Connecting to the internet

timmac wrote:

Free internet is junk at 99 percent of the RV parks . . .

That's not what I'm finding.

Out of 32 campgrounds I've visited in the last 4 months, WiFi has been available in 2/3 of the parks and able to stream (> 5 Mbps) in 1/3 of them.

countryriders3 wrote:
Hello folks I have a question hope you all can help. How can I get better internet while parked at a camp that offers free internet? I have trouble with the service dropping. I really don't want to spend $1000.00 trying to resolve this. Any suggestions.

Free internet is junk at 99 percent of the RV parks, its just there to show they offer it to get customers in, if I owned a RV park there would be a good internet service similar to some up scale hotels have..

Best bet get your own wifi...

While campgrond WiFi generally stinks and results will be better or worse depending upon who is connected, you can put together a great WiFi booster for about $100 following the directions from David Bott at the website https://outsideourbubble.com/ . Take a look.

countryriders3 wrote:
Hello folks I have a question hope you all can help. How can I get better internet while parked at a camp that offers free internet? I have trouble with the service dropping. I really don't want to spend $1000.00 trying to resolve this. Any suggestions.

I was going to recommend what I use, a WiFiRanger SkyPro, but found there's a much better upgrade coming. So don't.

Start here -- MIRC (Mobile Internet Resource Center).

If you like what you see, get a yearly subscription ($85/year membership).

My membership fee paid for itself this year when MIRC told members that AT&T was bringing back the Mobley (AT&T unlimited device) for a very limited time. MIRC members like me jumped on it and bought Mobleys for $30/month. Been a life saver.

wildtoad wrote:
Most campgrounds that offer free WIFI / internet are totally under powered to handle the demand.

I will support that. Now some years ago the CG I'm in now put in Access Points all over creation but alas they don't have the bandwidth.. Save in one or two places where you connect direct. and even in the best spot bandwidth is suffering.

CG I'll be at net week went from Verizion 2-way Sat to a cable service. NOW they have the bandwidth but only one router/access point (They have a campground wide ap network but it is turned off) only one router/access point and that's on teh FLOOR of the family center.. (not much range)

I use a Umpiquiti Nano Station (About 100 bucks) atop a flag pole (Cost more than the Nano) This is a Wi-Fi "Modem" (My term for it) in that it connects to the park wi-fi but you plug into it with Cat-5 My House Router (A belkin I do NOT recommend belkins) thinks the Nano is a cable modem.. Works... Sometimes.. but you have to jump through hoops (Which I'm comfortable doing but not all are) to set 'er up.

Right now I"m steraming Pandora music via the Park Wi-Fi and using my own T-Mobile unlimited (I'm over the guaranteed high speed limit) for all else.

.

RoyB wrote:
....We only use the internet for....., pay a few bills,

You do use a VPN,, right???

We gave up on campground WIFI years ago...

We carry a Verizon secure MIFI unit which sets up a hotspot for 5 of our devices... Uses the internet through the Verizon folks...

I have my MIFI box sitting in one of those WILSON Cradles which has an outside antenna so this gives us coverage all around our camping site..
Works out great for us...

We only use the internet for checking in with the kids on social medial etc..., pay a few bills, and surf the internet a little bit...

Verizon for us never lets us down on connecting to the internet... When I am solo camping this is the best way for me to use it. I am still running my old GIBBS FLIP phone that doesn't have a lot of features...

ADDED NOTE - Here the past week or so I am having problems using the RV net... I keep getting temporary out of service NOTICE a lot... Then I reset and it comes back but now I have lost what I was doing and have to start all over again hehe... Took me three rounds to get this reply posted...

Roy Ken

Look at an external wifi adapter such as: https://www.amazon.ca/Alfa-AWUSO36NH-Wireless-Long-Rang-Network/dp/B0035APGP6/ref=asc_df_B0035APGP6/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292901645034&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16044056776288968003&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001253&hvtargid=pla-492199297371&psc=1



This won't solve congestion issues but it may help with signal outages.

If you have good cell connection where you usually are it is much easier to use a cell phone and a carrier data plan that will let your phone create the WiFi hotspot.