Looking to get a Wifi system (Maxview or Avtex)
Wondering what system other caravan owners used?
Fed up using the campsite wifi which is normally slow & poor
I have an ipad and buy an ee data only card for it from Argos. Generally speaking I find ee coverage very good.
The card costs £50 and includes 120Gb of data and is valid for 12 months. Just started using my second card. Young Aunty's ipad can also access the internet vis wifi using this card as well.
We tether our iPad (no SIM) to the iPhone & use our mobile data. A few places are Not Spots for mobile signal though; we download emails at the supermarket then.
We’re not watching TV though, just checking emails & what’s on locally.
Lesson I have learnt the hard way after spending a small fortune on a 5G wi-fi system - there are still plenty of mobile signal black holes about, or places with poor signals, usually in remote places like in the middle of nowhere that are perfect for quiet campsites!
No matter how up to date or expensive the equipment, they cannot boost the signal when there is none in the first place!
Hence I always do a check on mobile signal coverage as part of my due diligence when looking for a campsite.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 05/6/2023
Lesson I have learnt the hard way after spending a small fortune on a 5G wi-fi system - there are still plenty of mobile signal black holes about, or places with poor signals, usually in remote places like in the middle of nowhere that are perfect for quiet campsites!
No matter how up to date or expensive the equipment, they cannot boost the signal when there is none in the first place!
Hence I always do a check on mobile signal coverage as part of my due diligence when looking for a campsite.
DK
These places are not always 'in the middle of nowhere'. We were at a CAMC bash just below Market Harborough last week, and both my 02 mobile, and EE router struggled for a connection. Though, some stallholders were using the net for payments, so there was obviously signals of sorts on some devices. Even the tv didnt like the location.
We used to tether from our phones which worked well but it meant having to keep swapping SIMs in and out of the phone as we would buy an unlimited data sim to cover the period we were away.
For this season, we bought a TP-Link 4G Router from Amazon and use a SIM from whatever network has the best coverage in the area. We just use 1 month contracts so we are not tied into the big data SIM and continue to use our cheap low data SIMs for most of the year.
So far, the router has worked well everywhere we have been. At the minute we are just using the small built in antenna that came with the router but it has the ability to attach a separate higher gain antenna should we find we need it in the future.
We normally tether from our phone’s but it’s depends on the networks signal in the area which we’re visiting.
Instead of paying for a system which includes a roof antenna, we’re thinking of getting a router and using a sim that has the best coverage in the area and seeing how that copes first, I can always purchase a antenna later if needed.
Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 05/6/2023
Lesson I have learnt the hard way after spending a small fortune on a 5G wi-fi system - there are still plenty of mobile signal black holes about, or places with poor signals, usually in remote places like in the middle of nowhere that are perfect for quiet campsites!
No matter how up to date or expensive the equipment, they cannot boost the signal when there is none in the first place!
Hence I always do a check on mobile signal coverage as part of my due diligence when looking for a campsite.
DK
You have raised some very valid points that many people overlook. We simply use our phone as a hot spot and if we get signal all is good. If no signal, we download any emails when out and about as I would think the majority of towns have wifi coverage.
I fitted a Huawei Mi-Fi router and Poynting Puck antenna on the roof a couple of years ago - helps in low signal areas, but I always check which network is best using the Ofcom coverage checker:
Cheap unlocked Huawei Mi-Fi router off eBay, plugged into a USB port with a 4g antenna, 12 mo the 100GB PAYG sum card from EE and all just stored in an overhead locker, turn up in site, turn router on and away you go, generally only use it for the 5 year olds iPad but never had any issues with it
For next week's camp, after weak wifi signal in May, we went to Vodafone and took out a 100g a month contract for 18 months, £10 a month. Only available if you're a long standing customer. Friend gave us a mobile dongle so looking forward to watching a bit of You Tube.
I also use a Huawei mifi dongle with a 4g antenna EE 120Gb data card valid for 12 month for £50, I find if it is plugged into the mains electric it works better
Same as iank here, I have a 50Gb phone data limit from BT which is doubled as I have WiFi with them too. It's only about £6 per month more than a 5-10Gb limit. So I have 100Gb per month or 3Gb per day which is enough to stream a few hours TV each evening if we're away for that long. I just use my phone as a WiFi hotspot and connect a Roku box to it. If there's no signal, either do without or watch some DVDs or play some board games or read.
Quite simply I don't go away with expectation of remaining in contact with the outside world!
Experience has taught me that mobile signals are very fickle, the network coverage maps are to be treated with some suspicion, even at home in the burbs of London, mobile signal can be pretty poor, and that's on more than just one network! Occasionally get a 5G signal, but often can do no more than talk and txt., no data! - and that's often via Wi-Fi calling over the land line internet! Got into the mindset that the mobile phone is NOT a reliable connection to the world!
It's not that important to me to maintain mobile contact constantly, and I can't be asked to stream video (never find enough I really want to watch!), so I wouldn't personally invest very much in hardware in a possibly vain attempt to get a signal, think DK and others have found the hard way, you can't BUY reception that simply isn't there with fancy hardware!
Usually find when out and about, once in a while I get enough of a signal to reconnect with outside world for the bare essentials, and that's good enough for me.
Quite like 'withdrawing' from the (un)civilised world and living in my little un-connected spot for a week or so. Actually find it rather sad to see people with faces constantly buried in 'screens' in the virtually world of social media etc., when they are surrounded by some of the most fantastic natural scenes on the planet, just my attitude to these things.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Caravan Wifi
via mobile 05/6/2023 at 9:36pm
