I just got a Pepwave Max BR1 Mini and I have been testing it in my RV. The Wifi through the Pepwave is way slower then just over the air. I have the latest firmware and have tried different settings and can get it to increase.
Download through Pepwave around 7mb and without router 26mb.
Any thoughts. thanks in advance for the help.
Are you talking about WiFi-WAN?
I may take some flack for my opinion, but I dont care - the Max BR1 Mini is not a suitable device for “people”. It is a great device for installing into an IOT device or a remote ATM somewhere, but its not equipped for being the “hub” for a motor home or someone’s house.
The cellular modem is under powered. CAT4 or CAT6 are not fast at all. CAT4 is like an iPhone 5. iPhone 5 came out in 2013.
The wireless chipset is SINGLE BAND. That means it only supports the slower 2.4ghz band. There is no diversity antenna for the wifi chipset. No MIMO, double BAD. Using the same wireless chipset for WiFi-WAN plus as an AP means your device has to alternate each packet/flow between the upstream connection and the client-side connections. Doing this will generally always cut performance. WiFi-WAN should never be combined with AP - if performance & reliability matter.
I wish Peplink and resellers would stop marketing “theoretical” performance numbers. Those are never achievable.
I also think Peplink and resellers should stop overselling underpowered devices to RV buyers and other home users. I realize the buyer will ignore certain material and only focus on what they think matters (price or whatever)… just because Max Mini “looks bigger and better than a cell phone” doesnt mean it is anywhere near as powerful wireless capabilities. Modern smartphones and laptops have much more powerful chipsets in many cases.
The device you should have gotten is something more like Max BR1 Pro 5G, Max Transit CAT18 or similar CAT18+ device. Also if frequent use of WiFi-WAN is critical then having another device inside your RV performing as the wifi-AP would provide better overall performance and higher reliability.
No amount of tweaking will overcome the current device, I would return it and get something better. (sorry as it sounds kind of blunt, but its truth)