Using Wi-Fi In Your Static Caravan

Using Wi-Fi in your static caravan is becoming a standard requirement for many of us, but it can pose some problems. This quick guide is designed to help you get a secure and reliable connection to the online world from your static caravan.

Most static caravan parks have Wi-Fi that you can simply sign up to and then access the usual online services. Many parks will have one central router for which you just need the password and you are good to go.

However, signal strength can be an issue in this scenario. If your static caravan is a long way from the hub or the line of sight is obscured by buildings, hills or vegetation, the signal can be weak and patchy. One central router can also suffer slow speeds if demand for Wi-Fi is high when the park is popular in the summer. The bandwidth your park’s router is using can only accommodate so many users at a time and data transfer will get slower, the more people are using it.

There are a number of alternatives if you have problems with your park’s Wi-Fi service.

1. Have Wi-Fi fitted in your own static caravan
This is the most secure way of making sure you get good internet speeds and a reliable service. This does depend on your park having landlines or you being able to arrange the installation of one to your static caravan. You should speak with your park management about this. If you find that there are existing land lines in the park, then it is simply a matter of shopping around for the best broadband provider.

2. Get a signal booster
If the main problem is a weak signal from a remote router, then a signal booster can really help. Resembling an antenna, the booster would typically fit on the outside of your static caravan or plugged into a device. This will boost the signal from the router into parts of your static caravan that are only receiving a weak signal.

A signal booster will not, however, help with low bandwidth caused by too many users to too few routers. If this is your problem, you should look at one of the other solutions below.

3. Get a Mi-Fi device
Mi-Fi devices tap into local 3G, 4G or 5G networks to secure uninterrupted internet access. They work a little like a mobile phone contract. They provide a number of connections at a time and act in that way like your own hub or router.

Major mobile phone companies will deal in Mi-Fi devices. Be sure to check the local down and upload speeds for the different providers before making a purchase.

4. Use your phone as a hotspot
If your contract already allows it or you can upgrade, your phone can stand in for a router by becoming a hotspot to which you can ‘tether’ other devices. However, be very careful that you do not run up a large data usage phone bill. You can set your phone to place a limit on usage or you can upgrade your contract to include unlimited data. This can often be the quickest on-hand solution to poor internet service in your static caravan.

5. Get a Dongle
The final option is to get a dongle. These are sold by many mobile communications companies, usually with a monthly pay-as-you-go-plan. They are quick and easy. You just plug it into your device, typically in a spare USB slot, sign in and away you go. The monthly payment plan can often work well for static caravan owners who are away for months at a time and don’t want the expense of maintaining a landline or Mi-Fi contract.

Be aware that dongles only allow one connection at a time so if you have a family who all want to be online at once, they will all need dongles or one of the other solutions discussed above will probably be better.

Most parks do now provide on-site internet access but we hope this guide has been useful for those occasions when it doesn’t quite work so smoothly.

This is a marketing article from My Holiday Home Insurance, a specialist provider of insurance for holiday homes, leisure homes, holiday lodges and static caravans. Our team of experienced advisers are always happy to help, so for more information call our Northampton office on freephone 0800 988 0890.

To stay up to date with similar topics, please like and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.