Outdoor 4G Router, Up To 300m WiFi on Dual Solar Panels

Out in the shed, the workshop or the back paddock there is often no WiFi signal and no power point to run a router from. This outdoor 4G router makes its own WiFi from a Nano SIM, reaching up to 300 m where nothing blocks the line of sight, so phones, laptops and WiFi cameras around the yard can get online. Two solar panels and a 30,000 mAh battery keep it running day and night with regular sun on the panels, without mains power or an NBN line. You supply the SIM and data plan. It is wireless only, with no socket for a network cable, so every device joins by WiFi.

Key Features & Benefits

• Up To 300 m Of WiFi - rated for up to 300 m wherever there is a clear line of sight to the router. A hill, a stand of gum trees or the house in between cuts that distance, and a phone's weaker WiFi radio can shorten it further
• Dual Solar Panels, 30W Total - no power point to find and no trench to dig from the house: the two panels refill the battery whenever the sun is on them
• Two 4G And Two WiFi Antennas - the 4G pair works the mobile signal, which counts where a phone finds only one or two bars at the shed, while the WiFi pair spreads the network across the yard
• Band 28 For Rural 4G - made for Australian networks, including the 700 MHz band that carries 4G furthest into the country
• Night-Time WiFi From A 30,000 mAh Battery - the battery stores what the panels collect during the day, and a percentage readout on the unit shows how much is left
• Free App To Run It - see every phone and gadget on your WiFi, and if one turns up that you do not know, change the password on the spot. The app also shows the 4G signal and restarts the router from wherever you are
• 2.4 GHz WiFi For Phones And Laptops - nearly every phone, laptop and tablet connects on 2.4 GHz. It does not broadcast 5 GHz, so a gadget set to 5 GHz only will not find it
• Bring Your Own Nano SIM - works with a Nano SIM on any Australian carrier's data plan. No SIM comes in the box, and if your carrier is a smaller one you may need to type its APN, the internet setting it provides, into the app once
• Waterproof, Rain Or Shine - lift the rubber flap to reach the SIM slot, buttons and USB-C port, and press it shut again to keep the weather out
• 4G Speeds Up To 150 Mbps - a ceiling, not an everyday speed. For a real guide, hold your phone where the router will go: the bars it shows there, on the same carrier as your SIM, tell you more than this number
• Swivel Bracket For DIY Mounting - there is no wiring, so no electrician is needed. Screw the bracket to a shed wall or timber post, fix the router on with the two machine screws supplied and swing the panels to face the sun
• USB-C Charging On The Bench - fill the battery indoors from a 9V/1A USB-C charger before it goes up the ladder, so it is ready the moment it is mounted. The charger and cable are not included

Real-World Scenarios

The Workshop Past The End Of The House WiFi

The shed is too far from the house for the home WiFi, and nobody ever ran power out to it. With the router up high on the outside of the shed, the phone streams music in the workshop, the laptop opens the invoices and a WiFi camera keeps an eye on the tools, all without digging a trench.

Weekends At The Bush Block

The block has 4G coverage but no house, no NBN and no mains power yet. The router stays on a timber post by the camp all week while the panels charge it between visits, and phones and a laptop can connect from up to 300 m away in clear line of sight.

How It Works

1. Sun first, then your SIM - leave it in direct sun for 4 hours, not behind glass, or charge it from a 9V/1A USB-C charger, and pair it in the free app using the QR code printed on its back. Lift the rubber cover, push in a Nano SIM and turn the power switch on.
2. Panels north, out of the shade - on the ground, screw the 4G pair of antennas onto the left side and the WiFi pair onto the right. Then screw the bracket onto a shed wall or a post 2 to 6 m up, where no tree or roofline shades the panels, and tilt them to about 40 degrees.
3. Same as home WiFi - pick the router's network on each phone, laptop or WiFi camera and type in its password, exactly as you would at home. The free app is there later for a new WiFi name or password.

Technical Specifications

• Model: VIM-4GSOLR5
• WiFi range: up to 300 m, clear line of sight
• WiFi standard: 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz only
• Network: 4G LTE Cat4 on your own Nano SIM (not included), peak 150 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload
• LTE bands: B1, B3, B5, B7, B8 and B28 (FDD); B38, B40 and B41 (TDD)
• Solar panels: two, 30W in total
• Battery: built-in lithium, 30,000 mAh
• Antennas: two for 4G and two for WiFi, all external
• Ethernet / LAN port: not fitted
• Backup charging: USB-C 9V/1A, charger and cable not included
• Solar connections: two USB-C 10V inputs
• On the unit: on/off switch, reset button, LED status light, battery percentage readout, panel 1 and panel 2 charge lights
• App: Free smartphone app (iOS and Android)
• Web settings: browser admin page; APN entry is in the app
• Weather sealing: waterproof; SIM slot, switch and charging port under a rubber cover
• Mounting: swivel bracket, 2 to 6 m height recommended
• Size: panel pair 340 mm wide by 360 mm high, with a 40 mm deep router housing behind them and a 200 mm bracket arm
• Weight: router 820 g, solar panels 1.17 kg the pair
• Colour: white

Packaging Contents

• 1 x Outdoor 4G router
• 2 x Solar panels, 30W together
• 4 x External antennas, two 4G and two WiFi
• 1 x Swivel mounting bracket
• 4 x Wood screws, 4 x wall plugs and 2 x machine screws
• 1 x User manual

Not in the box: a SIM card, a charger or a USB-C cable. Add a Nano SIM with data on it from the Australian carrier of your choice. Sunlight does the everyday charging.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does a 4G router work?

It works like the hotspot on your phone, only bigger and built for outside. The Nano SIM inside connects to the 4G mobile network, and the router turns that connection into a WiFi network your phones, laptops and WiFi cameras join. No NBN or phone line is needed.

2. What is the best way to get WiFi in my shed?

If the shed has no power point and no house WiFi, a solar 4G router fixes both: it needs no cable or signal from the house and gets online through its own SIM and data plan. A metal shed weakens WiFi, so mount it near the door or a window.

3. Does it keep working on cloudy days and in winter?

The 30,000 mAh battery stores what both panels collect, which keeps the router running overnight and through cloudy spells. In winter, keep the panels facing north and clear of shade. If grey skies drag on, give it a boost from a 9V/1A USB-C charger.

4. What does it cost to run?

Nothing for power, as it runs on sunshine. The only running cost is the data plan on your Nano SIM, so choose the plan by what you do on it: music and browsing use far less data than streaming video or uploading camera clips.

5. Can I plug in a computer or smart TV with a cable?

No. There is no Ethernet socket, so everything connects over WiFi. Laptops, phones, tablets, smart TVs and WiFi cameras with 2.4 GHz WiFi all join it wirelessly. A desktop computer without WiFi needs a USB WiFi adapter, which is not supplied.

Legal Disclaimer

The router records nothing itself. Point any camera you add at your own property: recording a private conversation you are not part of without consent is illegal in every Australian state and territory, and most states also restrict recording one you take part in.

Learn More

• View 4G security cameras for farms and rural blocks
• Just need to watch the yard, not get online? The 4G outdoor security camera with 20X zoom runs on its own SIM and two solar panels
• Which WiFi camera suits a shed, granny flat or detached garage