How to stay connected to the Internet while traveling in an RV

In today's world, being able to connect to the Internet is almost a necessity.

You may just want to send and receive a few emails or do a little more and see pictures of the grand kids or you may be running an online business. Or maybe you're in between and you want to book some future reservations from time to time and want to see pictures and videos of the RV parks you're considering.

Of course, if you're running a business online, having fast and reliable Internet connection becomes extremely important. What you want to do with the Internet will determine how important it is to have a reliable and fast connection.

When it comes to getting a good WiFi signal in RV parks there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that many (if not most) RV parks have less than ideal (or even less than adequate) Internet connectivity regardless of what they advertise.

Most will say on their website that they have free WiFi -- and they do, but there is not a strong signal all over the park in many cases and when everyone tries to get on at the same time (like in the late afternoon and early evening) it gets very slow.

That's the bad news. The good news is that it's getting better all the time. Two RV parks that I've been in lately had crews there while I was camped installing more antennas and new equipment.

There are several ways to get better and more reliable Internet connections. Of course, some of them cost money and some don't. Depending on how important it is for you to have a reliable and fast Internet connection will determine which options you should choose.

Since my businesses depend on the Internet, I would be dead in the water and could lose money if I lost my Internet connection for even a short period of time. Therefore, I like to have several back up plans.

Here are the backup plans I use to get on the Internet

The first and easiest way to get a better Internet connection is to request a campsite near the clubhouse or near the WiFi antenna when you make your reservations. This won't always get you the good spots because in many cases, RVers who are renting by the month have already moved to the good spots when they became available. But it never hurts to ask and many times you will get lucky. Using this technique doesn't cost you anything.

The next free technique I use is to just bite the bullet and take my computer and go sit in or near the clubhouse and do my work there. This works fine if I'm only going to be in the park for a day or two or when I don't have much Internet work to do, but it's not a good long term solution.

Anther technique I use sometimes is to take my computer and go to a local coffee shop. I like coffee shops. I also go to a McDonald's in an emergency, but that's low on my list. I do like a McDonald's senior coffee in the mornings, so it's not all bad.

Another way I connect to the Internet is to used my Android smaratphone. I use Verizon and get 2 GB of data a month for $30. That way I have Internet anywhere I have a cell phone signal. 2 GB is plenty if I'm just checking email, but downloading pictures or watching videos will bite into it in the 2 GB. Watching even short video clips will really use it up in a hurry.

I can buy more any month I need it. One month when I had a lot of work to do and was camping in state parks and didn't have any WiFi signal except at the clubhouse/office, I used almost 10 GB. I think that ran about $100. With the Verizon plan I only buy extra bandwidth the months I need it.

To be able to share the Internet access of your Android phone with your computer as described above, you will need to go to www.pdanet.co and download their PdaNet+ software to your phone. There is a one time cost of $7.95. Note that this website is a dot co and not a dot com.

There is also a version for iPhones and one for Blackberry if that's the phone you have. Going this way you don't have to pay Verizon (or another carrier) $20 a month for a tether plan. There is a free version, but pay the one time $7.95 fee and life will be a lot simpler. With PdaNet+ installed, it will turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot and you can use it to connect multiple devices to the Internet. In other words, you and your spouse can be on the Internet at the same time while using only one cell phone.

Also, if you're in a park for two or three months that has a strong WiFi signal and is not overloaded, you can put your Millenicon service on "Vacation" mode for two or three months and re-activate it when you get to the next park and need it. You can do this free one time a year for up to three months. After that, there's a $19.95 re-activation fee to get it turned back on each time, but it still saves you the $89.99 for the months you're not using it.

There are other ways to get connected to the Internet when you're in a weak signal area. There are signal boosters and external antennas from $25 to over $3,000 depending on how elaborate you want to go.

On May 1, 2014 the government changed all of the rules for boosters and new and better equipment is coming out all the time now. My recommendation is that unless you really need this booster equipment right now, I would wait awhile. Better and cheaper options will soon be available. That's what I'm going to do. When you do get ready to look for some boosters and antennas, check out www.PowerfulSignal.com. They are authorized dealers for several brands. Wilson is one brand I trust. They make some good equipment.

One device that's on the market now is the WiFi Ranger. It's a good device to extend the range for picking up a WiFi signal, but if you're in a busy campground, just getting a strong signal won't guarantee that you will get fast Internet service. The device is a little expensive, but it does work quite well. You can find more information about it at:

WiFi Ranger.com

I'm waiting to see what new equipment comes out before I purchase more equipment.

There's one other option. There was a time when a satellite dish was the way to go to get Internet while on the road, but that's not the best way to go now unless you have one of the old plans and equipment that covers the whole US instead of just a small section like the plans they're offering now. As an additional backup, I can get on the Internet by only using my smartphone when I'm away from my computer. It's hard to work with the little keyboard, but I can answer emails, look at websites, check on orders, etc. Of course, this eats into my monthly 2 GB of data.

Bottom line:For $30/month paid to Verizon and a one time cost of $7.95 to download the PdaNet+ software, you can have your computers connected to the Internet and have 2 GB of bandwidth anywhere you have a cell phone signal. And you don't even need a strong cell phone signal. If your Internet needs are more than just basic, the options described above are available -- for a price.

The best news of all is that most campgrounds (except state parks) are upgrading their WiFi equipment and antennas. Maybe soon we will be able to take having a good WiFi signal with a fast connection for granted just like we take water and electricity for granted -- but don't hold your breath.

One of the problems with campground WiFi is that even if they have a strong signal all over the park, if several people get on at one time (particularly if some of them are downloading videos) things will get very slow.

One thing is for sure, campground Internet service is not nearly as fast and reliable as what you have at home, but we can live with it.