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01-20-2017, 06:55 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Auburn, California
Trailer: 2017 5.0TA - 2016 Toyota Tundra '1794'
Posts: 29
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WiFi Booster
We find that the WiFi signal in many parks is weak. We will be picking up our TA in a few months and figured we get a booster installed.
Any model/brand suggestions?
sally and Dan
__________________
Sally & Dan
Mon Petit Chateau
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01-20-2017, 07:07 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SterJen
We find that the WiFi signal in many parks is weak. We will be picking up our TA in a few months and figured we get a booster installed.
Any model/brand suggestions?
sally and Dan
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This is one I am strongly considering. Lots of others out there I am sure others will chime in about.
JEFA Tech: Long Range WiFi Repeater Kit for RVs
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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01-20-2017, 07:29 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,232
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
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I think Leon has one of those.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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01-20-2017, 07:59 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
I think Leon has one of those.
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Right, that was who turned me on to them. My recollector was not functioning fully.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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01-20-2017, 08:06 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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I travel quite a bit, mostly for business. One problem I find almost everywhere is ridiculously slow WiFi, even when you're close to the antenna. The Internet speed at many campgrounds and RV parks that offer 'free WiFi' is quite slow. A WiFi signal booster won't help with that - the speed is what it is. I have found consistently higher speeds and better results by either using a MiFi Hotspot or tethering WiFi off my phone - particularly if you boost the signal with an amplifying cradle and an external antenna.
Of course, my perspective might be a bit skewed since I'm used to very fast Internet at home/in my home office. At home I currently have Gigabit Internet, and it's ruined me for everything else. But, with even one or two bars of 4G at a campground, the Internet is usually fast enough for web surfing and even streaming a Netflix movie or Pandora Radio. With campground WiFi, I've never been able to do that.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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01-20-2017, 08:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,232
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My experience has been similar to Robert's. Campground WIFI systems seem to seldom have enough capacity for the number of people using them. Even when I have had a strong signal, they seem like I'm back on a dial up modem.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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01-20-2017, 08:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
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Agree with Robert that campground Wifi is not always speedy, but some are decent. Generally the packages the campgrounds have are OK, but when you slice up the bandwidth by 20 to 50 plus trailers all hitting it there's not much bandwidth for everyone that's sharing.
I've found the campground trick is to stay up past 10pm and the speeds start increasing exponentially. If you are in a park that is predominantly Class A's sometimes the speeds start rocking after 7pm.
Mifi's are probably the way to go if you need more consistent Wifi solution, but they do come with a cost.
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01-20-2017, 08:30 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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My biggest problem in campgrounds seems to be signals that fade in and out. I imagine if I could get a good signal, then my worry would be the speed of it, and that could be slow. I do like speed, but hate just stalling out for a minute or two or more.
I can often do good with my phone tethered, but that gets very costly for me, especially if I travel into the US, where data is expensive for Canadians. I guess with the right data plan it would be better. In the same vein, I much prefer Google Maps to any of the vehicle GPS systems I have, but it does draw on data a lot too.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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01-20-2017, 09:57 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 -- The Skylark. Towed by a 2014 Highlander
Posts: 1,159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
I think Leon has one of those.
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Yup. I have one and like it.
__________________
Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.
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01-20-2017, 10:02 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 -- The Skylark. Towed by a 2014 Highlander
Posts: 1,159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
I travel quite a bit, mostly for business. One problem I find almost everywhere is ridiculously slow WiFi, even when you're close to the antenna. The Internet speed at many campgrounds and RV parks that offer 'free WiFi' is quite slow. A WiFi signal booster won't help with that - the speed is what it is. I have found consistently higher speeds and better results by either using a MiFi Hotspot or tethering WiFi off my phone - particularly if you boost the signal with an amplifying cradle and an external antenna.
Of course, my perspective might be a bit skewed since I'm used to very fast Internet at home/in my home office. At home I currently have Gigabit Internet, and it's ruined me for everything else. But, with even one or two bars of 4G at a campground, the Internet is usually fast enough for web surfing and even streaming a Netflix movie or Pandora Radio. With campground WiFi, I've never been able to do that.
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True confessions. I have used my wifi booster to mooch wifi from Macdonalds and other places, especially while 'camping' in Walmarts, or even just stopping for lunch near a Starbucks. The speed is still unpredictable and certainly now where near gigabit, but often faster than a campground
__________________
Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.
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01-20-2017, 10:38 PM
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#11
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeonW
True confessions. I have used my wifi booster to mooch wifi from Macdonalds and other places, especially while 'camping' in Walmarts, or even just stopping for lunch near a Starbucks. The speed is still unpredictable and certainly now where near gigabit, but often faster than a campground
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That's a fair point. Many nearby commercial establishments, like a McDonald's or a Starbucks, would have faster WiFi than most campgrounds do.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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01-20-2017, 10:50 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
That's a fair point. Many nearby commercial establishments, like a McDonald's or a Starbucks, would have faster WiFi than most campgrounds do.
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Less likely to be streaming Netflix in a McDonald's, especially if they have a nut allergy.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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01-21-2017, 08:01 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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I've heard good things about the WiFi ranger but don't use a booster. I find WiFi sufficient in campgrounds that have it during the day, forget evening. For the most part I've been using a prepaid Verizon Hotspot, the cell booster is seldom needed. Utah is another story.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
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01-23-2017, 10:45 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Auburn, California
Trailer: 2017 5.0TA - 2016 Toyota Tundra '1794'
Posts: 29
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Looks like we should check our cell plan and see if tethering would be cost effective. We are part-timers (not retired) but often work from home/road, so maybe a MiFi is the way to go.
Thanks for all the information.
Sally
__________________
Sally & Dan
Mon Petit Chateau
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01-23-2017, 10:50 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,232
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Sally - the quandary seems to be that the provider that has best coverage in more remote areas of the country - Verizon, also offers no unlimited plans. But on plans 12GB and higher Verizon now lets you use your data in Mexico and Canada.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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01-23-2017, 10:53 AM
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#16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Auburn, California
Trailer: 2017 5.0TA - 2016 Toyota Tundra '1794'
Posts: 29
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Great! We do plan on traveling to Canada once or twice this year so the 12GB+ Verizon plan might work for us..
__________________
Sally & Dan
Mon Petit Chateau
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01-23-2017, 12:40 PM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Less likely to be streaming Netflix in a McDonald's, especially if they have a nut allergy.
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Or a junk food allergy!
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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01-23-2017, 01:36 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Janesville, WI, Wisconsin
Trailer: Escape 19 (sold) Escape 21 2014
Posts: 1,879
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AT&T now offers free data, voice and texting plans for Mexico and Canada. They are separate plans but can be added at once. The Canadian plan carries 1 GB of data each month. You have to call and ask for the plans to be added. When you call be sure to ask for retentions, regular customer assistance cannot do it.
__________________
Paul and Janet Braun
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 now 2012 Toyota Sequoia V8
Escape 19' 2010 now 2014 Escape 21'
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