Community Forums

Chuck&Pam · 05-11-2020, 10:50 AM

I was watching an RVing Youtube Video last night. It included comments regarding an RV park that would not allow them to use their mobile hotspot. They said it would "interfere" with their campgroung WIFI which the Youtuber said was available for a fee.

Anyone ever heard of this or had this issue before? Might this be something else CG owners will do to increase their revenue?

hereandthere · 05-11-2020, 10:58 AM

Using a hotspot (that receives data from a cell carrier) is no different than using a cell phone. We have stayed in about 140 different campgrounds and have never come upon this restriction. Perhaps they mistook your hotspot for a router that was getting its signal from the camp's wifi? If that is the case, I can understand their concern (might not agree with it, but understand it). Just my two cents.

Camper25 · 05-11-2020, 11:00 AM

If the campground told me that, I'd get my money back and hit the road elsewhere.

baraff · 05-11-2020, 11:06 AM

There used to be a campground in Shipshewana, IN that had that policy in their rules, and stated that anyone doing so would be told to leave. And yes, they charged for their own wifi.
I don't think they have that policy anymore. Pretty sure it's illegal. If not, it should be.

yeloduster · 05-11-2020, 11:07 AM

If I saw that restriction and I needed to use hotspot because their WIFI wasn't adequate I would turn off WIFI on my phone, fire up my hotspot and surf away. There is no way they can tell without looking over your shoulder.

creativepart · 05-11-2020, 11:17 AM

I've seen some ignorant campground owners come up with all sorts of "do nots". I know that using my hotspot has zero effect on the system so I just ignore the prohibition. Acutally the opposite is true - the more hotspots that are being used the less strain there is on the CG's WiFi.

What's probably caused it is the CG has too limited of bandwidth and all the folks without hotspots are constantly complaining to the staff about the bad WiFi. So, the CG operators complain to the company that installed the WiFi system throughout the RV park and they blame all the campers with hotspots.

camper8251 · 05-11-2020, 11:29 AM

Who cares, how are they going to know you are using a hot spot unless you go up and show them it.... 99.9% of people would have no idea how to locate a hot spot using triangulation for finding it any case..

What are they going to do drive around with a cell phone or computer scanning the wifi networks in the campground to locate a foreign hot spot. Then attempt to find it by following the signal? LOL

Make the network hidden and keep on trucking

Old-Biscuit · 05-11-2020, 11:33 AM

No "Hotspot' allowed is like prohibiting an RVr from using a 'Space Heater'

How can it be 'enforced'?????

EdInArk · 05-11-2020, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeloduster

If I saw that restriction and I needed to use hotspot because their WIFI wasn't adequate I would turn off WIFI on my phone, fire up my hotspot and surf away. There is no way they can tell without looking over your shoulder.

My thoughts exactly. How would they even know?

Meames1 · 05-11-2020, 11:34 AM

Unless you name your hotspot (your name) site 123 , how are they to know ?

csuder99 · 05-11-2020, 11:48 AM

From a purely technical perspective hotspots can interfere with the CG WiFi. Most hotspots create their own little WiFi network and need channels in the spectrum for that. The number of channels is fairly limited (11 in the 2.4 GHz range, 17 useable in the 5Ghz range). Multiple hotspots in one area will have to share channels and some will end up on the same channels the CG uses. That's actually a problem also found in high density apartment buildings.

docj · 05-11-2020, 11:52 AM

At some time in the past, someone probably told aCG owner about the fact that there can be "congestion" on WiFi systems, particularly on the 2.4GHz band. From that they created a mental construct which they decided to resolve by banning hotspots.

As others have said, if you were to encounter such a park, just ignore the restriction because it isn't enforceable. If your hotspot has the capability, switch to the 5GHz band which the park probably isn't paying attention to, anyway.

geordi · 05-11-2020, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

I've seen some ignorant campground owners come up with all sorts of "do nots". I know that using my hotspot has zero effect on the system so I just ignore the prohibition. Acutally the opposite is true - the more hotspots that are being used the less strain there is on the CG's WiFi.

What's probably caused it is the CG has too limited of bandwidth and all the folks without hotspots are constantly complaining to the staff about the bad WiFi. So, the CG operators complain to the company that installed the WiFi system throughout the RV park and they blame all the campers with hotspots.

This is likely the reason - OR the CG owner doesn't like seeing a bunch of other names pop up in the list when he opens his own computer's wifi connection, and thinks those people are somehow interfering in his network.

Thing is.... A LOT of coaches now are coming with their own routers and devices inside that need network connectivity for the remote controlled shades and TV platforms and thermostats and such. Those aren't going to be able to be turned off just to satisfy "John P Luddite the park owner".

My coach is one of these, but not for the fru-fru powered shades. I have my own router and hotspot setup b/c I have remote thermostat control from anywhere, plus weather station, streaming media.... Etc. As a technical professional, I'm sure I would be able to explain to this person how my system does not affect his in any way - but likely that would not be accepted because they have never seen me before, and their local cable operator / provider's opinion would be superior.

Probably best to just get a refund and move on, and leave a review on Google as a warning for others.

foundwaldo · 05-11-2020, 12:01 PM

To start with with they are probably not driving around looking and will probably not catch you. What will or can they actually do if they catch you using it. The only they can do is ask you to leave. Which would open themselves to a lawsuit. The FCC has ruled that wifi blocking is prohibited. Article below

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/fcc...is-prohibited/

That being said I am a networking guy for a large company and will point out they are not totally wrong your hotspot "could" effect their WiFi. Here is the how. All wifi including hotspots which is essentially is a wifi router uses a wifi channel to broadcast it's signal, so if your hotspot is using the same channel as their wifi then they could interfere with each other. When we do wireless designs we have to make sure we do not have 2 antennas close to each other to avoid this interference, or turn the power down on one of them so it does not overlap the other.