Internet while on the road … What I just got to try out and what are you using?

[Bill]

We are slowly getting settled with the new RV and getting things in place to take off full time next year. One big concern was internet connectivity since the wife’s job requires it and she’ll be the main/only source of income when we first get started.

After some research this is what we landed on. It’s portable enough we can take it with us outside the RV if we stay somewhere else, etc ... And for right now it’s simple enough to move it between he RV and the house while we test the setup out. We are running 1 Sim card now (AT&T), but the router can accept 2, and we ultimately plan to add another from another carrier so we have some redundancy in the case of bad/no AT&T service. I don’t have the antenna installed on the RV yet and am just running with the included stubby antennas, but even that is proving to be pretty good.

• Pepwave MAX Transit Cat 18 Router
• Poynting 7-in-1 antenna
• 300GB data (AT&T)

⁣
Setup was easy and I was up and running in a few minutes. Speeds are good with the stubby antennas so I’m excited to see what we end up with once we add the external antenna. ⁣. The router also supports GPS, so once wired into the RV I’ll have that piece of mind as well.

Whole setup was purchased through www.MobileMustHave.com


⁣

 

[Loshad]

Is that just a cell booster?
Does it need 120AC?

 

[Bill]

It’s a WiFi Router with built in cellular modem … so think hotspot on steroids. It can also pick up available WiFi and use that in place of my cellular data (WiFi as WAN) as well as accepting wired internet connections.

It runs on 120AC, 12-24DC and has 2 MicroUSB ports on the front for running portable battery packs (2 ports to let you plug in a charged pack while unplugging the one needing to be charged).

So right now I’ve got it running on AC while I’m moving it between the house and RV. Ultimately I’ll install the antenna on the roof and wire the router to DC power in the RV (green plug on front of unit), but still retain the AC adapter and stubby antennas in case we want to pull it out and take it with us.

 

[Loshad]

So it's dependent on the usually worthless wifi at RV parks?
I usually find that my iPhone works better not using the 'free wifi'.
I can't imagine trying to do any meaningful work on the road.
But then I can't remember what 'work' is, other than hooking up
the trailer.

 

[Huzzar]

I just use a T-Mobile 4G hotspot. Works fine for remote work and watching TV via Roku.

Our primary parking spot for the trailer doesn't have 5G yet, hence using 4G.

Only downside is where there is no 4G cellular. 3G is next to useless for the hotspot.

 

[NitroTremor]

It’s a WiFi Router with built in cellular modem … so think hotspot on steroids. It can also pick up available WiFi and use that in place of my cellular data (WiFi as WAN) as well as accepting wired internet connections.

It runs on 120AC, 12-24DC and has 2 MicroUSB ports on the front for running portable battery packs (2 ports to let you plug in a charged pack while unplugging the one needing to be charged).

So right now I’ve got it running on AC while I’m moving it between the house and RV. Ultimately I’ll install the antenna on the roof and wire the router to DC power in the RV (green plug on front of unit), but still retain the AC adapter and stubby antennas in case we want to pull it out and take it with us.

Very nice add!

 

[Blackhawk878]

So it's dependent on the usually worthless wifi at RV parks?
I usually find that my iPhone works better not using the 'free wifi'.
I can't imagine trying to do any meaningful work on the road.
But then I can't remember what 'work' is, other than hooking up
the trailer.

Negative, it has a built in cellular modem so that he can chose his path out (wifi or cellular like your iPhone).

 

[Bill]

I just use a T-Mobile 4G hotspot. Works fine for remote work and watching TV via Roku.

Our primary parking spot for the trailer doesn't have 5G yet, hence using 4G.

Only downside is where there is no 4G cellular. 3G is next to useless for the hotspot.

We originally looked at doing a few hot spots with different carriers but liked this option for simplicity. I can see which cellular network is getting better reception and choose to use it. The WiFi settings all stay the same so my connected devices don’t need to be updated to connect to the correct hot spot and the antenna options are better with this than the hot spots.

If it wasn’t a work requirement for my wife we may have opted for something less involved, but its an expense we knew we would be taking on (equipment + data plans) when we started down this path.

 

[Vermonster]

We're pretty spotty in Vermont with cell service. However, I find my AT&T works 80% of the places I am. My wife has Verizon, so typically one of us has access - then we can go hotspot if we need.

Cool idea you have there, but for my application wireless on my phone seems to negate the need for anything else.

 

[Loshad]

"Negative, it has a built in cellular modem so that he can chose his path out (wifi or cellular like your iPhone)."

Thanks, Blackhawk. So how does that improve your situation if you're only in a 4G or, heaven forbid, 3G area? I pay little or no attention to this stuff, obviously, so pardon the stoopid questions.

I've seen 'Mimo' and boosters mentioned. How is this router better?

 

[legmar]

Nomad Internet has a blue plan sim (AT&T) for $150 a month and it’s unlimited data with no throttling. It’s worked well for us on the road. Just fyi.

Nomad Internet | For Rural Homes, RVers, Communities & Businesses

Nomad Internet provides Rural and Travel High-Speed Wireless Internet Unlimited, Uncapped and Unthrottled Data Plans with Speeds up to 200mbps! There are No Credit Check, Free Same-Day Shipping, and a 7-Day Risk Free Trial! If it does not work, for any reason, send it back for a full refund!

nomadinternet.com

 

[Bill]

"Negative, it has a built in cellular modem so that he can chose his path out (wifi or cellular like your iPhone)."

Thanks, Blackhawk. So how does that improve your situation if you're only in a 4G or, heaven forbid, 3G area? I pay little or no attention to this stuff, obviously, so pardon the stoopid questions.

More, larger, antennas and larger processor than cell phones or hot spots means increased signal strength.

And by accepting Sim cards for data plans (like a hot spot) it gives me more hot spot data than my phone. We currently have AT&T’s highest cell phone plan (unlimted) but it only allows for 40GB of hot spot data.

 

[Bill]

Nomad Internet has a blue plan sim (AT&T) for $150 a month and it’s unlimited data with no throttling. It’s worked well for us on the road. Just fyi.

Nomad Internet | For Rural Homes, RVers, Communities & Businesses

Nomad Internet provides Rural and Travel High-Speed Wireless Internet Unlimited, Uncapped and Unthrottled Data Plans with Speeds up to 200mbps! There are No Credit Check, Free Same-Day Shipping, and a 7-Day Risk Free Trial! If it does not work, for any reason, send it back for a full refund!

nomadinternet.com

I looked at their plans as well as a few others … ended up going with the offering from MobileMustHave to get started and we’ll see how it works. No contracts, so if we aren’t happy with it we can always move on. The equipment will work with any major carrier, so we aren’t locked in there. Some other bundles I saw came with some good data plans but you had to purchase their equipment and were locked into those networks.

I did like that they had brokered the deal directly with AT&T themselves, for the express purpose of offering this deal to RVers,. Boaters, etc. It should protect the plan a little more than some others who offer plans through 3rd party resellers.

 

[Blackhawk878]

More, larger, antennas and larger processor than cell phones or hot spots means increased signal strength.

And by accepting Sim cards for data plans (like a hot spot) it gives me more hot spot data than my phone. We currently have AT&T’s highest cell phone plan (unlimted) but it only allows for 40GB of hot spot data.

@Loshad What Bill said, you can push more power (better reception/transmission) with something that isn't designed to be held next to your face.

If you are truly in need of internet service in remote areas you can try satellite based comms, but they don't reach absolutely everywhere as most service providing birds are geosynchronous (sit around the equator) and come with their own issues (latency, cost).

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I just use my VzW android smartphone as a hotspot...if there is no VzW signal I just switch my phone over to UMTS/LTE/GSM depending on who has the best signal. I also have a booster if needed. I had 4g service 28 miles into National Forest at elk camp this yr.

 

[Flourman]

Nice setup!! When COVID started, I set up our old camper (and have migrated to our new camper) with cell booster and a Verizon hotspot. We don’t full time RV but there have been several times where I office from “the cabin”.

I’ve found Verizon works best in the CO mountains but we also hotspot off our phones. I’m running a WeBoost Drive RV booster and have a MiMo antenna as well. Boosting usually only gains on the upload speeds which is good for video conferences. But MiMo has it’s place too if you know where the cell antennas are.

When we set up camp, I’ll run Verizon and ATT speed tests, normal and boosted then I’ll run Verizon on MiMo. I’ve spent the past two years building up maps of cell coverage speeds. It’s funny when I’ve got better down/up speeds in the mountains than I do on my “premium” internet service at home.