Using MiFi to provide WiFi at home

[Lizbiebrowne]

Wandering around the NEC last week and dropped by at the Motorhome WIFI stand as I’m wanting to install a MiFi in the van. I was shown their latest range of setups, some of which are portable and described as being able to used within the home as well as in the van.

This got me thinking because I’ve a quite poor broadband connection at home and using a MiFi/WiFi system to service both the van and the home sounds attractive.

Have any other funsters installed a MiFi system in their motorhome that they also use to provide a WiFi system in their home?

 

[PP Bear]

Looking at a mifi myself, but then got a right result from edf energy.

They’re doing major works for a day and cutting all power for 6 hours, with an offer to supply free wifi routers if needed.

Called them today as SWMBO works from home and no problem says the lady, I’ll send you 2 and there’s no need to return.

Once we’re done for the day, I’ll trial them in the van, winner

 

[Mikeco]

Did it for a year as we used to spend 6 months in Spain and we were paying for the broadband at home but not using it. It worked okay but went down a bit at nighttime and it would struggle to stream anything onto the tv. Had it connected to an outside aerial pointing at the mast on a hill a mile away.

 

[steve69]

I got rid of BT and started using mifi at home a year ago. Much cheaper, works brilliantly and I take the modem with me for wifi in the moho.
Highly recommended.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

If you have some of the smart heating systems, CCTV, Ring doorbells, or similar you still need an active broadband service even when you have gone away. Makes picking up your sole MiFi router and putting in the van a bit of a challenge.

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[Trevor Wbm]

Keep in mind that, at home or in the van, your WiFi us only as good as the mobile network you are attached to, and potentially subject to lower speeds or even being kicked off the mast during peak times, particularly in the evenings. Operators only put in enough capacity to keep most of the people happy most of the time, and the more rural you are, the more likely it is to be on a mast with lower bandwidth capacity.

Do some research and see which network gives best 4G / 5G coverage where you live. The best network, or any of the virtual networks it supports, may not be the cheapest.

 

[gus-lopez]

This got me thinking because I’ve a quite poor broadband connection at home and using a MiFi/WiFi system to service both the van and the home sounds attractive.

Just make sure you have a decent mobile signal.
We use a data sim in a router that we take away when we go. I have to continually move the aerial for as the signal isn't good. We have no other option if the wife wishes to watch tv as the companies that supply wifi by dish & line of sight can restrict it for tv streaming. Router works brilliantly everywhere including uk it is just where we live & being lower it is a dead spot.

If you have some of the smart heating systems, CCTV, Ring doorbells, or similar you still need an active broadband service even when you have gone away. Makes picking up your sole MiFi router and putting in the van a bit of a challenge.

I turn the electric off except to the circuit the fridge & freezer are on

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

I got rid of BT and started using mifi at home a year ago. Much cheaper, works brilliantly and I take the modem with me for wifi in the moho.
Highly recommended.

Thanks for the reply - can you describe the components that your systems in your van and home are comprised of?

 

[dunnah01]

A couple of cheap Chinese repeaters and a Motorhome wifi setup has seen us fine for the past 2 years around the house and in the van. Bought a cheapo Lebara sim and USB dongle to monitor the CCTV and send electric readings whilst away in the van,

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

I turn the electric off except to the circuit the fridge & freezer are on

I leave the electric on and turn the fridge freezer off, but then we do go away for a few weeks at a time.

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[steve69]

Thanks for the reply - can you describe the components that your systems in your van and home are comprised of?

My provider is Giffgaff (O2). £6 per month for 2Gb, modem currently £10 for 20 Gb per month (but you can increase this anytime you like - they currently do 100Gb for £20 or £35 for unlimited Gb)
Huawei mifi modem is 5 years old now. Still works fine but a newer model should be even better. I have taken it from Lands end to John o'groats and always had excellent TV coverage - rarely any buffering. The only bad spot was at a campsite in London, strangely.

A little tip here - when using the modem in the van, move it as far away from trees/hedgerows as you can, It's surprising how such vegetation can affect the reception.

 

[steve69]

Sorry, I omitted to say that £6 per month is for the phone, £10 per month for the modem.

 

[Manic]

I use a Huawei B535 which is a home router and this works well in our motorhome with a antenna on the roof.

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

I use a Huawei B535 which is a home router and this works well in our motorhome with a antenna on the roof.

Can you recommend an antenna?

 

[Manic]

Can you recommend an antenna?

I fitted this to my motorhome

Broken Link Removed

and when in the house router sits on windowsill.

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[Orion]

Have any other funsters installed a MiFi system in their motorhome that they also use to provide a WiFi system in their home?

Yes and no. I’m posting this sitting indoors but via the mobile router in the MoHo outside the garage across the lane, (Teltonika RUTX12/Poynting MIMO-3-17), which provides much faster speeds than the copper wire BT home broadband. Everywhere around us has fibre, but even though there looks to be little chance of it coming down our private lane I’ll still keep the BT contract to run home security etc. while we are away. If you don’t have a requirement for online access at home while not there, then a transferable mobile solution is certainty worth looking into. I’d deffo ensure that a decent roof antenna is specced for the MoHo - a good MIMO with maybe 4x4 LTE - and a router with matching connections. Don’t worry about the technical aspects of using individual components rather than buying a ‘package’ as you’ll get much more bang for your buck that way - I’m relatively inexperienced when it comes to Wi-Fi stuff but had no problems getting everything setup.

 

[andyb999]

We went from BT Broadband that we'd had for 10 years and swapped to 4G router (4G routers currently half the price of 5G so may upgrade at a later date when they come down a bit). Went with SMARTY, which is on the Three network. Unlimited data for £20 a month. It's been fine! We also have a mini battery powered WiFi router for the van that we use another pay as you go SMARTY sim. Our phones are on EE so if the MiFi doesn't have a signal with Three we can at least tether with one of our phones.

 

[Manic]

Went with SMARTY, which is on the Three network. Unlimited data for £20 a month

I went for Smarty phone sim, works ok in router, unlimited for £15, they don’t seem to do the deals on data only ones

 

[MattR]

I would start any investigation Lizbiebrowne with working out how many devices you want to use on the mobile WiFi (tablet / computer, security, TV streaming, Google hub / Alexa etc) and find out how much data you use a month.

Then find out what network(s) gives the best speed in your area. Some service providers are a bit optimistic with their published data speeds but it will help you eliminate the weakest ones. I'd then look for the best deals available for the anticipated data you need. Lebara works well for me and uses the Vodafone network. It is better for me than EE which is my phone contract.

I would then get / borrow a mifi and test out the connection, speed etc of a cheap 30 day sim and see how effective it is for some of the things you plan to use it for. If that works, get a better 4g router and either extend the sim contract or get another deal. If you need to retain WiFi whilst away (eg for your Ring doorbell), you could consider getting two sims which could still be cheaper than a landline broadband, especially if the second sim is only activated when you go away.

 

[Littlewheels]

I don’t really get all the WiFi lark, l have a large amount of Gigabytes on my sim deal in my iPad and allow access to my Hotspot and we run three other devices through it. Spanish sim,being used in U.K. and currently in France.

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[Lizbiebrowne]

After doing a bit of reading and research on here and elsewhere I think I'm going to go for a Teltonika router (for home and van) and a Poyntings external antenna (for the van). Question is which models as I'm far from an expert and find the technology and specifications a little baffling.

So on the Teltonika front I was thinking either the RUT951 or 955. On the antenna front a Poynting MIMO-3-12 V2.

Am I on the right lines? Any advice on which model numbers to choose would be gratefully received.

 

[MichaelT]

Yes and no. I’m posting this sitting indoors but via the mobile router in the MoHo outside the garage across the lane, (Teltonika RUTX12/Poynting MIMO-3-17), which provides much faster speeds than the copper wire BT home broadband. Everywhere around us has fibre, but even though there looks to be little chance of it coming down our private lane I’ll still keep the BT contract to run home security etc. while we are away. If you don’t have a requirement for online access at home while not there, then a transferable mobile solution is certainty worth looking into. I’d deffo ensure that a decent roof antenna is specced for the MoHo - a good MIMO with maybe 4x4 LTE - and a router with matching connections. Don’t worry about the technical aspects of using individual components rather than buying a ‘package’ as you’ll get much more bang for your buck that way - I’m relatively inexperienced when it comes to Wi-Fi stuff but had no problems getting everything setup.

Fibre in our village comes via overhead wires so I would have thought so long as its there you should be able to get it. Ours is new build so its underground to our house.

 

[Howard B]

I did a bit of research and plumped for the Teltonika 955 & Poynting MIMO3-12-2 for my van. Looking at a similar setup with repeaters for the house when my current Virgin broadband deal expires later this year.

 

[Geistguy]

I'm not at all "techy" but our home wifi is via a EE 4g mini router that I take away with us, it plugs into a USB which keeps it charged. This was suggested by EE rather than using my phone as a Hotspot.

 

[Orion]

Fibre in our village comes via overhead wires so I would have thought so long as it’s there you should be able to get it. Ours is new build so its underground to our house.

I’ve questioned both BT and Openreach and it’s due to a convoluted and complicated routing and we have no chance of fibre in our lane in the short to medium term unfortunately.

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[Orion]

After doing a bit of reading and research on here and elsewhere I think I'm going to go for a Teltonika router (for home and van) and a Poyntings external antenna (for the van). Question is which models as I'm far from an expert and find the technology and specifications a little baffling.

So on the Teltonika front I was thinking either the RUT951 or 955. On the antenna front a Poynting MIMO-3-12 V2.

Am I on the right lines? Any advice on which model numbers to choose would be gratefully received.

The MIMO-3-12 is not the best option for those routers as it lacks 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi, which both of them have output connections for. The MIMO-3-15 is a better choice and includes GLONASS/GPS which matches the 955 perfectly as it can also be used as a tracker.

 

[Howard B]

The MIMO-3-12 is not the best option for those routers as it lacks 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi, which both of them have output connections for. The MIMO-3-15 is a better choice and includes GLONASS/GPS which matches the 955 perfectly as it can also be used as a tracker.

What is the advantage of using the Wifi? Solwise advised the MIMO 3-12-2 fir the van when i enquired with them.

 

[Madeinengland]

I moved into rented accommodation and didn’t want to take on a fixed contract for broadband. I bought just a relatively inexpensive TP M7350 MiFi as I didn’t think I’d be here for long. Two and a half years later and still using it without any problems. We take it in the motorhome and I’ve even popped it in my handbag when I’m running low on data on my phone. NB. I use GiffGaff which is payg and I can change the data amount as and when needed.

 

[Manic]

What is the advantage of using the Wifi? Solwise advised the MIMO 3-12-2 fir the van when i enquired with them.

I think it would only be useful if you were somewhere that faves free wifi eg, campsite

 

[Orion]

What is the advantage of using the Wifi? Solwise advised the MIMO 3-12-2 fir the van when i enquired with them.

Increases the range over which the Wi-Fi is available. If used solely within the vehicle then the rubber duck antennas that come with the router will probably suffice, but the OP and thread is about using the router in the van and accessing it from the dwelling. I’ve experimented with my RUTX12/MIMO-3-17 combination, (which has the same 2x2 2G & 5G Wi-Fi), and with the MIMO can connect to it from the far side of the house and across the lane, which is no mean feat due to 600mm exterior walls that even the wired system and powerline gizmos can’t achieve going the other way. No chance of that with the rubber ducks.

I believe it’s a minimal cost difference between the Poynting MIMO-3-12 and 15, and given that the 951/955 already have the matching connections for the Wi-Fi, it may be a better choice.

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