How to get broadband in a caravan

Getting broadband in a caravan is not as straightforward as ordinary brick and mortar houses, since you may be in more remote locations.

Don’t be put off, though. There are still ways you can have superfast broadband, and we’ll explain how.

The struggles of poor internet in your caravan

Can’t watch Netflix easily on your holiday

Seeing that dreaded buffering wheel is enough to get anyone feeling tense. A holiday is supposed to be a relaxing getaway!

Terrible reception in your caravan

If you have a poor mobile signal in your caravan, having little or no internet connection will leave you feeling even more cut off from the outside world.

Can’t keep the kids entertained

You’re fed up of being moaned at by the kids because they can’t talk to their friends online or get onto YouTube.

Can’t access important information

You may want to plan a few places to go, and this is much more difficult when you can’t do a quick Google search.

Can’t work remotely in your caravan

Ideally, you shouldn’t be checking your emails while you’re away, but sometimes you need to.

How do I get WiFi in my caravan?

Most caravan parks offer some kind of WiFi service, however, this is not guaranteed and is often not fast enough, or have enough bandwidth for you to use it for what you need.

This is an issue especially if you are far away from the centre of the park, where the WiFi point is or if there are a lot of other caravans using the same connection.

If you want a guaranteed internet connection inside your caravan, that you won’t have to share with your neighbours, there are a few options available – and they don’t all have to cost the earth! We’ve given you an overview below.

WiFi Signal Boosters

If the caravan park you are in has a decent internet connection, but you are simply too far away from the hub to get connected while in your caravan, you can try investing in a WiFi signal booster. These will either attach to the outside of your caravan or plugin at a plug socket inside.

They connect to the WiFi and broadcast the signal, which extends it closer to you. A downside to this is that it may slow the overall speed of the connection down as it spreads it out more.

It is important to note that while the WiFi signal booster will improve the strength of the WiFi signal in your caravan, it will not make the actual internet connection itself any faster.

So, if the issue you have is that the internet is slow or there are too many people connected to it at once, a booster will not make any difference.

• Pros: Cheapest option, since you won’t have to pay for your own connection, quick solution to poor signal, will boost the WiFi signal to your caravan.
• Cons: Doesn’t improve actual internet speeds, won’t improve bandwidth and can reduce the overall speed of the connection.

4G broadband

4G broadband connections work very similarly to the way your phone connects to the internet.

You pay for a sim card, which you put in your 4G router and it creates a WiFi connection for multiple devices to connect to in your caravan.

4G broadband packages can be paid for just like your phone contract, as pay as you go or pay monthly which is handy if you don’t need it all the time.

You can also purchase an external antenna to put on the outside of your caravan, which will increase the signal strength and can improve your speeds.

Before you sign up for a network, research which provider works best in your area. You can use the Ofcom coverage checker to find out what speeds are on offer.

Bear in mind that this is not a good option for you if there is generally poor mobile signal in your caravan.

• Pros: No installation required, widely available, flexible payment options.
• Cons: Can be unreliable, and won’t work if the mobile signal is poor.

Did you know some providers will charge an installation fee for fire broadband? But we don’t. We offer broadband with no upfront costs.

Mobile tethering/Mobile hotspots

If you want an internet connection quickly and easily, you can tether to your mobile phone and use your mobile data to connect to the internet.

You do this by opening your phone’s settings and turning on ‘mobile hotspot’. You can then create a password and connect to it through your other device’s WiFi settings, just like you would to your normal router.

This is the cheapest and easiest option in the short term, but long-term it could end up costing you a lot by using up your monthly data allowance.

It is also not a good solution if you have poor mobile signal in your caravan, or use the internet for data-heavy activities such as streaming Netflix.

• Pros: Quick and easy short term solution, no extra costs required to get online.
• Cons: Can become expensive quickly if you use all your data.

Satellite connection

Satellite connections are a potential option if you are really desperate for internet and there are no other options available.

However, this type of internet connection can be very expensive due to the costly equipment needed to get set up and then large monthly costs, often multiple times more expensive than 4G or fixed wireless broadband.

You can achieve good internet speeds using satellite broadband, but it can be unreliable at times and you might experience downtime and high latency.

• Pros: Good speeds in rural areas where mobile signal is weak.
• Cons: High latency, can be unreliable, expensive to set up and run.

Fixed wireless broadband

Fixed wireless broadband is the ideal way to get WiFi in your caravan.

You can achieve download speeds of up to 40Mbps and it is a very reliable way to get connected.

Fixed wireless works by connecting wirelessly to a radio tower not too far away from you using a small antenna on the outside of your caravan.

A line of sight to the mast is needed to have a fixed wireless connection though.

An engineer will come and survey if you are in range and can get you installed and online on the same day in most cases.

You can find out more about fixed wireless broadband here.

• Pros: Easy setup, superfast speeds, affordable, reliable.
• Cons: Can be affected by bad weather, need line of sight to get connected.

Overview of internet connections for a caravan

FAQs for getting broadband in a caravan

Can broadband be installed in a caravan?

Yes, you can get broadband installed in your caravan, speak to your site manager to see what your options are. You may be able to get a fixed wireless connection, or even a wired connection. If not, 4G is a good backup option.

Call Airband on 01905 676121 to see if you’re within our network.

How can I get internet in my caravan?

These are the two best ways to get internet in your caravan:

1. Fixed wireless broadband – up to 40Mbps, quick, easy installation.
2. 4G broadband – speeds vary and can be unreliable but widely available.

What is the cheapest way to get internet in a caravan?

The cheapest way to get internet in a caravan when on holiday is to tether to/use your phone as a mobile hotspot, use your monthly data allowance from your provider, or pay for a one-off mobile data packet.

However, this won’t be cheaper in the long run. An activity like streaming TV shows will eat through your data very quickly, and if you go over your limit, costly charges can be incurred.

So, if you have your own caravan, it’s definitely worth looking into getting a proper broadband connection.

Can I get Sky broadband in my static caravan?

If you have a landline telephone in your caravan, you can probably get some form of traditional wired broadband from providers like BT and Sky.

If not, there isn’t much chance of having a wired connection. Don’t worry though, there are other ways you can get broadband in your caravans such as fixed wireless and 4G broadband.

Can I watch Netflix in my caravan?

You can watch Netflix in your caravan if you have some form of internet connection, whether it’s a broadband connection, or using your mobile hotspot.

What is the best way to get broadband for my caravan?

The type of broadband best for caravans is fixed wireless broadband. It is much more reliable than satellite and 4G broadband and the signal doesn’t fluctuate as much.

Airband provides broadband for caravans, so you may be able to get connected with us. Did you know that some providers will charge an installation fee too – but we don’t. We offer broadband with no upfront costs.

Get in touch using 01905 676121 to see if you can get superfast broadband.

Getting connected with fixed wireless broadband is easy.

An Airband engineer will come out to your property to do a survey and see if you can get a good signal, and then they will install a small receiver on the outside of your caravan.

Once installed, you’ll be able to get online straight away.

Since caravans don’t always show up on a map, it is better to give us a call for more information, rather than use our coverage checker.

Call us today on 01905 676121. Alternatively, email us at [email protected].