Winegard ConnecT 5G Rooftop Dome Released – Combining An X62 5G Modem With Wi-Fi, TV Antenna, And Ethernet

Winegard has finally released a new and significantly updated version of the ConnectT all-in-one rooftop dome connectivity system, the ConnectT 5G.

The Winegard ConnecT dome has been a factory-installed option offered by many RV manufacturers since its launch in 2018, and it has also been a popular aftermarket upgrade.

The new system at last brings the ConnecT into the 5G era, and includes some other upgrades as well.

The ConnecT 5G is now available for preorder for $899, with shipping expected in early August.

We expect this version will be popular with RV manufacturers as well.

The Winegard ConnecT System

The ConnecT dome integrates a basic dual-band Wi-Fi router, cellular modem, Wi-Fi-as-WAN capability (but only on the 2.4 GHz band), and an over-the-air TV antenna - all in a single rooftop dome.

As a self-contained system, installing the ConnecT on a roof requires just DC power and a coax cable for the TV antenna. This makes it a very popular option for RV manufacturers and dealers - providing a simple and inexpensive way to add both internet and TV connectivity to RVs without complicated wiring.

But under the dome - up until now, the cellular modem inside has always been a very basic, low-end offering, with only a Cat-4 LTE modem for cellular connectivity.

Note: There are multiple versions of the ConnecT offered to RV manufacturers and dealers - and confusingly, despite all being called "ConnecT," some are cost-reduced models with Wi-Fi only and no cellular, some without the HDTV antenna, and some without 5 GHz Wi-Fi LAN. The retail version, however, is full-featured.

The ConnecT 5G - What's New

The ConnecT 2.0 was exciting when it first came out in 2018, but it has languished as cellular and Wi-Fi standards have evolved.

Until this new 5G model, the ConnecT system has only offered a low-end Cat-4 LTE modem. Now Winegard has finally upgraded the modem to a 5G model, using the same Quectel X62 modem module used in most X62 routers today - including Peplink.

This is a big leap over the previous LTE Cat 4 modem, both in terms of cellular performance and coverage.

The modem supports all major LTE and sub-6 6GHz 5G bands used in North America, except some used primarily by Dish/Boost Mobile:

• LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
• 5G: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79

Another advantage of the new modem is that it has more SIM slots available - the LTE model only had a single slot.

Only a single SIM slot is accessible behind the exterior cover plate on the dome, but Winegard tells us that two more are available by opening up the dome. It's not convenient to have to go to the roof of your RV to change SIMs, but if you have multiple data plans, it's now possible to do this once, and switch between them via the firmware. Previously, to change data plans, you had to swap out the SIM from the single slot.

The leap from an LTE Cat-4 modem to 5G requires more antennas, and the new ConnecT 5G dome has 4x cellular antennas now to support 4x4 MIMO. The previous model only had two for 2x2 MIMO.

Starlink Compatibility And Ethernet Ports

Another change is that the new ConnecT 5G also officially supports Ethernet, with two Gigabit ports (1x LAN, 1x WAN) offered on the circuit board under the dome.

Winegard has also added another cable gland to allow for a waterproof entry for an Ethernet cable.

The ConnecT domes have always unofficially contained at least one Ethernet port, but it wasn't an officially advertised or supported feature until now.

Winegard sees the WAN port as best paired with Starlink, as more recent versions of Winegard's firmware support Ethernet WAN connections like Starlink.

The second Ethernet port can be used to connect to a generic indoor Ethernet switch - letting you bring wired networking into your RV.

Wi-Fi Support

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi capabilities of the ConnecT 5G remain unchanged, and the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) standard is somewhat dated.

The ConnecT supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for Wi-Fi LAN connections.

But when connecting upstream to a Wi-Fi network via Wi-Fi-as-WAN, only the 2.4GHz frequency band is supported. This band is often so congested as to be almost useless.

It is a real missed opportunity that Winegard has not enabled support for 5GHz WiFi-as-WAN connections. Many public Wi-Fi access points, including those at many campgrounds, support 5GHz - and in our experience, this can often provide a vastly better Wi-Fi experience than 2.4 GHz.

Hopefully, Winegard will enable this support in a future firmware update.

It's important to note that the Wi-Fi antennas are also in the ConnecT dome - this gives the dome an advantage for long-range Wi-Fi-as-WAN connections. But roof-mounted antennas can be a downside for LAN connections inside the RV.

This is particularly problematic for metal RVs, which will have a significant impact on Wi-Fi reception inside the RV.

RV Halo Sensors

The new ConnecT 5G also supports Winegard's RV Halo app and its system of sensors that connect to the dome via Bluetooth.

Some previous ConnecT models don't support Bluetooth natively, but the 5G model now does. 

RV Halo is Winegard's "smart RV" ecosystem with a mobile app to monitor and control everything, including Winegard routers.

Upgrading From An Older Model

A big advantage of the all-in-one rooftop design is simplicity.

Like its predecessor, the ConnecT 5G only needs 12V power and a coax cable to a TV for over-the-air television.

This makes it very straightforward to upgrade from an older model without having to worry about drilling new holes or running new wires. 

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Concluding Thoughts

It's nice to finally see the ubiquitous ConnecT finally get an upgrade - it's been stuck at Cat-4 LTE for far too long. And it's also nice that it includes some other upgrades like official Ethernet support and Bluetooth for Winegard's RV Halo system.

On the other hand, it still comes with several limitations, including only Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi-as-WAN that can't use the 5GHz frequency, and basic firmware with no advanced features.

At $899, the price is expensive for those focusing primarily on cellular and looking for more advanced cellular capabilities.

But official support for Ethernet allowing, for instance, easy connection to Starlink, and the all-in-one design could make this an appealing upgrade option for those who have basic needs and have an existing ConnecT 2.0 on their RV. The ease of upgrading to the newer dome is compelling for those who don't want the hassle of a more complicated system and installation.

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