Repurposing Airstream connected antenna

[TikiRoom]

We have air stream connected installed on our Bambi. The data plans suck. So far we have been using our cell phone mobile hotspot for usage where we get cell service. We get 30gb per device per month with our plan. The as connected plan is robbery.

I’m considering getting a mifi router with external antenna support. This would be for work purposes but something g I could reuse while on the road.

What I’m trying to figure out. Can I use the antenna that was installed with the as connected package and connect to a mifi router. The Verizon plans I’m looking at at significantly cheaper that what att is now charging. I’m looking at the Verizon jet pack 8800l.

My thinking is I have att for personal cell with hotspot. Verizon for business phone with hotspot and have mifi router on Verizon for mobile internet. Net net 90 by per month. A good portion of that is business expense and flexible with use cases, ie not working from RV.

[OBXAI19]

I have the same question. Anyone with thoughts?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The first thing to dig into is: Does the device the cell company provides you even have the external antenna connectors enabled? Some do / some don't it's not always easy to find out just what you have.

Next thing to take a look at is: Does that external antenna actually provide any real benefit? It's not much of an antenna.... ( This or that provider uses this or that band and the antenna was targeted at AT&T).

Past that, check the connectors, if they match up it should work. It's not going to give you the performance of something like a WeBoost. Antenna jargon gets into multiple in multiple out stuff, in this case you care about gain, gain, gain and gain (in that order ).

I have data plans from all three of the "big guys". Once you get them up to roughly level data per month, they all are expensive. I don't see any significant difference in the monthly bill to one vs the others. Possibly if I signed up for the "four devices (including two new iPhone 13's ...) *and* the hotspot" deals with each of them the tab might vary a bit more.

Bob

[wulfraat]

Yes you can.

The 8800L has 2 MIMO 2x2 TS-9 ports on it. You will need to find an adapter to interface between those small ports and the cables that go to the roof top antenna. I forget what standard they use.

Alternatively, you can simply deploy a Netgear 2x2 MIMO directional antenna in your window.

https://www.netgear.com/support/prod...(6000450).aspx

I have a jetpack 8800L as well. It has built in 4x4 antennas (vs 2x2 on your roof or with the netgear directional antenna)

Honestly, I am 50/50 on if the external antenna really helps, vs just using the built in antenna on the device, and placing the device near the window in the trailer. the 8800L is a cat-18 modem with channel bridging - far more sophisticated and higher performing than the equipment deployed with airstream connect.

[OBXAI19]

Thanks Bob and Wulfraat. Looking at the 8800L manual, they show 2 "test ports" on the device. No mention of what they're for and there's no mention of the ability to add an external antenna. Those test ports are where the referenced Netgear directional antenna plugs in?

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by OBXAI19

Thanks Bob and Wulfraat. Looking at the 8800L manual, they show 2 "test ports" on the device. No mention of what they're for and there's no mention of the ability to add an external antenna. Those test ports are where the referenced Netgear directional antenna plugs in?

Yes, they are TS-9 antenna ports for a 2x2 MIMO antenna - IE the netgear directional antenna I cited above. I have the same modem/hotspot.

[TikiRoom]

This is super helpful information. This ends up being a price win for me as I’ll also use the mifi during the week for work outside the rv. We only will use this for weekend outings in the rv.

[OBXAI19]

Thanks Wulfraat! Very helpful.