WiFi Ranger
We installed a WiFi Ranger in our coach to improve reception of weak WiFi signals and lower power campground signals. At the time this was the WiFiRanger Home and WiFiRanger Mobile (really a Ubiquity Bullet with custom firmware) combination. Later we updated this to the Go2 combination, mainly due to a poor firmware update which bricked our Ranger.
Rooftop
The function of the rooftop unit (WiFiRanger Mobile) is to better capture wifi signals and repeat them for your use. They either repeat them wirelessly, if you don’t have an inside unit, or they send the signal to your inside router (WiFiRanger Home) over Ethernet for your use. The inside router acts as your own secure access point.
We attached the rooftop unit to our windup TV mast and brought the ethernet cable down through the existing TV cable opening. The ethernet cable was then routed over to the Ranger unit which provides the POE (power over Ethernet) to the rooftop unit.
Inside
The WiFiRanger Mobile (now the Go2) is really the heart of the system, and acts as a wireless router. It accepts Internet connections from cellular modems, cellular wireless routers, the wired rooftop WiFiRanger products, or from conventional cable/DSL modems. All you have to do is connect via WiFi to this unit, and it then communicates with the rooftop unit and other internet sources attached to it. We mounted the unit to the inside of one of our cabinets and placed all of the ancillary items behind that.
It will handle all these connection types and present back to you one wireless local network for your devices to connect to. Your devices only need to know about the WiFi Go2 connection, even when your Internet source changes depending on what is available to the rooftop unit.
What you are paying for is the advanced WiFIRanger firmware that controls all the hardware so it is seamless. This has been a nice addition to the coach, it allows us to have a single WiFi hotspot that our computers are connected to while the Ranger determines which internet “provider” to use. Often thats one or both of our cellphones in wifi hotspot mode, but sometimes its campground or rest stop signals.
