12v wireless router - lightweight and low power

[RogerIvy]

Does anyone know of a good natively 12v wireless router that is small and light.

I’m avoiding those powered by USB as then I have to make and carry an adapter.

The unit won’t be on a Motorhome, I’ll have a small solar panel with a battery and need to be as simple and light in weight and power as possible. It will hook up to a modified StarLink (housing idea stolen from MisterB and electronics from Oleg Kutkov).

 

[Sasbo]

One of these? Has an included option for direct 12v power supply.

VONETS VAP11S Industrial High Power 2.4GHz WiFi Bridge/Repeater/Mini Router/ Ethernet to WiFi Adapter Hotspot Extender with 2 RJ45 Ports/Antennas USB/DC Powered for DVR Monitor Network Devices https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WC9MNYG?tag=mhf04-21

 

[starquake]

Fora static install that small, I'd look at the industrial units from Teltonika (many options) or Mikrotik Chateau series. Both require being placed in a waterproof box, but will cope with a 10v-24v supply range AIUI.

Chateau series have LTE(4g) too, but if you need JUST a router, then Mikrotik do some access points which would meet the spec, I'd look at a HAP AC3 for a modern one (about £70 last time I checked). Despite being technically wifi access points, Mikrotik don't limit many to just this functionality and they can be configured to route too. Ie, with a Chateau it would be possible to configure it to use 4g unless Starlink tests up with some custom config (allowing best of both worlds). Meaning you only need to put dishy out if 4g isn't better. I use some Mikrotik devices to do custom work too, where i have certain devices using one 4g connection and another set of devices using another... with them auto-failing over to other in event either goes down...

Be warned load-share/active load balancing on a mikrotik is quite a complex thing to configure and manage thuogh. Failover (automated) with link preference is "easier", but still not a OOTB config.

I've used mutliple of the Mikrotik LTE Dish antenna (LHG) connected to a AC3 AP with the AP holding the load balance/failover/dhcp server as an example of what is possible in a similar "static" on battery config.

 

[Malcolm7777]

Does anyone know of a good natively 12v wireless router that is small and light.

I’m avoiding those powered by USB as then I have to make and carry an adapter.

The unit won’t be on a Motorhome, I’ll have a small solar panel with a battery and need to be as simple and light in weight and power as possible. It will hook up to a modified StarLink (housing idea stolen from MisterB and electronics from Oleg Kutkov).

I did have a small Huawei one on my last caravan, but hardly used it. If you have a smart phone. go to Settlings and connections/wifi/tethering or whatever comes up, and switch on Hotspot, this will allow you to use your phone (and your Data allowance) as a router
Good Luck

 

[Jabstatt]

You probably already have a 12v to usb converter

Cig socket to usb in your car!

Way more router choice and generally cheaper

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[MisterB]

Roger ended up using a Beryl router which he found really good on his outback adventure. I'm thinking of stripping one down and just using the router board internally in the Starlink housing. I've already successfully fitted the Starlink router board INSIDE the Starlink housing, which also works really on the tests so far and means it's all fed from just one 12v cable from the motorhome or small lithium battery.

 

[Aireworth]

How small and light does it need to be? Most home routers are 12v, albeit about the size and weight of a dessert plate.

 

[MisterB]

My router is inside the Starlink housing ...

 

[Aireworth]

I'm sorry, I'm still at a loss as to what's trying to be achieved. If its only the router that's in that Starlink housing, I'm sure there's plenty of 12v home routers that would fit in there. But as I say I'm not clear what's going on.

 

[RogerIvy]

I'm sorry, I'm still at a loss as to what's trying to be achieved. If its only the router that's in that Starlink housing, I'm sure there's plenty of 12v home routers that would fit in there. But as I say I'm not clear what's going on.

When I posted my question I was about to travel to the outback in Australia with my hacked Starlink system. I wanted something that I could take in my luggage and that would run on 12v so as to be the most efficient it could be. In the end I settled for something that ran off USB-C, it was ok but a bit hungry.

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[MisterB]

I'm sorry, I'm still at a loss as to what's trying to be achieved. If its only the router that's in that Starlink housing, I'm sure there's plenty of 12v home routers that would fit in there. But as I say I'm not clear what's going on.

I think Roger just answered 'whats going on', he had a specific reason for his query which he resolved himself, as although it wasn't a common query, it was one that someone trying to push the boundaries was trying to see if anyone had pushed that particular boundary....

And I don't believe lots of routers would fit inside the enclosure I made, I think a lot of router circuit boards if removed from their router enclosure would though, but there doesn't seem to many people prepared to cut up/dismantle their Starlink dishes and routers to see if it 'might work' and then posting which one works best and why .....

 

[Jev88]

Huawei e5577 - micro usb.

 

[RogerIvy]

Huawei e5577 - micro usb.

How would you connect it to a StarLink dish - it doesn’t have a wan or lan port?

 

[Aireworth]

And I don't believe lots of routers would fit inside the enclosure I made, I think a lot of router circuit boards if removed from their router enclosure would though, but there doesn't seem to many people prepared to cut up/dismantle their Starlink dishes and routers to see if it 'might work' and then posting which one works best and why .....

Sorry I wasn't clear - I was thinking, after what had been said earlier, that the innards of many routers would fit inside that container, but I've no real idea of its size.
Bit of an older thread than I realised, glad its all sorted.
I am still generally puzzled by folks overlooking the use of home routers in motorhomes in favour of the portable MIFIs.

 

[RogerIvy]

I am still generally puzzled by folks overlooking the use of home routers in motorhomes in favour of the portable MIFIs.

If a MiFi had a port allowing it to connect to something like a StarLink that would be great. But I’ve not found one.

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[MisterB]

Sorry I wasn't clear - I was thinking, after what had been said earlier, that the innards of many routers would fit inside that container, but I've no real idea of its size.
Bit of an older thread than I realised, glad its all sorted.
I am still generally puzzled by folks overlooking the use of home routers in motorhomes in favour of the portable MIFIs.

Yes, it is an older thread but still has some valid information in it. Roger was looking for a simple easily portable solution, which my Child of Starlinkenstein would have resolved, but I hadn't got that far with it when he needed to go on his adventure.


I think portable MiFi's are used widely in motorhomes as they can accept a SIM card. Home routers are possibly better at transmitting the WiFi signal, but you need to be able to connect them in some way to that WiFi signal. MiFi's connect via a SIM card, so it's a simple 'fix' and most don't appear to have an ethernet cable connection as they're not needed whereas most home routers connect via a cable to the internet 'source' via that ethernet cable. That makes them adaptable to be used with starlinks.

If the home router is equipped with external antenna then it makes it less of an option to fit inside a starlink housing, it's not impossible but would then need the antenna to be fitted externally to the Starlink housing OR would it? Would the antenna still transmit the WiFi signal. It doesn't seem as though anyone has tried ......and I'm not so sure there would be any greater benefits than simply using the original starlink router board inside the housing. I'm happy with my rest results.

 

[Aireworth]

There are plenty of home routers that accept a sim card - that would be a pre requisite for using them in a MH IMO.
As I understand it the home routers I have used have no external antennae for Wifi - although some can be connected to external Wifi antennae. The external aerials they come with are for the phone signal, although they work perfectly well without them in areas of good coverage. And if you're in an area of bad coverage your really need an appropriate external aerial on the roof.
The rabbit's ear aerials they come with make no difference to either Wifi or mobile signal performance in my limited experience.

 

[Jev88]

How would you connect it to a StarLink dish - it doesn’t have a wan or lan port?

Sorry. Didn't notice that it had to link to Starlink.