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LockChuck92 · 08-28-2018, 08:25 PM

I realize I’m showing my lack of technological knowledge, but I have a question about WiFi, or more accurately, cellular data. We’ll soon be staying in a campground that doesn’t have WiFi, and in those instances, I use my smartphone as a hotspot. However, where this campground is located, our LTE signal is very weak (sometimes dropping to 3G or less). I know that there are devices one can buy to increase WiFi signal...my question is, is there any device out there that amplifies a weak cellular data signal? Thanks for your help everyone!

docj · 08-28-2018, 08:34 PM

Welcome to the IRV2 forum.

Yes, there are several companies that make a variety of devices that can amplify an LTE cellular signal.

Rather than try to summarize all that information here, I suggest that you read the excellent information available on the Technomadia website:

How We Keep Online: Illustrated Tour of our RV Mobile Internet Setup | Technomadia

This should give you a good overview of what's available for purchase. If you have additional specific questions, feel free to ask them here and you will get plenty of informative answers.

LockChuck92 · 08-29-2018, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj

Welcome to the IRV2 forum.

Yes, there are several companies that make a variety of devices that can amplify an LTE cellular signal.

Rather than try to summarize all that information here, I suggest that you read the excellent information available on the Technomadia website:

How We Keep Online: Illustrated Tour of our RV Mobile Internet Setup | Technomadia

This should give you a good overview of what's available for purchase. If you have additional specific questions, feel free to ask them here and you will get plenty of informative answers.

Thanks so much! Excellent information!

biggcrisp · 08-29-2018, 06:39 AM

One thing to note is that cellular data usage is 10x more than landline data usage. In layman’s terms you use cellular data at a much faster rate than landline data uses. Also 3G is now about the same as dialup used to be.

Whirrlly · 08-29-2018, 07:13 AM

Our unlimited plan is the speed drops as we use our hotspot data.

our hotspot data is high speed UP to 15 GB per phone.
after that is used it slows down.....they tell ya that when you purchase your plan. So if I am running 3-4 devices off the hotspot it will slow.

Just a normal thing so I don't think a 'device' is going to 'speed' up your data plan.........what I am saying is check your hotspot data plan LOL

we are unlimited hotspot but it will slow the more you use.

we got a kid and on camping trips our hotspot is used mercilessly and we go thru tons of gbs.....but even slow it still works wonderful for us.

docj · 08-29-2018, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirrlly

we are unlimited hotspot but it will slow the more you use.

With all due respect this isn't how your hotspot works. It will run at full speed until you use up your monthly allowance. Then it will slow down to a reduced speed for the rest of your billing period. For example, with Verizon it will slow down to <600kbps; there'e nothing gradual about it.

MapleKing · 08-29-2018, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

One thing to note is that cellular data usage is 10x more than landline data usage. In layman’s terms you use cellular data at a much faster rate than landline data uses. Also 3G is now about the same as dialup used to be.

How is that possible? Are files 10X as big? Why would you use more data to stream the same show just because it's coming across a cellular network? I know people use more data than they think, but it's not like the same content magically becomes larger.

biggcrisp · 08-29-2018, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MapleKing

How is that possible? Are files 10X as big? Why would you use more data to stream the same show just because it's coming across a cellular network? I know people use more data than they think, but it's not like the same content magically becomes larger.

I know right. Good question for the FCC.

beenthere · 08-29-2018, 01:08 PM

if you have 2 or more cells on one plan then each gets that data limit..so mine is 10g hotspot and 22g tethering and none on just phone.. so if you have 2 phones you get 20g hotspot and has to be 10 on each line and 44 gig tether and has to be 22 gig each line. so when one is used then use the other... now I stream movies from my phone to my tv and does not use any data for the limit.. I use the usb-c on one end and converts to HDMI on the other and works lile a charm .. and you can stream as much as you want..

BillJinOR · 08-29-2018, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

One thing to note is that cellular data usage is 10x more than landline data usage. In layman’s terms you use cellular data at a much faster rate than landline data uses. Also 3G is now about the same as dialup used to be.

I’m not sure what your saying. It makes no sense
A 1 g movie on landline WiFi at home or on a cell network is the same. Data use is the same. The limit on cell may be much more restrictive but ??
3 g is the same as it always was .. may seem slow now that 4g lte is normal but somewhere I think you’ve got some bad info

creativepart · 08-29-2018, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LockChuck92

I realize I’m showing my lack of technological knowledge, but I have a question about WiFi, or more accurately, cellular data.

I think this should be mentioned -- Wifi and Cellular Data are two distinctly different things.

Wifi is simply a wireless network connection. It takes the place of a physical wire between a computer and a computer network.

Cellular Data is a separate protocol that does still connect you to a network but with totally different technology - cellular technology.

I only bring this up so you can wrap your mind around these as two different things.

When you connect to Wifi at home, at Starbucks or at a Campground you are using a wireless network connection to connect to your home, Starbucks or Campgrounds network. If that network is connected to the Internet then you can connect to the internet via that wireless "wifi" connection. This connection has nothing to do with cellular data.

When you connect with a cell phone, datacard or other cellular device you are also connecting to the network but it has nothing to do with Wifi.

So, I hope this helps you with the terminology - the two are NOT interchangeable.

Just to make things more confusing if they are not confusing enough - a cellular device (phone, datacard, etc) can also have separate Wifi capabilities. So, when you make your phone a hotspot it is using WiFi to connect some other device to your phone so that multiple devices can share the cellular data that the phone provides.

Again - Wifi is not cellular data and Cellular data is not wifi. They are two distinctly different things that sometimes compliment each other and work together but the two things are always and completely separate.

Hope this helps... a little.

nothermark · 08-29-2018, 02:04 PM

To sort of build on the previous comment data over the internet is sent in packets. Each message is divided into some number of slices depending on the system in use. Cellular data is also packetized. Once the data is sliced up headers and footers are added to contain routing data. The larger the packet the less header overhead because fewer packets thus fewer headers are needed. The system just counts the amount of data transitioning a given point. If WiFi packets are several times larger than cellular packets that would account for the increase in data uses. If you really want to understand it pursue that line of investigation. This is a very simplified explanation of a fairly complex system.

Gary RVRoamer · 08-31-2018, 12:37 PM

Quote:

One thing to note is that cellular data usage is 10x more than landline data usage. In layman’s terms you use cellular data at a much faster rate than landline data uses.

I'm very skeptical about this assertion, but it's true that there are differences in the data you use via a cell phone vs cable or DSL internet. Many websites have a different package of data that gets used when a mobile device accesses the page, plus Android and IPhone versions of browsers operate somewhat differently. In many cases, the mobile access version of a page is actually smaller than what you would get at home on a PC. At the end of the day, though, a file is a file and the data is the same no matter how you access it. If you download a 1 MB PDF file on your phone, it's still 1MB.

A phone typically does not maintain much of a cache of recently used data, so it may retrieve a file multiple times whereas a larger unit might keep a copy of a file or image on hand for hours or even days. Phones with limited memory flush out the page cache regularly, whereas PCs and Apples merely roll them out to a disk drive. That alone can make a difference.