Need help with setting up a WIFI network in RV - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Joe_Camper · RV-Dreams Family Member

Need help with setting up a WIFI network in RV

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

You basically need a router that will handle a tethered (physically connected) Pantech. OR, if absolutely required, a router that has WiFi as WAN capability where the Pantech is connected to the router wirelessly (not as desirable as the physical connection). The Pantech then serves as your Internet source and the router supplies the wireless signal to your WLAN (wireless LAN) and you use the physical LAN ports on the router for your Ethernet connections.

The WiFIRanger Go2 will handle this well, as will the PepWave SOHO. Those are the only two routers I'd recommend in your particular circumstance. I DO NOT recommend the Cradlepoint 95 since the company is no longer pursuing the consumer market. Or at least is moving away from it.

I prefer the Go2.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

Agreed with what Jack has said :)

Both are solid and actively supported/advanced products, and tend to leap frog each other in features & stability at various points of development. Right now, the Pepwave has better data tracking tools, but WFR has firmware releases upcoming that should improve that.

Like Jack, we also lean towards the Go2 for our preference.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

This thread got me thinking internet again..

Had to call wifi ranger folks.. My rig comes with the ranger SKY.. They told me this alone will do everything I need by itself.. Connect millicom, hot spots, wire less printers, wireless computers, and track different usages and automatically switch to another wi-fi source by bandwidth used....So I can say after 5gb.. move to xxxx.. cool.

So Am I correct in saying that the only time I would need the go2.. is if I needed a hardwired connection for something?

I don't have anything that is hard wired.. and never will.

Also.. fyi.. if you scedule a call with the Ranger folks they will walk you step by step .. setting it all up.. that's good service..

-- Edited by The Junkman on Thursday 7th of August 2014 09:36:38 AM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Since I don't have a WiFiRanger, I can only defer to those that do. But I can say the Pepwave Surf SOHO will do everything you want. Its bandwidth tracking is very accurate, more accurate than the MBR95, which could vary by 6% with a hotspot. You can also hook the 291 up via USB with it, something the you cannot do with the MBR95, for more control and faster speeds. You do want the optional external antennas for the SOHO, the difference in how many WiFi sources it can see using the external antennas is massive.

Even though I like their products, I am not sure how commited Pepwave is to the consumer market either. I am not going back to the MBR95 except when we have good wifi with short term bandwidth limits, something it can support, while the SOHO only supports monthly limits. I have some more testing to do and will be updating my thoughts on it. Who knows when I will get to the further testing, since it is just a hobby for me and I have other things to do.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 7th of August 2014 09:28:42 AM

-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 30th of October 2014 09:46:58 AM

Joe_Camper · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Junkman wrote:
This thread got me thinking internet again..

Had to call wifi ranger folks.. My rig comes with the ranger SKY.. They told me this alone will do everything I need by itself.. Connect millicom, hot spots, wire less printers, wireless computers, and track different usages and automatically switch to another wi-fi source by bandwidth used....So I can say after 5gb.. move to xxxx.. cool.

So Am I correct in saying that the only time I would need the go2.. is if I needed a hardwired connection for something?

I don't have anything that is hard wired.. and never will.

Also.. fyi.. if you scedule a call with the Ranger folks they will walk you step by step .. setting it all up.. that's good service..

-- Edited by The Junkman on Thursday 7th of August 2014 09:36:38 AM

Likewise, if I understand this right, I cannot use the sky because I need a LAN connection to my Denon video receiver. Everything else I have is wireless. I wonder if I can use some sort of wireless adapter. I guess I need to call the WIFI Ranger folks, too.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Joe_Camper wrote:
The Junkman wrote:
This thread got me thinking internet again..

Had to call wifi ranger folks.. My rig comes with the ranger SKY.. They told me this alone will do everything I need by itself.. Connect millicom, hot spots, wire less printers, wireless computers, and track different usages and automatically switch to another wi-fi source by bandwidth used....So I can say after 5gb.. move to xxxx.. cool.

So Am I correct in saying that the only time I would need the go2.. is if I needed a hardwired connection for something?

I don't have anything that is hard wired.. and never will.

Also.. fyi.. if you scedule a call with the Ranger folks they will walk you step by step .. setting it all up.. that's good service..

-- Edited by The Junkman on Thursday 7th of August 2014 09:36:38 AM
Likewise, if I understand this right, I cannot use the sky because I need a LAN connection to my Denon video receiver. Everything else I have is wireless. I wonder if I can use some sort of wireless adapter. I guess I need to call the WIFI Ranger folks, too.

I don't see why not. They add them on the back of a computer to make the wireless.. same thing I would think..

Joe_Camper · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the replies, y'all. Now I am struggling with just getting the Go2 or getting the Go2 and the SKY. Most of the time, I believe we'll use our hot spot. The Go2 will still pick up local WIFI signals, too, I think. The use of the SKY is just to pick up weak WIFI and re-transmit it, correct? The Go2 and the SKY are $500.00!!! So, do I need them both? Also, I have a JEFA Tech WIFI repeater www.jefatech.com/product/RV-KIT-REPEATER/Long-Range-WiFi-Repeater-Kit-for-RVs.html. I would think I could use that to boot weak WIFI for the Go2 to pick up, no?

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Call the Ranger folks.. or maybe one of the pro above can answer it..

But The ranger guys said the big sky is what they sell the most of.. as everything is wireless today. there is no need for anything more... for MOST people. I was going to buy the go2.. thats why I called. They talked me right out of it, saying it does nothing more for me... I got the impression the go2 is for connectivity to older type systems. After all, It's the Sky they are installing in the new RV's .. NOT the Go2...

Sorry, can't help on the tech.. All my stuff is wireless.. And if It wasn't, I would upgrade it to be wireless. Those wireless adapter can be really cheap..

Good luck.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wireless adapters need drivers, which do not exist for many devices that have Ethernet ports. Because of this you can't add a wireless adapter to most video receivers, DVD players, printers, etc., that use Ethernet. The routers we are talking about, the WiFiRanger ones, the Pepwave Surf SOHO and the Cradlepoint MBR95, all have Ethernet ports to hook to these devices.

A caution on hooking up many devices to the internet, they might use up your precious bandwidth if hooked up all the time. We have a Blu-ray DVD player that can be hooked up via Ethernet or Wifi. I hook it up via Ethernet periodically to update it, because I do not want it on my WiFi network eating up internet bandwidth with daily updates. I talked to someone with a smart TV and it was using GBs per month updating its service list and menus.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Go2 will give you router capability inside your RV as well - so if you need to connect multiple devices by wire inside, that might be a useful feature.

For us, we use both Sky and Go2. But our bus is metal, so this is essential for us. The Sky gives us passive longer range ability to pick up WiFi signals, and then retransmits to our Go2, which redirects the signal to our devices inside. For us, the signal would be degraded from the Sky directly to our devices due to the metal construction (which blocks signal)... and the Go2 would do no better than our laptops could as well. If you're not made of metal, that probably won't be a concern for you.

Additionally, we're able to tether our MiFi device directly to the Go2 to incorporate it into our options and failovers. We wouldn't be able to tether to the Sky as it doesn't have ports, and is.. umm.. on the roof.

When we're parked somewhere for any length of time and have access to WiFi - we use a directional antenna on a flagpole mast to increase our range.

Here's a post we just made that graphically illustrates our setup, and explains why we selected each component:

www.technomadia.com/2014/08/how-we-keep-online-illustrated-tour-of-our-rv-mobile-internet-setup/

- Cherie

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

The SKY is designed to be simple for OEMs to install. While it does do what is claimed above, the Mobile does the same (in combination with a Go2) and does it far better. The pair is a more flexible solution. IMO. I always recommend a Go2/Mobile unless there is a specific reason that it should not be used. The Sky will not perform at the same levels as the Mobile....but either should be sufficient inside most RV parks. For longer range capture the Mobile or a replacement for the Mobile should be used.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ok.. So no need for the go2 or anything else.. if you are completely wireless..

If you need to be "hardwired" .. I would need to get the go2.. I get it..

Not sure what tethered i.. but doubt I need it.. Just need it to roll over to the next system when the gb's are used up on the millicom and/or campground/ or hot spot on my phone... and The SKY will do that..

I don't need any hardwired ports at this point. I doubt I ever will. All 3 of our computers and laser printer, are wireless.

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

please note:

This post, including the pros and cons are just comments and points you may want to consider. As usual, YOUR mileage may vary.

The Junkman wrote:
Ok.. So no need for the go2 or anything else.. if you are completely wireless..

If you need to be "hardwired" .. I would need to get the go2.. I get it..

Not sure what tethered i.. but doubt I need it.. Just need it to roll over to the next system when the gb's are used up on the millicom and/or campground/ or hot spot on my phone... and The SKY will do that..

I don't need any hardwired ports at this point. I doubt I ever will. All 3 of our computers and laser printer, are wireless.

I have the go2 and the mobile and I just did a (pre-authorized) hardware repair on my mobile..

The Go2 is INDOORS and will let you tether your data modem/jetpack directly to the unit.

The SKY (as Bill Said) is OEM installed full time on the roof.

I used the instructions/examples from bill or jack, (don't remember off top of my head)

to build a antenna post on my ladder for my mobile.

I do like the reception that the mobile gives me.

I do however dislike the following about the Go2:

the fact it's wifi is G/N only, rather then G/N/AC wifi
the ethernet ports are 100 MB, and not 1GB ... BIG problem for me! (But only because I need to add a 1Gb hub)
(as a uber-techie), I dislike the fact I can't read the administrative logs, but can send them to the WiFi Ranger folks
It is EXTREMELY difficult to set up DHCP "preassignments", so printer is x.x.x.10, server is .15, etc (ignore this if you don't understand TCP/IP)

I love the following features of the Go2/mobile

1) Pretty easy to install/maintain, once you understand the concept and basic pages.

2) They can monitor the health of the unit if you have problems remotely, and even help with remote diagnosis on issues.

3) The Go2/Mobile combo is expressly designed to work together for operation and even fail-over.

Hope this helps

-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Thursday 30th of October 2014 12:34:09 PM

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mitch, if a 1 gig LAN is critical to you then you should be using a different router that will handle 1 gig. That router might also handle AC WLAN....depending on what you might buy.

You will, of course, be on your own to configure your CPE and manage it. But assuming comfort with networking that should not be a big deal for you. But I can tell you, even as a network guy, that it can be aggravating as all getout at times.

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jack Mayer wrote:
Mitch, if a 1 gig LAN is critical to you then you should be using a different router that will handle 1 gig. That router might also handle AC WLAN....depending on what you might buy.

You will, of course, be on your own to configure your CPE and manage it. But assuming comfort with networking that should not be a big deal for you. But I can tell you, even as a network guy, that it can be aggravating as all getout at times.

Well, all my computers/pc's/laptop run at 1GB/s, as well as my hubs, I just wished I could avoid the extra hub there.

As I said elsewhere, I am just going to run everything from the bedroom instead, oh well.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Pretty sure a 1 gb hub will be backward compatible to the 100baset. The port on the hub should recognize the system.. ???

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK:

Some points.

Yes, I know difference in Hubs. could even set up a cisco or HP switch VLAN's if I wanted..

Sorry, I was just pontificating.

I know the reason the WFR isn't supporting 1GB is that the Bullet and their HW isn't .. I can always upgrade that eventually.

Yes , the hubs and ethernet is extremely backward compatible. Years ago, I had a good friend (went to school with him), who wound up designing

(essentially) the 802.1 wired standard(originally AT&T's 1mHz StarLAN product), while we were both AT AT&T Labs...

He never ceases to get a kick out of how that beat out token ring, even though the token ring was faster initially.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

cheryls-other-half wrote:
OK:
Some points.
Yes, I know difference in Hubs. could even set up a cisco or HP switch VLAN's if I wanted..
Sorry, I was just pontificating.
I know the reason the WFR isn't supporting 1GB is that the Bullet and their HW isn't .. I can always upgrade that eventually.
Yes , the hubs and ethernet is extremely backward compatible. Years ago, I had a good friend (went to school with him), who wound up designing
(essentially) the 802.1 wired standard(originally AT&T's 1mHz StarLAN product), while we were both AT AT&T Labs...
He never ceases to get a kick out of how that beat out token ring, even though the token ring was faster initially.

It beat out token ring cause IBM wanted too much money for the shielded twisted pair system it ran on... Companies made alot of money on that stuff...

The att system was before my time.. I came in on the Token ring.. coax based ethernet, DEC systems, Fiber backbones, etc.. I like to think the cabling company I worked for helped things along.. I used to work for a distributor called Anixter.

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mitch snips...

The Junkman wrote:
cheryls-other-half wrote:
hubs and ethernet is extremely backward compatible. Years ago, I had a good friend (went to school with him), who wound up designing
(essentially) the 802.1 wired standard(originally AT&T's 1mHz StarLAN product), while we were both AT AT&T Labs...
He never ceases to get a kick out of how that beat out token ring, even though the token ring was faster initially.

It beat out token ring cause IBM wanted too much money for the shielded twisted pair system it ran on... Companies made alot of money on that stuff...
The att system was before my time.. I came in on the Token ring.. coax based ethernet, DEC systems, Fiber backbones, etc.. I like to think the cabling company I worked for helped things along.. I used to work for a distributor called Anixter.

Hey. Been there, done that. Used them on projects.

In my life, I've been (to paraphrase Frank Sinatra), A Poet, an administrator, a candlemaker and some, a Balloon decorator, Unix Guru, Email administrator, and Salesman, as well.

A Customer, a Project Manager, a WAN designer and then... (a Cat Herder... ask me another time...)

each time, I walk back to that place, (warm and comfy.. [and icky] windows...)

sigh

the more things change, the more they remain the same.