$40 wifi solution for your Airstream

[vanderwielen]

Well, let explain the issue: All those internet hungry devices in your trailer need to be configured for the correct hotspot. These can include your Smart TV, Amazon Firestick or Alexa, a YoLink temperature sensor, Blink Camera, iPad...perhaps that Cerbo GX you had installed from Victron.

As time goes on, newer rigs will be full of iOT devices...like it or not.

It could be a pain. I use this:

TP Link AC750, $40 device. (TL-WR902AC)

It's a wifi to wifi router. Not a repeater. So, your internal wifi devices connect to its 'output' wifi signal persistently. (Technically, handed an internal IP with the gateway, DNS and router info)

Then it's 'input' wifi is pointed at your internet source. This could be the wifi at your home, your storage shed, mooch-docking, harvests host, boondockers welcome host or your cell phone when used as a hot spot.

It's not necessary if you have a star link or other cellular or satellite router and you are always connected via that source.

[Dennis C]

I believe you’re right about the expanding usage of devices that require internet connectivity. I like the idea of a device that simplifies things and one that creates a secure network for all your devices.

I used a very similar product to the one that you show in the photo. It might have been the same unit. I found that it worked fine in areas where there was a strong WiFi signal from another source. However, there were some downsides. The first was that it had a very poor range, so I had to be relatively close to the WiFi source to use it effectively. Secondly, it is entirely dependent on the speed of the WiFi network to which it connects. Most campground wifi systems are quite slow, making it almost impossible to do something like watching a streaming television show. Finally, it was useless in boondocking situations where there’s no wifi.

I’m not knocking this solution, I’m simply pointing out the limitations.

I ended up buying a WiFi Ranger system. It does everything that the unit above does, but it also has an internal Category 12 cellular modem. It works beautifully 99% of the time. I have found that I use it almost exclusively in cellular mode rather than wifi router mode. It works much better than my old system. The downside is obviously cost, but it’s worth it for the way that my wife and I like to use the internet in our rig.

Just another opinion/point of view…