I live in a Class A RV which is basically a narrow, long tube of metal. The MAX Transit LTEA is at the front, with an antenna on the roof. If you’re near the router, things are good. How would you meet these other needs?
I have a NAS about 15 feet into the motor home that needs an ethernet connection. I can’t run cable to it (it’s in a slide that moves in and out).
I have computers that would benefit from ethernet connectivity about 10 more feet away. Can’t run cable to that area, either – different slide, same issue.
The RV is 43 feet, and there are electronics that need WiFi all the way to the back.
I have two Netgear WiFi Mesh Extenders (AX1600 model EAX11) that often make things worse, so it seems to be better to just have poor signal. But that means the NAS is completely off the network and the computers don’t get ethernet.
Do I need Peplink APs instead of Netgear, is that the issue? Do I need to buy a “mesh” system instead of just these extenders? Are the APs for the two ethernet areas too close? Is all of the metal messing things up? How would you set this up? Keep in mind I’m not made out of money. Thanks for the guidance!
Well, you’re in luck. There are some really smart RVers lurking about here, among them @erickufrin and @lemondrop9344 . Let me tag them and see if they (and/or others) can offer advice. If that does’t work (I think it will) I’ll tell you what I’d do. :<)
Monicarchy,
First off, let me say I feel your pain. Want to clarify one point you made & that of the RV being a long metal tube vs a metal frame covered with a non metal skin & roof. If it’s metal skinned, you will most likely have issues with signal distribution outside of RV using just the paddle antennas (maybe inside). My RV is skinned with fiberglass so I can’t talk with any experience on metal skin RV’s.
You are probably not going to like my response, but after two years of trying to configure my network to accommodate the various components I still encounter some signal distribution issues with WIFI.
I too have a NAS unit that is critical to our business. Not knowing which brand NAS you have I’ll make this general statement. I believe the majority of them run on a Linux based OS & they don’t play well with USB wireless dongles (primarily Windows based) without some effort (check mfg. compatibility list). Sort of rules out WIFI for NAS. Don’t even know if your NAS has a USB port.
In my RV I have created what I call my network area. In my case this is on the driver’s side all the way in the rear of the RV, in a slide out. In consists of the Peplink device (Max BR1 PRO LTEA), my laptop PC, my NAS device, USB storage brick & old 8 port GB switch I scavenged from my house when we went full time. Assorted UPS devices here & there along with an upgraded pure sine wave inverter for the RV when/if I run off batteries. I found out fairly quickly the Peplink device (WIFI piece) did not like being in the slide out. However, it provided great reception for the cellular signal & RV park WIFI.
Yep it’s a little cluttered, but the laptop & NAS, IMO, require Ethernet connectivity. I would move them to a point in your RV where they can be connected via Ethernet. Yep, this is the part you probably won’t like.
Have several wireless devices, ROKU’s, printers & what have you. In my case, I acquired the least expensive Peplink AP, connected it to the switch via Ethernet & placed it on the passenger side rear.
This eliminated the signal interference in the mid section of the RV (washer/dryer & pantry).
For what ever reason, WIFI signal distribution in my RV was a lot more finicky than it was in my home. If I have line of sight from the AP to the wireless device, it normally works very well.
With regards to Ethernet cabling… they are not hard to make & can be discreetly tucked in or hidden in a variety of locations within your RV.
This would be my approach, adapted to the particular floor plan of your RV. I have yet to install my external antenna as I want to appropriate cabinet space in the rear over the bed to minimize antenna cable run. Wife has not signed off on that plan yet.
If you are putting this ‘stuff’ in an enclosed area… make sure there is adequate ventilation/air circulation.
Rick is very knowledgeable & has helped me out a lot. I would be interested in hearing how he would approach your network setup.
Apologize for being so long winded.
Good luck!
OK, you have heard from one knowledgeable user. I’m not an RV’r but my firm has encountered many similar challenges.
My advice, in brief:
We’ve had really poor luck with “extenders” and they are worse in a dense wi-fi environment. YMMV but that’s the very last solution I’d ever try.
Like George, I’m a fan of ethernet, particularly for applications/devices that must “just work” and doubly-so when wi-fi is less than reliable.
Netgear APs are generally OK but my preferred solution would be to use a Peplink router which has a built-in AP controller. You can compare the various features of Peplink’s MAX routers here. Peplink routers manage Peplink APs beautifully.
Mesh? The Peplink APs can be connected wirelessly -via mesh. However, there is a price to be paid vis-a-vis performance in doing so. (This is true with all manufacturers’ products – not unique to Peplink.) My strong bias is to not use mesh and make every effort to connect whatever quantity of APs you need via ethernet. (I’ve been told by several RV’rs that a large RV often needs the AP in the router plus one more.)
I’d try to use a router and APs which can use the 5GHz band. While its range is generally less than the 2.4GHz spectrum, a strong advantage is that there are more channels available – this can be a huge benefit in an environment where your neighbors are close-in.
Thanks, all, this is such good information. I’d love to run ethernet, but I know how much it would cost. I’m not ready to spend that much just yet. I can’t put everything in one cabinet. So, I just ordered a couple AP One Minis and we’ll see how it goes. I’ll follow the instructions in these videos (I’ve watched them and they are very informative):
What antenna setup are you using on the roof? Is it both LTE and WiFi? (That would be ideal for your device)
I would recommend you use the Max Transit WiFi for connecting to ‘upstream wifi’ both free & authenticated wifi you find at various places.
Then run an ethernet connected access point to the center of your RV. The Peplink AP Lite would be better choice than Netgear and can be powered over ethernet to simplify wiring.
Once you have a proper access point in the center of your RV you’ll be in much better shape.
Create separate SSID’s for 2.4 & 5ghz. Devices behave better when they are not trying to flip between bands. Put anything capable of it on the 5ghz SSID. Then put on it everything else 2.4ghz SSID.
Set channel widths to 20mhz and hard code 2.4ghz to 1, 6 or 11, then 5ghz to either 36 or 165. 165 seems to be pretty rare and it does not aggregate with other channels so interference is very unlikely.
I run ethernet to my TV because it works better with casting off my phone. Other than your TV and NAS everything else should be wifi to minimize wiring needs.
I live in a Class A RV which is basically a narrow, long tube of metal. The MAX Transit LTEA is at the front, with an antenna on the roof. If you’re near the router, things are good. How would you meet these other needs?
I have a NAS about 15 feet into the motor home that needs an ethernet connection. I can’t run cable to it (it’s in a slide that moves in and out).
I have computers that would benefit from ethernet connectivity about 10 more feet away. Can’t run cable to that area, either – different slide, same issue.
The RV is 43 feet, and there are electronics that need WiFi all the way to the back.
I have two Netgear WiFi Mesh Extenders (AX1600 model EAX11) that often make things worse, so it seems to be better to just have poor signal. But that means the NAS is completely off the network and the computers don’t get ethernet.
Do I need Peplink APs instead of Netgear, is that the issue? Do I need to buy a “mesh” system instead of just these extenders? Are the APs for the two ethernet areas too close? Is all of the metal messing things up? How would you set this up? Keep in mind I’m not made out of money. Thanks for the guidance!
One other thought… If your RV has a metal roof, distributing a WIFI signal inside your RV from the antenna installed outside of the RV will most likely be problematic with your existing setup. The APs should remedy that issue. At any rate, I should have mentioned this earlier as you did say it was a metal tube.
My apologies.