Togo Roadlink & ATT

Anyone use the Togo Roadlink with ATT for your wifi?
As I understand it, you buy the Roadlink roof mount unit for $399 and then sign up with ATT for $360 for a year of unlimited wifi. Sounds very interesting to me, but I'm curious about the installation.
I am not very adept nor fond of the idea of crawling around on the roof of the rig and drilling holes.
I would like to know if Phoenix has done or will do such installation. Especially since they are scheduled to start building our unit in a month or so.
But before I take the plunge, I would like to hear from users of the system for their pros & cons. Usage vs costs, etc.

thanks

Gary,
I'm sorry but I don't use and can't provide any information on the Togo Roadlink system.  I will briefly mention the system I use (and like) for any value that might add.
I do believe that Phoenix would probably be willing to install the Roadlink antenna during your build.  I base that on the fact that during my build last December and January, Phoenix installed both a cell phone and a wifi  booster system on my unit which included mounting external and internal antennas, amplifiers, and running the cables for both systems  I ordered those systems and had them drop-shipped to Phoenix, and they installed them.

In researching a mobile data system, I became aware that one difficulty was that most plans and programs, even those advertising "unlimited data", incorporated either some type of data cap or used "throttling" to manage/reduce heavy data use, especially in congested use areas.  Whether or not that is an issue would depend on the individual--a very light data user may never notice the impact, whereas it might be a major problem for a heavy user.  In some cases the providers were very upfront about their policies and reductions; in other cases the reality was buried in fine print and footnotes that weren't easy to ferret out.  One resource that provided a lot of information on the issue was the Mobile Internet Resource Center--a site that sought paid subscribers but that provided a lot of "up front" info for general browsers on the site.
One of their references to third party providers for truly unlimited data was OTR Mobile, and I ultimately ended up using that source.  This is a true "data" system--doesn't handle phone calls or text messages--but provides data for computers or other types of data use.  My main reason for selecting that provider is that, although pricey (about $60/month), they offer unlimited data through AT&T with absolutely no data cap and no throttling of any type.  You can use your own hotspot device, if you have one, or purchase one elsewhere or through them.  Since I didn't have one, I bought the Netgear Nighthawk unit from them along with the plan.  Although the Nighthawk will accept an antenna connection, I have not yet needed any type of antenna for excellent reception everywhere I've been.  The data is truly unlimited with no restrictions--I spent the entire month of September in a rural area of northern Wisconsin with no TV reception.  Along with my regular steady computer usage, I streamed Hulu television six+ hours per day over the data connection, using (I'm sure) a very large quantity of data--never had a glitch.  I use the system continuously while driving to feed data to my IPad, and so far have had no areas where reception has been an issue.  I haven't even used my cell phone booster system to help the Nighthawk reception--but there may be some areas some day where that is necessary.

I apologize for the long-winded input that doesn't even directly address your original question, but this solution has worked well for me and I thought it might be helpful to others.

All the best,          Mike

Hello Mike
You mentioned a cell phone booster, I was wondering what unit you decided to install. I am looking at installing one in my coach, and have been researching them. I have read pros and cons to cell phone boosters but I am not a fan of monthly bills, I would like to try and use my cell phone for a hotspot. Still haven't pulled the trigger but I am leaning towards the Wilson Signal Booster Reach Extreme RV Kit. Also was looking at the new Skyranger Denali fin system so if I change my mind and want to get a subscription I can just add a sim card to the fin, plus it gives me better wifi reception. Any thoughts, on either of these systems? I need to make a decision before the first of the year as I am having my roof FlexArmor coated and these roof penetrations need to be in place prior to the coating.

Lance

Hi Lance,

For my cell phone booster I installed the Wilson weBoost Drive 4G-X RV Kit -- that is the predecessor to the Wilson Reach Extreme Kit that you are considering.  The Reach Extreme is the newest release from Wilson and the Reach series was not yet offered when I purchased my unit.  Both kits are advertised as 50db gain units, but Wilson says the design of the new Reach series will support communication at twice the distance from cell towers as the previous unit.  The antenna designs are different, though they're both 50 ohm systems

I'm sure you know that probably the most critical consideration is the location of the interior antenna, since as cell signal dwindles, the phone distance from the antenna may need to move from the 6-foot range down to 18-inches or so to actually access the boosted signal.  In my build, I had opted for the cabinet set behind the passenger seat in lieu of the euro-chair, so I installed my interior antenna in those cabinets on a cable that allows it to extract from the cabinet and be moved about some if necessary.

I presume your other reference is to the new WiFiRanger Converge Denali system--which is just out and only began shipping a month or so ago.  It was also not an available option when I purchased, so I have no background on that unit at all.  It looks like an intriguing concept incorporating an external wifi router (although only 2.4GHz--no 5G) with cellular, and I see that the previously mentioned Mobile Internet Resource Center began a review of the system in late October which they will release to their members when complete (and eventually at some point to the general audience).  WiFiRanger is a small company with limited engineering and QA resources, and while I have no direct experience, I have seen reports that new releases can sometimes contain bugs that take a while to be refined.  Their reputation for customer support and responsive problem resolution is very good, however, and their lineup of established products is solid.

Reviewing older forum posts, I had noted that several PC owners were apparently having good results using their phones as hotspots--some also using older Wilson systems to assist reception.  For a couple of reasons I didn't want to pursue that avenue--hence my investigation of other mobile data options.  Based on that information however, I think your plan to use your phone as your hotspot will work just fine in that regard.

We'll look forward to your decision and experience working through this issue!

All the best,       Mike

I already installed a WeBoost cell amplifier but trying to use my cell as a hotspot meant I had to be near the inside antenna when we were in a poor reception area.  That worked fine except when I was lying in the bed, or I was away from the RV but my wife was still In the RV.

Bought a Verizon Mifi Hotspot, that stays next to the inside antenna, works great no matter where I or my cell phone is located.   Only costs me $20/month on my unlimited plan when we're on the road and I remove it from my plan when we're not on the road.

And with Verizon, it's no extra charge when I am in Canada, although it's limited to 500 MegaBytes a day at full LTE speed, then drops to a much slower speed till midnight.

Obviously, I have Verizon, no idea how the other carriers charge for a hotspot.

Mike
Do you think the OTR Mobile could replace cable wi-fi?  My cable bill will be going up again to about $126 month.  With OTR Mobile and Hulu/Disney/YouTube or similar I could drop cable which includes cable channels with HD and WiFi for computing devices.  Also we could take the OTR Mobile with us on the road with the PC.

Do this seem possible to do? Any limitations/ issues you can think of? Can the OTR Mobile nighthawk device battery be plugged into 120 volt outlet for continuous charge/availability?

I would have to buy smart TVs for home and PC as current TVs are dumb! Also my cable WiFi is 30 mbps where OTR ranges 10-35mbps. So it could be slower which may be an issue.

Thanks

Ron

Hi Ron,

First, let me send a quick note to Gary (Garmp), since we've pretty much used his thread for everything but to address his original topic!
Gary, I still have no personal experience with the Togo, but I did recently run across one user that had positive comments about it.  I don't know if you have seen any of the Robert Morales ("Traveling Robert") output on YouTube, but he's an experienced RV'r--especially in technology issues.  In one of his recent videos he commented on adding the Togo Roadlink package to his trailer some time ago.  According to his comments, he likes it--here is his reply to a viewer's question: "The Togo works great.  It doesn't always work, but when it does which is 90% of the time it is rock solid. It has a booster too so sometimes it will lock to a signal where your phone won't."  In another comment, he mentioned that he previously used the Wilson weBoost system to amplify his signal for data, but since installing the Togo system rarely uses the weBoost anymore--only occasionally when he needs to boost signal for his cell phone.  Don't know whether that helps your decision, but Robert is an experienced guy that tells it like it is, and sounds like he is pretty satisfied with the Togo.

Ron, I'll try to address your questions, but I'm no expert on these issues--to make a major change like you're contemplating, you'll want to make sure you've got all the individual questions locked down solid.  As far as the Netgear Nighthawk hotspot--I haven't had occasion to use it in my home, but mobile performance has been excellent for me; like any cell-based signal it is always going to be dependent on cell signal quality of course (there are antenna kits for the Nighthawk for home use if needed).  OTR Mobile uses AT&T, but you can get Nighthawk units for all major carriers.  A battery charge lasts about 24 hours with pretty steady use; it comes with a 120-volt charger, and I did leave mine plugged in at times while using, although when fully charged the screen will say to "disconnect from charging".  I don't know whether leaving plugged in over the long term will impact the battery.  I do know that some users that had constant heavy data use (with multiple users pulling data) removed the battery and just ran it plugged in to 120V to reduce heat build up and over-temp codes from the steady heavy battery charge--so it will work that way.
As far as OTR Mobile data goes, they sell it to folks for home use that are out of reach of cable/DSL as a superior alternative to dial-up or satellite data.  Again, it is going to be dependent on a decent cell signal, but I had no impact from data speed with either computer or TV usage, and I haven't seen much negative feedback anywhere--seems that pretty much everyone using it likes the experience.  There are other data resellers that also offer truly unlimited data--but my sense from what I've seen is that it may be more expensive.
One issue you'll need to investigate closely for TV use is the policies of the television signal provider.  I used Hulu because I already had a monthly subscription to their regular video streaming service, and adding the "Live TV" (for $45/month) was as simple as clicking an online change to my account.  It is something that I can add or drop on a month by month basis.  However, to prevent multiple users in multiple places at the same time (you, your cousin, your cousin's brother-in-law, etc) from using the service on a single account, their policy is that you must have a "home network" that will stream their service.  The way they state it is:  "Your Home network must be a residential, non-mobile internet connection. Please note, a mobile hotspot does not qualify as a non-mobile internet connection and therefore cannot be used as a Home network."  As long as you have a "home network" that you access at least once every 30 days, you can use a mobile internet connection anywhere in the USA over the same period.  This policy would seem to prevent Hulu from being a viable service for live television streaming for you as you envision.  It might be worth actually discussing the issue with them however, to see if there is a work around, since they do want subscribers and you're not trying to game their system--you just want to access it at home (and occasionally away) with a mobile connection.  In addition, I know there are numerous other sources for live streaming television, and some may not have similar policies against a mobile device being the primary access point.
Maybe some of our other forum members have wider experience with this issue and can offer more advice.  From my perspective, the bottom line is that if you can solve the live TV signal provider issue, and have a reasonable AT&T cell signal, I see no reason why your approach won't work.  You just want to ensure you have the loose ends nailed down before you pull the trigger.

All the best,      Mike

Thanks Mike. Much to consider.

Garmp
Sorry to move away from original post.  I do look forward to your report on your 2351D.  That is a very nice layout.  Must be hard to wait! (There I go again...hijacking)!!!

There is a thread on lazydazeowners site on the Togo.

Ron S

Mike
Do you think the OTR Mobile could replace cable wi-fi?  My cable bill will be going up again to about $126 month.  With OTR Mobile and Hulu/Disney/YouTube or similar I could drop cable which includes cable channels with HD and WiFi for computing devices.  Also we could take the OTR Mobile with us on the road with the PC.

Do this seem possible to do? Any limitations/ issues you can think of? Can the OTR Mobile nighthawk device battery be plugged into 120 volt outlet for continuous charge/availability?

I would have to buy smart TVs for home and PC as current TVs are dumb! Also my cable WiFi is 30 mbps where OTR ranges 10-35mbps. So it could be slower which may be an issue.

Thanks

Ron

OK... one more hijack.

Ron, 30 mpbs cable speeds are way overkill, if all you're looking to do is unplug cable TV.  Even though I live in a suburb of Houston that's larger than many cities, I can't get cable, so I'm stuck with ATT DSL.  It barely hits 5mb on a good day.  But I can still stream "ATT Now" (it used to be called DirectTV Now) on two TV's simultaneously, while streaming iHeart Radio on a third.  We unplugged the $150/mo satellite two years ago and never looked back.

And you don't want a smart TV, anyway.  They have a pathetically tiny list of apps, and not the ones you need to unplug (like ATT Now).  You either want Roku or an Amazon Fire stick in each TV.  I was amazed when we got our first Firestick.  Our smart TV could barely stream a netflix movie on our lousy DSL.  I don't know what's in those little sticks (probably a bunch of memory) but they don't get stuck in the "spin/buffer" ozone like the TV did.

When we're traveling, we take one of the firesticks and plug it into the HDMI port on the PC's TV (I used a cable to extend it into the right-side cabinet).  Then we use one of our AT&T phones as a hot spot.  AT&T phones don't charge against your data minutes if you're streaming AT&T Now.  It works well unless the cell coverage is lousy (like in Florida, where the AT&T coverage is barely functional).  But if you watch movies on Amazon, your minutes won't last more than a couple of nights unless you've got unlimited data.

By the way, we noticed last summer that some of the campgrounds have started upping their WIFI speed and unplugging their cable connections.  Campground with working cable connections have become hard to find, anyway.

Hello Garmp
I just installed a Winegard/TOGO on my PC, from Amazon for $333.33.  I haven't got the subscription started yet with AT&T but I did use it for wifi and its pretty slick. Easy to install and setup, I will get the AT&T subscription just after the new year, that is when we have our next trips planned. I was amazed at how light the unit is, maybe 3-4lbs. To me $360.00 for the year is pretty reasonable. Still looking at getting the Wilson Reach Extreme RV Kit for back-up.

Gramp,

Can you share details of the install and some photos? I am interested in installing it myself

Here is how I installed my Winegard/TOGO;
First of all I needed to find a place to mount the dome, they say 24 inches from the front and 12 inches from the side, so my location is the drivers side just aft of the front cap seam. The next thing was to get the wire into the coach so I bought 2ea Cutting Edge Power 4 Port Solar Weatherproof Cable Wire Entry Glands (Amazon) and mounted one on each side, I also plan on using these for the solar wiring and a Wilson Extreme Reach RV kit cell phone booster. After the cable entries were installed I ran the wire through the wire gland on the drivers side and fished it out from the top of the cabinet on the drivers side into the cabinet with the glass door.  I then put the wire in loom to protect it from chafing etc and ran it around to the glass door cabinet on the other side. This was accomplished by tucking the cable behind the paneling, using the accesses I previously installed behind the TV and then pulling it to the aft end of the passenger side cabinet.  Now in that cabinet the panel in the aft end has a very large gap between it and the other cabinet, so I made that panel removable. I pulled the wire tucked it behind the paneling and pulled into the gap between the cabinets from there I installed the switch wiring pulled it back to the front of the glass door cabinet on the passenger side and installed it and then hooked up the wiring to the 6 way fuse block I installed earlier that is in the glass door cabinet above the passenger side. I installed the fuse block because I wanted a easy place to get power for any accessories I wanted to install in the future. After turning the unit on and doing the setup which was pretty simple I didn't like that the switch didn't have an LED indicator light so I installed one so now when its on the light is on. If you have any questions I can explain it in greater detail.  Also on a side note my coach is scheduled to have the roof coated at FlexArmor in Palmetto FL. so what you see in the pictures where the self leveling compound is won't be there, actually there will be no more caulk on the roof and everything will be coated.

For those who have purchased the TOGO unit, January 15th is the last day to purchase the $360.00 unlimited plan, after that the prices goes up and will be offered for monthly rates with one at 100GB for 360 days at $325.00. So you might want to look at another option..... Looks like I have purchased a not so good deal.

ATT has officially pulled the plug on the $360 a year plan.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgl7ZwTfDc4. A bit lengthy.
Came so close to buying a Togo unit, and wouldn't be able to use it until April. Sure glad now that I held off.