Ultimate RV Internet Setup: Triple WAN Router Changes Everything

[@youremydestination2309]

We travel/work in our RV about half the year and use a pepwave, but have been considering switching to one of these for 5g. Pro tip: instead of setting your router SSID to the same as home; create a specific one for your RV. Then you can set that SSID to 'low data mode' on your devices. Most hotspot-friendly data plans are only 50/100GB, and it disappears a lot faster than you expect. Another reason to use a custom SSID: you don't necessarily want your phone to auto connect for the same reason (and it already has it's own data connection). The only time we connect our phones to the RV hotspot is if we're casting to the TV. But we built a home server for the RV with Jellyfin, so we don't need that most of the time.

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

Great tip!

[@anthonymudge9768]

I feel having the same SSID without being on the same subnet could cause some confusion if people were trying to game on the LAN over Wi-Fi...

[@Willp4139]

I have owned the Spitz AX for about 9 months now. I bought it to use as a failover WAN connection after a series of sustained outages from my ISP. My SO works from home, so we needed a cellular connection fast enough for Microsoft Teams video calls. I bought a SIM from Tello mobile and I get 5 GB/mo for $10/mo on a data-only plan. Tello is a prepaid service, so if we experience another sustained internet outage, I can increase my data plan for one month and change it back the next!

[@justepic7029]

GLinet makes the most functional travel routers, the only drawback is that they are made in China and their openWRT is closed, so who knows what they did to the code.

[@Michaelp715]

You do have the ability to access the full WRT interface.

[@justepic7029]

@ the interface is irrelevant… it’s not OpenWRT, it’s based on OpenWRT. It’s their own closed source version.

[@603Madison]

I've been using this model with a Waveform QuadMini antenna at home for a few months now. I'm able to pull 500m down and 30 up through that modem, and it offers me a cheap, fast and relatively reliable backup internet connection.

[@mwolrich]

Bought this router over a year ago, good choice 😂. I use it as a backup for Comcast,which seems to go out while I’m working (remotely).. I had T-Mobile home internet as a backup, but that was $50/month, I’m using the T-Mobile BYOD plan for $10/month, it does have a limit of I believe 30GB/month, then it throttles the connection, but it’s perfect for the occasional backup use, and saves a lot on the cost of having a backup. I did get the better directional antenna for it, and pointed it at the nearest T-Mobile 5G site, works well 👍

[@tornadotj2059]

Fellow Forest River owner here, we have a Rockwood. My primary ISP at home is T-Mobile with a Waveform directional like you showed, but since I'm in the boonies out here the best I can get down is 40mbps. I wish I could get those speeds you are getting! Thanks for showing that external antenna for wifi, I may get one of those for my RV also.

[@karlsenpal]

Great movie Chris. Since you have both the Spitz and the Berly, you could use them combined with the Spitz as router and the Berly in access point mode. Then you can take advantage of the external WiFi antennas as well

[@InfinityDIY]

ordered one quiet a while ago, and installed it in my RV a few month ago. I love these little GL.inet routers. Also works awesome with Wireguard Site to Site with BGP to announce routes

[@tommy146958]

Chris, excellent review! I've been considering the Spitz AX for some time but recently came across the newer Puli AX, which is only about $20 more as of November 2024. Both models seem impressive, but the Puli AX stands out with slightly faster Wi-Fi speeds and the added convenience of a built-in battery, which is particularly useful during power outages. If you ever get the chance, I would love to see your thoughts on it in a future review. I've been a big fan of your work for years-thank you for consistently providing such insightful content!

[@werecow68]

1:14 you have a great helper Chris. Something to think about is that T-mobile offers "backup" internet for $10 a month if you're a current customer. Limited to 130GB / month, but for an RV user who isn't permanently living in it, should be enough. Also Visible for $25 a month has unlimited hotspot albeit at 5mbps.

[@chrisw4144]

Peplink antenna works great with the ax too

[@dansprenger4647]

Its almost the perfect router for an RV. I wish it had a 12v input to power directly from the rv batteries. Very cool router though....I want one

[@niiiiiix]

The DC jack supports 9-36V input, it'll manage it's power. 3:04 timestamp in video of the power jack.

[@dansprenger4647]

​Fair enough..I missed that. Specs on the website said 24v. Would still be nice to not have to make an adapter yourself. ​@@niiiiiix

[@krispeekornflex]

No matter where you travel! Borneo Rain Forest, "Hold my beer."

[@justintyme6920]

Thx Chris - I'd love a side by side with pepwave.

[@pedromenardo]

I'm not sure if its in this video, put you had stated that if you activate your Starlink, let say, half way through the billing cycle, your will be charged the full month. Can you confirm this? Because I read differently from Starlink in which they charge prorata of remaining days of the cycle. Thus, for our example, 50% of total monthly cost.

[@nerd_fathersons5468]

You should test Teltonika routers

[@ImZaDi-love]

So, by using this option this would negate using Speedify, correct?

[@AllthingsFoodieTX]

Does it work better than slate because slate works than disconnects while traveling

[@trebep]

Can you use your iPhone hotspot for the wifi as WAN? Also what unlimited monthly (no contract) SIM options do you recommend? Going to start traveling with our camper more in 2025 and have the mobile Starlink so this seems like a great option.

[@tornadotj2059]

Yes you can tether your phone to it. I have two SIMs, one is in a T-Mobile router before they started GPS tracking on them, and the other is an AT&T "unlimited" tablet plan. Note that after 22 gig AT&T says they have the right to start throttling you on busy towers, but I've never had them do this.

[@ChrisBloom]

Great video, thanks for sharing. For a permanent scenario that already has a UDM-SE, would you recommend using the failover of the UDM to cellular only on the Spitz AX, or just put everything coming into the Spitz AX (Starlink + cellular) and let it handle failover?

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

UniFi has an LTE failover device, but IIRC, it's just 4G. Regardless - if it's just for failover, then 4G is fine.

[@ChrisBloom]

@@CrosstalkSolutions Yes, I actually have that with an external antenna and it works ok...but it's expensive to run for more than a couple of days. you are correct, it's just 4g. It'll run a POS system fine but the max data you can get is 20gig, and when the owner decides to stream netflix even though I told him not to...lol

[@dorkultra]

Would love to know if it allows you to tweak the cellular settings for TTL so that it uses cell data as opposed to hotspot tethering data

[@k-ivan256]

yes the Modem inside allows setting TTL. MTU, IMEI, band locking and so many other settings.

[@wilty5]

Is this router just useful for RVs or is it also useful in a home setting? Can I use this router instead of or in conjunction with the all in one router/modem provided by my ISP, T-Mobile ?

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

There's no reason why you couldn't use this in a home setting.

[@wilty5]

Thanks

[@k-ivan256]

There is a bigger brother of this router with a built-in battery called Puli AX which can run off its internal battery for approximately 9 hours, useful for on the go or home. It effectively has a built-in UPS for uninterrupted use.

[@wilty5]

Thanks

[@martinstechplace]

This looks to me like a cellular version of the Beryl AX😀

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

Yes - it's like the Beryl AX on steroids.

[@robertbuffalo8287]

I have this for more than a year. I put a T-Mobile sim card in with 100GB per month. However, my IPTV will not stream HD channels using this router. Other then not streaming IPTV HD router works good. I can stream HD with YT. At my home right next to a cell tower it speed from 500MB to 800MB down with this router, but still cannot steam my HD IPTV channels.

[@BillWilder]

Love the exposed QR code

[@francismori7]

2.5GB WAN and 1GB LAN? what's the point

[@bizzfo]

Post your Cerro Gordo footage, Bents latest episode doesn’t do it justice I’m sure

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

Soon!

[@muckwa10]

what about does it work in Europe?

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

If you have SIM cards, Ethernet, and/or Wi-Fi - then yes it will work the same.

[@DangerPlayzYT]

I should of known that was a rickroll on the back of his laptop.

[@Michaelp715]

Why must I choose to connect external wifi antenna or not? 3:22

[@seynsfrederic1143]

What if you drive to a other time-zone

[@CrosstalkSolutions]

It'll still work.

[@garylgoldberg]

It might work great but it looks like a menorah.

[@goldenmcnugget-001]

first

[@kevinbradt835]

Crosstalk solutions how do I setup a site to site openvpn between a pfsense firewall and a edgerouterx I have watched a video and it failed well trying to configure it here is the the link to the video that I watched to get it setup kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpXGdKuNobOhlbcsi=kc2HZAb1bL1hWp2W can you please make a video on how to do this vpn please