Fell End Milnthorpe

[Javert]

Does anyone know this site and if so is there a decent mobile signal on any of the phone networks there? Also is the Wi-Fi acceptable?
Looking at a possible seasonal pitch there.

 

[Woodentop]

Web sites suggest:
VF = 2G only
3 = 4G good
EE = 2G and 4G
O2 = 2G, 3G and 4G (O2 not due to turn 3G off yet.)

You could of course ring the site and ask them?

 

[Javert]

Web sites suggest:
VF = 2G only
3 = 4G good
EE = 2G and 4G
O2 = 2G, 3G and 4G (O2 not due to turn 3G off yet.)

You could of course ring the site and ask them?

I did ask them when I was there but they were a bit non committal about it - that said that folks in their mobile homes and tourers do use Wi-Fi aerials on their facility but I’m new to caravanning so I don’t know whether I should take them at their word or not as they are trying to sell me a seasonal pitch.

 

[RogerL]

I did ask them when I was there but they were a bit non committal about it - that said that folks in their mobile homes and tourers do use Wi-Fi aerials on their facility but I’m new to caravanning so I don’t know whether I should take them at their word or not as they are trying to sell me a seasonal pitch.

If their existing customers need to use a Wifi aerial, it's not that good!

 

[Woodentop]

Wi-fi means that the site offers the service to those on site, sometimes free, sometimes chargeable.. In that case your laptop or mobile will log on using its own wi-fi facility but you may need a password from the site operator.

If there is no wi-fi service available you will need to get a connection from the cellular network. If your phone can be used on cellular - i.e. there is a decent signal - if you go into setup/network (or sometimes drag up or down the screen which way you need to get a menu) you will find an option called hotspot. If you activate this option then when you connect your laptop or whatever to your phone by wi-fi it will be able to access the Interweb. Note that this method uses the data available by your ISP on your mobile contract so you could run out of data if your limit is small.

Having just had a dig into the Fell end site I found (and it isn't easy to find either!) that all of their sites have wi-fi at extra cost. It is common on remote sites that the main broadband feed is quite slow and by the time you have umpteen users active on it it is just about fast enough to look at e-mails and do a bit of browsing provided it does not use video (which eats data at an alarming rate.)

You win some and you loose some!

 

[Javert]

Wi-fi means that the site offers the service to those on site, sometimes free, sometimes chargeable.. In that case your laptop or mobile will log on using its own wi-fi facility but you may need a password from the site operator.

If there is no wi-fi service available you will need to get a connection from the cellular network. If your phone can be used on cellular - i.e. there is a decent signal - if you go into setup/network (or sometimes drag up or down the screen which way you need to get a menu) you will find an option called hotspot. If you activate this option then when you connect your laptop or whatever to your phone by wi-fi it will be able to access the Interweb. Note that this method uses the data available by your ISP on your mobile contract so you could run out of data if your limit is small.

Having just had a dig into the Fell end site I found (and it isn't easy to find either!) that all of their sites have wi-fi at extra cost. It is common on remote sites that the main broadband feed is quite slow and by the time you have umpteen users active on it it is just about fast enough to look at e-mails and do a bit of browsing provided it does not use video (which eats data at an alarming rate.)

You win some and you loose some!

So I used the wrong terminology which is a bit embarrassing considering I work in IT. What I understood from their comments is that pitch holders there are using an Wi-Fi hotspot in their caravans which has a 4g SIM card and is presumably connected to an outside aerial of some kind on the caravan (I.e. they are not just using their phone as a hotspot)

I am aware that the site has paid Wi-Fi available but I suspect it does not stretch to where the touring caravans are located.

 

[RogerL]

So I used the wrong terminology which is a bit embarrassing considering I work in IT. What I understood from their comments is that pitch holders there are using an Wi-Fi hotspot in their caravans which has a 4g SIM card and is presumably connected to an outside aerial of some kind on the caravan (I.e. they are not just using their phone as a hotspot)

I am aware that the site has paid Wi-Fi available but I suspect it does not stretch to where the touring caravans are located.

That may be using a MIFI unit which uses a 4G mobile phone signal and creates a local wifi.

 

[Woodentop]

Mi-fi units usually available from CeX - Computer Exchange (uk.webuy.com) but be careful to get one with 4G and that it is unlocked. Huawei are some of the best.

 

[Javert]

Mi-fi units usually available from CeX - Computer Exchange (uk.webuy.com) but be careful to get one with 4G and that it is unlocked. Huawei are some of the best.

Thanks - I am aware of those units. Does it make a big difference if you get a proper system with an antenna that is properly wired into the caravan?

 

[Woodentop]

A caravan will generally act as a Faraday Cage and block the signal. If you have a mi-fi unit putting it in the skylight will probably help, else you could put it on the dash in your car - it will still provide a good signal inside the van. You can get an external aerial for it from the likes of Solwise in Hull - they have been around since the early days of the Interweb and know what they are doing. Just don't get a long interconnect cable for the aerial. The higher the cellular frequency the more the loss.
I have two of the units (4G) and one with 3G which works or used to work well. Else, as already said, use a mobile in hotspot mode - even buy a cheap 2nd hand smartphone and try it?