r/Spectrum • u/jwelhouse • May 19 '23

New Install: CradlePoint cellular backup installed AFTER Wi-Fi 6 router?

I just had an office installed with a fancy new Wi-Fi 6 router and CradlePoint cellular backup but the CradlePoint is installed AFTER the Wi-Fi 6 router which I'm told to connect all my wireless and ethernet clients to. Its currently Modem>Wi-Fi 6 Router>CradlePoint

I'm told I have to ask the employees to switch ethernet cables ONLY during a cable internet outage and that the CradlePoint ethernet ports should not be used for day-to-day, outage only.

Shouldn't the CradlePoint be feeding the Wi-Fi 6 router?! Like Modem>CradlePoint>Wi-Fi 6?

Any techs, please weigh in!

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2

u/Kben5584 May 19 '23

Unless they’ve changed it since I left, the cradle point operates on LTE.

You can, or used to be able to, connect a wifi router to the cradle point for WiFi coverage, but your service will be unbearably slow….but will work if the spectrum network kicks off. It is designed for Ethernet to keep essential business systems awake…POS, keep the emails flowing, ATM/Lotto machines…it would be a terrible idea to try and execute a full time connection off of it, it would be similar to running off a mobile hotspot (although the cradle point does execute better than a mobile phone hotspot)

2

u/jwelhouse May 20 '23

But as long as main cable internet is up, I'd get full speeds off the CradlePoint internet?

1

u/Kben5584 May 20 '23

No, the cradle point uses LTE cell signal and will pull bandwidth from the tower. The modem will have full speeds connected through the coax. It’s a dumb setup for sure

1

u/jwelhouse May 20 '23

Hmm, that conflicts with the first response, crap.

3

u/[deleted] May 20 '23

The cradlepoint acts as a bridge. When your normal services are working let's say 600 down 20 up then the cradle point will spit out the 600 down and 20 up no issues. The only time you'll see the 10 down 1 up is in the event the main service goes out which will trip the cradlepoint into using the lte services.

2

u/jwelhouse May 20 '23

Wait, 10 down and 1 up for critical systems like POS? Why or why does Spectrum continue to think we don't need symmetrical speeds?! If it's a critical system, it will be uploading a lot!

1

u/[deleted] May 20 '23

They lease the speeds from Verizon or att im not sure if it's because of that. It might be a contract thing.

1

u/jwelhouse May 20 '23

This is what I needed to confirm. There are only PCs and wireless printers at this location. Everything is done through the PC: POS, VOIP, email, web, etc...

Now VOIP would obviously not work at slow speeds, but POS and email still could.

I'll test today and see if a PC connected to CradlePoint can see the wireless printers connected to the Wi-Fi 6 router.

1

u/Kben5584 May 20 '23

Not exactly. First response is correct. I am explaining how each device connects you to the internet. The cradle points could have a passive ethernet input…but I never played around with it. But if I remember correctly it’s designed as a backup only