Winegard GW-1000 Gateway 4G LTE WiFi Router

Worst Product Ever! Do Not Purchase! Winegard Refuses to Admit This Product Sucks! Demanding Refund!
I purchased this back in April of 2022 (7 months ago). The unit initially seemed to perform “ok” but not to my expectations. I conducted numerous controlled tests comparing speeds provided via certain supported carriers. I also conducted similar controlled tests with local WiFi sources comparing the functions that the Winegard unit provides to comparable solutions that function as WiFi bridges/extenders (in that mode.) The Winegard is clearly not performing well. Over the last few months I’ve noticed that the unit stops broadcasting its SSID (network name) and some devices report they are still connected and others are not. Performance across the board has dropped to almost useless level, even for casual “light” use. I’m going to reach out to the manufacturer today and see if I can get an equitable resolution. One thing I have noticed is when I took it down to manually power cycle it, the main chip that you can see when you flip the unit over appears to be discolored. This could indicate overheating and would explain a lot. More to come….Update: 11/30/2022 -I received the replacement unit a couple of weeks ago. I was still having problems similar to what I posted. I sent them log files. I finally got an concession and they offered a resolution that included updating the firmware. I had to manually download the file and apply the update. Wow. What a “huge” difference. I went from a problem 3 times a day to once a week. Well, that is an improvement. Seriously. I feel as if some kid learned how to program and designed a router. While impressive for a kid, it sucks for a product in the real world. I’m demanding a full refund. If I don’t get it I’ll use this router for target practice. The product manager for this model should be fired. The firmware designer should be fired. I can’t write a more damaging review. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS UNIT.Update: 12/12/2022 – I again returned the replacement unit and after demanding a full refund was granted the option to exchange it for a WiFiRanger Osprey. So far that unit is working well.

Good device, much better after the ConnecT OS revamp, but lots of frustration
I purchased this router in June 2023 to add to my new travel trailer, which was preinstalled with the Air 360+ TV/WiFi antenna. At the time installation went well, and initial use with the preinstalled FreedomGo SIM card and AT&T service was OK. Speeds were not great, and my phone’s hotspot (also AT&T) was much faster. Lots of buffering when watching YouTube TV, and the device restarted often. There were many times when we were using our Internet service OK, then something appeared to hang up, only to check our device’s WiFi settings to see that we were no longer connected to the GW-1000 via WiFi. With AT&T service, our speed tests results were in the 2-5 MB.Eventually I gave up and began trying other options. I added a 50GB/month SIM from my own AT&T service plan, which only solved the issue of getting a separate billing from FreedomGo. I ordered an Inseego 3000 hotspot with T-Mobile 5G service and unlimited data, available to FMCA members for $59.99 per month. That worked well in areas with cellular data service, but not in areas with poor quality service. We are in Texas so the quality of cell service diminishes greatly when you are in the western half of the state, away from major roads. In populated areas, we could get 150-300 Mbps service consistently, but in rural areas we were still getting much lower speeds, typically in the 3-6 Mbps range.I purchased a Starlink Gen 3 Standard kit during the 2024 sale, and so far we’ve been satisfied with it, except for when the trailer is in storage (covered, powered storage with metal walls and roof). Starlink needs a few hours to get consistent speeds, but now in rural areas we are getting service around 300 Mbps, but now in the urban areas we are getting speeds around 20 Mbps.With the introduction of RV Halo, and the October firmware upgrade for the GW-1000, I wanted to try the device again. I was able to transfer the T-Mobile SIM from the Inseego device to the GW-1000 (using the old sim’s punch out to contain the new SIM, so the T-Mobile micro sim could go in the standard SIM slot in the GW-1000), and that detected right away and connects at much faster speeds. On the Starlink, I separated the networks to 2 and 5 GHz networks, and connected the GW-1000 to the 2 GHz network. This is supposed to improve compatibility for devices that only support 2 GHz WiFi networks. I then set the GW-1000 to use both connections at the same time. Speeds are now around 16-20 Mbps, which is acceptable but not ideal.Overall this is a compromise I’m willing to accept. RV Halo just introduced the ability to connect remote sensors (‘smart home’ type devices) such as temperature/humidity, water, motion, and contact (door/window open), along with an Alexa voice assistant and integrations with other vendors’ products such as solar controllers, door locks, etc. Having the FMCA T-Mobile service with unlimited data while in storage gives me the ability to geofence my trailer and get alerts if there is an issue. I expect that for many use cases, the T-Mobile service alone will be sufficient, but having Starlink available for some of the more remote trips, stopping that service for long periods, is a great backup option.This is a good device for weekend warriors who take different types of trips and want to stay connected to relatives or social media. A true remote worker road warrior will probably need something heftier, if only for the stability. The theoretical max speed for 4G service over 2.5 GHz is around 150 Mbps, but actual speeds delivered will be lower.I think the potential to get water leak alerts or temperature alerts is a giant benefit for pet owners or those who need to store their RVs away from home. That benefit offsets a lot of the frustration that I’ve experienced until this point.At this time Winegard’s 5G mobile offerings are very expensive, and this device is a good consumer-quality multi-wan router with dual-SIM slots, WiFi (bridge and extender), and LAN/WAN ports, offering some great failover options. The best thing you can do is use the FreedomGo plans initially and see which providers offer the best service. Also check and make sure the antenna wires are plugged in securely. It’s not going to beat the service you might expect at home, but it should offer a reliable connection over a wide variety of journeys.I expect most of the issues that people have with this device are inherent to the 2.5 GHz service, not specifically this product or manufacturer. In the past, before I had 5GHz service at home, I would experience frequent disconnections and home WiFi was not a consistent or pleasant experience.

I decided to spend the 500$ Canadian to put this on my RV. Hook up was fairly simple but the quality of the product is terrible. I hooked it to my home wifi internet to test it, the signal was very disappointing. The wifi signal to my phone was 300 mbp and when I switched it to the Winegard it was only 13mbp. That is not enough to even stream on my firestick. I called support and they tried troubleshooting and said that is a normal signal for the Winegard. I will get better signal tethering it to my phone or using the campground wifi. I was told it would boost your signal which it does not at all. I am hoping I can return it as it is a total waste of money.

Je suis très déçu un produit cher , et ne fonctionne pas bien la réception , signal difficile versus le ranger que j’ai déjà eu !