UKC

are there any online maps of places with 4g singal in the u.k? if not can anyone recommend any campsites which definitely have good 4g signal, i use giffgaff but could switch to a different provider if needed.   I'd like to try and work from the campervan a bit this summer but I will loose my job if I have unreliable signal. 

Does anyone have expereince with dongles, do they get you a much better signal?

thanks, Ben

All the mobile networks have coverage maps on their website. In my experience they should be used a guide rather than gospel, actual location and phone make a big difference. 

Why not get a SIM from another network to make sure you are covered in any case? £20/month SIM only would cover most mobile data requirements. Certainly cheaper than losing work. 

Definitely worth considering a different provider. I'm with GiffGaff and found a lot of places in Cornwall and Devon had no data signal at all, let alone reliable and fast. Online reviews suggest their coverage is way behind and EE are the market leaders. That should extend to virtual networks using EE's network as well.

If you're going to stick in one place just find a site that has WiFi. If not, and your job really depends on it, unfortunately starlink might be your answer.

EE has always been the better option in Cornwall but its still very hit and miss due to the topography. We were on a campsite on The Lizard with no signal at all, but had full 4G a few hundred meters up the road.

If I were doing this I'd get a dongle or router that can take an external antenna and mount this on the roof of the van. Could be a magnetic one that you take in when you're not using it. It can make a big difference if you're on the edge of useable signal.

I'm on EE and their 4G coverage is suprisingly good in a lot of parts or south pembrokeshire, where I live. I also had good coverage on Arran last year and the Outer hebridies the previous year. Good enough to watch tour de france coverage in some seemingly pretty remote spots when wild camping along the hebredian way.

You can always get a no signal zone in an area of otherwise good coverage though, as you can in cities.

I stayed on a site with Wi-Fi in cornwall 5 years ago, I imagine this might be quite common among posher sites now?

Try to get a 4G (or 5G) router that has an external antenna. I notice a big difference in signal/speed using my phone inside my van compared to outside. If I was trying to do any serious wok in my van then I'd definitely be getting a router with external antenna

For reference: GiffGaff uses O2 as its carrier.

Politics aside, this possibly changes things:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/05/starlink-discounts-broadband-...

Definition of rural seems pretty lax; it quoted me the cheaper deal and I live in a decent sized town.

I thought Campiste was perhaps a new genre of glamping influencer,

perhaps one whose first question on considering a site is whether there is a barista provided.

I tried this a few years ago. We took 3 weeks off as a family and I worked the morning of the 1st 2 weeks. 
The 1st time with a 4G router (Think it was EE) it worked fine. 2nd time on a pitch just 10 m away it was a disaster, slow speeds and I didn’t try to do it again. 
I am now on O2 with the work phone. It’s a disaster even in towns in Cornwall. 
 

Can't speak for SW but I've found Giffgaff annoyingly rubbish lately - it seems to be protesting at being used in central Sheffield now, and I frequently find that in parts of the Peak, Lakes (eg Baysbrown), Wales (Gwern Gof), I don't have signal when others do. If it weren't for the roaming in Europe (and my inherent laziness) I'd probably change it now.