Looking for a 4G to WiFi hotspot

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NJRadioGuy

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I would like to install a dedicated WiFi hotspot in my vehicle to connect our devices to when we're on the highway and in cellphone range. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee which has built-in WiFi, but unfortunately it's 5 GHz only, and I have one mission-critical device that's 2.4 GHz only (a ham radio DMR/YSF hotspot), so I cannot use the built-in connection in the Jeep. On a recent road trip I just tethered my phone, however the current drain was exceeding the ability of the USB ports to charge the phone, so that, too, is a non-starter.

We have a Verizon service plan and we're going to be in the northeastern US for 99.99999% of the time we're on the road, and their 4G-LTE and faux-5G data speeds are good everywhere we go, but I'm not married to the idea of Verizon as my hotspot data provider. Any suggestions as to what's a good and very reliable device that won't need a lot of messing with to make work from inside the vehicle? It will likely be mounted in an inaccessible location behind the dash.
 
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Personally I'd like to recommend TP-Link equipment. I find the longevity, ease of use and robustness second to none. However looking around it seems the stuff we get here in the UK isn't as available over there due to deals tied in with the carriers.
One of the best all round hotspots though is this one:
inseego.com

Inseego M2000

Inseego's M2000 5G hotspot connects up to 30 devices, has a 2.4" color touchscreen, quick-charge technology, enterprise-grade security, all-day battery, & up to 2.7 Gbps download speeds.
inseego.com inseego.com

The benefit of something like that for overlanding purposes is it has quite a high operating temp allowance. I've seen some hotspots shut down in the car here in the UK when it's been 40 degree air temp through the glass. That one seems to have a good range and from the people I know with it the interface is excellent, battery reserve is really good and actually usable and it seems readily available in the US.

I'd much rather see someone buy the hardware that is then compatible with a few carriers than end up tied into a carrier. Worst comes to the worst you can carry a few cheap SIM's and use the one that fits the route the best.
 
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I recommend, as always with equipment, to first give some thought to what exactly I want to have. After all, there are many options for mobile internet. It starts with using the cell phone as a mobile hotspot, continues with simple surf sticks and goes further to small, simple WiFi routers with a SIM card. These solutions have the disadvantage that they are used in the vehicle and are therefore more easily shielded. Then we can take into account more complex solutions. Who really depends on the Internet on the road, should reach for more extensive solutions. So fixed mounted system with external antenna. For this, a router is permanently installed in the vehicle and connected directly to the aux battery. In addition, there is a permanently installed external antenna. In some cases, this even allows low-radiation networks to be set up in the vehicle using LAN cables if the router has suitable connections. And then there are the solutions with mobile Internet via satellite.

With mobile routers, it's also important to look closely at which frequency ranges are covered and compare these with the mobile networks of the countries where you want to be on the road.

As an idea: I like it simple and have a very simple small WiFi router, which is charged via USB in the vehicle. I can easily get hold of the SIM card, so that I can also get local cards in other regions and countries and thus reduce costs. It is a TP Link M7350 for 4G/ LTE/ WiFi. It is usable with the frequencies of the mobile networks in the regions where I like to travel.
 
David C Gibbs

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Peter, the biggest issue is to buy a Great External Antenna. Panorama 5-in-1 or a Parsec 5-in-1 Verizon is certified on the Cradlepoint IBR900. The IBR900 is built for mobility, 1000's of Cop Cars, Firetrucks and Ambulances use them. You can purchase it thru SHI. You may be able to purchase it thru a Verizon Store as well...
 
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El-Dracho said:
...using the cell phone as a mobile hotspot, continues with simple surf sticks and goes further to small, simple WiFi routers with a SIM card. These solutions have the disadvantage that they are used in the vehicle and are therefore more easily shielded. Then we can take into account more complex solutions. Who really depends on the Internet on the road, should reach for more extensive solutions. So fixed mounted system with external antenna. For this, a router is permanently installed in the vehicle and connected directly to the aux battery. In addition, there is a permanently installed external antenna. In some cases, this even allows low-radiation networks to be set up in the vehicle using LAN cables if the router has suitable connections. And then there are the solutions with mobile Internet via satellite.

With mobile routers, it's also important to look closely at which frequency ranges are covered and compare these with the mobile networks of the countries where you want to be on the road.

As an idea: I like it simple and have a very simple small WiFi router, which is charged via USB in the vehicle. I can easily get hold of the SIM card, so that I can also get local cards in other regions and countries and thus reduce costs. It is a TP Link M7350 for 4G/ LTE/ WiFi. It is usable with the frequencies of the mobile networks in the regions where I like to travel.
Click to expand...
In my case it will be for use exclusively within the United States, and for use while driving on the Interstate highway system in the east coast, usually within 250 miles of New York City. This won't really be for Overlanding, since the whole point of that for me is to get away from technology for a week or more. I really don't like the idea of mounting yet another antenna on the vehicle but I realize that may be necessary. As it stands now, tethering to my phone works very well, except that I can't charge the phone while other devices are connected because it draws more current than the charger provides. It will be used to connect my tablet for GaiaGPS navigation and my OpenSpot3 amateur radio hotspot for long conversations on my Yaesu ham rig. My wife's phone will just use her data plan, and we don't carry passengers or kids so no other devices. I'd like to keep it as simple as possible. Unfortunately my OpenSpot 3 is 2.4 GHz only, and the Jeep's WiFi Hotspot is 5 GHz only so I'm kinda stuck.
 
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For years I had a wilson cell booster with and mag mount antenna on the roof of my work truck. This was critical as I managed construction and upgrades to cell towers all over Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Obviously, mag mount antennas are far from optimal. That said, a Wilson Cell Booster made a big difference in some of the least populated and mountainous areas of the United States.

Willy KF0CEO
 
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NJRadioGuy said:
In my case it will be for use exclusively within the United States, and for use while driving on the Interstate highway system in the east coast, usually within 250 miles of New York City. This won't really be for Overlanding, since the whole point of that for me is to get away from technology for a week or more. I really don't like the idea of mounting yet another antenna on the vehicle but I realize that may be necessary. As it stands now, tethering to my phone works very well, except that I can't charge the phone while other devices are connected because it draws more current than the charger provides. It will be used to connect my tablet for GaiaGPS navigation and my OpenSpot3 amateur radio hotspot for long conversations on my Yaesu ham rig. My wife's phone will just use her data plan, and we don't carry passengers or kids so no other devices. I'd like to keep it as simple as possible. Unfortunately my OpenSpot 3 is 2.4 GHz only, and the Jeep's WiFi Hotspot is 5 GHz only so I'm kinda stuck.
Click to expand...
Have you looked for any low powered wifi router that supports both 2.4 and 5Ghz? What I'm thinking is that you could setup a network bridge so that this dual band router would join your Jeep's wifi and expose an access point to your OpenSpot so that it would go:

OpenSpot ---- 2.4Ghz ----> router ---- 5Ghz ----> Jeep -----> Internet

I'm not sure how many routers like this are meant for low powered and/or mobile use, but I know that something like a Raspberry Pi could be used for this. The model 4 has built in wifi and you can add a USB wifi dongle. Add some Linux networking rules and a solid USB 5V power supply and you're good. Raspberry Pis are incredibly affordable as well.
 
David C Gibbs

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Matt Hixson said:
Have you looked for any low powered wifi router that supports both 2.4 and 5Ghz? What I'm thinking is that you could setup a network bridge so that this dual band router would join your Jeep's wifi and expose an access point to your OpenSpot so that it would go:

OpenSpot ---- 2.4Ghz ----> router ---- 5Ghz ----> Jeep -----> Internet

I'm not sure how many routers like this are meant for low powered and/or mobile use, but I know that something like a Raspberry Pi could be used for this. The model 4 has built in wifi and you can add a USB wifi dongle. Add some Linux networking rules and a solid USB 5V power supply and you're good. Raspberry Pis are incredibly affordable as well.
Click to expand...
Matt,
Most Raspberry Pi's are not ruggedized for Industrial/mobility use. They don't handle the shaking, heat, voltage fluctuation. Yes, they are cheap. Met to be installed as a IOT device with stable power.
David
 
Matt Hixson

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David C Gibbs said:
Matt,
Most Raspberry Pi's are not ruggedized for Industrial/mobility use. They don't handle the shaking, heat, voltage fluctuation. Yes, they are cheap. Met to be installed as a IOT device with stable power.
David
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know. Hasn't stopped me from running one in my Hummer for the past couple of years without problems. I power it from my Goal Zero's USB ports. I display OBD-II data on an old iPhone RAM mounted on my dash and record all of the OBD-II data to a Postgres database on the Pi. Works for me. Think it could be a viable option for the OP.
 
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I use a zte wifi Hotspot and a sure call cell booster for wifi internet. Works great can watch Netflix on a roku TV where most people don't get a cell signal.
 
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