Campground WiFi and RV Whisper

Campground WiFi systems, on their own, may or may not be a reliable way to connect RV Whisper to the internet. But you can make them be more reliable. The speed of the internet connection is not the issue since RV Whisper uses very little network bandwidth – all data is stored in the RV. The issue is usually about whether your campground WiFi uses “captive portal” technology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal

Note that your RV Whisper Monitor Station stores all data in your RV (on the Monitor Station). When the Monitor Station can connect to a WiFi network that his internet access, then you can securely view the data over the internet and receive email and text alerts.

If your campground WiFi uses what is called a “captive portal”, then the RV Whisper Monitor Station will not be able to use it directly. What is a captive portal and how do you know if your campground uses one? If your campground network uses a captive portal, then you will notice that when you connect your phone to the campground WiFi network that your phone browser will display a message about accepting the terms of use for that campgrounds network. It may also ask for a secondary password for your campsite, or enter your campsite number and/or a unique password.

If a captive portal is used by your campground WiFi network, then the RV Whisper Monitor Station will not be able to use it directly – you will need to install a WiFi repeater or extender in your RV. The WiFi repeater must be able to connect to a WiFi network with a captive portal, and create a new WiFi network name in your RV. The advantage of doing this is that you can connect a bunch of WiFi devices in your RV with the WiFi password of the network you created in your RV and when you get to a new campground, you only have to connect your WiFi Repeater to the campground network – all of your WiFi devices just stay connected to the WiFi network your WiFi Repeater/Extender creates in your RV.

There are many choices for WiFi repeaters, you just need to make sure the one you use supports captive portals.

Note that BOTH your RV Whisper Monitor Station and your WiFi Repeater/Extender should be powered from your RV batteries. This is crucial for when you lose shore power so you can still receive email and text alerts. The RV Whisper Monitor Station is powered by USB power, so a simple USB cigarette lighter adapter or built in USB power adapter can easily keep it running when you lose shore power. There are several WiFi repeater products that support RVs and 12Volt power from companies like Winegard, WiFi Ranger and King.