£50 Motorhome 4G Wifi with external antenna - RV, Camper, Van, Caravan - working on the road
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2021
- Is it possible to get a quality 4G Motorhome Wifi Setup for less than £50?
We'll find out!
Sign up for SMARTY and get a free 2nd Month using this link
i.smarty.co.uk/p5atUN
The availability of ZTE MF910 seems to be becoming sporadic but you can try this link s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A7XBIB
Suitable alternatives that are a higher spec have now started to be reduced in price to bring them into the same ballpark are:
Netgear AC782S
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AtZ4kY
ZTE - MF971V
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ApE9ve
You may also want to consider this combined 4G / external antenna setup that we reviewed here: • Easy £50 mobile intern...
Bingfu Antenna compatible with the ZTE MF910 or Netgear AC782S
amzn.to/3aMKe65
#digitalnomad #mifi #mobileinternet
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I will always try my best to link to products of the best value for money, in my opinion. Some of these may include affiliate links where a commission may be received, the price to you remains the same.
Any information provided on this channel is intended for general guidance only and must never be considered a substitute for advice provided by a qualified professional.
Topics in my videos may have potential safety implications for you and your van.
Any information I share in this video is purely my opinion. What you chose to install or how you install it, is entirely your choice and responsibility.
I’ve have recently discovered your channel and like most others, I am very impressed with what you have presented ,the way you present and the depth of practical knowledge you have about subjects that really matter to those that use their vans a lot. I have nil knowledge about routers or antennae but followed your instructions and used the links ans I now have a superb wifi system for our camper at a very reasonable cost. Well done and thank you for saving me many ££££ . I have subscribed based on this experience.
Thanks Anthony!
That’s great to hear, really glad you’ve the videos useful! Thanks for taking the time to feedback and hopefully plenty more helpful videos to come.
Thanks for the sub and happy travels!
Scratching my head as to this topic and found your site. Subbed!
GREAT info for a beginner to Mobile Internets! MUCH obliged!
Great, glad it was helpful! Thanks for feeding back.
hi thanks a lot for your help and advice i have just ordered all those recommended items little more expensive now cost £62 for them all waiting for the to come back cheers again Paul.
Great video, glad I came across it.
Useful as ever 👍💙❤️
Thank You very much for posting this video I have purchased the items detailed and look forward to a strong Wi-Fi mobile signal in our static caravan. V helpful ✅
Looking for something for a static. Did you purchase one?. How did you get on?. Many thanks
Morning everyone!
Have a wonderful day!
Nice vid. I tend to look at the home network setup with external antennas as failovers, but the RV side of it interests me from rf perspective and the wife wants an rv anyways. I did review on cheap antennas, not thought about a cheap system.
Great no-nonsense video as usual. Shared on some narrow boat pages where this is also relevant.
Great thanks! (Hoping you meant No-Nonsense 🤣 if not let me know.)
@@ExploreVanUK - Opps! My bad. I’ve now edited my comment. 👍
Looks good
Order placed! Now all I need is the DVLA to complete their stuff so I can collect the van...
Brilliant.
Awesome just bought via your links
Glad you like them!
Hi do you know where I can change the password? Thanks
@@jayleigh7285
You need to login to the administration dashboard. It might depend on which firmware / network the mifi is configured for but common ones are:
192.168.0.1
m.home
telstra.4g
Alternatively you could download the ZTELink app on a phone which would also enable you to do it.
In the dashboard you can change the WiFi SSID/password and the admin password.
Gary
Thank you very much for such an informative video. I am learning a great deal from these videos. My question is do we need to use both the Bingfu antennas or is one just a spare?
If your MiFI is MiMo (multi in / multi out) it will have two antenna sockets in which case you should connect both antennas.
If it only has one connection it is SiSo (single in single out) in which case yeah you would only need one.
As they don’t appear to do a single pack you would have a spare.
Many thanks for your response, I tried on the site and got nothing back. Enjoy the vids and well presented Cheers
Glad the vids are helpful are! 👍
There are a quite a lot of different sellers doing them on Ali Express. Here are a few of them (I can only vouch for the one linked in the video though as is who I ordered from).
Just make sure it is a European version that you’re ordering.
￡27.73 | ZTE MF910 LTE 4G WIFI Router 4G wifi dongle Mobile Hotspot 3g 4g mifi Router pocket wifi router wifi 4g portable mifi band 28
a.aliexpress.com/_msLmAAR
￡29.62 | Used 4G Router ZTE Unlocked MF910 Mobile Hotspot Pocket Wifi +2pcs antenna SIM card slot 2300mAh Battery PK huawei E5573
a.aliexpress.com/_mtzQNcn
￡27.37 | ZTE MF910 Mobile Hotspot 150Mbps LTE 4G 3G Router Modem WiFi UNLOCKED +2pcs antenna
a.aliexpress.com/_mLAqe2J
￡27.00 | Unlocked ZTE MF910 Plus 4g Antenna Mobile Hotspot 150MBPS 4G LTE Hotspot Mobile 4G LTE Pocked Wi-Fi Router
a.aliexpress.com/_msELpzv
Great info thanks. Can you update on reception when in use in rural areas where signal maybe worse please?
Yep we’ve used it rural areas where we’ve not been able to get a phone signal at all, but this has been able to pick up a signal. In these areas It’s sometimes not fast enough to stream consistently but ok for browsing.
not tried it yet but delivery only took 12days cracking service
This looks great and just what I've been looking for although have a couple questions. The antenna you link to is that the ts9 not the crc9 option we would need? A little concerned that it is 32cm tall, is this rather a lot to be driving around on the roof all the time? Also the link for the netgear is also not working any more, could you link something that is up to date? Thanks
Hi glad you found it useful.
Yes the Antennas are TS9 connections - this is correct for the ZTE and Netgear MiFis.
The magnetic bases are strong and we've had no problem with the length of the antennas (have forgotten they are even up there)
Thanks for the heads up on the link I have updated it - but the price has gone up slightly.
No questions from me, just great content from you! Now to somehow throttle my home WiFi to 15mbps to see if I can still work from home at that speed, to hopefully one day take my office job on the road!
Aw thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated. Fingers crossed that you can there is a lot you can do with 15mbps!
You can throttle your connection speed in Chrome. View > Developer tools > In the bottom pane, second icon from the left (looks like a mobile and tablet > Then in the new top bar that appears one of the options is connection speed.
Great vid. I am living in a caravan on site for this summer, and was intending to use Tethering via my phone to get Internet access , but now find that the signal inside my van (acts like a Faraday cage) is not good enough . I use Tesco with unlimited data (O2) and know the mast is about 1 mile away. It works well outsdie the van but very poor inside to tether, so looking for this as a solution . I was intending to keep using my O2 SIM as i need to go to the continent (Spain) quite a bit and they say that they will not be charging roaming charges post Brexit, not sure if its the same with 3/EE ?
I believe O2 limit roaming to 25gb. Smarty on 3 is limited to 12gb.
Hi. Thanks for the video. I’ve just bought the ZTE MF971V router from your link. Will the antennae that you’ve listed also work with this? Many thanks. 😊👍🏻🌟
Hi yes it will. Just make sure the antenna has TS9 connectors
Great video, thank you. Did you ever make a comparison between this setup vs the Netgear when it comes to signal strength/speed, by any chance? I'm planning to work from my van in very rural locations, and wondering whether splashing out is essential? Thank you.
Hi and thanks, I’ve not done that comparison as it’s not really an equivalent. The RUTX14 has loads of additional features to the Netgear, like GPS, Dual SIM fail over, WiFi relay, the level of configuration for setting up your network, etc
So a straight speed / signal comparison wouldn’t demonstrate the differences. Out of the box there are definitely areas where they would perform comparably but there are also areas where the RUTX14 would definitely out perform it.
It would depend what locations and what network you are on.
As a rough analogy it would be like comparing a top of the range Range Rover to an old Toyota Hilux. Whilst in some situations they would perform just as well, the difference between the two makes them incomparable.
If you are planning to work from the van I personally would go for the best you can afford. (Might even be worth considering Starlink if the connection is essential)
Alternatively you could grab a cheap Netgear and see how you get on, if it doesn’t work out you can always sell it and get better.
@@ExploreVanUK excellent reply. Thank you very much.
Another Gem tx - ;O)
I’ve just discovered your channel and am very impressed with what I’ve watched so far. I love the clear, concise, informative presentation, well done! To my mind you have set the standard for other RUclips videos to aim for.
I have a stupid question, if there’s no charging plug with the ZTE MF910, how do you keep it charged please?
Thank you for the lovely feedback, I’m glad you like them!
The ZTE charges through the USB cable so in the van we just plug it into one of the USB power sockets we already have. If you only have cigarette lighter type 12v sockets a cheap car USB adapter will do the job.
If you’re using it in the house or when bf on mains connection you could just plug it into a suitable USB phone charger plug.
Hope that helps but if it’s not clear let me know!
Thanks again.
Thanks for the fast, helpful reply. I’ve ordered via your link. Tha US$3 discount code didn’t work and I messed up my first attempt to place order so had to go in via the link a second time. Hope you still get rewarded, my apologies if not!
When it arrives I will ask my wife to get the antenna via her Amazon Prime account. I’m going to get an £8 Smarty SIM 3G to see how I get on with the network when we are allowed out in the Motorhome. If you have a link for that SIM I’ll try it.
Great! Hope you like it when it arrives.
The AliExpress links aren’t affiliate so I don’t get a reward from them, I’m just happy to see people not getting ripped off with “Motorhome” wifi kit.
With SMARTY if you order your sim using this link, (it doesn’t matter which plan you pick) we’ll both get a free month after your first month. 👍
referme.to/HLd0Bc
That’s great, thanks!
Well I now have the Mi-Fi, Smarty SIM and antenna you recommended.
It all works in the house and planning a trip in the van for next week so will give it a better try then.
One thing I haven’t been able to do is change the password on the Mi-Fi - unlike yours mine didn’t have a sticker on the back with details but got the ssid etc from the display screen. Can you point me in the right direction please?
Great video cheers could you please tell me how many devices can be connected?
Hi - you can set the number of devices allowed to connect - the maximum is 10 on this model.
Ali Express - i bought several items which were delivered within a few weeks, but now have items from two suppliers that were ordered 3 months ago and i still have not received them...the value is over 300USD. I messaged the suppliers a few times and was told to be patient, then asked to say i received the goods and want to return them, cancel the order and re-order, etc. Over a month ago i started a dispute via Ali Express, was awarded a refund but never received that and i cannot find a way to contact Ali Express. Having said that, i will probably risk buying the ZTE MF910 on Ali Express as its not so much money!
Thanks for the tip off - may be I won't go placing any big orders.
I have ordered a few things now but nothing over £40 ($55 USD) and all have turned up promptly.
How did you make payment? I made a point of paying through Paypal on Credit Card so that i could also seek refunds through both of them if something didn't show up.
@@ExploreVanUK i paid by card via ali express. like i said we have bought stuff of little value over the past couple of years and sometimes it has taken up to 2 months to arrive from china - the missing items were described as being in germany so i thought the transaction was safe, be delivered quickly and both sellers stated that they would refund if not delivered within one month. still hoping the stuff will arrive - from china - and i will post here if they do!
Fingers crossed. You should be able to claim through your credit card company it’s a section 75 refund here in the U.K. may be different in the states.
@@ExploreVanUK thanks - didnt think to claim through my card - i am now in cz but my accnt is with barclays UK.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this video.
I have a question and I'll be grateful if you could help me.
I live in a mobile home and I have Smarty SIM card.
As my mobile home is well insulated, I don't get any internet signal inside so I have to put my phone outside and use it as a hotspot to contact my tablet to internet. I was wondering if it is possible to install an external antenna on the roof and connect it to my phone without using a router, so I could have my SIM card in my phone rather than in a router.
Thank you
Regards
Hi, As you are using SMARTY I am assuming you are in the UK. Unfortunately other than a couple of very expensive options there are no legal Cell phone boosters in the UK and modern phones don't tend to have external antenna connections so its not usually possible I am afraid.
Thanks for the video. I wondered if you had an idea whether this set up would work in Northern France. We have a holiday home there in a rural location and 4G coverage is very variable. I've been looking for a way to get a more reliable service. Any information you had would be appreciated. Many thanks.
Hi - yes, this would work fine in France just make sure the MiFi unit your purchase is "Unlocked"
and the SIM card you use is either:
a) from a French network
b) has Roaming enabled and you enable "Roaming" in the setup section in the MiFi admin pages.
Cheers
Thanks@@ExploreVanUK
Great video, thanks for sharing this! I have purchased these recommended products now. I also see that the MF910 device can be set to "Internet WiFi" as a WiFi range extender. I am thinking that this would be great to extend a weak campsite wifi signal. Can the recommended antennas be used to boost the wifi signal received from the campsite to the MF910 router when used in this mode or are the antennas only for boosting a 4G signal?
Hi Warren, I've not noticed this on the MF910 I'll have to have another dig through the settings.
As far as I know the external antennas are only for the cellular signal.
@@ExploreVanUK thanks. I appreciate your reply. Let me know if you can’t find the “Internet WiFi” settings and I’m happy to explain more. It’s possible I have a later model or software interface on the device I just purchased.
Hi Warren, thanks for this tip, I found the setting last night and gave it a try and it did do a pretty good job of acting as a WiFi repeater to extend the signal from my home. I did have to pop the unit on the roof of the van for it to be any real benefit as the Wifi antennas are in the unit. It could be useful to get connected to a hotspot that is out of range of a phone/tablet etc when in your van!
Hi, great video. I’ve ordered router as your link. I’m wanting to add a puck antenna rather than aerials. The little external aerial sockets seem small and no thread. Do I need to buy a connector to convert the threads to a push fitting or am I just missing something? Cheers
Hi, yeah you probably will need an adapter, the sockets on the MiFi are TS9 type. So either look for a puck with these on already or most will probably have an SMA connector so an SMA to TS9 adapter should sort you out.
Eg these. amzn.to/3r86jlA
@@ExploreVanUK brilliant thanks, all makes sense now. That many numbers and codes for connectors, you get lost. Great channel for info and guides. Keep it up. Cheers Stew
Thanks so much for the video. We are converting a shipping container and need wifi for taking payments (its a coffee container). Do you think this would work through metal? We do have a very large hatch open on one side but there is no signal still.
Hi afraid it’s impossible to guarantee it would work as we don’t know what the signal in the area is like.
However there is much more chance of it getting a signal than a phone / unit inside the container.
The Antennas are mag mount so will attach securely to the container, so I would say there is a good chance if you get them as high on the roof of the container as you can.
Alternatively you could go for one of these on a pole which will maximise the height benefit even more and else I ate any signal loss in the antenna cable.
If you went for the KuWiFi branded version from Amazon you could try it out and if it didn’t work their returns policy is usually very good.
ruclips.net/video/zMgQm5cSlDc/видео.html
@@ExploreVanUK thank you. Really appreciate you taking the time to reply and give your advice.
Great video thanks. Would this also connect to a campsite WiFi? Looking for something that can do 4g and also act as a WiFi extender but not crazy money or too technical for family to setup. Looked at kuma but seems unclear if any of their range has this. Cheers
Hi, actually yes it can, it has an option called “Internet wifi” which will connect to a hotspot and then repeat it.
However I’m not sure how much better it would be as it doesn’t have external WiFi antennas to connect to hotspot.
We previously used a WiFi booster from Alfa which you can see here.
ruclips.net/video/gsMhwMLwOZM/видео.html
But our RUT955 now does it for us, you can see that here.
ruclips.net/video/nF9ZZPHWdpU/видео.html
To be honest though it’s not something we do very often as in most places the 4G connect is far faster than the site WiFi.
Great thanks
Just bought ZTE and aerial based on your excellent video. My router came with 2 small antennas. Tested with them and Bingfu with no appreciable difference. Is there a setting on router for external antenna as there is on some.
Hi, there is no switch to select external antennas it’s automatic.
the little antennas that sometimes come with them seem to be tuned to the 3G band but make very little difference in my experience.
In my tests the bingfu always made some level of improvement to signal strength compared to the MiFi on its own inside the van. but it may be that load on the tower you are connected to or other interference is the limiting factor in the location you are.
I’d suggest trying out the bingfu in different locations (so connecting to different towers) hopefully you’ll then see a difference compared to using the MiFi alone.
We bought a Huawei E5577C from eBay as it had the two TS9 ports, we just couldn't get anything beyond 3Mbs dl and 1mbs ul even with the antennas plugged in at in the upstairs window. We could see it connecting to different cell towers depending on the location and we have no difficulty getting signal In our property generally. We are sending the mifi back as assuming it's faulty.
Apart from that or the device you have recommended, do you know if any other devices with the TS9 ports for the Bingfu antenna? We the bingfus as they were tested and reviewed highly for getting good signal from roof of MoHo.
Hi love your channel and I have taken up and used a lot of your tips, I have ordered and received my wifi unit can't seem to get the same Telestra Home Screen that you show on the video when enter M.Home to change passwords etc. Question do I have to create an account or am I just being thick as I am not good at any form of tech I have got the app on my phone.
Cheers. John
Hi John, glad it’s helpful and you’re enjoying the channel.
It may be that it is configured for a different provider. Check the label it may say what the admin page address is.
Or try going to the following pages once you are connected to it. (These are common admin page addresses)
192.168.1.1
192.168.0.1
You won’t have to create an account.
Let me know if it works.
@@ExploreVanUK Hi yep that worked Thank You
Nearly a a year ago, I followed your suggested ZTE MF910 + Bingfu antennas combo.
Now I'm wondering if I need to make a settings change to switch from the ZTE's internal antenna to enable the external ones ???
Because as far as I can tell, the Bingfu makes no difference signal strength or speeds.
Hi - If I remember correctly there isn't a setting to select external antennas, it is automatic.
Possibly worth having a quick look at the antenna cables to check they aren't damaged and that the connections are sound at the MiFi end.
How / where have you got the antennas mounted and where is the MiFi when testing it without the antennas?
If you are in an area with good signal strength anyway - it's quite possible the external antennas won't make a significant difference, it's when in areas with poor / no signal strength on the internal antennas where external antennas can help to get a better signal.
You can see in the video at 7:55 that we saw a noticeable difference in both signal strength and speed with the antennas connected and mounted on the metal roof of the van, compared to the MiFi being inside the van using its internal antenna.
Having used the Zte device I noticed it struggles with the three/ Vodaphone and idmobile providers. If you disable the 4g in setting it will sort of work but enabling 4g caused the signal to bounce on and off rapidly causing the unit not to receive any internet at all? I have seen in your video that you have a 3sim(smarty) installed and just wondered how you got on? Also read many other reports of the zte not working with the likes of three. I now have a huawei b535 that works amazing! Thanks for your vid 👍
Hi, thats interesting - no I've not seen this behaviour.
We use it permanently with Smarty (Three network) and we have used it on Voxi (Vodafone network) without any issues. In the vast majority of locations we get a stable 4G connection.
@@ExploreVanUK Yea it's odd for sure. Paid about £50 off ebay for the zte, same model as yours. Had problems, contacted 3 also read a bunch of forums where other uses had reported similar issues using 4g on three in these devices. Cannot remember the reasons given but 3 confirmed that it had problems on some sim routers. All my issues where cleared up as soon as I got the huawei but it was twice the price, twice the size and without a display screen, also needs a 12v supply (not a problem in the van) but preferred the ease of the zte that just plugging into a spare usb port. So yea I was gutted my zte did not work for me as it ticked so many boxes. Thanks for the reply
Loving the channel!!!
I’m about to install HiKvision cctv. Will this router and external antenna sufficiently service the system with Smarty?
Personally I would go for a CPE type router that you can network to the DVR by Ethernet cable rather than trying to do it by WiFi
I have one of these that I am currently testing so keep an eye out for a video coming soon.
As for SMARTY it would depend what the Three network coverage was like where you are planning to install it. But the great thing with SMARTY is you can just get it an try it for a month or two and if it doesn’t work out there is no contract.
a.AliExpress.com/_mPG9QOx
@@ExploreVanUK I can still cancel the ZTE MF910 from Ali and replace it with this CPE that your have recommended- I do t understand the CPE though?
Essentially the CPE should let you connect the DVR to the Router by LAN Cable.
Looking at the DVR you linked to in the other comment it says "Connectable to Wi-Fi network by Wi-Fi dongle through USB interface"
So to connect it to the ZTE you will need to add a suitable WiFi dongle to the DVR as the ZTE doesn't have a LAN connection.
It is probably worth chatting to the DVR supplier to see which they would recommend. Both the ZTE and a CPE solution could work but in different ways.
@@ExploreVanUK using something more ‘industrial’ might be the way forward for my needs. My DVR. Should work with something like this: www.3grouterstore.co.uk/3G/Proroute_H685_4G_LTE_M2M_Router.html
@@MacNorm Yep that is also a CPE type unit. I've no experience of that particular make or model but looking at the specs that looks like it would do the job. Though there are plenty of others that would also do it for less cost. If you are comfortable spending more I would recommend the Teltonika RUT950. amzn.to/3tRxYsZ
Hi do you need a specific data SIM card, or can you use the one from my phone with the ZTE MF910, as I am getting “Limited Service” on the screen of the ZTE MF910 and it states no internet connection on ipad that’s trying to connect. Your help is much appreciated
Hi, in most cases you should be able to use the one from your phone unless your provider has blocked it from use in another device.
You may need to set the APN settings in the ZTE to the ones provided by your service provider.
Ive used SMARTY, VOXI, VirgIn and GiffGaff SIMs successfully.
Don't know when this video was posted,but the ZTE MF910 is €65 on Aliexpress now.Great video though.
£28.28 here www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003894764039.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6e8063bcNbE1nW&algo_pvid=24695668-a461-4a78-b043-81af79135045&algo_exp_id=24695668-a461-4a78-b043-81af79135045-8&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000027407511945%22%7D&pdp_pi=-1%3B28.28%3B-1%3B-1%40salePrice%3BGBP%3Bsearch-mainSearch
€41 when I click that link
Yep 41 Euro is about 33 GBP so only a little more might be a bit more to send it to Europe or higher tax rather than UK.
Check different sellers as they have different prices. Also worth checking EBay as sometimes there are local ones.
Thanks for replying
How is best to mount the bingfu ariels? Should they be together or slightly further apart? I have mounted mine at either side of the van but not sure if it would be better if they are closer together
The antennas shouldn;t be too close together as they could interfere with each other. I would suggest having them at least 20cm a part and if possible more than 40cm.
@ExploreVan UK that's perfect thanks. There around 1.4m apart so should be good!
Are the recommended Bingfu Antennas waterproof? If not are there alternatives that you could recommend?
Yep they are waterproof.
How are you finding the coverage with the SMARTY sim?
We've found it coverage-wise pretty good compared to the Vodafone and EE networks we have on our phones.
SMARTY appears to have better coverage especially in more rural areas in England and Wales than the other networks.
However, it's worth noting that the overall speed/bandwidth especially in cities does seem to be slower than Vodafone and EE. Where we often get 20+ MBPS on Vodafone and EE, we usually get 5-10 MBPS on 3/SMARTY thankfully we rarely need more than 1-2 MBPS so it's not a problem.
Not able to find this ZTE option, is there a replacement since the video was made ? Cheers
Link in the video notes still works - still showing 110 available
www.aliexpress.com/item/4001273136118.html
I see that this router is missing B20 (800MHz) supposedly used in rural areas (at least it is here in Spain).
For the price one cannot really complain, but I found a slightly more expensive MF971V model which should have both B20 and B28 (useful in France), as well as 5GHz wifi. Im not sure if the seller is trustworthy, and since these are usually telco provided units it's difficult to find information.
Also, I suppose that the bingfu antennas can only be used while stationary.
Waiting for your video about the tianje unit.
Great point and you're right the 800 Mhz band (also added by a few UK networks when analogue TV was switched off) does have better range but also has pretty low speeds due to the way it is portioned off.
The bingfu antennas mag mounts are very strong and we've not had a problem using them when moving.
An early spoiler on the Tianje outdoor modem - it's convenient, easy to set up cheap, and performs pretty well. The compromise it it is only SISO on the 4G side, but it performs pretty well despite this. I would say it was a compromise over a MiFi and external antennas. Video should be coming soon!
Great recommendation on the MF971V - though price-wise you're getting towards something like the Teletonika RUT240 which might be another good option.
If you go for the MF971V it would be great to hear what you think of it!
@@ExploreVanUK I'm still undecided, but I saw the MF971V for ~50-60€ (though I don't know how reputable the sellers are), while the cheapest RUT240 is ~130€ on ebay and I'm not sure I need all of its features (I saw your video about it BTW - edit: I just realized it's about a different model, d'oh).
Besides, I can take a mifi outside the van and power it from its own battery if I ever need to do so, I couldn't do that with the RUT240.
Decisions, decisions.....
Hi, I have this router and get great signal both from the mast and from there router. Unfortunately it does not connect to the Internet. The APN seems to set automatically and correct (talk mobile sim). Any ideas very welcome.
Great channel :)
Hi, that’s a difficult one without being able to see it. If you download the ZTE app to your phone there is a diagnostics tool that could be useful.
If you drop me a message via the contact form on our website www.ExploreVan.uk we can share more info over email and hopefully get it working for you.
@@ExploreVanUK
Wow a super fast reply and offer of more help. You're a very kind guy. I will send you a message privately as you suggested. May thanks.
I did look but there are now serval app options and the one I selected is just the Web url setup adress as a short cut haha.
Hey, no worries. I've replied to you're email. Just so it's on the thread the App is called ZTELink.
The solution for others:
The auto APN seemed right but infact was incorrect, entering the APN manually fixed the issue. I was using a talkmobile sim.
Thanks for your help Mike! :)
Is there away of improving phone call signals
You can get phone signal boosters, but approved ones that meet Ofcoms standards in the U.K. start at around £400.
However, if your mobile provider includes WiFI calling as many do, if you have a 4G router / MiFi with external antennas providing WiFI it has the advantage of allowing your mobile to route your calls through it. This works well for us.
Hi bud, great video and exactly what I was looking for to avoid the 300 bucks kit.
How did you get the cables inside your campervan while maintaining waterproofing?
Thanks - really glad it was useful!
Great question, if you want a permanent solution rather than just running it through a window I used one of these.
amzn.to/3xE2MzM - as the cables are quite thin you would either need to pack out the cable to make it thinker with tape or use some sealant on the entry gromit just to make sure its waterproof (I used sealant)
@@ExploreVanUK So if using this,do I need to put a hole in the roof.
Not if you have another way to get the cable out (door / window) and if roof is steel for the magnets to attach to.
Hi there, can I use this with the external aerials to receive camp site wifi signal. Then boost as a hot spot?
No, the external antennas are for 3G/4G cellular signal only.
@@ExploreVanUK thank you for the helpful advice.
I need to mount the aerials on a metal plate as the caravan roof is not magnetic. Is there a distance recommended between the two aerials on the roof or doesn't that matter? Thanks
Remembering back to my HAM radio days from a technical perspective the minimum distance should be a quarter of the wavelength of the lowest frequency of the antenna.
So 800mhz is the lowest frequency you’d use which has a wavelength of just under 0.4 metres.
So technically you could mount them as close as 10cm. However if you can, having more separation is likely to improve their performance, so I would go for as wide as you practically can, at around 2 to 3 wavelengths (80cm to 120cm)
@@ExploreVanUK thanks for the reply 👍 I will look into it
Bought the ZTE mifi & antennas mentioned in your video. One surprise was that my Smarty SIM was at least 4x up to 10x SLOWER in both the new ZTE and my old Huawei units.
Is there a mifi setting I should change?
Or is Smarty throttling mifi usage?
Same sim, same time, up to 10x slower in mifi compared to phone.
The ZTE has a Cat 4 modem.
You don't say what phone you are comparing it to, but in a good area I would expect most modern Smart phones (that are often Cat 10+ modems) and would usually cost much more to perform better than this modem.
The benefit of the mifi comes in areas of weak / poor signal, being able to use external antennas. You can't do this with a mobile phone. You should find that this will get a usable signal in some areas where your phone will get nothing and a better signal in areas where your phone struggles with a poor signal.
@@ExploreVanUK Thanks for prompt response. Hadn't considered that... phone is Samsung S9Plus... so not new.
So you'd suggest looking for a Cat10+ mifi?
If such a best exists?
I've only seen Cat6
OK, brief look, Samsung phone is apparently a Cat18 so a mifi hasn't a hope in hell of getting comparable speeds, if I understand this correctly.
So I can stop chasing.
Thanks for your very informative videos, I've learnt a lot.
Hi i cant access the portal for changing ssid, do you know the domain i can do this?
It might depend on which firmware / network the mifi is configured for but common ones are:
192.168.0.1
m.home
telstra.4g
Alternatively you could download the ZTELink app on a phone which would also enable you to do it.
If none of the above work let me know if the device is branded in anyway and I'll see if I can find any others.
👍
How does it fair in rural areas please guys ?
It’s a lot better than a phone or having just a MiFi in the van. Obviously there are still areas with no signal at all. But it can pull in a signal in more areas.
If you wanted to spend more there are even better antennas (have a look at the reviews / tests in the other videos on the channels, but they are more expensive.
Hi, how far away from the main antenna can you receive the signal, thanks
Do you mean the WiFi signal from the MiFi to the device?
Or the 4G signal from the cell tower to the antenna?
@@ExploreVanUK yes the 4G signal from the cell tower to the antenna, thanks again
In this case we were 0.76 miles from the nearest 3 network mast. But I’m Afraid there are too many variables to make that measurement useful, different cell towers have different heights, frequencies, directional antennas, what is between you and the antenna will make a big difference to what the signal strength could be by the time it gets to you.
All I can say is using the increased Gain external antennas you can connect to towers that you can’t without them.
Is your caravan roof magnetic? Mine isn't. What do you suggest about fitting the aerials?
We have a campervan and the roof is steel, so no problem with mag mount antennas. The Bingfu antennas we got did come with small 3M type double sided sticky pads which may work, or you could use sikaflex to stick down either the antennas or a small steel plate for the antennas to attach to.
Ok I ordered the kit and am really impressed with it at that price. I've got a 3 sim in it and get good speeds. I've yet to test it out on site but it gives me other options to our planet sims. Still to sort out the aerial mounting but I'm sure that will work out ok. For the total price it's brilliant
Great video, I found it very useful.
I've subscribed aswell.
Mine has arrived, I put a voxi sim card in it.
It says on the screen its Conected to Vodafone network but I can get my phone or laptop to connect to it.
I've downloaded the app and been in the router setting but i still can't connect to it.
I'm wondering if it's the sim card.
Hi Matt,
Is it connecting your phone to the WiFi you are having an issue with or have you been able to do that but are not able to access the internet once you have connected?
@@ExploreVanUK when I try and connect my phone to the WiFi from the device it says connected without Internet. Same on laptop.
But the divise has good signal according to the laptop
Ok sounds like the APN isn’t set correctly.
First try setting it to Auto.
If your using the App it’s in Settings, Connection Settings, APN. Make sure mode is set to Auto.
See if that kicks it to the right one.
If not pop it to manual and set it to the APN for VOXI.
Which is.
Name: Vodafone internet
APN: pp.vodafone.co.uk
Username: wap
Password: wap
If that doesn’t work. Try the network diagnostics in the App.
Settings, Network Diagnostics, Start Diagnostics. Check you get 6 ticks. If not let me know anything that has a cross by it.
Any chance of finding a 5g router for under £200?
Not yet I don’t think, but I’ll be looking out for when they start coming down to a reasonable price as I want one! 👍
Around £300 is the best I have seen
But I can buy a Huwawei mifi for under £50 in the UK? Am I missing something?
With external antenna connection? Have you got a link?
@@ExploreVanUK just tap Huwawei E5576 into Amazon. I would still have to buy the aerial. Perhaps I’m not comparing the same kind of thing? Great video anyway by the way.
There is no connection for an external aerial so it's a different type of product
Yeah sadly as @bluejuiceT4 has said the E5576 doesn’t have an external antenna connection. In practical terms this means your signal strength is going to be reduced when the unit with an internal antenna is inside your van. It's by no means a bad buy and it will work (you could even put it on the roof in a plastic box to improve the signal) but the advantage of external antenna connections are you can have the unit inside and the antenna out and by using a higher gain antenna improve the signal strength and quality received and sent.
I probably should have made that point clearer in the video.
Thanks for taking the time to feed back.
@@ExploreVanUK all understood now thank you. Better go and buy your suggestion now :)
Neither of those products are available on Ali
Thanks for the heads up. I have update the link in the video description.
Hi, I have recently founded a FB group for those converting vans to campervans / motorhomes, it was formed a month ago and we are currently at 400+ members, I would like to post some of your videos for information on various aspects of self building if that's acceptable with you. Many thanks Eddie
Hi Eddie, absolutely no problem, please do!
Feel free to share the name of the group here as I am sure there are subscribers that may want to join.
I'll also join and share any relevant new videos as they get released if you want.
Hope the group goes well!
I received mine but does not work. WiFi exist but internet does not load. :(
What network SIM card are you using?
Have you set the APN?
What does the diagnostic test show? (See 7min 18sec in video for how to run it)
Did anyone had that problem?
@@ExploreVanUK
I'm using one of the largest network in Poland.
Diagnostics show all 6 items checked blue.
OK!! i set APN to "Auto" and now it works... Thanks man
Now i just have to wait for my antennas from ali as well. And im set 😎
Great stuff! Glad you’re sorted!
Great video thanks. Tried to order ZTE router on aliexpress and it said it couldn’t deliver to my region (UK). Has anyone know how to get round this? Or do you have recommendations for next best option? I’m struggling to find one with external antenna ports.
Hi Clare that's strange, I had mine delivered to UK and I know other subscribers have too.
I have just tried this link www.aliexpress.com/item/4001273136118.html and it seems to be allowing me to place the order for delivery to the UK. Although I have not actually placed the order as I don't need another one ;-)
At what point is it stopping you?
Hi @ExploreVanUK
Thanks for all your help.
Success! Worked on laptop not phone. Let’s hope it arrives before Scottish trip🤞
Great stuff, 🤞🏻
so wanted one after this video, but Ali express not shipping to the UK ;_( the 920 doesn't have external antenna ports
Really where are you seeing that? The one linked looks like it’s still shipping to U.K. when I go into it.
Received mine today but no wifi password anywhere on device so cannot connect to it 😭
I've had 3 of them now (gifts for people) and they have all had the password on the back with the SSID.
If not, it should show on the screen anyway?
Otherwise I can only suggest dropping a note to the supplier.
@@ExploreVanUK the screen ones were sold out so I received one without screen but from same seller. They said to log into router over usb to access router set up page and find wifi code but the usb is not working on it 🙈 so it’s a paperweight.
That’s not good. I’ve removed the link for now while I look into other sources for them.
I’d raise a case through AliExpress for a refund.
@@ExploreVanUK I have requested a replacement with wifi details so see what happens.
@@ajpepe72 👍 let me know how it goes.
zet 971 (your link) £63
Yep - this video is over a year old and MF910 are pretty hard to find now. The MF971 is a newer model with Cat6 modem and better performance but the price at the moment is higher.
However, right now there are some MF910 available for £37 from this supplier - however I doubt they will be available for long.
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A7XBIB
Too fast and too complicated
Thanks for the feedback and sorry it didn’t suit, you can set the play back speed to 0.75 or even 0.5 in the player controls if that helps.
I make an effort to keep my videos short and to the point as I have a personal dislike of long rambling video.
If there is anything you want more clarity on do let me know details and I’ll help if I can.
Does it have a battery as we go wild camping 🏕
Yes built-in rechargeable battery which charges via USB.