Discuss the WiFi Ranger | Page 2 | High Speed Internet Connections for Travelers | Forums

The WiFi Ranger updates their firmware occasionally.  I have not seen an update recently. 

We are currently using our Ranger as a router for wired DSL here at Paradise Island.  Before we got the DSL hooked up, the Ranger was working quite well with the WiFi here.  That has not always been our experience.  No two hotspots are the same.  So much depends on your proximity and orientation to the access points and the Internet connection the park uses.

There are new products on the WiFi Ranger website that we have not used or tested.

The Ranger does not have a connection for an external antenna.  They use a bridge device called WFRBoost.

The antenna we have mounted on our ladder is part of the Rogue Wave RV system.  The radio attaches directly to the antenna with an Ethernet cable coming into the rig, either directly to a computer, or as input to a wireless router.  I disconnect the radio and cable and store them inside when we move.  I also reposition the antenna when we travel.  Very easy, and nothing sticking up to snag low branches, etc.

I prefer un-obstructed, line of site to my router.  So it is in the open.  We Geeks love colorful blinking lights all year.  You might be fine with a router in a cabinet in the back of the rig, but you won't get as good a signal in the front.

WiFi *can* be the best connection while traveling.  Use good WiFi where you find it to do your large filesize operations.  Relying solely on WiFi in RV parks will quickly frustrate you.  

Depending on how much you need or rely on the Internet, you need a backup plan.  Millenicom has some good reviews for cellular data.  They use the Verizon network and offer more data than most carriers for a resonable price.

I understand your confusion. With so many changes and additions, it is hard to keep up.

The Rogue Wave is a WiFi bridge.  It converts WiFi to Ethernet for use directly into a computer or as input for a router.  It is excellent for long range connectivity to a WiFi hotspot.  I mentioned it because you asked about the antenna on our ladder.

The WiFi Ranger is a hybrid device.  It is a WiFi router and 4 port switch.  It can accept Internet input via a DSL, cable, or satellite modem.  It will also accept a USB Cellular modem and it can use external WiFi as input.  A bridge device such as the Rogue Wave can also be an input for longer distances using WiFi.

Cradlepoint and Pepwave have devices with similar functionality.  Some have 12V inputs.  An inverter will do the trick for any of them.

A MiFi or a cellular mobile hotspot is best device for use traveling down the road.  Cellular is the only Internet technology available in motion for consumers.  You can typically connect up to 5 devices at a time with 3G devices and sometimes more with 4G.