How to get WiFi in a motorhome

Wondering “how to get WiFi in my motorhome”? This is a common consideration when buying a van. Whether it’s to share your adventure on social media, or settle down every night with Netflix, motorhome WiFi is a must for most travellers. But do you need a dongle or a mobile hotspot? What about a booster or antenna? Our guide to getting motorhome WiFi covers all you need to know!

Can I get WiFi in my motorhome?

Yes, easily. The simplest way to get WiFi in a motorhome is to use a WiFi router/dongle (alternatively, you can also get a WiFi system for motorhomes or just use your phone’s hotspot: more info below).

A dongle, i.e.. a mini WiFi router or mobile WiFi hotspot, is a small device that works like your main router at home. But where a home router uses underground fibre optic cables to connect to the internet, a dongle has a built-in antenna to pick up 3, 4 or 5G signals. The signal is then amplified as a WiFi hotspot so you can connect your tablet, phone, laptop and other devices.

The most hassle-free way to use a dongle is to keep it plugged into your motorhome electric system; however, a dongle will also have a built-in battery for use off-grid. They’ll have a SIM card slot too: you’ll need to buy a data SIM to insert into the dongle.

WiFi routers for motorhomes vary in price, starting at about £40 for a dongle and roughly £15-25 monthly for a SIM/contract. As with mobile phones, you can opt for PAYG/pay as you go for your contract too.

How to get WiFi in my motorhome: 4 steps

If you don’t want to use your mobile phone as your WiFi source, follow this step by step guide to setting up motorhome WiFi using a dongle and SIM. (Again, we cover other methods below.)

1. Assess your needs and budget

First, think about the following factors:

• Budget – what’s your maximum spend for the dongle and the contract?

• How much data do you expect to use? Will you use the dongle to check emails or social media occasionally, or do you want to access Netflix, Apple TV etc every day? As a rough guide, a data allowance of xxGB/month should suit most users.

• Do you need a contract or are you happy with PAYG? If PAYG, will it be easy to top up when you need to? Will there be particular times you need to be online, such as connecting to the office?

• Are you travelling outside the UK?

2. Research dongles

Now that you know what you want from your motorhome WiFi, look at available dongles, considering factors like download speed and signal strength. # VanLife online groups are a wealth of information on all things motorhome, and you should also check reviews for any dongle model you’re thinking of buying.

A few recommended WiFi dongles for motorhomes are:

Huawei E5577 White 4G Low-cost Travel Wi-Fi, Super-Fast Portable Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot – Long-lasting Battery – £50.99

NETGEAR 4G Router – £296.95

Huawei E5576, CAT 4, Portable 4G dongle – £41.99

TP-Link M7350 4G LTE MiFi – £64.98

3. Research contracts/SIM cards

All WiFi dongles will need a (data, not phone) SIM card to work. Again as with mobile phones, you can buy this as a prepaid SIM, where you pay for a certain amount of limited data, or a contract SIM where you pay a fixed amount per month. For the latter, around £15-20 per month is a good figure to aim at for an average payment giving a decent data allowance.

Check on sites likeMoney Saving Expert orMoney Supermarket to find a good mobile broadband deal/SIM card for your motorhome. It’s also worth talking to your phone/home broadband provider to see if you can add mobile broadband to your plan – you could get a good deal this way, especially if you’ve been with the provider for some time.

If you’ll be using a lot of data/streaming films etc, look for plans with unlimited data. These will obviously cost a bit more per month, but many motorhomers prefer unlimited plans for peace of mind.

Make sure you buy the right SIM size – dongles take normal-, nano- and micro-sized SIMs.

Important! If you plan to travel in Europe, take extra care with your research into mobile contracts for your motorhome WiFi. Since the UK left the EU, most UK providers have a data cap on their plans for travelling outside the UK, usually around 12GB a month. Another issue is that many providers don’t offer roaming at all in non-EU or non-Schengen countries. Get around both these issues by using a company like Tiekom, which has SIM cards offering roaming throughout Europe.

SIM cards/contracts suitable for motorhome WiFi include:

Tiekom: 300GB/month roaming in 39 countries; rolling monthly contract – €39.90/£34 per month

Three: prepaid 12GB data SIM valid for 12 months – £40; 24GB data SIM valid for 24 months – £60

Vodafone: unlimited data 24-month contract, 5G – £30/month

4. Set up your motorhome WiFi dongle system

Insert your chosen SIM into the dongle (depending on provider, you may need to activate the SIM on your laptop, phone or tablet first. Then charge and power on the device and follow the set-up instructions. You can then connect your laptop, phone etc to the dongle WiFi the same way you’d connect to any other network, such as in a café or on a campsite, assuming of course that your chosen network has signal.

Remember to set your own (strong) password; otherwise everyone nearby can use your data!

How to get WiFi in my motorhome using a mobile phone

If you want to get WiFi in a motorhome the most simple way, use your phone as a hotspot. Most smartphones have the capability to use the phone as a mobile hotspot, either by tethering (Android) or personal hotspot (Apple). Both are easy to set up:

Android:

• Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering

• Turn on Mobile Hotspot

• Optional – change the network name

• Choose a strong password

• Save

• On your other device/s, look for the network and connect using the password, the same as connecting to any other WiFi network

Apple:

• Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot

• Tap the slider next to Allow Others to Join

• On your other device/s, look for the network and connect using the password

We recommend switching your phone plan to unlimited data if you’ll regularly use the phone as a WiFi hotspot.

Boost your signal with a motorhome WiFi antenna

We’ve all been there: halfway through watching a film when the internet connection drops – very frustrating and can cause a complete meltdown from smaller travellers! So one big concern people have when considering “how to get WiFi in my motorhome” is signal strength.

A motorhome WiFi signal booster is an antenna or small box which attaches to the roof of your motorhome, either on a portable basis or permanently. It works by strengthening (boosting) an existing internet connection, meaning you’ll likely get enough signal strength to stream content.

A WiFi antenna is a great option if you need a reliable and fast internet connection. But obviously the signal must be there in the first place – a booster won’t work if your WiFi system isn’t picking up anything at all. And you’ll need to take motorhome height into account if you add a permanently fixed antenna, as you could pay more on toll roads.

You can buy a booster/antenna on its own, or together with a dongle as a motorhome WiFi kit:

Permanently fitted:

Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LTE Antenna – £79.90

WiFionboard B535 4G+ Router With High Gain MiMo Motorhome Roof Mount Antenna – £335

Portable:

Kuma 12v 5G Dual Band Wi-Fi Signal Extender Router Antenna – £219.99

TP-Link Wi-Fi Range Extender/Wi-Fi Booster/Wi-Fi Repeater – £45.18

What is MiFi and do you need it?

A dongle and SIM combo isn’t the only way to get motorhome WiFi. MiFi is a system which works on the same principle as mobile phone tethering/hotspots, but connecting to a MiFi gadget rather than a phone. MiFi gadgets accept their own SIM cards and can connect to 5-15 devices depending on the model.

The big advantage of MiFi is that you don’t need to use your phone at all to access the internet: useful if you don’t have a smartphone or have a low data allowance. Another significant plus is that some models can connect to an antenna for a stronger internet connection. Finally, a MiFi that’s unlocked to all networks will automatically connect to whichever provider has the strongest signal.

However, you’ll still have to be somewhere with a signal in order to connect, and as with dongles, you’ll need to pay for a SIM card and monthly or PAYG data.

The best MiFis for motorhome travelling are small and portable, so you can bring the gadget with you on day trips if you don’t want to or can’t use your smartphone. They should also have a long battery life for extended use between charges, and have a good download speed (e.g. 400mbps). We recommend looking for a device with a battery life of at least six hours.

Huawei E5577 4G Travel Wi-Fi Portable Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot (unlocked; six-hour battery life) – £50.99

TP-Link M7350 4G LTE MiFi (unlocked; eight-hour battery) – £64.98

NETGEAR AirCard Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Router(AC797), Mifi (unlocked; 11-hour battery) – £166.94

Make back the costs of your motorhome WiFi

Now you have the answer to “How to get WiFi in my motorhome”! Use the info and tips above to sort WiFi for your motorhome, whether you want a low-key connection on a PAYG SIM/unlimited data smartphone, unlimited data on a contract, or a connection and antenna combo with Mifi. This can be relatively low cost if you’re using your phone, or higher cost if you want an antenna and a hi-res dongle.

But whatever your set-up and running costs for motorhome WiFi, you can make your money back by hiring your motorhome out to other travellers. We’ve covered the many advantages below – see our hiring out a motorhome guide for the full lowdown. And make sure your motorhome is at its best with our motorhome renovation tips!

Earn a return on your motorhome

Camplify connects owners like you with local and international holidaymakers - all of whom are verified to maximise the safety when you hire out your motorhome. Discover more of our advantages for owners below:

• It's free to list your motorhome.

• If you don’t have all-risk insurance, we can provide you with it when you sign up.

• We give your van a 24/7 RAC breakdown cover.

• You have complete freedom to approve or reject guests interested in renting your motorhome. Your wheels, your rules.

• We provide you with tips and step-by-step guides on how to improve your service and your motorhome to get more and more bookings!

The sooner you set up your listing, the sooner it will start to receive visits and bookings! See how much you could earn if you rent out your motorhome with ourfree income calculator or sign up now to start enjoying the above advantages today.

If you still have questions, want to discuss your income potential with an expert or get more information on how to list your motorhome, call us on ☎ 0330 808 1811 or visit www.camplify.co.uk. We’ll be happy to help you with anything you need!