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  1. #1
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    MyConnectedRV vs Winegard - Also temp monitoring - UPDATED WITH NEW PLAN

    My wife and I will be working on the road at times, and would like to have Internet available in the RV. It appears the Momentum 351 we've selected has the Lippert system installed (MyConnectedRV) which appears to be pretty nice and offers RV control functions (start the genny, level, etc) and also appears to act as a WiFi to cellular router? Guess that's the first question, if I stick an ATT SIM into that thing and activate it, I'll be able to do the control function AND the Internet, right?

    So, couple of specific questions about it:

    Can I use the MyConnectedRV app to setup a temperature alert and notify me if the RV gets too hot/cold? We'll be traveling with pets and that function would be very important to us.
    Do I need a standard cellular package from ATT to use it? Is there any way to buy data blocks that don't expire so I don't have another monthly bill using this system?
    Can the system connect to WiFi instead of cellular to do the control functions (like, if I'm at an RV park, can I connect to WiFi there and NOT have a SIM card in and still control the RV remotely)?
    Does it do any rebroadcast of WiFi? If I'm at the edge of the park, and I'm marginal on their WiFi, will this help?

    I originally was looking at the Wineguard 4G + Booster combo, that seems to cover everything I want/need, single WiFi network with a SIM card that hops to whatever is available to get to the Internet. Nice, another cell phone bill, but they allow for Verizon, so it's just an "add a device" for my existing plan. But it looks like if I go that way, I lose all the remote control capabilities of the RV via the MyConnectedRV application?

    There's no way I'm buying 2 SIM/plans for the RV (one for Wineguard and one for MyConnectedRV), I'm not really even happy about having to buy one! I guess I could give up the rebroadcast of the parks WiFi signal if need be, but that does seem like a nice to have to me.

    Thank you!
    Last edited by traveldawg; 12-19-2019 at 07:38 PM. Reason: requested by OP

  2. #2
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Overtaxed View Post
    I guess I could give up the rebroadcast of the parks WiFi signal if need be, but that does seem like a nice to have to me.
    I don't know anything about the MyConnectedRV product and can't answer most of your questions, but I have plenty of experience to comment on your last sentence.

    We've stayed in dozens of parks all over the southeast and none of them gave us reliable-enough or fast-enough internet service that we would consider "nice to have". We work sometimes too, and absolutely had to have decent internet that no park gave us, not even the ones that charged a premium for their "best" internet service.

    We had to find another solution and were very happy with a MiFi cellular device and a Verizon unlimited plan we used until we returned to Canada in the spring. However the market is changing fast and other options are becoming available, apparently including the MyConnectedRV system you've looked at. Another option that has had attention here recently is TOGO Roadlink, discussed in this thread:

    https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-TOGO-Roadlink

    In considering the options I wouldn't give a moment's thought to preserving access to park wi-fi if it means compromising anything else.

    Good luck with your choice.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  3. #3
    Rolling Along JColeman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    I don't know anything about the MyConnectedRV product and can't answer most of your questions, but I have plenty of experience to comment on your last sentence.

    We've stayed in dozens of parks all over the southeast and none of them gave us reliable-enough or fast-enough internet service that we would consider "nice to have". We work sometimes too, and absolutely had to have decent internet that no park gave us, not even the ones that charged a premium for their "best" internet service.

    We had to find another solution and were very happy with a MiFi cellular device and a Verizon unlimited plan we used until we returned to Canada in the spring. However the market is changing fast and other options are becoming available, apparently including the MyConnectedRV system you've looked at. Another option that has had attention here recently is TOGO Roadlink, discussed in this thread:

    https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...-TOGO-Roadlink

    In considering the options I wouldn't give a moment's thought to preserving access to park wi-fi if it means compromising anything else.

    Good luck with your choice.
    ^^^This. Good luck in integrating a proprietary system with anything else.

    Also take a look at Peplink and MoFi cellular routers for serious multi-provider access. Once you have reliable Internet, then you could look at the bells and whistles.
    Jeff and Jen
    2016 F250 CC Lariat 4x4 6.7L, Firestone Airbags, Pullrite Superglide
    2017 Solitude 310GK, a little solar, a little lithium, disc brakes and a few suspension mods

    Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - Ben Franklin

  4. #4
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    OK, here's what I'm thinking. On the system, there's a cable called "Router LAN-to-Cellular Gateway LAN Ethernet Patch Cable" (attached picture). I'm thinking if I take that cable and connect it from "Router LAN" to the Internet (using a patch cable to the ToGo, for example) we might have nirvana here. I'm thinking that box is likely a switch/router combo (like what most people have at home), and that the port that has the loopback cable on (connecting from top to bottom) is probably the "WAN" port (again, like you'd see on a typical home router) and can be plugged into anything that will provide Internet in a standard fashion (DHCP with gateways/DNS servers handed out, etc). So, without all the technical mumbo jumbo, I think if you take that port and hook it up to a standard home router on any "LAN" port, you'll have remote functionality. Now, perhaps not, it might be "locked" to certain IP addresses (so, while it could work, it won't because Lippert will recognize that the IP range isn't AT&T). It might be expecting some kind of strange packets to come in on that port to indicate your on the ATT network. They certainly COULD stop you from using any ol' wired Internet connection in there, but, they would have to WANT to stop you (actively disabled it) if I'm reading this diagram right. I'll test it out and report back, I'm sure this would be of interest for anyone with this system who already has wireless internet in the coach and doesn't care for (yet ANOTHER) monthly bill for (yet ANOTHER) cell phone plan.

  5. #5
    Big Traveler
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    Ohhkay... Well, I went out to see if I could make this work and ran into a major problem. I can't find any of those parts on the 351M. I know they are there (because they are part of the system that's installed) but I can't find them for the life of me. Anyone happen to stumble on the "brains" and mind sharing where they are?

  6. #6
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Overtaxed View Post
    Ohhkay... Well, I went out to see if I could make this work and ran into a major problem. I can't find any of those parts on the 351M. I know they are there (because they are part of the system that's installed) but I can't find them for the life of me. Anyone happen to stumble on the "brains" and mind sharing where they are?
    Confusion reigns. A Google search produces just one single hit in all the world on the phrase "MyConnectedRV" that you used to start this thread. That one hit is... your post above!

    Lippert offers an **optional** product they call ConnectAnywhere which they sell as an upgrade for the OneControl system in your Momentum. The components you displayed in post #4 are from that optional-upgrade product.

    Did you buy the optional upgrade? If you can't find even the "4G Externally Mounted Cellular Antenna" seen in the diagram you posted is it possible that you don't have what you think you have? That part sounds like something you should be able to find outside on your roof.

    I'm also confused about what you're trying to do. Are you trying to bypass the cellular gateway and instead use a common wireless router to connect to park wi-fi to monitor / control your trailer instead of paying Lippert's fees to use the cellular network to do that monitoring? Is that it? You've already thought of a couple of ways that Lippert's product could impede doing that; I don't know the answer. However please see my post #2 above about our dismal experience with reliability and performance of park-provided wi-fi service... you may not get a reliable monitoring system going that route.

    Or, maybe I'm just completely confused and missing your point altogether.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by boyscout View Post
    Confusion reigns. A Google search produces just one single hit in all the world on the phrase "MyConnectedRV" that you used to start this thread. That one hit is... your post above!

    Lippert offers an **optional** product they call ConnectAnywhere which they sell as an upgrade for the OneControl system in your Momentum. The components you displayed in post #4 are from that optional-upgrade product.

    Did you buy the optional upgrade? If you can't find even the "4G Externally Mounted Cellular Antenna" seen in the diagram you posted is it possible that you don't have what you think you have? That part sounds like something you should be able to find outside on your roof.

    I'm also confused about what you're trying to do. Are you trying to bypass the cellular gateway and instead use a common wireless router to connect to park wi-fi to monitor / control your trailer instead of paying Lippert's fees to use the cellular network to do that monitoring? Is that it? You've already thought of a couple of ways that Lippert's product could impede doing that; I don't know the answer. However please see my post #2 above about our dismal experience with reliability and performance of park-provided wi-fi service... you may not get a reliable monitoring system going that route.

    Or, maybe I'm just completely confused and missing your point altogether.
    Sorry, yes, this is my fault. It's "ConnectAnywhere" that I'm talking about here. The name I used "MyConnectedRV" is what the dealer called it, your right, the correct name is "Connect Anywhere" as part of the OneControl system.

    I can find the cellular antenna, I see it out on the roof. What I cannot find is the "brains" where the CAN bus and Ethernet wiring come together. However, in reading some documentation last night, it appears that it might be in the pass thru storage compartment, that's what I'm going to be investigating today.

    I am trying to bypass the cellular gateway on the system to use a TOGO connection instead, yes. I'll pull an ethernet wire from the Togo (simplifying, there will be a router/switch in the mix to, but, for simplicity's sake, let's call it a direct Ethernet wire) to the ConnectAnywhere system. Yes, my goal is to avoid yet another Internet connection fee. I'm so burned out on the M2M and subscription services market, I want to have Togo at ~400/yr for Internet and have is service all my needs in the coach.

    Sorry for the confusion, the documentation on this is abysmal in the manuals I can find, shoot, just finding the stinking "ConnectAnywhere" website isn't exactly intuitive.

  8. #8
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    Well now, color me shocked. I found some decent documentation in the cellular reset procedure, and this looks like it might be doable. It appears that the router is running OpenWRT and very common (and very good) router firmware. Nothing custom at all. That's awesome (even if I can't do what I want to do, still awesome they picked such good router software). But, even better, it appears that you can log into the router as an admin! Well now, that's probably all it's going to take to make this work, plug in "Internet" to some port of the router, do a little reconfiguration and tell the router that Internet is "this way" (which is all routers care about, I have a packet, what do I do with it?) instead of "that way" (the cellular gateway that's included) and.. Well, in theory, this would work just fine. In theory.

    Anyway, since it appears I've ventured into unexplored territory, I will certainly report back if I'm able to do this. The big advantage, of course, would be having remote control of the RV without paying 120/yr for a SIM card assuming, of course, you already have Internet on board in the coach (Togo, etc). There, of course, is also a disadvantage, single point of failure, Togo goes down, everything goes with it, no Internet, no coach control remotely, nada.. Also, if it's important to anyone, by routing all this traffic through the Togo, you'd have the ability to remotely control the coach in places where there's no cell signal but WiFi is available (remote parks, for example).

    I'll let you'all know.

    https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...CD-0002650.pdf

  9. #9
    Big Traveler
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    Well, great news guys. Works like a charm. As soon as I saw in the docs that it was based on OpenWRT, I was 99% sure that would be the case, but it worked without snag at all. Let me explain what I did.

    First, where is this gateway/bridge in a 351M? It's on top of the cabinets! Sorry, if everyone knew that already, but figured I'd add it to this thread since it's relevant.

    Now that you've found the stinking thing (which, for me, was the longest part of this entire darn process outside of research!), let's move on.

    There are several open Ethernet ports on the "cellular gateway" (as shown on the diagram above). You can pick any of them, doesn't much matter. What you need to do is hook up "Internet" to that thing in an IP range that it's expecting (192.168.1/24, or, 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.255). I used 192.168.1.254 in my setup, you don't want to conflict with anything already used (and there are a few used addresses already). That's what you want as the "internal IP" for a router/bridge or a Togo/etc. OK, so that done, you just need to connect to the RV's wireless, go to 192.168.1.1, login, and then setup a static route to push all external traffic to 192.168.1.254. Volia, your done. I'm sitting back in my house right now, and I can see and work with the RV remotely using my phone; check the HVAC.. Exactly the same functionality I'd have paying the 20/mo that I'd have to pay for the connected functionality using the cellular connection.

    So, if you're trying to do with a Togo, open it up, connect an Ethernet cable from Togo to the "cellular gateway". Then setup Togo for the correct IP range and you're off to the races. One Internet connection/SSID in the coach that can do everything with a single monthly bill. Sounds like a hassle, but if you multiply out all these darn monthly cell bills, you quickly realize that doing it this way can save you 1000's compared to "just pay for it" and give you, if anything, better functionality!

    Really happy to report it works great. And even happier to report that GD/Lippert didn't lock that thing down! That was very, very nice of them, yes, there's usually a way to "hack it" to get it to work like this, but, leaving it a default OpenWRT and giving us the admin password, well.. That's a breath of fresh air! And somewhat unexpected given how locked down (for financial reasons only!) most stuff is today.

  10. #10
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    Well folks, I have some great news for you. Got the Togo up on the roof today, and now, like magic, I have full control of the RV from anywhere without paying for anything but Togo. It's beautiful. And it's even easier than I thought, GD really gave us a great router and it's wide open, AWESOME, and THANK YOU! But you don't even need to get all crazy with routing tables or anything like what I spoke about before. It's as close to "dead simple" as it could be.

    Step 1: Open up your Togo (uses funny screws, you'll need to get the right driver for it, it's a star drive)
    Step 2: Run an Ethernet cable from the Togo to the WAN port on your router (on top of the cabinets in my RV, I also picked up 12V always on power there from the other routers, so this was not at all difficult)
    Step 3: DO NOT plug in the Ethernet cable yet! Power up the Togo, and sign up for service. You cannot, for some reason, sign up if your Ethernet port is connected. No idea, their software is like something from the dark ages (Togo)
    Step 4: Plug the Ethernet wire from the Togo into the "WAN" port on your router
    Step 5: Enjoy control of your RV from anywhere and unlimited Internet from Togo for 360/yr

    It's really that easy. On my router, the WAN port (all the way to the right) was blocked with black tape, probably to get people to overlook it and not think too hard about what that port is for (or prevent the builders from plugging the wires in to the wrong port). Just peel the tape back and you'll see the port there. The WAN port is set to DHCP an address and route all traffic to that port, so, the instant you connect Togo to it, it does it's thing and start routing the packets as it should, giving you control of the RV from anywhere.

    I'm attaching a few pictures for to try to help others, if you need assistance doing this, just ask, I'll be happy to help. This is my "day job" (networking) so I hope that my experience can help others here. Oh, and yes, you can monitor the temp remotely too, that works great using the OneControl App. I also bought MCM Multisensor, it's a USB stick with a charger that's completely self contained (5/mo for monitoring using it's own cell phone link) and battery protected, so now I have 2 ways to see and protect my pets when they are in the RV.

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