WiFi waste of money?

NevChap replied on 27/04/2018 10:51

Posted on 27/04/2018 10:51

OK tin hat firmly in place. Here goes. I know that members have asked repeatedly about upgrading or installing WiFi on club sites and I read that large sums of our money are used to try to give decent coverage across as many sites as possible. However, are we not just throwing good money away with the pace of technology outstripping our efforts to catch up. When I go on a club site I no longer rely on the club WiFi but use my iPhone (other phones are available) to access the Internet and even piggy back a laptop or tablet, increasingly via 4g and soon to be 5g. This method is usually superior to the WiFi available on site. Now I know that at the moment not everyone has that facility but increasingly more and more people are.  In which case why keep trying to provide WiFi on a catch up basis costing a great deal of money. For what it's worth I would want to provide a decent WiFi signal close to reception that we could access maybe from a suitable 'shed' so that people could check emails and surf the 'net. This could be provided much more cheaply than a system which tries to cover the complete site: after all there has to be a decent connection for the site office to be able to run smoothly.

OK we may 'want' to sit in our caravan or motorhome and access the Internet but is it really cost effective for the club to spend huge sums providing this when better systems can be employed by individuals?

Just a thought, I'll now crawl into the bunker!

Tinwheeler replied on 29/04/2018 12:10

Posted on 29/04/2018 12:05 by NevChap

My suggestion was to make WiFi available in a certain area of a club site rather than the costly £1m investment to push it around the whole site. Why should we subsidise your use of the Internet ET?

Posted on 29/04/2018 12:10

Err, he’s paying for it so contributing towards costs. 

Those of us who consider it to be rubbish and refuse to pay are neither contributing nor sudsidising. 

As for Wi-fi only in a central point, no thanks. 

brue replied on 29/04/2018 12:36

Posted on 29/04/2018 12:36

Hmm, well the club is investing funds to produce/improve Wi-Fi and it looks as though hot spots are being included and the investment costs are standing at around 300,000k. So I presume we have all chipped in and some of the cost might get recouped from those who use it, but I wonder how many do?

see here

brue replied on 29/04/2018 12:39

Posted on 29/04/2018 12:39

Just dug a bit deeper, 31 Wi-Fi hotspot sites. With our own means of getting a good signal nearly everywhere are these hotspots really needed or is it provided because some have bought the package?

brue replied on 29/04/2018 13:43

Posted on 29/04/2018 13:43

I also think EasyT could join the technological race and up date to a smart phone that fitted in his trouser pocket! The reason being that with 31 hotspots it could be a bit chilly out there operating a laptop.....just a thought for anyone who is still using old style technology....wink laughing

Unfortunately the OP starts off well but seems to like the idea of hanging round a hotspot too or although he is suggesting some shelter in the form of a shed. No, update your technology one and all, things have moved on, save the club some money to spend on other things. 

Tinwheeler replied on 29/04/2018 14:17

Posted on 29/04/2018 14:17

I remember a few years ago that Wi-fi hotspots, even the club's, generally gave better performance than the mobi network. These days the situation seems to have reversed with much better 3G/4G coverage throughout the country. Many's the time I’ve been on a site - club, commercial, CL - and given up on their Wi-fi and reverted to the mobi network.

Pay monthly contracts are much more reasonably priced now with good data allowances and tethering to a pad/tablet is simple. Before opting for this route, I managed for several years to get data and run an iPhone on a pay & go tariff and it was eminently doable.

Wifi? Forget it as far as I’m concerned. 

replied on 29/04/2018 14:49

Posted on 29/04/2018 12:05 by NevChap

My suggestion was to make WiFi available in a certain area of a club site rather than the costly £1m investment to push it around the whole site. Why should we subsidise your use of the Internet ET?

Posted on 29/04/2018 14:49

 Why should we subsidise your use of the Internet ET?

who says that you do? You are unlikely to find me hanging around a hotspot.

I subsidise kiddies swings, dog walks, motorhome service points, folk heating awnings, dish washing areas but can't think that I complain overmuch 

replied on 29/04/2018 14:54

Posted on 29/04/2018 13:43 by brue

I also think EasyT could join the technological race and up date to a smart phone that fitted in his trouser pocket! The reason being that with 31 hotspots it could be a bit chilly out there operating a laptop.....just a thought for anyone who is still using old style technology....wink laughing

Unfortunately the OP starts off well but seems to like the idea of hanging round a hotspot too or although he is suggesting some shelter in the form of a shed. No, update your technology one and all, things have moved on, save the club some money to spend on other things. 

Posted on 29/04/2018 14:54

They do not make a smartphone small enough. My Samsung clam type phone will fit in a ticket pocket and go 12+ days between charges. 

I have a compact mobile router when needed for use with our tablets

JVB66 replied on 29/04/2018 15:14

Posted on 29/04/2018 15:14

How much per month do all these "smart" phone contracts work out?  OH pays £4.99 per month on ee for her phone and i pay £60 per annum for my phone on anytime.com,and wifi on club sites for what we need is £25 per annum for useing my 10inch screen tablet,is there a cheaper alternative?when we do 150+nights away on (our choice) to use club sites.

Tinwheeler replied on 29/04/2018 15:25

Posted on 29/04/2018 15:14 by JVB66

How much per month do all these "smart" phone contracts work out?  OH pays £4.99 per month on ee for her phone and i pay £60 per annum for my phone on anytime.com,and wifi on club sites for what we need is £25 per annum for useing my 10inch screen tablet,is there a cheaper alternative?when we do 150+nights away on (our choice) to use club sites.

Posted on 29/04/2018 15:25

You get what you pay for, JV. Your figures mean nothing without knowing what you get in return.

Anyway, it’s not all about cost. It’s about convenience, not having to worry about topping up, running out of allowance and so on.

What you have suits you and what I have suits me. There’s no more to be said really.

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