Always too weak, IT/ WIFI

[Quickuc]

We always stay at RV parks and even is theres free wifi it stinks! We like to watch Netflix, amazon prime using roku device. So What can we due to get out of this hole? What do you folks use without going broke.

[Lt Dan]

Very few RV parks have enough bandwidth to support a bunch of people streaming video. Your only solution is to have your own unlimited cellular connection such as Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, etc. The other option might be Starlink, which isn't going to be cheap.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Very few RV parks have enough bandwidth to support a bunch of people streaming video. Your only solution is to have your own unlimited cellular connection such as Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, etc. The other option might be Starlink, which isn't going to be cheap.

We have a Verizon prepaid hotspot (Orbic) 100gb/month for $50/month. I can switch it off when unneeded, restart as desired.


Many RV parks are resisting spending money to purchase more bandwidth by throttling download speeds.

I know a guy who installed RV park WiFi systems for a living, throttling was a normal request.
Some RV parks have even removed their network and are purchasing a limited bandwidth service from an outside vendor who is immune to complaints.


This eliminated complaints from those who do not stream videos about paying for others to stream.


If you don't mine plain speaking, if I can't afford it, I don't do it.

[High Road Travelers]

We use our Verizon phones as a hotspot, and we have a T-Mobile 5G mobile hotspot device. A lot of the time our Verizon and T-Mobile hotspots are no better than the campground wifi, but sometimes they are better. The T-Mobile line is $50 per month for 100GB.
Most of the time we can get at least one of our three options strong enough to stream, but once in a while we will be down with no streaming. We have been in campgrounds with no cell access for phones even, but those are rare.
Thanks,

[Quickuc]

We do have Verizon service, you cant count on it, kinda funny everywhere e e stop we spend yo much time setting up wifi. Cable. IT.. Er cant justify buying satellite service. Was hoping g or a under 100.00 answer like jut plug it on thing.

[sibe]

Originally Posted by Quickuc

We do have Verizon service, you cant count on it, kinda funny everywhere e e stop we spend yo much time setting up wifi. Cable. IT.. Er cant justify buying satellite service. Was hoping g or a under 100.00 answer like jut plug it on thing.

Nothing Plug and Play for Perfect Internet while traveling without spending a few $$$

Rarely do I go to camp sites .. Boondock senarios,, remote locations..

I traveled PA to AZ, PA to ID, PA to IA, PA to MI, PA to FL, PA to OH ,PA to CA

I had a T Mobile Phone, Visible Phone and ATT Hot Spot..

AZ and IA were the worst at places we stayed.. I left the ATT Hot Spot on while traveling and my Visible Phone connected for wifi calls. I would say in all those miles I had ability to Stream 75-80% of the time and text.call,email 95%..

I also have a Home in remote location, All Service Maps by ATT Tmobile and Verizon SHOW my address as 5G and LTE. I can see an ATT/Tmobile Tower from the roof on my house 1.2 miles.. BUT that tower gets overloaded fast and alot..
I use Verizon there now.. But can barely make a Verizon call..
A $600 Cat 20 Modem has me at 99% uptime at 20+ DL.. It finds 2-4 Verizon towers , each are 4-11 miles away.. But they connect and share to give a good signal.900gig limit.... Then if Fails it falls back and get 5g ATT that is still only 40-60DL for 100gig

Just in PA, NY and MD with that Cat 20 this Fall and it was 99%..

I know many others here have multi services.. some have starlink.. some may just hit good spots...

Good Equipment helps to connect, even to Camp wifi..

I spend 180 a month for 2 services.. Not cheap.. but I can travel or use it my Rural location.. Starlink was my next choice.. they say they dont support my are but a friends RV unit worked OK,, just mounting to get a good sky view would hinder me taking it down to travel.. BLAH BLAH

[lemodrop9344]

Some observations.
I agree that RV park WiFi is generally not that good. However there are exceptions.
Good equipment that will take advantage of what signals are available & perhaps bond these signals (google bandwidth bonding for a description) which can be beneficial. The device I use allows bonding of WiFi, cellular & external Ethernet input sources (Peplink cellular modem/router).

A smart phone app such as WiFi Analyzer (Android in my case) will allow you to see what WiFi is broadcasting within range. This particular app shows 2.4 Ghz & 5 Ghz bands, along with the channels being used as well as a graphical representation of the signal strength.
I also have acquired a Stalink DISHY (residential plan with roaming enabled) mounted on a tripod for ease of placement so it can see the sky.
When I arrive at a new site, the 1st thing I do is use the Android app to assess the quality of the WiFi available. Of late, I have seen RV parks are broadcasting on both 2.4 Ghz & 5 Ghz bands.
I also assess the quality/availability of the cellular signals (I use AT&T & Verizon).
Depending on how long I will be staying and/or the quality of the WiFi & cellular signal I make a decision to set up Starlink to see if I can connect.
With bandwidth bonding & the Peplink equipment I can usually select a combination of signals to bond which will be better than any stand alone signal.
As for expense..... Everybody's wallet has a 'pain threshold' that impacts the decisions they make regarding the type of entertainment they want or feel they need.
There is equipment expense & monthly access charges (Starlink & cellular). When we went full time, in December, 2019, I was able to reduce my monthly access charges by approximately $80.00/mos. These monthly savings justified (at least in my mind) the purchase of the equipment required to do what I now do.
I live & work full time from my RV; so I didn't fell like I had much of a choice.

[docj]

One factor often overlooked when comparing cellular download speeds is "what specific data plan are you subscribed to?" and "what piece of hardware are you using to access it?" Depending on your answers your speeds may vary, a lot.

For example, if your phone is a couple of years old and may not have been a top of the line model when it was new, then, putting aside the issue of whether it has 5G, even its 4G LTE modem may not have all the capabilities of, say, a Category 18 modem.

Similarly, if you have a data plan such as the grandfathered, prepaid unlimited one that I keep in my Verizon hotspot, don't assume that its download speeds will be the maximum offered by the network. My prepaid hotspot typically sees 50-75% of the speed that my phone can achieve.

Lastly, if you subscribe to a low-cost service such as Visible that, essentially, resells Verizon's excess capacity, don't expect to see the same speeds as would a phone using a "regular" Verizon plan.

Deciding what plans and equipment is best for you is a complex task and depends, a lot, on what your monthly budget for telecommunications is. The best choice for you won't be the same as for your friends or neighbors.

[mfredm]

I've used a Visible phone tethered to a cheap travel router, for the last 2 years. I regularly download 300gig/month. Its not the fastest, but for $25/month I dont complain. I tend to fall asleep while streaming and use a lot of data.

[docj]

Originally Posted by mfredm

I've used a Visible phone tethered to a cheap travel router, for the last 2 years. I regularly download 300gig/month. Its not the fastest, but for $25/month I dont complain. I tend to fall asleep while streaming and use a lot of data.

Lots of people get hung up on their download speed even when it significantly exceeds what is needed for their activities. HDTV needs ~5 Mbps while 4K uses 20-25 Mbps. That's for a single TV; if you have multiple streams going or if someone is gaming, you will need more.

With our residential Starlink connection we have no trouble with multiple HDTV streams so I rarely bother with speed tests. Whether I get 75, 125 or even 200 Mbps is kind of irrelevant for me.

[crb478]

I am also on the Visible 25.00 a month program, works about 75% of the time for me. This last trip it worked to surf the webb on my laptop, slowly, but not to stream movies on the Roku tv.

Used a Verizon phone on Netflix and mirrored that to the TV and watched one or 2 movies each day. Not perfect, but it worked.

The fall back plan is DVD's. Then Books! or additionally Books. I love full wifi connections, but not having any wifi will not ruin the trip.