rv sites and wifi

[tiggerv9l]

This has probably been discussed to death however I am a newby to this site. Both my wife and I use our laptops to keep in contact with family and business on our travels. It is very important that we have reliable wifi. We have continually found that after calling and making reservations in sites that tout they have wifi, the only means of internet connection is a telephone hook up in the reading room. It is about time places got serious about wifi and intenet dependency of the new era of reitrees.

[danpence]

Most wifis we have stayed at don't work real well. We have Verizon's internet service. It is expensive but we have found it works in most locations.

[whodo]

If you have to have 100% reliability 100% of the time then you will need to get Sat. Internet service. Cost starts at around $1,400 for a tripod setup to about $5,000 for an automatic system. Total $1,400 to $5,000+ depending on how fancy and what you think you need.

If you only need service about 90% to 100% depending on location, then get a air card & router and you will be able to connect both laptops via your built in wifi cards. Air Cards depending upon model etc. $00.00 to $300 and the router $100 to $800 depending on how many bells and whistles you want, add a out side antenna, depending on make/model $20 to $100. Total $120 to $1200 depending on the bells and whistles that you only think you need.

Now monthly service fees for Internet Sat. or Air Card unlimited use will cost right around $60 per month.

Now as far as who to get service from: For Sat. Internet, Hughes/Motostat or Wild Blue.
For Air Cards Verizon has a 5gb limit on its unlimited ser. (not very unlimited) Sprint & Alltel (Sprint & Alltel allow for free roaming on each others system which gives a larger coverage area than looking at each one individually, also no limit on there unlimited plans). Verizon, Sprint, Alltel all have 1rxtt = slow dial up speed / EVDO RevO = approx dsl speed / EVDO RevA = approx low end cable speed systems. Cingular only has the EDGE and it is just a little faster than 1rxtt (basically little faster than dialup) but much slower than RevA.

[treemakr]

I have to add to the previous post regarding satellite internet providing 100% availability. I had a Hughes dish for about a year. I found setting up the dish each time we moved very difficult and pointing the dish is more difficult than your tv dish. At my current campground I was not able to locate a satellite even with the help of 2 different certified installers. We could not get line of sight. Now I have all this equipment that is useless.

I decided to try the Cingular AIr card for my laptop. The signal strength was not great until I connected it to my wilson cell antenna. Now I have a great signal. The initial investment was $0 as opposed to the 1,000 for the hughes dish.

[ladybug]

OK I am so confused. Please Explain in layman terms how you did your internet. I have a laptop I want to be able to use in the camper and the campgrounds we stay at do not have hookups. I would greatly appreciate your help.

[whodo]

ladybug
OK I am so confused. Please Explain in layman terms how you did your Internet. I have a laptop I want to be able to use in the camper and the campgrounds we stay at do not have hookups. I would greatly appreciate your help.
Using a Air Card is as simple as installing it in your laptop and turning it on. NOW to clarify that a little. Depending on the age of your laptop will determine which type of air card you will need "pcmcia" or a "express card". If your laptop is around a year old or newer it will probably need an express card if it is older than more than likely a pcmcia card. The only difference in the two cards is there physical size. Express cards are much smaller.
Now as far as using a air card; as long as you have a signal (like with a cell phone ) you can get on line.
"I realize that I have oversimplified things here, I am trying to keep things very basic to help the poster understand the basics of getting started"

[whodo]

I have to add to the previous post regarding satellite Internet providing 100% availability. I had a Hughes dish for about a year. I found setting up the dish each time we moved very difficult and pointing the dish is more difficult than your tv dish. At my current campground I was not able to locate a satellite even with the help of 2 different certified installers. We could not get line of sight. Now I have all this equipment that is useless.

You answered your own question to your problem when you said "We could not get line of sight. " If you can not get line of sight due to what ever obstacle you will not get service from Satellite or from a "Air Card" .
Anything that relies on "RF propagation" will be affected by obstacles interfering with reception. In other words any thing that is transmitted wireless " car radio, TV, cell phones, data signals, etc" will be affected by any thing obstructing the signal. Prime example, drive down the road go through a canyon an watch how your car radio signal fades in and out, that is RF propagation being obstructed.

[2inabox]

We also have had good luck with the 'air card' for our laptop. We got the Verizon card 3 months ago and have been all over Texas, thru NM, AZ, NV, CA and into Oregon with little difficulty. And that is without the antenna. We think it's a pretty good service for the $. But we are curious about the antenna that "treemakr" mentions from Wilson. So if your still there treemakr...............?

[whodo]

2inabox
For more information on the Wilson cell antennas go to this web site.
http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/ This the manufacture of the antenna.

[wizard]

This past weekend we stayed in a campground that advertised wi-fi. When we asked about the password, the clerk told us that it usually only works if you go to the clubhouse. What a crock. The phone line hookups are also in the clubhouse. Why advertise if you can't get it at your site. I think most campgroung owners don't even know what wi-fi means, just sounds good on their ads.

[trekkertaylor]

AirCard... or aspirin (and fuming rants).
WiFi is not reliable... or to be fair the advertised availability of wi-fi is not reliable. Some campgrounds may not have a clue and indeed just agree to saying they have cause they hear it alot, and "it seems to be pretty common so shoot maybe we had it all along and just ain't known it Bubba..."
It reminds me of when, as a contractor, I'd go to but new trucks. You now the saleman... everybody has encountered this village idiot atleast once.
tell him I need a 2500 4x2 w/ a cummings. He'll come back confused asking if, "By 4x2 don't you mean 2x4, cuz the only trucks out there w/ six wheels only have two on the front." DurrDurDaDurr! Brilliant!!!

[tiggerv9l]

The responses to wifi or not have been very interesting. So far pretty much what we experience. I like the idea of air cards however we have to find out if that can work for us. We are from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It would be nice to find some sort of international system that won't break the bank. We are presently in Lee's Travel Park in Largo, Florida. As one response mentioned it looks good on their add. Not only that we pre-paid this place trusting what we seen on the add and the telephone conversation with the desk person. For $600.00 a month plus electricity you get a dirty little site, a broken concrete slab on a slope so bad you fall out of your chair. When I asked to have the leaves raked up around the site I was told that was my job. As for the wifi. It worked on and off for about 2 days and then that was that. After two days we asked for a refund so we could move down the street to a nicer place that was only $350.00 but were told to read the sign that stated absolutely no refunds under any circumstances. Watch the adds they are very miss-representing.

[whodo]

tiggerv9l
You brought up a very important point that you hadn't mentioned before,
("We are from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.") This changes the whole picture on what is available to you being you live in Canada and winter in Florida.
If you are interested in going with a Air-Card, I have been told that Sprint has a suspension of service program where they allow you to suspend service for a period of time. It might be something worth while looking into and verifying that they actually have this option available for when you are back home in Canada.

[bigben]

Well may be I am just lucky but we use Wifi all the time and for the most part it has worked very well. I use a Links System antenna on a desk top, we also use it on our lap top.
We left Florida 3 weeks a go and stayed in 6 parks on the way to Vegas all 6 had very usable WiFi. All but one a KOA were free.
When WiFi is not available we use Mobile Office hook up on our Verizon cell phone. It is free after 9 and all weekends.
We are full timers and have been using Mobile Office for about 5 years.

[discovery]

I called a campground once to make a reservation and ask about the wifi. They told me they had wifi. I get there and the fellow said "we will have wifi within the year." Aarrrrhhh!! I got the Cingular Air Card for my laptop and have had great success with it.

[donbar]

We have used the Huges satelite network for almost three years now. Sometimes it is a little problem finding the satelite especially when we were in Yellowstone area but have always got it in some reasonable time. Our dish is on a tripod and usually set up is about 20-30 minutes so if we're only staying one night we usually don't brother. We have found that there are a lot of reststops and campgrounds that have wi-fi now, making it easier to stay connected while on the road.

[mogarth]

We've found that most parks that advertise "free wi-fi" actually let you access their ISP free..but when you try to use it it's one of these $5.00/hour or some weekly/monthly plan. A bunch of BS as far as we're concerned. We have a Verizon device that connects through a USB port, so it can be used with separate computers anywhere there is Verizon service. It's not clear to me what the deal is if one is "roaming", but the service is $60.00.month and the device cost $100. We really like this alternative.

[timkelmom]

I just have to say that I love our Hughesnet and don't know what we ever did without it. It is mounted on the roof of our 5th wheel and my DH has us up and ready in 5 mins. or less.

Wi Fi is not reliable and the campgrounds are not honest about it's availability or it's proximity to certain campsites.

Hughesnet was expensive initially, but so worth it.

[elainefaith]

I bought a new laptop with wireless capability. After reading this thread i think i'll go back to the old reliable. Whenever you travel thru a large or small town look for the library sign. All librarys i've stopped in have free internet on their own computers, or several times i've just been able to turn on my own laptop and use it just like I would at home. I'd hoped this would be what would happen at a campground that advertises free wifi. I guess i'll see this summer.

[tcwal]

I just returned from a 6 week cross country trip from New Jersey to Arizona and back, just under 6,000 miles total. Most of the Passport America and all of the KOA campgrounds I stayed at had WIFI. Throughout the trip, I was always able to find access to check email and conduct other essential business at least every couple of days. Some of the places I found free WIFI access were Tourist Information Centers, Interstate Highway rest stops, and public libraries. The small towns of Chama, NM and Clayton, NM had street signs directing you to the WIFI hotspot.

I must have been lucky, as I did not encounter a single RV Park that said they had WIFI but did not. The quality of the systems varied greatly. In some RV parks, the signal was only strong enough to work well near the office or whatever building the transmitter was in.

The areas of Arizona and New Mexico where I boondocked in National Forests
and State Park primative campgrounds did not have cell phone coverage, so satellite would be the only option if you had to have internet access everyday.

[frank]

We are not full timers but spend a good part of the year on the road. We use WIFI and have not had a problem. I run an on line business and it really has been easy with WIFI.

We find that most parks use a service for which there is a charge. I think that $35 per month is a fair price and that is about whatit has run us when we stay long term.

I do think the nightly charge is high but in most CG's you can go to the office or Rec Hall and find a free spot or use a telephone line to get on. I have an 800 # for my provider so it is not a problem.

I have looked into air cards and understand from a lot of folks that there are still dead spots.

We will stay with our system for now!!

[dlmueser]

We are really new to all of this. We are wondering about the Winegard products, particularly the stationary RT (as opposed to the in-motion RT, which works as you travel). Our hope is to find a wireless signal that we can use for both our laptop and TV. Are we on the right track, or is this not possible with one wireless unit? We are the new owners of a 2002 Allegro Bus and are looking to begin in the RV world on a full-time basis. Any suggestions are more than welcome!! Thanks.

[whodo]

We are really new to all of this. Our hope is to find a wireless signal that we can use for both our laptop and TV. Are we on the right track, or is this not possible with one wireless unit?

Yes it is possible with a Hughes Net Dish Satellite system and B.O.W. for tv reception.
Now for all the associated problems. First you have to be assigned to a Hughes Net satellite that will be in the correct location to be able to receive a Satellite tv signal as well, either from Directv or Dish Network.
The next problem will be finding a B.O.W. (bird on a wire) for the particular service (Direct or Dish). Next you have the cost of the system. For a portable satellite dish on a tri-pod you are looking at around $1500 plus, for a automatic roof mount system you are looking at around $5000 plus.

The Winegard products that you are wondering about are for Satellite TV reception only.

[jimbo]

you can try this site http://www.wififreespot.com/

[billcolleen]

We messed aroung w/various types of wifi, all of which worked sporadically, or not at all. We finally gave up and went w/verizon broadband. The cost is $59.99 per month, but it works everywhere that verizon cell phones work, (almost everywhere), and does not have time limits. I am computer/electromically challenged, but even I can work w/this system. Plus verizon has been helpful w/their tech support.

Hope this helps, Bil & Collen

[kalynzoo]

WiFi is sporatic at best at most campgrounds...if you must have it, you must ask for a site under or near the WiFi antenna. You can also check out Cyberguys.com for boosters. We use a Verison air card, Cingular has one also, it gives high speed internet just about everywhere and works on the road. We added an external antenna to improve reception. Cost about $50/month. Just a note, it does not work in the midwest on Indian reservations, they have their own cell phone system. Call ahead before checking into a campground, and ask about WiFi availablility, be specific about your needs, many campground hosts don't understand WiFi, but they will know if they have had many complaints. Happy Trails.

[jwillie44]

What everone is saying, basically, is that there are a number of ways to get on-line when RVing. It get down to what you are willing to pay for the convience of getting on-line where you want and when you want with the least amount of effort. At the least expensive end is going to a public library or looking for free hotspots. At the most expensive end go with an automatic satillite dish on the roof. See www.DataStormUsers.com

[lcandreva]

Well may be I am just lucky but we use Wifi all the time and for the most part it has worked very well. I use a Links System antenna on a desk top, we also use it on our lap top.
We left Florida 3 weeks a go and stayed in 6 parks on the way to Vegas all 6 had very usable WiFi. All but one a KOA were free.
When WiFi is not available we use Mobile Office hook up on our Verizon cell phone. It is free after 9 and all weekends.
We are full timers and have been using Mobile Office for about 5 years.

:eek: Be careful using your free hours on your cell phone to connect to the internet. I thought that to be a deal, until I found out Cingular does not include kb. I did that for one month and it cost me $2500. I then got the Cingular edge card, and have had very few places that I couldn't connect. The better signal you have, the faster the speed. We are finding that most campgrounds have Wi-Fi that is accessible from our RV, and are thinking of discontinuing our wireless Cingular Edge.

[chuckh]

I've been using a Sprint wireless PCMCIA card on my notebbok for about a year and have had great luck with it. It was 179.00 for the card and I pay 67.00 a month for unlimited use. Basically anywhere a sprint phone will work my internet card will work. I have not stayed anywhere that it hasn't worked but I am sure there are dead spots with no service. There are probably flaws and dead spots with every system. Good luck with whatever you try.

[murffdog]

The CG we frequent has free wifi, they give you a password, it's a number, and it works anyplace in the area.

[grandmajo]

OK I am so confused. Please Explain in layman terms how you did your internet. I have a laptop I want to be able to use in the camper and the campgrounds we stay at do not have hookups. I would greatly appreciate your help.

We have Air cards for our Internet service. I have Verizon, and Ron has AT&T. We have those separate Cell Services. They work Great! Occasionally one or the other has no service, in remote areas. But usually, at least one works. It is wonderful, to be on the road, stop, wherever, and be connected. No hassles setting up an outside system. Just plug in, and we are up and running. AND, with the inverter on, operation on the road, also, IF we need it. With a portable GPS, we don't use the Internet for GPs. Life is great. We each pay about $100 for cell and Air card/mo. But that is where our priority lies.

[wifiguy]

This thread is very interesting to me because I know relief is on the way.

New technology has been developed and will soon be available to all.

There is no need for me to spell it all out here, it would take to much space so I'll put a link here for a website that tells it all.

http://dale.wifit1.com

I will be available by phone anytime to answer questions.

Dale Guyant
956-330-0436

[donnie]

Being that we are getting back into RV ing, we got a aircard from Verizon.
Havent had a chance to try it out yet.
The thing I wonder about using wifi is I dont know how secure it really is?

[jvcarolyn]

We travel full time and own several camp club memberships. Most parks have free WiFi. Often the signal is low. I have found that spending about $50 buys a USB adaptor that improves the WiFi reception a lot over the built-in card. I also have a cable so I can put the USB adaptor on a short plastic pipe and clamp it above the roofs so it is in eye view of the Base antenna. I put a plastic bag over the adaptor when outside.

J. V.

[jgr1957]

My solution to the "WiFi -- WFO?" problem was to buy a commercial 2.4GHz antenna and mount it on a telescoping fiberglass mast. Now I pull into a place with WiFi, spot their antenna (usually but not always on the roof of the office or utility room), raise the antenna and aim.

The antenna is inside a plastic housing, 3' in diameter and 18" long. I dunno how much gain I get, but when I had FlyingJ's paid WiFi service, I discovered that I could get reliable service from as far as a 3 - 4 miles away -- all I needed was line of sight.

A couple of times, I've discovered no working WiFi at a park where I'm going to be staying for several weeks or more (I travel with my work, high-tech migrant labor!), hunted around and hit strong signals from nearby motels. I then make a deal with the manager to pay a couple of bucks a week in exchange for the password, and connect through them.

[dlrupper]

I have found the wifi hit and miss. I'm using the KOA's free wifi right now to post this reply. Sometimes they want $$ for the wifi. Most times it's free. I use www.RVparkreviews.com before going to a campground to see what other RV'ers have to say about a campground. Generally speaking if a campground advertises wifi and then it doesn't work well the reviewers will tell you what they thought of the wifi. I review every campground I stay in and wifi is one of the items I critique.

[bluedragonfly55]

Try Verison Aircard. We have had really good luck with it, even in places where we could not get cell phone signals we could still pick up internet. It is simple to use. Go to a Circuit City and they will show you how to use it the first time . It's really easy and pretty reliable.

[papahog]

I just finnished a 7 month 30,000 mile road trip from Oregon to the East Coast and all over the east and then back to Oregon.

I have a verizon air card and NOT ONCE did I not have service. I love it. I am online 3 or 4 hours a day, everyday.

[jwillie44]

For ease, and availability, of internet access you get what you pay for.

At the lowest end is free wi-fi or libraries. At the highest end is direct satellite access. For MOST people, who look at the cost vice access equation, air cards are fine most of the time.

However, for people who want fast internet all the time, no matter where they are, and are willing to pay top dollar, the Data Storm system from Motasat is a must-have. Go to www.datastormusers.com for info.

[donaldw]

What is the approx. cost of the various air cards mentioned, ie. Verizon, Cingular etc.

[cherrypop]

I use an ATT sierra that plugs into a usb port. It cost $100 to purchase, but that was refunded. It has added $64 to my monthly bill but it is worth it to me to keep in contact while on the road. Hope this helps Cherrypop ;)

[patslifeline]

Hi, We full-timed for 3 years and I used a laptop. During that period, I had a
T-Mobile WiFi card. I believe the initial fee was $200.00 then it was $30.00 per month for unlimited use. I never had a problem with it.........I would have kept it had we continued to full-time but now we are home bound so I don't use it...........I could be driving down any road, any time, and be online....Sometimes it was a little slow, not as slow as dial-up, but not as fast as broadband............If you need any other info on this, email me at patslifeline@yahoo.com........Hope this helps you.