MattHelm21
08-21-2018, 04:07 PM
To set the stage, we stay once a year at a campground which has good WiFi coverage but almost no internet bandwidth so it is almost impossible to get online. Also, cell service is intermittent at best with data rarely better than 1xrtt(we are Verizon customers) and voice drops out regularly. We considered WiFi bridges like the WiFiRanger or the Winegard ConnecT. WiFiRanger is WiFi only and we went with a Core Router several years ago. We looked into upgrading to the Winegard product because it can incorporate 4G/LTE but it was missing a solution for voice which we require for possible family emergencies. All this lead us to the Weboost solution. The choice came down to the Connect RV 65 or the Drive 4G-X RV. The Connect has the highest gain directional antenna which cannot be raised while traveling and must be set up at every campsite while the Drive uses a slightly lower gain fixed omnidirectional antenna which technically can function while traveling and requires no setup at the campsite once installed. Since we didn’t want the added setup at every campsite, we opted for the Drive.
Upside, it boosts both voice and data cell service for all carriers. Downside, it doesn’t provide a WiFi bridge mode and does require you use data from your cell data plan. We decided we could accomplish this with the hotspot mode on one of our iPhones or iPads. Before our trip, I mounted the external antenna on the ladder above the roofline and mounted the booster just inside the street slideout. I ran the inside antenna and cable from the kitchen counter to the booster. I went with a temporary installation by pushing the cable from the roof antenna through the slideout gasket and connected to the booster inside once we leveled.
I was pleasantly surprised upon powering up the booster to find that I had 2 bars of 4G/LTE and I immediately set up my iPad as a hotspot and tried a speed test to find I had 20Mbps down a and 1.8Mbps up where I was unable to get any useable test prior. Voice calls were solid and the only dropouts occurred when calling phones not near our camper in the same campsite. There are several must haves in the installation manual for there to be at least potential success. One, the roof antenna and the inside antenna must be as far away from one another as possible. This was easy in our trailer and in fact, the pre-measured 20 foot RG6 cable from the roof to the booster is just barely long enough to reach the slideout and I need to find out if I can use a longer one for permanent installation. Second, there has to be some wireless signal outside as the system can’t boost something from nothing. Third, the “soft installation” is recommended before drilling any holes ostensibly in case the system does not work out, you aren’t left with the damage to your RV.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this product if you want a solution for boosting voice and data cell service, can use your cell data plan either on your phone(s)/mobile devices or by creating a hotspot for other WiFi devices, and your ok with the cost factor of the product itself. We waited and caught an Amazon lightning deal at $152 off which made it very palatable.
Upside, it boosts both voice and data cell service for all carriers. Downside, it doesn’t provide a WiFi bridge mode and does require you use data from your cell data plan. We decided we could accomplish this with the hotspot mode on one of our iPhones or iPads. Before our trip, I mounted the external antenna on the ladder above the roofline and mounted the booster just inside the street slideout. I ran the inside antenna and cable from the kitchen counter to the booster. I went with a temporary installation by pushing the cable from the roof antenna through the slideout gasket and connected to the booster inside once we leveled.
I was pleasantly surprised upon powering up the booster to find that I had 2 bars of 4G/LTE and I immediately set up my iPad as a hotspot and tried a speed test to find I had 20Mbps down a and 1.8Mbps up where I was unable to get any useable test prior. Voice calls were solid and the only dropouts occurred when calling phones not near our camper in the same campsite. There are several must haves in the installation manual for there to be at least potential success. One, the roof antenna and the inside antenna must be as far away from one another as possible. This was easy in our trailer and in fact, the pre-measured 20 foot RG6 cable from the roof to the booster is just barely long enough to reach the slideout and I need to find out if I can use a longer one for permanent installation. Second, there has to be some wireless signal outside as the system can’t boost something from nothing. Third, the “soft installation” is recommended before drilling any holes ostensibly in case the system does not work out, you aren’t left with the damage to your RV.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this product if you want a solution for boosting voice and data cell service, can use your cell data plan either on your phone(s)/mobile devices or by creating a hotspot for other WiFi devices, and your ok with the cost factor of the product itself. We waited and caught an Amazon lightning deal at $152 off which made it very palatable.