Of course they should provide free or a reasonably priced option for wifi. If a site has cable then providing wifi is really cheap for them to provide. All it takes is a couple of routers and a little bit of knowledge to keep them in working order. One of my pet peeves is RV Parks that advertise, and tell you that they have free TV and wifi only to find out that the wifi signal is worthless and the TV is just a few cable/dish channels that are so far out of the mainstream that they aren't viewed. I have a long memory and won't stay, assuming there are options, that don't provide good TV and wifi connections.
QUOTE(roygbell @ Jun 20 2013, 01:01 PM) [snapback]33827[/snapback] Of course they should provide free or a reasonably priced option for wifi. If a site has cable then providing wifi is really cheap for them to provide. All it takes is a couple of routers and a little bit of knowledge to keep them in working order. I'm guessing you've never priced out a high bandwidth commercial account with Comcast or Time Warner. "...really cheap..." doesn't even cover the taxes. I'm also guessing you've never priced or configured the routers and antennas needed to properly blanket a hundred or more campsites with a good quality WiFi signal. The cheap residential stuff we use at home won't begin hold up to the use and abuse RV'ers can and do heap on it. Think about 50-75 users all trying to stream video at the same time. I just left an RV park where the new owners have recently installed a pretty good system that was giving us speeds in the 8-10 meg down/2 meg up area, with good strength, but the park was only filled to about 25% of its capacity. I don't know how well the speeds will hold up when the place fills up. And no, the WiFi was not free, although I did think the $5 daily/$15 per week charge was reasonable. The manager said the bill for the complete installation was just over $20K, but he didn't have a final total yet from Comcast, to know exactly what the ongoing monthly charges would be, as some of it includes leased equipment for the cable TV system as well.
QUOTE(Dutch_12078 @ Jun 20 2013, 03:24 PM) [snapback]33831[/snapback] I'm guessing you've never priced out a high bandwidth commercial account with Comcast or Time Warner. "...really cheap..." doesn't even cover the taxes. I'm also guessing you've never priced or configured the routers and antennas needed to properly blanket a hundred or more campsites with a good quality WiFi signal. The cheap residential stuff we use at home won't begin hold up to the use and abuse RV'ers can and do heap on it. Think about 50-75 users all trying to stream video at the same time. I just left an RV park where the new owners have recently installed a pretty good system that was giving us speeds in the 8-10 meg down/2 meg up area, with good strength, but the park was only filled to about 25% of its capacity. I don't know how well the speeds will hold up when the place fills up. And no, the WiFi was not free, although I did think the $5 daily/$15 per week charge was reasonable. The manager said the bill for the complete installation was just over $20K, but he didn't have a final total yet from Comcast, to know exactly what the ongoing monthly charges would be, as some of it includes leased equipment for the cable TV system as well. I am not an expert in internet facility but I need my internet when I am camping. I cannot debate the difficulty and cost to implement the system at the campground, my issue is: if you do advertise the internet at your campground, it should be functional. This facility should be there but separate from the camp price and should the RVer’s decision whether to accept or forfeit this facility . What really upsets me is the misleading information, namely, yes, it is advertised the Internet facility but, when there it doesn't work or unreliable. It is my opinion but, today, internet the facilities are important as the telephone and I know people that uses this facility to work while in vacation. I was perusing through the recent comments and noted that the emphasis of the issue is more based on the difficulties for the camp owners to provide the service but there is not much comments of the right of the consumer to have what’s advertised and paid for it.
I do agree that you should get what the campground advertises. I also think there has to be a reasonable balance between truthful advertising and reasonable expectations on the part of the consumer as well. If a campground simply advertises that "WiFi is available" for instance, then in my opinion, it is up to the consumer to question whether the advertised WiFi is available at all sites or just at the office, are the speeds fast enough to meet your needs, etc. I think we all make assumptions at times, based on our personal preferences, that don't necessarily match the realities of the marketplace. Asking ahead of time is probably the easiest way to avoid disappointment, if fast, reliable Internet access is critical to your stay, and you don't care to provide the service for yourself.
QUOTE(Galli @ Jun 20 2013, 06:58 PM) [snapback]33834[/snapback] I am not an expert in internet facility but I need my internet when I am camping. I cannot debate the difficulty and cost to implement the system at the campground, my issue is: if you do advertise the internet at your campground, it should be functional. This facility should be there but separate from the camp price and should the RVer’s decision whether to accept or forfeit this facility . What really upsets me is the misleading information, namely, yes, it is advertised the Internet facility but, when there it doesn't work or unreliable. It is my opinion but, today, internet the facilities are important as the telephone and I know people that uses this facility to work while in vacation. I was perusing through the recent comments and noted that the emphasis of the issue is more based on the difficulties for the camp owners to provide the service but there is not much comments of the right of the consumer to have what’s advertised and paid for it. The internet may be just as important as a phone, but when was the last time you saw an rv park provide phone hookups at each site? With the proliferation of cellphone based internet connections, I would think that campground wifi will soon go the way of the instant phone and the dodo bird.
For the non full timers, using your cell phone while camping means a large expense. We have internet service at home and basic service via my carrier would be $30 a month. I used to be able to tether my laptop to my phone, but the phone company stopped that when I upgraded my phone. It leaves us dependent upon WiFi when not using our Smart phones which are a long way from a laptop.
QUOTE(Lindsay Richards @ Jun 24 2013, 12:09 AM) [snapback]33897[/snapback] For the non full timers, using your cell phone while camping means a large expense. We have internet service at home and basic service via my carrier would be $30 a month. I used to be able to tether my laptop to my phone, but the phone company stopped that when I upgraded my phone. It leaves us dependent upon WiFi when not using our Smart phones which are a long way from a laptop. If you have Verizon, under the terms of the lawsuit settled last year customers who have "Shared Everything" plans can utilize FoxFi or any other 3rd party software to use their phones as hotspots or via USB tethering with no payment required to Verizon. Therefore, using your smart phone as a hotspot would not cost you anything out of pocket other than purchase of FoxFi. I don't know what you mean by "basic service" from your carrier, but 4G/LTE service is not all that different from what you get via cable and a lot better than most DSL connections.
That is why when I get a new phone from Verizon, I pay the full price for the phone - that way they can't change my contract, which has unlimited data.
I used to have Easy Tether which required a hard wire connection which was not a problem as I was in the coach, but my new phone will not work with it. I have grandfathered unlimited data for about another year. I also have an omnidirectional antenna which can really pull in the WiFi. It runs off USB power.
QUOTE(HappiestCamper @ Jun 24 2013, 11:07 AM) [snapback]33903[/snapback] That is why when I get a new phone from Verizon, I pay the full price for the phone - that way they can't change my contract, which has unlimited data. We are in the same situation. I pay Verizon $30/mo for hotspot access on one of our phones because I don't want to break any of the rules about maintaining the unlimited service. They probably wouldn't catch me if I used FoxFi but it's worth the money to me to make sure that can't be used as a reason for changing my plan. We've been streaming lots of video over the past couple of months so the unlimited plan savings more than pay for the $30.
Hubby and I have been full time for four years. While we certainly enjoy the "camping" experience from time to time, we also enjoy a more modern RV park as well. Living on the road means we must pay our bills on line and correspond with our family and friends on line. Nothing is more frustrating that deciding upon a location that lures you in with "WI-FI HERE" and it doesn't work properly - if at all. OR I must drag my computer and paperwork to the office and spread out. Personally, I would not mind a small up charge for reliable internet. We're in Canada at the moment and thankfully this park does have wi-fi at no extra fee. This is 2013 for heaven's sake. Nearly everyone has a smart phone or a computer. Time for RV parks to get on the bandwagon too. Just my humble opinion. QUOTE(drmcleod @ Jul 18 2008, 05:18 PM) [snapback]12323[/snapback] Should Campgrounds charge for Internet access? I would like to get other opinions on this. My opinion is no! I have two reasons for this. First, as a consumer. Having free internet access is actually one of the things I look for in a campground. It's a 'perk' if you will. If I have the choice between two, somewhat comparable, c/g's then I will choose the one with free WiFi. Heck, I'll even choose the one with free WiFi over one that is slightly nicer with fee for service. Second, as a business owner (of which I am one). It does not cost more to allow the whole campground access to your broadband service. The only additional expense is the addition of the hardware. In some cases this might be more expensive if additional antennas are required and installation requires an expert. Also, a higher than basic internet subscription is needed. However, if the c/g is going to charge for its WiFi service, then all of this has to be done anyway. Therefore, consider it a marketing expense to drive more people to your c/g. Why do you think that places like Panera Bread and even McDonald's are offering free WiFi? I know I choose to eat there when I need a place to surf while I eat. In my case, I want more people to come to my place of business, so I make my wireless service available to all. It costs me no more, but brings more people to me. What do you think?
QUOTE(mauigirl @ Jul 22 2013, 12:56 PM) [snapback]34214[/snapback] Hubby and I have been full time for four years. While we certainly enjoy the "camping" experience from time to time, we also enjoy a more modern RV park as well. Living on the road means we must pay our bills on line and correspond with our family and friends on line. Nothing is more frustrating that deciding upon a location that lures you in with "WI-FI HERE" and it doesn't work properly - if at all. OR I must drag my computer and paperwork to the office and spread out. We've been full-timing for nearly 3 years and I couldn't even imagine not having my own cellular internet connection. There's no way we could rely entirely on free wifi for exactly what you describe--bill paying, email, Skype, etc. When I find a usable CG wifi I use it, but I don't rely on it for anything I care about. JMO
Over the past three months, we have stayed in over 20 private campgrounds, most of which advertise "free wifi". While it may be free, their routers are so under powered that connections are difficult to make and when connected, the service is very slow. I would rather pay a nominal fee and have good service. Rv campground owners, are not doing themselves or their customers a a favor by offering such under powered service.
We will pick an RV Park with Free WiFi over a competitor every time. As a fulltimer, we are largely dependent on internet to maintain contact with family and friends. We also use the internet for networking with other RVers. With all the technology available today, there really isn't a reason a park shouldn't have free WiFi.
QUOTE(MontanaGypsySoul @ Aug 4 2013, 03:32 AM) [snapback]34354[/snapback] We will pick an RV Park with Free WiFi over a competitor every time. As a fulltimer, we are largely dependent on internet to maintain contact with family and friends. We also use the internet for networking with other RVers. With all the technology available today, there really isn't a reason a park shouldn't have free WiFi. X 2
We are now ending our 2013 summer trip. I can say that Verizon has come a long way with their 3 and 4 G internet. Almost all places we stayed had a good to great signal. We did watch a few TV shows using Verizon and one once using park wifi. One park owner said he was beefing up his internet so people staying there could use it to watch TV. On the other hand our satellite internet now seems very slow. I think I will cancel it. We mostly watched DVD's that I bought before the trip. I buy them on Amazon or ebay and resell after we watch them. The DVD's work perfectly and no issues at all with internet speeds. We watched 10 old PBS mysteries, a couple of seasons of Downtown Abbey, and a couple of seasons of Breaking Bad. All show we had not watched before. DVD's are so simple compared with any sat TV or internet TV. We had one of the sat TV systems for three years. It worked great at our home and half baked on the road. I do think TV will go to internet delivery systems. However, if you do not have an unlimited wireless plan it could be a bit pricy.
QUOTE(kcmoedoe @ Jun 23 2013, 08:20 PM) [snapback]33896[/snapback] The internet may be just as important as a phone, but when was the last time you saw an rv park provide phone hookups at each site? With the proliferation of cellphone based internet connections, I would think that campground wifi will soon go the way of the instant phone and the dodo bird. ,Well, you might be right, however there are certain things in our society that become very important, take for example 60 or 70 years ago, a telephone was almost a luxury, never mind a cell phone, today a personal phone is so common that the telephone booths in cities are disappearing. Having said the above, now it is the computer/internet type and if you wish to promote your business, you have to provide and adequate service or, people will float to places that provide it . In our technologic age, more and more people are extending their own business outside the office and this includes comp grounds and vacation spots in general, therefore, if you do promote a service and then is not available , well, you will not return to the same place. If they are thinking that SNOWBIRDS are only old retired persons not important enough to alter the market, well, I am one of them and beside being very active, I met several younger persons that conduct their business from the campsite and without the internet facilities they could not run their own business. B) My point is that, WE ARE THE ONE WITH MONEY to spend and if we are not satisfied we are going to spend them somewhere else. :lol: I hope that camp owners are reading our output and learn how to be correct in business.
Some people seem to have the opinion that CG's can update/upgrade their internet services with no cost. It is not cheap to add enough to the service so everyone can watch TV and download movies. There is a cost to that and you, the camper, is going to end up paying for your "free" WiFi.
QUOTE(Galli @ Aug 29 2013, 11:48 AM) [snapback]34594[/snapback] ,Well, you might be right, however there are certain things in our society that become very important, take for example 60 or 70 years ago, a telephone was almost a luxury, never mind a cell phone, today a personal phone is so common that the telephone booths in cities are disappearing. Having said the above, now it is the computer/internet type and if you wish to promote your business, you have to provide and adequate service or, people will float to places that provide it . In our technologic age, more and more people are extending their own business outside the office and this includes comp grounds and vacation spots in general, therefore, if you do promote a service and then is not available , well, you will not return to the same place. If they are thinking that SNOWBIRDS are only old retired persons not important enough to alter the market, well, I am one of them and beside being very active, I met several younger persons that conduct their business from the campsite and without the internet facilities they could not run their own business. B) My point is that, WE ARE THE ONE WITH MONEY to spend and if we are not satisfied we are going to spend them somewhere else. :lol: I hope that camp owners are reading our output and learn how to be correct in business. I don't know if we are agreeing or disagreeing. Yes, phones are now a necessity in life, yet the RV parks have no need to provide phone hookups or phones. They don't have pay phones anymore and I haven't see a park in years with a working phone jack at the sites, yet people are now using phones more than ever. Phones survived and thrived even though businesses stopped providing them. I see the same thing happening with the internet. Soon the parks and other businesses will just get out of the wifi business and people who need the internet will provide their own connection via some sort of cellular data plan. Those businesses will save money and the customer will not be upset at the business for problems beyond the businesses' control. It will become an issue between the data user and the data provider, which is what it probably should be. Don't think we will see it tomorrow or next year, but 10 years from now I kind of think RV parks providing wifi will be a thing of the past.
QUOTE(kcmoedoe @ Aug 29 2013, 04:09 PM) [snapback]34599[/snapback] I don't know if we are agreeing or disagreeing. Yes, phones are now a necessity in life, yet the RV parks have no need to provide phone hookups or phones. They don't have pay phones anymore and I haven't see a park in years with a working phone jack at the sites, yet people are now using phones more than ever. Phones survived and thrived even though businesses stopped providing them. I see the same thing happening with the internet. Soon the parks and other businesses will just get out of the wifi business and people who need the internet will provide their own connection via some sort of cellular data plan. Those businesses will save money and the customer will not be upset at the business for problems beyond the businesses' control. It will become an issue between the data user and the data provider, which is what it probably should be. Don't think we will see it tomorrow or next year, but 10 years from now I kind of think RV parks providing wifi will be a thing of the past.
