Router not permitted in campground

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Wandering

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Posts
141
Location
Mostly Seneca, SC
I have a Verizon broadband card and a Cradlepoint router.  We use this setup for wireless access to the Internet.  After we checked in today at the campground, we were presented with a page stating check-in and check-out times AND a network security policy which states that no routers are permitted because outside routers would interfere with their wireless network.  Has anyone heard of this at any campground?
 
If they have some really weak signal and are trying to use a little "home" size router from their office to service the entire campground. We have an on board router and amplifier but have never been told that. I would simply not mention it.

I had a guy who was camped behind me at a park tell me that when we were on line and powered up that his computer wouldn't even "see" that campground network.  Typical little router being used by the park though. 
 
I had one park owner complain about my WiFi Ranger router once he discovered where the "new" network was coming from.  He said it caused problems with their network. 
 
The first year we were at the Moab rally, one of the Jeep wally guys got all bent out of shape and started yelling because all of us with our rooftop dishes and routers had screwed up the campground WiFi. I guess it's possible but how can a campground stop me from having a router in my own coach for my own use?

Wendy
 
Wendy, the signal from your router is not limited to inside your coach - it goes out and can interfere with other campers using the CG wifi.
 
FrankNSharon said:
Wendy, the signal from your router is not limited to inside your coach - it goes out and can interfere with other campers using the CG wifi.
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And the campground's signal goes out and may interfere with my signal and television signals enter my motorhome as do radio signals. Not to mention all the times we have shared out router signal with other people so they could get internet access.

Wendy
 
When I run my repeater in my stick house my laptop still sees the weak signals from around the neighbor hood.  There should not be a problem unless they are running junk.
 
one of the Jeep wally guys got all bent out of shape and started yelling because all of us with our rooftop dishes and routers had screwed up the campground WiFi
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That certainly wasn't the problem this year, Wendy.  The campground's service provider FAPped them the first day we were there, rendering their wi-fi inoperative.  Or as good as inoperative - ever try sharing a 56 Kbps feed between a couple of dozen users?

I'm not saying it was our fault, though - there were lots of non-satellite users there besides our group.
 
A very large number of people, and this includes campground managers, Take a router out of the box and plug it in.

Some may change the SSID, but change the channel? How do you do that?

Thus, all the routers are on the default channel of six.. and do indeed interfer with each other

Turn off your SSID and you can still connect to it (Your computer remembers) but the othes will not even see it in all likelyhood,  I do a scan for routers and try to pick a non-interfering channel.

1, 6 and 11 are non-overlapping, other channels will overlap one of those and/or one or more of the remaining channels.. Assorted sources.. Channel 1 is also licensed for another more powerful service.. Just so you know.


NOTE: I said others won't see it in all likelyhood.. I can see no-ssid routers.. I can't connect, but I can see them.. Also do put a password/passphrase/key on it if you have not (As I recall Cradlepoints' come that way, the last six of the MAC address,  change it if you have not)
 
With several of routers operating, it is quite possible that more than one is trying to use the same "channel". Yes, wif routers have "channels" just like a tv set. You can set which one yours sues, but most just let it default or let it try to automatically chose an unused one one it powers up. I've seen a few cases of interference, where a router didn't work right despite a strong signal, but it is not common.

I suspect the CG owner got fed a line about interference being a possible problem and he went overboard on enforcement. It's a great way for his wifi provider to block any criticism - just blame in on the customer.
 
IIRC, it was the same year at Moab when one we had a remote control battle with the guy parked next to us. We were not watching the same programs and kept changing each other's Dish Network until Mike called Dish and got our frequency changed. I know life was easier before all this electronic junk.

Wendy - off to download some ebooks for her Nook.
 
Wendy, no one is paying you to watch TV on your set, but people are paying the CG to use it's WiFi, when youj interfere with it, it causes unhappy customers and added customer service issues for the CG, so they can ask/require you to follow their rules or not let you stay there.
 
We got the same type of warning at Americas Mailbox new campground. Most days I used their WIFI, but when I needed my printer I had to turn on the Cradlepoint router. I did turn off broadcasting the SSID.

 
If a campground owner provides a service his customers want and can do so w/o spending a lot of cash then why not do it. If one of his customers interferes with this service, expected by all other customers, then why shouldn't he be able to bar someone from interfering with this service?  If someone is fortunate to have a router in their unit please realize the vast majority of others do not, but they do expect uninterrupted service advertised by the owner.



 
On Windows you can use software such as http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/ to see what is happening around you.  Including all the channels in use and the overlap.  Sample screen shot at http://www.justinmontgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/inSSIDer.png

There is overlap on all channels to adjacent channels.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels. 

As stated by others you can usually change your routers channel to not conflict with the campground equipment. 

Also you can frequently lower the power of the Wireless Access Point which would likely help decrease the complaints if you are on the campground channel. 

Hiding your SSID will help reduce the complaints but I suspect a product such as inSSIDer would still show something.

Also the campground might have multiple access points hopefully on different channels so it might be tricky to find a channel that is relatively clear if you're between the two points.

 
threeful said:
If a campground owner provides a service his customers want and can do so w/o spending a lot of cash then why not do it. If one of his customers interferes with this service, expected by all other customers, then why shouldn't he be able to bar someone from interfering with this service?  If someone is fortunate to have a router in their unit please realize the vast majority of others do not, but they do expect uninterrupted service advertised by the owner.
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Actually the FCC has said something on this.  WIFI is an unlicensed service and thus has NO EXPECTATION on no interference from other users.  Same as Garage door openers etc.
 
Jim Godward said:
Actually the FCC has said something on this.  WIFI is an unlicensed service and thus has NO EXPECTATION on no interference from other users.  Same as Garage door openers etc.
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Sure.  But that's only for complaints to the FCC.  Campground owner can put in any rules they like.

 
Tony_Alberta said:
Sure.  But that's only for complaints to the FCC.  Campground owner can put in any rules they like.
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I personally would only complain if the signal from a camper prevented me from reliably connecting to the WiFi offered by the CG and was locked by a password.

If the signal was "free" of a password, then I would just connect to it and conduct my business. If I'm paying a CG for WiFi and connect to a stronger signal than offered by the CG, I figure I'm better off. I just hope the provider has unlimited data included in their plan... ;D

My PDA can be used to locate the offender without connecting, so lodging a complaint against the correct camper is pretty easy.
 
If you want to see what WiFi around you and you have an Android phone get the free APP: WiFi Analyzer.  It gives you lots of info!

It is great and it's kind of fun to carry it around.

JerryF
 
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