Campground WiFi

time to close this before it becomes a flame war
i think it has run it piece

I did a very extensive study on WiFi, which is based on the IEEE specification 802.11. Let me be very clear about it. IT IS NOT SECURE! Any personal information on your computer is exposed. If you have names, addresses, account numbers, PIN's SS numbers or anything else that can be traced to you through the internet, you run the very real risk of Identity Theft. The very least that can happen is your bank account can be emptied. Worst case is your whole life will be spent correcting misinformation about you in every credit situation, your mortgage, your social media...the list is endless. But not the problems. It can haunt you for years and ruin your credit, not to mention employment possibilities.

Removing ALL personal info on your computer is a good first step if you insist on using WiFi.

ColoradoParkOwner you should be offended that other parks give you a bad name when it comes to wifi.

docj has a good point…33 cents per customer/night is not very costly for the Park Owners to provide. Maybe the Park Owners should take an solutions from places like McDonalds, Starbucks, Comfort Inn, Marriott and other companies who provide FREE WIFI! And while we are discussing FREE WIFI, I don't ever consider it FREE! There is a cost associated with the service and I KNOW the park owners "Pass That Along to ME" in nightly rate increases.

Additionally, if I used your premise that the WIFI was free at RV Parks, then I would have to assume that the Water, Sewer and Electricity is FREE as well (since I'm not charged an ADDITIONAL FEEE for those -- well some parks do charge extra for electricity, but they tell you up front) and I do pay for these at my Sticks&Bricks just like the WiFi! So don't make comparisons to Sticks&Bricks and living Full Time on the road…it's apples and oranges.

If Hotels, some RV Parks and various other businesses have figured it out, then those who don't provide WiFi in the RV Parks are cheap and/or lazy! The solutions are out there…WiFi is not a new technology!

And finally ColoradoParkOwner…if the post doesn't apply to you (you provide WiFi), then don't be offended! Your comments are similar to other Park Owners who get upset at RVers…but if there weren't RVers, you would just own a remote place in Colorado!

If you are going to advertise free wifi, at least put the disclaimer in if its only availible near registration. I never expect free wifi to be fast or able to download tons of stuff. But if you advertise it to be availble at the campsite it should be a strong enough signal to connect.

I do know how much it costs to get good wifi coverage, but the price is dropping if the park owner does the research. Their abilities are improving as well to allow you to limit each client to control your costs and availible bandwidth. Again something you should expect on a free connection.

As for cost to provide the bandwidth for internet, that is going to range drastically depending on the location. In some areas you can do it for far less then 1200/m. But even at 1200/m in many areas you can price out some very competitive speeds for internet connectivity.

The problem is will anyone be willing to pay higher prices due to good solid wifi or pay a per day or per stay price to use it?

I would most certainly be willing to pay for real broadband access at a CG. Here in New England, April/May does not offer very good weather and there are many days where being outdoors is not a reasonable option. BUT, it doesn't really matter, because optional high speed service options are simply not out there, except in very rare instances.

Gulfcoast wrote:
My connection at home is not free... why should everyone that stays at a campground want free internet. It's like gas in your car... the more you use, the more you should have to pay.

My connection at home is not free... why should everyone that stays at a campground want free internet. It's like gas in your car... the more you use, the more you should have to pay.

obgraham wrote:

Aridon wrote:
Usually the biggest issue on any network is the 100-300 people all using netflix, skype, surfing, etc around the same time thinking they are the only ones doing it and wondering why the speeds suck.

Bingo. We have a winner. Give that man a fish!

Yup. In our park, the local telcom provider gave out free wifi. It cost him $700 a month for the line. People then began downloading movies, etc, and his cost then went to over $1200 a month.Guess what, the free stuff went away and now it became $35 a month.

I don't care if you people want "free" wifi, it really isn't free. Buck up and get your own connection if you don't want to put up with slow to non existent connections.

The Straight Talk Hotspot (Walmart) will use Verizon towers. It is in no way associated with your phone.

How will the Straight Talk Hotspot work with AT&T? I will be using my existing AT&T Samsung Note for my phone. Will the Hotspot use AT&T or Verizon towers?

Aridon wrote:
Usually the biggest issue on any network is the 100-300 people all using netflix, skype, surfing, etc around the same time thinking they are the only ones doing it and wondering why the speeds suck.

IMHO if a park advertises it has WiFi it has to assume that people will use it just as they do at home. If a park cannot accommodate what its customers want to do then some of them will be unhappy. The question then becomes is the park "winning or losing" by having WiFi? In other words, can a poor WiFi be worse than none at all?