How to get WiFi in your Caravan or Holiday Home

19/01/2023

If you're like me, you love to go on holiday. A caravan trip is a great way to get out of the city and relax while traveling with family or friends. Unfortunately caravans and good wifi generally do not go well together.

Caravan owners need great wifi

Wifi is the most convenient way to connect your devices. It's fast, easy to set up, and available almost everywhere.

The bad news is that caravans are essentially tin boxes... and tin boxes and wifi signals do not go hand in hand. Caravan park wifi plans can be slow because they're shared with other campers at the site and it is common that caravan parks struggle with slow speeds due to countryside locations.

You should know that wifi isn't always available — and when it isn't, you may need other options for connecting your devices. 

What are the different options?

Mobile Phone hotspot

It may be tempting to use your mobile phone as a hotspot while you're on the road, but that's not always practical. If you're staying at one campsite for a long time and want to keep connected, or if you're in an area with poor mobile coverage, then it would be better to go for a different solution.

Satellite internet connection

Satellite internet is a great option for caravan wifi. It can be more expensive than mobile internet, but offers more reliability and better speeds. However, satellite internet isn't available everywhere, you may not be able to access the internet at all.

4G / 5G wifi

Mobile WiFi is a great option if you’re looking to connect multiple devices to your caravan wifi. In addition, mobile wifi can be used with most mobile phone contracts and phone data plans - all you need is a sim card. Data limits depend on your usage... stream films or games - go unlimited!

What do I need?

This is the equipment we have used to generate a good and reliable 4G connection.

4G WiFi Router

A router is a piece of equipment that allows you to connect multiple devices to your internet connection. Ideally, you’ll want something that can handle the amount of devices in your caravan and won’t struggle if one or two are online at once. To connect to the 4G or 5G (if you are lucky) networks you need a specific type. We have found that TP-Link 4G LTE routers have been great for this purpose.

Depending on your location you may be in an area with 5G. You need a different router to connect to that network but it will offer the fastest speeds and most reliable connections.

 TP-Link AC750 Dual Band 4G LTE Router

Signal Booster

If you are in an area with poor reception, you can use a booster to improve the signal. Signal boosters do not connect to the internet; they simply strengthen the existing signal. This may lead to faster speeds and a more reliable connection.

Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LTE Antenna

sim card

Choose the network with the best coverage and speed in that area. We opted for an unlimited Three contract which had the best offer at that time, but in reality any network will do a good job in 99% of locations (or so they advertise). If you know you have patchy phone signals then ask around for which one works the best.

And finally...

If you find that there are still dead spots within the caravan (or just want an even stronger connection), then a wifi range extender is a great option for improving coverage in an RV or motorhome. You will want to ensure that the signal is strong enough to reach all areas of your caravan.

There's nothing worse than a tech-related headache while on holiday! Let's take care of this right away. All products will come with instructions for installation and use. Read them thoroughly before plugging anything in or powering anything up. This is especially important if you're using a new router  — it may require some time to get used to its capabilities and settings.

We hope you found these tips helpful and we wish you a great caravan wifi experience. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.