RV Wifi

[foldbak]

I'm in a camp site and the public WiFi is spotty. What can I do to increase the signal?

[flybouy]

What are you trying to do? Stream television? Get email? Surf the web? A wifi repeater can help get a better signal but if the connection is dropping out or has slow throughput then you must get your wifi from a cell service.

[JRTJH]

Public WiFi in campgrounds can be anything from a cheap WiFi router/modem working at 56.6 mb to a "state of the art digital cable system" capable of multiple connections in the gigabyte range.

Most private campgrounds have a "barely adequate capacity with limited range" and you won't be able to get a good signal unless you're parked "next to the router" while in some of the more modern (or progressive)campgrounds, they may have multiple systems staged throughout the park and can provide the capacity to do almost anything you can do at home.

Most people don't rely on "campground WiFi" and have their own system, either a cell phone hot spot or an independent "mifi system". Ours is a Verizon Jet Pack. Cost is about the same as a cell phone plan but there are some discounts and some plans that are cheaper than others, so shop all of the options if you decide to get one. I know that AT&T has similar devices and plans, WalMart also has a "straight talk plan and device" so there are options available.

As for the campground systems, try to connect, see what you get, if you can do what you want, great, if you can't then power up your own system.

[sourdough]

Wifi repeaters and extenders can help. Spotty might mean ?? You will be completely limited by the size of the "pipe" the park provides. After that the location of the repeaters, your location in relation to that etc. makes a difference. Some locations provide just enough bandwidth to let you read an email. Very few, but some, provide enough to stream....but very few. Many offer that service for an additional charge (daily/weekly) with a password etc.

[Snoking]

We switch from a T-Mobile hot spot MiFi to OTR Mobile(uses AT&T network) with a purchased MoFi 4500 Router. Data plan is unlimited. Worked well at our NW summer park and at all but one spot while traveling to Arizona this fall. It is working fine here at our winter park. We streamed movies at all locations except that one at Wahweap Camp Ground outside of Page, Az, which is over a hill from town.

[foldbak]

We frequent Bodega Bay Doran Beach about 6 times a year. They have good wifi pay for use that we use to stream Netflix etc. It's $15 for the weekend. So that less then $100 a year. Our phones work and get internet if we need it but I cant hotspot of my grandfathered ATT unlimited data plan. The b@%*&rds! The problem at Doren is the range.

[bobbecky]

We use our AT&T cellphone unlimited data account with a Netgear AirCard 815S hotspot and usually have excellent data service unless there is limited cell reception. Gave up on RV park wifi systems years ago, plus security is always questionable.

[wiredgeorge]

We use our AT&T cellphone unlimited data account with a Netgear AirCard 815S hotspot and usually have excellent data service unless there is limited cell reception. Gave up on RV park wifi systems years ago, plus security is always questionable.

We were AT&T (before that Cingular) customers for over 20 years. We paid for the BEST data plan they had where you could use a hotspot (I think it was 80 gigs of data a month for about $130). They called my wife one day and offered unlimited data for a much lower price (with phone service). She signed up over the phone since it sounded MUCH better than $130 for 80 gigs. The next day, my hot spot quit working (relied on hotspot for internet service).

Is this truly an "unlimited data" plan or do you get so much 4G LTE then they throttle back to prehistoric speeds? Just curious as we have switched to Consumer Cellular and we get 20 gigs of data a month on our plan which we pay about 1/4 as with AT&T. We now have fiber optic via the local electric company at home for $39 a month @ 25 mb/ps unlimited use.