WiFi Hotspot Question

oldjohnt · February 17, 2023

Okay gents, in the RV I have BOTH AT&T plus Verizon Jetpack/Hotspots each with an external MIMO Antenna Amplifier BOTH work fine and subject to location one can be stronger than the other. My laptop or cell phones see both those (and others) WiFi sources and we select one or the other to connect to......

QUESTION is there some sort of Software or a piece of Hardware/Router that will COMBINE the two WiFi signals and output the sum of both (like WiFi 3 etc) to increase up and download speed ????????????

John T NOT any WiFi or Router expert, Im old school can barely answer my smart phone lol

hemsteadc · February 17, 2023

I don't know, but have you looked at Starlink?

Will B. · February 17, 2023

Watching. I don't know of anything like. My Pepwave has both AT&T and Verizon chips, but you can't "join" them. (It's partly about the outbound IP address, it would constantly switch.) There's "Speedfusion Bonding", but that's just some place in the cloud making sure you have connectivity, but you are still relegated to a single cell network speed, really.

Starlink has been good. It's getting swamped here at Winter Blast in Lake Havasu, and going to get worse because of all the non-RV'ers coming in, using up the AT&T (that's better than Verizon at the moment). I had to get the Starlink out this morning and get it fired up.

oldjohnt · February 17, 2023

1 hour ago, hemsteadc said:

I don't know, but have you looked at Starlink?

Thanks, yes I looked at it, something like $600 to purchase then maybe $130 per month and it needs a clear sky to pick up the signal. Its one more tool in our internet bag of tricks. Unless Im wayyyyyyy out in the boonies far from a cell tower either AT&T or Verizon is working even under full tree shade canopy. I was just wondering if the two could be combined in rare cases where the location yields a bit slow service. Oh Well its tough out here lol

Thanks for the comment, take care now

John T

Chalkie · February 17, 2023

I have not personally tried this out, I only know a friend that uses it. There is an app called "Speedify" that combines WiFi sources into one. It is available for Win, Mac, Android and iPhone. You might check it out for yourself.

Kirk W · February 17, 2023

2 hours ago, Chalkie said:

There is an app called "Speedify" that combines WiFi sources into one.

I just found Speedify on the internet. Very interesting in deed!

EDIT: Here are links to two reviews that I just found.

Speedify’s name promises a lot, but does it live up to its claim?

Speedify VPN Review & Test 2023

Edited February 17, 2023 by Kirk W

docj · February 18, 2023

7 hours ago, oldjohnt said:

QUESTION is there some sort of Software or a piece of Hardware/Router that will COMBINE the two WiFi signals and output the sum of both (like WiFi 3 etc) to increase up and download speed ????????????

There are quite a few routers that enable you to combine multiple internet connections in a "load balance" configuration. This doesn't increase the speed of the connections, but by having more than one "pipe" you can effectively increase the throughput. Unlike Speedify, there is no cost for doing this other than the cost of the router.

In addition, having two or more connections allows them to "fill in for each other." For example, I use a load balance which combines my Starlink with a Verizon hotspot. The combination virtually eliminates the effects of period Starlink outages.

Edited February 18, 2023 by docj

oldjohnt · February 18, 2023

15 hours ago, Kirk W said:

EDIT: Here are links to two reviews that I just found.

Speedify’s name promises a lot, but does it live up to its claim?

Speedify VPN Review & Test 2023

Thanks Kirk, good info, looks like it may not be what Im looking for ?? I prefer a hardware solution versus any monthly fees grrrrrrrrrrr

13 hours ago, docj said:

There are quite a few routers that enable you to combine multiple internet connections in a "load balance" configuration.

Thanks doc, a few I looked at appear to use LAN cable (for multiple sources) while my Hotspots ONLY produce Wireless WiFi (NO LAN terminals). I have to figure out if any of those multiple input Load Balance Routers can receive dual WiFi INPUT Signals and produce a new WiFi OUTPUT my phone or laptop can connect to ???? Have you any thoughts on that ???????????????

NOTE I may be over reacting as far as I actually NEED this device......Its rare that either ATT or Verizon dont yield all the speed bandwidth and internet I need........Our current location is like the ONLY place the past months where service is a bit on the slow side ITS JUST I LIKE THINGS IN THE RV TO BE NEAR PERFECT LOL 90% isnt good enough lol

Thanks everyone

John T

docj · February 18, 2023

1 hour ago, oldjohnt said:

Thanks doc, a few I looked at appear to use LAN cable (for multiple sources) while my Hotspots ONLY produce Wireless WiFi (NO LAN terminals). I have to figure out if any of those multiple input Load Balance Routers can receive dual WiFi INPUT Signals and produce a new WiFi OUTPUT my phone or laptop can connect to ???? Have you any thoughts on that ???????????????

NOTE I may be over reacting as far as I actually NEED this device......Its rare that either ATT or Verizon dont yield all the speed bandwidth and internet I need........Our current location is like the ONLY place the past months where service is a bit on the slow side ITS JUST I LIKE THINGS IN THE RV TO BE NEAR PERFECT LOL 90% isnt good enough lol

Thanks everyone

John T

I have no idea if the moderators will permit me to respond to your question because I am affiliated with WiFiRanger, a Winegard Company subsidiary, but I'm going to try.

WiFRanger routers can provide a load balance configuration using up to two WiFi sources (2 and 5 GHz), up to two Ethernet sources and up to three USB-tethered devices. I have personally configured a load balance with five sources.

From what I have read, there are other routers that can provide similar capabilities. This is not an attempt to market a product; it is an answer to oldjohnt's question.

oldjohnt · February 18, 2023

Thanks Doc, even before/without your comments, I already considered those brands to be top notch and will be doing my homework

John T

Anawilliam850 · February 20, 2023

Yes, there are devices called "dual-band routers" or "load balancing routers" that can combine multiple internet connections, including WiFi, to improve download and upload speeds. These routers work by distributing the traffic load across multiple internet connections, allowing users to take advantage of the combined bandwidth.

One popular example is the Peplink Balance One Dual-WAN Router, which can balance up to two wired or wireless connections. Another option is the ASUS RT-AC88U Wireless-AC3100 Dual-Band Router, which can load balance up to four internet connections, including two WAN and two LAN connections.

However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of these routers will depend on several factors, including the strength and quality of the individual internet connections, the number of devices connected to the router, and the amount of data being transferred. Additionally, some internet service providers (ISPs) may not allow users to combine multiple connections, so it's important to check with your ISPs before investing in a load balancing router.

Overall, if you're not familiar with setting up and configuring routers, it's recommended to consult with a professional or seek help from a knowledgeable friend to ensure that the router is set up properly and securely.

palmeris · February 20, 2023

Dual band and dual modem, allows 2 sims per modem, plus 2 wans, and additional goodies..also can combine and load balance all connections... expensive

docj · February 20, 2023

5 hours ago, Anawilliam850 said:

Yes, there are devices called "dual-band routers" or "load balancing routers" that can combine multiple internet connections, including WiFi, to improve download and upload speeds. These routers work by distributing the traffic load across multiple internet connections, allowing users to take advantage of the combined bandwidth.

One popular example is the Peplink Balance One Dual-WAN Router, which can balance up to two wired or wireless connections. Another option is the ASUS RT-AC88U Wireless-AC3100 Dual-Band Router, which can load balance up to four internet connections, including two WAN and two LAN connections.

However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of these routers will depend on several factors, including the strength and quality of the individual internet connections, the number of devices connected to the router, and the amount of data being transferred. Additionally, some internet service providers (ISPs) may not allow users to combine multiple connections, so it's important to check with your ISPs before investing in a load balancing router.

Overall, if you're not familiar with setting up and configuring routers, it's recommended to consult with a professional or seek help from a knowledgeable friend to ensure that the router is set up properly and securely.

With all due respect, the term "dual band router" has nothing to do with its ability to perform load balancing. The common usage of dual band is to refer to routers that can support both 2.4 and 5.8 GHz WiFi.

Furthermore, I fail to understand how an ISP can prevent someone from using multiple connections. The load balance is performed on the output side of the modems and/or WiFi. At that point the "signal" is nothing but data and the ISP has no say in how you use it.

jbh · February 20, 2023

I don't know if either of your devices will allow you to select bands to be used, but that makes a huge difference. Most just tune to the strongest signal and that's it.

For example, the strongest signal where I am is Band 66 and that gives me all off about 200KBps throughput while Band 4 gives a steady 20MBps. An ordinary hotspot-style device will usually tune Band 66 and cause many people to complain that "Verizon doesn't work here."

So look into that, and get an antenna up on the roof.

Chad Heiser · February 20, 2023

I have an Insty Connect router in my rig. The one I have has a dual sim modem that allows you to use two different cellular provider SIM cards in the same modem. The unique thing about Insty Connect is that the modem is in the antenna on the roof and the router is inside the RV. This means data is being pushed down from the antenna/modem rather than signal like with typical routers that have the modem built into the router inside and an external antenna outside. The design helps reduce the signal lost between the antenna and the modem in the wire run.

Insty Connect also allows load sharing or priority/back up and other configurations between the multiple internet sources. It will also share a wan wired signal from something like Starlink with an Ethernet port. I currently have an ATT sim in the modem (I am not using the second sim port at the moment) and also periodically connect my Starlink to the Insty Connect router. I have it set to seamlessly prefer Starlink when it is present but fail over to ATT when it isn’t. I could have it share the signals if I wanted. I am very happy with the product and have personally met the developer/owner of the company the last two years at the Quartzsite big tent show. He is an RVer and was in the tech industry. He developed the Insty Connect because he couldn’t find anything on the market to do what he wanted as far as keeping him and his family connected when camping in rural areas.