Connection to WLAN access points

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Updated – December 30, 2022

Free WiFi is occasionally available in public places. At camping sites, the operators would of course like to see their investment in the site's Wi-Fi coverage recouped and are happy to rent out pre-set routers in addition to the usual offerings of Wi-Fi passes.

TravelConnector TCS208 WLAN

The TravelConnector TCS208 WLAN In this application, it fulfills two aspects: On the one hand, the 8.5 dB gain of the rod antenna ensures the best possible use of the given signal, which can sometimes be weak depending on the location, and on the other hand, it makes the router think it is a cell phone. This eliminates the need to rent one of the site's own routers.

In addition to the 74 cm long antenna, the TCS208 WLAN also consists of a WLAN router with two WAN and LAN ports, a USB port for the antenna electronics and a port for a power supply or cigarette lighter cable for power supply.

In addition to the 8.5 dB antenna, there is also a 5 (TC05SE2) and 12 dB TC12SE2 version with a length of 49 and 134 cm. What all antennas have in common is the possibility of shortening them by approx. 30 cm through a modified installation.

Radiation characteristics

It should be noted that as the antenna length increases, the omnidirectional characteristic decreases in relation to the opening angle: 49 cm 33°, 74 cm 20° and 134 cm 8°. You can roughly compare the opening angle to a beam of light from a lighthouse. When concentrated strongly, it reaches far and leaves the surrounding area in the dark. The light beam reaches the ground in its surroundings earlier with less focus. So if you are standing further away on a hill with a 134 cm antenna, the opening angle may be too small to capture the WLAN antenna at the rain gutter height of the shelter. The 49 cm antenna, on the other hand, may not have enough gain to receive the signal in a usable manner. Therefore, the 74 cm antenna represents a good compromise between gain and opening angle.
It is assumed here that the antenna is mounted vertically on the roof of the motorhome and that its inclination is not adjusted depending on local conditions. In this case, with the 134 cm antenna tilted towards the access point (AP), the “light beam” could definitely capture the APO and then produce a good useful signal.

Antenna assembly

Since the clearance height in parking or camping areas is often limited, the almost 30 cm reduction in length could be the tip of the scale in deciding whether to pass through the area. So here are instructions.

The antenna consists of the fiberglass radiator with PL connection, a thick-walled nylon cylinder that houses the antenna electronics and a tiltable base.

The nylon cylinder is separated using a cutting disc at approx. 12 cm from the top; the stand is not used.

The motorhome roof is drilled through in the appropriate place using a 44 mm hole saw insert. The lower hole is brought to the outside diameter of the upper end of the nylon cylinder with a half-round file. The insulation between the roof skin and the inside of the roof is cleanly removed with a cutter at an angle of 90° to the underside of the roof skin. This creates an approx. 4 mm wide recess into which the shortened nylon cylinder can be fitted exactly flush with the underside of the roof membrane. The recess is previously provided with a silicone seam, which ensures a tight seal between the roof skin, nylon cylinder and antenna. When fitting the nylon cylinder, some of the silicone is pushed out. Inside (!) excess silicone is removed.

The antenna electronics are connected to the antenna using the PL connector (make sure the screw connection is tight) and inserted into the nylon cylinder. The O-ring should slide cleanly into the hole in the roof skin and, in addition to the silicone, seal the gap between the nylon cylinder and the antenna base. Screw the thread of the antenna base into the thread of the nylon cylinder and tighten. Remove excess silicone.

Indoor connection

Inside, the USB cable can now be connected to the USB connector on the antenna electronics using the USB coupling.

The USB plug of the USB cable is connected to the USB port of the ALFA Network Router.

A network cable on the WAN/LAN port on the router is connected to a LAN port on the router or switch in the motorhome.

After connecting the ALFA Network Router's WLAN antenna and the appropriate power supply, the router boots and can then be accessed via the browser using the specified IP 192.168.38.1.

Configuration of the router

When starting for the first time, a password of at least 8 characters must be assigned and confirmed by entering it again.

You will then be taken to the home page Quick setup. Here you select the Wireless Hotspot Extender option and click the button Next. Once the scanning process is complete, all available WiFi networks will be displayed. The desired WLAN is selected by clicking on it and by clicking on the button Select taken on the right. The next step is in the section above Hotspot configuration Enter the password for the selected WLAN. In the Internet Configuration section below, the WLAN name of the ALFA Network Router is preset, but can be changed as desired. The desired password for accessing this WLAN is set below and click on the button finish taken at bottom right.

After restarting, the WLAN you just created is available. The ALFA Network Router automatically connects to the selected WLAN and makes it available in its own network.

On the status On the router side, the data from the hotspot, the ALFA Network WLAN, the connected devices and the system are displayed.

A fixed router IP can be found on the site Local Network - Wired Network at your choice Static Address in The Field Protocol in the input field IP Address entered and click on the button Apply be saved at the bottom right.

About the site System – System Maintenance The router configuration can be saved and loaded as a file and new firmware can be installed as a file.