One of the things many people find most appealing about living in a tiny house on wheels, is the flexibility it offers in terms of location. One can live virtually anywhere and, while tiny houses aren’t designed to be constantly on the road, they are an investment that can come with you if you want to move location. The difficulty that comes with this, however, is access to the internet. Often considered a necessity these days, especially for those who work online, it’s important to understand how internet in a tiny house differs from a standard home. Depending on your circumstances, the options available may vary, so let’s get into it.
Share it with your host
Many tiny house owners choose to park their home on someone else’s property, whether that’s a family member, friend or simply someone living in the area they want to park it. If this is the case, your best option may be to organise to share internet with your host.
How you go about this will depend on how close you’re parked to your host’s home.
If you’re nice and close, you may simply be able to get a wireless range extender that will intercept the wi-fi signal from your host’s wireless router and re-broadcast it to increase the wireless coverage.
If you’re further away from your hosts home and plan to stay in the same location for a while, you may be better off with an ethernet cable. This can connect two routers and can be run outside between your host’s home and your own. They generally work over about 100 metres before reliability diminishes, but this depends on your network. If opting for this option, either buy a weatherproof cable or place the cable in a conduit and bury it underground to ensure it doesn’t deteriorate too quickly.
With either of these options it’s a good idea to offer to pay some extra rent or your fair share of the internet bill. It’s also important to be aware that other people who use the same network might be able to see your what you’re looking at unless you’re using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or are on a secure site.
Wireless broadband
Assuming you’re not living somewhere remote with no mobile coverage, another option is to connect to wireless broadband. This removes the need for any fixed-line connection by using a mobile connection with large data allowances to get wi-fi. It may be less consistent than an NBN connection, but will still offer a great solution and, best of all, can easily come with you each time you move.
Mobile hotspot
In a similar vein to wireless broadband, if you have a high or unlimited data plan on your phone, it’s more than possible to simply use your mobile hotspot to get internet. This can be frustrating as it requires your phone to be nearby and uses up your phone battery, but it’s possibly one of the easiest solutions and can certainly be a good temporary option.
Dongle and pocket wi-fi modem
Dongles and pocket wi-fi modems offer a way to connect to a mobile network without having to use your phone.
Dongles work via USB and need to be plugged into your computer or laptop to work. They can only be connected to one device (that has a USB port) at a time. Pocket wi-fi modems are battery-powered, don’t need to be plugged into the device, and can connect several devices to a data network at once. Both are very small to take up as little room in your tiny house as possible.
Satellite internet
If you’re in a remote location with no other option, it might be time to turn to satellite internet. This requires the installation of a satellite dish onto your home and can then be connected within your home through a modem. Most satellite dishes need to be installed by an approved NBN installer or provider. Satellite internet is typically much slower than NBN so it isn’t generally advised where other internet options are available. It’s also important to note that the satellite dish needs to be installed where there are no obstructions towards the sky.
A recent addition to the market which may be faster, however, is Starlink. This uses low-orbit satellites and has a small portable dish that can be installed yourself. Compared to other satellite internet options, Starlink promises much faster speeds but It’s also significantly more expensive.
Power in a tiny house
For your internet to work in your tiny house, you need to be connected to power in one way or another. If you live on a host property, this can be done by running an extension cord to your host’s home. If you’re keen to live off-grid or this isn’t an option, though, solar power with a back-up generator, is a great choice. To learn more about using solar power to run a tiny house, check out this blog.
Tiny houses on wheels aren’t exclusively for people who want to live self-sufficient, off-grid lifestyles. In fact, they’re able to suit a wide range of circumstances and can be adapted as necessary. Even if you are living off-grid, there’s no need to miss out on having access to the internet. Whether you rely on it for work, or simply want it for entertainment, there’s no reason you can’t find a way to get it in your tiny home.
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