Our RV Internet Setup

I don't know what's been happening, but apparently everyone is suddenly interested in our Internet situation. In the past week, we've talked about our Internet situation no less than four times! Seems like a lot, so it's finally time to write up a quick post on how we stay connected to the Internet on the road.

Cellular Modem

At the heart of it all (or maybe the edge?) is our Peplink MAX BR1 Mini. This is a dual SIM, single modem cellular modem. This means you can only be connected to one cellular network at a time, but can have two SIM cards pre-installed for redundancy. This little box is jam-packed with all kinds of cool stuff.

• Automatic SIM failover
  Basically, if T-Mobile loses connectivity, you can switch over to your Verizon SIM card automatically! You can setup a number of different conditions that trigger the switch, such as dropping below a certain number of "bars," or a ping check (once the Internet is slow enough, it switches over).
  
  While we were excited about this feature, we currently have it turned off. It takes about four minutes to switch from one SIM card to the next, and that downtime is sometimes "more unacceptable" than the slow Internet. We just needed a bit more control, so we turned it off.
  
• Balancing data between SIM cards
  This router can keep track of how much data you send through the SIM card each month. Once you hit your plan's peak, you can switch to another SIM! We don't use this feature, as we're not usually throttled enough to justify it, but it might be handy for some.
  
• 12V Wiring
  This unit is really designed for mass transit applications (like providing Wi-Fi to public bus riders), which of course don't generally have an inverter on board. So, if your RV doesn't have an inverter, take a look at this router.
  
• Built-in Wi-Fi
  We list it as a feature, because it technically has it, but it's slow. We wound up pairing this router with a standard home router to provide ourselves with Wi-Fi.
  
• WAN Failover
  We don't use this feature, because it's impossible for most RV'ers, but this device does include WAN failover. This would be useful if you were in a sticks-and-bricks with a regular fiber, cable, or DSL connection, and wanted to use cellular as a backup.
  
  Future goals, and why I'm mentioning this feature: Starlink. Once Starlink exists, we can use the WAN failover to use Starlink as our primary Internet connection, with cellular as a backup. (If that would even be necessary)

Cellular Plans

Many people try to get by with only one carrier. However, we have found this is impractical. The key to successful Internet on the road is cell carrier diversity. Adding diversity gives you two big advantages: more coverage, and the ability to disburse your data across two carriers.

Currently, we are using OTR Mobile (an MVNO under T-Mobile) and a Verizon Wireless prepaid SIM card with unlimited data. Each plan has its own set of advantages:

OTR Mobile

The great thing about OTR is it uses T-Mobile's network, which is really fast. I speak only from anecdotal experience, and have no fancy charts or graphs to back it up. In fact, there is even a contra-indicator to this in the Verizon section below. The point is, when T-Mobile works, it works really well. We are hardly ever throttled, and the speeds are very good.

Verizon Wireless

We are using a very specific Verizon plan, which may or may not be available when you read this blog. We are using a prepaid unlimited data plan. You do not need to tack on mobile hotspot if you are working with a cellular modem like we are.

I mentioned before that when T-Mobile works, it works great. But when it doesn't, Verizon saves our butts. Fun story about Verizon: we hit 100mbps download speeds in a New Jersey state park on Verizon! That was possibly the best Internet experience we've had in our entire time thus far. Definitely going back the next time we need to download a large file ;)

WeBoost

We do have a WeBoost, but I'm not sure I recommend it for new installations right away. I've heard good things about high-gain MIMO antennas, but have no first-hand experience with any. Get a WeBoost only when you need to. We've actually had some instances where the WeBoost did more harm than good by raising the noise floor and creating a horrible RF environment.

Try MIMO first, then pick up a WeBoost if you must!

Wireless Router

We have no specific advice for wireless routers. They are almost all the same, and RVs are not large enough to worry about new-fangled mesh networks or other range issues. Plus, your Internet is going to be slower than any wireless router you can buy in a store today.

We plug the Peplink directly into the WAN port on our wireless router, essentially making it an equivalent to a cable, fiber, or DSL modem.

That's it! With all this in mind, drop us an email or an Instagram DM if you have any questions, or want to know how to improve your current setup. Good luck!