I was able to repair the Winegard ConnecT 2.0 LTE. It was actually very easy to do and I was able to learn some valuable information about the device at the same time.
Because I had moved the ConnecT before it stopped working, I figured I had just knocked something loose inside. I wasn’t sure how easy it was to open and I assume doing so would void the warranty.
However, there are no security screws on the cover and no stickers that break when you open it up. In fact, it is only held in place with 4 Torx screws. It was either a 25 or 20 Torx screw and simple to remove. The cover lifts up easily exposing the insides.
The guts of the ConnecT are pretty simple actually. There is one main circuit board in the center, the board to the back with SIM card slot, and several antenna boards vertically mounted around the exterior.
I assumed I had knocked the power cord loose and I had. Its a simple, standard power cable, so I just clicked it back in place and everything was fine. Easy enough.
But what I was surprised to find is that there is an ethernet port on the main board. I’m not sure if it works or not, or if it was put on their for future upgrades, but it is there nonetheless.
There is no way get a cable to the ethernet port with the cover on as is, but it would be easy enough to drill a hole and run a cable inside. I would have to seal it up nicely so moisture or bugs cannot get in. Doing this would definitely void the warranty though, I’m fairly certain.
When we have another nice day, I’ll take an ethernet cable up there with my computer and plug it in and see what I find. It may work as a traditional router so I can plug it in directly to the main router and use it to grab campground wifi better than our computers do while hiding our computers behind our own in-RV network.
Since our ConnecT has the LTE option, we can get a SIM card to put in it and I hope it has a better reception than our Mobley does. That way we can use the ConnecT as the source of our internet and keep our internal network as we have it now.
I am still looking for sources of either Verizon or AT&T hotspot SIMs since those are all that currently work with the ConnecT. If we can get one of those with true unlimited data, then we can end our AT&T Mobley contract when it is up for renewal in a few months.
It is progress, slow, but surely progress!
[…] Fortunately, it was an easy fix and is working fine! […]