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Oshkosh Wifi

DanH

DanH

Legacy Member
Mentor
I need to conduct some business back in Alabama, on Thursday, while at OSH. Doing so will require a fast and reliable internet connection, as I'll be buying trucks at auction via streaming video and audio. The alternative is going home on Wednesday.

In past years I've not had much luck with the wifi service at Airventure, at least not from my tent in HBC. Seems like the system is fine on Saturday, and sometimes Sunday, but then it's just overloaded the rest of the week.

Brothers, sisters, computer pros, tell me what to do! How do I get a good connection? Would it make any difference to get close to a hot spot on the grounds? Do I need to go into town and find a cooperative business with an open link? Should I just forget about it and go home?
 
How about using your phone as a hotspot?
Not sure of the speed you need but would be faster than a clogged wifi.
 
I never had fast or reliable WiFi at Osh no matter where I tired it. I suggest either going over to Target or Panera where you can at least get a reliable connection or get with someone who is willing to share their smart phone's WiFi hotspot capability (assuming you don't have it yourself as most smart phones have the capability of being a Wifi hotspot).
 
Dan,

Can you tether from your smart phone and just use your data from your cell phone to feed "wifi" to your laptop or tablet?

Otherwise, it seems like going to Starbucks is your best bet.
 
I have to have connectivity too. I agree that if the wifi is the same as it has been, it isn't going to cut it. I'm hoping that with the temporary cell tower on the field in recent years, that a tethered phone will do the trick.
 
I've been on-site for a few days and the wifi is about the same as past years - spotty and poor. Verizon data from my iPad seems to be working well.
 
Whitman said:
Dan,

Can you tether from your smart phone and just use your data from your cell phone to feed "wifi" to your laptop or tablet?

Otherwise, it seems like going to Starbucks is your best bet.
Click to expand...

Simple answer, yes.
You would be using your cell data plan. Streaming would be running up your data totals. I guess that would be the price to pay to stay at Oshkosh another day.
 
I was going to say the cell phone tethering idea could be just as problematic, although if there's a temporary tower, maybe not so ... still, with that many people in such a small space, and if this is for critical business, regular wi-fi and cell phone service could be risky.

Is there nowhere you can plug in physically?
 
Using a cell phone hot spot is better than most realize, I have used it in the past at Osh with great results. I had to do that for a week at home when my cable internet was down, the speed was as good as Time Warner cable internet! I use AT$T, and with LOTS of use never even went over my data plan. Try it, you might like it!
 
Be careful with relying on cellular services. Most of the cell providers do bring in COWs (Cellular on Wheels) to boost capacity, but it can be hit or miss with the huge crowds.

Your best bet would be what was suggested above... going to a Starbucks, Panera, or local Library when your internet connection is critical.
 
I have tethered my phone to a laptop, and intend to use it for Kitplanes uploads. However, I assumed (perhaps foolishly) it would not have the necessary bandwidth for a live auction application. Am I wrong? I'll check it today.

Other ideas? If I go offsite and connect to the net via a locked business wifi, or at a private home, is service likely to be good? Or are net services likely to be overloaded on a citywide basis?
 
Dan I've been in the same circumstance in the past, myself. I walked over to the Hilton Garden Inn and got wifi access there. It was fast enough for my presentations and meetings and I was using video at the time. My only issue was finding a quiet'ish spot to sit and talk. The YMCA had decent wifi too.
 
You could ask a VAF buddy in Homebuilt Registration if they have good wifi in their building that they are able to share. I know the registration buildings are hard wired with internet. It's probably fiercely guarded by IT attack dogs, but you never know til you ask.

Maybe the house being used for the VAF social has internet and your contacts will let you use it? I would hope that anything coming in as a wired connection would be fine, but I'm no IT expert.
 
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Dan,
I would think the local public library would have adequate WIFI for what you need. At least it does where I live. They should also be able to accommodate a wired connection if needed. The Oshkosh Public library is only a couple miles from the airport.
 
I'm curious who EAA uses for their WiFi setup, 550,000 people is a lot but not an insurmountable problem.
 
DanH said:
I have tethered my phone to a laptop, and intend to use it for Kitplanes uploads. However, I assumed (perhaps foolishly) it would not have the necessary bandwidth for a live auction application. Am I wrong? I'll check it today.

Other ideas? If I go offsite and connect to the net via a locked business wifi, or at a private home, is service likely to be good? Or are net services likely to be overloaded on a citywide basis?
Click to expand...

Prior years Cellular data was very slow due to too many people on the temporary towers. I think your best bet would be to go offsite 5 miles or more so that you are on a different tower than all the people at the show. LTE tethering from a non-congested tower will work fine for video.
 
Take a bus ride to the university dorms. There will be quiet public areas there and the access has always worked fine for me.
 
DanH said:
I have tethered my phone to a laptop, and intend to use it for Kitplanes uploads. However, I assumed (perhaps foolishly) it would not have the necessary bandwidth for a live auction application. Am I wrong? I'll check it today.
Click to expand...

Depends. The average LTE speed is actually higher then the average free Wifi speed as many free Wifi hot spot's still backhaul through DSL.

Of course Oshkosh is not average.

Last year there were COWs from all mayor provides on site (some providers had multiple COWs). In fact there were COWs right next to HBC so HBC was pretty well covered. My son was watching youtube while playing video games way to much (another problem altogether...) and it worked OK which I would think is similar to your auction app. On the other hand it didn't always work.... .
 
In the past, both cell and wifi have been extreamly poor from HBC during storms when everyone wants to see the weather, evenings right after the airshow when everyone returns to their camp sites, and mid mornings when everyone is trying to see what is going on in the world. I also conduct business and have had the best luck avoiding those times and using my phone hot spot when I have LTE. Works well.

Here at home, I have fould the quality of the wifi connection at my local Panera or other usual restaurants spots really slow to downright poor. They must be restricting because I noticed it is even worse when you see a lot of customers on their phones / computers during meal times. Just an observation and worth what you paid for it.
 
There is an Internet cafe in Scholler just southeast of the red barn that has had wired connections available in the past. They're not open yet (Thursday 7-21 4:30pm) but I'll keep an eye out when it opens.
 
Laundry

Hey Dan,

There is a coin Laundry place on the North side of the airport with a great connection. I usually go there some time during the week for laundry and catch up on email stuff.

The hot spot with your phone will work but you'll chew through the data quick.
 
I would invite you to our house with dedicated WiFi at the end of 27 and hand you a beer but we're leaving Thursday morning. Sorry.. I would suggest any MickyD's or Starbucks. Most any hotel would have WiFi but you'd have to get the password from the desk guy. I tether nearly everywhere off my cell but that can be real hit or miss with the towers being flooded with users. You might see data drop outs or huge slowdowns. You can always drive a bit and tether over 7 miles away and not have overcrowded towers.
 
How about Oshkosh University? They have a computer room that's open for people renting rooms there, I don't remember if there's Wifi too but you could call them and ask. I guess something could be arranged...
...and there's even a bus service.
 
i live in n. wi. near a major tourist destination town. i use my phone for a hotspot at home with verizon service. on the weekends in the summer service is so slow you swear your computer has been taken over. not even worth going on line until monday. in the next 12 hrs. it will slow down to a crawl. don't know what to expect from verizon in such a busy place.
 
Reporting back with some followup.

First, tethering my cell phone to the laptop was a good plan for routine webpage and email access, although I'm pretty sure I ran up a $45 data overage bill. No connection issues at all.

The broadband access solution was to spend the afternoon at a private home over near the North 40. Whatever keeps Airventure web access in a snarl didn't have any effect on private access off the grounds. I was able to buy seven utility trucks via live audio/video.

Thanks for the advice guys.
 
The WiFi in HBC was completely unusable this year, the past 3 years it was at least sometimes marginally usable in the evenings, but totally zilch this year. Even the Verizon 4G LTE data service on my phone was slow and congested.
 
Neal@F14 said:
The WiFi in HBC was completely unusable this year, the past 3 years it was at least sometimes marginally usable in the evenings, but totally zilch this year. Even the Verizon 4G LTE data service on my phone was slow and congested.
Click to expand...

I'm with AT&T and had decent service. I was in row 304, about 50 yards from the towers.
 
I had great wifi coverage on the eaa network at the EAA Flightline Pavilion.

Next year, try that area for those that are looking.

:) CJ
 
No complaints

We were at Camp Schollar all week, near the West Camp Store. We had excellent wifi throughout the week. Wifi near the exhibition hangers was poor, but there certainly were areas it was better.
 
Tried to connect a few times in HBC and down by Homebuilt registration and gave up. Turned on my phone's hotspot (Verizon 4G LTE) when I needed to use my tablet and didn't have any issues with that. However, generally I just stuck to my phone using LTE and didn't bother with my tablet at all.
 
Similar experience here. I was camped at Warbirds Camping and wifi was rather spotty and pretty slow. Verizon data connection was perfect though, and I had no issues working while connected to my cell phone.
 
I had unexpectedly good ATT service all over the show. I expected none and got 2-3 bars of LTE. Best was near my plane in row 313. Able to send photos easily and never had issue facetiming with wife showing her the sites (she was stuck at home with sick dog and let me come by myself).
 
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