Pepwave / Peplink 5G cellular router

[captain_dave]

Anybody familiar with this puppy?
Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G | All-in-One 5G Solution | Wi-Fi 6 | 2x2 MU-MIMO | MAX-BR1-PRO-5GH-T-PRM
Considering it for install on my Ocean Alexander for coastal cruising. I want wifi access throughout the boat from high speed internet via cellular for phones/TV/movies.
I've searched the forum but don't see any references to it.

[rslifkin]

It's a fairly new device, but the Seabits blog has a good review of it. If I were shopping today, that would be my pick for a device in that range. Personally, I've got the slightly older Pepwave Max Transit Cat-18 on my boat and have been quite happy with it.

[Elzaar]

Great timing. I was just about to ask if anyone had any latest information on cell systems.
Thanks!

[shimari]

seabits also discusses the netgear nighthawk 5G as I recall. A cheaper solution, but likely not as robust as Peplink.

[bjornfb]

We have the Peplink HD1 Dome on the mast and a WiFi hotspot in the cabin. Love the device: a single wire up the mast (power and signal combined) and fast, really fast: faster than the Comcast cable internet used to be. We have two SIM cards and it chooses the one with the best signal. Reliable, robust, easy, fast, I can definitely recommend the Peplink products.

Cheers,
-Bjorn

[Steve_C]

I would be curious to know what antenna would be best suited for this router, and if it would be better to keep it on the cabin with a shorter cable or try to get some height and put it on the spreaders

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

I would be curious to know what antenna would be best suited for this router, and if it would be better to keep it on the cabin with a shorter cable or try to get some height and put it on the spreaders

Definitely no long antenna cables. The loss at cellular frequencies is bad enough that by the time you run up to a spreader, you're likely worse off than you started. So I'd just put it on the cabintop or somewhere close to the unit.



The best antenna out there that I've seen for it would be a pair of the Pepwave Maritime 20G antennas. There is a 4x4 MIMO version where you'd only need one, but it doesn't perform quite as well (per the specs). There are also (with slightly lower performance) puck type antennas if the mounting works better for you.

[sailingunity]

We just bought the cat 18 max and are happy with it so far thought we haven't had a chance to really put it through it's paces. I haven't bought the maritime antenna yet but I'm thinking about it. Generally anchorages are far enough from 5G towers that I don't think you would see much benefit, most 5G frequencies are fairly short range.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

We just bought the cat 18 max and are happy with it so far thought we haven't had a chance to really put it through it's paces. I haven't bought the maritime antenna yet but I'm thinking about it. Generally anchorages are far enough from 5G towers that I don't think you would see much benefit, most 5G frequencies are fairly short range.

Frequency wise, it depends on the carrier. Verizon and T-Mobile at least (not sure about AT&T) have deployed lower frequency 5G stuff. It's not a lot faster than 4G, but it has the same longer reach as the lower (and somewhat slower) 4G frequencies.



Personally, I haven't felt the need to put external antennas on my Max Transit CAT 18 yet. It's mounted fairly high in the cabin and off to the side (not much to block signal), so I figured I'd try it with the included antennas first and only add external ones if I decide it's necessary. So far, I haven't seen it show less than 3 out of 5 bars of signal on T-Mobile, even in areas of generally iffy signal, or 6 - 7 miles offshore.

[captain_dave]

The problem I see is the service plans, in addition to getting the right equipment. ATT, for example, does not offer unlimited 5G data yet, only 100GB data limit. After that, it gets expensive and it slows down.
I recently discovered 5G, unlimited service via T-Mobile, and a charity: https://calyxinstitute.org that provides MIFI M2000 equipment and unlimited 5G service for a fixed price. Not sure how the billing works vis-a-vis T-Mobile, but for $750/yr first year (price includes the MIFI), $500 yearly afterwards, looks like a great deal.
If 5G is short range to begin with, doesn't make much sense to have an elaborate antenna. Just mount the MIFI as high in the bridge/cockpit as possible.

[rslifkin]

Unlimited data that you can bring your own hardware is a bit tough to get. T-Mobile dropped their 100GB plan, best they offer now is 50. AT&T offers 100GB, Verizon offers up to 150. Most of the unlimited options require you to use their hardware, or are from somewhat iffy resellers that often end up disappearing after a few years.

[Steve_C]

5G is a marketing label and does really mean just one frequency or capability. It really refers to the new generation (5th) of how the data is dealt with within the packets and how it's transmitted and received. There are Ultra-High-Band (UHB) deployments in dense urban areas that are crazy fast and can handle a very high number of connections but are very short distance due to the higher frequencies they use. Verizon apparently prioritized this when they began rolling out 5G. T mobile prioritized the Low-Band 5G that had great reach in rural areas but was slower and could handle less traffic. When they merged with Sprint they inherited a huge swath of Mid-band frequencies that was a compromise between the two. This gave them such a big advantage in 5g roll-out that Verizon & ATT filed a joint suit with the FCC claiming it gave T-mobile an unfair advantage. ATT is somewhat of a mix. I have been using T-mobile in an RV solution for the last 18 months mostly in the western United States and have been pleasantly surprised by the speed and coverage.

What I am doing such a poor job of trying to say is that you can't categorize 5G as just one thing.

I am looking for a solution for the Med and the rest of the world outside of the US so I want to make sure I cover as many bands as possible and have the dual sim functionality. This router looks like my best bet for now.

[chubby]

peplink is great.. i'm bit a fanboy of their services.. i *only* use their routers in my work life.


MAX BR1 Pro 5G is super... it's great for police officers, ups/fed drivers and maybe those boaters with "limited" power would benefit from this rugged single sim "all in one" modem systems. big negative is $$ for what you get



similar reliable mobile performers include the:

RUTX50.. duo sim so this would be a competitor of the Br2 pro from peplink

https://teltonika-networks.com/product/rutx50/


and the MOFI5500-5GXeLTE-9191-5G-SUB6-COMBO. (not duo sim) super company with hx good customer service

https://mofinetwork.com/product/mofi...lte-5g-router/

..both the above are better values(but not as easy to purchase as the peplink)


i use peplink's MAX Adapter 5G(for celluar connections) connected via usb to a peplink two router (primarily to pair 2 starlinks together)


no complaints. setup is not much more than plugging in, setting up speedfusion and then forgetting about it