Let’s face it. The internet has become an integral part of our lives. It’s essential for both personal and business purposes. With the increasing demand for internet connectivity, it’s crucial to have a reliable internet connection. So what do you do when your internet connection goes down? Is there a WiFi network available near you that you can connect to? This is where WiFi as WAN can be used as a backup internet connection.

What is WiFi as WAN?

WiFi as WAN is a technology that enables you to use a nearby WiFi network as a Wide Area Network (WAN) or in other words, your Internet connection. This means that you can use a WiFi network to connect to the internet, just like you would with a wired connection. It works much like a WiFi repeater where it takes one WiFi signal and rebroadcasts it using its own WiFi network. However, you also have the ability to connect wired devices too. This is because in most cases, the WiFi as WAN device is just another router.

Benefits of WiFi as WAN

Using WiFi as WAN for a backup internet connection has many benefits. Firstly, it’s cost-effective. WiFi networks are widely available, making it easy to find a connection when your primary connection goes down. If you travel, a lot of locations provide free WiFi to their guests. Should you need this at your home or office, check with your neighbors to see what ISP (Internet Service Provider) they use. If it’s different from your own, suggest sharing your WiFi connections as a backup to your primary connections.

WiFi as WAN is easy to set up. It’s a lot like connecting your laptop or cell phone to a WiFi network. All you need is a WiFi as WAN enabled device, such as the Cradlepoint IBR600C cellular router, or a dedicated WiFi as WAN device, like the Peplink Device Connector IP55. Once you have this device, you’ll log into its administration page to enable the WiFi as WAN connection. After it’s enabled it will start scanning for nearby WiFi networks. Simply pull up the list like you would on any WiFi device, select the network of your choice and enter the password, if required. Want to see how it works for yourself? Check out the Pepwave/Peplink MAX example in our YouTube video below.

There are several WiFi as WAN devices that are portable. You can take your WiFi as WAN enabled device with you wherever you go, making it easy to stay connected even when you’re on the move. This is particularly useful for people and businesses that need to stay connected while traveling.

WiFi as WAN can help to better protect your network devices. When connecting to an unknown WiFi network, especially when there’s no password protection, it can put your devices at risk. By using a WiFi as WAN connection instead, you can protect, or encrypt, your network and keep it private. This prevents any unwanted connections from being established to the same network as your personal devices.

Using WiFi as WAN as a backup internet connection can be more reliable when using multiple WiFi networks. Just like most WiFi devices, they will remember more than one WiFi network so that they may connect whenever they’re available. WiFi as WAN devices can do this also. If one WiFi network fails, another one can connect. Then, if the primary WiFi WAN connection reconnects, it can automatically switch back.

Are There Any Downsides to WiFi as WAN?

There are some considerations to keep in mind when using WiFi as WAN as a backup internet connection. Due to the many ways you can set up your WiFi, not all WiFi networks are created the same, nor are they managed similarly. Some may have settings in place that can prevent your WiFi as WAN device from establishing a connection. That’s even when they do not have a password for connecting. Instead, they use a page to verify who you are before they allow or deny your connection. Unfortunately, WiFi as WAN devices typically cannot work around these management settings.

WiFi networks can be slow and have limited bandwidth. This can be impacted even more with WiFi as WAN because you are repeating another connection. Every time you repeat something, it’s not quite as perfect as the original. This can be a problem if you’re using WiFi as WAN for bandwidth-intensive activities, such as video conferencing or streaming. In this case, you may need to use a wired connection or a dedicated WAN connection.

WiFi networks can be subject to interference. This can cause disruptions to your connection, particularly if you’re in an area with a lot of competing wireless signals. To mitigate this, you may need to look at using a different frequency and channel than other nearby WiFi networks.

Finding a WiFi as WAN Device

Before you purchase any WiFi as WAN hardware, start by determining your requirements. Consider factors such as the number of users, the coverage area, the internet speed, and the types of devices you will be connecting (in case you need any Ethernet ports for wired connections). Research the different WiFi as WAN devices available in the market. Consider factors such as the brand reputation, customer reviews, and the features offered. Look for WiFi as WAN devices that offer security features such as encryption, firewalls, and access control to protect your network from unauthorized access and cyber threats. Ensure that the WiFi as WAN device you choose is compatible with your existing network infrastructure, including your router, modem, and other devices. Of course, also consider the cost and included support and warranty on the device.

In conclusion, using WiFi as WAN as a backup internet connection is a cost-effective, reliable, and easy-to-use solution. It’s particularly useful for businesses that need to stay connected, even when their primary internet connection goes down. However, it’s important to ensure that the WiFi network you’re connecting to is fast enough for your needs, and to be aware of the potential limitations of WiFi networks, such as interference. With the right precautions, WiFi as WAN can be a powerful tool for staying connected in today’s increasingly digital world.

To learn more about WiFi as WAN, ask the experts at 5Gstore.com. You can reach us by phone, email, or chat!

Most WiFi WAN issues are related to the signal strength to the Peplink, interference in the environment, as well as how the WiFi network you’re connecting to is managed (i.e. from Hotel, campground, coffee shop, etc). There’s a few tips we’ve gathered that can help to troubleshoot some common connection issues. Read on to learn more.

Confirm Connectivity with the WiFi Source

Take your mobile device or computer and try connecting to the WiFi WAN source directly. This will show you how initial connections are established – whether there is a splash page; their connection password and frequency – as well as the performance of the network. Keep in mind that users can see bandwidth degradation of up to 50% [when connected through the Peplink], depending on conditions.

Confirm You’re Following the Proper Configuration Steps

[Depending on model] enable (OR, drag and drop from the left) only 5ghz OR 2.4ghz WiFi WAN to the priority needed
Wait until the status says scanning
Click on the wireless networks button
Click the Connect button next to the network you are trying to connect to and enter the password when prompted.
Click Save
Wait for the Star or Check Mark to show up beside the network
If needed, click Connect again next to the network
Select OK
Wait for the status to show Connected (This can take a few mins.)

Upgrade the firmware

If the firmware is not up to date, this could help resolve the issue. Go to System -> Firmware to check for firmware , or manually upgrade the firmware if needed.

Check Signal Strength

Log into your Peplink web admin and refer to the Dashboard page -> WAN Connection Status -> WiFi WAN. Click on the Wireless Networks button here.
In the window that opens, you’ll see a table showing the WiFi names, channel, security and signal. The signal is represented by a negative number. The closer this number is to 0, the better the signal is. Generally, a signal of -80dBm or closer to 0 is needed to maintain the WiFi WAN connection. However, interference and obstructions between your Peplink’s WiFi signal and the WiFi WAN source can still cause issues with a stronger signal.

Check Channel Settings

In the same window (with the list of wireless networks), refer to the Channel column and make note of the channels in use.
Close the Wireless Networks window and click on the Details button to the right
Scroll down to the Wi-Fi WAN Settings section
Adjust Channel Width from 20MHz to 20/40Mhz
If you found that most nearby networks are on the same channels in step #3 above, set the Channel to Custom and then select a channel not used or less used. Ideally, the channel selected should be as far away from the in use channels as possible.

Adjust the Output Power

The Output Power can be adjusted to control how much signal is broadcast to pull in the WiFi WAN connection. If you’re in a heavily congested WiFi area, sometimes lowering the power may provide better results. You can also enable the Boost to add extra power.
Click Save and Apply at the bottom when done.

Change the DNS server setting

Changing the DNS server to match the IP address of its network could also help if nothing else does. When you create the WiFi connection profile (by clicking on the “Connect” button under the “Wireless Networks”) uncheck the box to “obtain DNS server address automatically.” Then, check the box to “use the following DNS server addresses.” Enter the Gateway/ Router IP address of the WiFi network in “DNS Server 1.” For “DNS Server 2” we entered one of Google’s DNS server addresses (8.8.8.8), but you may use a different server address if desired.

We hope this information is helpful to you and welcome you to contact us if you have any questions. You can reach out to our team by phone, email, or chat!

Tag: WAW

Using WiFi as WAN: A Cost-Effective Backup Internet Connection