# Wifi Booster



## outbackmac (Feb 1, 2005)

I have access to a slingbox and would like to boost my WIFI signal is there a cheap way to do this. On weekdays at the campground not a problem but when the weekend comes a different story.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

If it works fine on weekdays, but not on weekends, it's not a problem of the WiFi antenna, but rather of the load put onto the campground's WiFi. With more people on it (during the weekend) the bandwidth has to be shared among more people, giving you a smaller slice of the proverbial WiFi pie.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

raynardo said:


> If it works fine on weekdays, but not on weekends, it's not a problem of the WiFi antenna, but rather of the load put onto the campground's WiFi. With more people on it (during the weekend) the bandwidth has to be shared among more people, giving you a smaller slice of the proverbial WiFi pie.


Ditto. Having said that, there are additional possibilities, depending on how your campground is setup up. If it has a non-trivial wi-fi fabric, it may be that the access point you are using is particularly popular and you could get some benefit by boosting just your wifi client signal to give you additional access points. There are 2 reasons why that probably won't help: 1) most wifi acess points and/or routers have *far* more bandwidth than the the campgrounds internet service is likely providing, and 2) the campground probably isn't subscribing to more than one internet service connection in order to accommodate the swolen bandwidth requirements on the weekends. The only thing boosting the client would do in these cases is allow you to find another nearby open network to leech on to for service.

If it becomes a real hassle for you, you may want to investigate a deducted cellular broadband connection service that will allow you to create your own private wifi hotspot. You can control what devices will will be on it, and thereby determine who gets the bandwidth. I havea a Verizon 4G LTE smartphone with mobile hotspot capability. In 4G coverage areas, I have logged speed tests that obtain 18+_Mb down and 5 to 15 Mb up. My home cablemodem based service is consistently 18 Mb down and 1 Mb up, so the 4G LTE mobile broadband beats when in that coverage.

Sorry to ramble ;-)


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

luverofpeanuts is correct about using broadband service utilizing your own hotspot. I just cancelled my service with Verizon that offered that. I had a Verizon Wireless UM175 USB Modem which I inserted into a CradlePoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot - Wireless access point. This worked like a charmer, but there are a several of caveats:


These two pieces of hardware cost anywhere from $100 to $200. The modem cost can be rebated with a contract for the wireless service from Verizon.
Verizon no longer offers unlimited broadband service, so you'll end up paying about $75/month for 5Gb of service monthly via a 24 month contract, which is $1800.
Be aware that if you enter Canada with the device on your costs become astronomical. I know, it happened to me this summer. I ended up getting a bill for $1000 for just 24 hours of service after I crossed the border.
 I had unlimited service grandfathered in at a special rate of $60/month because I had a government job and I was able to keep the rate after I retired.

I have now completely dropped Verizon after that costly my Canadian fiasco. I currently have an LG Optimus V phone through Virgin Mobile (Sprint) which has the wireless hotspot capability built into this Android phone. Best of all, I only pay $25 a month for unlimited text and data with 300 voice minutes a month and NO contract! And since I also have and use Google Voice, which is free, I now have unlimited voice as well!

To make a long story short, get an Android phone with unlimited text and data which offers a built-in hotspot.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

I was looking for something to allow internet access out in the boondocks. I have US Cellular as my phone provider with an Android phone. I tried a couple of times to use it to connect my laptop but the speed was terrible. It worked ok for just the phone but the hotspot sucked. Looked at Sprints offering. Even though the guy at Best Buy stated that it would work where I was located and that it had unlimited usage checking on the web told me different. finally went with a Verizon MiFi. right now it gets around 2M download which is about the speed of the DSL at work but 4G is suppose to come to the area next summer. Cost me $50 for the equipment and $50 for 5 Gigs per month. The problem I would see is that the Slingbox would really eat the bandwidth and it would end up costing you a lot to use it that way. Only other way it to get a high end phone with an unlimited data plan and watch it over the phone. As far as getting more bandwidth on the weekend, I think you're out of luck.


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## outbackmac (Feb 1, 2005)

i was thinking if i increased my signal it would help with my bandwith to help my signal for tv reception but i think iam wrong


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

outbackmac said:


> i was thinking if i increased my signal it would help with my bandwith to help my signal for tv reception but i think iam wrong


by "tv reception" you mean accessing your home TV (which is somewhere) via a slingbox player running over the campgrounds wireless network.... is that correct?

If so, the signal you're asking about increasing is the wifi signal, correct?

If both of those are accurate, then you're correct, that is is the wrong signal to help you ;-) The slingplayer is being throttled by high data traffic demand through the whole campground during those busy times.

Think of it as similar to water supply ;-) The campgrounds main water supply line is only so big.... making the connection from your camper to the main water supply really really really good and fat... ... doesn't matter if the the pipe to the campground is only so big.... when water demand is high... it's still only going to provide so much. You need to find your own source of water.... or make the campgrounds water supply line bigger ;-)

;-)


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## outback loft (Sep 22, 2008)

You will burn through 5 gigs of data on a cellular data connection very quickly running a slingbox, netflix, or any other streaming service. I usually use my laptops mobile broadband connection which is unlimited (not the 5 gig cap that most offer). This past weekend I was using my cell phones wifi connection and I got a notice on the second day that I was at 2 gig of my 5 gig cap, so I stopped using it untill my next billing cycle. I was running netflix exclusively and that is what burned through the data limit.

As far as having issues with the campgrounds wifi on weekends it is almost definitely due to increased usage and boosting the signal isnt going to do much for you as there is only so much bandwidth available. I have this same issue at home as my cable provider hasn't provided enough bandwidth for the community I live in and on weekends in the summer (most houses are summer homes) my internet is useless for streaming music, video, or even my VoIP phone service too. I have multiple signal boosters at my house because of the area of the house(4000sq ft) and the size of the property(5 acres). I have hardwired boosters in the garage, poolhouse, and guesthouse so the signal does not degrade, but there is only so much bandwidth available to me as a residential customer as well.


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