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communication:internet [2022/02/27 12:09]
frater_secessus [further reading]
communication:internet [2022/08/18 14:42]
princess_fluffypants Added WeBoost Blurb
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 {{:communication:squishy.jpg?direct&200 |}} {{:communication:squishy.jpg?direct&200 |}}
  
-This is the holy grail of long-term van life, especially for those who prefer wilderness and remote areas. Historically Satellite internet services have been plagued by //very// high prices for minuscule data usage, and unrealistically bulky equipment (think DirectTV dishes). However with the advent of Starlink this may be about to change: https://www.tuckstruck.net/truck-and-kit/geekery/starlink-for-overlanders/+This is the holy grail of long-term van life, especially for those who prefer wilderness and remote areas. Historically Satellite internet services have been plagued by //very// high prices for minuscule data usage, and unrealistically bulky equipment (think DirectTV dishes). However with the advent of Starlink this is changing: https://www.starlink.com/rv
  
-Starlink is the satellite internet service offered by Space-X. $100/mo (and a $500 receiver) gets you extremely fast unlimited internet.+Starlink is the satellite internet service offered by Space-X, and offers a tier of service specifically for RVs. $135/mo (and a $600 receiver) gets you extremely fast unlimited internet in most places in the country.
  
 +The catch is that Starlink //only// works in remote areas. If you have a cell phone signal, you're probably not far away enough from civilization to get Starlink. Out west this is usually not a problem, but east of the Mississippi river there is usually too much population density for the service to be usable. See the coverage map here: https://www.starlink.com/map.  This is a good solution for boondockers who set up camp in the wilderness, but it doesn't offer much usability for urban dwellers.
  
-The catch is that Starlink //only// works in remote areas. If you have a cell phone signal, you're probably not far away enough from civilization to get Starlink.  The receiver((who's official name is "Dishy McFlatface")) is also fairly large (about the size of a pizza box) and takes a lot of power (50-100w continuous draw).  It's a //portable// solution, but not a //mobile// solution. The current technology does not function while moving, and you have to manually update your service location on the Space-X website every time you move more than ~15 miles.+The receiver((who's official name is "Dishy McFlatface")) is also fairly large (about the size of a pizza box) and takes a lot of power (50-100w continuous draw).  It's a //portable// solution, but not a //mobile// solution.  The receiver isn't designed for the sort of vibration and forces imparted when driving, so the majority of Starlink users keep the dish inside the van with them and only deploy it when they're stopped somewhere for an extended period of time.  See one user's experience here:  https://www.tuckstruck.net/truck-and-kit/geekery/starlink-for-overlanders/
  
-The Starlink dish is powered from the included router, or a PoE injector which runs off of AC wall power.  Experiments with powering the injector directly off of 12v DC using a Buck/Boost converter have yielded [[https://www.tuckstruck.net/truck-and-kit/geekery/modifying-the-starlink-power-supply-to-run-on-ac-and-dc/|net power savings of ~30%]].+When using Starlink on the RV plan, your traffic is de-prioritized over users who have a fixed address in the area and you may experience slower speeds. 
 + 
 +The Starlink dish is powered from the included router, or a PoE injector which runs off of AC wall power.  Experiments with powering the injector [[https://www.offgridcto.com/2022/05/23/starlink-on-pure-dc-power/|directly off of 12v DC]] using a Buck/Boost converter have yielded [[https://www.tuckstruck.net/truck-and-kit/geekery/modifying-the-starlink-power-supply-to-run-on-ac-and-dc/|net power savings of ~30%]].
  
 ---- ----
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 ==== Carriers ==== ==== Carriers ====
  
-  * **Verizon** dominates the RV/vandweller market because it has the most coverage, including out-of-the-way places.  This makes it the most popular carrier among nomads and [[camping:dispersed|boondockers]].  Verizon is infamous for being expensive and for doing jerky things like limiting built-in features on their phones.  It can be a bit of a love-hate relationship ((it's just hate)).+  * **Verizon** dominates the RV/vandweller market because it has the most coverage, including out-of-the-way places.  This makes it the most popular carrier among nomads and [[camping:dispersed|boondockers]].  Verizon is infamous for being expensive and for doing jerky things like limiting built-in features on their phones.  It can be a bit of a love-hate relationship ((There is no love, it's just hate)).
   * **AT&T** and **T-Mobile** are about equal -- full coverage near cities and spottier coverage in the boonies. One advantage to these carriers is that their SIM cards can be put in any unlocked GSM phone.   * **AT&T** and **T-Mobile** are about equal -- full coverage near cities and spottier coverage in the boonies. One advantage to these carriers is that their SIM cards can be put in any unlocked GSM phone.
   * **Sprint** is rarely used due to minimal coverage   * **Sprint** is rarely used due to minimal coverage
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 === Cellular Routers === === Cellular Routers ===
 +
 +{{:communication:verizon-certified-automatic-failover-single-cellular-router-max-br1-mk2-2-1800x0-c-default.png?250 |}}
  
 Bigger versions of "Hotspot" devices, they offer more speed and capabilities at a higher cost.  They typically have external antenna connection options, and sometimes the ability to bond multiple connection types together at once. Functionally they offer similarity to a consumer home Wi-Fi router, with the addition that you can stick a SIM card in them for internet instead of needing to plug them into your cable modem. Bigger versions of "Hotspot" devices, they offer more speed and capabilities at a higher cost.  They typically have external antenna connection options, and sometimes the ability to bond multiple connection types together at once. Functionally they offer similarity to a consumer home Wi-Fi router, with the addition that you can stick a SIM card in them for internet instead of needing to plug them into your cable modem.
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 === Professional equipment === === Professional equipment ===
 +
 +{{ :communication:cp.jpg?direct&300|}}
  
 [[https://www.cradlepoint.com|Cradlepoint]] dominates the professional end of the market. Their equipment is extremely durable, very powerful, and comes with a completely baller cloud-management interface. They also have full enterprise-grade support, which is a shell-shock for people who've never experienced what //real// tech support is like. [[https://www.cradlepoint.com|Cradlepoint]] dominates the professional end of the market. Their equipment is extremely durable, very powerful, and comes with a completely baller cloud-management interface. They also have full enterprise-grade support, which is a shell-shock for people who've never experienced what //real// tech support is like.
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 These are commonly used commercially to provide wifi or data in buses, trains, delivery vans, and are targeted to companies with hundreds of vehicles. Because of this they are a lot more expensive than consumers are accustomed to, and much more complicated to set up. They are intended to be deployed and managed by IT professionals, and to be used with [[https://panorama-antennas.com/site/High-Performance-4x4-MiMo-Antennas|roof-mounted antennas]] which can add complexity to a build. These are commonly used commercially to provide wifi or data in buses, trains, delivery vans, and are targeted to companies with hundreds of vehicles. Because of this they are a lot more expensive than consumers are accustomed to, and much more complicated to set up. They are intended to be deployed and managed by IT professionals, and to be used with [[https://panorama-antennas.com/site/High-Performance-4x4-MiMo-Antennas|roof-mounted antennas]] which can add complexity to a build.
  
-{{:communication:cp.jpg?direct&200 |}}+If you have the budget and knowledge for it, the [[https://cradlepoint.com/product/endpoints/ibr1700/|Cradlepoint IBR1700]] is extremely capable. It's ruggedized and designed to stand up to vehicle motion and vibration, and will run off of anything from 9-36v DC (it comes with a pigtail connector to wire into your battery system). It has a 4x4 MIMO cellular radio with the option to add a second, giving the ability to run two different SIM cards from two different providers and load-balance across them both at the same time. It also has three Wi-Fi radios (4x4 5GHz, 2x2 5GHz, and 2x2 2.4GHz), and supports a native "WiFi-as-WAN" functionality. 
  
-If you have the budget and knowledge for it, the [[https://cradlepoint.com/product/endpoints/ibr1700/|Cradlepoint IBR1700]] is almost intentionally built for van life. It's ruggedized and designed to stand up to vehicle motion and vibration, and will run off of anything from 9-36v DC (it comes with a pigtail connector to wire into your battery system). It has a 4x4 MIMO cellular radio with the option to add a second, giving the ability to run two different SIM cards from two different providers and load-balance across them both at the same time. It also has three Wi-Fi radios (4x4 5GHz, 2x2 5GHz, and 2x2 2.4GHz), and supports a native "WiFi-as-WAN" functionality. +A good installation guide is here: [[https://ridingroadsandtrails.com/sprinter-wifi-on-board/]]
  
-Unfortunately they are also very expensive, typically [[https://rcntechnologies.com/shop/cradlepoint-cor-ibr1700-netcloud-package-cat18-cat12-lte-router/|$1,500 for a single-radio setup]] and an additional $500 for the second radio. Their capabilities are unbeatable though.+Unfortunately they are also very expensive, typically [[https://rcntechnologies.com/shop/cradlepoint-cor-ibr1700-netcloud-package-cat18-cat12-lte-router/|$1,500 for a single-radio setup]] and an additional $500 for the second radio and the antennas can run upwards of $400. Their capabilities are unbeatable though.
  
  
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 ---- ----
 +
 +===== Cellular Boosters =====
 +
 +
 +{{:communication:weboost.png?nolink&200 |}} 
 +These devices try to amplify incoming cellular signals, and re-transmit them at a stronger strength. WeBoost is a popular brand.
 +
 +Real world performance is somewhat of a mixed bag. They can help in a few specific situations, but in many other situations they will make performance worse or result in even slower speeds. Much of this is because while modern cell phones (and cellular routers) can typically bond together multiple data streams at the same time for a greater overall throughput, a WeBoost can only pick up an amplify a single data stream. Cruiser and R/V forums and youtube are full of comparison articles and videos doing side-by-side tests.
 +
 +The short answer is that for how much a WeBoost costs, the gains are extremely limited.  It's usually better to put the money towards a Cradlepoint or Peplink router with a good roof-mounted antenna, as that will generally give better performance in a wider variety of scenarios.
 +
 +----
 +
 ===== WiFi ===== ===== WiFi =====
  
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   * [[https://www.technomadia.com/|TechNomadia]] are experts in mobile connectivity, and have [[https://www.rvmobileinternet.com|a dedicated website]] for sharing that information.     * [[https://www.technomadia.com/|TechNomadia]] are experts in mobile connectivity, and have [[https://www.rvmobileinternet.com|a dedicated website]] for sharing that information.  
 +  * [[https://ridingroadsandtrails.com/sprinter-wifi-on-board/]] Has some good information on doing internet in a van
communication/internet.txt · Last modified: 2023/12/06 18:29 by princess_fluffypants