Winegard® ConnecT 2.0™ Dome Antenna (WiFi Extender, 4G LTE, Omnidirectional HD OTA, FM

[BellaBee]

Does anyone know how the Winegard® ConnecT 2.0™ Dome Antenna
(WiFi Extender, 4G LTE, Omnidirectional HD OTA, FM, SIM Card Port) works?

I specifically interested in the WiFi Extender, 4G LTE functionality. Does this mean you can have full time WiFi while on the road?

I'm not familiar with the way to get full time WiFi so you don't have to rely on RV parks for service connection.

Thanks in advance for any info or links to references.

Cheers,

[Seeking70]

Originally Posted by BellaBee

Does anyone know how the Winegard[emoji768] ConnecT 2.0[emoji769] Dome Antenna
(WiFi Extender, 4G LTE, Omnidirectional HD OTA, FM, SIM Card Port) works?

I specifically interested in the WiFi Extender, 4G LTE functionality. Does this mean you can have full time WiFi while on the road?

I'm not familiar with the way to get full time WiFi so you don't have to rely on RV parks for service connection.

Thanks in advance for any info or links to references.

Cheers,

We have it on our Isata 3. It acts as a WiFi extender and as your personal secure WiFi network. If you have the 4G as well, you can purchase a pay as you go data plan from Winegard, or use AT&T or Verizon data plans. Those are expensive. We used Verizon briefly and blew through 5 gig in a week. We are looking at using Netbuddy, which runs on AT&T, for unlimited and unthrottled data for $60.00 a month.
With the 4G LTE option you will have on the go, full time WiFi as long as you have cell phone coverage and the data limits to do it.
The Connect 2.0 is also our over the air TV antenna, and works ok in that capacity.

[Seeking70]

Originally Posted by Seeking70

We have it on our Isata 3. It acts as a WiFi extender and as your personal secure WiFi network. If you have the 4G as well, you can purchase a pay as you go data plan from Winegard, or use AT&T or Verizon data plans. Those are expensive. We used Verizon briefly and blew through 5 gig in a week. We are looking at using Netbuddy, which runs on AT&T, for unlimited and unthrottled data for $60.00 a month.
With the 4G LTE option you will have on the go, full time WiFi as long as you have cell phone coverage and the data limits to do it.
The Connect 2.0 is also our over the air TV antenna, and works ok in that capacity.

Sorry, I missed a couple of your points. It is only a WiFi repeater in the WiFi mode. If there is WiFi in the park or nearby, it will improve the signal strength but if it is a pay for use network you will still need to pay for access. In the 4G mode it acts as a WiFi hotspot and you can then have on the go WiFi and internet access.

[markdebzac]

You might want to check out the plans offered by the FMCA. You must be a member to participate. Through their program we bought the Verizon mifi jetpack for $.01, with unlimited data for $49.95 per month. The jetpack supports up to 15 devices and the speed is not throttled until you exceed 25 GB in a month. We are full timers and have never exceeded this amount. This has proven to be an excellent solution for us.

[BellaBee]

These replies are very helpful and much appreciated. I love this forum. So many knowledgeable and helpful members.

Thanks again

Cheers,

[bclemens]

Winegard ConnecT RV Internet — winegard.com

Manual is on the right side. The nice thing is you can connect all your devices to the Winegard Wifi. So instead of having to reconnect them all when you get somewhere, just connect the ConnecT 2 to the wifi and then all your devices are already set up with the ConnecT....once it gets internet access that is. Or pop a sim card in and use 4G.

[formerFR]

the Wifi Ranger, or similar models, like ours, is simply an Antenna that can reach out farther than many of your typical laptop, desktop, and cell phones, to reach WIFI connections nearby... may it be an RV Park's free wifi, their paid wifi, or similar wifi signals, such as from McDonalds or Lowes parking lots...

AND, it gives you a single point of connections for all of your wifi devices... this doesn't seem like a big deal, maybe, UNTIL you visit a park that says it has 'free' wifi, only to find out that they LIMIT you to a SINGLE CONNECTION to it, otherwise you have to pay for each additional device(HERESY!!).... but with WifiRanger, you have a SINGLE device!
very nice.

no, the WifiRanger is not going to give you 'anything' for FREE that you don't already get for free. If you want to connect it to your cell phone HOT SPOT, you certainly can...but the question is: WHY?
If your hot spot from your cell phone is already available to your other devices, the WifiRanger is not an appealing option.

Real World Experience: (now that 'unlimited' internet is available from ATT, Vz, etc)

We started out with the wifiranger back in 2014. Worked well and gave us good service for rv parks with weak signals, or hard to reach signals, and a single point of connection for those parks with that pesty 'Tengointernet' free and paid versions that many parks use as their 'provider' of wifi to the RV sites. Yuck!!!!!

When unlimited internet came along, the wifiranger lost it's appeal, and eventually even got removed from the roof and stored, along with other 'older' electronics rarely, if ever, used anymore.

Our cell phone hot spots now serve as our 'wifi' source for all of our devices, including 2 or 3 laptops, book eReaders, 2 desktops, and the myriad of additional items that get used 'every now and then'. Our hot spots go with us everywhere - they're in our pocket, and not attached to the RV. We have them anywhere and everywhere.

[caseymyers]

What FormerFR said. I considered all such roof top devices and even the new TV/WiFi Extender system that is now being installed on Dynamax units. If you have for example an unlimited cell phone data plan with AT&T? Then you have the best WiFi you can get and it's anywhere your phone has a cell signal. We mostly used our iPhones as Hot Spots this past Aug/Sep on a 7,000 mile drive from the West coast to the East and into Canada. While many around us struggled with poor or no WiFi, if we had a cell signal all of our laptops, iPads and such worked just fine. And as for Tengonet, it should be against the law.

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by Seeking70

The Connect 2.0 is also our over the air TV antenna, and works ok in that capacity.

That would be the one trade off I was concerned with. I know that an omni-directional antenna is not quite as good as a directional one. But...

1. with so many people being so far out when they camp...this is many times a moot point as neither style will get any decent channels.
2. There is no blue light inside like the Jack signal meter to worry about
3. MUCH smaller "through roof" penetration. Just the wires come through no shaft.
4. the wires come through inside of the dome, which should result in better sealing.
5. No knob to turn inside, that can sometimes interfere with cabinet doors when we aren't paying attention.
6. The shaft on the King Digital antenna is square, while the hole we cut is round. So it was possible to install the antenna too close to the edge of the hole and then the corner of the square shaft would prevent 350 degree operation.

So in the end...these items outweighed the potential con. Also, I hope to be able to use the FM antenna at some point which gets it to the roof for better FM reception.

[BLT4SPD]

Originally Posted by BellaBee

Does anyone know how the Winegard® ConnecT 2.0™ Dome Antenna
(WiFi Extender, 4G LTE, Omnidirectional HD OTA, FM, SIM Card Port) works?

I specifically interested in the WiFi Extender, 4G LTE functionality. Does this mean you can have full time WiFi while on the road?

I'm not familiar with the way to get full time WiFi so you don't have to rely on RV parks for service connection.

Thanks in advance for any info or links to references.

Cheers,

I've been playing with this antenna on our I5 this past week-ish and have been very pleased.

Step#1 for me was to join FMCA to take advantage of their Verizon Jet Pack/Hot Spot device for $0.01 and $49.95 unlimited data plan (throttled after 25gb). If you went through verizon without FMCA, the device is $99 and a 20GB/Month plan is $110 (if I remember correctly) and then $10/GB for anything over 20.

Step #2 after receiving the Verizon Jet Pack was realizing that it comes with Nano SIM card and the Winegard accepts a normal sized SIM card. Ordered an adapter from Amazon because I didn’t want to go back to the Verizon store to get a new SIM card as that would render the Jet Pack useless in the future.

Step #3 installed the SIM + adapter in the Winegard and went through the set-up to configure it for use with the Verizon network. It is configured to work with AT&T and the changes were pretty straight forward, but you MUST have the ability to connect to a WiFi network because the Winegard has to download some stuff to work with Verizon.

Step# 4 Configure any/all devices to connect to the Wingard that now has connection to the outside world via Verizon 4G LTE.

Step # 5 (optional) Rename the network to something cute to match your personal taste and change the admin password for the Winegard device.

It works very well! I compared the signal that the Verizon Jet Pack was receiving inside the coach to the signal that the Winegard receives on the roof of the coach and it’s quite a bit better. Plus, it’s one less thing that I have to worry about keeping charged.

[bclemens]

Nice, we just had them in today to train my sales, parts and service teams to be able to answer questions. I mentioned that it had been very quiet on this front....so either no one understood it and didn't want to ask questions, or it was simple enough everyone figured it out on their own.

While there are a bunch of wifi extenders out there...this was the only one I saw that also gave you the ability to go cellular. I prefer that as most wifi locations are slow.

Happy that someone is using it and that it seems to be doing what we though it would


next step is to fully utilize the AM/Fm antenna. That way, the head unit and/or wall radio gets the antenna moved to the roof.

There is an adaptor that is needed. coax to antenna. You would tie the coax into one of the TV feeds on that back of the Winegard booster plate (there are 3 TV pigtails). Then that runs to the back of the radio, for what I hope will be better AM/FM reception.

[FOURWHL]

I prefer SSID “PrettyFlyForAWifi”

[Coolbaldguy]

Originally Posted by FOURWHL

I prefer SSID “PrettyFlyForAWifi”

LOL

[BLT4SPD]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Nice, we just had them in today to train my sales, parts and service teams to be able to answer questions. I mentioned that it had been very quiet on this front....so either no one understood it and didn't want to ask questions, or it was simple enough everyone figured it out on their own.

It’s _mostly_ simple. I’m not a techie by any stretch of the imagination and I got it figured out, so that’s a good sign. I am guessing that if you stuffed an AT&T SIM card in there (or activated the existing one) it would have been stupid simple. All of the potentially confusing stuff surrounded the switch to the Verizon network.

I was pretty amazed at its WiFi extender capabilities. I live in a neighborhood where 2-3 acres in the norm and some have 5-10 acres….in other words, we are fairly spread out. When I use WiFi on my phone (for example) it will find our own WiFi network and maaaaaaybe the closest neighbors network. The Winegard found _13_ Wifi Networks. Very weak signals on most of them, but it found them. I was pretty impressed.

[RKBob]

Can it act as a cell booster or does it only function with its own internally installed SIM card ..?

[Seeking70]

Originally Posted by RKBob

Can it act as a cell booster or does it only function with its own internally installed SIM card ..?

It only uses the sim, but does have antennas and being on the roof gets better reception than your cell phone likely can without a booster like weboost, etc.

[dannko]

so the FM is not connected to the outside radio on my new 35DB?

Also how come no inside radio/stereo system on the Isata 5 35DB's?

FYI the upper left cabinet door hits the AC vent, so you are right in your assessment of watching for cabinet doors.

[dannko]

Finally got mine, and I was surprised to see the Winegard on there, I was happy about that. Cell boosters are hit and miss, not worth the money. Glad to have this.

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by dannko

so the FM is not connected to the outside radio on my new 35DB?

Also how come no inside radio/stereo system on the Isata 5 35DB's?

FYI the upper left cabinet door hits the AC vent, so you are right in your assessment of watching for cabinet doors.

1. No. The FM antenna is not connected. early on, the antenna portion was not done yet...but your outside radio will have its own antenna. Our goal is just to eliminate that now that we have the Winegard. But MAINLY it is for the Isata 3 that seems to have a tougher time getting stations with the radio. The Isata 5 has the stock antenna and so we have never had an issue with reception.

2. That's a catch 22. First....everyone seems to complain when I put a DVD player in that is not Blue-Ray (maybe I'm being dramatic). Well, no one makes a Blue-Ray player for the RV industry for a wall mount stereo. Sooo, we opted for a Samsung Blue-Ray Player. Which is also is a SMART Blue-Ray player and you can run apps and other things. we figured that was way more versatile than a stereo that may not be able to pick up any stations out in the boondocks.

[dannko]

Originally Posted by bclemens

That would be the one trade off I was concerned with. I know that an omni-directional antenna is not quite as good as a directional one. But...

1. with so many people being so far out when they camp...this is many times a moot point as neither style will get any decent channels.
2. There is no blue light inside like the Jack signal meter to worry about
3. MUCH smaller "through roof" penetration. Just the wires come through no shaft.
4. the wires come through inside of the dome, which should result in better sealing.
5. No knob to turn inside, that can sometimes interfere with cabinet doors when we aren't paying attention.
6. The shaft on the King Digital antenna is square, while the hole we cut is round. So it was possible to install the antenna too close to the edge of the hole and then the corner of the square shaft would prevent 350 degree operation.

So in the end...these items outweighed the potential con. Also, I hope to be able to use the FM antenna at some point which gets it to the roof for better FM reception.

Personally I like it, I owned an electronics shop and have done more off air installs than I care to remember. Where my new 5 is stored under a metal building was picking up all the local stations perfectly, and the towers are at least 30+ miles away. I was impressed. Have not used the wifi part yet or put in a sim card.

Also the top of the coach with the mobile satellite dish looks really high tech, black ac covers and all. Everything is round and smooth, better aerodynamics.

iI do have a tip, those coax connectors on the T2 and Dish need to be sealed and a dielectric silicone on the fitting (maybe it is, haven't pulled yet).

Is there a wiring diagram showing what is connected to the HDMI splitter and what ports? There needs to be a schematic showing where the wires go, and what they are connected to. Also I have a wireless HDMI, why since you have HDMI running to all tv's except the hall tv in my 35DB Magnetic beauty!