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As I mentioned in a previous post, Internet connectivity while in the RV is somewhat difficult to come by. WiFi is often available, but usually worse than cell coverage.

I decided to address this by purchasing a Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 and a Ubiquiti airGateway. The M2 is a powerful commercial wireless radio that contains an integrated antenna and can transmit with much more power, and receive weaker signals than consumer tablets and cell phones. Because I want a clean mount and footprint, I purchased a Ubiquiti Window/Wall Mount. The mount is designed for the M2, but I was able to use 1″ long drywall screws (due to coarse threads) to mount the airGateway to it as well. I have it powered up through the included PoE injector, which is also mounted on the same. I only had a 3′ Ethernet cable, and 1′ would have worked better, but 3′ wrapped around the backside of the M2 nicely and is hidden from the front. The entire assembly looks like this:

I configured each device in bridge mode and gave them static management IP addresses. The M2 radio is in station mode, and connects to the camp (or other) WiFi. It then bridges the connectivity to the ethernet interface, which is on the WAN side of the airGateway. Since the airGateway is also in bridge mode, the WAN side is bridged to the LAN side which is in access point mode serving up a custom SSID, for example “WifiBooster”. When we connect/ authenticate to that SSID, our machines are fully bridged up to the camp WiFi and we have access to the Internet.

It’s pretty simple to jump on the M2 and change the SSID each time we roll into a new camp, and the interface is simple:

The suction mount can be replaced with a screw mount, also included, so I may consider permanently attaching it somewhere in the RV. I’m not sure yet. And with any public WiFi source, I recommend using a trusted VPN to encapsulate all of your traffic. If interested in detailed instructions about the configuration of the devices, leave a comment.

Internet connectivity is a major problem for us working out of the RV. As we work in IT, it’s difficult to work without it, and it’s not the easiest to come by on the road. Most RV parks offer WiFi service, but it’s subjective to a lot of variables such as usage, distance, and weather that make it, in our experience, difficult to rely on. I ordered a few parts to enhance WiFi reception for us,  but those have not arrived yet so I’m only going to post about our 4G Internet for now.

We carry both Verizon and AT&T hotspots with us. We chose Verizon because they have the best coverage, both in our experience and what we’ve read online, and use them for our primary cellular provider. We currently have the 20GB family plan, with the a Verizon Jetpack on it for $20 extra a month. We also carry a AT&T hotspot that is an add-on to my parent’s plan. I don’t think we’ve ever used it, but I’m sure a time will come where we need to get online and AT&T is the only one with reception. It cuts into their shared data plan so we avoid it at all costs, and I think it runs something like $10/month. I need to figure out the exact number and start sending them the cash to cover it every month.

This month we blew through our 20GB cap while spending a week in Houston, so we’re going to pay about $60 in overage fees. I had been looking for a way to get unlimited VZ data for a while, but had not found a solution because they don’t offer unlimited plans anymore, and have supposedly made purchasing from a third party and assuming the liability of them much more difficult. As of the last time I checked, you could find an unlimited plan on Ebay for around $200 per month, which is way more than they cost to provide. I wasn’t quite prepared to spend that kind of money, so I held off and paid overages as necessary. This time around I went back to Ebay, and looked at some of the more obscure auctions. A lot of people were still asking around $200 per month, though several had dropped their prices down to around $150. I found one guy who seems to sell the plans in bulk and he was only asking $120 per month. I decided to take my chances and ordered the SIM ($5) and paid for the first month. The way these work is the people or companies keep the plans in their name and lease them out to you on a monthly basis. This plan happens to be through a small wireless company located on the West Coast.

Unlimited Verizon data for $120/month! I’m not sure how long it will be available but looks to be working and we’re excited to have it. It’s a small price to pay when we can lose so much money by not having it, and we will not have to worry about overages anymore. I use an inexpensive external antenna on the Jetpack, which seems to add about a bar of signal most of the time.