AirVenture WiFi

[dougbush]

The wifi in the North 40 has been mostly useless in my experience over several years. The explanation I've heard is too many devices are trying to connect to each access point at a time.

If the wifi antenna is on a utility pole aimed at the N40, of course it has too many devices in range! I would suggest turning down the antenna power to the minimum, and putting it inside a building or in a hole in the ground. Really. That way, only a few devices brought near to it can connect, and they will be able to get online. To serve more users, add more access points surrounded by signal-blocking obstructions, so only nearby devices can connect.

Also, I would get rid of the requirement to "agree" with the terms before getting online. That just wastes the limited bandwidth. Put that fine print on the camping registration or admission ticket instead.

You could also add some mutiport switches so devices able to connect by Ethernet cable can do so without interfering with the wifi.

[FlyingRon]

I doubt it's an antenna on a pole in main grounds just pointed at the N40. That indeed wouldn't work. Coverage is pretty darned spotty. You're lucky you have anything. We've had squat in vintage (the device at the Hangar Cafe is some old consumer grade thing and it has NEVER worked). On the other hand, the Cell bandwidth has massively improved over the years (right when iPhones became popular, AT&T went down in flames on field). I used my T-Moblie phone tethered with good success over the past few years.

[Joe Delene]

I wouldn't count on much. One should plan of getting by with their cell service or going to use wi-fi at a local establishment.

[Bailey47b]

I have Verizon and find even cellular data in Vintage camping is useless other than early or late in the day. Cellular voice seem to work fine all the time. I guess too many devices!

[griffin800]

3/4 of a million people in a town that normally has 60k. Can't imagine why the cell networks would be overloaded.

Bill H.

[PaulDow]

Actually it's much fewer people than that. If EAA sells a weekly pass, it's counted as multiple admissions to the event. I don't know the details, so they may count it as 7 admissions, or as few as 4 days since that's the point where it makes more sense to buy the weekly vs. daily admission.

[FlyingRon]

3/4 of a million people in a town that normally has 60k. Can't imagine why the cell networks would be overloaded.

Bill H.

The cell carriers bring in equipment for events like Airventure.

[Cary]

For the last few years, I've used my iPad Mini for Internet needs. I have been able to connect on WiFi, but it's not been reliable at all. In contrast, I have Verizon, and the Mini has worked very well in the North 40, the South 40 (aka North Fond du lac), and Vintage. Before when I took a laptop, it was useless--never could connect on WiFi.

Cary

[FlyingRon]

The first couple of years iPhones were on the market, AT&T went down in flames. For a while cellular (even voice) was hit or miss on all the carriers. The sloshkosh year, I sat in the Vintage ops building with one AT&T phone and one Verizon phone calling pilots back when we'd found spots for their planes (they had been temporarily parked on the paved ditch and along Taxiway Papa but we were told these needed to go before the daily airshows started. I managed to get the last one out of there just in time for one-eyed jack to crash his jet into the taxiway.

The past few years, I've not had any real problem with cell service. As I said, my t-mobile android playing hotspot worked fine.