WiFi waste of money?
Comments
-
Not having read all the comments on this thread but having just got back from Trewehett Farm ( not clubs fault, but their provider) for us over the weekend the wifi was rubbish, think we will try some other means of connection, easier for grandsons to keep in touch with their mum whilst away.
0 -
Presently in France, and currently on our 4th site. Each and everyone of them had/has FREE wi-fi and NO problem at all. Emphasise FREE, and NO Problem. However when on Club sites at home, NOT Free and difficulty in access, and we are leaving the EU? Makes you think??
0 -
What about people like me that when on sites would be roaming on there phone so data is not an option as so expensive. If you buy a pay as you go simm data is still really expensive and not able or worthwhile to get a contract as don't have a mainland based address as we live in Guernsey. So we use site WiFi. Unless anyone else can suggest something better?
0 -
If you buy a pay as you go simm data is still really expensive
As I indicated earlier I don't consider the cost of data PAYG as exorbitant. We reckon on using about 0.45 gb a day. So buying 24gb 12 month data simm works out at around 75p a day for general browsing, google maps, emails and forum use plus searching for places to visit etc.
If you want to use it to watch youtube etc then it gets expensive. OK the Huawei Mobile router cost us about £70 outlay but then we don't use a smart phone.
0 -
Read the entire thread, 2 post's referring to children, ages not included.
I can remember umpteen years ago now the start of onsite wifi, commercial, it was a paid for service, and slow, so slow the kids gave up, and streaming telly didn't exist back then.
The club is here now, but are they clear enough to the familys who dont tour, who go to a site for a holiday, what the paid for service wont do?
For example, insta-snap'face-Witter?
Never mind gaming apps and streaming.
Just said to my 21 year old daughter, who is on her mobile right now, "Fancy PAYG", answer, "Fool".
Provided the club makes a clear statement before point of sale the limitations of wifi, then carry on carrying on.
I suspect most heavy users of mobile internet have a hefty if not unlimited data contract anyway, bit like my own unlimited everything.
In answer to the OP, it all depends on expectations of users and promised delivery by supplier (club).
For me no it isnt, but others, yes it is!
0 -
Just said to my 21 year old daughter, who is on her mobile right now, "Fancy PAYG", answer, "Fool".
For some, like me and many others, the need for data (or at least significant data usage) is limited to when on holiday, and hence why PAYG can be the smarter choice rather than contract.
0 -
I agree,
My mum (86) her mobile is for emergencies, internet is turned off, payg.
Mine, unlimited, I've used 31gb this month.
Michelle has a 20gb allowance
Both ours are contract.
0 -
We are in a fairly similar situation to ET. We spend only about 13 weeks in total away in the van these days, previously we did about 10/12 weeks abroad and 8/10 weeks here but we are tied to UK at present due to (voluntary) grandparent duties, and also cannot spend as long away.
Previously we used exclusively CAMC sites in UK, so we bought a site WiFi pass each year and used our own WiFi or free site WiFi abroad. If you use a lot of CAMC sites with decent WiFi, it is good value.
For phones, we have our children's old ones with 3 PAYG sims, we spend less than £30 per year on these and never use data on them as it works out expensive. Our own WiFi is via a mini router with dongle and a 3 preloaded data SIM, current one has 24GB and 24 months validity for about £40.
At home we have a decent broadband package, but no inclusive calls, we use our mobiles if we need to make calls, which is actually pretty rare these days.
These days we find CAMC sites have become too expensive for us to use all the time, so we are using mainly CLs and a few CCC sites, with only 2 CAMC sites planned this year. As a result, we are now using our own WiFi all the time unless there is any provided on the site, and find this works fine for us. CCC stopping charging for theirs was an unexpected bonus.
Our 24GB SIM will do us for over 12 months, and is handy to have in case we get broadband problems at home, we always keep a spare one too as the time only starts at first use.
We have frequently looked at contracts, but just cannot justify the cost.
0 -
Yes ET, (lol), everybody does have different needs and of course you can't get 100GB a month for £80 a year.....but why should the club spend so much money providing an internet service that most high data users will not require due to already having their own arrangements in place? Seems a waste of money to me.
Its great for the odd member like you who is still living in the dark ages and don't stream programmes and who can capitalise on the cheap rates for next to no data use, but times they are a changing. It's only a matter of time before your old flip phone will no longer work and you end up with (god forbid) a smart phone!!
I guess the reason must be that the other club is now giving free internet on their club sites and its keepy uppy, but I don't think I'd like to try and stream a program at 20.00hrs on a Friday or Saturday night. I fear there could be a few extra comfort breaks than makes it worthwhile.
Good luck to you ET, long may your flip phone give you the power!
0 -
Despite being well into our 60's, the majority of our friends and family have smart phones with a 4G allowance either by contract or PAYG. Most use them and accept them as being part of life these days, and accept the associated costs..... e.g. we use the phone's calendars quite a lot, your phone is with you all the time and can be used for anything it can do either on t'internet or whatever, or messaging via various platforms to communicate. Rarely do we either make or receive actual voice calls. A tiny minority of people that we know see no value or benefit in having a smart phone. I wonder what the actual percentage of members who pay to use the CC site Wi-Fi is ? It isn't great value for people who don't use club sites a lot, and even then, for those who have smart phones, would be similar to hiring a car, even though you already own one...
0 -
Its great for the odd member like you who is still living in the dark ages and don't stream programmes and who can capitalise on the cheap rates for next to no data use, but times they are a changing. It's only a matter of time before your old flip phone will no longer work and you end up with (god forbid) a smart phone!!
I have a spare sweetheart so worry not.
0 -
It isn't great value for people who don't use club sites a lot, and even then, for those who have smart phones, would be similar to hiring a car, even though you already own one...
For folk that don't make much use of CC sites site wifi is dear as it s on many sites.
0 -
“Its great for the odd member like you who is still living in the dark ages and don't stream programmes and who can capitalise on the cheap rates for next to no data use, but times they are a changing. It's only a matter of time before your old flip phone will no longer work and you end up with (god forbid) a smart phone!!”
I think, M&K, that the really great thing is that we can each make our own choices which are personal to us and they should not attract criticism from others. We are all different but that does not make any one of us right or wrong.
1 -
Its great for the odd member like you who is still living in the dark ages and don't stream programmes and who can capitalise on the cheap rates for next to no data use, but times they are a changing. It's only a matter of time before your old flip phone will no longer work and you end up with (god forbid) a smart phone!!
They are not all that smart.😂
We recently spent a week at Longleat. Mobile phones don't work very well there. The OH's older iPhone emptied its battery in about 8 hours doing nothing. Even my newer one used 40% searching for a non existent network, according to its diagnostics.
The silver WiFi, which worked admirably, with only a few blips, was very welcome.😀
0 -
We recently spent a week at Longleat. Mobile phones don't work very well there. The OH's older iPhone emptied its battery in about 8 hours doing nothing. Even my newer one used 40% searching for a non existent network, according to its diagnostics.
MartyandKym may take the Micky but, like you presumably, I find CC Wifi a good standby at such times but also find it economical due to our usage of CC sites. This year I expect to use CC wifi on about 55 evenings - about 24gb data for which £27.50 is fine. We will use a similar amount of data on a data sim which will cost £40. Free wifi on a number of sites.
Also I like the fact that our mobiles' charges last 10 days. Our Huawei mobile router may need more regular charge when in use but we are unlikely to e wandering around with two dead phones
0 -
Now that the Camping Club no longer charge for WiFi, everyone that can log onto it will be inclined to do so. Numbers of phones and tablet devices logged on could therefore rise from perhaps 10 on a site to perhaps 100, maybe more. As each persons share of the connection is that much reduced the speed per device is bound to also reduce, so no charge for WiFi is a mixed blessing. Iv'e been on 3 sites since the change, and my 4G has always been much much faster so far, as in ten times faster !
0 -
Since leaving home this trip, I’ve used C&CC’s Wi-fi at 3 sites. It’s varied from slow to very good but, on each site, it was worse in the evenings. Same old!
I also found one person on a CAMC site trying to download something and complaining about the speed. That person didn’t see why a download wasn’t allowed/recommended as it cost enough. Oh well, I tried.
0 -
I only ever use site WiFi to access the Club's web site. I find using my phone as a hotspot gives a better service. Last time out I had no problem streaming Amazon Prime via a 4G signal. Only problem is you can quickly get through your data allowance if you are not careful.
peedee
0 -
Although I agree performance on many of our sites is abysmal I do wonder when people say Wi-fi is free everywhere else. For example Travelodge charge £3 a night with the first 30 mins free. BA charge £4.50 an hour in flight. It all depends on where you are and bandwidth availability.
0 -
Same here - just use site wifi for CT, anything else on the phone (really just browsing and checking emails so I never get close to my allowance!)
As far as C&CC "free" WiFi is concerned, we recently stayed at 2 sites. At Wolverley it worked fine, but at Kingsbury Water Park it was very hit and miss.
0
