger router, which is excellent. The roof mounted “booster” we almost never use.

The WFR router connects to the Nighthawk via Ethernet or USB your choice. We connect a Verizon Jetpack via USB and the Nighthawk via Ethernet and run both in a load bearing configuration.

This works very well for us, but if we were to upgrade it would be to a Pepwave probably the Pepwave MAX BR1 MK2 Router.

[docj]

Originally Posted by trs80

I know the wifiranger and winegard are out there ...but I like that I could more easily take the weboost with me if we upgraded coaches, the wifiranger seems to have inventory issues and I want to pull the trigger, the winegard does not seem to get good reviews.

At the moment the WiFiRanger online store is temporarily closed because we are moving to a new, larger facility. That move is almost complete and I expect the store will reopen late this week or early next week. We're sorry if this created any issues for potential customers.

In addition, there had been some inventory shortages due to COVID-19 supply chain disruptions. Those have also been overcome and the Teton, Spruce, and Aspen routers should all be back in stock when the store reopens.

Joel (AKA docj)

[Camper25]

Good luck moving a Mobley sim to a hotspot. Every time I've attempted it says.... locked sim. I don't have a pin #. So, no go for me.

[Jim A]

Originally Posted by Camper25

Good luck moving a Mobley sim to a hotspot. Every time I've attempted it says.... locked sim. I don't have a pin #. So, no go for me.

That is not a "no go" for you. Just a little more work. You need to call AT&T and request the PUK (Pin Unlock Key). That PUK, an 8 digit number, will allow you to reset the PIN code to a new number. My Mobley SIM was locked like yours, but is now in a Nighthawk. And working great!

A Google search will tell you how to do it. It has been almost a year since I did it, so I don't remember the procedures. But easily doable. There is a PUK1 and PUK2. You just need PUK1, but I would suggest asking for PUK2 while you are at it.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Jim A

That is not a "no go" for you. Just a little more work. You need to call AT&T and request the PUK (Pin Unlock Key). That PUK, an 8 digit number, will allow you to reset the PIN code to a new number. My Mobley SIM was locked like yours, but is now in a Nighthawk. And working great!

A Google search will tell you how to do it. It has been almost a year since I did it, so I don't remember the procedures. But easily doable. There is a PUK1 and PUK2. You just need PUK1, but I would suggest asking for PUK2 while you are at it.

This is absolutely correct. I know a few people that completed this entirely online using the support CHAT popup on their account on the ATT Wireless website.

[Max4Speed]

Originally Posted by Spk64

I installed the following last year and have been pleased.

Cradlepoint has now gone to Subscription service on updates so not sure I would recommend them. The device performs well though. I dropped the update service after the free year so stuck with that firmware.
https://5gstore.com/product/9042_cra..._b_1_year.html
Antenna roof mounted
https://5gstore.com/product/8640_pan...nna-white.html

A popular alternative is the Pepwave. https://5gstore.com/product/7865_pep...x_br1_mk2.html

We have traveled out west and recently down to panhandle of Florida, East to West Virginia. The system performed well in most all cases. We might have had one or two locations with sub-par cell service.

Thats a great setup. Are you using a regular SIM in this setup? sorry I am new to this and trying to get my mobile office running

[lemodrop9344]

If you are looking at Cradlepoint products, I would encourage you to look at Peplink products also.
Very user friendly & generally less expensive than Cradlepoint products.
Some issues to think about:

1. Balance cellular data plans with capability of equipment. Don't buy more equipment that you can feed.
2. Leverage existing cellular plans to compliment equipment & try to build in some redundancy for internet connectivity (multiple carriers, WiFi as WAN....... if you do have WiFi, tethering, etc., etc.)
3. Make sure equipment you buy/use is compatible with your cellular carrier. Yes, you can beat the system. However, it can be a hassle & in violation of the carrier's TOCs.
4. Take a look at Mobile Internet Resource Center for reviews of what's presently available.

There are a lot of options available.
Good luck!

[Spk64]

Another Con for Cradlepoint is they have gone to a subscription based updates. I would check that out closely if thinking about their products.

[Max4Speed]

Originally Posted by lemodrop9344

If you are looking at Cradlepoint products, I would encourage you to look at Peplink products also.
Very user friendly & generally less expensive than Cradlepoint products.
Some issues to think about:

1. Balance cellular data plans with capability of equipment. Don't buy more equipment that you can feed.
2. Leverage existing cellular plans to compliment equipment & try to build in some redundancy for internet connectivity (multiple carriers, WiFi as WAN....... if you do have WiFi, tethering, etc., etc.)
3. Make sure equipment you buy/use is compatible with your cellular carrier. Yes, you can beat the system. However, it can be a hassle & in violation of the carrier's TOCs.
4. Take a look at Mobile Internet Resource Center for reviews of what's presently available.

There are a lot of options available.
Good luck!

Which model Peplink I need to look for?

[lemodrop9344]

With regards to the Peplink model to look for............. A lot depends on what you actually need, what you think you need, what you want, and, what you are willing to spend.

Keep in mind these are commercial grade devices. They have models starting from a little over $200.00 to devices costing thousands of dollars. The more you spend, the more you get. Very easy to reach a point where you spend more than you need or can use in a RV.

I went with a Peplink MAX TRANSIT CAT-18 model. Probably a little more than I actually needed, but, I have been very happy with it. Very easy to set up. The user interface is very intuitive.

The link below will take you to their web page reflecting the various products. Products are sold through 'partners' & Amazon. Prices don't vary much from any of the suppliers. The entity selling the device to you is responsible for providing 1st level support if you have issues.



https://www.peplink.com/


There are others beside Cradlepoint & Peplink selling cellular router/modems. A lot of opportunities to spend your money.

[Max4Speed]

Originally Posted by lemodrop9344

With regards to the Peplink model to look for............. A lot depends on what you actually need, what you think you need, what you want, and, what you are willing to spend.

Keep in mind these are commercial grade devices. They have models starting from a little over $200.00 to devices costing thousands of dollars. The more you spend, the more you get. Very easy to reach a point where you spend more than you need or can use in a RV.

I went with a Peplink MAX TRANSIT CAT-18 model. Probably a little more than I actually needed, but, I have been very happy with it. Very easy to set up. The user interface is very intuitive.

The link below will take you to their web page reflecting the various products. Products are sold through 'partners' & Amazon. Prices don't vary much from any of the suppliers. The entity selling the device to you is responsible for providing 1st level support if you have issues.



https://www.peplink.com/


There are others beside Cradlepoint & Peplink selling cellular router/modems. A lot of opportunities to spend your money.

Thank you!! Reading into this now. Already have a Verizon AND T-mobile SIM so now its all about finding the right equipment.