WiFi Connection
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Miscellaneous / Off-topic
Forum Discription: Pull a chair up to the campfire and chat. No religious, political or weapons talk, please.
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4333
Printed Date: 02 May 2024 at 2:08pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: WiFi Connection
Posted By: Camper Bob
Subject: WiFi Connection
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 10:22am
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When camping I need to connect to my office via a WiFi connection. I was wondering if anyone has used their phone as a hotspot and how effective it was. I will need to upload and download files. I know most rural areas have only 1G speed. We would like to use more primitive campgrounds but have been limited to private ones with WiFi. Any help would be appreciated. I know that each area has different connection strengths or none at all. Suggestions? I know that many of the fast food franchises so offer free wifi, but kind of inconvenient to lug a printer to the locations. Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Replies:
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 11:56am
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Bob, We need/want to stay connected as much as possible while traveling with two iPhones, iPad and two laptops. There are a number of options available these days. For us, so far, using the iPad as a mobile hotspot (ATT) has been the most effective outside of public and paid hotspots. Do be aware of privacy risks when using any public hotspot. My experience with file sharing has been that both Google Drive and DropBox are very effective and convenient for both home office and remote. A good presentation of the subject: http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/mobile-internet - http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/mobile-internet -fred
------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 12:08pm
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Bob, Some comments from my experience: Most campground WiFi systems are useless. They have limited WiFi coverage, are overloaded, and/or have a limited data connection to the internet server. With two iPhones, a computer and an iPad they are very disappointing. I have had good luck with the ATT mobile Hotspot, but Verizon has a competing product called MiFi. Rumor has it that Verizon has better coverage off the highways, but I can't speak from experience. I do have a Wilson iPhone amplifier/repeater with separate antenna because the iPhone has no external antenna connector. It worked well inside the fiberglass R-POD and I now have the external antenna mounted on the roof of my aluminum skinned Camplite 21RBS. A data plan is required and it works well in 3G/4G areas. I don't have good data yet where 3G/4G is not available. I suspect usable, but slower. Charlie ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 12:52pm
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We've used our cell phones as our primary data connection for 5+ years. No way to get cable, FIOS or DSL where we live. 3G (shown as 4G on modern phones for marketing reasons) and 4G LTE are both fast enough for business use, I use mine occasionally to connect to my office network via VPN and access my work computer via remote desktop. Downside is things like remote desktop and video use way too much data to do on a daily basis. 1G is actually the old original analog system from the 80's, which was shut off in the US a few years ago to free up channels for the digital system. Typically the slowest you'll find today is 2.5G, which usually shows on your phone with an E for Edge. I almost never see that anymore even in remote mountain areas (when I can find a cell connection). I usually got about 150 kbps on Edge at my house or about 3 times dialup. 3G (4G) usually gets you 1.5 Mbps, or equivalent to DSL and cable about 10 years ago. 4G LTE gets you about 10 times that on a good day but in the real world I rarely see that top speed. I agree with the comments above about Wifi. Since we have a data plan that is big enough for our everyday use we rarely bother with local Wifi connections. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Lefty
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 1:22pm
| Android users can download an app called FoxFi that acts as a wifi hotspot. It cost about $9. I have used it for about a year and have been extremely satisfied. It converts your cell phone signal to wifi. |
Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 2:53pm
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All great comments. Techntrek mentioned remote desktop which is what I use to connect to my office computer. My experience off road and traveling on the east coast is that Verizon has a far greater coverage than AT&T. Recently purchased a Nexus 7 with cell compatability. Unfortunately Verizon does not support the Nexus, so had to use AT&T. Was very surprised at the spotty coverage of AT&T in the larger metropolitan area. Really can't deal with poor coverage. So for me Verizon is more better(as they say in some parts of the country.) I do pay a higher monthly rate, but our overall experience when traveling has been superb. Now back to my concerns. I only get 2 G of data per month with Verizon's hotspot service for an additional $20/month. AS Techntrek pointed out, remote desktop uses a lot of bandwidth so possibly this is not going to work. Will have to stay with WIFI equipped campgrounds. Yes, they are slow at times, and sometimes cannot even connect because of high traffic in the campground. So, very early in the morning works for me. Did look into a Sat phone, but too expensive for my needs. Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2014 at 6:54pm
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Lefty, hotspot capability was built into my AT&T-supplied Android phone, although it won't work if you don't have the right data plan. Camber Bob, I've found the opposite with excellent coverage with AT&T on the east coast from FL to ME, and surprisingly there were few places where we couldn't connect when we went west last summer. That said, when we got rid of our landline over a year ago I converted our phone number to a Verizon pay-as-you-go phone for backup. I figure if AT&T goes down at home we still have a 2nd system for 911 calls, and for trips if we can't connect via AT&T. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2014 at 8:36am
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All great advice. I see a lot of us need to be connected while on the road. Fwunder sent a link that looks very interesting. I have downloaded the book to my Nexus and will read it today. As I mentioned I use Remote Desktop to connect to my office and then use the programs on it to do my work. Techntrek mentioned that Remote Desktop uses a lot of data on a daily basis. Will have to see if the 2 Gigs of data that Verizon offers is enough on a monthly basis. We go out for a week or two at a time and need to connect daily for about an hour. I am wondering if there isn't cellphone coverage if one of the boosters will work? Lots to find out about. If it wasn't so important to do my work on a daily basis, I wouldn't be overly concerned. But I do customer billing daily and tends to keep my bank happy when money is available. I do bring a printer with me so that is one of the concerns in being able to work in the Pod rather than setup an office at the local Starbucks or Mcdonalds. Much to learn. Thanks for all your input. Safe Travels.
T ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2014 at 10:28am
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We never use public WiFi have always relied on our iPhone hotspot. David ------------- 2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018- 2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2014 at 12:19pm
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Using a cellphone signal booster can help. Usually stationary systems use a Yagi or panel antenna to pick up the weak cell tower signal. Both types of antenna are highly directional, very high-gain, which is useful for very weak signals, but not something you can use on the road. I've seen smaller in-car boosters which use a medium-gain whip antenna which are good for mobile applications. Then the "inside" antenna provides the signal to the cell phone in a 50-100 foot radius in the building (10-20 for in-car systems). ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Lefty
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2014 at 5:08pm
| Techntrek, I've got hotspot built into my Verizon also but they charge for the service either on daily basis or full time. Foxfi is $9 a year with unlimited useage. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2014 at 8:29pm
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Eventually they will do traffic analysis and will ding you for not paying for the hotspot capability. I did this for years on my phone and my wife's phone until AT&T sent us both emails saying they had it figured out. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: retireclose
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 8:03am
| We use one our cell phones (Verizon) as a hotspot and both laptops can connect. of course you have to have 3g or 4g data plan. Works great for us. |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 9:20am
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Just to add to the mix: What we currently pay. FamilyTalk Nation 550 (grandfathered plan) 2 iPhones. One with 2GB data, one with 3GB data $132.08/month When we travel, we buy a 30 day block of data and tethering (hotspot) for iPad http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/dataplans.html - iPad Data Plan w/tethering (hotspot) $50.00 for 5GB 30 days That total of 10GB of data per month is really not very much if you are not careful and must be managed. We have, rarely, gone over the data limit on one of the devices and had to pay another $10.00 for an additional gig. Biggest data hogs for us are picture/movie uploading, NPR Radio (almost always on), evening news video podcasts and FaceTime (Apples's version of Skype). I do like the 30 day deal for the iPad data/hotspot. Just got to remember to turn it off or they will automatically bill you for another 30 days. At least around where we have traveled (mostly locally - mid atlantic/northeast) ATT coverage has been fine. In fact, woke up @ home the other day to discover we went from 3G/4G to LTE overnight. LTE is fast. Although we do have remote desktop capability, I rarely if ever find it necessary with so many cloud service options - Google Docs, iCloud iWork apps, Office 365, etc. fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 9:50am
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Until this month we have had a similar plan with AT&T including the grandfathered 550 family talk plan with 2 iPhones. We also temporarily upgraded to the 5GB plan with tethering for trips. However this month I am switching to their new Mobile Share Value plan. We use very little data when at home (home WiFi in use) so we can cut back to 300MB combined shared data, then temporarily upgrade to anything we want for trips. Additional GBs are cheaper, the $10 second line charge disappears, and there is a $15/iPhone discount if your contract is completed or you own your phones. And you can tether with any data plan, even 300 MB. Of course, figuring it out from their web site is a challenge (like IBM documentation: clear if previously understood), but it might be worth it. The results for us will be a lower annual cost and greater flexibility on the road. And no, I don't work for AT&T. I'm just cheap. Charlie ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 10:33am
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Thanks Charlie. I'll have to look at it again. I might have to find a 12 year old or Phd w/spreadsheet to help me figure it out! Almost as bad as the Comcast bill - so glad I cut that cord! fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 11:27am
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Fwunder sent me a terrific link to a book on Wifi and cellular for RV'ers. Cleared up some questions, and help steer me to the answers. There was a section that covered "boosters" or more correctly called repeaters. Your cell phone and your tablet typically have a transmitter that puts out about .6 watts. That's pretty small, however with good coverage it is not a problem. When you hit the boondocks, then it becomes a bit problematical. Need mo' power. A repeater will rebroadcast your cellular signal with a full 3 watts. That should get the attention of the far off cellular tower your trying to contact. Not sure how much it improves the "receive" portion of your signal but will surely help. The units also have a cradle that supports your cellphone and recharges the battery simultaneously while in use. Being a hotspot pulls a lot from your cellular battery. Additionally, a remote short whip antenna is included to put on your Pods roof. In those spots where you absolutely, positively have to have cellular, this should cover most situations. But, it cannot provide service where non is available. Of course, you also have to purchase a plan from your cellular provider to support your wifi thru your cellular. Hope that helps. Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 2:41pm
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Bob and Fred, I use a Wilson repeater with my AT&T connected iPhone. It usually adds 1-2 bars to the signal strength on receive. However, as Bob says, if there's no signal there it won't invent it. In the plastic RPOD I had good luck with the external antenna stuck on a window, but I had to find the right window. With the Camplite, which is aluminum, I mounted the antenna on the roof. Charlie ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 6:20pm
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I use my cell phone when I am on the road I can tether my laptop and tablet and my wifes laptop and tablet to it as well. The only issue I have is I travel in the US ( I am Canadian) and roaming charges will kill you. I unlocked my cell phone and tried a prepad sim card last year but the coverage was very disapointing. The SIM I got was T-Mobile and I could not get a signal in a lot of places in the north east. I always had a signal when I roamed before on the AT&T network so I am going to get an AT&T pre paid SIM next time I travel in the states.
------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 8:23pm
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Yup, T-Mobile's coverage is awful from what I've seen on their own coverage maps.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2014 at 9:15pm
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Speaking of cell network coverage, there's an interesting App for iPhone called: Coverage?. Available from the Apple store. Don't know if there's a version for Android. It overlays the individual carriers' published maps so it might be subject to some marketing claims, but it's not biased toward any particular carrier. You can choose the type of service such as 2G, 3G, 4G or LTE. It does cost a few bucks, but it's informative. The Verizon advantage over AT&T is dramatic outside of the East. And I'm with AT&T! Hmmmmmm Charlie ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2014 at 12:26am
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The book that Fwunder mentioned also described that program. In fact the authors created that program, but alas, I am an Android fan. So, no program for me, so far. I have ordered a Wilson cradle and signal booster from Amazon, after hearing from a few others how well it works. Looking forward to visiting some out of the way scenic campgrounds. With the booster, I should be able to get data almost anywhere. This is the address for the book that was extremely informative. http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/mobile-internet. Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Posted By: Hawkeyes
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2014 at 4:41am
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I am an addict to the internet. As first time campers when we could not figure something out (water heater etc) and I could not get connected to this website, I was crazed. So my husband went the next week and bought a mifi. It was wonderful, but when it quit working a couple of years later, Verizon told us to just use our cellphone as a hotspot and we never noticed a difference. Surprisingly we don't use as much data as I thought we would. Wifi is always disappointing in the campgrounds and we use our phones as hotspots. We even watched a tv show on the iPad while we were Walmart camping before entering Yellowstone last summer. Being in Yellowstone was wonderful, but a forewarning, there is practically no cell phone service and definitely cannot pull in any data on your phone. Even our satellite phone through OnStar would not work. So if you go there plan on being off the grid. ------------- Hawkpod 2013 Surveyor Sport 189 2017 Chevy Silverado |