My weBoost experience

[gypsydad]

Like Moostags, i am still in "evaluation watch" mode till I pull the trigger...seems I remember someone saying the directional antenna is best? Forgot about how to find which way the tower is, however...anyone here help on that? When we get to WY in couple days, likely will get this unit and try her out with the extender pole tied to the Fiama and the cable coming in thru the Cable hookup; repeater unit inside on the dinning table was what i was thinking...connected to the outlet under. Anyone done this connection yet?

[jondrew55]

I have a directional antenna but have not really put any of it to the test yet. Hoping to get some info this week. From what I can tell so far, unless you have almost zero signal you can’t take advantage of the mimo feature of your phone, so even if you have extra bars from the booster it does not mean you’ll get faster download speeds. In fact, I’ve consistently gotten slower download speeds than if I turn the system off. Right now I’m on the “send it back side of the coin.

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Like Moostags, i am still in "evaluation watch" mode till I pull the trigger...seems I remember someone saying the directional antenna is best? Forgot about how to find which way the tower is, however...anyone here help on that? When we get to WY in couple days, likely will get this unit and try her out with the extender pole tied to the Fiama and the cable coming in thru the Cable hookup; repeater unit inside on the dinning table was what i was thinking...connected to the outlet under. Anyone done this connection yet?

[Vantair]

Having both the Omni and Yagi (directional) antennas which can be interchanged helps a lot. In those times when there is extreme minimal signal, the directional seems to pull in the signal with more ability. We keep it portable in case we must drive in TV to a workable spot and created a few detachable scenarios from roof top to mounted telescopic pole tied to awning brackets pending our situation. Works well !

[SilverHouseDreams]

If data rates are most of your focus then the best option is likely to use external antenna to a Jetpack or other LTE/5G router and to use WiFi to all of your other devices. As others have discussed, most signal boosters defeat MIMO which is essential for higher data rates.

This page likely explains what you are actually trying to achieve with these tools. https://www.waveform.com/a/b/guides/.../jetpack-8800L
Signal strength is only one aspect of the equation. The other element that is going to work against your investment in a signal booster is that those are going to even work less well with new bands and 5G, where carrier aggregation is even more important.

[FredWilma]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Like Moostags, i am still in "evaluation watch" mode till I pull the trigger...seems I remember someone saying the directional antenna is best? Forgot about how to find which way the tower is, however...anyone here help on that? When we get to WY in couple days, likely will get this unit and try her out with the extender pole tied to the Fiama and the cable coming in thru the Cable hookup; repeater unit inside on the dinning table was what i was thinking...connected to the outlet under. Anyone done this connection yet?

To find the direction to the tower that your phone is using then you can use the WeBoost app that you can download to your phone. It includes a tool to find the tower and measure signal strength. Free from the App Store.

Hope this helps.

BTW I’m on the same journey. I intend to install the Destination RV and a Starlink.

[fastrob]

Did the dig deeper on this a few years ago, stuck with the cell phone.
Nevertheless, years ago bought a Yagi antenna, stuck it on a long antenna pole and used a analog bag phone to connect the computer remotely, it worked slowly but good.
My big tv antenna can pick up Bangor Me to Massamachusetts or further on a good day, but I do not watch commercial tv anymore, times sure have changed.
All depends on what you decide you need.

[SouthForkAS]

Location. Location. Location.
As a card carrying member of the third wave, I live or die by the internet.
I have 2 cell phones that I hotspot off of. Visible and T-Mobile, depends on location. Then I run my cell net tests to determine which line I'll use for data and if I need to, I'll use the WeBoost Reach. I use Net Cell data light on the pixel3a, and Ookla speedtest.net on both.
The WeBoost does the job, but ya gotta have some cell signal to boost.
For the most part the We Boost works.
If no signal then I move to a spot with better cell.
Also depending on season you may experience cell congestion and dog slow data rates.
good luck🤠
p.s. I measured over 1.2 Gbps! That's gigabit internet over TMobile cell, so it's possible.

[Life is a Highway]

I keep wondering if Star link in another year will make all these range extenders and Dish TV receivers obsolete. until then Im that guy standing on top of the truck looking for a signal while the Pep wave people laugh.

Originally Posted by moosetags

Thank you for your initial assessment of the Weboost unit. I have been shopping these range extenders for several years, but have never pulled the trigger on any of them. I am looking forward to your on the road experience.



Brian

[jondrew55]

Originally Posted by Life is a Highway

I keep wondering if Star link in another year will make all these range extenders and Dish TV receivers obsolete. until then Im that guy standing on top of the truck looking for a signal while the Pep wave people laugh.

Sorry, no magic bullets. I live in Orlando and do most of our camping within 100 miles. Very rarely are we in a campsite without trees or other obstructions. I’m getting a Starlink to try it out, but I expect it to be at least as frustrating as my TV Sat dish in wooded areas. Even in a year with more satellites launched I would not expect Starlink to be usable in partially wooded areas. We do have some beach spots we go to with clear skies. Hoping it works there so we can hang out at the beach even during working times.

[FMSports]

Our '23 Globetrotter was fully kitted out by the initial owner of 4 mons , and has WeBoost dealer installed.

Roof top antenna, to amplifier in wardrobe, and inside antenna mounted in lounge cubby. This past weekend test in a fringe cell area, Cox Bay beach Tofino, it worked great.

I took my TP-Link wifi extender and configured it to connect to my cell phone hotspot to create an Airstream WIFI connectivity "hub".

Weboost > iPhone24 > Hotspot> #Airstream5G, #Airstream2.4G (Wifi on TPlink)

Reason being the TPlink extender is a beast for connecting and signal strength. It hooks-up to my iPhone24 quickly, and from there we'll have solid, multi-user WIFI around the RV.

I think this will be the ticket in 9 of 10 areas we are at, without the complication and cost of other methods.

[gypsydad]

I have been using the Weboost Destination RV with the directional Yagi antenna a little over a year now with great results. No issues with tree cover, in fact couple locations like Glacier and also Yellowstone (Bakers Hole Campground) I was able to take 1/2bar to 5 bars and stream movies while a "neighbor" in each location using Starlink, had a heck of a time due to tree coverage. I went thru some set up challenges with wind in Yellowstone, and ended up staking the bottom of the antenna pole to the ground with its base and lashing to my Fiamma rack, but other than that, I am happy with results. I do not like the set up using the Fiamma as support, however, and will get the nylon mounting hardware to connect to front jack for easier set up.

[pteck]

I've posted this elsewhere, but Vantiar, I likewise have a yagi on my winegard. Have had this setup for a number of years now and it works excellent to improve the range over an omni by 2 fold +. I usually just aim it in quadrants of 90 degrees to see where I get the most signal, then break that down into 30 degrees to get the best pointing.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by pteck

I've posted this elsewhere, but Vantiar, I likewise have a yagi on my winegard. Have had this setup for a number of years now and it works excellent to improve the range over an omni by 2 fold +. I usually just aim it in quadrants of 90 degrees to see where I get the most signal, then break that down into 30 degrees to get the best pointing.

Attachment 437913

I just use the tower/signal finder APP from Weboost. It points toward the strongest/closest tower and I point the yagi that direction. Simple, fast, and easy to do. Here is their Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxBhjXI6NQg

[Wanderings]

I've used my WeBoost Destination with the directional antenna for more than a year now. One of the biggest limitations I've discovered is lack of available bandwidth from the cell towers. I really noticed this while camping at La Posa South Long Term Visitor Area near Quartzite, Arizona last year.


During the peak traffic periods with TENS OF THOUSANDS of campers scattered about, the available bandwidth and signal strength both take a big nose dive. Maybe one bar showing and unable to stream even with the WeBoost in operation.



While at night, after say 10 pm or so, the signal improves to 4-5 bars and enough bandwidth to stream movies without interruption or buffering.

[SouthForkAS]

Originally Posted by pteck

I would expect better gain and throughput.

Couple questions:

2) How close did you have your cell phone to the cell phone antenna? The closer the better as even inches can make a difference.

My solution was to put my Android Pixel 6a next to cell antenna then hotspot to my iPhone 14.

THE CELL ANTENNA IS THE WEAK LINK

[SouthForkAS]

Re: WeBoost and bandwidth.
I had the same experience in Quartzsite, myself. My first season in LaPosa South, which was a virtual impossibility for any good data because LPS way too far from cell towers.Even with We Boost Reach.
So the past 2 seasons, I parked in LaPosa West just south of where the RV show is. Much closer to the tower I get 120+ Mbps off the tower but in December thru Jan even I can't get on til after folks turn in (around 9-10).
Best app to guage data rates and final strength is Nét Cell Info for Android. Even in other camping spots, the weekend can get crowded on the towers.
Bottom line, WeBoost can only amply a signal. But there has to some signal and bandwidth.
So this whole mess comes down to
Location, Location, Location

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by SouthForkAS

Re: WeBoost and bandwidth.
I had the same experience in Quartzsite, myself. My first season in LaPosa South, which was a virtual impossibility for any good data because LPS way too far from cell towers.Even with We Boost Reach.
So the past 2 seasons, I parked in LaPosa West just south of where the RV show is. Much closer to the tower I get 120+ Mbps off the tower but in December thru Jan even I can't get on til after folks turn in (around 9-10).
Best app to guage data rates and final strength is Nét Cell Info for Android. Even in other camping spots, the weekend can get crowded on the towers.
Bottom line, WeBoost can only amply a signal. But there has to some signal and bandwidth.
So this whole mess comes down to
Location, Location, Location

I had that issue while at the International Rally in WY in July. I got a good signal, but bandwidth with 1300+ Airstreams there was poor. Weboost folks suggested I find an adjacent tower, as most likely everyones cellphone were using the closest tower. I did not have the app to see whos towers were where, so I just suffered hits/and misses for the week. It was much better early morning or late evening, as mentioned, when folks turn in. My lesson is, try not to camp around a "lot" of other campers if possible....or suffer.

That said, like I mentioned, I was able to get good signal/service in Glacier Apgar camp grounds, Teton Gros Venture, and also in Bakers Hole (West Yellowstone) areas this past summer, so pretty much happy with the Weboost.

[3OnOurWay]

For Weboosters, cmCostco just started carrying the. Online today vehicle home and office. I didn’t see the RV version. I did see an overland version here,

https://www.costco.com/weboost-drive...h=true&nf=true