Good Wi Fi for RV: Is it Possible?

[Bob3Putt]

As everyone knows, campground wi fi is usually poor. I would like to be able to get a wi fi signal that is reliable and strong enough to permit us to use internet TV such as Netflix or YouTube TV as well as basic applications such as email and video conferencing. I have reviewed a bewildering array of products and read a lot of technobabble stuff and I still have absolutely no idea what to get. Help! Is it possible to get good wi fi in an RV? What do I need? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

p.s. I am not going to spend thousands on this.

[Gulfcoast]

I'm through spending money on wifi and mifi until the new satellite internet comes out. Hopefully within the next year (from now) they will have it working, and it should be great for rv use.

[vermilye]

I agree that most campground WiFi is near useless for much beyond checking email, so I travel with both AT&T & Verizon jet packs with unlimited service. As long as I stay under 22GB per month with AT&T & under 15GB per month with Verizon, no speed problems.

I had an early WiFi Ranger system that I gave up on since it seemed to be fairly buggy. I suspect their system has improved since then. I put together a WiFi boosting system using a Ubiquiti NanoStation that lets me connect to a WiFi base as much as a mile from my trailer. While usually a last resort when there is no cell coverage, I have found it useful when connecting to non campground systems such as McDonalds, truck stops, etc.

[deltabravo]

sch911 wrote:
Forget it! You cannot rely on any Park's WiFi connection. Most park's are overrun by campsite users doing exactly what you want to do. No matter how much effort you put into getting a good signal you're still battling everyone else for bandwidth.

Ditto.

No matter how poor the signal is at the RV park, there's so many people doing the same thing you plan to do, it's pointless trying to get better wifi with a wifi extender system.

You are far better off having some sort of data plan with either a standalone "hotspot" or a roof mounted unit. Here's one roof mounted unit that I tried to install. There are other companies making units that do the same.

There's a bunch of options here: https://5gstore.com/

[Crabbypatty]

If your over 55 a lot of cell phone carriers have unlimited data plans for reasonable $. Cell phone signals like WiFi signals can vary based on the cg your in, terrain, foliage etc. You cant get a signal through dirt if there is a hill between you and cg or the cell tower. The signal just goes over your head. I have both a cell phone amplifier and WiFi repeater as I need to work and dw lives on FB. Also keep in mind most rvs have metal skins or metal frames, that also degrade or block the signal. An external antenna is a must for either. My antennas are mounted on a 24ft extendable painters pole, power clamped to my ladder. after I level off, I extend the antenna at least one length or 8 feet. Height is might, with antennas.

Hope this helps
Happy Trails

[Tom_M1]

Check out Visible. $40/month for unlimited everything including hotspot.
https://www.visible.com/

This can be reduced to $25/month if join a Party Pay plan.
https://www.visible.com/party-pay

[Bob3Putt]

I thank everyone for their replies to my post regarding campground wi fi. I have been frustrated with poor campground wi fi for years. I have done a good deal of online research and after the discussion here, I have come to the conclusion that it is best to just forget using campground wi fi. Signal boosters may help some but the main problem is that it is just impossible for most campgrounds to have enough bandwidth to provide wi fi for a bunch of RVs with multiple devices each who want to stream content.

I plan to use my cell phone hot spot in the future and will jsut pay my cell provider for unlimited data for the time that we are on the road. Other options are just too expensive or don't help much.

Happy camping!

[TechWriter]

Bob3Putt wrote:
As everyone knows, campground wi fi is usually poor.

I didn't find that to be true last year when we visited 43 campgrounds over 5 1/2 months. In fact, about 40% of the time we had streamable campground WiFi (5 Mbps or over).

I think most of the folks who post here are not full timers like myself and who pretty much go to the same campgrounds on the weekends. So if they have bad WiFi in these campgrounds, they assume that it's rotten everywhere.

Bob3Putt wrote:

I would like to be able to get a wi fi signal that is reliable and strong enough to permit us to use internet TV such as Netflix or YouTube TV as well as basic applications such as email and video conferencing.

To me, as soon as you talk about streaming TV, I think you'll need 5 Mbps down to be comfortable.

I would not bother with cell or WiFi boosting. For me, the cost didn't justify the so-so results. But I do suggest cell carrier options. For example, I have one AT&T (Mobley) and two Verizon (Visible & an older) cell data plans.

You may end up using campground WiFi for the slow stuff like email and cell data plans for streaming.

Do yourself a favor, buy a subscription to MIRC. Great advice. They clued me into the Mobley.

[joebedford]

If we're parked for a while we arrange for cable internet or dsl.

[Big_Katuna]

The other fact about campground wifi I’ve found is that a few campgrounds DO have adequate to good wifi. Tengo, etc and it $40-$60 a month.
Might as well buy a hotspot.

[valhalla360]

Upgrading your equipment and connecting to campground wifi, is like hooking up a fire hose to a garden hose with low pressure...you will never be happy with the results.

Using your own cellular hot spot is much more viable.

[Big_Katuna]

way2roll wrote:
I have the same concerns. As we shop for a new RV to part time next year I work full time remote so a good signal is a must have. I had planned on getting a weboost system, but I see some new RV's will add a wifi ranger for about $1200. I thought that was high, but is it better than the weboost?

I have never used a Wifi Ranger. I visited the website. To me, any money spent on improving your connection to a campground wifi provider is a waste of money as it usually sucks even if your standing next to their main antenna.

Their antenna looks inadequate compared to the Weboost options.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the Weboost. I would buy the newer RV version that has the telescoping outside antenna pole. Mine is the one that mounts on your ladder so one can use it while driving. I use mine on a pvc pole I fabricated.

[Lantley]

If you want good WIFI you will need to provide your own via a hot spot device or cell phone hot spot. CG WIFI will never be count on it reliable. CG WIFI will always be iffy at best

[way2roll]

I have the same concerns. As we shop for a new RV to part time next year I work full time remote so a good signal is a must have. I had planned on getting a weboost system, but I see some new RV's will add a wifi ranger for about $1200. I thought that was high, but is it better than the weboost?

[ford_truck_guy]

Ive been using a Verizon wifi with good luck, but its tied to my office and 5 other lines that all feed off that data plan....

A friend told me about a truly "unlimited " data plan from AT&T . He purchased a SIM card from an Ebay site that he knows, and has been averaging 850-950 g's per month with zero throttling ... He got in early and pays $50 per month, I see that they are now $70.00 per month... It's called Attun Unlimited.....click

I grabbed one to try, figured since its a pay as you go, I would only loose 1 month if it was bogus... plugged the triple cut SIM card into an unlocked AT&T hot spot that I had laying around the office and it's great ! FULL bars of service, no buffering...