Pepwave or ???

[Gizmo]

Still reading and researching which Pepwave would be the biggest bang for. the bucks. First I have two hotspots sims and one is the grandfathered Verizon plan and the other is a T-mobile 5g plan and both are unlimited.

1. I was looking at Pepwave 5G but only has one modem and planning on using the WIFI Wan to connect to the 5G modem. Plus it has CAT 20 modems but the cost of 1499 is a little steep. I have not had great luck with WIFI over Wan seems to cut the throughput about in half with other brand routers I have used. I understand there is no USB port on the modem so can tether it. I could test for the fastest connection and switch SIMs.
2. Max Transit Duo with CAT 6 and CAT 12 modem. Cost less and would be able to install both Sims and maybe load balance. The biggest negative is I lose the 5G from T-Mobile but I would still have band 71.

Which one would choose or is there a better solution?

 

[Neal]

I would not buy any cellular router today and forward that's less than CAT 18. Beyond that you have to choose your solution. Back when I used BR1 MK2's it was more cost effective to buy two to have two active radios (cellular). I have 2 x Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G's and enjoy the setup but yeah, it's costly. They have a new BR2 router with two radios but it's the same net cost. The Wi-Fi WAN issue is a simple fix which is to use a separate Wi-Fi router. I thought Pepwave was doing away with Wi-Fi radios altogether, I guess not, or not yet. Not a big deal as again you can pick your fav Wi-Fi router to suck in the external sources as desired.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

We’ve been implementing the Cradlepoint IBR1700 which has a much more robust radio system. Additionally, it has a secondary dock for another modem to give you TWO live modems, for a total capacity of four SIMs.

My cellular engineer is crazy smart and has more knowledge about the reasons and capabilities of these routers than anyone could comprehend.

In mortal terms, the 1700 is markedly more capable, better built, and designed. Their WiFi and cellular radios are more robust, and provide better bands and channel management. It has 1 WAN and 4 LAN ports which are fully configurable.

Currently, the 1200 modem is still only 4G/LTE. This fall, Cradlepoint will release their 5G modems for the 1700 making it the undisputed best in the field.

FYI, the 1700 is THE TOP class router, even over their 1900, which is 5G, yet has fewer radios; not nearly the same class as the 1700.

Fully loaded, the 1700 will be around 2.5 times the cost of a Transit.

Hope this gives you food for thought.

 

[lemondrop9344]

An alternate solution for your consideration.
Purchase the BR1 Pro 4G LTE for approximately $400.00 less than the 5G model. It has a CAT-20 modem & while it has only 1 modem, you can insert 2 SIMS. Take the $400.00 you saved & put it towards the acquisition of a Starlink DISHY. The Peplink device has the capability to effectively manage the various signal sources.

It can be argued the Starlink is not yet ready for prime time, however, I would submit the same argument could be made for 5G.

My son has a similar setup (Peplink CAT-18) & recently took a 2 week trip from Southport, NC to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl (on Stralink wait list) with an over night stay off I-95 nears Savannah, Ga (also on Starlink wait list). He has the Starlink residential plan with roaming. He was able to connect to Stalink throughout the entire time. While in the RV park in Ft. Lauderdale, he was able to broadcast his Starlink signal to members of his group so they could stream to their TVs. Some were up to 300' away. Poynting 7-1 antenna is installed on a bracket in the back of the travel trailer & the DISHY is installed on a tripod.

So much of what a user needs depends on the configuration of equipment (LAN) in your RV along with where & how you travel, along with how much you are willing to spend. From my perspective, I view this setup as difficult combination to beat for my configuration. Come on Starlink, ship my DISHY!
Good luck in you search.

 

[Gizmo]

@Neal
I am narrowing my search down and tired of reading specs so I'm just going to ask. Does the Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G have a USB port for tethering? I don't see it mentioned so I guess it doesn't. Also, could you verify that the BR1 has WAN over Wifi and band locking?

Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

[Neal]

@Neal
I am narrowing my search down and tired of reading specs so I'm just going to ask. Does the Pepwave BR1 Pro 5G have a USB port for tethering? I don't see it mentioned so I guess it doesn't. Also, could you verify that the BR1 has WAN over Wifi and band locking?

Thanks everyone for the comments.

No, I think the BR2 Pro adds that.

Not sure what you mean by band locking? Choosing 2.4 vs 5 - yes.

 

[Gizmo]

No, I think the BR2 Pro adds that.

Not sure what you mean by band locking? Choosing 2.4 vs 5 - yes.

Band locking is if you are on a T-Moble band that is being managed you can lock that band out and select say band 71 that isn't being managed or has better throughput.

 

[Gizmo]

@Neal
OK, I found a Youtube Video that Band Locking was included in the 8.2.1 update for the BR1 5G. I don't use it often but does become useful once in a while. It was a feature on my MOFI.

 

[Neal]

Sorry, was out at an event. Yes, you can custom select bands. That's been around for quite a while. I tried it back in the BR1 MK2 days and was not successful with it. Pepwave seems to do the job better on its own but it's available for you to customize as you found out.

 

[Gizmo]

We place an order for the BR1 5g and should be here in a couple of days. I guess I'm going to retire my Wifi Ranger Core that I bought right after it was released. That was the best RV Router I ever purchased and one of the most reliable and it just worked.