A site we reserved for the weekend has wired internet.Now that will connect one laptop, of course that will be hers.I would like an internet connection on my laptop as well.Can I do this if I buy a modem & if so can it be a wireless modem so we can do without the extra cables coming out of the modem & going into each of our laptops?Thanks

Yes! Buy a Cradlepoint MBR95, log in with the one account and use all the devices you like. You will also be able to use this in a campground where the connection is not wired but they only give you one code. Sign the Cradlepoint into the network and not your computers and share the connection as well. This will also "future proof" your system in case you spend more time in the RV and want to use cellular and still share the network with other devices such as a printer.

OKA modem will do zero good. don't waste your money.The campground will either provide a modem (with deposit) or your connection is an ether-net connection.Either option, you connect their modem (or cable) to a router, the router could be wireless.From their point of view, you are consuming one IP, thus one connection.From your point of view, you could connect as many devices as your router could support.If they are providing the modem, that modem is registered into the system and the equipment on the other end knows that it can talk to it. If you tried to use your own modem, it would not be registered and the equipment on the other end would ignore it.Some campgrounds that get their internet via their Cable-Co (eg Charter) have been going the provide a modem route. The problem they have been having is NOT getting the modem back from the campers.

More info needed. What is the park providing? If they are providing the modem for a single hookup, you need a switch. Unless they are doing a single MAC then you need a router. If they are requiring a web browser sign on after connection to the WIFI network, you need a router in which you can assign a MAC.There is also the software option of Connectify.Find out what the CG provides and their rules.

Bill.Satellite wrote:Yes! Buy a Cradlepoint MBR95, log in with the one account and use all the devices you like. You will also be able to use this in a campground where the connection is not wired but they only give you one code. Sign the Cradlepoint into the network and not your computers and share the connection as well. This will also "future proof" your system in case you spend more time in the RV and want to use cellular and still share the network with other devices such as a printer.What if they will NOT let you "sign" your router into their system?

Before spending any money, you had better check and re-check with the park as to what "wired" internet is going to mean. I have never seen a park with Ethernet wiring run to each site. It would be an expensive and very impractical solution to internet access. Even after running all the wires, there would be no outside connection on a normal RV to hook up to. Therefore everyone would be running wires through their windows. Plus, who carries long Ethernet cords with them to hook up to the connection anyway. Finally, many portable devices don't have Ethernet ports, so they would be useless. My guess is the park is small and they have a couple of wired ports you can plug into located in a common area such as the laundry or office. I would further suspect the park is either too small or too cheap to invest in even a basic wireless system and only have those connection ports so they can "SAY" they have internet access available. I would also suspect that the internet connection is dial up slow, since they obviously don't intend to have a lot of people use it. I wouldn't place any hope on a wireless router or any other potential solution turning what the heck ever that park has into a decent internet experience.

RV park free wired internet good for only 1 laptop question

20 Replies

Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2014
That's certainly true. I previously used and discarded the WiFi Ranger due to it's ongoing issues and installed a Cradlepoint MBR95. Never had another issue.
docj
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
Which brings you right back to a Cradlepoint router! Easy Peasy!

To be fair, there are a number of companies that make routers that provide the same services as does Cradlepoint. JefaTech, WiFiRanger, and The Wirie are but a couple of examples. All of these routers can use "WiFi as WAN" and can distribute a wireless internet connection throughout the network of devices in your RV.

However, in the case cited by the OP the RV park has a wired internet connection at each site. Therefore, the connection to the router would be through an Ethernet port rather than by WiFi. Some of the routers I noted would be able to do this; others are purely wifi devices.
1492
Moderator
Jul 29, 2014
gbm97 wrote:

The older man that runs the park said he had all the cable & conduit installed because back then everyone was crying for it. Now they all cry for that dang wireless.

So you weren't joking? He actually does have Ethernet connections throughout the park?

He may be smarter than many are giving him credit, as he can setup wireless AP routers versus wireless repeaters? And not suffer the network speed loss associated with using single radio repeaters.

Though using a wireless repeater may result in a loss of 50% or more in network speed, that doesn't necessarily mean that your speed to the Internet will suffer. It depends on your access speed in the first place and the hardware. In fact, I suffer virtually no loss in speed from my Internet connection when using an outdated router flashed with DD-WRT firmware for use as a wireless repeater, as my 4G mobile data speeds are fairly low compared to a cable broadband connection.

However, you'll likely see the biggest drop in Net access speeds using a virtual software WiFi router.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2014
The park owner can put as many access points as he likes but if the basic backhaul available to the owner is crappy the service will still be crappy. Even if he has fairly good access, connecting a couple of hundred users would cripple most connections. To get good service you must pay big bucks and RVers are not going to pay what it would cost to provide this service.
hawkeye-08
Explorer III
Jul 28, 2014
It would not take that park owner much to create a nice wireless setup, simple enough to add some access points at various locations around the park since he has the wires already run.. I have a couple of Linksys WRT54G routers that I am going to add to my rv goodies along with some cables so I can play with them while vacationing... happy days
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2014
Which brings you right back to a Cradlepoint router! Easy Peasy!
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jul 23, 2014
A router might work, or you might do be able to set up an Ad-Hock bridge between her laptop and your laptop.. But you are going to need someone who knows a whole lot more about it than me to pull that off.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2014
We never are happy, are we!?
my440
Nomad
Jul 23, 2014
Thanks for your great info.
We ended up taking the site on Thursday staying until last night.
Looking at the price of modem & cable and the total uncertainty on what to do I just said frig it & went without internet. Girlfriend however managed to snap up the 1 cable for herself...mostly.
It was a Cat5 cable coming from the pole that the other services are on. It was fast enough speed.

The older man that runs the park said he had all the cable & conduit installed because back then everyone was crying for it. Now they all cry for that dang wireless.

Thanks
Have a great summer...stay safe!
kmbelt
Explorer
Jul 16, 2014
what rv park is this so we can better understand what is available.