How about WiFi? (Possible New Option)

[WayneLee]

My suggestion is to go to the following web site:
https://3gstore.com/

Even though their name is "3G", they never changed it when "4G" came out. Some useful videos and a lot of different equipment. And, they are familiar with RV applications.

[USMC Okie]

I also use the Jetpack and Verizon for my access. If I spend any time in a low access area for Verizon I use a Wilson cell booster. I have unlimited data and can stream movies to my smart TV. Most campground wifi is limited and set to block streaming.

Okie

[uphillracer]

My 2015 Silverado has a built-in WIFi hub capability. As long as we are within 25 ft. we enjoy two laptops on line with ease. We get this with AT&T cell service on our Windows phones with unlimited data, and OnStar with unlimited data. Whenever a more primitive system in an RV park has been bad or slow we just put on our own hub. When there was no WiFi we used our hub - as long as there is a phone connection we can. Only in one place did we have some spottiness and slowdown; Daniel Junction WY. Mornings and evenings were great but midday was slow or not available. We haven't needed any kind of booster or amplifier - and that's good since there isn;t one we know of.

[Villagerjjm]

Depending on how secure you would want your internet connection to be, I would recommend an Ellipsis Jetpack which will supply a secured internet connection for up to 10 devices at a time. A secured connection will allow you to do things like on line banking and business applications without the worry about someone intercepting your data. I can increase the bandwidth from 4g to up to 10g depending on what I am doing. I also have a Netgear range extender that I can connect to campground WiFi. It is only as good as the system that you are connected to. The advantage you gain from buying one of the roof mount antennas is location. It is higher up and has a greater chance of picking up a clear signal. An alternative is a router that connects to the internet through the cable TV wire. There are plans where you can connect anywhere you have a cable TV signal and it will work like the router you have at home. So far for me, I have been happy with the Jetpack.

[ependydad]

For the folks talking about Jetpacks, a WifiRanger (or other WiFi extending device) is that the WiFi network the Jetpack creates is pretty weak. You can see it from a good ways away, it slows down after about 10-15’ especially if there’s a wall in the way.

[gectisme]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I’ve long said that a dedicated tech cabinet and conduit to the roof from it would be a hugely welcome addition. Leave me a pull line in so I can run wires easily and I’d be in love.

In the tech cabinet, I’d want 2 x 12v receptacles, 4 USB charging ports, and 4 x 120v outlets (if the rig has an inverter, having these on it would be perfect).

This would give the owners the ultimate flexibility and I can’t imagine would cost the manufacturer much at all in parts or time to install.

Same for a conduit from the roof to where the batteries are. This would aid future solar installs.

But, I do know that it’s not something everyone uses and you have to decide between the extra cost for a small subset of users. But if you did it, I’d sure think you were super swell.

ps, sorry for the thread hijack- but it’s sort of related. Give me access to easily install a WiFi extender or cell booster and you don’t need to include them from the factory.

X2, I would much rather have an easy way to add what ever equipment I want to use. Everyone is going to have different needs that could be anything from a WiFi booster to Just an external Antenna to Cell Booster, they all need a way to get the cabling from the outside to inside. Making that easy would be a no-brainer in my mind.

To answer the OP's question's:

Experiences with a wifi repeater now? -
As most have already stated, most campground's WiFi are not good to begin with, to share it through a router is going to make it worse. In around 80 campgrounds in the last year and 1/2 we have been able to share the campround Wifi 3 times without issues. Having written that, some of the other ~77 campgrounds were OK for a single connection to surf webpages but any heavy duty bandwidth activities would not work. But a booster would help for a single web surfer...

Is anyone streaming TV?
Yes, we stream TV all the time but not on Campground WiFi, #1 because they always ask you not to.

DO the local campgrounds even have fast enough speeds to support it?
Some do but again, they ask you not to and usually in the evenings the campground WiFi starts to bog down because of usage.


Even a 4g connection on a central router slows down when there are mutiple devices/people connected. I kick my kids off and have them connect to their phones when I need the bandwidth for work.

[mlmay12]

I agree a simple system of conduits for wire routing would be an incredible help as everyone has different needs. Here is what I did for the Cell Booster

[RB19RR]

Streaming tv is a decade off???? I have both a WiFi booster system and a Cell booster. I've not used the wifi booster in over a year. I've been streaming DirecTV Now, Curiosity Stream, History Vault and Netflix since January. All over the USA.
Once the cost of unlimited broadband and near unlimited broadband has come way down, and the cost for streaming services is rediculously inexpensive, it is a no brainer.
T-Mobile is $35 a month for unlimited streaming and 6gb of internet. AT&T Mobley is $20 a month for 30gb and supposed throttling after that(I've used over 100g and not been throttled)
DIRECTV Now is $30 a month for over 100 channels.
Curiosity Stream is $3 a month
History Vault is $8 a month

More content than you can watch in a lifetime, all for around $100 a month with both T-Mobile and AT&T service as needed.

I traveled from Massachusetts to Phoenix and spent time in NM mountains and one or the other always gave me service.

Streaming TV is here and now

[FOURWHL]

I think he meant streaming over campground wifi

[steverkemp]

Brian, WRT your engineer’s concern about throttling bandwidth to single-connected high bandwidth router, that is a concern as some advanced WiFi systems do have that implemented. As has been spoken here, the biggest issues I’ve seen in parks is insufficient bandwidth from the internet provider to the park, and less about the WiFi signal strength, albeit also poor.

WRT to the 4g bandwidth throttling, that happens by the cellular data network provider and is done by account, not by device. I have 6 cell phones, 1 iPad and one Apple Watch on my Verizon account. I have an unlimited data plan for my 8 lines of service and. My bill is about $350/month (I don’t finance devices through my plan btw) and most if that is in the line access fees, the unlimited plan by itself is about $100 per month. Verizon limits my bandwidth primarily for my account usage, not by device usage on this unlimited plan.

For your engineer’s concern for the WiFi option, I agree. For the 4g option, not so much. Truthfully, I’d be interested in exploring the 4g option for connecting non-cell connected device like TVs and other IOT devices that will continue to show up in the coach. If it is over $1500 then I would simply rather have conduit in place to install a cell phone booster. Just IMO, though.

[sconnors11]

I just installed a WiFi Ranger EliteAC in my 37BH. Right now the front TV and Blue Ray are hardwired to the Router. Each of the three TV locations will have Cat 6 Gigabit hard wired when I get around to it.

Technology evolves quickly and it is impossible to satisfy everybody. I think Dynamax would be better off facilitating installations of this stuff by running wire chases to the roof, tech cabinet, 12V Cabinet on the driver's side, under the coach, and each TV location. 50 bucks worth of 2" PVC conduit should do it. This would provide the means to easily install/upgrade whatever the end user wants and could be marketed as "Future Proof Construction". Marketing could include solar and communications installs.

[Delco Bobby]

Originally Posted by sconnors11

I just installed a WiFi Ranger EliteAC in my 37BH. Right now the front TV and Blue Ray are hardwired to the Router. Each of the three TV locations will have Cat 6 Gigabit hard wired when I get around to it.

Technology evolves quickly and it is impossible to satisfy everybody. I think Dynamax would be better off facilitating installations of this stuff by running wire chases to the roof, tech cabinet, 12V Cabinet on the driver's side, under the coach, and each TV location. 50 bucks worth of 2" PVC conduit should do it. This would provide the means to easily install/upgrade whatever the end user wants and could be marketed as "Future Proof Construction". Marketing could include solar and communications installs.

I agree with this post and other similar posts. I had two recent cars where the connectivity was outdated quickly. So a good marketing idea was useless. Leave it up to the consumer but make it easy to run wires.

Brian, consider all the requests you get now for all the various products available. This will drive you nuts.

[sseaner]

Originally Posted by sconnors11

I just installed a WiFi Ranger EliteAC in my 37BH. Right now the front TV and Blue Ray are hardwired to the Router. Each of the three TV locations will have Cat 6 Gigabit hard wired when I get around to it.

Technology evolves quickly and it is impossible to satisfy everybody. I think Dynamax would be better off facilitating installations of this stuff by running wire chases to the roof, tech cabinet, 12V Cabinet on the driver's side, under the coach, and each TV location. 50 bucks worth of 2" PVC conduit should do it. This would provide the means to easily install/upgrade whatever the end user wants and could be marketed as "Future Proof Construction". Marketing could include solar and communications installs.

How did you run the wires through the roof?

[AWF1945]

I had that set up on my Forest River Aviator travel trailer. A very unique trailer.. high end for sure. However it was discontinued.

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by sconnors11

I just installed a WiFi Ranger EliteAC in my 37BH. Right now the front TV and Blue Ray are hardwired to the Router. Each of the three TV locations will have Cat 6 Gigabit hard wired when I get around to it.

Technology evolves quickly and it is impossible to satisfy everybody. I think Dynamax would be better off facilitating installations of this stuff by running wire chases to the roof, tech cabinet, 12V Cabinet on the driver's side, under the coach, and each TV location. 50 bucks worth of 2" PVC conduit should do it. This would provide the means to easily install/upgrade whatever the end user wants and could be marketed as "Future Proof Construction". Marketing could include solar and communications installs.

Completely agree.
Instead of trying to make people pay for options they don’t want.. ( $1500 in swivel seats and cushions)
Just give them the access they want.

I spent a grand on the wifi ranger and wouldn’t do it again. It works great, but since campground wifi is so horribly slow, I usually just run cellular.

Run conduit from the roof, down to the battery bay. Easy for the customer to run wire for solar.

Run another conduit from the roof to the cabinet behind the main tv.
Customer can run their own whatever they want.

Cheaper for you, easier for the customer.

[bclemens]

Just saw an early prototype for Winegard. Dome style antenna with the following antennas...
WiFi, 4G LTE, FM, OTA TV. All housing in a dome. You can buy their data package or plug in your own sim card. Sounds promising.

[FOURWHL]

Now that's pretty slick

[halla]

Oh that would be awesome. Demo unit?

[bclemens]

Maybe...it will be a few weeks for production model. You don't have a coach so I'll have to find another taker and when you finally get yours at Christmas next year, that will be too late.

[halla]

well that hurts. If it ends up being an option this winter when our unit is being built, let me know. I wouldn’t mind adding it if we can.