WiFiRanger's Aspen router is the top tier indoor unit in their Converge lineup of routers, designed to easily pair with a Converge outdoor router (Teton, Denali, or Everest) installed on an RV roof.
But the Aspen also works standalone - and if you do not need the roof-mounted features, the Aspen by itself is an exceptional value with plenty of features built in and future upgrade potential.
The Aspen router is built with the ability to add an internal LTE modem upgrade, it has an SD Card slot for data collection, and USB 2.0 port to allow tethering cellular devices.
If you have a powered USB hub, you can tether up to three mobile hotspots and/or cellphones to a WiFiRanger Aspen router to load balance your usage across multiple WAN inputs
WiFiRanger tells us that:
"Aspen is like a GoAC (WiFiRanger's former indoor flagship) on steroids. It’s 802.11ac with a quad core processor and hardware acceleration. It has external antennas and beam forming."
For just $80 more than Poplar and vastly less than the $349 GoAc, the Aspen seems likely to be a fantastic value for a feature packed router.
The WiFiRanger Aspen was officially announced in September 2019 and officially went on the market in March 2020.
For an overview of the full WiFiRanger product line (and a look at some of the software features in common across different devices), see our gear center entry:
Specifications
- Model: Aspen
- Base Technology: TBD
- Router Specs:
- # of Connected Devices: Not specified
- Wi-Fi Router: Yes
- Control Panel and Default Password:
Control Panel: mywifiranger.com
Default Password: changemenowXXYY (XXYY" are the last four digits of the WFR ID) - USB Tethering Support: Yes - Up to three devices via a powered USB Hub.
- Ethernet Ports: 5x - Gigabit Ethernet (LAN / WAN Switchable)
- Cellular Modem Specs: (available as an upgrade)
- Supported Networks and Bands: LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 12/17, 13, 14, 66, 71
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: No
- MIMO Support: 2x2 Integrated Antenna
- LTE Performance Category: Category 4
(Max Theoretical Speed: 150 Mbps Down / 50 Mbps Up) - Cellular Antenna Ports: TBD
- SIM Slots: TBD
- Dimensions: 7"H x 7.5"W x 5"D
- Other Ports:
- Power Source: 12V or 24V DC Power / AC Power Adapters Optional
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Special Features:
- Retail Price: $160
- + $100 for Internal LTE Cat-4 Modem Upgrade Kit
- + $50 to for LTE Cat-4 to Cat-6 Upgrade
Review & Testing Status
In late October we received our evaluation WiFiRanger Spruce indoor unit, along with a WiFiRanger Converge Denali - courtesy of WiFiRanger.
The Aspen was released in March 2020, and we are looking forward to receiving our evaluation unit when the new WiFiRanger Everest is available. We will then conduct a full evaluation of the product line.
Here is our first look video:
We will be integrating these into our testing, and sharing our hands on experience with our members.
During our evaluation, members can track our impressions and testing data in these places:
- [Testing Lab Report] Pepwave MAX Transit Duo vs WiFiRanger Converge, MIMO Antennas (Fall/Winter 2019/2020)
- In Progress Testing Forum Notes
Potential Alternatives to Consider:
For other popular mobile routers on the market we are tracking - here are our featured options:
Learn More About Selecting Mobile Routers
This Review Contains Additional Member Exclusive Content
We are honored to be able to present the above overview for free without 3rd party advertising or sponsorships. We are not paid by the manufacturer of this product to provide this listing or review, and nor are we selling this equipment or plan (purchasing links are provided below as a courtesy and some may be affiliates).
Our members have funded this resource center and any extensive hands on time
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The in-depth portions of this review are made available to them which might contain: hands on testing notes, field testing data, user interface tour, product analysis, comparison to alternatives, setup tips, video tutorial, insider tips, vendor discounts and fellow member experiences.
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Purchasing Options
If you want to buy both indoor and outdoor units at once - you can buy the Everest/Aspen pack for $900 (once the Everest is officially released), or you buy a custom pack and pair it with one of the other outdoor models as well.
WiFiRanger has a wiring setup they call "TetherPoint" that makes it easy to connect between indoor and outdoor WiFiRanger units - and which provides power to both sides.
WiFiRanger's lineup of "TetherPoint" indoor routers are designed to easily pair with the Converge units on the roof.
An indoor router is not required for a WiFiRanger system - but having one will give you ethernet ports for wired networking, USB tethering support for connecting via cellular hotspots, and it will let your indoor Wi-Fi network operate independently from the long-range Wi-Fi radio on the roof - improving overall Wi-Fi performance across the board.
Or you can purchase just the indoor router if you don't need the longer range roof mounted components.
Whichever way you go - you can always expand your system later, as needed.
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