Internet Web/TV/Phone in Your RV

Last update 20220116

For most of us, access to the internet is a daily requirement. With an internet connection you can access web sites for information, plan trips, find the next dump station, check fuel prices, read/send emails to family/friends, pay bills, make phone calls, watch TV shows and movies. It allows you to keep in touch and entertained in your RV.

If you want to know how it works, this page is for you. Pick out what you are interested in and ignore the rest. Hopefully the information presented here will help you make the best decision for your lifestyle and budget.

Security:Do not use a computer (desktop/laptop), tablet or phone on the internet without a good anti-virus program (free ones are worthless). I prefer ESET NOD for my laptops, tablets and phones.

WiFi Warning: Announced October 2017 is a new danger to those that use WiFi. The preferred encryption method WPA2(Wifi Protected Access) between your device and the WiFi router your device is connected to has been compromised and is no longer secure. Software now available to any high school teen can be used to intercept and record all information sent between your device and the WiFi router in "plain text" meaning that they can see user ID, Password, Account numbers, Credit Card codes, etc.. This is very very bad. Currently, the only way to prevent this from happening when using a WiFi connection is to establish what is called a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection between your device and websites which prevents your data from being observed as another layer of encryption is employed that has not yet been compromised. Note that as of 2020 most WiFi routers are now protected from this particular attack.

Internet Access Today: Used RV Park and free WiFi for years. Never worked very well, always had to fiddle with it and these days with everyone using park WiFi, it's not reliable or secure. In the past (not so long ago), spending several hundred $ on WiFi antennas, routers, cables, etc. made sense as it was the only practical way to go. That was the past. Today it is cheaper and easier to go to Walmart, buy a verizon Jetpack/MIFI (provides secure WiFi internet connection for laptop, tablet, phone) and a data card and when the data card expires, get a new data card at another Walmart along the way. Not counting cost of the the jetpack, cost is about $15.00 a month for me. It works at rest stops, RV parks, Resturants (fits in your pocket), etc. even in Wyoming. However it is not suitable for streaming lots of movies as you have a limited amount of GBytes to use per month.

As technology has evolved a new more affordable and reliable method is available for connecting your laptop, tablets, TV streaming devices (WDTVLive, Roku, Blueray Players etc.) to the internet. The device is your smart cell phone. Basically you turn on your phone hotspot then connect your device to your phone as if it were a router in your home. Some cell phone plans require you to pay a small fee for hotspot. Walmart's Straight Talk has a plan ($55.00) that also includes hotspot. When using the hotspot feature your phone provides internet via the cell phone network and so there will be a limitation on how much data you can use.

However, if your phone allows for WiFi sharing, you can turn off your phone data and turn on the phone WiFi and connect to any available internet source then connect your device to your phone as before. Now why would you want to connect to the internet with your phone instead of connecting your device directly to the available internet? You may want to use your phone to bring internet into your RV for two good reasons: 1) By using your phone as a router (Hotspot) for all your devices, you do not have to fool around with different user id's and passwords to connect your device to the internet. 2) Believe it or not, your phone is able to connect to remote (RV park) internet routers better than what is built into your device (tablets are very weak). I have streamed Netflix movies through my phone to my TV where my TV couldn't get enough signal by itself. These smart phones seem to be able to work better with weak internet signals.

So today (2020) I use my $49.00 smart phone on the Straight Talk (Verizon) network to provide internet to my TV, Roku, laptop and tablet. I use free WiFi and when available to save my phone hotspot data. This only costs me $10.00 extra per month for a total of $55.00 (60GB 4G LTE phone data, 10GB 4G LTE Hotspot data - does not count when using WiFi). Some phone plans like mine require an extra fee and some don't.

Today (2022) I still use a phone to provide internet in my RV. Problem is I now have a ROKU in my RV and there is a limit on how many GBytes I can use through the Straight Talk phone hotspot. I started looking for a MIFI hotspot device with unlimited GBytes so movies and TV shows could be streamed through the ROKU device but found there are no unlimited hotspot plans or one with 100GByte for less than $200.00 (not affordable).

Happily I ran across Visible (www.visible.com) phone service that uses the Verizon network same as Straight Talk but with unlimited hotspot data for one(1) connected device at a time for $25.00 per month (after joining a pay party). Great but I need to have several devices connected when my grandchildren are with me. In addition I do not want to have to configure multiple devices to use new phone hotspots or other WIFI internet sources.

The solution to using any WIFI internet source is to connect a WIFI router in repeater mode to repeat WIFI internet source to your various devices. Unfortunately, most WIFI routers do not have a repeater function. Travel routers do have the repeater function. I selected the SLATE WIFI router for my RV as it runs on USB power (via micro USB cable) so can be connected to a 12v outlet, is very small, has three(3) cat5/6 ethernet ports, allows connecting a USB flash drive/hard drive for file sharing, provides 2.4GHz/5GHz WIFI and it cost $64.00 shipped.

Here's How:

1. Setup phone hotspot with an SSID and password.

2. Plug travel router into USB 12v adaptor or use provided AC USB adaptor.

3. Setup travel router to use repeater mode.

4. Scan for hotspot or park WIFI SSID select when found then enter hotspot password.

Travel router is now connected to your phone's hotspot or other WIFI internet source and will provide internet to all of your devices configured to use the Travel router and you can use multiple devices without the one device limitation or reconfuring each device as you travel. This also means you just reconfigure the travel router to change internet sources. Your devices do not have to be reconfigured every time you change internet sources as they always connect to the travel router.

Now I am able to stream unlimited netflix/prime/tv shows/youtube and have internet for my laptops and my grandchildren's tablets. All for $25.00 per month.

Definitions

Bits: Parts that make a word or BYTE.

Byte: A computer word. Each character such as a A b B etc. is a computer word. Some computer words a composed of 8 bits some 16 bits or more. When discussing the internet you will see speeds rated in bits (lower-case b) or Bytes (8bits - upper-case B) per second.

Connecting Your Computer to the Internet

Cables: Most RVers probably do not use cables to connect their computer to other internet equipment but some do so:

CAT5/CAT5E: A cable used to connect your computer to a router or switch. It has a connector on each end that looks like an ordinary phone cord connector but a bit larger so it will not fit into a phone jack. These cables can handle speeds from 10 to 100 million bits (Mb) per second which is pretty fast. You can purchase one at, Walmart, Target, etc..

CAT6: This cable is the same as a Cat5 handling speeds from 10 to 1000 million bits (Gb) per second.

WiFi: is a way of connecting your computer (typically a latptop) to a router without wires. There is a low power radio built into your laptop/tablet/phone that talks to the router (which has a more powerful radio). WiFi has become the preferred method of connecting to the internet. A WiFi connection can be secured to prevent unauthorized use and is typically done with a pass phrase that you have to enter into your computer. Some RV Parks have open WiFi and some give you a pass phrase.

You can find free WiFi (anywhere it is not locked requiring a pass phrase) at most modern RV Parks, Starbucks, McDonalds, Barns and Noble, Libraries and Hotels such as Best Western. Some rest stops in Wyoming and Iowa and other States have good free WiFi. Free WiFi is a wonderful way to keep connected. However, it is not safe to use WiFi without a pass phrase as it is possible for someone to join your WiFi session, without your knowledge, and for them to have full access to any secure web page you may have already entered your user id and password into.

Since WiFi uses a radio connection between your computer and the router, distance and blockage (walls wood/metal/trees) can weaken the connection. Interference (congestion) from other WiFi users or other radio signals on the same frequency (2.4GHz) will also be a problem. Note: Mircrowaves, the kind you cook food in, operate in the 2.4GHz range and can cause your WiFi pause or disconnect when the microwave is turned on :)

You can put an antenna on the outside of your RV to dramatically improve WiFi performance when connecting to RV Park provider. You probably need to do this if your RV has a metal skin.

You may also use a directional antenna to improve signal strength. Hawking makes an excellent USB WiFi antenna to do this.

Bottom line is WiFi works really well to wirelessly connect your computer/tablet/phone to the internet at home but not so well when at RV parks due to the number of users and interferrence from other WiFi devices from fellow campers.

There are several types of WiFi radios:

802.11 - Original WiFi protocol, 1 to 2 Mbs. Way too slow for internet usage. 2.4GHz radio, 20ft range, 1997.

802.11a - little used but has advantages. Speed up to 24Mbps (6/12/24/54 Million bits per second). The advantage of using this protocol is that you would probably be the only one using it and if not, it has many more channels to use which again means little chance of interference. I use this at home where I have zero interference from neighbors. 5GHz radio, about 50ft range, 1999.

802.11b - the oldest and slowest speed. Ok for slow web browsing and email but not very good for downloading or watching TV. Top speed is about 11Mbps (million bits per second) which may seem like a lot but is not when you are talking about music, complex graphics or video. Note that I said top speed as you never get the full speed from the radio. Speed is typically 75 percent of the rated amount, it just works that way. 2.4GHz radio, about 100ft range, 1999.

802.11g - most common and works well for all internet activities including watching netflix and other on-line videos. This is often referred to as 54g and is backward compatible with 802.11b equipment. Speed tops out at 54Mbps. Most laptops/tablets/phones can use this protocol. 2.4GHz radio, 100ft range, 2003.

802.11n - a very confusing standard. Up to 150Mbps. You will see N150, N300 N600 somewhere on the box. N300 N600 works ok. Stay way from N150 rated routers, they are junk. Another confusing part is about about the radio. Cheap routers in this standard come with one radio, switching between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz as needed which causes delays and sometimes just seems to cause the router to freeze. Best routers have two radios, one for each frequency (keyword is dual band). 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio, 100ft range, 2009.

802.11ac - Not many laptops/tablets/phones use this standard. Speed up to 780Mbps. 5GHz radio, 100ft range, 2013.

802.11ad - Have to buy an adaptor to use this standard. Speed up to 3.9Gbps (Yes Billions). 60GHz radio, 30ft range, 2018.

802.11af - Not implemented. 54MHZ - 790MHz. Long range.

802.11ah - Very low data rate used for sensors. 900MHz, very long range.

802.11ax - Not implemented yet (still being developed). Speeds up to 10.5Gbps. 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio, 100ft range, 2018.

If your computer does not have WiFi built-in or you want to upgrade to a faster radio (a/g/n/ac/ax) you can purchase a USB adaptor (Walmart, NewEgg). The USB adaptor may have cord between it and the laptop (typically a foot or two). The cord though a pain to work with, will dramatically reduce the USB adaptor temperature (they seem to act as a heat sink and can get very hot which means short life span. If you USB adaptor does not come with a cord, you can get a USB extender cable (recommended) from Dollar Tree for a buck($)

Accessing the Internet

Router: You need a device to translate your internet requests (called packets) into a signal the internet can use and translate what the internet returns into something your computer can work with. This device is called a router. Think of it as a super speed modem (Modulator/Demodulator). This box would typically be connected to the phone or cable company to translate their internet signal into something your computer can use. Today, most home routers also provide WiFi radio that allows connecting your computer to the router without a wire. There are two types of wireless routers: those with a single radio and those with two radios, often referred to as dual band. The dual band is the best as it will provide g and n speeds at the same time. With a single radio, you must choose g or n but can rarely use both as it seems to confuse the laptop radios as the router switches fequencies/speeds.

When you want to connect multiple devices to a router, you may use a hub or switch. Most modern routers have switch ports to allow up to four computers to be connected to it. Most routers with WiFi allow up to ten simultaneous WiFi users at a time but you can expect the WiFi performance to slow as more users connect to the router. When routers are receiving or sending large amounts of data (think netflix), it will be slower in servicing other data requests from another user. Same thing happens when too many devices are trying to use the same WiFi router (like at RV parks). Lastly, if one user at the RV park is using 802.11b WiFi, everyone using that router will be slowed down to that speed. Sucks but it is the way it works. A smart RV park will set its routers to work only on the 802.11g protocol which will prevent the 802.11b (old laptops) slow-down.

Most WiFi routers that have an external antenna come with a 3db rated antenna. The range/speed of your router can be improved by replacing that antenna with a 5, 7, 9 db antenna which typically will be larger.

Consumer WiFi routers typically have 200mw (.200 watt) radios which are twice as powerful the one in your laptop (100mw or .100 watt).

HUB: A hub is a device that allows multiple computers to connect to a router through Cat5/Cat5E/Cat6 cables. Hubs are no longer used. They have been replaced by switches. Hubs had poor performance slowing down as more computers are connected.

Switch: A switch is a device that allows multiple computers (by wires) to connect to a router but does not slow down as more computers are connected. Most routers have a switch built into them allowing four or more wired connections to the router.

Methods of Getting to the Internet

Dial-up: In olden times (just twenty five years ago) most of us connected to the internet through a phone modem (Modulator/Demodulator). This type of connection is just too slow for complex web pages. Best speeds were 28 kilo (thousand) bits per second with the limit artificially set to 56k. Finding a phone jack on the road to connect your laptop is almost impossible today. WiFi is the preferred method.

Wired: The best connection possible, often referred to as broadband (very fast - 1.5Mbps to 7Mbps - bps means bits per second). A router is connected to the internet translating the Cable or DSL(Digital Subscriber Line from the phone company) signal to one that can be used by your computer. This is the most common internet connection. Cable/DSL costs about $20.00 and goes up depending on how much they can get away with. You should never have to pay an installation/equipment charge but you may have to bargain for it. Currently there are no limits on how much you can download (usage). Obviously not mobile and so can not be used with your RV unless the RV park provides a connection.

Wireless or WISP: (not WiFi) A directional radio is placed on the outside of your home pointed to another radio (usually mounted on a tower) which is connected to the internet. This is a static connection in that both radios are pointed in a fixed direction looking at each other. The radio on your house is connected either directly to your computer or to a router (best method for security). Costs about $39.00 a month. Again you may have to bargain a bit to eliminate the installation/equipment charge. Not mobile and so can not be used with your RV.

Satellite: Works like a Wireless connection but uses a satellite orbiting the Earth at 24,000 miles. A satellite antenna (usually called a dish) is used to send and receive signals to/from the satellite which sends/receives signals from what is called an earth station which in turn is connected to the internet by a wire. Monthly cost starts at $69.00 and goes up depending on the usage plan (bandwidth). Once you hit the daily or monthly limit (number of characters you can download) your connection is slowed down to less than Dial-up or you are charged overage fees (like going over your cell phone minutes - could be a $1,000.00 or more in one month). This is the most versatile of the internet connections as it can be used anywhere the satellite dish can see the satellite in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

There are two types of satellite antennas: manual - usually mounted on a tripod outside the RV which you have to set up and point each time you move and automatic - usually mounted on the RV roof which when turned on will set itself up and point to the correct satellite. The antennas look like Dishnetwork or DirectTV antenna dishes though there are flat panel antennas and a dome covered antenna (super expensive). The dome covered antenna has the advantage of being discreet meaning no one knows when you are using it.

With an optional attachment (depending on brand and type) you can watch satellite TV (Dishnetwork or DirectTV with a subscription) while using the internet.

A typical RV setup will cost $5000.00 with an install charge of about $1,000.00. If I could afford it, this option with WiFi and 4G would meet my needs to stay connected though I absolutely need more than 5GBytes (my typical usage is about 32GBytes per month).

UPDATE A new sattelite service (Starlink) is emerging that uses low earth orbiting sattelites. This service is intended for your house but some brave souls have figured out to use it in their RV. Initial equipment cost is $200.00 with monthly fee of $100.00. Blazing fast internet with no GByte limit. One to watch.

3G/4G/5G: Connects to the internet through the cell phone system almost anywhere your cell phone works in the U.S.. Charges generally start at $30.00 a month and go up depending on usage, with a monthly limit of 5GBytes (5 billion characters per month) for even the so called "unlimited" plans.

3G is suitable for casual web browsing and reading emails but not much else.

4G is fast enough to watch movies. The only kicker is how much is it going to cost? Not cost effective for watching videos.

The Cell system makes good backup (in the U.S.) for when you can not get a WiFi connection.

To use 3G/4G/5G you need some equipment:

AirCard - usually a USB device that plugs in to your computer. There is a variant of this often called MYFi (Verizon - WiFi or USB) that allows several computers with WiFi ability to connect to the internet through it. You purchase the USB or MYFi device and either use your existing cell phone contract adding a data plan or purchase a separate plan. Costs start at $30.00 and go up depending on the amount of data you are allowed to download. There are WiFi routers you can plug the AirCard into but you have purchase one compatible with your Aircard (it would be too easy if one size fit all).

Tether - Some cell phone companies allow you to use your smart cell phone to tether(wire) your computer to the internet using either a USB cable or WiFi (Droid/PalmPre). The phone company will charge extra for this feature.

Booster - This device makes your AirCard, Cell phone or MyFi device work better at longer distances. It repeats your cell phone/device signal sending with more power and receiving with greater sensitivity. It does this by having more power, bigger amplifiers (electronic circuitry) and a larger, better antenna. It generally costs between $300 to $800. An RV with a booster should have no problem connecting to the internet while traveling down the road. It provides a better internet and phone signals. Works best with an antenna on the outside of your RV.

A note about internet speed

The internet is an interconnected system that works amazing well considering how complex it is. From time to time or even at certain times of the day you will experience a massive slow down in performance (speed). As noted earlier this could be due to interference (WiFi), or just because there are so many people on the internet or (unfortunately) because a web site is being attacked by bad people whose purpose is to prevent that web site from being on the internet. So when the internet slows down, it is not always the fault of your internet provider. There are no direct connections on the internet except for your connection to your internet provider. A good analogy is a bus that stops at every little town along the way. Each connection takes time. Access to a web site may go through 20 or more connections to get there. If there is a slow down on any of those connections you will experience the slow down as well. There is nothing your provider can do to improve the performance if the web site is not theirs. So have patience. Sometimes you just have to try another day. This will improve as time goes on as the industry is refitting the equipment and cabling to move to the next speed level.

About Computer Infections

A computer infection occurs when a virus, worm, trojan, etc., which is just a fancy name for a malicious program, gets loaded onto your PC. This can occur when you go to a web site , click on an advertisement, open an email. To prevent and/or detect an infection, you need to do four things:

1. Absolutely keep your operating system up to date. Do not fail to do this. Yes it is time consuming but if you dont you are reducing the effectiveness of your anti-virus program.

2. You must have a Anti-virus program. Personally, I recommend EST-NOD 32. This software imposes the least burden (does not slow down your computer - especially on computers more than two years old) of them all and is the most effective in finding new infections. The Anti-Virus program works with the operating system to prevent/detect/remove infections.

3. Do NOT open emails from anyone you do not know. If you do not know the sender, delete it. Do NOT open it. Scan your emails BEFORE you open them. Sometimes a friend will send you infected email hence the need to scan all emails before you open them. Best protection is to use an email service such as gmail (google) or hotmail (msn) and they are free. These services will scan the email before you see them.

4. Practice safe browsing by staying away from porn sites, music sharing (often referred to as peer to peer sharing), pirate web sites, anything called warez.

Sometimes a bad infection will get past the Anti-virus and operating system. If this happens and the operating system is damaged by the infection or the infection removal process you will have to format and install the operating system. To protect against data loss, I recommend you backup your pictures, word processing files, etc. to a portable USB hard drive. A flash drive would work as well provided it has enough free space.

A good tool to help remove infections is malwarebytes which can be downloaded at www.malwarebytes.com .

Internet/Computer Performance

Enjoyment of the internet or any other program on your computer is dependant on how well the hardware and software are performing on your computer as well as external factors previously mentioned.

There are a couple of things you can do to improve performance:

1. Do not use Sleep or Hibernate. These power saving functions are great in theory but unfortunately over time, they will cause your operating system to slow down to a crawl. It is best to turn your computer off each and every time you are done using it. One of the strange problems that can occur when you use sleep is that the start menu will forget how to find programs or the USB ports or WiFi will stop working. Computers are designed to be turned off. Doing so will not only improve performance but cut down on energy usage and improve your hardware life span as the computer will spend less time in a hot (literally) condition which reduces component life.

Use CCLEANER from www.Piriform.com to repair registry errors once a month and to delete temporary internet files. Defragging the hard drive is good idea as well.

Internet TV

It is possible to connect your computer to your TV and watch DVDs or through the internet, watch network programs, videos and movies from Netflix and Dishnetworks Blockbuster streaming. You can also purchase a stand-alone box to connect Netflix to your TV (http://www.wdtvlive.com), use WII, Xbox, other game systems and most Blue-Ray players to connect to internet and play Netflix or other video streaming services. You can of course do all of this on your computer. The TV however generally provides a much better picture than the laptop with better sound.

To connect your computer to your TV your TV must have an external port that matches one on the computer such as DVI, HDMI, Component, SVGA(VGA) and S-Video. DVI and HDMI connections provide the best picture quality. Component and SVGA(VGA) are pretty good (works for me) with S-Video as acceptable for old tube type TVs.

If you have an older TV in your RV that has component inputs for a VCR and your computer has a component or S-Video port, you can connect your computer to your TV using component cables and/or with a component to S-Video adaptor from Radio Shack.

Types of RV TV

Tvs: There are several TV types available for RVs. I mention TVs here as I like to hook mine up to the internet through my computer.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) - These are found in older RVs and are considered to be analog TVs. They take a lot of power to operate, are very heavy and are getting harder to find. You can connect a computer to this type of TV if it has a component port (RCA cables). Can be powered by 12v depending on brand/model but is typically an AC device.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) - like the screen on your laptop computer. This type of display uses much less power than a CRT, weighs considerably less, comes with more connection ports (DVI, HDMI, SVGA and RCA component). Can be powered directly by 12v depending on brand/model. LCD Tvs use a backlight so you can see the screen. Some LCD Tvs have a new backlight called LED (light emitting diode) that uses less power and allows a thinner case. These are commonly referred to as LED Tvs. These Tvs come in all sizes from 3 to 50 inches.

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) - display is similar to an LCD TV but instead of tiny pockets of liquid crystals, they use tiny LEDs to display the picture. These type of TVs provide brilliant pictures using tiny amounts of power and very thin cases. These are just starting to become available for homes.

Plasma - These TVs are very expensive, provide brilliant pictures, are altitude sensitive but have short life spans.

Jensen Direct has excellent TVs that have been constructed to withstand vibration shocks and temperature changes.

Internet Phone

You can use the internet as your phone company. This is called Voice Over IP (VOIP). Once you have connected your computer to the internet you use a headset with a microphone, a phone handset or a built-in microphone with a webcam. Why use VOIP instead of a cell phone? Talk for ever, no minutes, use ordinary phones (MagicJack/Vonnage), speakerphones. No cell phone radio held up to my head.

Services:

Skype - (http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home) Can be used for free or for a $3.00 monthly charge. Not bad. It works only on your computer and requires a microphone and speakers (headset with both is best) and if you want video a webcam (camera) attached to your computer. The video ability is great for connecting with the grandkids. Can be used anywhere you can get an internet connection (U.S. Canada, Mexico, etc.).

Magic Jack - (http://www.magicjack.com/5/index.asp) Costs $1.95 per month, connects to your computer through the USB port (a small device about twice the size of flash drive) and allows you to use an ordinary house phone to make phone calls (which means you could use an ordinary cordless phone). There are no local or long distance costs. You just need to connect to the internet. You can use this at your home base in place of your land-line as well as on the road when you have internet.

Vonnage - (http://www.vonage.com/) Costs $29.95 per month and has the disadvantage of requiring you to pay federal/state and local taxes and fees. But it works well.

Wireless Home Phone

Verizon - Verizon is now offering a home phone service that uses the cell phone system. It is a small stand-alone box that does not require an internet connection. It allows you to plug your home phone system into the box which then uses the cell phone system to place and receive calls. You old land-line phone number can be ported to the service. If you already have a Verizon account, you can add this service for $9.95 a month otherwise it is $20.00 per month. You can also take this box with you and use it in your RV anywhere there is a Verizon cell signal.