WiFiRanger's Poplar router is the most basic 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 Poplar also works standalone - and if you do not need the roof-mounted features, the Poplar by itself is an exceptional value with plenty of future upgrade potential.
The Poplar router is built with the ability to add an internal Cat-4 LTE modem upgrade, it has an SD Card slot for data collection, and USB 2.0 port to allow tethering cellular devices for data aggregation.
If you have a powered USB Hub, you can actually tether up to three mobile hotspots and/or cellphones to a WiFiRanger Poplar router to load balance your usage across multiple providers.
But in other ways, the Poplar is very basic router - only supporting 2.4GHz 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4), with no 5GHz Wi-Fi compatibility.
The Poplar began shipping in late October 2019.
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: Poplar
- Base Technology: ZBTLink we826
- 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 - Fast 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: 6.4" Tall x 5.7" Wide x 1.3" Deep
- Other Ports:
- Power Source: 12V or 24V DC Power / AC Power Adapters Optional
- Outdoor Rated: No
- Special Features:
- Retail Price: $80 | + $100 for Internal LTE Cat-4 Modem Upgrade Kit
Review & Testing Status
In late October 2019 we received our evaluation WiFiRanger Converge Denali and Spruce internal router - courtesy of WiFiRanger. We do not intend to test the Poplar at this time.
Here is our first look video:
We will be integrating these into our testing, and sharing our hands on experience with our members.
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
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Purchasing Options
If you want to buy both indoor and outdoor units at once - you can buy the Teton / Poplar pack for $250, 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 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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