Campgrounds can attract more guests and have guests stay longer by providing a great WiFi Internet service.

There are many reasons why every campground should offer a great WiFi Internet service for guests. A campground that has no WiFi Internet or a poor WiFi Internet service may not achieve the best possible sales potential. Eight of the most important reasons are listed below.

1. Attract digital nomads, people who have a lifestyle that combines Internet work with travel, but they can only stay and work at locations that have a good Internet service.
2. People who post reviews about a campground generally give a high priority to the quality of the Internet service, and this is an important deciding factor for people who read the reviews.
3. People who stay at campgrounds want to post their adventures on social media via the Internet service; social media posts may be seen by hundreds of people and are free marketing for the campground, attracting more customers.
4. Campgrounds in wilderness areas are very popular but there is no 5G service; guests can only communicate with family using the campground WiFi Internet service that connects via a satellite.
5. Most campground owners see WiFi Internet as another cost on the business, but in fact WiFi Internet can generate a profit for the business by charging for the Internet service, or charging for some Internet service options.
6. A WiFi Internet service is a channel that can be used by campgrounds to market additional paid activities to campers who connect to the service, increasing sales and revenue per guest.
7. A campground can charge 3rd party vendors, such as mobile food trucks and food delivery businesses, for advertising spots with website access on the campground WiFi service.
8. Families with children rely on the WiFi Internet service to entertain their children, especially on rainy days, with Netflix movies, online games and communicating with friends.

In this article we will be presenting the many aspects that are involved in implementing an Internet service in a remote location such as a campground, and why campground owners should consider offering a WiFi service with multiple options for campers.

Many campgrounds are located in wilderness areas because that is the environment that attracts people to campgrounds. In today's digital age, campers seeking solace in the great outdoors also crave the convenience of staying connected. People rely on great and stable connectivity for many tasks that include remote work, stream videos, check emails, shop online, participate with conference calls, and other types of online activities. Campground owners also rely on the Internet for their business activities that include marketing and reservations.

Campgrounds that offer reliable Internet access have become a sought-after amenity, allowing many nature enthusiasts to seamlessly blend their love for adventure with the comforts of modern technology. While some campgrounds see Internet access as an extra cost, it is actually an investment that can bring great benefits for both the campers and the campground owners.

Reasons that might prevent a campground installing and providing a WiFi service

Some of the many reasons why a campground cannot offer a WiFi Internet service for guests are listed below.

• The campground is located in a place where cable and fiber are not available.
• The natural terrain with trees can obstruct or weaken the WiFi signal leading to a poor WiFi connection.
• Some campground owners may think that because guests stay temporarily it's not necessary to offer a WiFi service.
• It is expensive to implement Internet access, as it requires expertise; many campgrounds lack the resources needed such as access to an IT person to install and operate a WiFi service.
• IT expertise is an extra expense for campground owners with charges for visits and monthly fees.
• Networking equipment can be expensive; guidance from experts is required to help with a WiFi Internet installation.

There may be other reasons why campgrounds can't implement an Internet connection.

It is essential to prepare a WiFi Internet site survey that will prepare a cost estimate and installation plan, and identify possible issues within the location. Compromises are always necessary for any successful WiFi Internet installation.

The issues with providing the campground WiFi Internet connection that the campground owner should be aware of

A USA campground that has a good 5G mobile phone service does not need an Internet WiFi service for customers from the US. However customers from outside the USA will either not have roaming on their phones, or else the cost of roaming is very high, and they will need WiFi Internet. For example, many campgrounds in the US south get visitors from Canada in the winter and they need WiFi Internet. Most campgrounds however have poor or no 5G coverage and campers depend on the campground’s WiFi Internet service.

There are several types of Internet connection that a campground can use to provide WiFi Internet for guests.

• ADSL connection: the distance is limited to about 3Km from a hub. If the campground has ADSL then it will have good 5G mobile coverage. The data speed of ADSL is also too low to share with guests.
• Cable connection: this is the cable TV service with Internet and the distance is limited to about 3Km from a hub. The data speed is also low and not suitable for sharing with guests.
• Optical fiber connection: limited in distance to about 70Km from a central hub but has a good data speed to share with many guests. This is a newer technology and will have a high cost to connect a fiber service to the campground.
• 5G fixed wireless access (FWA): even when mobile phones have no 5G signal at the campground it is possible for the campground to have a 5G modem with high gain antennas that can connect to a tower several miles away providing that there is line of sight to the tower. The Internet data speed can be over 200Mb/s and then shared with guests through a WiFi service.
• Geo-stationary satellite service (HughesNet): services such as HughesNet have been in use for many years and are very reliable. Data speeds can be high enough to share with guests through a WiFi service. There may be charges for using large amounts of data.
• Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite service (Starlink): services such as Starlink provide excellent data speeds and can be shared with many guests, but with limited data use. In many cases it will be necessary to select a priority data plan and pay for additional data use when guests are using high bandwidth Internet services such as Netflix and gaming.

Remote locations have no access to ADSL, cable, fiber or FWA. The alternatives are one of the satellite services. Starlink offers the highest data speed and is therefore suitable for sharing with guests, however the cost of the Starlink service is high, especially when using large data volumes with the priority data plan.

The campground needs a WiFi infrastructure to provide guests with WiFi Internet access. This can be a wireless router in the campground office, people go to the office to access the Internet. The next step up is to install a powerful outdoor wireless access point on the roof of the office or on an adjacent tower for more height. When the antenna is higher it will cover a greater area. The ideal height is the height of a mobile phone tower. Any buildings or trees will obstruct the WiFi signal. The ideal WiFi installation is a network of wireless access points that covers the whole area of the campground so that anyone in the campground area can get access to the Internet. This is obviously the most expensive installation and requires a knowledgeable person to design the installation and install the network.

Problems that can arise by sharing an ISP service, such as Starlink, with many guests

All ISP’s, including Starlink, have rules about how their service can be used. If the rules are abused then the ISP may terminate the Internet service. Most have three rules that must be observed.

• Don’t share copyright material
• Don’t exceed monthly data quotas
• Do not congest the data connection

Most copyrighted material, music and videos, are owned or controlled by a small group of companies. These companies monitor their materials carefully and they know what IP addresses are sharing the information that they own. They then file a complaint with the ISP and the ISP has to alert their customer before terminating the Internet service. The termination of the Internet service for sharing copyright material is a legal requirement of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), this is not a rule created by ISP’s.

Many ISP’s have monthly data quotas that are set for typical home use of the Internet. Sharing the Internet service with campground guests will exceed the quota that the ISP has determined for the account. If the data quota is exceeded then the ISP might slow the data service, or else might charge for the additional data used.

Data congestion occurs when many people are downloading or uploading a lot of data from one ISP Internet connection. When the demand exceeds the bandwidth of the data circuit then the connection becomes congested or blocked and cannot transfer data. Users are then disconnected from the Internet and have to reconnect.

The requirement of sharing an ISP data service with many campground customers is that the Internet service is managed to prevent copyright material sharing, limit monthly data use and prevent data congestion when many people are connected. A product that manages the WiFi service efficiently as described is an Internet controller manufactured by Guest Internet.

What are the costs of providing a campground WiFi Internet service?

There are two types of costs when providing a WiFi Internet service, investment costs and operating costs. This is either a cost that the business absorbs, reducing the profit margin, or else a cost that the campground recovers by charging campers for using the Internet. The costs are summarized below.

Initial investment costs:

• The ISP connection, for example a Starlink antenna.
• The Internet management controller, described in the previous section, that will prevent overload of the ISP and other features such as selling Internet services.
• The WiFi network products include the wireless access points, equipment such as cables, switches and power to operate the equipment.
• The services and labor to install and configure the equipment ready for use.

If the plan is to charge customers for the WiFi Internet service then consideration must be made to amortize the initial investment as part of the charge so that the investment can be recovered.

Monthly operational costs:

• The ISP monthly service charge.
• ISP charge for additional data used during the month.
• Services to provide the campers with information to connect to the Internet.
• Maintenance of the network, repairs to cables or equipment.

The monthly operational costs are variable with the use of data and the support and maintenance services required.

Both initial investment and operational costs can be minimized if the installation uses a pre-configured kit such as Guest Internet STAR kits, and if the equipment is very easy to use and does not require an IT professional to operate it. There are Internet WiFi systems available that are successfully installed, operated and maintained by campground owners.

How to recover the cost of providing the WiFi Internet service

As described in a previous section, an Internet management controller is required to prevent copyright material sharing, to limit data use and to prevent network congestion. The Guest Internet controllers can also be used to charge guests for using the WiFi Internet service.

Guests can be charged for the Internet service by purchasing a WiFi Internet access code. Anyone who uses hotel WiFi systems is familiar with using an access code to login to the WiFi Internet service. Access codes are usually short alphanumeric codes with 6 characters. Guest Internet controllers have a software installed that helps campground owners select multiple parameters. Each access code has several parameters that are selected when the access code is created. 

• Type of access code, can be a short random alpha-numeric sequence, a custom name, a description, or a device MAC address used when connecting a TV to the Internet.
• Duration of the Internet access, this can be from minutes to months.
• Optional start date for the Internet access, the Internet is available only after this date.
• The maximum download and upload data speeds permitted, this is essential to prevent network congestion.
• The maximum download and upload data volume, this is essential to prevent excessive use for data.
• The number of people that can use one code, set to 1 person but can be increased.
• Optional start and stop of the code duration to extend the use.

Methods of charging for the Internet service are;

• On-line purchase of an access code using a credit card.
• Point of sale purchase in the campground store using a receipt printer to print the access code, with 10 button options for access time, data speed and data limit.
• Print vouchers with access codes for sale in the campground store.

The campground owner can also make a decision about how a guest is charged for the WiFi Internet service; some of these options are listed below.

• A daily or weekly charge which is the same for all guests.
• Give each guest 30 minutes of free access each day, charge for a full day access.
• Have a low charge for a slower data speed and then charge a higher price for a faster data speed.
• Combinations of the above, or create more options.

Charges for the guest WiFi Internet service are determined by factors such as limited or no 5G access and also the types of guests that the campground attracts or wished to attract. The campground WiFi Internet service availability and quality should be a prominent feature of the campground advertising.

Other essential features that the Guest Internet management controllers have

The Internet management controller has other essential features that ensure all guests have a good WiFi service and that the service is not abused by anyone. Some of the essential features are listed below.

Firewall

The firewall provides a means of applying controls on the use of the Internet service, in several areas.

• Blocking Torrent data packets to prevent sharing of copyright material.
• Block devices that have viruses, which will disrupt the Internet service, for example DDoS viruses.
• Block access to private address ranges, this is part of the PCI DSS compliance requirements to protect the campground point of sale (PS) from attack and possible credit card theft.
• Blocking routers to prevent a mobile phone being used in the hotspot mode to provide Internet for others without payment.
• Blocking network access attempts by duplicating an allowed device MAC address obtained through “packet sniffing”, this method is called MAC spoofing or MAC cloning.
• Domain or IP address block list, blocks access to the listed website.
• Domain or IP address white list, allows access to a website without login or payment.
• MAC address allowed list, any device MAC address in this list is allowed access to the Internet however firewall rules are applied. This is complementary to the MAC access code described previously.
• MAC address blocked list, any device that attempts to breach a firewall rule is added to this list. Any device can also be manually added to this list.

Cloud management

A cloud service that permits remote access to one or more Internet management controllers to monitor what is happening and remote configure some parameters. The cloud service has the following features.

• The cloud services permits remote monitoring of a location, the campground owner can manage the WiFi when traveling or can hand over WiFi service management to a remote business.
• Use of the ISP connection (WAN connection) over a period of time (hours to weeks) to monitor ISP data use and to identify any points of network congestion so that the WiFi access parameters can be changed.
• Monitor the number of people who are connected to the WiFi network and using the Internet service. Identify users who are consuming excessive volumes of data if necessary.
• Remotely update the login page to add community messages, announcements and advertising.
• Monitoring of equipment performance.
• Add Internet controllers to groups so that a group of locations can be monitored and the performance measured.
• Create access codes for Internet controller groups so that any Internet controller in that group can authenticate the code.
• Print group codes onto vouchers for sale, print up the 10,000 vouchers at one time.

Failure monitoring

Three parts of the WiFi Internet system should be monitored for failure with an alert sent to the campground owner to request an immediate repair. Monitoring is a feature of the Guest Internet controllers combined with the cloud management system.

• The ISP service: monitor for a connection failure.
• The Internet management controller: monitor for product failure.
• The wireless access points that provide the WiFi service: monitor of a failure of any one.

Integration of the campground WiFi service with other software systems

Many campgrounds rely on online reservations systems to sell campground space to customers, with some customers making reservations over a year in advance. The reservation system might send out the gate key code to allow the customer to enter any time of the day or night. Some reservations systems also work with the campground Internet controller to send a WiFi Internet access code to the guest when the reservation is made. Reservation systems integrate with the Internet controller using an application-programming interface (API). There are two types of API that can be used.

• The API provided by the campground Internet controller that is accessed by reservation software installed at the campground. The reservation system fetches the access code to send to the guest.
• The API is provided by the cloud management system so that a company that develops and operates reservation systems for a number of campgrounds can access the cloud to fetch an Internet access code for a specific campground of for a group of campgrounds and then send the code to the customer who made the reservation.

Reduce installation and operating costs of the campground WiFi Internet service

Installation and operating costs of a WiFi Internet service are a barrier for many campgrounds that prevent them from providing the service. The campground owners hear the requests of campers for WiFi Internet, but are reluctant to spend an unknown amount of money with something that they don’t understand. They reason that the system they contract may not work, and the initial costs will spiral out of control.

The concerns that campground owners have about a WiFi Internet investment have been minimized by manufacturers that are providing products which are easy to install and easy to use.

The connection to the Internet can be made using a Starlink antenna that requires no special technical knowledge to setup and operate. Starlink has made the process of installing and operating the antenna very easy using a phone app that has all the essential features to align the antenna and connect to the Internet. The Starlink priority plan provides a great service for campgrounds where the data speed is higher than the basic plan and the campground customers can have unlimited data because the campground can purchase additional data that will be charged to the customer.

Simplifying a WiFi service using pre-configured Guest internet STAR kits

The installation and operation of the guest WiFi system that connects to the Starlink antenna can be simplified by installing a pre-configured Guest Internet kit that includes the Internet controller and the WiFi wireless access point. The Internet controller requires a simple setup that uses a quick start wizard to install the login page. The generation of access codes and voucher printing is explained with comprehensive documentation that comes with the kit. The Guest Internet cloud service is free to use and Guest Internet provides free support via the website.

The combination of the Starlink antenna with the Guest Internet management and WiFi kit is suitable for the campground owner to install and operate. The campground can sell vouchers to campers for access to the WiFi Internet, or the campers can purchase Internet access online using a credit card. The Guest Internet campground kit is identical in operation to the Guest Internet system for airport WiFi Internet that many International airports have to provide WiFi Internet for travelers.

Many campground owners around the world already use the Guest Internet system to provide and sell a WiFi service to guests and are very happy with the reliability and simplicity of the system, it just works.

Three methods of providing WiFi Internet for campgrounds

There are several methods of installing and operating a campground WiFi service. A simple installation will not provide WiFi coverage of area that guests would like to have, while a WiFi service that covers the whole campground area will cost more and have some technical challenges.

Three methods are described here that differentiate in terms of cost and area of coverage for the guest.

Method 1: Point of sale (PoS)

A very simple method of providing WiFi Internet and charging the guest is to install a WiFi point of sale in the campground office. The guest goes to the campground office to connect a mobile device to the Internet and purchases the access from the point of sale system. This system is shown in the diagram.

The WiFi point of sale is a Guest Internet product and has a WiFi wireless controller (the Guest internet GIS-K1) with a thermal receipt printer (the Guest Internet GIS-TP1). The GIS-K1 combines a wireless access point with the Internet controller in one product. There is no limit to the number of people that can connect to the GIS-K1, however for good Internet performance the number should be less than 25 people.

The GIS-K1 connects to the Starlink router Ethernet port for the Internet service. The Gen 1 and Gen 2 Starlink antennas require the purchase of the optional Ethernet port. The Gen 3 Starlink antenna includes the Ethernet port in the router. The GIS-TP1 can connect to an automated cash drawer if required. A computer or a tablet connects to the GIS-K1 point of sale (PoS) software with up to 10 buttons on the screen; each button represents a duration of access, a data speed and a cost.

The guest chooses the type of service that they want to use and the campground staff taps a button on the display. A receipt is printed with the access code for the WiFi internet. The guest can then connect the mobile device to the WiFi and enter the code into the login page. The guest then has Internet access for the duration of time and the data speed specified by the access code. The campground owner can easily install the GIS-K1 and GIS-TP1 products and also configure and operate the system to issue the receipts.

Method 2: Covering a larger area with Guest Internet STAR-7 kit

Campgrounds can enlarge the WiFi service area around the campground office by installing a Guest Internet STAR-7 kit. The Star-7 kit has two parts.

The Guest Internet GIS-R4 controller (black box) connects to the Starlink router for Internet access. The GIS-R4 can charge guests for the WiFi service via on-line credit card payments to the campground account.

Alternatively the campground owner can print vouchers with access codes for sale in the campground store. The WiFi access codes can be printed via the software installed in the Guest Internet controllers. The GIS-R4 connects to the powerful outdoor wireless access point WAP-5 (white antenna) that is installed outside the campground office; either on the office roof or on an adjacent tower.

The connection range is improved when the wireless access point is at a height above the treetops, the higher the better. The next figure shows the STAR-7 kit installation.

The installation of the STAR-7 kit requires some construction work to install the WAP-5 wireless access point high enough to have a good range. The configuration and operation of the system once installed is explained in the document that is included with the kit and does not require any network expertise. 

Regarding the range, with no obstructions and the WAP-5 installed in a high tower, a mobile device might communicate within a range of 100 meters. It will depend on the WiFi technology of the mobile device trying to connect and any obstructions such as buildings or trees will weaken or block the signal.

Method 3: Extending the WiFi range for the whole campground

Installing wireless access points throughout the campground area can extend the range of the WiFi. Each wireless access point is connected back to the campground office with a point-to-point wireless link. This installation requires computer-networking expertise to design and install. Each campground requires a unique project developed by a company that is specialized with the installation of outdoor WiFi networks.

The next diagram illustrates the network installation that will provide WiFi access over the whole campground area.

The design depends on the size of the area, the type of terrain and the obstacles that will block the WiFi signal, such as buildings and trees. The campground can call a network specialist company to prepare a design and estimate the cost of the installation.

When planning a project of this scale the campground owner must analyze the investment and potential income that can be generated by the WiFi system to ensure that there is a return on the investment. After analysis it may be necessary to scale down the project design to reduce the cost.

Of the three levels of project describe here the project that will give the best results is the Guest Internet STAR-7 kit. The range is limited and so guests that are further away from the antenna location may not be able to connect to the WiFi, however the investment is low and the project installation is simple so that the campground owner can install without calling a technical specialist.

The process to print vouchers with access codes

Vouchers with access codes can be printed using the Guest Internet controller for use with that controller, or printed using the Guest Internet Cloud to provide codes for a group of controllers. 

• Access code vouchers that are printed using the Guest Internet controller can only be authenticated with that controller.
• Any controller in the cloud group can authenticate access code vouchers that are printed using the cloud for a group of controllers.

Before printing any vouchers, the voucher template must be prepared in the controller or the cloud. All the customization is done by logging in to the Guest Internet customer account, which is created once a Guest Internet controller is purchased. The text that will be printed on the voucher is uploaded to the template along with the business logo in JPG format.

The procedure to print vouchers is illustrated in the next diagram. Access codes are created using the controller software or the cloud group. Then the button to print the codes as vouchers is clicked. Vouchers are sent to the letter printer attached to the computer. The printed pages are then cut into vouchers and the vouchers can be sold to campground guests.

The procedure for the guest to access the Internet