Key Points:
- The Antenna MAX S is a roof-mounted enclosure for select Peplink routers, with integrated 4x4 MIMO cellular, 2x2 Wi-Fi, and GPS antennas.
- The weatherproof enclosure also has space to mount a Starlink Mini - allowing both cellular and Starlink to share a single roof mount.
- Rather than run nine separate wires from your roof to your tech cabinet, you can run just a single Ethernet cable, supplying both power and data.
- Peplink launched the Antenna MAX S somewhat prematurely - official PoE power supply options are still pending.
Mounting cellular antennas on a boat or RV typically requires an awkward bundle of coax antenna cables running between the outdoor antennas and the indoor router - and even with expensive premium cables, much of the potential benefit of the antennas can end up squandered to cable loss over longer runs.
An alternative strategy is to mount the cellular router outdoors in the same enclosure as the antennas, with antenna cable lengths measured in inches instead of feet.
With this type of installation, instead of needing a large hole able to fit seven antenna cables, you only need to route a small, simple Ethernet cable indoors.
The Peplink Antenna MAX (our news story) introduced last November did just this - offering up a weatherproof enclosure combining 4x4 MIMO 5G cellular antennas, 2x2 MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi antennas, a GPS receiver, and space inside to mount selected Peplink router models.
Now Peplink has launched a new Antenna MAX S design that takes all that, and adds space to install a Starlink Mini on top as well.
The Antenna MAX S is designed to be an easy-to-install, all-in-one connectivity solution that combines cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi into a single roof-mounted unit.
The Antenna MAX S is, however, larger and more expensive than the original Antenna MAX.
And the ultimate goal of running just a single cable to the roof for both power and data is complicated by some tricky power supply complications.
Table of Contents
Antenna MAX S Video Overview
Peplink Antenna MAX S Overview
The Peplink Antenna MAX S continues the concept of the original Antenna MAX - now featuring upgraded integrated cellular antennas.
The design, however, is now larger and rectangular, with a new top layer to accommodate the Starlink Mini dish.
With the larger size, the Antenna MAX S can use slightly larger antenna elements compared to the original Antenna MAX.
Based on our analysis of the antenna specifications, we expect its cellular performance to be on par with the Peplink Mobility 42G, and slightly better than the original Antenna MAX.
The Antenna MAX S enclosure supports the same routers as the Antenna MAX.
It is compatible with the BR1 Mini series, the MAX Transit Duo Pro (dual 4G), or the BR1 Pro 5G routers.
As in the original Antenna MAX, the Antenna MAX S has integrated Wi-Fi antennas as well as cellular, and being mounted outdoors, these will be ideal for connecting upstream to marina or campground Wi-Fi using WiFi-as-WAN.
However, the outdoor location of the Wi-Fi antennas is often sub-optimal for indoor Wi-Fi coverage. To enable indoor Wi-Fi, we recommend people utilize an indoor access point (or two) to complete their Antenna MAX S installation.
The Antenna MAX S is selling for $699 - a substantial premium over the $349 Antenna MAX.
But for those seeking the ultimate in all-in-one integration, this is still a compelling value.
Antenna MAX S Downsides
While there are some significant advantages to moving the router up onto the roof, there are downsides to consider also.
When roof mounted - Ethernet LAN and WAN ports on your router will be less accessible. But an indoor managed switch (and Peplink's vWAN feature) should let you use Ethernet ports indoors on the switch as if they were physically on the router.
Another downside - if you frequently choose to swap out SIM cards, that will be a challenge with the Antenna MAX S, since you will need to climb on the roof to swap SIM cards out.
Removing your Starlink Mini to take it on the go, or to move it out from under obstructions, is also a challenge - requiring a cumbersome disassembly of the Antenna MAX S to extract the Starlink.
PoE Power Challenges
One of the ultimate goals of an all-in-one enclosure is to be able to connect to it with just a single Ethernet cable, using PoE (Power over Ethernet) to power all the outdoor components.
The power demands of the Starlink Mini complicate this.
At the time of launch, Peplink does not currently have an official solution for powering the Starlink Mini inside the Antenna MAX S via POE.
Peplink's Splitter MAX ($99) seems like the right tool for the job - this little box can mount inside the Antenna MAX enclosures, and it splits off 12V DC power from the PoE cable coming in. But unfortunately, the current Splitter MAX model does not have enough power output to reliably supply the Starlink Mini.
We expect that Peplink will be releasing a higher power Splitter MAX in the months ahead, designed to power the Starlink Mini.
Until there is an official solution, our partners at MobileMustHave are rushing to bring out their own Antenna MAX S accessory bundle for RV and marine installs that will include both a DC PoE injector, a PoE splitter, and the necessary cables to connect the Starlink Mini to the splitter. This should be available within the next week or two.
Without a PoE splitter, the alternative is to power the Starlink Mini via a dedicated DC power cable.
It is disappointing that Peplink launched the Antenna MAX S without fully resolving the power supply issues.
Ideally, a Starlink Mini compatible PoE splitter should have been included bundled with the Antenna MAX S kit from the start.
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Concluding Thoughts
Integrating routers and antennas outdoors together has been something we have long advocated to maximize signal strength and minimize cable loss.
The Antenna MAX S brings a new attractive option to those looking to utilize both Peplink & Starlink together, but who want to minimize the space that all those components take up separately.
Having an all-in-one enclosure that can connect upstream to Starlink, cellular, and Wi-Fi is pretty compelling - especially for those who want easy portability between vehicles or who are facing challenging installation locations (such as way up a boat's mast) that would be impractical for traditional cellular antennas.
The $699 price tag is steep compared to the Antenna MAX, but many flexible mounting accessories are included - and it is still competitive when you factor in what 3rd party Starlink mounts often run.
Powering all the components of the Antenna MAX S might be a bit of a challenge at first, but we expect accessories will be out soon that will make single-cable PoE installations easy.
Overall - if your layout necessitates longer antenna cable runs or you have limited rooftop space to take advantage of, the Antenna MAX S looks like it will be a compelling option to consider.
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