Hi everyone, I read up on forums and several van life pages, and am more confused than ever.
I need a decent internet connection for heavy remote work and gaming (U.S.). There are usually two laptops running, plus an Xbox. We will be mostly at RV parks, but also in remote areas with poor or no internet service available.
Which Peplink do you recommend, and what do I need overall for my set up (antenna…other?).
I am thinking about using Bix Wireless, but if you have other suggestions, I am all ears.
Thank you so much.
first determine how you will be getting internet. cellular? starlink? if cellular, what carrier, and can you find a compatible plan. what do you do if a local cell tower does not have enough backhaul or radio capacity or you are getting deprioritized? will you have access to WiFi for WiFi as WAN? what is your budget?
if connectivity is critical, which it has been to me, i carried every single carrier with me, and satellite internet at one point! i will probably consider starlink in the future. right now i carry vzw and att, may add TM.
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Some of the Pepwave Max models have 2 modems - this can be useful if you need service while driving, as the device can (in theory) switch between the two SIMs on the fly.
If you are mostly using it while stationary, most of the Max models have 2 SIM slots (but only 1 modem)- and the device can change off between the SIMs automatically (though this process usually drops the internet for 60-120 seconds).
I’ve read reports that 5G has significantly lower latency than 4G LTE, which may be important to you for gaming.
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Clarissa,
I am not a gamer, so I can not address what would be best for gaming.
However, I have been living & working from my RV for around 2 years. Let me share some observations.
- RV park WiFi is not considered to be optimal, especially in the more remote areas. If you are lucky enough to be in a park with reliable WiFi, consider it a plus.
- Cellular coverage varies by carrier & location. Generally speaking, it’s decent along major thoroughfares & near cities.
- While multiple modems sound good, in reality I carry SIM cards from multiple carriers in the event I can’t acquire a decent connection from one of my primary carriers. Multiple modems won’t help is you can’t acquire a signal. Weigh the cost against benefits, along with how & where you travel.
- While 5G technology is the future, I don’t believe any manufacturer of cellular modem/router hardware is yet using the chip which will fully take advantage of what ‘real 5G’ has to offer. As I understand it, what 5G is available is predominantly in more urbanized areas. Not the locale where RV’s roam. Again, weigh the cost against the benefits, along with how & where you will travel.
- I am not a gamer. However, I assume latency is more critical than absolute speed… be it either upload or download. I have been using a MAX BR1 PRO LTEA (4G CAT 20 MODEM) for a month or two. I consistently see PING results between 20-30 ms. At the time I purchased this device, my use case did not warrant the $300.00 price difference between a 4G & 5G modem, let alone the price differential for a 2nd modem.
- I am located in SE NC (near Holden Beach) & only have the paddle antennas installed. Certainly not a major metro area.
Remote areas are typically not internet or cellular friendly. If my work requires reliable internet connectivity, I schedule my travels & location accordingly. The best & most expensive equipment in the world can not obtain a signal that is not there. You will be limited by what is available at the location where you are camped.
With all this said, I believe the MAX BR1 PRO LTEA (4G CAT 20 MODEM) is currently at the best price point for cost/performance.
Would encourage you to find a trusted Peplink partner to assist you in your purchase decision.
Good luck & safe travels.
P.S. Acquire data only plans from major carriers unless you have absolute confidence in the 3rd party reseller.
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Thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful response. I am looking into the Max BR1 you recommended. I am certain this is more than sufficient. We won’t be in extreme remote areas the first year. I am not sold on 5G, or find it to be crucial at this point for my needs. 4G is just fine. I was considering a plan with Bix wireless, using Peplink as my modem and an antenna.
My work is the most important, but my son has autism, so gaming with friends and internet is a life line for him and allows us to live that lifestyle full time at some point.
Stay safe!
Thank you very much! This is helpful 
I was thinking to give Bix wireless a try, with two carriers. Likely ATT and Verizon. Starlink is on my radar for the future as well. We will not be in extreme remote areas the first year, more of a mix between RV parks, truck stops and friends places. I can’t loose my job due to no internet, so my location choices are a bit limited. Internet will be my biggest monthly expense sadly.
It is an occasionally tricky trade-off: connectivity v. cost (bot the initial investment and the subsequent cost of operations).
If you are moving around then getting two or more carriers might be a good strategy to achieve decent connectivity somewhat independently of locations.
As a starter, almost all the peplink cellular routers support two installed SIM cards (e.g., two carriers), allowing you to switch among them with ease.
If you want more then some within the HD2 series allow for up to four installed SIM cards, with two being active at any point in time (but at a significant expense). Or you can go for the 20X (one radio/two SIM cards) with a FlexModule (for the second radio, additionally two SIM cards).
Cheers,
Z
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another poster here reported his device being blacklisted after using Bix. I dont think Bix is an authorized reseller. YMMV.
For what it’s worth… 3rd party resellers can be problematic. Try to perform as much due diligence as you can prior to going with one. The Mobile Internet Resource Center has a listing of various resellers.
If I can be of assistance, PM me.
I’m learning the hard way that Peplink devices are not officially supported by ATT. My device is now blacklisted after using what I thought was a reputable reseller. I’m considering how to move forward, but after dealing with the complexities of getting sims to actually work in my transit duo, I’m considering moving to a hotspot + router setup. This would lose the benefits of bonding, but that may be a better option compared to losing service.
They are. They work fine on business/enterprise plans, right? Its an enterprise device. The USA stinks in terms of carriers being open but this is well known. You can get one of the mbps AT&T plans too… unlimited!
You errored not Peplink or AT&T by using a NON-authorized NON-legit reseller / MVNO. You cannot blame anyone else for that. Why not try a plan that is meant for enterprise devices such as Peplink?
Hi @mystery . Sorry if my post is off putting. That’s not my intention. I don’t know you , but I’m pretty sure you know how shady the reseller market actually is. Exactly how do you determine who is reputable? I sincerely would like to know. I also have tried to buy direct from carriers, but in most cases my IMEI is not approved. That leaves me to find other options which means resellers unfortunately. Maybe it is different in other markets, but in the US, that’s the situation.
As far as blame goes I really don’t mind taking all of the blame. But, as you mentioned above it might be a good idea for Peplink to say that you will need to buy an enterprise plan or risk your device being a paper weight. On the other hand, if you go to ATT’s business site you will find “Additional Data Plan”. The additional data plans include the prepaid plan. So, it appears that according to ATT, their prepaid plans are for businesses that need additional data. It was an official ATT prepaid data plan that got my device black listed. Quite a complicated web.
At the end of the day, I really don’t know what the best option is; still trying to figure that out. I do know as a road warrior I need reliable connectivity. As best I can tell, the only way to do this is to have devices that the carriers approve for use on their network. That sucks, and I feel Peplink’s pain, but that’s unfortunately the world we live in today. Hopefully it changes soon. I’ve managed to thread the needle for a couple years and still have VZN & TMO working in my Duo.
Please link to the ATT enterprise plan. I’ll check it out.
The only ones reputable are the carriers themselves or their AUTHORIZED resellers/MVNOs. Buying from a third party that is not authorized or legit is your decision to try but you must know up front what might happen.
here is one of several examples of an AT&T plan that should work: https://www.business.att.com/content/dam/attbusiness/briefs/att-wireless-broadband-pricing-brochure.pdf
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Thank you. I’ll check it out.
