10-02-2012, 08:46 AM
I have been using a Cradlepoint MBR-1400 WiFi as WAN Router in my coach for about 6 months. Even with a Hawkin Indoor Directional Antenna, I was not getting great reception from most RV WiFi signals. We are currently traveling with a long-time friend Don Bradner (Wanderlodge owner). He has been using an EnGenius Outdoor router on his coach for about a year and I was surprised how much stronger signal he was getting. I did some research and ended up ordering a EnGenius ENH200 Business Class Long Range Wireless N Outdoor Client Bridge from Amazon for $73. Since we are Amazon Prime members, I got second day deliver free. I ordered the router in Cheyenne for delivery to Golden, CO shortly after our arrival. Don came over and we set it up in about 30 minutes for a test. It received a much better signal than the Cradlepoint even indoors. Then onto the roof. We already had a lot of wires running across the roof, a cellular antenna, a radio antenna, a CB antenna and the DirecTV antenna on the front and a DataStorm Satellite/DirecTV antenna on the rear of the coach with the wiring running to the front. As a result there were several roof penetrations so we didn't have to create a new hole in the roof. We chose the DataStorm penetration since it was the newest and largest (5 existng wires). We opened that penetration up and ran a single ethernet cable (I used a 50' cat 5e cable, would have preferred cat6 but for WiFi cat 5e is adequate).
The gray wire is the new ethernet cable for the EnGenius
We looked at various mounting options such as mounting the unit on its edge to the side of the CB antenna mounting bracket and finally decided the easiest and most secure method was mounting it flat on top of the cable bundle from the DataStorm, about 4 feet from the front of the coach.
Note the opening for the ethernet cable is mounted toward the rear of the coach.
Don has his mounted on the electric lift for the TV antenna but my TV antenna is at the rear of the coach and I didn't think that was necessary for adequate reception. Don used the stretch electrical tape to cover all the openings to maintain a weatherproof environment with a flat mounting position and both taped and tie wrapped the unit to the cables between two wire clamps that had previously been drilled into the roof. I fished the ethernet cable down through the cabinet in front of the passenger seat, behind the TV, across to the drivers side, through the wall into the light cove on the drivers side, down into the window valence and around the edge of the window to my desk. I used a strip of Velcro to attach to the felt/carpet on the inside of the valence panel, over the wires and ot the felt/carpet again to hold the cables securely and out of sight. The ethernet cable plugs into a power injector that comes with the unit then you need a short ethernet cable to plug into a switch (or a computer if that is the only unit you will have on your network) or the WAN port of a existing router. Don uses a single router at a time (although he has multiple routers in his coach) but I am double NAT'ing using 192.168.5.1 for the EnGenius and feeding it into the WAN port on my Cradlepoint which is still on 192.168.1.1. That gives me flexibility and make it easy to move my computer system (3 computers, one network laser printer and 2 Network Attached Storage units between the house and the coach without having to redo the network setting every time. If you don't have as complicated a system, you can use the EnGenius as a standard router (its default is 192.168.1.1) and run the ethernet cable directly to a computer or a switch after the power injector. The setup and changing from one WiFi signal to another (which you will do a lot when traveling) is not difficult but is easier the second time. I will be happy to provide more guidance to anyone that wants information in setting up the router.
The result so far has been satisfying. Using a standard WiFi USB adapter, I don't get a strong enough signal to connect. Using the Cradlepoint WiFi and WAN router, even with the Hawkin Directional antenna I get high 70's to 80's (not great to barely useable). With the EnGenius on the roof, I am getting signal strengths in the upper 50's to low 60's. That is a significant improvement. It makes the difference between getting a strong signal and getting a signal that keeps dropping.
My signal is NOT as strong as Don's with his mounted vertically instead of horizontally and elevated an additional couple of feet but I didn't have a way of mounting it vertically and higher without a lot of trouble and expense.
EnGenius viewed from the rear of the coach. Other mounting option would have been to set it vertically next to the CB antenna and strap it to the CB antenna mounting bracket (center of roof in front of the unused Satellite dish.
I will update this thread as I travel and use the system more. In the meantime, if you have any questions, ask away.
We looked at various mounting options such as mounting the unit on its edge to the side of the CB antenna mounting bracket and finally decided the easiest and most secure method was mounting it flat on top of the cable bundle from the DataStorm, about 4 feet from the front of the coach.
Don has his mounted on the electric lift for the TV antenna but my TV antenna is at the rear of the coach and I didn't think that was necessary for adequate reception. Don used the stretch electrical tape to cover all the openings to maintain a weatherproof environment with a flat mounting position and both taped and tie wrapped the unit to the cables between two wire clamps that had previously been drilled into the roof. I fished the ethernet cable down through the cabinet in front of the passenger seat, behind the TV, across to the drivers side, through the wall into the light cove on the drivers side, down into the window valence and around the edge of the window to my desk. I used a strip of Velcro to attach to the felt/carpet on the inside of the valence panel, over the wires and ot the felt/carpet again to hold the cables securely and out of sight. The ethernet cable plugs into a power injector that comes with the unit then you need a short ethernet cable to plug into a switch (or a computer if that is the only unit you will have on your network) or the WAN port of a existing router. Don uses a single router at a time (although he has multiple routers in his coach) but I am double NAT'ing using 192.168.5.1 for the EnGenius and feeding it into the WAN port on my Cradlepoint which is still on 192.168.1.1. That gives me flexibility and make it easy to move my computer system (3 computers, one network laser printer and 2 Network Attached Storage units between the house and the coach without having to redo the network setting every time. If you don't have as complicated a system, you can use the EnGenius as a standard router (its default is 192.168.1.1) and run the ethernet cable directly to a computer or a switch after the power injector. The setup and changing from one WiFi signal to another (which you will do a lot when traveling) is not difficult but is easier the second time. I will be happy to provide more guidance to anyone that wants information in setting up the router.
The result so far has been satisfying. Using a standard WiFi USB adapter, I don't get a strong enough signal to connect. Using the Cradlepoint WiFi and WAN router, even with the Hawkin Directional antenna I get high 70's to 80's (not great to barely useable). With the EnGenius on the roof, I am getting signal strengths in the upper 50's to low 60's. That is a significant improvement. It makes the difference between getting a strong signal and getting a signal that keeps dropping.
My signal is NOT as strong as Don's with his mounted vertically instead of horizontally and elevated an additional couple of feet but I didn't have a way of mounting it vertically and higher without a lot of trouble and expense.
I will update this thread as I travel and use the system more. In the meantime, if you have any questions, ask away.
