Whether you’re working from your caravan or rv, want to watch Netflix or just want to be able to check social media, having access to wifi while on the road is becoming increasingly important.
Some people make do just using their phone and its internet connection. But, what if you want to use a laptop when a phone screen just won’t cut it; or need better signal when exploring the more remote parts of Australia?
Well that’s were this helpful caravan and rv wifi guide comes in, and we will take you through the best ways to get online!
The option you decide on is mostly going to come down to your budget and how reliable you need the internet to be. The more expensive the service gets, the better signal and faster your internet will be. This is going to be important if you work remotely and need reliable internet, but if it is just a comfort, you will be able to get away with the cheaper and easier options.
This is the case with carriers in Australia also. Telstra has the best coverage and are who we recommend, however they are priced accordingly. If you don’t need the best, Optus is the next best and has better pricing. This isn’t the case everywhere as sometimes we had Optus signal and not Telstra but in general Telstra covers more of Australia.
Mobile phone hotspot
The easiest and cheapest option is likely going to be using your current smartphone to supply internet to the rest of your van. All modern smartphones have the ability to hotspot, and it is easy to turn it on and get connected.
Don’t stress, we will show you how to turn it on in just a bit!
You will need to make sure you have a data plan has enough data for how much you are going to use your phones internet. If you don’t know, make sure you check beforehand before you get hit with a nasty bill. In general Netflix and YouTube will use 500MB – 1GB of data per hour.
It also heavily drains your phones battery so keep that in mind. This option does nothing to boost your signal so it will only be reliable in towns, or places with good service. We have relied on our phones hotspot before and Australia has better coverage then you might expect, but there was more then one occasion a phone ended up on the roof in an attempt to get a better connection because we needed internet.
How to turn on your mobile hotspot:
Samsung
- Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering > Mobile Hotspot.
- Tap the switch next to Off/On to enable or disable your hotspot.
- Take note of the password listed under ‘Password’. This will be what you use to connect your device.
iPhone
- Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot or Settings > Mobile Data > Personal Hotspot
- Tap the switch next to ‘Allow Others to Join’
- Take note of the password listed under ‘Wi-Fi Password’. This will be what you use to connect your device.
Hotspot from Telstra/Optus
Optus Prepaid WiFi Modem + 15GB Data
This is like your phone in that it is unlikely to boost your signal strength, but it is a cheap option to give you a separate device and separate data plan to access the internet.
You can pick these up from Telstra or Optus for as little as $50, with more expensive ones allowing for greater maximum speeds. However unless you are spending a lot of time in major cities this will unlikely benefit you.
They are very mobile, smaller than a phone, with a few hours of battery life allowing you to take them with you should you want to take your internet away from your caravan or rv.
Both providers have large data plans available these days (we have 400gb with Telstra) so you should be able to get something suitable to your needs.
Some even come with the ability to add an external antenna to boost your signal, however if this is part of your plan, you might be better off going with one of the next few options for a more robust solution.
The wireless modules inside them aren’t great to so if you have a lot of devices or need to communicate between devices (mostly for working professionals) you will also want to look at one of our next options.
This is primarily what we have used in the past and worked across Australia with just a mobile hotspot. It was tough at times and often we would sometimes have to move around until we found an acceptable connection for work but at the time we were unable to afford something better.
RV WI-FI
The RV WI-FI is an all in one, set and forget solution to provide your caravan or rv with internet. It comes with a 4G router, 12v power supply, external antenna, and a SIM card to get you up and going straight out of the box.
Because it comes with an external antenna you can expect a better signal then a mobile phone/hotspot. This not only boosts your 4G signal, but also your Wi-Fi allowing access up to 40 metres away, while being able to leave the router inside.
It comes with a pre-paid SIM card to get you up and going. However, a SIM from any carrier will work, so it will likely be a better option for you to get a SIM on a plan from your provider of choice. If you use the internet sporadically, you may be able to get away with pre-paid.
This is the easiest way to get a capable router with an external antenna and our recommended option if you need something more reliable than a hotspot due to its simplicity.
There is also an optional high gain antenna to increase your service even more in low coverage areas.
Teltonika with antenna
The next step up is very similar to the RV WIFI, however, has a lot more flexibility. Teltonika are a leading creator in 4G routers and well trusted in the industry for making high quality products. This is better for those that like a bit more customization with their router or would like to attach a higher gain antenna. Most kits that bundle a router and antenna will come with a Teltonika RUT360, however for those seeking the best performance they make a range of models, and some (Like the RUTX11) come with dual SIM slots allowing you to have two carriers connected for redundancy.
You can also fit a wide range of antennas for whatever your needs or mounting requirements are. For example, if you want a bulbar mounted antenna, you will be able to get a rugged higher gain antenna then most small ‘puck’ type ones that mount easily to the roof.
Most kits come with the Poynting MIMO-3-12 which is a well regarded antenna and keeps a fairly low profile.
We currently have the Teltonika RUTX11 and are incredibly happy with its performance over our previous hotspot. The piece of mind it offers with failover is great for us since we work on the road and being connected is key.
When selecting your own antenna you need to make sure that it covers the required frequency bands of your carrier and therefore we recommend this route for more experienced buyers or asking a professional from somewhere like RF Shop or Telco Antennas.
Cel-Fi Go
The Cel-Fi Go is different from the rest of the options as all it does is boost your cell signal. This means that it boosts both 4G data and phone call signal. This boosts the signal for any device connecting to 4G (Like your phone), however it doesn’t give you Wi-Fi to connect something like your laptop to.
This means you generally will bundle this with one of the other options giving you the best of both worlds, or just use it to boost your phone signal so you can make calls in lower coverage areas.
When purchasing a Cel-Fi Go, you must purchase the model for the carrier you want to boost the signal for, Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. It will only work with that carrier.
The Cel-Fi Go is one of the more expensive options alone and given you need to combine it with something else the cost goes even greater, but this combination will give you the best coverage when being connected is critical.
Check out some available bundles:
RV WIFI+ and Cel-Fi Go Bundle – Telstra
RV WIFI+ and Cel-Fi Go Bundle – Optus
Caravan 4G Modem and Cel-Fi booster Kit
Our Caravan and RV WiFi Recommendations
For most people you will be fine with using your phone’s hotspot or a cheap hotspot for the carrier you prefer. The best part about this is it is very inexpensive to start with this, and if you find it is not suitable, upgrade later without much investment.
The next step up would be the RV WIFI. This option will provide better signal and coverage for most people outside of professionals working from the road who need the best. Professionals (Or those that just want the best) will be better off with either a Teltonika and higher gain antenna, or a combination with the Cel-Fi Go as the cost is hard to justify otherwise.
