WiFi in Motor Home

Well after 2 years of using a Mifi and a "make shift" WiFi system in our MH I went ahead and bought the iBoost system. Here is my report:

Postage: great service from http://www.motorhomewifi.com/ fast and well packed

Equipment: It comes with a WiFi router - aerial and sucker for mounting - 12Volt socket ( with duel 12Volt/9Volt ) which power the router and the aerial ( 8dB directional ).  The router is nice and small and has 2x ethernet ports.

Setup: within 5 minutes of unpacking and setting it up inside the MH I was connected to local internet access point ( in reception about 500 metres away and NOT fully in line of sight ) The signal lights on the back of the aerial showed 2 leds and with a little moving I got 3 out of 5. I was using an iPad to setup and because it is web page driven all I had to do was find the internet access point and enter password. Then my personal wifi within the MH was active and I had full internet on all devices. I asked my wife who has no or little computer knowledge to try setting up and in her words " this is so easy".

I also tested my MiFi device with sim card fitted ( in case I could not find local access point ) and that is just as good and easy to set up. On way home I found that I could connect up to 1km in clear line of sight, saving me loads of money on MiFi sim card access.

Now......  using the routers build in ports. I have a NAS drive 2Tb full of movies and TV shows, so connecting it to the routers ethernet port means that ( within my MH WiFi ) my iPad or computer can see the NAS and I can play  movies or TV shows on them. Best of all if you have a Sat dish and Sky box or any receiver that can decode the channels ( with sky card or other methods!! - you will need to google card sharing ) you can connect it to the ethernet port and it starts decoding right away.

The chap at motorhomewifi.com is also so helpful at answering questions.

Very long winded post, but felt that for some this information would be a blessing as I know for many internet access is a must these days.

His
Thanks for that information

I also have the motorhome wifi system but was and am still disappointed with it.

While in France, Belguim and Germany I could not get wifi on my iPad 

I fact when we were on an aires in France and we had wifi access and pass code the others could get wiff on there laptops and I had to walk a few yards away to get it on the iPad
Even trying the booster nothing was showing up.

I was contemplating selling it but I am going to try it in England give it another chance see where I was going wrong of I was

Polly wrote:

His
Thanks for that information

I also have the motorhome wifi system but was and am still disappointed with it.

While in France, Belguim and Germany I could not get wifi on my iPad 

I fact when we were on an aires in France and we had wifi access and pass code the others could get wiff on there laptops and I had to walk a few yards away to get it on the iPad
Even trying the booster nothing was showing up.

I was contemplating selling it but I am going to try it in England give it another chance see where I was going wrong of I was

Firstly is your iPad up to date with the latest firmware and also what did you see when you looked for wifi access? did you see your own wifi ( ie motorhome wifi ) as that is the access point NOT the wifi access point of the aire. The wifi access point and passcode is the one under the router. If you have done this sorry for repeating this, but without details on how you connect thats all I can suggest. I have used it with SFR so know France works and here in Spain I have no problems.

His

Went into settings on I pad then  wifi then watched for  a network on choose a network but nothing showed

I will go and sit in the car and try it

Thanks it must be ME 

And I can see the others nodding there ha ha

Yes I do plug into the 12 v

Polly wrote:

His

Went into settings on I pad then  wifi then watched for  a network on choose a network but nothing showed

I will go and sit in the car and try it

Thanks it must be ME 

And I can see the others nodding there ha ha

Yes I do plug into the 12 v

You can sit right beside the router makes no difference to go to car

Ok firstly what is written under your router there should be WiFi name and password. Then look for that wifi and log in ( fingers crossed ) the when logged in type 10.20.30.40 this will bring up a web page asking using name and passed this username: MHW and password MHW ( this is secure as it can only be accessed once you have logged into the wifi so don't worry. From there you will see the page you need to log into the local network provider ( this is on the ages that came with your iBoost. Hope it works for you now.

His

What I get is that it cannot open the page as server stopped responding

Hia

Even the antenna only has 2 lights lit up none for signal and I am only sat on the driveway
Will let my daughter have a look and if I can't get it working will phone them on Monday or Tuesday as they are at a show this weekend  will be something simple

Thanks again

Polly wrote:

Hia

Even the antenna only has 2 lights lit up none for signal and I am only sat on the driveway
Will let my daughter have a look and if I can't get it working will phone them on Monday or Tuesday as they are at a show this weekend  will be something simple

Thanks again

Can you confirm you have not pressed the reset button on the router or antenna, if you have then you will need to contact Alan as this resets router to default ( this is explained on the paper that comes with the router ) I have a feeling that this is the problem and can be fixed by Alan over the phone or at the show.

His

Thanks anyway to see if the reset button as been pressed 

I will give them till Tuesday  then contact them, will give them time to get over the show.
I have ordered the 240plug so I must be keeping it

should be Hia

Are you connecting the iPad to your motorhome WiFi then searching for access points like I shown you, or are you still trying to pick the access points up in iPad settings?

Hia

Just tried it outside our Claire's and I can pick up Fon

I can't get connected like you showed me Ken so I will phone them on Monday or Tuesday 
Thanks all

Polly wrote:

Hia

Just tried it outside our Claire's and I can pick up Fon

I can't get connected like you showed me Ken so I will phone them on Monday or Tuesday 
Thanks all

Sounds like you are not setting it up right and best thing to do is call Alan at motorhomewifi and he will put you right.

Whats the signal strength? needs to be below 80, the lower the number the better which seems a bit strange

Is it not Adam? Thats what i've always called him

KSH wrote:

Whats the signal strength? needs to be below 80, the lower the number the better which seems a bit strange

Is it not Adam? Thats what i've always called him

Yes you are correct at "typo" by me.

Hia

You will all be relieved to know i am sorted

Phoned Adam and he told me what to do as i possible had put the wrong password in sometime 

And then when it was working he told me to go through the piece of paper and if i have problems to ring back.
Well i did it step by step
And have wrote down what to do if i do it again whatever i did in the first place   

Hia
Just checked go into settings then motorhome wifi?
Then on the i button and then forget these/this setting
Then when you click motorhomewifi? Put your password in again and  aberacadabra  
Here we go jobs a good one

Polly wrote:

Hia

You will all be relieved to know i am sorted

Phoned Adam and he told me what to do as i possible had put the wrong password in sometime 

And then when it was working he told me to go through the piece of paper and if i have problems to ring back.
Well i did it step by step
And have wrote down what to do if i do it again whatever i did in the first place   

Thats great news now you can enjoy it, have fun.

Hia

I am here again
And I am ready to throw it (ha ha)
Yes I have it working now
But anyone's showing up are password protected 
And the odd one I got it would not connect.
So today after Ti Chi Suzanne and I went to sit outside some houses.
We got one that had no password but could not get yahoo
Then there was a Bt Fon so connected and yes it worked but it also worked without the MHW booster
So does that mean I have to go and sit in the motorhome on a residential street

You do get places where they won't pick anything up, Marbury park is a good example, surrounded by trees which must be blocking the signals and there are hotspots round there according to their map.

His

But I have not picked anything up

When I scan up pops internet places but locked and if not locked still nothing 
This all dancing all singing booster is not living up to what I expected.
I think an e mail to MHW is on the cards

Hia

Story I clicked before my last sentence and that is
I have tried it at different places since the Northern Show at Tably where I purchased it.
Even at Abergele , Llandudno, Colwyn etc 
Nothing

His

E mailed them 
I will see what I am doing wrong

Polly wrote:

His

E mailed them 
I will see what I am doing wrong

I bet you it is a really simple fix and as you say might be something your doing. 

Stick with it as when you get sorted you will be so pleased at how it works.

Hia

Yes John probably something or nothing and then it will be the bees knees.

E mailed them and Adam replied I have now sent him pictures of what comes up at each step.

Should know to mow what a numpty I am

Polly wrote:

Hia

Yes John probably something or nothing and then it will be the bees knees.

E mailed them and Adam replied I have now sent him pictures of what comes up at each step.

Should know to mow what a numpty I am

Numpty no mate it's all a learning curve..............

Hia

Yes and I would love to know how many other members have learnt from my questions  

So if anyone out there as a question they don't want to ask publicly let me know and I will ask as long as it is clean 

Hia

Think I have Sussed it

I can only get on a network if it is not password protected or unless I have acquired the password 
Via my I booster?

Does that sound right

Hia

Yes Adam as just confirmed that is it

Now my question is how many networks are not password protected

Answer. Not many

It's the BT WiFi you are looking for mainly Polly. Risky trying to connect to an unsecured network, you might think oh this is ok I got free WiFi, but someone could be reading or copying your entire hard drive

Or FON

Hia

Yes I bought a Fon

The I boost 
Up to now it is the most useful useless object I have bought

Think they saw me coming
 

Give up polly if ya can ney get it on your mobil read a book like us or watch telvision

Hia

Yes Mike don't know why I bother
But I do 
But no need to 

We are looking at getting the iboost. We are also a fon member as well. I currently have an aerial but only plugs to a pc via usb. Like the iboost idea so we can share the signal between devices. But as most WiFi is wpa2 protected and unless you run a hack tool to unlock the code (10 mins I believe ) or is it better to get the 3g mifi?

I have both but tend to use my mobile most as a hotspot now I have unlimited internet, If I am in sight of quite a few houses and think there will be a BT signal about then I will try the Iboost, but have give up trying in country locations

Hia

Yes in a country field forget it.
If there are trees forget it
If you are in a built up area say parked on a street you will be ok as you will probably pick up a Fon spot

I still think it is my most useful useless object my I boost at £159 

But I still try it when away but if I do pick up a signal usually locked

Hia

   

Polly if you do manage to get to Bridlington both Heyupluv and us have the i Boost so it will be interesting to compare what each of us can pick up if anything-----remember to bring it though

Well I have been using mine for nearly 2 years across UK, France, Germany, Portugal and here in Spain where I live and to date have connected to network with ease. Granted not 100% of the time, but if I cannot find a free wifi network I switch on my MiFi and then get the iBoost to connect to that which then gives me my own wifi around my MH. Great bit of kit.

Why connect the iboost to the mifi? the mifi is already a wireless network

You maybe should not have asked him that Ken, he has everything connected with ethernet cables. My advice is do not park near to him he can suck all the available wifi dry.

When we were at Pedro's the wifi was brilliant when he left

Flack jacket on

If he uses cable for something then that's why, no cable ports on a mifi

Hia

Yes Bridlington end of second week.
I boost lives in the van

I remember when we were at Marbury last year I couldn't connect but you did (Laneside) with your mifi

Oh well that's me I suppose

laneside wrote:

You maybe should not have asked him that Ken, he has everything connected with ethernet cables. My advice is do not park near to him he can suck all the available wifi dry.

When we were at Pedro's the wifi was brilliant when he left

Flack jacket on

Alan, Pedro's wifi was only good because I FIXED it............. you forgot to mention that fact! 

The reason I have ethernet cables fitted throughout our MH from my iBoost around my home is for security and also less interference from other iBoost user like yourself. Cable works better ( google it ) than wifi, but I have to agree wifi is easier. The only thing about the iBoost is the router which is 150Mps and these days 300Mps or better is the way ahead for the coming IPTV and other internet TV channels. I have just replaced the iboost router with an "up to date" newer router ( with 4 ethernet ports and a USB port for my Mifi ( now connected into router ) so if I cannot find free wifi signal will switch automatically across to Mifi. It will also check all the time that the free wifi is still working and if not switch across to mifi seamlessly. The things you do when you're retired...........

Ha ha I thought John would rise to that bait