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A Better Antenna will give you a Better Connection

The more you understand about WiFi, the greater your odds of having successful Internet connections. WiFi is not like a TV where the only task is to receive and display. WiFi is a 2-way radio system AND a computer AND an Internet connection AND a network that shares that Internet connection. There is a lot to know. Don't let this scare you off though - if you have a new computer, you keep it clean from viruses and spyware, and you have a good antenna, you can just turn it on, and it works. Traveling in an RV means you're always in a new location and having the best antenna will mean a higher percentage of success!

In order to use WiFi, you must have a WiFi adapter. Part of the adapter is an antenna. WiFi is 2 way radio which creates a Local Area Network. A hotspot operator takes the Broadband Internet Connection that comes into your RV park and brings it into an Access Point. Your computer needs to connect to that Access Point via a Local Area Network. It used to be that the only way to connect to a Local Area Network was to string cable that plugged into your computer. WiFi handles the same function as that cable - it connects your computer to the Access Point via 2-way radio.

Remember the 'rabbit ears' on TVs? The better your antenna, the better your reception. You would move those rabbit ears around to get the best signal, and, if that wasn't good enough, you would put an antenna on the roof. Same with WiFi. A better antenna will give you a better connection. But TV only has to receive. It is a one-way signal. For 2-way like WiFi, you need to receive the signal AND you need to get the signal sent *back* before you have a connection.

Here's a typical user's antenna. It's about 3 inches and is powered by 50 - 100 milliwatts.

 

Here's a typical RV Park antenna. It is typically powered with 500 milliwatts to 1 watt:
It's a 2-way radio signal. Which antenna do you think defines the limitations of making a connection?

I can hear lots of you saying, "I don't have an antenna at all, what are you talking about?" Well, you must have an antenna. Maybe you can't see it. If you have a laptop with built-in WiFi capabilities, the antenna is 'built-in' to your computer. So, it's probably just a little chip inside your computer. Your odds are very slim that it will be able to make connection with the Access Point in an RV park that may be 100 yards away and have lots of RVs in the way. It will work fine in a small office, home, or coffee shop where the Access Point is in the same room as your computer. But, an RV park is different. There are long distances and lots of obstacles. You need a better antenna to make it work. If you happened to be parked close to the Access Point and you are able to connect, congratulations! Just don't count on it, even the fact of having your computer inside your RV means that the radio signal needs to be sent thru the walls of your coach. If the refrigerator is between your computer and the Access Point, it will be a problem, even if you are close.

Recommendations for RVers:

Built-in WiFi

Computers with built-in WiFi capability rarely have what it takes to connect in an RV Park. If you happen to be close to the Access Point (the hotspot's antenna) and there are no obstructions - then it may work just fine. You can try it. If it works, great! But, if not, just get another adapter. We recommend the USB type (see below). If you do plug in a USB type of adapter, then remember to turn off or disable your internal adapter. (Watch this video to Turn On/Off your Internal Wireless adapter. )Your computer can only utilize one of them at a time. Note: some new laptops have the antenna built-in all around the the outside perimeter of the 'lid' - these can work very well.

 

WiFi PC Cards

Cards aren't much better. The antenna is just that little black part that is sticking out of your computer once it's plugged in. These will work just fine in a home office or a coffee shop, but when you're in an RV park, you need to be able to position your antenna to get the best connection. In order to position this one, you would need to move your whole computer. Not all cards are created equal, there are some high-powered (more expensive) cards that are very good - they usually come with removeable antennas that can accept an external connection.

 

 

USB Adapters - Yes!

The USB type adapters are usually more powerful than built-in or card type adapters, but we mostly recommend them because they are attached to your computer with a relatively long cable. This gives you the flexibility to move them around to find the best position to acquire signal. We are constantly surprised at how much difference it can make just to move the adapter/antenna even just 6 inches! I was in one RV park with my USB adapter sitting on the desk beside my computer. I could not connect to the WiFi signal. I moved it just a few inches up and taped it to the window beside me and I got a solid connection.

The only problem with USB adapters is that there are so many choices! There are dozens of brands and models. We have not been able to categorize the brands by good, better and best. But we have found that some brands work better with some computers. The only conclusion we've come to is this: if you don't like the performance you're getting, try another adapter - you may be pleasantly surprised with the improvement. We now have quite a collection of USB adapters in our coach! I'm not going to write any recommendations in this article because I would have to revisit it every couple of weeks! Our personal favorite adapter is not being made any more and new ones come out every day. Just be sure that, if you have an older computer with the old USB 1.1 ports, do not try to use a new USB 2.0 (high-speed) type of adapter - we've seen lots of problems with that.

Wireless Bridge with External Antenna

Now, we're really talking power! This is the top of the line way to connect to a WiFi hotspot. If you're willing to spend some money and learn a little more about how to set it up, this is the equipment which will give you the highest percentage of success.

Instead of using either the card slot, or the USB port of your computer, you use the Ethernet port. You plug in a 'Wireless Bridge'. It's called a bridge because that's what it does, it 'bridges' between your Ethernet connection and a wireless signal. Here is a sample:

This bridge comes with an antenna, but you can remove that and add an outdoor antenna, or even one that you can mount to the roof of your RV. We believe it will soon be an option you can request when you purchase an RV to have a roof-mount WiFi antenna with a wireless bridge inside. Then all you have to do is plug your computer into the bridge with an Ethernet cable.

The antenna in the photo at right is known as a 'Tree-blaster' and is designed specifically for boats, trucks and RVs.

 

Other articles:
Increasing Wireless Range

 

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