Mwan3 functionality and hardware for mobile (boat) application

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

I'm trying to find a suitable piece of hardware for a boat installation. The popular choice for this exact set of requirements in the marine/RV world seems to be something like the Peplink MAX BR1 5G. I prefer not to spend that much for the hardware on top of purchasing additional licensing to get all of these features. I stumbled on OpenWRT and the mwan3 functionality which seems to do the trick but am lost as to what hardware to choose. I realize that many suggest 2 pieces of hardware in this case but would like to stick with an all-in-one solution if possible. I don’t foresee a need for blazing fast speeds and can make do with a single LAN port. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Requirements

  1. utilize mwan3 functionality to use 2.4 or 5g marina wifi as wan source (will have outdoor mounted antenna connected to the router)

  2. 5g cellular failover

  3. OpenVPN client so that i can access local networked devices while away from the boat

  4. 2.4 & 5g WLAN AP

Another question regarding the mwan3 functionality is if it will automatically connect to saved hotspots when in range (or based on some rules). A previous setup I had would save the credentials but still required manually selecting the hotspot whenever you traveled to different areas.

Requirements

  1. utilize mwan3 functionality to use 2.4 or 5g marina wifi as wan source
  2. have option for 5g cellular failover
  3. OpenVPN client so that i can access local networked devices from away from the boat
  4. 2.4 & 5g WLAN AP
2

Hi! I am in a similar situation, setting up a OpenWRT for my boat. Didn't get far yet, but I chose the MF286D second hand. It has 2.4GHz, 5.8Ghz, and built in 4G. I managed to get 190Mbps with my 4G. You can also accomodate an external antenna.

I'm setting up DDNS and OpenVPN now (might switch to Wireguard)

When I tried installing mwan3 i was a bit overwhelmed as it is not easy to configure, and I wanted to go step by step.

It is true that they say separate devices could be better, but I bought this one and I hope I can make it work. with Openwrt 23 I was having wifi issues, but not any longer with 24.10.

EDIT: I googled the device Peplink MAX BR1 5G, and it seems to be way superior to what I have. Maybe I misinterpreted your request, and my setup is not as robust as what you may need...

3

This will be a combination of two packages. Travelmate automates connecting to one WiFi hotspot out of a saved list. Mwan3 would handle switching over to a different WAN such as LTE when no WiFi is available.

4

Got it, thanks for clarification. I am still confused about how radios are employed and/or shared in these use cases. What hardware features & #of radios should i be looking for in an ideal setup to ensure this works reliably?