How To Have Wifi While Camping

How To Improve An Existing Campground Wifi Signal

The best and most efficient way to improve your signal is to use either a WiFi reception booster or antenna. There really isnt much of a difference between these two types of devices other than where you install them both basically provide the same function to improve your RV WiFi coverage.

Through using multiple antennas along with an amplifier, these instruments receive and improve internet signals for your electronic devices.

A secondary plus is that they are incredibly easy to install and use. All you need to do is plug the booster into the USB port of your computer and digitally install it onto your device. Then place the booster to face the direction of where the transmitter is. The closer you can get it, the better feel free to get creative with extension cords. This will ensure the best signal.

Staying Connected On The Road: A Guide To Rv Wifi

For many RVers, having a reliable internet connection while camping is crucial. Here’s what you need to know to find the best RV WiFi solution for you.

With the right setup and gear, you can have internet access almost anywhere, whether boondocking or relaxing poolside at an RV resort. If youre working remotely or roadschooling the kids, you can power through Zoom calls or stream videos while camping just about anywhere.

How Cell Phone Antennas Work

Antennas work by capturing as much cell signal as possible and funneling into a router. Most boondockers use hotspot devices as their routers. These antennas typically require two wires, one for outgoing signals and the other for incoming signals. This is often referred to as MIMO antennas . Hence, to make this work effectively, you need a router with dual antenna ports, one for, in and one for out. Routers or hotspot devices without antenna ports will not work with antennas.

Once you have the antenna connected to your router or hotspot, your devices can connect via Wi-Fi. Your phone can also connect via Wi-Fi, and you can place phone calls through the router or hotspot.

The best antennas are directional antennas. These are intended to be turned towards the nearest cell tower. Because of this, these antennas can only be erected while parked or camping. If you need an antenna while driving down the road, you will need an omni-directional antenna. These are intended to be mounted securely to a vehicle, and will capture cell signal from any direction. Directional antennas, however, do a much better job at capturing signal.

Most antennas offers anywhere from a 5 decibel gain to 15 decibel gain.

The higher you raise an antenna into the air, the more signal you can capture. Hence, its best to mount the antenna units on a long, metal pole.

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Mobile Tethering On A Campsite

Having lots of data allowance on your mobile means that hotspots are the easiest solution to get wifi while camping.

You can connect up to 10 devices to one hotspot and your internet-addicted friends will love you for sharing the password.

You need to check first if your mobile carrier will charge you extra for using hotspots. Some may have these hidden fees that you may not be aware of.

Another thing to keep in mind whilst doing this is that hotspots will very quickly drain your phones battery. It does it so fast that youll only get 6-8 hours from a full charge.

Therefore make sure you switch it off when not using it and perhaps carry with you a power bank.

Although it works great, you are still relying that your carrier will have great coverage where youre going to camp.

You should be able to go to their website and check their coverage map before leaving.

Recomended for:

• Streaming movies
• Watching Youtube on high resolution
• Uploading/Downloading large documents/videos

What Is The Difference Between A Cell Booster And A Wifi Booster & Which Is Better

This is a GREAT questionand a really important one too! People also hear about these or see them on Amazon and get a bit confused. A cell booster is similar to a wifi booster in concept, but instead of boosting wifi it boosts a cellular signal!

Think of it like this, you are in the mountains and only get 1 bar of service on your Verizon cell phone. However, if you installed a cell booster then the system will amplify that signal and maybe you could boost it to two or even three bars which could greatly improve your service.

However, just as your wifi booster needs to have a wifi signal to boostyour cell booster will need an existing cellular signal. If you are in a complete dead zone with absolutely no cell service, then theres nothing to boost!

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How To Get Wifi While Your Camping

Finally the tide is turning and we can prepare ourselves for holiday mode with our loved ones! The sun is out, lets get the RV ready and hit the road like we never did before. Serene nature and camping spots here we come! Everything is packed, only one problem still needs a solution You don’t want to spend all your holiday budget on roaming fees so, how to get wifi while camping or road trip and stay connected?

How Much Does It Cost To Get Internet In An Rv

Getting internet in an RV costs about $200 for a mobile hotspot device plus youll also pay for the data servicewhich usually costs about $10 per gigabyte of data. If you opt to use a hotspot on your cell phone plan, check with your provider for specific data rates and plan costs. 4G LTE Home Internet plans offer much cheaper data with monthly servicegenerally 250 GB or more for about $99 per month. But, 4G LTE equipment can be a little more expensive than a mobile hotspot, which does add to the cost.

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Types Of Internet Access Available While Camping

You can access the internet while camping using the same methods for accessing the internet from home. The key difference will be the quality though. Youll have to deal with slower and inconsistent connections due to your location, the weather and distance from you and the campgrounds equipment. So youll want to brace yourself for that.

With that in mind, here are some of the better options for accessing the internet while in the great outdoors.

How To Work Without Wifi

If youre writing, you are probably using Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Microsoft Word has an offline version and an online version. You can write to your hearts content without seeing the internet for weeks if you have the offline version.

Google Docs/Sheets actually has a feature that is not commonly known about called Available Offline. This feature is only available if you use Google Chrome.

To enable the feature, Go to , and click the settings button.

Then make sure the Global offline file setting is enabled:

After that, you can enable or disable this feature per file by right-clicking on a document in your Google Drive, and click available offline

You will then be able to edit your document even if youre camping miles from WiFi.

To navigate to your documents without using the internet, go to .

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Simple Ways To Get Internet Access While Camping

The idea of camping was to leave the modern and busy world behind and enjoy a couple of days of total disconnection from work and technology.

But since nowadays work follows most of us everywhere we go, I understand why camping without an internet connection would be anything but relaxing.

Therefore, if nobody can convince you not to bring your laptop on the camping trip, its worth going through the options you have to get wifi.

Heres how you can easily get internet access while camping:

Now lets explore all the options in detail and see which one suits your needs.

Benefits Of Wireless Video Hdmi While Camping

• With a 150-foot radius , wireless video HDMI allows you to watch TV anywhere in your RV or even outside on the campsite. Youre free to set up your own portable camping theater!
• Easy set up makes wireless video HDMI a true plug-and-play technology.
• Wireless Video HDMI eliminates the need for extra wires and cables.
• Wireless Video HDMI offers the same quality connection as an HDMI cable.

You can find wireless video HDMI kits like MyWirelessTV2 at a number of online stores, including Best Buy and Amazon.

* Assumes you have a cable connection at the campsite.

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Pair With A Wifi Extender

If you have a modem with an internet connection, you can amplify it with a WiFi extender. The extender will increase the coverage area and improve the connection overall.

While many people use them in their homes, you can use one with your RV WiFi. Then, you can have a better signal when in and around your RV. And you may even be able to maintain the connection a little ways away from your vehicle.

Now, you may not be able to take the connection that far, such as on a trail. However, it can be a good option if you want a stable connection. It can also help if youre camping with other people that need to use the internet at the same time.

How To Watch Netflix Offline

Since Netflix is the most popular of the streaming services, well start here. It also happens to be the one of the easiest to download and watch offline while camping. Before we get into the How lets look at what devices support offline Netflix viewing:

• iPhones
• Kindle Devices
• Not Supported: Mac laptops

It seems basically every device EXCEPT Mac laptops are compatible with offline Netflix viewing . So, if you have a Macbook, it looks like you are SOL. For everyone else,

HERES HOW TO DOWNLOAD NETFLIX SHOWS + MOVIES:

1. Open the Netflix App and Find the Available for Download Tab or click the Downloads icon and then select See What You Can Download

2. This will give you a full list of everything that is download-able. Super handy as not absolutely everything on the app is approved for online viewing.

3. Select the show or movie you want, Select Download

4. You can check on the progress of your download by returning to the My Downloads tab

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR OFFLINE NETFLIX VIEWING:

1. Some TV shows have download caps this means you may only be allowed to download a certain number of episodes or seasons at a time. If you want to add more episodes, youll have to go in and delete the ones youve watched before adding more.

3. If your device is in the list above and for some reason is not allowing Netflix downloads, it could be that a device update is needed

4. You may have up to 100 Downloads at a time Expiration of downloads vary by licensing

Cantenna To The Rescue

You’re in the middle of a six-mile trek up the side of a mountain when your cell phone signal vanishes, taking your mobile hotspot or your WiMAX connection with it. If you’ve packed some Pringles, a few bits of hardware and some tools, you may still be able to save the situation.

Do a Web search for “Pringles can antenna,” and you’ll find multiple home-brewed solutions for creating a device to boost your WiFi signal. These Pringles “cantennas” are endlessly helpful, whether you’re trying to access a neighbor’s wireless network or boost your own while you’re out in the wild. Keep in mind that FCC guidelines do apply, even to these homemade devices. Authors of these hacks are also careful to point out that you use these devices at your own risk.

If building electronics isn’t your forte, you can also purchase a WiFi antenna booster. RadioLabs has written a great overview of the different types of WiFi antennae available today. Wireless Garden Inc. makes a WiFi antenna, the “Super Cantenna,” small enough to be chucked into a backpack.

For an even more powerful WiFi boost, however, satellite is the only way to go. Read on for details!

How To Work Offline Without Wifi

In our connected world, it may seem completely impossible to survive without the internet. Many desktops and laptops, however, are still designed with the ability to work without the internet. Smartphones have a harder time without an internet connection, but if youre trying to get some work done, you probably are using your laptop anyway.

Can I Just Use The Internet At An Rv Park

Oh, dont we all wish! Many RV parks today advertise high-speed internet to attract guests. Its a good idea however, in reality, it just isnt something you can depend on. Most of the time this high speed internet isnt much to get excited about. Plus, if there are a lot of people staying at the park and people are trying to stream, then the bandwidth will get sucked up and you wont be able to use it.

This is super important to know, especially if you work from your RV! I cant tell you how many times we have heard other campers vent to us at how they get kicked off of Zoom calls and cant even download a file from their email on the RV parks WiFi.

Im telling you now, never depend on it. Great RV park WiFi is awesome if you have it, but its a nightmare when it doesnt work and you dont have an alternative!

Speedify Is Your Best Rv Internet Option For Speed Stability And Security

Speedify is a unique software app available for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux. It was built specifically to harness and optimize all the Internet connections you have available. This results in faster, more stable, and secure RV Internet.

Speedify is a fast bonding VPN that allows you to use multiple Internet connections at once. If youre using two or more connections with Speedify, youll always be online. Speedify intelligently monitors the quality of your connections. It will know before your Internet drops and will shift the traffic to the other working connection. Once the troublesome connection gets back in parameters, data is going to be sent through it. This way, you will be able to avoid low-quality video streaming, buffering or even disconnects.

If you dont have multiple connections available in your RV or while camping, Speedify can still help. It detects transmission delays and fixes packet loss before it occurs see more details in this article.

Which Is Better Antennas Or Signal Boosters

• Signal boosters work better in places with weak signal. Antennas can also work in areas with weak cell signal, but work even better in areas with moderate to excellent signal.
• Signal boosters should be turned off when camped in places with good to excellent signal to avoid boosting noise. Antennas, however, can be utilized anywhere.
• Antennas do not require any power to function. Signal boosters, however, have to be connected to a power source.
• Antennas can cost between $100 to $200 when you include the cost of the pole, mounting hardware, coaxial cable, and connectors. Signal boosters can cost between $500 to $750, but usually come with everything you need to mount and install.
• Signal boosters can be left mounted to the RV or vehicle while driving. Antennas can also be left mounted while driving, depending on how tall the pole is. Generally you want a taller pole for antennas, but must take it down while driving.

If you want to get geeky with improving your cellphone signal, go with an antenna. There are far more choices in antennas, poles, low-loss coaxial cable, and grounding solutions. Signal boosters generally are limited to self-contained units that dont offer much flexibility in customization.

If you want something already configured and designed, get a signal booster. You get everything you need in one box, and generally works for most camping situations.

The Key To Boosting Camping Wifi Signal

Under certain conditions, boosters do help. But its important to remember that they dont create an internet signal they strengthen existing ones. So a booster wont help if youre somewhere with no signal at all. Unfortunately, they dont create additional bandwidth either, which means theyre not a remedy for a campgrounds WiFi being overloaded.

Gear Required To Watch Netflix Prime Hulu And Disney+ Offline While Camping

1. A device for watching I recommend the Kindle Fire for the following reasons:

• Its multi-purpose
• Charges via USB
• The screen is big enough and bright enough for enjoyable viewing
• Compact and portable
• More durable than a laptop
• It can lay completely flat so you can just pop it up in your gear loft, lay back, and enjoy your favorite movies or shows

2. A solar charger I recommend the MPowerd Luci Solar String lights for the following reasons:

• Its a compact solar base Its dimensions are 5 inches x 2 inches when the lights are packed away inside the base AND it has a cord that you can hang from your pack if youre backpacking in to a site.
• Theyve proven much more reliable than other solar chargers Ive tried many solar chargers that were made solely for the purpose of charging USB devices . From the beginning, the charging speed was always very slow and after some time they refused to even connect to my device.

3. A power bank We like

I like to have a power bank as a back-up charger. Ours is RavPower but this one is well rated on Amazon and looks very similar to the one we own. Weve never fully drained the battery with our RavPower, even when we solely use it as our phone and Kindle charger for camping trips.