Don't Skype or upload photos in RV parks

[Oldedit]

Don't Skype or upload photos in RV parks

Wi-Fi connections in many of the fine RV parks we've used on our trip to Alaska are often down because they've been over loaded by guests who use Skype and upland and download photoes and play games on line.

If you want RV parks' Wi-Fi services and your carrier's air cards to let you on the internet, be considerate of others and limit your online activities to email, surfing the news and commenting on message boards and various web sites.

 

[DakotaRed]

I disagree unless the park says specifically that they don't allow it.  In reality Skype does not use up a significant amount of bandwidth, but I understand that in some parks the connection is so slow, that even using Skype is too much for it.  As far as uploading pictures, it seems to me the reasonable thing that someone on vacation would like to upload their pictures.


Personally, I don't depend on the wi-fi in a park, and instead have a Verizon USB air card.  It gives me better throughput and privacy.

 

[Jeff]

Most systems are overloaded from streaming video and large file downloads. Uploading photos is not affecting the download capacity.

While some parks may not prohibit Skype or video (Many do) it certainly degrades most park wifi systems to the point no one can enjoy their use.

 

[SeilerBird]

Don't Skype or upload photos in RV parks

It is pretty rude to order people around. Who elected you king?

 

[odie1234]

It is pretty rude to order people around. Who elected you king?

I agree. Unless limits are in place, clearly stated, and enforced,  it is unreasonable to assume that people will self limit usage to allow some room for others. How would anyone know how much is too much use? If access is important, as it is to us, you have to provide your own connection.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A nice thought, but I no longer expect anybody to limit their own use of a service so that others can enjoy it too. That sort of courtesy seems to be a thing of the past. The most prevalent attitude appears to be that it's up to the park to provide enough for everybody to use whatever they wish, and if they don't, well tough luck for the others. Complain to the park office, not ME.

I bring my own, but much the same thing happens. All too often the bandwidth is inadequate for everybody to make unlimited use. Still, each subscriber is directly paying for a reasonable share of that service, so it's reasonable that they expect to get the level of service they paid for.

 

[Tin man]

You pay the money and..............


You get what you pay for.........

If itis free cannot complain......

 

[docj]

A nice thought, but I no longer expect anybody to limit their own use of a service so that others can enjoy it too. That sort of courtesy seems to be a thing of the past. The most prevalent attitude appears to be that it's up to the park to provide enough for everybody to use whatever they wish, and if they don't, well tough luck for the others. Complain to the park office, not ME.

If the park advertises they have WiFi then they should expect that people will treat it just like the other "utilities" they provide, namely water and electricity.  If a park doesn't meter electricity or charge extra for 50A or for multiple A/C's then no one expects me to limit my usage below the 50A service I am connected to.  Even though we usually turn out the lights when we leave, nothing says we have to and the park would have no recourse regardless.  Similarly, a park may ask me not to wash my rig but that is usually for aesthetics, not for water conservation.  If I want to take long showers every day no one is going to question my water usage.

So why should customers expect to have to treat WiFi differently if the service is advertised by the CG as something that will attract customers?  Are customers supposed to know that the park really didn't mean good, free WiFi, but only marginally-acceptable, free WiFi? I recognize that installing robust WiFi systems is expensive and may not even be possible in some rural locations, but then don't advertise that your park has "FREE WiFi".  IMHO park owners do themselves a disservice and end up with unhappy customers by promising more than they can deliver.

 

[Just Lou]

I can only imagine what half the folks here look like going through a buffet line. :

 

[M1894]

We never use the free access, as it is unsecure and I would rather use my secure connections and keep my computer safe, so free wii-fi means nothing to me.


Lee

 

[docj]

We never use the free access, as it is unsecure and I would rather use my secure connections and keep my computer safe, so free wii-fi means nothing to me.

It is a common misconception that unsecured wifi is inherently unsafe; this is simply not true if you are connected to a website that utilized HTTPS protocol which essentially includes all US bank and credit card sites and many others, including Google if you are logged into your account.  Essentially, the HTTPS protocol creates a "VPN-like" environment in which your security flows from the encryption of the site you are communicating with.

The horror stories that get repeated on the internet of people who have had their information stolen are primarily associated with individuals who connected to a free wifi thinking it belonged to a merchant or even an airport and who found out later that they had connected to a fraudulent network that was set up expressly to steal information.  So when you go to Starbucks make sure the network you connect to really belongs to the restaurant.

As for the risk of unsecured wifi it is primarily to your casual websurfing and unencrypted emails sent using Outlook or other email clients.  But most people, hopefully, know not to put sensitive information into emails.

 

[JerArdra]

In the motorhome we always use our own encrypted router/modem connection to protect against someone getting into our computer to do us damage.  We do not use free WiFi in MH parks. 

Our router/modem at home does not have a wireless capability and we always connect using Cat-5 cables. 

JerryF

 

[SubVet]

Jerry, see the post above yours.  You're really in no danger.

 

[DakotaRed]

It is unfair and wrong to say that someone was not considerate or that they exhibited rude behavior because they used Skype or uploaded some pictures. The world of connections to the Internet continually changes and gets better, so to say on one day not to abuse a service by using X data blocks, the next day might allow considerably more traffic.  So as others have said, unless they have specific rules as to how much data transfer you are allowed in a day, then you should feel free to use as much as you are comfortable with.


When I first got to this park, I was unable to use my USB air card.  I have since bought and am using a booster, but until then I was forced to use the campground wi-fi.  I explained to them that to do my job, I was forced to violate their rule of using more than 200Meg a day.  They understood that for me to stay there and work, I had no other choice.  Even then, I don't think I had any effect on other users in the park with my usage.

 

[mylo]

It is unfair and wrong to say that someone was not considerate or that they exhibited rude behavior because they used Skype or uploaded some pictures. The world of connections to the Internet continually changes and gets better, so to say on one day not to abuse a service by using X data blocks, the next day might allow considerably more traffic.  So as others have said, unless they have specific rules as to how much data transfer you are allowed in a day, then you should feel free to use as much as you are comfortable with.

Saying that someone should be allowed to use "X data blocks" per day is not the same as bandwidth. Someone streaming short videos for a short duration might only transfer a small amount of data per day - but while they are streaming them, it is clogging the park's bandwidth and affecting everyone. Right now I think it's fair to say that while some people know EXACTLY what they are doing (and don't care for anyone else) - there are a lot of non-techie people that have no idea how their WiFi usage habits can affect others. I recently told my 12 yr old son (that shares my cellular data plan) to "knock it off with the downloads" until the billing cycle starts again (as we were nearing our limit). 10 minutes later I saw him streaming a HiFi YouTube video on his phone over cellular. "Didn't you hear what I said?" I asked. "Yeah," he said. "I didn't download it, I'm just streaming it". (facepalm)

Hopefully in the next few years some more advanced hardware will become available to parks that will allow the park owner to throttle bandwidth per IP address (or ideally blocks of IPs). That way, each parking space gets a set amount of bandwidth, and just because some self-entitled people will try to do streaming movies (unsuccessfully) they won't be bogging down the rest of the pipe for everyone else. However, until that hardware becomes a lot cheaper and easier to use - it's still a long way off. We're probably more likely to see hardwired ethernet jacks at the posts before that - which will be fine with me. I'll pack my own secured hotspot...




Mylo

 

[odie1234]

Hopefully in the next few years some more advanced hardware will become available to parks that will allow the park owner to throttle bandwidth per IP address (or ideally blocks of IPs).

I am sure it is not inexpensive, but we have stayed a couple places that do exactly that. If a user reaches their daily limit their speed is severely throttled. In each place, this was clearly stated in the rules and enforced (I think automatically). IMO, this is exactly the way it should be handled, although I would have no idea if the capital/operating cost is recoverable at low cost rv parks.

 

[Oldedit]

I disagree unless the park says specifically that they don't allow it.  In reality Skype does not use up a significant amount of bandwidth, but I understand that in some parks the connection is so slow, that even using Skype is too much for it.  As far as uploading pictures, it seems to me the reasonable thing that someone on vacation would like to upload their pictures.


Personally, I don't depend on the wi-fi in a park, and instead have a Verizon USB air card.  It gives me better throughput and privacy.

Some folks don't like my direct style. No offense intended.

My Verizon MiFi card hasn't worked since we were in White Horse, YT. On my phone, I get Verizon Extended 3G. The MiFI says I'm connected, Safari says I'm not. Our park operator says no one gets on with Verizon MiFi in Alaska. AT&T is great, she claimed. I own both stocks.

The park operator claimed downloads and Skype have nothing to do with her WiFi performance. She says it is all about the number of IP addresses on the system. Hers is limited to 49. There are 100 sites in the park. Our iPad, phones and computers use five IP addresses. I'm in a coffee shop in Palmer, Ak.

 

[Ned]

Many router can be configured to limit bandwidth based on the protocol but the campgrounds generally don't have that sophisticated of an installation or don't know how to configure the router to do that.

 

[Jeff]

Most routers allow blocking specific URL's for all users and several I have been in have done that for Netflix, You Tube, etc.

 

[Bob Maxwell]

Jeff, that makes sense and if they make it plain that certain sites are blocked in their advertising or registration process, that sets a leve playing field. I like my aircard, mobile hot spot and router connection more each day.