Wifi

[Alan Carvel]

What is the best WiFi for camping. I would imagine it would have to be satellite?

[rsdata]

lots of threads on this and up to date youtube videos...
the best is usually a cell phone data plan with the carrier that you need for the area you are camping in

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Alan Carvel

What is the best WiFi for camping. I would imagine it would have to be satellite?

Campground WiFi is generally slow and weak.
Not sure what you mean by "satellite" WiFi? Do you mean satellite internet? Satellites don't provide WiFi.
If campground WiFi is bad, we use our cellphones as hotspots.

[ependydad]

Traditional satellite internet has very slow response times, is big and cumbersome to setup, and expensive. I tried it at a hunting camp to work from (screen share and VPN) and it was absolutely unusable. It was fine for us to watch some Netflix, though.

Star link isn’t yet mobile and I’d be surprised if it’s ready in 2-3 years.

I worked for 5 years while traveling (every 1-3 weeks) across the country. I carried cellular plans with both Verizon and AT&T. And since I had a 9-5 that expected me online, cellular service was my #1 priority when evaluating camp spots.

I carried an antenna for my hotspots, a cell booster, and installed a router in the RV for a strong internal wifi network.

https://learntorv.com/cellular-wifi-and-networks-oh-my/


If you use hotspots with antenna ports (Verizon Jetpacks and AT&T hotspots), this cheap antenna worked in way more places than my expensive booster did.

https://learntorv.com/netgear-hotspot-antenna/

[NavyLCDR]

I agree with ependydad. AT&T and Verizon seem to have the most coverage. I switched from T-Mobile to AT&T. T-Mobile had the worst coverage. At least on the northwest coast. If you really need data more than just using your phone as a hotspot, go with the dedicated hotspot first, possibly with the antenna link posted. Don't waste your money on a cell booster until you determine you really need it.

Also, if you find that you need more data than the hotspot data included with your cell phone plan, there is an app (at least for Android) called easytether that will allow you to tether your phone to one computer at a time without using hotspot data.

[5picker]

WIFI in most campgrounds is poor at best.
Many simply don't have the infrastructure (inside the campground or that providing services) to allow anything more than checking email. Many folks then try to use it to stream video and it bogs the system down for everyone making it basically useless.

Unless the campground has the ability to upgrade your site's WIFI connection, don't be "that guy" who ruins it for everyone by hogging whatever bandwidth is available.

As mentioned Satellite of old is slow and the newer Starlink isn't mobile and with the recent lawsuits filed, may be on hold as far as additional rocket launches to place more birds in the sky.

I too work from our camper and having a mobile plan(s) is imperative if you want reliable service. Here on the east coast that is Verizon, ATT & T-Mobile.
I had Verizon and ATT but recently switched to Verizon and T-Mobile as TMO's 5G coverage is superior up and down the East Coast. We have our phones with TMO and that gives us unlimited data on the phone and 10GB of hotspot service. (when tethered) I also have a 100GB hotspot with TMO and a 30 GB hotspot with Verizon. I have yet to be in a campground where I couldn't get service from one or the other.

Desert dwellers and those in sparsely populated parts of the country may find their experiences different. One must choose a carrier or an option that best suits THEIR camping arrangements but simply said, do not count on the campground to provide WIFI needs other than checking email.

[tundrwd]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Star link isn’t yet mobile and I’d be surprised if it’s ready in 2-3 years.

Starlink had a blurb that "mobile" Starlink would be working end of 2021. That may be beta only - but supposed to be available later this year. The service is pretty much no longer in beta - but you may wait a while to get your "terminal" (dish). Then it's a question of where you are (more sats going up, supposed to cover even high latitudes with the dish set to a low angle later this year too).

Not quite soup, but I don't foresee it being 2-3 years. On the other hand, ordering a cybertruck is going to be 2-3 years - minimum.