What do you think of WIFI/Cellular antenna on the room of RV?

[JohnnyDanger]

What do you think of WIFI/Cellular antenna on the room of RV?

Does anyone know why GrechRV has removed the WIFI/Cellular antenna for 2024?

Is it problematic or a supply chain issue, etc...?

Thanks.

 

[avanti]

It depends entirely on what you intend to use for Internet access in the van, and what kind of performance to which you aspire. Your options range from crappy WeBoost cellular repeaters for use with your cell phone all the way up to state-of-the-art 5G cellular modems. The former will come with its own antenna. The latter will benefit dramatically from a 4x4 MiMo cellular antenna with support of 5G bands. Such an antenna will also likely have a 2x2 WiFi antenna, which you might want if you use campground WiFi.

I have a Peplink Max Pro 5G modem/router:
https://www.peplink.com/products/mobile-routers/max-br1-pro-5g/
which is well-matched to the Peplink 42G antenna:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097P5ZHSC

This is pretty much as good as you can get for a reasonable amount of money, and is quite future-proof.

I doubt that whatever antenna GrechRV deleted is any great loss.

 

[JohnnyDanger]

It depends entirely on what you intend to use for Internet access in the van, and what kind of performance to which you aspire. Your options range from crappy WeBoost cellular repeaters for use with your cell phone all the way up to state-of-the-art 5G cellular modems. The former will come with its own antenna. The latter will benefit dramatically from a 4x4 MiMo cellular antenna with support of 5G bands. Such an antenna will also likely have a 2x2 WiFi antenna, which you might want if you use campground WiFi.

I have a Peplink Max Pro 5G modem/router:
https://www.peplink.com/products/mobile-routers/max-br1-pro-5g/
which is well-matched to the Peplink 42G antenna:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097P5ZHSC

This is pretty much as good as you can get for a reasonable amount of money, and is quite future-proof.

I doubt that whatever antenna GrechRV deleted is any great loss.

Well it went from having something to having nothing. Even if it was bottom of the line, at least it was something.

So there is no advantage to the end user to having GrechRV delete the wifi/cellular antenna on the roof for 2024?

This was just because they could not find supply or wanted to save money,etc..?

 

[Bud-ClassB]

Well it went from having something to having nothing. Even if it was bottom of the line, at least it was something.

So there is no advantage to the end user to having GrechRV delete the wifi/cellular antenna on the roof for 2024?

This was just because they could not find supply or wanted to save money,etc..?

I'm guessing that there is no one here that knows the answer. I agree with avanti's response. Also the technology has continued to change rapidly as to what's best. I supposed one answer is that Grech RV decided to let the customer choose what's best, was best.

Bud

 

[Punkinhead-ClassB]

Well it went from having something to having nothing. Even if it was bottom of the line, at least it was something.

So there is no advantage to the end user to having GrechRV delete the wifi/cellular antenna on the roof for 2024?

This was just because they could not find supply or wanted to save money,etc..?

I don't know what Grech was using but most cell boosters are NOT better than nothing at all. I went down quite the rabbit hole last year looking at options to improve cell signals and in most situations the cheap boosters and repeaters make things worse, not better.

 

[Anachr0n]

Well it went from having something to having nothing. Even if it was bottom of the line, at least it was something.

So there is no advantage to the end user to having GrechRV delete the wifi/cellular antenna on the roof for 2024?

This was just because they could not find supply or wanted to save money,etc..?

It might not be cheapness, but rather because people are finicky about the tech they want.

I always go back to the racing bike analogy. People joke about paying $5,000 + for a high end bike that doesn’t even include pedals. That’s because each person likes their kind but of pedal. So the bike shops without.

Why bump up the price of an RV with a system that few people actually want.

 

[booster]

It might not be cheapness, but rather because people are finicky about the tech they want.

I always go back to the racing bike analogy. People joke about paying $5,000 + for a high end bike that doesn’t even include pedals. That’s because each person likes their kind but of pedal. So the bike shops without.

Why bump up the price of an RV with a system that few people actually want.

Bikes should probably not come with seat either as they are also very user variable, at least for me.


I think the antenna thing may be because the results from adding antennae or booster is so variable based on many unknown things, I think.


We got a little Nighthawk about 3.5" square booster, wifi router a couple of years ago, along with a small antenna that is maybe 5" square that suction cups to a window. Works very well, but decided to try to get a bit batter by getting a quite expensive directional antenna for it and a long cord to put it outside the van. We tested it last year when we were on the Skyline and Blue Ridge parkways where reception is very spotty and the small antenna blew away the larger, very much more expensive one. Go figger.


Too many complaints so the just eliminated the antenna maybe?

 

[engnrsrule]

My modest solution

Is a network connection a must have or nice to have? For me its just nice to have. Not essential for work or income stream.

I put a system on last year combining an older $12 used jetpack, a king router, and external roof antenna and a verizon data plan.

The antenna was $80 on amazon, but now lists for $168. It has 2 MIMO and 2 Wifi antennas plus gps. My jetpack has MIMO ports, and the router has one wifi port. The only change i plan to make is to go to a 4G/5G with ports and cat5 connection to the router, like the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro, when/if prices come down

My antenna: RS 5-in-1 Omni-Directional Antenna Wi-Fi/WiFi 6E Fixed Bracket Antennas System IP68 Waterproof 4G/5G + WiFi + GPS Flexible Combination Antenna for RV Vans https://a.co/d/76TsesC

In practice system works pretty well, stationary or when rolling. I can switch the router to a local wifi if available.

 

[JohnnyDanger]

It might not be cheapness, but rather because people are finicky about the tech they want.

I always go back to the racing bike analogy. People joke about paying $5,000 + for a high end bike that doesn’t even include pedals. That’s because each person likes their kind but of pedal. So the bike shops without.

Why bump up the price of an RV with a system that few people actually want.

If what you say is true, then it should at least be pre-wired for the cell phone/wifi antenna.

People do not want to pay more money than a lamborghini on a van only to have to take a drill and start drilling random holes in the roof, possible opening up a can of worms.

Also, my understanding is that the next year model is going to have the wifi antenna again. So its like they had it in 2023 and 2025 but not in 2024.

I seriously don't get why it's not at least pre-wired like they do with the satellite dish .

 

[avanti]

I seriously don't get why it's not at least pre-wired like they do with the satellite dish .

I agree with your point, but I think their best choice would be to pre-install a wire gland, so that wires can be added later without drilling.

The problem with pre-wiring is with deciding exactly WHAT to prewire. As an example, my antenna has seven pieces of coax (four cellular MiMo, two WiFI MiMo, and GPS). They would be unlikely to prewire all that, and who knows what future antennas will need? In addition, these wires are hard-wired into the antennas, there are no connectors. This is pretty important, since at cellular frequencies, each connector in a cable produces a pretty significant signal loss, and so should be avoided when possible. You can't do that with prewiring.

 

[JohnnyDanger]

I agree with your point, but I think their best choice would be to pre-install a wire gland, so that wires can be added later without drilling.

The problem with pre-wiring is with deciding exactly WHAT to prewire. As an example, my antenna has seven pieces of coax (four cellular MiMo, two WiFI MiMo, and GPS). They would be unlikely to prewire all that, and who knows what future antennas will need? In addition, these wires are hard-wired into the antennas, there are no connectors. This is pretty important, since at cellular frequencies, each connector in a cable produces a pretty significant signal loss, and so should be avoided when possible. You can't do that with prewiring.

It could have a conduit pipe so you can wire whatever you wanted in the future. I am the type of guy who does not want to go modifying stuff and pulling out panels, and drilling holes, etc... I am limited to putting the fuel in and that is it. I want to buy something that is equipped correctly to begin with or at least something that is plug-and-play vs requiring hacking/programming skills.

If the Cellular/Wifi antenna was such a bad idea, then why are they bringing it back for 2025?

Makes me think the issue was supply chain problems, not function problem.

 

[engnrsrule]

I am the type of guy who does not want to go modifying stuff and pulling out panels, and drilling holes, etc...

If the Cellular/Wifi antenna was such a bad idea, then why are they bringing it back for 2025?

Makes me think the issue was supply chain problems, not function problem.

I am with you on drilling holes. This antenna was installed where there was a reinforced hole that used to be an old Winegard TV antenna. The MIMO is a cellular antenna variant (multiple input multiple output).

Other antenna types are being touted, and the internal antennas in hotspot devices and phones are supposedly improving, which is why so few have the ports. I think more than supply chain, new models are trying to say ours is so good it doesn't need an external antenna. I am old school, and my B is a steel box. I can't be convinced that any internal antenna deep inside will work as good as a roof mounted one.

 

[booster]

I am with you on drilling holes. This antenna was installed where there was a reinforced hole that used to be an old Winegard TV antenna. The MIMO is a cellular antenna variant (multiple input multiple output).

Other antenna types are being touted, and the internal antennas in hotspot devices and phones are supposedly improving, which is why so few have the ports. I think more than supply chain, new models are trying to say ours is so good it doesn't need an external antenna. I am old school, and my B is a steel box. I can't be convinced that any internal antenna deep inside will work as good as a roof mounted one.

I can't address the wifi part of it all because we don't trust random wifi system's security. We hotspot or nothing in almost all cases while traveling.


We currently are using a Nighthawk mobile hotspot on Consumer Cellular/ATT grid network.


What I have found is that the Nighthawk, if used with available small suction cup to window antenna does as well or better than a several hundred dollar outside antenna we got to try. I was very, very surprised at that.