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Education & Action Explained

This article is divided into two main sections, Education & Action. The Action Section refers to content with step-by-step how-to articles on this topic. The Education section links to related content and deeper dive information from our friends at the Mobile Internet Resource Center. Enjoy and your feedback is always welcome!



TABLE OF CONTENTS


Products Covered

  • All Peplink Products with Wi-Fi-as-WAN Functionality (see pdf spec sheet of each device to confirm)
  • Note: Max BR1 MINI HW3 has Wi-Fi-as-WAN included with an active PrimeCare subscription. You may also purchase a separate license to enable this feature permanently (advanced feature pack) 


Summary

In this article, we are going to review how to connect to an external Wi-Fi source using the Wi-Fi-as-WAN feature in select Peplink Mobile Routers.  This is when you want to use home, campground, marina Wi-Fi, or another public Wi-Fi as a source of the internet (WAN Source) within your Peplink router.  


Before Getting Started

Disclaimer

Make sure you know the Wi-Fi network you are connecting to.  Connecting to sources such as "Free Public Wi-Fi" can present a security risk if you are not sure who is providing the connection or if that connection is not secure.  When in doubt, ask the wireless provider to confirm connection details and verify they are providing the service and that it is secure. 


Education

What is Wi-Fi-as-WAN

Wi-Fi-as-WAN is a term that means you are using a Wi-Fi source as your WAN or "Internet" connection source. You can use Peplink mobile routers that support this feature to connect to these wifi sources to get out to the internet. The benefit of using your Peplink router to connect to public Wi-Fi, instead of connecting your individual devices to public Wi-Fi is that you only need to connect the Peplink once to Wi-Fi and not change each of your devices' connection settings each time you move. The other benefits include ensuring your devices remain behind your Peplink's firewall for added internet security. Lastly, many campgrounds charge a "per device" fee for Wi-Fi. Since your Peplink is a single device you can register it as your device and it will then manage how all of your other devices connect through the Peplink's single Wi-Fi license from the campground.   


Note that not all Wi-Fi networks are compatible with each other. The Wi-Fi-as-WAN functionality can sometimes have compatibility issues if the Peplink and remote network share the same IP address or if there is a Wi-Fi technology compatibility issue.

Connecting to public Wi-Fi sources that are unreliable, over-saturated, misconfigured, or too far away, can lead to stability and reliability issues. For more information on using Wi-Fi as an Internet source and to access For information on how to determine if a Wi-Fi source is stable, try using MIRC's Wi-Fi Worthiness Test located in their Guide to Using Wi-Fi as an Internet Source. Additional guides specific to this topic are available below. 


Member Content Available

Our complete guide on this subject is available to our members at: 

Peplink and Wi-Fi-as-WAN

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Additional Content & Links from Mobile Internet Resource Center


Action

Instructional Video (additional details below video)


This video highlights the Wi-Fi as WAN functionality in firmware 8.2 and below. This guide includes updated screenshots below the video for customers running firmware 8.3 and above.  




How to Enable Wi-Fi-as-WAN

Step 1: Log into the Peplink Router's Dashboard


Step 2: If disabled, drag the Wi-Fi-as-WAN bar into any priority. 



Step 3: Click 'Wireless Networks' on the right (it might take a few mins while the unit scans for nearby sources)

Step 4: Select from the list the Wi-Fi Network you would like to connect to. 


Step 5: If a password is needed enter it next to Shared Key. If no password is required it will say 'Open'.  Next, hit Save.


Note Wi-Fi Passwords are CASE SENSITIVE. Be Extremely careful typing the password to avoid issues as the Peplink router will not prompt you if the password is incorrect and you will then need to delete the saved password which is outlined below in a separate step.



Step 6: The screen will refresh the list of networks.  Give the unit a min as it connects to the new network. 


Step 7: Change the Priority of the network to Priority 1 if you would like it to be in use, or keep it in a lower priority for failover.


Some public Wi-Fi networks have 2.4ghz Wi-Fi and/or 5ghz Wi-Fi.  The 5ghz may offer more speed, but they dont work as well over distance.  Most campgrounds may just offer a 2.4ghz option as it has better distance and should be tried first generally. You can connect both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz at the same time following these instructions but you must connect each Wi-Fi-as-Wan frequency separately using the WAN Priority Sliders shown above.



Wi-Fi Networks That Require a Splash Page

In some cases, a Wi-Fi network may not have a password for the network but has a splash page that loads when you first connect.  This can be tricky to get to appear and we have written a separate article on that topic located here: Connecting to Public Wi-Fi with Login Screen (Captive Portal). 


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In addition, MobileMustHave hosts monthly live webinars on advanced topics. These sessions cover everything from the basics to the more nuanced areas of configurations on Peplink devices.  Past Webinars have included deep dives into; SpeedFusion Connect Protect (Cloud), Outbound Policies, VLANs, and much more.  


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