Wifi and streaming with roku

[virginiadenham]

We are newbies with a 2019 Travado. We are looking at a wifi booster and roku to stream Netflix etc. Any advice?

[chirakawa]

2 hours ago, virginiadenham said:

We are newbies with a 2019 Travado. We are looking at a wifi booster and roku to stream Netflix etc. Any advice?

If you're counting on campground/RV Park wifi to stream, you'll probably be disappointed.  In ten years of full time RV'ing, I've stayed in maybe two parks which had adequate bandwidth to support streaming reliably.

Good luck.

[trailertraveler]

6 hours ago, virginiadenham said:

We are newbies with a 2019 Travado. We are looking at a wifi booster and roku to stream Netflix etc. Any advice?

Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!!

3 hours ago, chirakawa said:

If you're counting on campground/RV Park wifi to stream, you'll probably be disappointed.  In ten years of full time RV'ing, I've stayed in maybe two parks which had adequate bandwidth to support streaming reliably.

Good luck.

In the last few years, my success has been better then this, about 30%. There are many factors involved not the least of which is the internet service available to the park and the park infrastructure. High speed connections like fiber optic are not available everywhere. Some park Wifi systems limit the bandwidth available to each user which may prevent smooth streaming especially of HD video. In my experience, apps that let you select lower resolutions like 720dpi or below may work when others may not. How many users there are on a system will also affect the speed and thus the ability to stream. Each time a signal is repeated (including by a wireless booster), the speed will decrease. In parks that have long term sites, there are often Xfinitywifi hotspots that emanate from sites that have high speed internet service. They are generally throttled to 6MBS and require that you are an Xfinity customer. 

I use a Ubiquiti Nanostation as an external Wifi adapter and booster. It can be connected to either a single computer or a router. I try to connect everything that can to the router by ethernet rather than wireless to avoid the speed decrease that comes with each wireless hop. I don't know if any of the Roku devices have an ethernet port. I have a Vizio TV that has an ethernet connection. It is capable of accessing Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Crackle, Vudu, YouTube, Pluto, Xumo and some other services. I can also connect my computer via HDMI and view anything streamed on the computer on the TV.

I also have a cellular data plan. We have stayed in many places where the cellular connection is marginal or will not support streaming. As with Wifi, I always try to limit the number of Wifi hops. I tether the cellular device to the router and connect the computers, TV, etc. to the router by ethernet cable. Sometimes I can stream on the tablet or cell phone but not on any device connect to them by wireless. 

[sandsys]

3 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

For the most up to date info without the manufacture's sales pitch, start here https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/ 

X2. My experience is way out of date but the rvmobileinternet.com people keep very current. They are full-time RVers and boaters who provide this service as part of their income streams. And because they are geeks who think research is fun.

Linda

[Second Chance]

34 minutes ago, sandsys said:

X2. My experience is way out of date but the rvmobileinternet.com people keep very current. They are full-time RVers and boaters who provide this service as part of their income streams. And because they are geeks who think research is fun.

Linda

X3^^. And remember not to confuse signal strength with bandwidth. Just because you can boost a campground or park signal doesn't mean their connection will have the bandwidth to stream video (our experience has been somewhere between the 10% and 30% cited above). We have an unlimted 4G data plan and a good hotspot. We do all of our streaming with that setup. Check out the resource provided above and read, read, read.

Rob