I don`t know if this has already been done to death on these forums but isn`t it about time that campsite owners realised that wifi isn`t some new fangled thing that just a few people want on sites.
We have just left a site in the Auvergne that wanted 8 euros a day for internet access and in this day and age that is just ridiculous. I was tempted to explain to the owner that if the site we were on previously hadn`t had free wifi I would never have found his site and thus he would not have had me as a customer.
I can accept that there is a cost involved for site owners but would it not make more sense to add 1 euro onto site fees and then offer free wifi.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We had free WiFi on all three sites we stsyed at recently and the most we paid was nineteen euros oer night. From experience I think we've only.paid once for Wifi in the.last five years.
Most sites offer some level of free wifi, but often this covers a very small area near the bar or reception. Anything more may be charged for.
I have found that the 4G on my mobile phone is often a better bet and (for the time being anyway) it is part of my package.There are times when I can't get that and have to rely on site wifi, but I refuse to pay unless I really have to!
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by SGThomas on 01/9/2018
We are posting this from a free wifi site on a municipal that only charges €12 for enormous pitches, good sanitaires and friendly owners.
The large chains, like Aqualoisir,look upon wifi as a source of revenue not a service.
This sounds our kind of site, Stuart. We like municipals as they are often within walking distance of shops and bars. Where are you this time?
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
It’s worth a mention in campsite reviews - free or price per night / week. Speed and consistency is worth mentioning too.
I am prepared to pay a nominal sum for WiFi but refuse to be ripped off. I have switched my mobile provider to Sky from EE and I now have a piggy bank of data I can build up for my next trip.
I wish ACSI would state the WiFi price in their app and book.
Charging per device is another money grabbing game. We bought a booster system called Motorhome WiFi for our Caravan which lets you connect to a site’s WiFi, boost the signal and share with as many devices as you like. Handy for families and pays itself over time.
I just use my regular data on my mobile. As long as I don't exceed my 10 gig allowance it doesn't cost any more than at home.I just tether my laptop to the phone if needs be. 4g is fast enough. The only time I switch it off is on the ferry.
UK users will probably lose the roaming parity when B happens. Expect to have a hike in roaming charges.
------------- Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quite often site WiFi is only charged during high season which is pretty rough for those only travelling at this time.
I use my roaming if the sites are charging.
Quote: Originally posted by JoannaLesley on 01/9/2018
Quote: Originally posted by SGThomas on 01/9/2018
We are posting this from a free wifi site on a municipal that only charges €12 for enormous pitches, good sanitaires and friendly owners.
The large chains, like Aqualoisir,look upon wifi as a source of revenue not a service.
This sounds our kind of site, Stuart. We like municipals as they are often within walking distance of shops and bars. Where are you this time?
I should add that I am using the free wifi at the site here in Mauriac in the Auvergne at the moment - - a cracking site, 17 euros with ACSI, review will follow when we get home.
Being a bit of a IT geek I like to take a close look at any wifi I connect to.....In the last few weeks I have managed to gain access to many a sites free wifi and actually gain access to adjust their settings if I so wished. Bad passwords make it so easy sometimes!
Just take care as to what you do on free wifi....to give you an example I had issue with connecting my caravan booster (its a bit more hi-tec than the name suggests) to one sites wifi, so I accessed their settings and found they were using an old protocol...no one uses this as it's not secure, so I admittedly did a few tweaks of their system without their knowledge to make it safe. It was actually possible for me to see every device connected across the site, and if I really wanted to I could very easily see what every camper was viewing. All because they hadn't run any basic system updates on their wifi masts.
I went to two other sites that had least run updates and were secure, but again I could still see all my neighbours on the site that had a connection.
Like I say, just be careful what websites sites you view.
Post last edited on 02/09/2018 09:53:49
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by JoannaLesley on 01/9/2018
Quote: Originally posted by SGThomas on 01/9/2018
We are posting this from a free wifi site on a municipal that only charges €12 for enormous pitches, good sanitaires and friendly owners.
The large chains, like Aqualoisir,look upon wifi as a source of revenue not a service.
This sounds our kind of site, Stuart. We like municipals as they are often within walking distance of shops and bars. Where are you this time?
At Abrest, just by Vichy.
Is that La Croix de St Martin? If so, we stayed there in June and liked it very much. I don't remember what the wifi was like, but I think I had stopped bothering by then and was using roaming.
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
Quote: Originally posted by jasie on 02/9/2018
Being a bit of a IT geek I like to take a close look at any wifi I connect to.....In the last few weeks I have managed to gain access to many a sites free wifi and actually gain access to adjust their settings if I so wished. Bad passwords make it so easy sometimes!
Just take care as to what you do on free wifi....to give you an example I had issue with connecting my caravan booster (its a bit more hi-tec than the name suggests) to one sites wifi, so I accessed their settings and found they were using an old protocol...no one uses this as it's not secure, so I admittedly did a few tweaks of their system without their knowledge to make it safe. It was actually possible for me to see every device connected across the site, and if I really wanted to I could very easily see what every camper was viewing. All because they hadn't run any basic system updates on their wifi masts.
I went to two other sites that had least run updates and were secure, but again I could still see all my neighbours on the site that had a connection.
Like I say, just be careful what websites sites you view.
Post last edited on 02/09/2018 09:53:49
Very true!
Last year my laptop was hacked via a campsite's wifi ... they got into an investment account and cleverly sold some of my shares and withdrew the cash ... having redirected communications in a rarely visited folder in my e-mail account.
I was refunded in full by the brokerage ... but it was a salutary lesson in how unsafe some wifi sites can be!
^ ^ a good point indeed, never thought of that when using online banking etc. Evidently it's alarmingly easy on an unsecure network for someone who knows that they're doing.
We recently paid €39 for a week's worth of wifi in Provence (max 3 devices simultaneously - 2 devices would've been €29). Pretty extortionate really when you consider I pay less than that per month at home for super duper fibre speedy gonzalez wifi.
Campsites may still be under contract to their supplier so that might be a reason for charging.If they charge,you will usually be given an access code therefore they have some traceability if you are up to no good on the web as all internet service providers have to log all web site visits by law.
Quote: Originally posted by Keyboard warrior on 03/9/2018
Campsites may still be under contract to their supplier so that might be a reason for charging.If they charge,you will usually be given an access code therefore they have some traceability if you are up to no good on the web as all internet service providers have to log all web site visits by law.
You don't have to charge to have that traceability. All you have to do is get the user to fill out a log in just like when you look on to free wifi in a shopping centre or airport.
------------- Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag