wi-fi

[docj]

Originally Posted by jablair

Depends on one's definition of ridiculous. I have a 'Wifi Ranger' router in my RV. I have an external antennae mounted outside that reaches above the ceiling height. It is plugged into an Cyfre amplifier which feeds the Wifi Ranger router. Finally have a Millenicom air card using the Verizon network. Total investment is approximately $550. I would have the air card and router in any event, so actual cost to get good wifi in parks and when boon docking is approximately $275.

You can get some improvement in wifi reception for as little as ~$100 for an entry level WiFi Ranger product (or those made by several other companies). For a bit more you can improve your reception even more.

As others have already noted, nothing will improve a wifi signal that is overloaded by too many users with not enough bandwidth. However, having a repeater/router such as a WiFi Ranger will increase the chances you can connect with a wifi access point. Quite often at campgrounds, the problem is not in seeing the access point, but in having enough transmit power to "talk" back to it.

Furthermore, having all the devices in your RV connected to a router and having the router be the only device that connects to the campground's wifi makes it much easier to make use of good wifi when you find one. In our MH we have two laptops, two tablets, a printer, a DirecTV receiver, a Blu-ray player and a Roku, all of which need internet access. Connecting each one separately is a real nuisance; with my WiFi Ranger all I have to do is connect it to the wifi, everything else then becomes connected. If the wifi turns out to be poor, all I have to do is connect the Ranger to my phone's hotspot and everything has internet access.

[IMPULSE DRIVEN]

The thing is, I'm a gamer, so I'm having doubts if my Internet needs to be met for very little money, because I'm a gamer I use a lot of bandwidth so therefore I think it'll cost me a fortune to do any portable gaming on the Internet like I like to do.

[docj]

[QUOTE=jablair;1711531]

Originally Posted by IMPULSE DRIVEN

The thing is, I'm a gamer, so I'm having doubts if my Internet needs to be met for very little money, because I'm a gamer I use a lot of bandwidth so therefore I think it'll cost me a fortune to do any portable gaming on the Internet like I like to do.

Gaming requires short latency (~ping time) but I'm not sure its bandwidth requirements are equal to HD video or even SD. There's nothing about gaming that would make its screens any more complex to transmit and receive than normal video.

The latency requirements may make it difficult to run on a 3G connection, but most 4G's usually have ping times <100 ms.

[Arch Hoagland]

JEFA Tech: Long Range WiFi Repeater Kit for RVs

I use the Jefatech and it works great.

I attached the antenna to my TV antenna.

[IMPULSE DRIVEN]

So for around $200 you can have good Internet but you're at the mercy of the quality of the RV parks Internet.

[myredracer]

We're lovin' the Verizon 3g/4G mifi.

Problem is, now that we can get great internet connection anywhere, our little Samsung laptop is suddenly next to hopeless. Didn't really notice with the lousy cg wifi but now we're gonna have to look at upgrading to something more powerful and faster. There goes more $$....

And as if spending more money on getting set up for a decent computer and internet service isn't enough $$, after staying in a cg for the last week with no air or cable TV, we find we just can't live without being able to watch our favorite shows in the evening. I sense a satellite dish in our future....

You just can't go camping anymore these days without the latest and greatest communications gear...

[PyrateSilly]

Originally Posted by IMPULSE DRIVEN

The thing is, I'm a gamer, so I'm having doubts if my Internet needs to be met for very little money, because I'm a gamer I use a lot of bandwidth so therefore I think it'll cost me a fortune to do any portable gaming on the Internet like I like to do.

MMO gaming? Like Guild Wars 2 or Warcraft? Then gaming uses A LOT less bandwith then youtube videos or Hulu or Netflix. We game too and most of the time on the wi-fi from campgrounds with little noticing of ping latency times.

[IMPULSE DRIVEN]

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly

MMO gaming? Like Guild Wars 2 or Warcraft? Then gaming uses A LOT less bandwith then youtube videos or Hulu or Netflix. We game too and most of the time on the wi-fi from campgrounds with little noticing of ping latency times.

I love Battlefield 3 that is encouraging

[Arch Hoagland]

Originally Posted by IMPULSE DRIVEN

So for around $200 you can have good Internet but you're at the mercy of the quality of the RV parks Internet.

Yes and some RV parks are extremely bad. A two week stay in Utah this summer caused me to use my cellphone free WiFi capabilities with this:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...om.foxfi&hl=en

Works great.

[etcmss]

so how did you folks add the external antenna to the RV-TT? (add antenna and route wire through new hole to the inside or ??)
looking for the most reliable method month to month and with the least cost and hopefully no monthly fee.
which wifi service is the most reliable and least cost instead of the router?

Gary

[RickO]

Originally Posted by etcmss

so how did you folks add the external antenna to the RV-TT? (add antenna and route wire through new hole to the inside or ??)
looking for the most reliable method month to month and with the least cost and hopefully no monthly fee.
which wifi service is the most reliable and least cost instead of the router?

Gary

As for the antenna, I drilled holes in the mast of my crank up Bat Wing TV antenna... and mounted the Trucker's antenna to it with stainless hardware. I ran a cable into the over dash cabinets via a hole I drilled and sealed.

Not sure about your wifi questions. You want the most reliable, at the least cost, and no monthly fee. And you ask which wifi service is most reliable and least cost instead of the router?

The only "wifi service" you'll find without a monthly fee is from the RV park and the challenges with that are outlined above.

We have given up our Cradlepoint cellular router in favor of simply using one of our iPhones as a wifi hotspot.

Rick

[docj]

Originally Posted by RickO

We have given up our Cradlepoint cellular router in favor of simply using one of our iPhones as a wifi hotspot.

Although there's nothing wrong with doing this, it means that if you do find an RV park with a decent wifi you now have to connect everything in the RV's network to it one by one. I like having my entire network connected to my WiFi Ranger so I can let it be the only device connected to either my phone's hotspot or the park's wifi. Just "ease of use" not necessarily better.

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by IMPULSE DRIVEN

It sounds like you have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get decent Wi-Fi in an RV. I will definitely Wi-Fi for my business so this is is an issue.

First, You can improve your signal for very little money, a 10 dollar Wi-Fi adapter and a piece of heavy paper is not much at all.....

Or a 10 dollar Wi-Fi adapter stuck up inside a juice or coffee can (Empty of course)

I use a 100 dollar Wi-Fi adapter stuck up inside a coffee can, but ..
1: I had it in stock (no cost)
2: it gives me a lot of "Placement" freedom since it is not a USB device but a CAT-5 (LAN) device, Looks to my 'downstream' hardware like a modem.


Second: If you are using the internet for business, get ye off the park Wi-Fi, Bring your own service (Cellular or 2-way satellite) since it's tax deductable.

I tend to get upset at folks doing their business on the park's wi-fi, I consider that theft of service.

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by docj

I like having my entire network connected to my WiFi Ranger so I can let it be the only device connected to either my phone's hotspot or the park's wifi. Just "ease of use" not necessarily better.

Oh, it's definitely better. By going through the Wifi Ranger as a router, you're putting the router's firewall between your individual devices and the big bad internet. That's a GOOD thing.