Cradlepoint offers cellular gateways and "wideband adapters" that are intended to provide a cellular internet connection to a router.
Higher-end enterprise mobile gear Cradlepoint (and competitor Peplink) have long appealed to RVers and boaters with the most demanding mobile internet needs, particularly for those with an IT background who are not intimidated by managing a more complex device.
However, in recent years, Cradlepoint moved away from the consumer market and is exclusively focused on enterprise customers.
ALERT - NetCloud Subscription Required:
In 2019 Cradlepoint announced a new policy that tightly integrated its hardware with its NetCloud subscription service. A NetCloud subscription is now required to manage even basic router features and is not realistically optional. Everyone considering purchasing a Cradlepoint router should keep this requirement in mind.
Product Variations
Cradlepoint offers a few cellular gateways and adapters - here are the ones of most interest to nomads, RVers, and boaters:
- ARC CBA850 Cellular Adapter - A simple case and electronics designed to house one of Cradlepoints MC400 modem modules.
- W1850 5G Wideband Adapter - An indoor 5G/LTE Cat-20 adapter designed to provide connectivity for branch offices.
CBA850
The Cradlepoint ARC CBA850 is a cellular Gateway modem that can provide a cellular internet connection to any traditional router - just like one would use a cable or DSL modem.
One advantage of the CBA850 is that it uses a proprietary MC400 module modem slot, allowing end-users the ability to easily upgrade the device. Currently, an advance-pro Gigabit-class modem is available with the 1200M-B module, but there are also Category 4 and 6 options.
In May 2021, Cradlepoint announced a 5G MC400 module will be available in the future.
Specifications
- Model: CBA850
- Router Specs:
- Cellular Modem Specs:
- Cellular Modem: Single 4G
- Supported Networks and Bands: Certified for all carriers, depending on modem option.
- MC400-1200M-B Modem: Category 18
- LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12(17), 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 66, 71
- 4G/3G: WCDMA/DC-HSPA+, Bands 1, 2, 4, 5(19), 8
- MIMO Support: 2x2 and 4x4
- LTE Performance Category: Category 18 (Max Theoretical Speed: 1,200 Mbps Down / 150 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 5x Download, 3x Upload
- Cellular Antennas: 4x SMA male
- MC400-1200M Modem: Category 18 - AT&T and Verizon
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 29, 30, 46, 48, 66
- 4G/3G: WCDMA/DC-HSPA+, Bands 1, 2, 4, 5(19), 8
- MIMO Support: 2x2 and 4x4
- LTE Performance Category: Category 18 (Max Theoretical Speed: 1,200 Mbps Down / 150 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 5x Download, 3x Upload
- Cellular Antennas: 4x SMA male
- MC400-600M-C-AT Modem: Category 12 AT&T Firstnet version
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, 30, 46, 66
- 4G/3G: WCDMA/DC-HSPA+
- MIMO Support: 2x2
- LTE Performance Category: Category 12 (Max Theoretical Speed: 600 Mbps Down / 150 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 3x Download, 2x Upload
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA male
- MC400LP6 Modem: Category 6 Four Carrier version
- LTE Bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41
- 4G/3G: WCDMA/DC-HSPA+
- MIMO Support: 2x2
- LTE Performance Category: Category 6 (Max Theoretical Speed: 300Mbps Down / 50 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 2x Download
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA male
- MC400LP4 Modem: Category 4 Verizon/AT&T version
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 13, 17
- 4G/3G: HSPA+
- MIMO Support: 2x2
- LTE Performance Category: Category 4 (Max Theoretical Speed: 150Mbps Down / 50 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: No
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA male
- MC400LPE-AT Modem: Category 4 AT&T specific version
- MC400LPE-GN Modem: Category 4 Generic Version – for use on T-Mobile and US Cellular in the U.S. and Rogers, Bell, & TELUS in Canada
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 13, 17, 25
- 4G/3G: HSPA+/UMTS, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA EVDO
- MIMO Support: 2x2
- LTE Performance Category: Category 4 (Max Theoretical Speed: 150Mbps Down / 50 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: No
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA male
- MC400LPE-SP Modem: Category 4 Sprint Version
- LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 13, 17, 25
- 4G/3G: HSPA+/UMTS, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA EVDO
- MIMO Support: 2x2
- LTE Performance Category: Category 4 (Max Theoretical Speed: 150Mbps Down / 50 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: No
- Cellular Antennas: 2x SMA male
- MC400-1200M-B Modem: Category 18
- SIM Slots: 2x Mini-SIM
- Dimensions: 4.8 × 4.8 × 1.7 inches
- Other Ports:
- RJ-45 (Console)
- GPS Antenna Port(SMA)
- 12v Power
- Power Source: 12 V DC / 1.5 A power adapter.
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Special Features: Data Usage Tracking, Auto Failover, Load Balancing, Integrated GPS
- Retail Price: $609-839 (w/o antennas), includes 1 year of NetCloud Manager
W1850
The W1850 is designed for branch offices that require 5G performance. It does not include any Wi-Fi networking, though it does have 2x 2.5 Gigabit ports for LAN and WAN connections. The adapter also has a fast processor and internal speeds that allow a throughput of up to 2 Gbps.
Specifications
- Model: W1850
- Router Specs:
- # of Connected Devices: Not Specified
- Wi-Fi Router: N/A
- USB Tethering Support: Yes - 1x USB Port, tethering not confirmed
- Ethernet Ports: 2x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (WAN/LAN)
- Cellular Modem Specs:
- Cellular Modem: Single 5G / LTE Cat-20
- Modem Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon X55
- Supported Networks and Bands: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint (Auto Switching)
- 5G Sub-6 Bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n28, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79
- 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, 46, 48, 66, 71
- 4G/3G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 19
- 2G: No
- MIMO Support: 4x4
- Max Theoretical 5G Performance: 4 Gbps Down / 700 Mbps Up
- LTE Performance Category: Cat-20 (Max Theoretical Speed: 2 Gbps Down / 150 Mbps Up)
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: 7x Download, 2x Upload
- 5G Carrier Aggregation: Mid-Band & Low-Band 5G cannot be combined.
- Cellular Antennas: 4x SMA Antenna Ports (paddle antennas included)
- SIM Slots: 2x Nano (4FF) SIM slots
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
- Other Ports:
- RJ-45 (Console)
- 12v Power
- Power Source: AC Adapter or PoE
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Special Features: Data Usage Tracking, Auto Failover, Load Balancing
- Retail Price: $1299-1899
News, Videos & Status
We do not have any Cradelpoint adapters for testing.
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Routers can serve as a central conductor of your local area network in your RV and boat. Mobile routers are different from residential routers in that they typically support multiple internet sources like cellular and Wi-Fi, can be powered off of 12v or AC and support external antenna for better receiving signal.
But you might not need a router in your setup. Here's a quick video overview the variety that routers come in:
For more on learning about mobile routers and how they might fit in your setup, follow up with our educational resources:
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