Is It Ok To Charge For Wifi, Should Campgrounds charge for Internet access? Options

[Lindsay Richards]

A note to campground owner what campers like me will be doing. I am now using my Android Verizon when I don't have campground WiFi. We take a lot of photos and I save the full version (4,000 KB) to my hard drive and then reduce down to about 60 kb to post onto our website. I have Carbonite online backup. It would take forever to post these large photos to the webs, so I will get onto the campground WiFi as I go to bed and upload them as I sleep. It will shut off automatically when it finishes. I presently have about 500 of these large files to backup on Carbonite. This will eat up a lot of data on your system. I thought that you might be interested to know as online backup is becoming very popular. Carbonite cost only $55/year for unlimited storage.

[AFChap]

It would take forever to post these large photos to the webs, so I will get onto the campground WiFi as I go to bed and upload them as I sleep. It will shut off automatically when it finishes.

Excellent example (along with watching movies/TV over the internet) of why campground WIFI too often doesn't work well for those who want to do email & browse the web. Some savvy campground owners know this, and put limits on bandwidth hogs.

[Lindsay Richards]

I also don't empty my black and gray tank at every campground. I wait until they are full and empty them at one campground after 4 or 5 days. I guess that makes me a bad person too? Maybe a sewer hog?

[joez]

Excellent example (along with watching movies/TV over the internet) of why campground WIFI too often doesn't work well for those who want to do email & browse the web. Some savvy campground owners know this, and put limits on bandwidth hogs.

Exactly. What is reasonable for one person (OK to download pics/movies, etc) is wasteful to another. That is why campgrounds need to install limiting methods or a system large enough to satisfy everyone. Extra charges for using above a minimum are probably the most effective way. We have seen campgrounds threaten to kick customers out who use Skype, Netflix or other high bandwith uses - don't know how they enforce or if it is an empty threat. We have stayed at campgrounds where the system automatically shuts down for you once you use your alloted amount.

Asking me to limit bandwidth so others can share is kind of like asking me to buy a Prius and save gasoline so a developing country like Bangledesh has gas to use. I conserve when it is to my benefit (save money). I recycle when it is easy and to my benefit. I am too simple minded to try to save the world or save some campground bandwidth for others to use, especially when I cannot tell how much is the right amount to save. We supply our own unlimited data through the use of a smart phone hot spot. Depending on reliable campground WiFi is too much a crap shoot for us.

JMO

[Lindsay Richards]

Maybe we should be assigned times for showers in our coaches to keep up the water pressure for everybody else. We don't want these water hogs around.

[pianotuna]

Hi Lindsay,

Well with that big pole you use...clearly you HOG everyone's bandwidth. And what's worse you do it ON PURPOSE!!!

[HappiestCamper]

We're getting out of proportion here. You are expected to use the water in a reasonable manner - you wouldn't wash your camper or vehicles unless they say you can. I would assume that shared Wi-Fi shouldn't be eaten up with an online backup.

But in both instances, if the CG doesn't stop you from doing it, some will do it anyway.

[Lindsay Richards]

I

would assume that shared Wi-Fi shouldn't be eaten up with an online backup.

When we are gone for 3 months at time, it is really necessary in my opinion. When I got my first computer, I had a micro cassette for a hard drive and have been seeing computer usage change drastically over the decades. Computers come now with 4 gig ram standard and 250 or more gig hard drives. I think if campers are going to be upgrading and keeping up with the technology, people offering WiFi service should be keeping up with technology also. If you are going to offer WiFi, I think your system has to be large enough to handle what is routinely done by the computing public. I have stayed at many places that advertised WiFi and had such crappy service as to be unusable. The question becomes is it because the camper who is paying for the service one way or the other is being a hog or is it because the park's system is incapable of handling today's average needs. We use the computer to communicate with our friends and relatives and photos really tell a great story. I have my digital camera set at highest resolution for my hard drive and then resize down to website level and lose about 90% of the file size. My uploading to the net is very quick, but my online backup takes about 10 times longer. I try to do it at night so as not to affect others. We boondock a lot and when we stay at a campground and pay for WiFi, I unpause my Carbonite and back up. We are staying 2 days at a campground outside of Theo Roosevelt National Park. We payed $58 total for the two nights and I uploaded about half a gig of photos. I think it was a good deal for everybody. I also think that once 4 Gig phone networks are commonplace, WiFi will go the way of the dial telephone.

[joez]

I am convinced that campground owners are getting the message that WiFi is a real desired amenity.

While true, this may be causing issues for campgrounds that many of us do not consider. What liabilities does offering WiFi expose the campground to? There is some interesting reading here
ARVC study on WiFi liabilities

Obviously this information is a long way from being definitive, but it does show how complex a seemingly simple thing can become in today's world. The law of unintended consequences, I guess.

[katsuey]

Wifi is important to me since I'm a web designer. However, I do run with a backup - I can tether my Blackberry to my laptop and run that way, though it's slower than the cable I'm use to.

I think if a Campground lists an amenity - it should be free or clearly note that it is not. I would not pay for Wifi. We've also noted that many campgrounds are offering cable TV. We haven't guppied up yet for a DISH so we appreciate that.

As newbies to RVing, we are rather amazed at the prices of campgrounds. We just did a 28 day trip and the average campground price was right about $35 even with a Good Sam's discount. I thought times were hard and less people were traveling so we might catch a break after $4 gal gas - not so.

[Lindsay Richards]

We are leaving a private campground today at Yellowstone. They use Tenngo commercial system. You get two passwords per day that entitle you to 2 hours each, but have to be separated by 10 hours each. Very weird system. Speed varies from very slow to moderately fast. I basically used my Android tether and did backups for 2 hours when we left in morning and when I went to bed at night. Access shut down after two hours and I set up my "sleep" feature to correspond. Very screwy system. If somebody wants to just do email and very low bandwidth applications, they should do it via cell phone. Once again, I am hoping WiFi soon becomes a thing of the past with fast cell phone speeds around the corner. (I hope.).

My thoughts and prayers go to the many folks involved in the floods. Here in the Rockies, the remaining snow pack is huge and locals are saying the highest in 50 years for this time of year. This is going to be melting and much of it will be going down to the Mississippi. It is going to be months before this is all over.

[AFChap]

the average campground price was right about $35 even with a Good Sam's discount

You must be staying at places with "resort" or "KOA" in their names. We are fulltimers. It is extremely rare for us to pay over $30 per night, much less $35.

They use Tenngo

I have learned to pass on campground WIFI if it is provided by TengoNet ...I have used it in many places and I don't believe it EVER works well. Using my tethered cell phone is cheaper, and ALWAYS works better...

[Lindsay Richards]

I have learned to pass on campground WIFI if it is provided by TengoNet ...I have used it in many places and I don't believe it EVER works well. Using my tethered cell phone is cheaper, and ALWAYS works better...

Exactly what I did, but used my free Tenngo for backups 2 hours in morning and 2 hours in evening.

[Jack Mayer]

I design and install wifi systems exclusively for small RV parks.

Most parks of this type do not have backhaul (the connection from the park to the Internet) that is very fast. Thus when overloaded everyone suffers. Most of the parks I set up I restrict access to streaming sites for movies and TV. Monitoring the networks you would be surprised how many people want to watch TV all day on their computers, or movies. One or two like that is the reason most networks are slow.

Many people are used to high speed fiber or cable based residential systems. And they expect that the wifi in parks will be equivalent. Education by the park is the key....most people are understanding if they are educated. Althought there are those that feel they are "entitled" to "all they can eat". So, my advice is to try to be considerate of your fellow RVers and not consume lots of bandwidth if you know it is not available.

[JDRobar]

It is my impression that most people that RV try to be considerate. Yes, to be sure, there are exceptions.

But, I suspect that some folks just aren't aware that streaming video requires a lot of resources.

By asking folks to not hog resources, I believe the assumption is that they know better. In some way this begs the usage charge; and, while I think that is unfortunate as it is a nuisance, it is the way the accidental/intentional hog gets their notice. You pay for what you take if it is inordinate.

Perhaps if the usage was free up to a certain limit, then a charge was placed, say for every (rounded) half-Gig used.

IMHO, until people are made to be responsible for their actions, they will (unwittingly or not) act accordingly.


WHOA! What happened - I'm no longer a newbie ?