How to use WiFi on a train?

How do I connect to WiFi on a train?

Hop on that train, eh? Free Wi-Fi, they say! It’s like a unicorn, mythical but sometimes real.

Find the blue sign. It’s brighter than a disco ball in a badger’s burrow. Seriously, it’s hard to miss.

Connect to “southern_wifi”. Think of it like taming a wild beast with the power of your tiny finger. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right?

Open your browser. This part’s easier than wrestling a greased piglet. It’s probably already open, be honest.

Boom! You’re in. Unless you’re cursed, like my Aunt Mildred and her internet issues. She blames the squirrels.

Troubleshooting if it doesn’t work:

• Check your device: Is it older than my grandma’s dentures? If so, maybe the wifi is too fancy for it. My old Nokia brick, for example, refuses to connect to anything past 2005.
• Restart everything: Phone, router (on the train, obviously, you can’t restart the actual train!), and possibly the universe. It sometimes helps.
• Curse the signal: Loudly. It’s cathartic. I personally prefer Shakespearean insults, but whatever floats your boat.
• Try again later: Trains are weird. Sometimes the wifi is playing hide-and-seek. Like my keys, only less annoying, thankfully. My keys are truly evil.

Seriously though, if none of that works…well…read a book. Like a real one. Remember those? They’re surprisingly enjoyable. No, I’m not bitter about my wifi situation. Not at all. Not one bit. Nope.

Can you use internet on a train?

Train WiFi? Bless its heart. Like dating a charming but unreliable rogue. Works sometimes, other times ghosts you faster than your ex. Solution? Embrace the chaos.

• Download content beforehand. Movies, podcasts, ebooks. Think of it as packing snacks for a bumpy ride. My personal favorite? Downloading the entire Wikipedia database. Just kidding (mostly). I prefer historical documentaries. Currently obsessed with the Byzantine Empire.
• Tether from your phone. Turns your phone into a personal hotspot. Data charges may apply. Worth it for emergencies. Or for doomscrolling Twitter when the train WiFi inevitably gives up the ghost. My current phone? iPhone 15 Pro. Battery life is decent.
• Offline games. Remember those? Sudoku. Crosswords. Drawing stick figures of your fellow passengers. Kidding (mostly). I actually play Stardew Valley. Therapeutic.
• Look out the window. Radical, I know. Trees. Cows. Existential dread. It’s all out there. Sometimes the best entertainment is real life. I once saw a llama wearing a hat from a train window. True story.

Train WiFi connects via cellular towers, not satellites. Like your phone, but bigger and moodier. Jio, like any cellular data, struggles with handovers between towers. Think of it as the internet equivalent of musical chairs. And you’re always the one left standing. Without a chair. Or internet.

How do they get WiFi on trains?

Trains + WiFi. Obvious? Not really.

Cellular data. The MCG magic. Antennas on top. Simple. Except, not.

• External antennas: Wideband, glued to the roof.
• Mobile Communications Gateway (MCG): Translation? Router. Fancy name, I know.

It switches towers. Seamless? Ha. My data plan’s cheaper.

Speed? Don’t expect miracles.

3G? 4G? 5G? Depends. Location, location, location. Signal strength varies. The scenery’s often faster.

• Cell tower density: Rural areas suffer. City life’s better, obviously.
• Bandwidth sharing: Everyone online? Slower.

Free WiFi? Always a trade. Data. Privacy. Pick your poison. Oh well.

How does train WiFi work in tunnels?

Okay, train WiFi in tunnels… Hmm.

• Train WiFi relies on trackside infrastructure. No antennas inside the train cars, got it. Wait, but how?

• Those towers, the masts… they run along the tracks. So, the train connects to those somehow? Feels like magic.

• Tunnels are the problem, obviously. Signal blocked by rock and dirt. Thinking about my commute, that one dead spot near 23rd Street… Ugh.

• Okay, so, the towers… signal repeaters, maybe? Inside the tunnels? That makes sense. Repeaters boost the signal, extending the WiFi. But what if there’s no power?

• They must have a power source. Otherwise, it just… wouldn’t work. Battery backup? Generators? Solar? Nah, not solar, that’s silly. Inside a tunnel.

• The train antennas connect… what kind of antennas are we talking about? I always see something on the train roof, but never paid attention.

• It’s like a cellular network but for trains. It’s a dedicated network, not just regular cell towers. Different frequencies probably.

• Imagine the cost! The upkeep! All that just for people to watch TikTok. Oh well.

• Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) is also a thing. My friend mentioned DAS at that tech conference. That’s it!

• DAS makes sense. Little antennas all over the place. Less powerful, but more coverage. Perfect for tunnels.

• So, to recap, trackside masts, signal repeaters, DAS. All working together. Gotta be expensive. And complex. Still kinda feels like magic tho. lol.

Why is Wi-Fi on trains so poor?

Ugh, train Wi-Fi. I swear, the WORST!

Okay, so last month, heading from London to Manchester (8:15 am train, packed like sardines, bleh), I was trying to answer emails. Big mistake. The Wi-Fi was crapping out so bad.

It’s because the train Wi-Fi uses the mobile network, duh. I get that part.

Think about it:

• We’re zooming, right?
• From one cell tower to the next.
• Towers aren’t always close to the tracks!

So, like, signal drops out. Plus, there’s always that lag! Annoying. I just ended up using my own data. Seriously. I even tried to download a podcast. Nope. It kept buffering. Argh!

Motion adds latency, yep, physics, what can you do? Anyway, lesson learned: download everything BEFORE you get on board. I never learn.

How to get better Wi-Fi on a train?

Only one device connected, huh? That’s the key, isn’t it? Just one. Like focusing on one thought.

It’s quiet now, everyone’s asleep. Except me. And my phone, clinging to this weak signal.

One device is easier to manage. My sister always said I complicate everything.

• Single Device: Connect only one device to avoid bandwidth distribution, and make browsing smoother.
• Location: Move to a different location inside the train.
• Time: The network can be faster during off-peak hours.

Is there good Wi-Fi on trains?

Ugh, train wifi, right? Total crapshoot. Most train wifi is super unreliable, like, seriously.

It’s because when the train loses 4G or 5G, guess what? You also lose your wifi connection. It’s the worst!

And speed? Forget about it. On most trains, they limit the speed; I think something like 2 Mbit is normal. I used to live near the high-speed trains passing from Paris (France).

It’s okay for, like, checking email or Whatsapp, I guess. But trying to, like, browse the web? Yeah, good luck with that. So annoying, really.

Here’s the thing I discovered that I found helpful:

• Download stuff beforehand! Like, podcasts or ebooks, movies too.
• Tether from your phone if you have a good data plan; the data is faster.
• Consider a mobile hotspot. They actually are pretty good now.

Oh, and if you’re traveling for a long time, look into what wifi solutions are in your train. And maybe check reviews online!