As we covered in our major Peplink Product Line Update story in November, supply chain issues have forced Peplink to discontinue the popular Pepwave MAX Transit Duo router that has been extremely popular with nomads seeking the reliability that comes from having two simultaneous cellular connections active.
Replacing it in the Pepwave router line is a new model that is similar (but more expensive) - the MAX Transit Pro E.
The main change over the original MAX Transit Duo is the addition of two more Ethernet LAN ports.
One of these Ethernet LAN ports can provide POE power output, assuming that the router is provided with a high-voltage 56V DC input supply. This POE port can directly power and control a Peplink Access Point (see our AP One gear center entry for info on this) to host an indoor Wi-Fi network, while the integrated Wi-Fi can be used with a rooftop antenna for long-range Wi-Fi-as-WAN.
Since the CPU, modem, and other internals are not changing, overall performance should be identical to the old MAX Transit line - with routing speed peaking at 400 Mbps.
The Pro E will only be available in the US market (not globally) and costs $1,299 - a 30% increase over the original MAX Transit Duo with dual Cat-12 modems which was priced at $999. A slightly cheaper MAX Transit Core model will also soon be available for $1,199 - but the Core lacks integrated Wi-Fi.
Because the Pro E model is still dependent on the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) chips that are seemingly unavailable going into the future - Peplink tells us this model is slated to be discontinued once they run out of parts, or once they are ready to transition the MAX Transit line to a future truly next-generation Wi-Fi platform.
We now have had some hands-on time with the Transit Pro E, and here is our first look video:
Key Mobile Internet Related Considerations:
- Having dual cellular modems allow for instant failover between carriers, load balancing across multiple connections, and even bonding two connections together.
- The POE port is handy - but to activate the power output requires a 56V power supply, which is not included with the Transit Pro E.
- The Transit Pro E would be a solid replacement for the MAX Transit Duo if it was still priced at $999. But the increase to $1,299 makes it worth seeking out any of the MAX Transit Duo models that might still be in stock. Most of the remaining stock of MAX Transit Duos are now priced at $1,199 - making the difference less extreme.
Members - We have also created you a new Pepwave Product Overview video, comparing the early 2022 options we recommend focusing your research on. Check it out in the member section of our Peplink Product Lineup.
For more information:
- Peplink MAX Transit Webpage
- Pepwave MAX Transit Pro E Datasheet
- News Story: Peplink Product Line Update
Related Content at the Mobile Internet Resource Center:
- Gear Center: Pepwave MAX Transit
- Gear Center: Peplink Product Lineup
- Testing in Progress Forum Notes: Pepwave MAX Transit Pro E w/ PrimeCare (Cellular Embedded Modem)
Related Updates:
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