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Old 04-10-2014, 08:00 AM   #29
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If you want to stream video with your cellular connection (regardless of whether its a MiFi or a phone's hotspot), then you need to evaluate it like anything else you spend money on. A typical Netflix movie will consume ~1GB of data (even though it can be more it rarely is and you can limit it through your account settings.) If your cell phone carrier charges you ~$10/GB for overages then a movie would cost roughly $10 which isn't all that much more than a pay-per-view on DirecTV/Dish or on cable. Sure, Red Box is cheaper, but the difference isn't as large if you factor in the gas to get to the store to pick up the movie and return it.

If you buy a plan from Millenicom even at the new $89 price, you would have somewhere between 15 and 20 movies.
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Old 04-10-2014, 08:03 AM   #30
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That's fine, all we need now are movies worth paying $10 for.
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Old 04-10-2014, 08:06 AM   #31
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And perhaps the 'Campers' on what they are willing to pay!
I guess that's part of my point. Free campground wifi is usually what you pay for, and that's usually no wifi. However, we have paid really good money at campgrounds and RV Resorts for good wifi to find that it's no better than the free campground wifi. I believe that if a campground is charging for the service, they have an obligation to provide the service.

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Old 04-10-2014, 08:35 AM   #32
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If a campground advertises a service as included in the daily fee then it should work in a reasonably acceptable fashion. We don't accept substandard power/water/groundskeeping as acceptable because we aren't paying separately for them (that's what the daily fee is for) and wifi is no different. If a campground cannot maintain a working wifi system then they should not advertise it as an amenity, and if they do... it should work.
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Old 04-10-2014, 08:59 AM   #33
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Those that must "stream", get a plan. Those of us that dont, do not want to pay higher CG fees for your "stream".

Red Box rents for a dollar! Sheesh!
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Old 04-10-2014, 09:10 AM   #34
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If a campground advertises a service as included in the daily fee then it should work in a reasonably acceptable fashion. We don't accept substandard power/water/groundskeeping as acceptable because we aren't paying separately for them (that's what the daily fee is for) and wifi is no different. If a campground cannot maintain a working wifi system then they should not advertise it as an amenity, and if they do... it should work.
99% of these campgrounds were built before the existence of the internet. Most of us have no idea the complexity of a workable WiFi network in a campground.
The campground advertises free WiFi, and if you want it, all you have to do is walk to the clubhouse and sit down. Its right there if you need to check your email or send some pics.
If you are in constant need to communicate with work or other reason there are many alternatives. If someone went in to Starbuck's, McDonald's, or a coffee shop and tried to start Streaming movies I would imagine that would be frowned upon.
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Old 04-10-2014, 11:00 AM   #35
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Rough overview, from my view.
We have 100,000 sq ft covered for WiFi (business).
Hardware costs approx 15k. (Cisco).
50 meg pipe to internet approx $1000 per month.
So 50 people technically could watch movies, realistic number with hops and routing seperate streams... to many variables.
First year costs to make say 30 campers at a time looking for good internet access happy, 27k.
(forgot network admin salary)
Hope there is no off season....
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Old 04-10-2014, 12:43 PM   #36
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If someone went in to Starbuck's, McDonald's, or a coffee shop and tried to start Streaming movies I would imagine that would be frowned upon.
And it is equally frowned upon at a CG. I never defended trying to stream video on a CG network, quite the contrary.

I know providing wifi is a difficult and expensive proposition. Either build the cost of working wifi into the rate or don't offer it as an amenity, the choice is entirely up to the operator of the business. I'm only asking that campgrounds be honest, i.e. don't do a crappy job and then advertise wifi as being available. If it only works at the office then state it clearly and that's fine, the customer will factor that into their decision.

FWIW my own experience is that more often than not campground wifi does indeed work as advertised, or reasonably close. But there's also more than a few cases where it's advertised, doesn't work, and the operator knows it doesn't work, and sometime even freely admits it. That's just wrong. And they don't have to spend $50k to fix it if they don't want, just take it off of their freakin' web site as an amenity. That action is free.
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Old 04-10-2014, 01:00 PM   #37
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We are in a camp where the wifi was aweful, but I could tether my iPhone.

I pay for my iPhone service. It works when I need it. I use RedBox a dollar at a time for movies.

For best wifi I go to where they have the antenna or a cable. It is not a long strenuous walk!

Then, the snowbirds left and the wifi became great. I asked the camp host if this is normal, and was told it is always great when the streamers and gamers leave.

Anyone that needs more that what I get can buy their own or pay the camp for an upgrade (that they do not now have). If streamer/gamer capability is added and the camp price goes up, they lose my business and many others too.
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Old 04-10-2014, 03:52 PM   #38
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Rough overview, from my view.
We have 100,000 sq ft covered for WiFi (business).
Hardware costs approx 15k. (Cisco).
50 meg pipe to internet approx $1000 per month.
So 50 people technically could watch movies, realistic number with hops and routing seperate streams... to many variables.
First year costs to make say 30 campers at a time looking for good internet access happy, 27k.
(forgot network admin salary)
Hope there is no off season....
I've had other campground owners sing the blues about how much their monthly costs are, but when you do the same math a bit differently the problem looks a bit different.

Let's assume you have an average of 30 campers for the month; that's 900 camper nights. If the internet service is costing you $1000/mo then that $1.11 per camper per night. Even if you factor in a network admin part time that doesn't raise your cost that much (and there's sure no reason that campground staff can't do most of the day-to-day management itself.

I'm sure there are plenty of customers who would gladly pay another dollar per night if you could provide "streaming quality wifi" at their site.

No doubt your business has an off-season, but I'm sure many ISP's could arrange to suspend service during the winter (or whenever you off-season occurs).

I am aware that some CG owners are even considering eliminating cable TV in exchange for providing streaming quality wifi. If you think about it, the standard cable TV provided by many campground provides a limited number of channels, many of which can be obtained in HD using an OTA antenna. And many of the shows being broadcast could be viewed via streaming if the wifi had the capacity. All it requires is for CG owners to break out of a 20th century paradigm.

I think it is totally naive for campground owners (and campers) to complain about others who are streaming video. People are going to expect to be able to do at your campground exactly what they do at home. For many RVers getting away from the house to "commune with nature" doesn't have anything to do with "roughing it." That may not be your cup of tea, but to argue that they should turn off their electronics just because they are sitting around a campfire is unrealistic. If you don't provide the high speed wifi they are looking for, they will stay at a CG that does.
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Old 04-10-2014, 04:10 PM   #39
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If you don't provide the high speed wifi they are looking for, they will stay at a CG that does.
Assuming you can find one. Not a good bet, in my experience.
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Old 04-10-2014, 04:31 PM   #40
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Assuming you can find one. Not a good bet, in my experience.
Actually, we've been finding more and more CG's that are offering wifi with speeds in excess of ~3 Mbps. We rarely use it because we have our own unlimited Verizon account, but our router will indicate that it is available.

IMHO smart CG owners will give customers what they want instead of trying to convince customers that their requests are unreasonable.
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Old 04-10-2014, 04:53 PM   #41
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I am aware that some CG owners are even considering eliminating cable TV in exchange for providing streaming quality wifi. If you think about it, the standard cable TV provided by many campground provides a limited number of channels, many of which can be obtained in HD using an OTA antenna.
I agree with this. I think most would be better served if owners canned the handful of SD analog cable channels that no one uses anymore and put the funds into improved Internet access.
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Old 04-10-2014, 05:11 PM   #42
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I agree with this. I think most would be better served if owners canned the handful of SD analog cable channels that no one uses anymore and put the funds into improved Internet access.
Whoa! There are a lot of us that use cable or OTA signal, and do not use satelite. A little bit if news and weather and we are out the door.

We are also the ones out and about, hiking, site seeing, socializing around camp, cooking outdoors, enjoying a campfire, etc.

If you expect improved internet, dont hold your breath! You just need to bring your your own capability if you want to stream. It is only $90/month, aye? $3/day.
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