Wi-Fi on CC Sites

[charlie_374349329]

Just been looking at the Caravan Club website and there ad. for Wi-Fi....never looked at it before....have you seen how much they charge !!!!!

1 hour - £5 (Valid for use over 72 hours from first log in)

4 hours - £8 (Valid for use over 92 hours from first log in)

7 days - £20

30 days - £33

Another rip off from the CC....my advice....go to the nearest McDs or Subway sandwich bar, buy a coffee and use there's FREE

Who wants to take there laptop away with them anyway, thought the idea of caravanning was to get away from it all

 

[Damian]

How can it be a rip off? you are not forced to pay for the service, it is entirely optional.

If you do not like the price, simply do not use the service.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I can't see the clubs internet access lasting very long at those prices, I've never heard of anyone using it. I take my laptop with me because I don't bother with TV and I can edit the pics I've taken. I've got a VodaFone dongle for the internet, the cost is

 

[Dustydog]

Internet Cafes are

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Beware of some sites that also advertise 'free internet access'.

One C.C. managed site I went to told me when I enquired that I could try to log in if I wanted but mostly it didn't work. No, it didn't work.

Another private site advertised the same but all you were allowed to do was check on your emails on the reception computer.

If you do need access check when booking that you can receive it in your caravan.

 

[Surfer]

Whichever way you look at it, it is still cheaper to but a dongle these days than to use an expensive hook up like what the CC offer. Anyway within a year you probably will have the option of more than onbe supplier. Although I have a dongle, I have the option of using either BTFon or BTOpenzone if I wish to pay for the time.

 

[Dustydog]

LB

The Maimsahib has the dongle thing too but like a mobile it doesn't work everywhere.

Resipole on Loch Sunart were trialling WiFi for free. It was hit and miss. The signal strength was half a bar. The installers suggested that we stood outside the caravan to get better reception!

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Chris_374413356]

I am reliably told by them that know, the high price is to recoup the high installation cost and then the price will come down.

I think I'll be too old to caravan then, of course you can always go to that well known drinking establishment call Wetherspoons where it is FREE.

 

[Liz_374456055]

I am reliably told by them that know, the high price is to recoup the high installation cost and then the price will come down.

I think I'll be too old to caravan then, of course you can always go to that well known drinking establishment call Wetherspoons where it is FREE.

Thats fine but do you really want to carry your laptop about with you!!

 

[Guest]

I have to agree the Clubs price is a complete rip off!

CC is a club and they've spent the members money on what I believe is an expensive system that is over the top.

Many sites make do with a fairly basic modem and a well placed aerial relay/booster.

Rather than the club go for a simple effective but inexpensive system that many private sites find fine for their customers they've bought in to or have been sold in to another companies money making package!

The KeZone system offers a profit margin for KeZone and the club I believe. If the CC don't get enough takers what happens then. Just plunder the members fund I assume.

What's wrong with offering simple free Wi-Fi as many sites and other businesses do?

Non profit making CC ??? In one way or another the Wi-Fi system they've chosen rips off the membership in one way or another I think.

 

[J.Lo]

You dont need to go outside to use the dongle if the signal is week, get a usb lead long enough to reach outside put it on the roof put it in a plastic bottle if its raining and yer sorted. J.Lo.

 

[KeithJ]

Euro - Well put; I agree with you completely.

Why is it that so many sites in Europe offer very cheap or free wi-fi now, that can generally be used in the caravan, whilst in England when a system is offered it is too expensive to use?

The answer is not to use the expensive systems and advise the warden/management of the reason why. Then they will have to do something about it.

Keith

 

[PaulShellHull]

Hi Guys

Well i have found over this past season thats trying to get WiFi on some sites is just impossible whether its free or pay to use. I have been using a O2 and 3 dongles with my work but use them also when im away with the van

The O2 cost me

 

[colin-yorkshire]

the price of wifi depends on the the system they use to provide it, some systems are very expensive to buy and install yet some of the cheaper alternatives have poor or limited cover "I have seen some that are basicly a domestic modem in plastic box mounted outside the office" many comercial sites offer free wifi but in practice most are next to useless the best ones nearly allways have a high price typically

 

[VIP640]

the price of wifi depends on the the system they use to provide it, some systems are very expensive to buy and install yet some of the cheaper alternatives have poor or limited cover "I have seen some that are basicly a domestic modem in plastic box mounted outside the office" many comercial sites offer free wifi but in practice most are next to useless the best ones nearly allways have a high price typically

 

[nora_5061854]

Internet Cafes are

 

[Zbungle]

In France this year I stayed at two different sites that offered different internet access deals. The first site, owned by a British family, has a computer in the bar and you pay a couple of euros to use it for a set period of time. Useless for email unless you have a web-based account. If you do need to download something (a document for instance) their computer does not have any Office software so no chance of opening spreadsheets or documents. They won't unlock the wifi signal so using my own computer is not an option. Take-up of the deal was minimal.

The second site, owned by a French couple, simply unlocked their office wifi system and if you took your computer or phone to the terrace area you could send, receive or download to your heart's content. All for free. The office had internet anyway and so to let this connection spill out onto the terrace was no problem for the owner. Take-up was extensive and every evening, from 6.00pm onwards people sat down, bought a drink, and used the facility. I did. Then, after half an hour my wife came looking for me, saw me on the terrace and joined me. Another drink from the bar. Then, realising that we had left it a bit late to light the BBQ we decided to have a bar meal.

My internet use, with drinks and meal, cost me more than the few euros charged by the first site, but I felt comfortable paying it with no resentment at all (I anjoy drinking and eating when on holiday).

Because my job necessitates me receiving email whilst I am away I now look for sites that offer true free wifi. I am happy to buy a beer or a coffee and the owner probably recoups any additional costs from me in this user friendly way.

 

[Heethers]

Thats fine but do you really want to carry your laptop about with you!!

Not sure about Wetherspoons, if you partake their in our area you stand to be come classed as a wet head.

nigelH

 

[trickydicky]

Quite agree Charlie,its ridiculously expensive.In fact it should be free to all members.

The CC has made a surplus of

 

[VIP640]

Quite agree Charlie,its ridiculously expensive.In fact it should be free to all members.

The CC has made a surplus of

 

[KeithJ]

All the reports of wi-fi not working seem to be about the UK. All the recommendations to use a dongle also relate to the UK. That is fair enough, I don't dispute it, but for travel abroad I have found that the service has improved tremendously over the last three years (with the possible exception of France, where they tend to use expensive suppliers like the UK). This year I found we were able to reliably use wi-fi, cheaply or free, in many countries, usually in the comfort of the caravan. A dongle is not a practical option for other countries because of the roaming cost.

Although not entirely relevant to caravanning, I have just returned from two weeks in the USA, where every single hotel we stayed in had free, reliable, high speed wi-fi (sometimes faster than at home)in the room.

Keith