Third Party Wi-fi Providers Options

[Texasrvers]

In other threads on this forum I have said that I did not like to use third party or outside vendors to receive Wi-Fi at RV parks. I have always felt they were difficult to use (couldn't get signed up or logged on), were unreliable (weak signal, frequent drops, slow), did not provide good technical service if (when) something went wrong, and were excessively expensive. I much preferred the park to have their own "free" system. (I know they still get their service from an outside provider, but I would not be dealing directly with that provider to set up my service.)

Recently, though, we stayed at a park with an outside wireless provider called thewirelessweb.com which provided excellent service. (And I am in no way affiliated with them.) It was very easy to get started and to buy more time when needed. You could purchase 24 hours at a time, and I think they had a discount for a weekly service, but I'm not sure. The signal was strong and fast, and since we had no problems whatsoever I did not get to experience their technical service--but that's a good thing. They were still a bit on the expensive side, but not outrageous, and we think the the good service was worth the cost. I don't know if the park or the provider sets the fees so it is possible they are either more or less expensive other places.

I know there are still a lot of variables that may have luckily come together to provide our good service this time, but if all third party Wi-Fi providers were this good all the time it would solve a lot of the service problems that we RVers have.

[Kirk]

Doug,

As a retired tech who worked with data signals, I am really glad to see your post. I got ripped big time on this forum some time back for supporting RV park owners who charge guests for use of their Wifi. I have long held that no RV park can give free wifi, but rather those who claim to do so actually build that into their operating costs/prices. After all, very few businesses are intended to be charities!

As one who used a portable satellite dish for internet for five years, I can also confirm much of what you said about the satellite services, but it is still the only choice for really remote areas. They are subject to weather conditions both in your area and also in the location of the up-link from the provider. They are also subject to volume of traffic effects and if not limited in allowed volume they become quite expensive. The only true advantage to their service is their availability anywhere.

I have now dropped my dish service and gone to cellular which is getting to where the coverage is nearing universal, if the owner has the right equipment. I read that such services are starting to provide service to commercial wifi installations, but have yet to see one.

I have always had my internet through a wireless router, which is a low power wifi station but I also keep and encrypted signal to control who is using it, partly for my protection and partly to avoid competing with a park's provider where I may stay. As one who was once in business, I will not provide free a service that my host depends upon for his livelihood. And I still prefer to stay in parks such as yours, where the users of the wifi also pay for it. I used to pay, rather than put up my dish when in a park for only one night, and have never objected to doing so.

It sounds as though you not only have a good provider, but also the provider has some well qualified, skilled techs to do the work. Great post!