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Old 03-31-2016, 08:04 PM   #41
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There are differences between a repeater and a repeater bridge.

With a Repeater:
A) DHCP & NAT enabled
B) Clients on different subnet from primary router.
C) Computers connected to one router cannot see computers connected to other routers in Windows Network.

With a Repeater Bridge:
A) Wireless Repeater capabilities with DHCP & NAT disabled.
B) Clients on the same subnet as primary router.
C) All computers can see one another in Windows Network.

So, if you want your own LAN behind it, you'd need repeater mode, not repeater bridge mode. Luckily, DD-WRT supports both.
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Old 04-27-2016, 08:33 AM   #42
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After exploring I decided to try this SolidRF Booster that was by far the least expensive 4G model that I could find. In our rural area our Verizon LTE signal strength is usually 1-2 bars on our phones. With the booster we show 4 bars. The booster itself seems very well made, and the real bonus has been the helpful vendor (UCloud). I asked some questions about adapters and cables to work with various external antennas and the vendor offered to start handling an external omni-direction antenna that he thought would be appropriate for mounting on the roof of a fiberglass trailer. Omni-Antenna He offered to find and enclose the necessary adapters and cables in exchange for me letting him know how well the antenna works.
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Old 04-27-2016, 10:40 PM   #43
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The SolidRF unit at $199 on Amazon looks like a safe bet- and about half the price of a Wilson 4G-X. Interesting to see that at Ubersignal.com it said: "The manufacturer is currently undergoing a patent challenge, so we've stopped offering this product for the time being." Could that be Wilson- aka We Boost?

I prefer this type of booster vs. the cradle as it is more versatile and supports more than just one device at a time.

Not sure about the antenna though- would test it before drilling/mounting. It is a 3DB gain, whereas both the Wilson mag-mount and trucker antennas are 5 at the 824-894 MHz most of us would be using with either Verizon or AT&T.
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Old 04-27-2016, 11:09 PM   #44
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After exploring I decided to try this SolidRF Booster that was by far the least expensive 4G model that I could find. In our rural area our Verizon LTE signal strength is usually 1-2 bars on our phones. With the booster we show 4 bars. The booster itself seems very well made, and the real bonus has been the helpful vendor (UCloud). I asked some questions about adapters and cables to work with various external antennas and the vendor offered to start handling an external omni-direction antenna that he thought would be appropriate for mounting on the roof of a fiberglass trailer. Omni-Antenna He offered to find and enclose the necessary adapters and cables in exchange for me letting him know how well the antenna works.
Thanks for the detailed recommendation, Eric. We're picking up our 5.0TA on 3 May, using it as extra guest housing for the summer, but then traveling, and we'll want this or similar. Looking forward to further comments and experience reports before we pull the trigger.
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Old 04-28-2016, 09:00 AM   #45
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Rossue, I read that about the patent suit, but I figured that it would not matter to me as the consumer. It would be interesting to know if it is Wilson suing them.

I had ordered one of the Wilson antennas, but then the SolidRF vendor explained that the one I bought was not rated as 4G compatible so I returned it. I then managed to confused myself by reading too much about cell frequencies. It appears (and I could surely be incorrect) that some of the Canadian wireless companies use frequency bands for 4G that are not within the rated response of the Wilson antennas. The SolidRF booster is 5 band and the vendor encouraged me to try a 5 band antenna (maybe because it is what he could sell? ) I like the compact design of the antenna he found and with the bottom flange looks like it could easily be well sealed on the roof. It will be interesting to see how well it does with pulling in signals. He has been very helpful and since I bought it through Amazon I can return it.
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Old 04-28-2016, 09:31 AM   #46
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My experience using amplifiers is that 4G & especially LTE are mostly confined to more urban areas, where is many cases you don't need an amplifier. Out in the countryside it is mostly 2G with some 3G.

The Solid antenna looks great, but don't let the form be the overriding factor. Getting the best reach you can with the amp/antenna is appreciated when you can at least get a text message out when others don't have squat.

That mini mag-mount that they, along with Wilson show as the stock one included with their kits are better for data. In more urban areas this antenna is desirable, however going out in the more remote areas and especially campgrounds...such as many in the Moab area for example one will get better overall performance with a coil omni-directional or trucker antenna.
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Old 04-28-2016, 09:41 AM   #47
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Rossue, thanks for any and all advice. I understand electromagnetic spectrums, but have no real knowledge of cell frequencies, antennas, etc. That would be in my brother, the ham radio guy, sphere of knowledge.

Curiously in the places we have been in the Midwest, we almost always "see" a 4G but it will drop back to 3G, then 2G and sometimes go away completely. It's kind of game for Mary and I to sit there with my iPhone 5s and her 6 to see who is getting what signal as we try to set one up as a wifi hotspot. I was thinking that as more and more towers are converted to 4G that is might be a positive to get those signals?

I had thought the mag antennas needed the conductive roof of the vehicle as a ground, but the vendor said it would still work on the fiberglass roof, just would not stick? Is that correct?

Leon and I will experiment in my favorite campsite in Northern WI this year as he will have the Wilson and I'll try this omni one. It is one of the places with a signal that drifts in and out like a ghost.
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Old 04-28-2016, 01:44 PM   #48
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There seems to be some confusion here between the generations of wireless communications (2G, 3G, 4G), the protocols used (GSM, HSPA, LTE), and the radio frequencies (from around 700 MHz to around 1.7 GHz). The cell or mobile network amplifiers are pretty crude things - just repeaters, not digital traffic routers or bridges - so they should only care about frequency. Published lists of what is covered will generally make assumptions about what protocol is used to deliver what generation of service on what frequency, so "works for 4G" probably means some specific frequency band... which might not even be correct everywhere in the U.S., let alone in the Canadian market which is almost completely ignored by the manufacturers and distributors of this gear.

If the equipment specifications don't list frequencies, I don't think you know what it will work for.

I'm looking forward to the use of the 700 MHz band (which was freed up by the discontinuation of UHF TV channels 52 through 69) for wireless phone/data networks in rural areas, where it will work much better than the too-high frequencies currently used.
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Old 04-28-2016, 02:04 PM   #49
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Thanks Brian. Part of what you say is what confused me looking at the Wilson antenna. On a wikipedia page it listed frequencies used by major carriers in the US and Canada, and it looked to me as if the Wilson one was not designed for some of the Canadian frequencies. I have Verizon, and apparently Verizon partners with many different Canadian providers. Thus I'm been looking for antenna that list the widest frequency range, like the one I have on order.

I wish I paid more attention to the antenna lectures my ham brother inflicted on me as a kid......
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Old 04-28-2016, 03:06 PM   #50
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I just noticed the vendor now has these on Amazon.ca for $199 C$ - even a better bargain that it is on US Amazon, but only lists 2 in stock SolidRF Cell Booster
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Old 04-28-2016, 03:57 PM   #51
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We just purchased a Wilson cradle booster 815226F. It's only available to Canadians, because it's too powerful under new FCC regulations. However, you ARE allowed to bring to the U.S.! Supplies are limited, I guess.

We hope to use it as a hotspot for a second phone so we can both browse at the same time. I've heard that this is possible, but have yet to confirm it.

We also thought it would be a good idea to have it, to improve cell coverage in case of emergencies on those lonely highways.

We actually bought it through amazon.ca for about $100 CDN, and it arrived in about 3 days.
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:11 AM   #52
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You may want to look into the wifi system described by this guy:

Private RV Wi-Fi and Making a Better Park Connection for Under $100 | Outside Our Bubble

I had most of the parts for this already for a ham radio project, so I set it up in my basement and got it working, and was able to access it with my laptop, iPad and iPhone.

My local ham radio club set up a similar system at the club house to access the local library wifi system which is 300 meters away. It works well. Instead of an airgateway described in the web site, we just use an old router for that system.

Is this web guru stuff? For sure. But I followed the instructions given in the above web site to the letter and I had no problem getting my system working. Ubiquiti wifi gear is excellent, and there seems to be a lot of used gear on the secondary market. Keep in mind that usefulness will always depend on having line-of-site view of an internet access point with minimum of obstacles such as foliage.

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PS: this is my first post. My Escape 19 Build sheet is due in January so I've been lurking and researching diligently. There is lots of great info on this forum.
Followup to my message of Nov 11th last year.

I now have my new Escape 19 and Im touring BC after the Escape lovefest in Osoyoos. In 3 different RV parks, in Camperland, at Osoyoos Nk'MIP, and now in Revelstoke I had no luck with wifi reception.

Yesterday, frustrated that I can only get free wifi at the park office, I set up my wifi repeater system that I put together last summer. It took a bit of data mining on my iphone to figure out what password I used (okay about an hour of searching), but I crossed that hurtle, reread the setup instructions, punched in the local free wifi system name and password and the router came to life.

My laptop, ipad and iphone now have wifi access to the park wifi system which is about 100 meters away and too weak to receive otherwise.

Here's the setup: Ubiquiti Nanostation M2 ($40 on the used market), POE (device used to supply the power (about $25), and an Ubiquiti "Airgate" (about $40 on ebay) which is really just a router that mates up with the POE device.

Here are some pictures of my setup:




The system is plugged in to the 110v outlet thats there for a future TV. The cable to the Nanostation is regular old ethernet cable bought at the Dollar store.


So far its working great even inside my new escape 19. Dont try this inside an Airstream...
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:13 AM   #53
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Followup to my message of Nov 11th last year.

I now have my new Escape 19 and Im touring BC after the Escape lovefest in Osoyoos. In 3 different RV parks, in Camperland, at Osoyoos Nk'MIP, and now in Revelstoke I had no luck with wifi reception.

Yesterday, frustrated that I can only get free wifi at the park office, I set up my wifi repeater system that I put together last summer. It took a bit of data mining on my iphone to figure out what password I used (okay about an hour of searching), but I crossed that hurtle, reread the setup instructions, punched in the local free wifi system name and password and the router came to life.

My laptop, ipad and iphone now have wifi access to the park wifi system which is about 100 meters away and too weak to receive otherwise.

Here's the setup: Ubiquiti Nanostation M2 ($40 on the used market), POE (device used to supply the power (about $25), and an Ubiquiti "Airgate" (about $40 on ebay) which is really just a router that mates up with the POE device.

Here are some pictures of my setup:




The system is plugged in to the 110v outlet thats there for a future TV. The cable to the Nanostation is regular old ethernet cable bought at the Dollar store.


So far its working great even inside my new escape 19. Dont try this inside an Airstream...
Here are links to the pictures if you cant see them in my earlier post:
https://redtaco99.smugmug.com/Escape...er/i-xrGLRGG/O

and

https://redtaco99.smugmug.com/Escape...er/i-TWHKx2P/O
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:34 AM   #54
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Followup to my message of Nov 11th last year.



I now have my new Escape 19 and Im touring BC after the Escape lovefest in Osoyoos. In 3 different RV parks, in Camperland, at Osoyoos Nk'MIP, and now in Revelstoke I had no luck with wifi reception.



Yesterday, frustrated that I can only get free wifi at the park office, I set up my wifi repeater system that I put together last summer. It took a bit of data mining on my iphone to figure out what password I used (okay about an hour of searching), but I crossed that hurtle, reread the setup instructions, punched in the local free wifi system name and password and the router came to life.



My laptop, ipad and iphone now have wifi access to the park wifi system which is about 100 meters away and too weak to receive otherwise.



Here's the setup: Ubiquiti Nanostation M2 ($40 on the used market), POE (device used to supply the power (about $25), and an Ubiquiti "Airgate" (about $40 on ebay) which is really just a router that mates up with the POE device.



Here are some pictures of my setup:









The system is plugged in to the 110v outlet thats there for a future TV. The cable to the Nanostation is regular old ethernet cable bought at the Dollar store.





So far its working great even inside my new escape 19. Dont try this inside an Airstream...


Thanks for the report Jim. Glad it's working for you! I went with a similar setup. I am using a ubiquiti bullet with a omni antenna mounted outside, but I have yet to test it out in the road.
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Old 06-04-2016, 10:31 AM   #55
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Hi...

I'll be working from our Escape for a few months a year, so Internet connectivity is critical for me. I purchased the Wifi Ranger Elite, but unfortunately haven't had a chance to really test it yet. I bought it based on feedback here and other research that convinced me it was the best option.

I also purchased the WeBoost 4GX and have been able to test that. I have been very pleased with its performance. In addition to that, I purchased the marine antenna and an additional interior antenna. I plan to move the WeBoost unit itself to/from the car (I work in the car while my partner drives).

We are getting a solar panel and wanted the flexibility to easily integrate a portable panel if needed... so ETI is moving the solar controller to under the D/S dinette bench and putting a small hatch (same as used for electrical cord hookup access) so we can easily plug a portable solar panel from outside into the controller. The plan is to use this same hatch for feeding either the Wifi Ranger or WeBoost exterior antenna cable to under the D/S bench. We had some additional 12 and 120 volt outlets placed on the D/S bench so we can power the Wifi Ranger or WeBoost.

We purchased an antenna mast (CP-45... got the idea from someone else on this forum) from Ham Radio Outlet. We'll somehow attach the appropriate antenna (WeBoost or Wifi Ranger, depending on what will work best at the campsite) to the mast and feed the cable from that through the hatch, as described previously.

Hopefully this will all work out well... we don't pick up our 19' until January, so haven't had real-life experience with this setup yet.

Good luck!
I called Wilson for info on which product to purchase for my 17B and was told the Weboost 470201 Rv 4g would be best. Has anyone used this model? If not is there a reason to choose a different model over this one? It comes with a directional antenna (box antenna) that mounts with suction cup holder to back of camper or side, which ever has best reception. I didn't want to put a hole in the camper so this would enable you to put up as needed and take down when ready to leave. I am really getting somewhat confused as to what I should purchase. Thanks for any input.
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Old 06-04-2016, 10:42 AM   #56
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We bought the 4S before our trip to Alaska primarily for cell phone use. It was great. It exceeded our expectations. For those long stretches of weak coverage it would routinely boost a flickering maybe 1 signal into a very usable 2 or 3. The little magnetic mount antenna is still on top of the truck cab and locally its handy to have a charging cradle for the phone to use hands free.

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Old 06-04-2016, 10:45 AM   #57
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I called Wilson for info on which product to purchase for my 17B and was told the Weboost 470201 Rv 4g would be best. Has anyone used this model? If not is there a reason to choose a different model over this one? It comes with a directional antenna (box antenna) that mounts with suction cup holder to back of camper or side, which ever has best reception. I didn't want to put a hole in the camper so this would enable you to put up as needed and take down when ready to leave. I am really getting somewhat confused as to what I should purchase. Thanks for any input.


Yes, I agree these booster products can be very confusing. I think you will be fine with the RV booster kit. I chose to go with the Wilson 4G-M so that I can also use it in my truck when we are traveling. The most important decision, in addition to booster strength, is which receiving antenna to get.
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:16 PM   #58
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The most important decision, in addition to booster strength, is which receiving antenna to get.
Agreed. I currently have a Wilson directional antenna that I use with my Wilson cradle cellphone amp. But I'm considering replacing it with an omnidirectional antenna, which I think would work better most of the time. It would certainly be more convenient, as I wouldn't have to determine the location of a cell tower in order to point the antenna. I'd lose the gain provided by the directional antenna, but I could keep it as a spare in case I'm really in a jam.
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:32 PM   #59
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Has anyone tried this one?
Amazon.com: BoatAnt™ Marine Fully Enclosed Antenna for Amplifiers Boosters Repeaters Modems Hotspots Routers (BTA-50-OHM): Cell Phones & Accessories
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Old 06-04-2016, 12:55 PM   #60
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It comes with a directional antenna (box antenna) that mounts with suction cup holder to back of camper or side, which ever has best reception.

A fire side chat I had with someone, they loved the idea of going above the 12' sea of 5ers, toyhaulers and diesel pushers. A flagpole mount would have been his recommendation.

Take that with a grain of salt, as I don't think he ever parked anywhere but a resort.
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