Wifi (internet) at campgrounds - your experience..?

I am having a dickens of a time finding the right people/technology to help us up at Trackrock (Blairsville, GA) that can address the wireless internet coverage (100% of the time) for our entire CG.

Is this a problem everywhere??????

What is your experience with internet service at campgrounds please?

Wi-fi can be spotty for sure, depends as much on your equipment as theirs, and can be intermittent based on weather, interference, etc. I have had good luck in general. In one campground I was a little way from the Access Point and had a slow connection. I also run several wireless devices and an ad-hoc network just won't do. I configured a Linksys WRT54G router with DD-WRT firmware as a wireless bridge. The added gain of the external antenna and a little more power solved my problems all the way around while keeping my subnet secure.

Hi Ron,

Are you asking about a company to provide wi-fi service for the whole RV Park? A lot of RV parks use tengointernet. Some charge extra for the service, some include it as a service and some actually have the service where you log on and pay tengointernet directly with credit card. I have used it and it has almost always been good service although a little expensive I think if you have to pay direct for it.

Another one is The Wireless Web which I have used several times and always had good service at the parks.

I'm sure there are other companies out there also, but happen to remember these two.

Jim M

I rely on campsite networks right now because we are only out for a week or two at a time right now. That will change when we retire though.

I've had good reception when I've been near one of the towers in the park and really bad reception when I'm not. Usually, the problem with is with the park not having infrastructure to handle the load. The more people are in the park, the worse the reception and sometimes its non-existent. After we retire, I'll have to decide whether to use a satellite system or just an aircard.

Kristy

One of the major things to make a good WiFi at a campground is the type of access. If the campground has a satellite connection you will probably have poor internet service for your patrons. The better connection you have from the service provider the better your access for the users. Once you have a good service access your equipment in the campground would be easer to set up. The more access points you have to cover the area the better.

One campground that I really liked was the one at Pumpkin Patch RV Resort in Maine. They do charge $1 per day and for the speed it is a good deal. The Aircard signal in there area is very poor to nonexistent.

The Rustic Cove Campgound in Rockport Tx is quite good also and it is free.

I am at Benchmark Coach and RV Park Meridian MS is better than either of the Verizon or Sprint Aircards and it is free. However it does drop out ever so often, but when you reconnect it is pretty good.

I have had a big problem with the internet access Hot Spot.

BC

My only experience with WiFi is at the campground we spend the summer season at. Initially, they only had access at the office at the front of the park. Two years ago, he installed a repeater in the middle of the grounds and then another towards the end of the camp. My site is almost directly across the street from the center repeater, so I get good reception just using the internal card in my laptop. When it does act up, he's quick to get on it.

jimtoo said:

Hi Ron,

Are you asking about a company to provide wi-fi service for the whole RV Park? A lot of RV parks use tengointernet. Some charge extra for the service, some include it as a service and some actually have the service where you log on and pay tengointernet directly with credit card. I have used it and it has almost always been good service although a little expensive I think if you have to pay direct for it.

Another one is The Wireless Web which I have used several times and always had good service at the parks.

I'm sure there are other companies out there also, but happen to remember these two.

Jim M

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Thanks Jim: That is a big assistance also. We are unsure (ROOKIES) at the whole CG on WiFi so I am assisting (Blind leading the blind) to do the best we can for ALL concerned! It was broken at best so we are placing this as a priority until completed!

I (WE) know what a great requirement the internet is nowadays far beyond a luxury for those full-timing to keep in touch with family, pay bills, etc., etc.

Last year while we were in Kalispell, Mont. I had trouble with reception when I had the Laptop on the dest in our 3055. Just for fun I tried moving it to the kitchen table and reception was very good. I wonder sometimes if the aluminum frameing doesn't cause a problem..../Doug

We full time and usually rely on a park's wifi for our Internet connection, however we do use a Verizon air card with a Cradlepoint router when wifi is weak or non-existent. We've only stayed in one park in southwest Colorado where there was NO cell service, so we had to use the pay-to-use wifi that the park offered. We also signed up for Skype VOIP telephone service while there. It sucks to have no phone connection!

FYI - Texas rest areas and Texas State Parks have free Wi-Fi

Our intention is to keep it free as a service to our campers especially the full-timers who call us home for long periods of time. My original intent was to check with the "family' here as to what they are experiencing nationally. I am investigating the best I can get for our campers and want to do it with RVers in mind!

Ron,
I know very little about wi-fi or how any of it works. But I can tell you one of the best wi-fi services we have ever had is at Camp Hatteras in NC. Maybe some one who was at the rally last week and is savy can tell you what equipment they use.

Anyway, I see you are at Trackraock. Beautiful area. I spent many years in north GA and that was one of my favorite places.

Good luck with your search.

SouthernNights said:

Ron,
I know very little about wi-fi or how any of it works. But I can tell you one of the best wi-fi services we have ever had is at Camp Hatteras in NC. Maybe some one who was at the rally last week and is savy can tell you what equipment they use.

Anyway, I see you are at Trackraock. Beautiful area. I spent many years in north GA and that was one of my favorite places.

Good luck with your search.

Click to expand...

Thank you! I may just contact that CG and ask what they did. Come see us: We always have a few Heartlands in the camp but it seems like they are not members here. I tell them to join!!!!! The Willis' on the forum here (Based out of FL) are full-timers and seasonally stay at Trackrock all summer in their BH 3580RL

Accessing WiFi in a campground is analogous to connecting to a water supply.

1. If have a single water spigot at the "office", you an connect your water hole to the spigot. The length of your hose will determine how far away you can be. (WiFi signals only travel a short distance from the antenna).

2. If you are farther away, you might need a couple hoses connected together to reach the spigot. (ie you might need and amplifier to pick up a weak WiFi signal).

3. If several people want to connect to the water spigot, the water pressure will be reduced. (The more people who log onto the WiFi, the slower it will go).

4. If too many people connect their hoses together, no one will have good water pressure. (Everyone in the CG will complain about the poor service or lack of service).

While the CG can put in a lot of spigots ( adds several antennas around the park), if system only uses a single small well, the service will not improve.

The CG an put in a much larger well in order to get better pressure (ie upgrade from DSL or cable to T1 or T3 service). There is a cost for a new larger well (Internet Service Provider charges).

The campground will normally make a decision based on cost and revenue. Some times keeping the old infrastructure is the chosen financial decision. After all, some campers will just use the water in their holding tanks (use their cellular air cards or contract for cable service).