WiFiRanger Launches First 5G Product – The Everest Outdoor Router With An X55 5G Cellular Modem

At long last, WiFiRanger, one of the best-known mobile connectivity brands in the RV space, is out with a 5G cellular product, a version of its Everest outdoor router with a 5G cellular modem.

The Everest is sold as a kit with a WiFiRanger Spruce indoor router to provide a complete connectivity package for $999.

WiFiRanger was acquired by Winegard in 2020, and WiFiRanger products are now sold on the Winegard website without distinct WiFiRanger branding. However, these are still WiFiRanger products with firmware and features different from Winegard routers and products.

While it's great to see WiFiRanger finally enter the 5G cellular market, especially on a capable platform like Everest, the major downside is that the 5G modem is a previous-generation X55 model when the rest of the industry is transitioning to more modern modems.

How big of a downside is this? Let's dig into the details...

Everest 5G Specifications

The Everest is WiFiRanger's flagship outdoor router, using its modular "Converge" platform, designed for flexibility and potentially upgradeability.

All the Converge outdoor routers share the same roof-mounted shell, and differ only in the electronics inside.

The Everest is designed to provide multiple connectivity options - impressive long-range dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi capabilities and integrated cellular.

Previously, WiFiRanger offered LTE Cat-4, 6, and 12 options for modems, so the step up to a 5G / LTE Cat-20 is a big one.

A big advantage of the design is that locating everything on the roof minimizes signal loss for cellular and Wi-Fi. No long cable runs, and the rooftop location can help optimize performance.

Everest 5G Cellular Modem

The one new aspect here is the cellular modem; unfortunately, it's not as new as we hoped.

The 5G module used in the Everest 5G is the Quectel RM502Q-AE, which uses the Qualcomm X55 cellular modem. This is a 5G phase 1 modem and was the primary 5G modem used in cellular routers until this past year. Most manufacturers have since migrated to the Qualcomm X62, a 5G phase 2 modem with more future-proof capabilities.

For band coverage, the Everest 5G does cover almost all 5G and LTE bands in use today:

• Sub-6GHz 5G Bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77*, n78, n79
• 4G/LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66, 71

* Like all X55 modems, AT&T's portion of band n77 called "Andromeda" is NOT supported, but Verizon's n77 is supported. All of Verizon's and T-Mobile's Sub-5GHz 5G bands are supported, but the X55's ability to aggregate them is more limited than that of newer modems like the X62.

For a deeper dive into the differences between Phase 1 and Phase 2 5G modems, see our recent 5G Industry Update.

All of the Everest's other specifications remain the same except for the cellular modem - so to see those, check out our review.

The Everest 5G Kit

Winegard is selling the Everest 5G only as a kit with a Spruce indoor router for $999. The Spruce is one of our Top Picks and packs a lot of capability into a small, mobile-friendly package and it makes a nice complement to the Everest 5G.

When connected with WiFiRanger's Tetherpoint cable, the Spruce router can conveniently manage the Everest and provide interior RV Wi-Fi LAN and Ethernet connections while the Everest provides the WAN.

Available Solo and Upgrade Options?

We asked WiFiRanger if the Everest will be available separately and if there will be an upgrade option for existing Everest owners, but have not received a response by the time we went to press. We'll update this article if we get a response.

The ability to purchase an Everest without a Spruce would be nice for those who don't need an indoor router, and the Converge routers were originally designed with upgradeability in mind.

Member Exclusive Analysis

Concluding Thoughts

Since the acquisition by Winegard, which came around the time when the first real 5G products were coming to market in 2020, we hoped to see WiFiRanger be able to step more aggressively into cellular connectivity, especially with a modular product line like the Converge outdoor routers.

Under Winegard, WiFiRanger finally has a 5G cellular router, but with a last-generation X55 modem that other manufacturers first started selling in routers back in 2021, with most now phasing out the X55s in favor of more advanced designs.

The Everest 5G is late to the 5G game with a modem that most of its competitors have left behind. Even so, the Everest 5G does fill a niche that no one else currently does - combining advanced long-range Wi-Fi-as-WAN with 5G cellular in a single package. Even with a previous generation 5G modem, that combo could be a good choice for nomads looking for a product to fill that niche.

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