Bryan and Cindy Marklin answer your most asked questions.
Where is your equipment manufactured?
Ericsson manufactures our equipment in the United States and this is a bigger deal than most people realize from both a quality and security perspective. Most available RV products are low end/consumer (Winegard/King or Netgear) or from Chinese based companies such as Peplink. Manufacturers try to hide this fact and often list a US based address as headquarters. For example, Peplink lists Mountain View, California as their HQ; however, they are actually based in Hong Kong and are traded on the Hong Kong exchange.
Is your system reliable?
Cellular Internet is, hands down, the most consistently reliable outdoor form of communications available. First responders, the military and most critical communications rely on the same cellular routers by Ericsson that we use.
What if I’m in an area and my phone has no service?
The dreaded no bars on your phone. (See my note at the bottom of this page for our own very personal experience.)
Your phone has an antenna that’s about half the size of the fingernail on your pinkie finger. It’s really small and not terribly effective. That’s why sometimes you have no service but if you stand in another area and raise your phone above your head you can catch a faint signal. Size really does matter when it comes to antennas and ours is large, effective and on the roof of your RV. No cellular device will connect when there is no signal. But, the secret sauce is the highest quality antenna, the low-loss cable between the antenna & the router AND the highest quality modem in the Ericsson (Cradlepoint) router, which is why first responders use the same equipment that we use. A signal is typically available even in remote locations but you just need the right equipment to capture it.
How secure is your system?
Security was imperative for us in designing this system. In fact, Cindy’s work involved a security clearance so we were keenly aware of the need for a secure connection. Our system utilizes encryption to safeguard your secure information.
Is campground WiFi safe?
Typically, no, because it’s an open connection. That means it’s very easy for bad actors to tap into your devices and steal your information while your are streaming. The reality is that most people are too lax with their online connections. We live in a digital age and it’s vital to protect yourself from identity and password theft, which happens often using unsecured WiFi connections such as coffee shops and campgrounds.
How long have you been in business?
Our company was born from the challenges of 2020. The pandemic changed the way our society operates almost overnight, and we found ourselves spending a considerable amount of time helping fellow RVers figure out the challenges of daily life in a suddenly remote society. Since we are both network & telecom engineers and also lived & worked out of our RV full time we had the knowledge, expertise and business connections to achieve reliable & cybersecure internet connections for ourselves and others.
Why did you build your system with an external roof antenna?
All RVs and especially Airstreams can be difficult because they are essentially a rolling Faraday cage with windows. Through our experience as network engineers and full-time RVers who worked on the road, we've learned that the best way to ensure a reliable connection is to put the antenna on the outside of the RV.
Why should we choose your product over Starlink?
Our product is cellular based and doesn't require an obstruction free horizon & sky. Starlink antennas have a variety of mounting options, but that is part of the problem. Carrying around extra equipment and spending the time to figure out what will work simply takes away from family and adventure!
But I already have Starlink. Why should I consider adding your product?
Our routers are optimized to work WITH Starlink. Starlink is a great technology but they are only a few years old and are already on their 5th version(gen 1, 2, 3 Mini & High Performance Flat Panel). We have personally used the same 5G router for 4+ years and it still outperforms Starlink.
Does your product ever intentionally slow down during high volume times?
Starlink is "suffering" from their success - congestion is forcing Startlink to deprioritize Roam (RV customers) and rate limit speeds in many markets. Additionally, without a wide open horizon Starlink can suffer interruptions from milliseconds to tens of minutes. This is OK for downloading, but not good for live streaming entertainment or voice and video conferencing.
What’s your pricing compared to something like Starlink?
As of right now, Starlink has gone from $130 a month to $165 in about 2 years. Our partner offers a 1TB 5G plan for $119 a month. Cellular plans are getting cheaper. In fact, you can have the best of both worlds- Use cellular as your primary ($119) and use Starling 50Gb for $50 (if you need it). That is still roughly the cost of Starlink's $165 unlimited.
What set up is necessary once your system is installed?
Nothing. Once your cellular router is installed by the dealer, you won't have anything to set up. You pull in to your campsite and it's working. At a rest stop, it's working. The roof mounted antenna is always functioning bringing internet into your coach! Mobile Internet Connections also includes 3 years of management & professional IT tech support and warranty replacement. We do the IT work for you! Have a problem or question? Call or email our US based support team.
A personal note from Bryan:
“Cindy & I had said goodbye to my Mom who was in a hospice.
We were on I-15 heading south and our radiator hose blew. I looked at my phone and had no bars!
I told Cindy I’d walk to go find a signal to call Coach-Net and she said, “I know you’re grieving and your head is somewhere else, but we have internet on the router.”
It was located in our 5th wheel we had at the time.
I connected to the router’s WiFi & called Highway Patrol. We were back on the road in 6 hours!
So, will our equipment work where your phone won’t? I know that the answer is yes! ”