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Having internet while rv living full-time is the utmost importance for a digital nomad like me!
And if you are finding yourself wondering how the heck are you going to survive the rv life with limited rv internet options, then these rv internet solutions just might be what you are looking for!
Out of all the internet options that were out there, I will be telling you the pros and cons of each wifi option and depending on your situation, you can decide what the best (wifi) route(r) (pun intended) is for your rv needs!
Therefore, here are THREE rv internet options for full-time rv living!
When my husband and I first stepped into the rv lifestyle, we used a hotspot at first.
It was ok for a little bit, but the number of times we needed to use the internet (which is literally, ALL the time) ate the GB up like crazy!
You are also pretty limited to how many devices can connect to the hotspot before it literally sucks the GB out of the hotspot.
It wasn’t until we talked to our mobile provider that the hotspots weren’t that great for long-term use.
We didn’t know this….
I feel like the hotspot would only be good for the seasonal camper and not for people like us, who are rv living full-time.
You can get a hotspot from whoever you contract your cell phone through.
For example, we are through Verizon and got our hotspot from Verizon, but there might be other hotspot options out there if you are only glamping for a season and need access to wifi!
This was the second-best option that we went with, which was finding a mobile wifi router.
We found this option through one of my husband’s coworkers and we worked with it for several months.
Since these mobile wifi routers go based off the cellular towers, the wifi signal can vary.
There’s also a limit to how many devices can connect to these routers before the signal weakens and doesn’t work as well.
Mobile wifi routers are just like your standard router that you would have in a home, except these ones cater to people who are on the road a lot.
It was great for a while, although I DO recommend having an extender if you have a longer rv camper.
Having a wifi extender does exactly what the name implies: you’ll be able to extend the wifi to areas on the camper where it’s not as strong, such as another room in your camper, the bedroom, etc.
Before making the switch to our current rv internet option, we went with the mobile wifi and got the wifi extender to go along with this option.
The main annoyances were that, for example, we would have to turn the wifi off on devices if we wanted to have wifi signal to play video games online.
It was annoying, but we dealt with it for several months.
Starlink is the current rv internet option we have for our motorhome.
My husband’s work also uses Starlink, so he got to experience what it’s like to use Starlink before we invested into this product.
So far, this option has been the best, especially since we both love to game, have multiple gaming systems with us, and I do my work solely online.
For a while, I would struggle to get wifi and it would cut into my online work, which was frustrating in itself.
Some of the cons to Starlink are that it’s a little difficult to set up. If you aren’t tech savvy (like my husband), you might be confused on how to set up Starlink.
The Starlink app does have some directions on how to set up the Starlink, but if you still can’t figure out, I highly recommend getting a tech savvy friend or a fellow RVer who knows how to set one of these up.
We see a lot of RVers around us who have also chosen the Starlink as their rv internet option.
The other con is that the Starlink itself is quite an investment (almost valued at $400), but considering we are keeping this forever, it’s worth it for us.
Some of the pros with Starlink is that it goes based off of satellites, which are far more powerful than cellular towers.
You also have way better signal, as long as you aren’t shrouded in a forest of trees that can prevent you from getting better signal.
The monthly cost for Starlink was really only $20 more than what we were paying for our previous mobile wifi provider, so the monthly cost for wifi was still a sweet deal for us!
As you can see with the picture, our Starlink is inside, on top of a cooler, in the spare bedroom, and right beside a window.
The Starlink is meant to be outside, but my husband is paranoid about the Starlink being on the ground (which is what I see a lot of RVers do).
You can get a stand for the Starlink which is the option we are thinking about going with in the future.
You can also buy a mount that mounts on top of your camper for your Starlink, which is the other option we might go with once we upgrade our camper.
I just figure I put that disclaimer. The Starlink is meant for outside. It’s weather proof and can stand the snow, heat, and rain.
Overall, I love the Starlink and it has helped me continue my online work in peace, without having to fight for wifi!
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