Best WiFi booster set-up

SemperFi2017 · 09-05-2018, 06:12 PM

I've searched the forum for a solution to my specific WiFi situation but nothing addresses my need. Hoping someone hear can help.
I have a Jayco 29MV that I travel to Florida in the winter. The campground I stay at has a marginal/weak WiFi system I want to be able to capture that WiFi signal, amplify it and bring it into my RV. I don't want it to terminate in a USB connection as we don't use laptops. I simply want the WiFi signal in my vehicle strong enough so my wife and I can use our tablets and their WiFi connections. I just need to get a stronger signal inside.
What's the best way/system/components to accomplish this?
thanks

MontanaBBQ · 09-05-2018, 06:29 PM

The folks at this website test and post reviews for many different products, in a range of prices:

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com

Click on the "Gear" tab and look through the "Long Range Wi-Fi" reviews.

I've been a paid subscriber of theirs for several years and have come to trust their research.

We usually rely on a Verizon hotspot for internet needs, but I have purchased and installed the WiFiRanger SkyPro Pack to take advantage of free wifi when it's around. Honestly I haven't used it enough to form a personal opinion. In my experience most campground wifi is limited at best.

https://wifiranger.com/shop/product/60-skypro-pack

-Doug

Island Traveler · 09-05-2018, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SemperFi2017

I've searched the forum for a solution to my specific WiFi situation but nothing addresses my need. Hoping someone hear can help.
I have a Jayco 29MV that I travel to Florida in the winter. The campground I stay at has a marginal/weak WiFi system I want to be able to capture that WiFi signal, amplify it and bring it into my RV. I don't want it to terminate in a USB connection as we don't use laptops. I simply want the WiFi signal in my vehicle strong enough so my wife and I can use our tablets and their WiFi connections. I just need to get a stronger signal inside.
What's the best way/system/components to accomplish this?
thanks

I set up a version of this, except I used a router running dd-wrt for the local WiFi and as a file server. I can pull 90Meg plus from my neighbors house approximately 100 yards away

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i8SmOf5ZTw

bababooey · 09-05-2018, 08:56 PM

I built my own, high gain yagi, bridge mode into another router ect..

Probably have used it several dozen times, all with marginal results. The setup isn't the issue, the campground internet service, or hotel, restaurant, marina, etc.. that I'm leaching off of a mile away just sucks. It doesn't help that the WIFI physical layer isn't really designed for long distances.

Sure you can see an SSID 3 miles away, that doesn't mean you have any usable throughput.

I'm using a ZTE mobley now, USB into a wifi router. There is a debate if the plan is still available over on howardsforum, but I'm currently paying $20 for unlimited data. Camping with 2 kids in bad weather, I can do 40 to 80 GB a month without throttling.

I'd put the money into a 4g solution / plan then spend money on trying to get wifi from thousands of feet away to work in a campground that probably has DSL service to begin with (1.5 Mbps).

pconroy · 09-05-2018, 10:25 PM

I did this one Alfa WiFi Camp Pro.

Much less money than the others.

Bear in mind, no repeater is Pure Magic.
There are always some tradeoffs.

But mine works.

Magnolia Tom · 09-06-2018, 05:40 AM

I have the same as above. Works good for us.

PlayersZ28 · 09-06-2018, 06:13 AM

I've found very few park WiFi's that were fully usable (slow as molasses in the evening when everyone tries to stream).

I'm currently looking into a better cell solution. For the past 3 winters I've roamed my Rogers (Canada) phone in the SW but they keep bumping the cost of doing so to where it might be worth getting a US phone/data plan. In some locations I could benefit from a cell boost so that's on the table too.

**Mustang65** · 09-06-2018, 06:32 AM

You can get some member information here:
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/g...extenders.html
The EnGenius model (commercial grade) I use (ENS202EXT - about $75 on Amazon) connects into an off the shelf Wi-Fi router ($5-$20 in resale stores) inside the RV and can be accessed by ALL your wireless toys.

Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

GeorgiaRV · 09-06-2018, 07:02 AM

I use the Wifi Ranger it has really worked well when ever I need to boost Wifi signal. I also use a WeBoost (which has work really really well) when I need to get better cell signal for my hotspot.

Crossingover · 09-07-2018, 07:28 AM

We hotspot our cell phones with an external capture/internal broadcast 4G boosted antennas arrangement and have not had many issues streaming content with our Amazon Fire TV. This also gives us the freedom to boost 4G signals while traveling. Give that a try. Of course, if you have zero bars of 4G, this will not help you.

PlayersZ28 · 09-07-2018, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crossingover

We hotspot our cell phones with an external capture/internal broadcast 4G boosted antennas arrangement and have not had many issues streaming content with our Amazon Fire TV. This also gives us the freedom to boost 4G signals while traveling. Give that a try. Of course, if you have zero bars of 4G, this will not help you.

What are you using for the 4G boost?

Crossingover · 09-07-2018, 10:59 AM

SolidRF MobileForce 4G with a Wilson mirror mount antenna instead of the MobileForce antenna. Both on Amazon.

memphis02 · 09-07-2018, 07:11 PM

I would recommend the Wi-Fi ranger. I would also recommend using a reputable VPN service.

GeorgiaRV · 09-07-2018, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlayersZ28

What are you using for the 4G boost?

I use a WeBoost. It really works well and is worth its weight in gold when it comes to boondocking out on BLM land

michael.g · 09-08-2018, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Traveler

I set up a version of this, except I used a router running dd-wrt for the local WiFi and as a file server. I can pull 90Meg plus from my neighbors house approximately 100 yards away

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i8SmOf5ZTw

This is what I did as well. When I first purchased this, we were at our seasonal site and did not have a router with us. I bought the Ubiquiti router mentioned in the video. The following year, I brought a router. The Ubiquiti is simple to setup. It can be mounted inside as well, so no need to drill a hole in the camper if you have a window in the general direction of the park's access point(s).

I have clear line of site to an access point that's about 1,000 feet away. There are closer access points, but there are lots of trees between our site and the access point. Speed is about the same whether we use our wifi or the parks. Since there are closer access points, speed isn't the issue. For us, the issue is latency (aka lag). The park's wifi, because of the trees, has lots of lag. Using the Ubiquiti, we have very little lag.

As reported by the dd-wrt firmware on the router, we use anywhere from 50 to 75 GB of data a month. The only time we have internet issues is when the parks internet goes down. Since we have our own network, we can still print if need be and we have access to our Network Attached Storage (NAS), so I can continue to work if the internet is down.

With the Ubiquiti, it is easy to change from the park's wifi access point to using my smartphone as a hot spot. So if the park's internet is down for an extended period, I can supply everyone in the family with Wifi and still have use of the printer and NAS (which is wired only).

Edited to add: We used the same setup in our Greyhawk with the antenna connected to one of the grab handles in the cab, so again, I didn't have to mount it outside and drill holes in the RV.

-Michael

andruscp · 09-15-2018, 12:15 PM

Are you sure the campground has enough bandwidth? You can have the strongest signal in the world between your RV and the router and if they don't have big enough pipes from the router to the internet, you are wasting your money. I have NEVER seen a campground that has enough bandwidth - as soon as the guy down the road starts streaming COPS your internet is toast. While in FL I send $50 a month and have ATT or Comcast install my own dedicated internet connection in the RV. I have also upgraded my plan on my phone to tether my phone to my PC for internet. I guess this really depends on your bandwith demands but if you want more then so send the occasional email, I suspect you will be unhappy.

SloPoke · 09-15-2018, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andruscp

Are you sure the campground has enough bandwidth? You can have the strongest signal in the world between your RV and the router and if they don't have big enough pipes from the router to the internet, you are wasting your money. I have NEVER seen a campground that has enough bandwidth - as soon as the guy down the road starts streaming COPS your internet is toast. While in FL I send $50 a month and have ATT or Comcast install my own dedicated internet connection in the RV. I have also upgraded my plan on my phone to tether my phone to my PC for internet. I guess this really depends on your bandwith demands but if you want more then so send the occasional email, I suspect you will be unhappy.

We spent most of last Winter in Florida, in a number of different RV parks while we worked every day we were there. DW and I both have jobs that we depend on the internet to connect to our work. That said - we have to have a good stable connection and it has to have decent bandwidth up/down.

As others on this thread have accurately stated, RV Parks do not invest in their free WiFi. I use a network analyzer to test/evaluate each RV Parks Wifi when we arrive to determine if it was even worth the effort to try and work from the Park WiFi. In 90% of those tests, the typical thru-put was 1.5mbs down and 0.35mbs up. That won't work for us. We took our LTE approach instead.

We have both T-Mobile and Verizon accounts with unlimited data (no it is really not unlimited, it is throttled at a certain point of data useage/month). We are not tethering or hot-spotting our phones, but instead using a Mikrotik wAP-LTE appliance where we just insert the SIM card of the carrier into it and we bring wired Ethernet into our Motorhome. https://mikrotik.com/product/wap_lte_kit_us

We find that this appliance when placed on a mast above our Seneca will even provide us data coverage where our phones will not connect, primarily because it has the capability of a stronger outbound signal back to the provider tower.

SloPoke · 09-15-2018, 01:52 PM

Dont ask me why this is sideways... I uploaded it again in Portrait mode and JOF must be misunderstanding the format.

SkiSmuggs · 09-15-2018, 01:57 PM

The Winegard Connect 2.0 has received good reviews for amplifying LTE and WiFi.

Knightsfan · 09-15-2018, 02:11 PM

I was also having trouble with wifi strength and decided to stick with boosting 4g signal. Installed a weboost RV. So far in travels to rural areas it has assisted with constant streaming and strong signal. Keep in mind it only works if there is an existing signal, but it definitely boosts a very weak one. I have only been running it for a couple months but ok so far.

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