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Fiwi internet tower5/29/2023 ![]() *Note: This is not sponsored by Verizon in any way. ![]() I mean, what is the point of paying for cell service if you don’t have a good cell signal? Verizon plans cost a bit more per month (around $10 more on average) than the other networks, but in our opinion it’s worth it for the coverage and the unlimited plan. Our personal experience: We’ve tried a few different cell phone networks in the USA and in our experience, the one with the best coverage has been Verizon*. You can compare all networks or just two that you’re deciding between. You will see a map of the United States, and you can turn on layers that show each cell phone network’s coverage. (You can access this from their website or the app version.) One way to compare the networks’ coverage in areas you’ll be traveling is to use Free Roam’s free and unbiased map tool. Turn off one layer at a time to see coverage more clearly. This map from Free Roam shows all networks’ coverage at once. That said, the areas where you will have coverage will vary a bit. T-Mobile / Sprint (merged as of April 2020)Įach of these networks have 4G and are in the process of rolling out 5G across the country. Let’s walk through some things to consider… USA Cell Networks Maybe your current provider is a great option, or perhaps you will want to consider changing plans. The first thing you’ll want to do is choose a cell phone provider that is going to provide you with a strong signal to work with since that is going to help determine your overall WiFi strength. Strong phone coverage = strong overall Internet. Moral of the story: Crappy cell phone coverage = crappy overall Internet. If you have a spotty cell phone signal, your foundation is going to be “cracked” and it’s going to be difficult to build a strong metaphorical “house”. This means that your cell phone plan is kind of like the foundation and your overall WiFi is your house. Now that you know the basic process, let’s dig into the first step: choosing a good cell phone plan for vanlife.Įssentially, you’ll be taking your cell phone service and converting it into Internet for your campervan. There are a few other ways to get a WiFi signal in your campervan (we’ll go over them in this article), but the methods above are the ones we’d recommend. (Optional) Turn on a Cell Signal Booster to increase the range and speed of your Hotspot Device Turn on your Hotspot Device (establishing a WiFi signal)Ĭonnect your laptop or tablet via WiFi to your Hotspot Device (Optional) Turn on a Cell Signal Booster to increase the range and speed of your Cell Phone’s Hotspotīuy a Hotspot Device and pay for a data plan Turn your cell phone into a mobile hotspot (establishing a WiFi signal)Ĭonnect your laptop or tablet via WiFi to your cell phone’s hotspot Here are the two processes that most vanlifers use to get WiFi in their campervan: When setting up WiFi in a house, you typically plug a router into the wall, and voila – you can surf the net!īut obviously this wouldn’t work in a campervan. We will note when products work in other regions of the world, but if you are based elsewhere, you’ll want to do some more country-specific research. For the purpose of this article, we’re focusing on the United States. Important Note: As much as we’d love to cover WiFi options for the entire globe, Internet and cell service vary significantly from country to country. If you’re looking to spend as little as possible, your options will look different from someone who is planning to invest a bit of money in their mobile workspace. ![]() It’s also helpful to have a good handle on how much money you’re willing to spend for camper van WiFi. Will you need to be streaming or video chatting often for work? Will it mostly be used for work or pleasure? How big of a priority is it for you to have Internet access? What are your Internet needs?īefore we get started, it’s a good idea to know exactly what your Internet needs are: Let’s dive in and discuss each of them as well as pros and cons. There are several options out there for all needs and budgets. Hit the road and enjoy the freedom of being disconnected!īut if you’re like us, and work online and will be in your van long term, you’ll likely need to figure out how to get Internet in your campervan. If you’re just planning to use your van as an adventure-mobile, you could easily get by without having a WiFi set-up. Gotta make that money, in order to fund those adventures, after all. Sounds dreamy, right?īut reality set in and as it turns out, we both still needed to work on the road. When we first became infatuated with #vanlife, we imagined waking up in thick forests, making coffee and having a slow morning, disconnected from all cell signals, social media and all devices. ![]()
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