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Old 06-15-2021, 07:52 AM   #1
Frenchy750
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Winegard Gateway?

My Raptor 352 came pre wired for the Winegard gateway. We have the Air 360+ on the roof, just need the router to complete the package.

I am not interested in 4G connectivity, just improved wi-fi reception in campgrounds. I have used the King Wi-Fi extender with mixed results.

Is the Winegard gateway worth the $279 investment?

Or is it possible to use the Wi-Fi antenna on the Air 360 with the King extender?
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Old 06-15-2021, 08:11 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frenchy750 View Post
My Raptor 352 came pre wired for the Winegard gateway. We have the Air 360+ on the roof, just need the router to complete the package.

I am not interested in 4G connectivity, just improved wi-fi reception in campgrounds. I have used the King Wi-Fi extender with mixed results.

Is the Winegard gateway worth the $279 investment?

Or is it possible to use the Wi-Fi antenna on the Air 360 with the King extender?
The wi-fi extender will be a disappointment to you.. the 4G LTE works beautifully. In my experience so far, the wi-fi is only as good as the wi-fi at the campground... if they're delivering 300 Mbps and you're not sharing it with anyone, you're golden... otherwise the 4G is better..
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Old 06-26-2021, 07:38 PM   #3
Frenchy750
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You weren’t kidding.

As a Wi-Fi strengthening source, this thing is horrible.

What a joke.
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Old 06-26-2021, 08:05 PM   #4
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You weren’t kidding.

As a Wi-Fi strengthening source, this thing is horrible.

What a joke.
I never read that would strengthen the signal.... pickup what's being broadcast from further away.... yes.. strengthen... nope
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Old 06-27-2021, 03:07 AM   #5
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The wi-fi extender will be a disappointment to you.. the 4G LTE works beautifully. In my experience so far, the wi-fi is only as good as the wi-fi at the campground... if they're delivering 300 Mbps and you're not sharing it with anyone, you're golden... otherwise the 4G is better..
Can this be used as a cell booster? I don't want to pay for another data plan just want better cell signal in the 5er.
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Old 06-27-2021, 04:44 AM   #6
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This is long, but summarizes our use and think it works as expected and wouldn't leave home without it activated and/or some equivalent. If your signal at a laptop inside your unit is better than the gateway signal, I suspect there is a disconnect to the antenna.



Garbage in garbage out....


I have the Gateway and depend on it. (I need connectivity and this spring moved every 2-3 days for 5 weeks).



1. It will only pick up a wireless (campground wireless router) signal that has some decent signal strength. Its our experience that our gateway will be able to pickup and utilize a signal that would be continuously hamper my laptop inside.
2. Provide you with an internal secure network for all your devices.
3. Allow multiple connections where a site may restrict them. Example some campgrounds use 3rd parties that only allow 2 devices connected. The winegard looks like one device to the outside.

4. When the wireless signal or the bandwidth is garbage or it is non-existent - that is when I switch it to cellular. - this is just like a cell phone, so if there is no signal you will not have connectivity.
5. Create an internal network to connect devices to communicate. (example, use your phone service to stream content via the network so that you don't use other bandwidth, connect a printer [no I don't have one...] but it is an example)





In a grand total of 7 weeks of travel using this there has been only one time I had to go sit outside my trailer at some local hotspot to finish something up. But again all of this is location dependent. (no cell or wireless router signal...no connectivity)



Our cell plan has unlimited data/minutes....but NO data streaming (read no hot spot without another plan). On our two long trips I've used the Wineguard plan as there is no contract and $59/10GB for 30 days. I activate it on the first occurrence that I need cellular, leave it on auto-renewal until our last stop and use campground/harvest host wireless as my primary. I've never been charged more than $59.



You can use your own plan/sim card and they have announced a new T-Mobile partnership. I will investigate this sometime this year. But the "freedom go" (winegard plan) has been enough. I've used it for 2-3 hours of software development as well as streaming that hockey game that I didn't want to miss (at a no cable/no wireless router site).


The only "downside" is that we are constantly disconnecting our phones from the network and/or 'forgetting' the network. As they connect to it when the unit is parked in our driveway and/or we are towing.
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Old 06-27-2021, 04:47 AM   #7
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Can this be used as a cell booster? I don't want to pay for another data plan just want better cell signal in the 5er.

It will do neither. If you rely on the cellular and outside your trailer your cellular does have a signal, this will not help you. (assuming equal provider connectivity). It is really meant only to provide data connectivity when there is either a wireless router and/or cell signal.
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Old 06-27-2021, 06:47 AM   #8
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Can this be used as a cell booster? I don't want to pay for another data plan just want better cell signal in the 5er.
The Winegard Gateway is not a cell phone signal booster...

The Winegard Gateway is not a WIFI signal booster...

The Winegard Gateway is a WIFI antenna and a 4G LTE antenna that is mounted on top of your 5th Wheel or travel trailer it is not a BOOSTER...

Because it is a REAL antenna and not a tiny piece of wire inside your cell phone, tablet or computer and is eight to ten feet higher than the device in your hand or on the table in the trailer and not surrounded by wires, aluminum studs and Filon; it will improve signal reception.

The Winegard Gateway is also a 4G LTE Hotspot if there is a 4G LTE cell signal....

The Winegard Gateway also is a decent Router with good security. It will provide you a secure connection to either WIFI or 4G LTE WIFI for multiple devices with speeds determined by the available 4G LTE signal or available WIFI signal bandwidth.

The Winegard Gateway will not BOOST the signal... it will however nearly always be better connectivity than from any unit handheld at ground level or mounted inside the trailer.

Look at it this way..... if you got one bar on the cell in your hand... the Winegard probably has two or more...

It is a reasonable method of connecting to the internet or connecting between devices on the secure network that it provides....

My service is AT&T.... on my plan it costs me $25 a month for 15 gigs unregulated and unlimited that MIGHT be slowed if the tower is congested.
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Old 06-27-2021, 07:51 AM   #9
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That’s what I thought about the Gateway. Not a ‘booster’ (wrong term) but a better antenna mounted higher that should improve campground wifi reception.

But speed tests using the Gateway vs. connecting direct to a campground wifi are a different story. Speeds connected directly are MUCH faster, even with a ‘weaker’ connection direct to my phone or ipad.

I do not need 4g connectivity at the moment, but the above advice about purchasing from Winegard should the need arise ia very helpful.

This is my very first time using the Gateway, I am sure things improve as I learn more.

Thank you for your helpful and detailed response.
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Old 06-27-2021, 08:04 AM   #10
Javi
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Originally Posted by Frenchy750 View Post
That’s what I thought about the Gateway. Not a ‘booster’ (wrong term) but a better antenna mounted higher that should improve campground wifi reception.

But speed tests using the Gateway vs. connecting direct to a campground wifi are a different story. Speeds connected directly are MUCH faster, even with a ‘weaker’ connection direct to my phone or ipad.

I do not need 4g connectivity at the moment, but the above advice about purchasing from Winegard should the need arise is very helpful.

This is my very first time using the Gateway, I am sure things improve as I learn more.

Thank you for your helpful and detailed response.
The reason for the speed differential is easily explained... if you are receiving a
wifi signal with say, 144 Mbps with say 8 MBps the router is going to split that signal but generally speaking while slower it will be more consistent...
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Old 06-29-2021, 08:38 AM   #11
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To add to what's been said the Winegard wifi repeater is only as good as the campground's wifi signal to it. My experience has been that if drops often and if your campground uses a "capitive" wireless network then signing back into it each time can be irritating. That being said it is great as a 4G router which is all I really use if for assuming I can reach the carrier where I'm camping.
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Old 07-25-2023, 06:03 AM   #12
jtjohnston1970
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Originally Posted by Frenchy750 View Post
My Raptor 352 came pre wired for the Winegard gateway. We have the Air 360+ on the roof, just need the router to complete the package.

I am not interested in 4G connectivity, just improved wi-fi reception in campgrounds. I have used the King Wi-Fi extender with mixed results.

Is the Winegard gateway worth the $279 investment?

Or is it possible to use the Wi-Fi antenna on the Air 360 with the King extender?

Where does the gateway go? There is a pre wired spot, correct? I am about to pick up my new 352
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Old 07-25-2023, 07:18 AM   #13
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We've had it in our camper since we purchased the rig...when we *were* (note the past tense) using it it was inconsistent, mostly due to signal quality (either cell or campground wifi), but ours would occasionally disconnect for no good reason. We ended up getting Starlink Roam and calling it a day since we often go for long'ish stretches, and need to be able to work reliably, attend meetings and calls...zero issues since installing starlink and now the Winegard sits there on the ceiling, not even plugged into power at this point.
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Old 07-25-2023, 07:48 AM   #14
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We've had it in our camper since we purchased the rig...when we *were* (note the past tense) using it it was inconsistent, mostly due to signal quality (either cell or campground wifi), but ours would occasionally disconnect for no good reason. We ended up getting Starlink Roam and calling it a day since we often go for long'ish stretches, and need to be able to work reliably, attend meetings and calls...zero issues since installing starlink and now the Winegard sits there on the ceiling, not even plugged into power at this point.
The Keystone website says there is a pre mounted plate that the router just snaps into - where is that located?
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Old 07-25-2023, 07:52 AM   #15
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The Keystone website says there is a pre mounted plate that the router just snaps into - where is that located?
Ours was in the living room on the ceiling almost directly below where the 360 antenna is on the roof...there was a little round plate that had a wifi symbol on it that when removed had the wiring bundle (12v power lead and the two antenna leads) for the gateway. I had to install the gateway mount around the hole Keystone cut, attach the cables, then the gateway slid on the mount.
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