The reason I'm leaning in your case towards the 2.4 is that if your willing to eventually to drill holes for antennas its future proof. As you can see its not easy to get the 900 compared to the 2.4. They may outlaw the 900 one day they wont outlaw the 2.4 and you can always get a replacement 2.4 router anywhere your at traveling wise.
Problems Setting up a Cerbo GX on a Raspberry Pi with MacBook Pro laptop
- Thread starter featherlite
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featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
Crowz,
Sounds like the 2.4 is the way to go. No need to spend any more time on a 900.
I assume Bluetooth extension is not an option.
If you tell me exactly what to buy, I will do so.
Thank you!
Sounds like the 2.4 is the way to go. No need to spend any more time on a 900.
I assume Bluetooth extension is not an option.
If you tell me exactly what to buy, I will do so.
Thank you!
Ive got to run up town for a sec when I get back let me pick something that is easy to configure to do what you want. Any of them pretty much would work but lets get something that looks like something I have here now so I can help with easily.
Samsonite801
Solar Wizard
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If you want a good low-profile external antenna, I bought a couple of these and they work good to extend wifi on the roof of my motorhome. The RP-SMA male connectors screw right onto my Linksys WRT-1200AC router. My router only requires 2 antennas, some require 4 or more, better to buy router that has less antennas to save cost...
Proxicast - Vandal Resistant Low Profile 2.4/5.8 GHz Wi-Fi Antenna - 3-5 dBi Gain - Fixed Mount - 10 ft coax lead
Proxicast Vandal Resistant Low Profile 2.4/5.8 GHz Wi-Fi Antenna - 3-5 dBi Gain - Fixed Mount - 10 ft coax lead w/ RP SMA Male connector. For outdoor/indoor applications. Excellent for M2M Cellular, data telemetry or vehicle applications.
www.proxicast.com
If this is the path you wind up taking (by install external antennas) you could also poke the hole for the cables through the floor, and run the cables externally to a location where you mount the antenna.
I mounted mine on a bracket, but they are also designed to just poke right into the roof and bolt down using the included nut, as they have a gasket on the bottom of them.
I suppose you could theoretically also mount it onto the roof vent lid / canopy, since that part is usually easily replaceable...
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featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
I like this idea because I can VHB tape an aluminum bracket onto the aluminum roof skin, towards the front Vee of the trailer, where i already have an access hole with sufficient room for a coaxial cable to fit.
Thank you!
This is being a pain. Not the help part I like that its finding something cheap and has threaded antenna post. They seem to be switching over to push on and proprietary methods of attaching the antennas.
The $15 I linked will work fine but I can't promise the antennas are replaceable like we need them to be.
All of the routers I have are pretty much discontinued (they love making new models) since I never have one fail. I even have spares new in the box for when they do die.
Anyways I found a reconditioned of my main router which is to much money in my opinion but I know you can swap the antennas on it.
Best router netgear ever made in my opinion but over kill for this project.
The $15 I linked will work fine but I can't promise the antennas are replaceable like we need them to be.
All of the routers I have are pretty much discontinued (they love making new models) since I never have one fail. I even have spares new in the box for when they do die.
Anyways I found a reconditioned of my main router which is to much money in my opinion but I know you can swap the antennas on it.
Best router netgear ever made in my opinion but over kill for this project.
Samsonite801
Solar Wizard
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I guess the next question is, how many antennas does your router have, and can they unscrew (do they have SMA female connectors on them)?
I always liked my older WRT-1200AC because it was a simple 2-antenna, has removable antennas, OVPN server, is fast enough for me. A lot of the newer routers have way too many antennas, I don't need the extra MIMO streams. And the WRT-1200AC are used on eBay for cheap.
Samsonite801
Solar Wizard
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Then we could also get into the idea of having like a Ubiquiti outdoor AP or something (with PoE), but I suppose someone could steal that if they knew what it was. Lots of Ubiquiti used gear on eBay, and even good prices on new stuff right on their website.
He doesn't have one. Were trying to find him one that has removable antennas so he can screw on the cable from an antenna to mount on his camper.
I never dreamed it would be this hard to buy a cheap router these days with removable antennas.
If money isn't an issue I'd get a refurbed r7000 like I linked above.
Those suckers are goooood. But it is $129.
Plus side if you abandon the camper project or go a different route you will love it for your house router
If money isn't an issue I'd get a refurbed r7000 like I linked above.
Those suckers are goooood. But it is $129.
Plus side if you abandon the camper project or go a different route you will love it for your house router
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Samsonite801
Solar Wizard
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Yeah, when I bought my WRT-1200AC, it was used on eBay, liked it just fine (even with factory firmware), so later I bought another one on eBay used to install on my off-grid property. Then later I decided to buy another one on eBay used, to keep for a spare, and wound up sending it down to my wife's family in Mexico and they use it now.
Once I find decent 'silver bullets' in my life, I tend to like to standardize and keep buying same thing, so I have plenty of hot spares so to speak.
Same like battery cells, I had decided with 280Ah EVE (they were the largest at the time), so every other battery I've built ever since (12v or 48v), I have lots of compatible spares, so I can have replacements or repurpose things as necessary to stay flexible. I keep spare of the same BMSs too. 2 Spare LV6548's, spare cars, trucks, etc.
I have 3 of the same 2014 Macbook Pro's, multiple other of the same Thinkpads, 3 of the old 2014 iPhone SE's, etc.. Still use this old gear today. Life stays easy for me when I have spares to account for failures (which are likely).
Whenever I have a failure, I keep the spare all pre-configured and ready to plug in and go. Then deal with fixing the broken part later. With new parts, it is expensive to do that, but with used parts, it is affordable to buy more than one, to have no-single-point-of-failure when possible.
There are times when I decomm certain things in my life though, where I never wound up needing the spare, but the peace of mind it brought was priceless.
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Not happy I couldn't find something cheaper but I have to say go with this one :
I know the unit and they rock. Plus I will have the same screens to look at you will have so I can tell you what to set everything to.
Plus you can splice in a 12v cord to run it since the router itself runs on 12v.
3 antenna ports so that covers anything you might need to do with it.
I know the unit and they rock. Plus I will have the same screens to look at you will have so I can tell you what to set everything to.
Plus you can splice in a 12v cord to run it since the router itself runs on 12v.
3 antenna ports so that covers anything you might need to do with it.
Adam De Lay
Solar Wizard
I've had 3 of these units in various applications. They are rock solid!
featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
Crowz,
I do not mind spending $129 for the router, plus accessories, if it solves my problem. I have never returned anything to Amazon, but it appears that Amazon has a 30 day return policy on this router. If this router does not solve my problem, I am thinking I can return the router. It looks like I would need to drive about 100 miles to an authorized Amazon return center which is ok with me.
If I bought the router and everything else required at one time from Amazon, my thinking is that, if the router does not solve my problem, I could return everything with one trip to the return center.
As far as the router method itself working for me, even if the router does its job, I am not sure if I will have sufficient cell signal strength on my MiFi hot spot to run the Pi. Normally, my laptop and phone operate adequately on one or two bars on the MiFi hotspot, however, with the Pi, I needed at least 4 bars which might be a rarity, depending upon where I am as I travel. On the other hand, maybe this router method will solve that problem too. I dunno.
FYI, I think I will paint everything Victron blue!
The mifi ands its signal strength doesn't have anything to do with the pi working or not. You will be able to connect to the pi via the wifi router itself. The pi will be plugged into the router with an ethernet cable. So there isn't any bars involved since its a physical cable connecting the pi to the router. You will be connecting the the router with your phone or a tablet via the routers wifi signal thru its antenna which will be mounted in the wall or ceiling. So the mifi can be turned off and no cell service available at all and you can still work with your equipment like normal. The mifi really only helps with connecting the rv when your somewhere else.
featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
That is the best news I have had all day!
Thank you!
featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
Crowz,
Do i need to buy anything other then the $129 product you linked to at post # 113?
If so, I will order ASAP.
Do i need to buy anything other then the $129 product you linked to at post # 113?
If so, I will order ASAP.
I'd get this for an antenna.
You need one for the router and one for the mifi so two total of them.
Also in case you get a wild hair and mount these before we talk again do not put them side by side
Also take into account how long the cables are before mounting them.
You need one for the router and one for the mifi so two total of them.
Also in case you get a wild hair and mount these before we talk again do not put them side by side
Also take into account how long the cables are before mounting them.
