Dual band WiFi as WAN on MAX HD2

Product Discussion Pepwave MAX
#1

I have a number of Peplink products including various MAX Transit models, a MAX HD4 MBX and a few other things. I use WiFi as WAN on all of them with high quality outdoor antennas on boats and other floating vehicles.

My question is specifically about the MAX HD2 (non-MBX), hardware revision 5.

With other MAX products, there are two WiFi as WAN choices - one for 2.4Ghz and one for 5Ghz.

The MAX HD2 has only one, even though there are two dedicated WiFi AP ports for WiFi as WAN, similar to the other products. Is this intentional, or is there some option or flag I’ve missed to enable it?

I traditionally have used the two ports to connect to two differing WiFi as WAN sources for additional redundancy, and if the MAX HD2 doesn’t support that, I’d like to know since that limits my options.

#2

The design of HD2/HD4 is a bit different with Transit and HD4 MBX. The WIFI WAN of HD2/HD4 managed to connect to 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio.

#3

So just to clarify, it will connect to one or the other, but not both? Is there any way to control which one it will connect to?

#4

Transit can’t connect to separate WiFi as WAN 2.4 and 5 simultaneously?

#5

MAX Transit CAT18 can connect to two WiFi as WAN sources simultaneously.

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I think even the CAT12 one did too, but I didn’t pull it out and test. The MAX HD2 does not.

#6

@stevemitchell, the WIFI WAN of HD2/HD4 will connect to either 2.4GHz or 5GHz, depend on the setting from the 3rd party AP. If you want to make it to connect to 5GHz only, below will be the setting.

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#7

Thanks, that’s helpful to force it to one band or the other. Unfortunately, this doesn’t meet the customer requirement which is dual band connectivity using WiFi as WAN. Perhaps Peplink can update the specs on various devices that support WiFi as WAN to indicate whether they support simultaneous dual band or only single band? That would have saved purchasing equipment, waiting for supply delays, and now paying a restocking fee to return it to the reseller here in the US…

#8

@stevemitchell, I know where you come from. I have relayed this to the engineering team and we have filed this. Fyi, the WIFI WAN and WIFI AP radios design of HD2/HD4 are different with MAX Transit. Engineering team will look for a way to support dual-radio simultaneously for HD2/HD4.

Thanks.

1 Like
#9

Thank you!