Working remotely

[2nOZ]

Happy New Year! We upgraded from our pop-up to our new TT a few months ago. We plan on doing a fair amount of traveling this coming year. There are times when the DW will need to work remotely. Is there anyone that does this occasionally, and if so, how do you go about doing it? We need a reliable internet hook-up. Campground WiFi may not be sufficient. Thanks in advance.

[mitechie]

Yes, I work from home and I often setup and get to our spot during the week and then my wife and son meet me after school on Friday. I use a Verizon mifi device because it has the best coverage (though I live my google Fi phone setup) and I do have the portable Wilson cell booster just in case.

Other than that, a nice tablecloth for the picnic table goes a long way and working from the campground is great on a nice day.

Good luck!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by mitechie

... and I do have the portable Wilson cell booster just in case.

Mitchie,
Can you do us a big favor? If you have time would you add a post about how you like the Wilson cell booster to the Product Reviews and Evaluations? Let us know what you like about it, dislike, how many bars it improves you cell phone signal, does it meet your requirements, would you buy it again, needs to have a stronger signal.....

This is next on my list of toys

Thanks
Don

[jgerhard]

The option I chose when I used to work remotely was satellite internet.

I often camp where there is no cell service, so the dish was a great option.

HughesNet® Internet |1-800-794-1830 | Satellite Internet

[mitechie]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

Mitchie,
Can you do us a big favor? If you have time would you add a post about how you like the Wilson cell booster to the Product Reviews and Evaluations?

Sure, that sounds like fun. I only wish I had it here to take some photos to add to the notes. I leave it in the camper and it's in indoor storage until spring. I'll see what I can write up.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by jgerhard

The option I chose when I used to work remotely was satellite internet.

I often camp where there is no cell service, so the dish was a great option.

HughesNet® Internet |1-800-794-1830 | Satellite Internet

How hard was aligning the antenna?

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by jgerhard

The option I chose when I used to work remotely was satellite internet.

I often camp where there is no cell service, so the dish was a great option.

HughesNet® Internet |1-800-794-1830 | Satellite Internet

I was thinking about this a few years ago, but I can't see signing the contract.. otherwise it sounds like the perfect solution to my data issues.

Don

[wanderlust]

My wife and I both work remotely and we could not do it without the weBoost Drive 4G-X Cell Phone Signal Booster. I added the exterior truckers antenna to enhance the booster.
Below is my install video to include the good results we've had with the weBoost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKY_aE8Vdg

[Mustang65]

If your phone of choice is the iPhone (mine was forced upon me as I prefer Android over IOS), then you have an option to test your signal strength in real #'s. It is called the "Field Test Mode" From your keypad (will not work if you try to call it from your contact list) enter

*3001#12345#*

The results for dBm are realtime as are most of the other readings. Always fun to see how the phone signal is doing.

Wanderlust... take the readings outside and then inside near the inside antenna.. will be interesting to see the actual signal strength of the 4G signal.. You could use it to try your outside antenna in different locations.. on a PVC pole extended 10' over the TT or connected to your Tv antenna mast on the roof...
Don

[wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

Wanderlust... take the readings outside and then inside near the inside antenna.. will be interesting to see the actual signal strength of the 4G signal.. You could use it to try your outside antenna in different locations.. on a PVC pole extended 10' over the TT or connected to your Tv antenna mast on the roof...
Don

Thanks, I'll try that the next time we head out and report back.
(Android?... I've been a MacHead for 25 years)

[Hohenwald48]

I guess the hardware needed will vary depending on how "remote" you intend to be. If you are in an area with good cell service it's a simple matter to get a wifi hot spot similar the Verizon Jet Packs. If you're going to be in an area with sketchy cell service a repeater in conjunction with a hot spot might work. If your really going out in the boonies then you'll need a satellite system or something from Iridium Communications (if money is no object).

I have found that CG internet is getting better and better and is usually related to the cost of the site (but not always).

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by Hohenwald48

I guess the hardware needed will vary depending on how "remote" you intend to be. If you are in an area with good cell service it's a simple matter to get a wifi hot spot similar the Verizon Jet Packs. If you're going to be in an area with sketchy cell service a repeater in conjunction with a hot spot might work. If your really going out in the boonies then you'll need a satellite system or something from Iridium Communications (if money is no object).

I have found that CG internet is getting better and better and is usually related to the cost of the site (but not always).

We are now seasonal (4 - 6 months) and lucky as our CG has 7 AP's and each has 25Mb provided to each (there are only 3 other seasonal's on AP by us). Sounds like a lot until you get the weekends and everyone is streaming movies, music, 3 kids online gaming and each RV has at least 5 electronic items that have apps that are constantly running. I do not even try to get on the internet for some weekends and never on holiday weekends. The speed is less then a 120Kb modem. More and more CG are limiting data usage by assigning 1 ID/PW to a RV, some are putting data caps on individual usage (mac addresses), blocking video/audio file formats.... On a rainy holiday weekend it is amazing how many complain that they do not have service.

Come Monday-Friday, I have my uninterrupted internet at blazing speed back. With the RV industry having record sales each year, it is only going to get worse. Especially at those CG's that are still using Wi-Fi equipment from 5+ years ago, with a total of 10-20Mb service for the entire CG. And yes, some CG's still promote FREE INTERNET ACCESS as a perk, and do not complain! But when I confronted the owner about it, I asked does he pay the ISP out of his personal paycheck (no he said) then it is really not a FREE perk, is it? Since in my daily fee, I am paying for it.. he was rather unhappy with me... luckily, it was a one night stay.

As for the lack of cell phone service in the valley surrounded by mountains, and 99% of the time we have good CG Wi-Fi we use Magic-Jack VOIP, and CFD the cell phones to the Magic-Jack number... crystal clear phone service. I am looking at the Cell Signal Enhancer as a future addition to my toys.

Life is GREAT!!

Don

[2nOZ]

Thanks everyone for your great input. The forum is awesome and full of knowledgeable people. We will be pursuing each of the suggestions to see which one works for the DW so we can travel more often. Thanks again.

[bansai]

Originally Posted by 2nOZ

Happy New Year! We upgraded from our pop-up to our new TT a few months ago. We plan on doing a fair amount of traveling this coming year. There are times when the DW will need to work remotely. Is there anyone that does this occasionally, and if so, how do you go about doing it? We need a reliable internet hook-up. Campground WiFi may not be sufficient. Thanks in advance.

I work remotely with my TT pretty frequently. As long as the site has hookups for power and I can get a decent cell signal I can work. I use my Galaxy S7 phone and its 'hot spot' feature to turn my camper into a WiFi zone. Granted the connection isn't as good as what I have here at my home office, but it's good enough to do online meetings, email and allows me to remote into other computers without a problem. If I'm camping at a location I haven't been before, I call and ask the rangers or staff how the cell service is.

I don't use camp ground wi-fi connections for security reasons. using my cell phone and my own private VPN, my connection is very secure.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by bansai

....I don't use camp ground wi-fi connections for security reasons. using my cell phone and my own private VPN, my connection is very secure.

VPN with the CG service is about as secure as you can get it away from home. I have a NetScreen 5GT in the TT and at home. Love it!!!

Also, have a SlingBox at home so that we (actually DW) can watch her recorded shows and I can watch the Tampa Bay Rays live.

It really is not camping for us any more, it is our summer home for 4 to 6 months. Us, happens to be DW, me, a King Charles Cavalier and a Blue Fronted Amazon parrot. What a combination.

Don

[jgerhard]

Grumpy,

It took some practice aligning the Hughes Net Internet Dish. The first time I did it, it took me almost an hour! I eventually got good at it and could do it in less than 10 minutes. Since the dish also transmits (1W), the dish had to be pointed very precisely.

[3'senough]

I have never been able to rely on CG wi fi and always use either a cellular hot spot or now just my phones hot spot. I am currently looking into the cell boosters for various reasons, but have yet to invest in one.

Depending on your needs for data a plan with flexibility might suit you best. My Verizon plan allows for that extra need when I used it traveling with the family.

[Camper_bob]

I worked from the TT remotely for the first time a couple months ago. I hotspotted my Verizon cell phone to my laptop using bluetooth and was good to go. I had pretty good signal where I was, so that was all that was needed at the time. But there are some areas where Verizon coverage is not so great. I also carry an AT&T tablet with a small data plan that I can use (again, using bluetooth hotspot) if I don't have Verizon coverage. In fact, I don't get Verizon at all out at the deer lease, so I actually hotspot my phone to my tablet! It's kind of hokey, but it works okay for what I need out there.

I agree that it depends on how far "out in the boonies" you want to get, but for us, we usually have enough cell signal to do the little bit of work we have to do when we're out. If I were relying on it for a long-term solution, or as my only source of income, I would have a much more robust system.

And I would try my hardest to stay off the wifi that is available at the CG. Most of the places we stay that offer "free wifi", it's not very good, and we're better off using our cellular data anyway, and it's more secure that way too.

ETA: You have to remember that most CGs are back-ending a CG-wide wifi system on consumer-grade connections. They're not running fat pipes into these places. So when you get even a few users using that data connection, it can get troublesome at best. Let alone 50 or 60 heavy users all trying at the same time. It's like getting the population of Houston out through a narrow 2-lane tunnel; it just ain't gonna work.

[edandkarla]

Originally Posted by wanderlust

My wife and I both work remotely and we could not do it without the weBoost Drive 4G-X Cell Phone Signal Booster. I added the exterior truckers antenna to enhance the booster.
Below is my install video to include the good results we've had with the weBoost.

Hey Wanderlust, thanks for the info. The link below is the WeBoost I have saved as a favorite on my Amazon Prime account. The price is a tiny bit more than the one you have, do you know what if any differences there are between the two?

https://www.amazon.com/weBoost-Drive...cm_wl_huc_item

Thanks for your time!

[Kidd280]

Originally Posted by jgerhard

Grumpy,

It took some practice aligning the Hughes Net Internet Dish. The first time I did it, it took me almost an hour! I eventually got good at it and could do it in less than 10 minutes. Since the dish also transmits (1W), the dish had to be pointed very precisely.

Jgerhard if you kindly would please explain how you started your hughes service. I have tried a couple times to get satellite internet but always get told no its not for RV users and cannot be aimed without high cost devices.

Thanks!