internet on the road

[jerseypete]

I have a fairly new laptop that I want to use, mostly for email, and I subscribe to comcast cable at the house. I want to start out using Wi Fi at the various locations, libraries, coffee shops, campgrounds, etc. Here's my question: What do I need besides the laptop and the provider to get online?

[whemme]

Your laptop will either need to be equipped with a wireless card and/or and external wireless adapter. You will also need to be within range of a non-secure WiFi hotspot.

I would highly recommend an external wireless adapter to use with your laptop as I have discovered that most laptops with internal wireless cards have very poor range performance. I use a Hawking HWU8DD Hi-Gainâ„¢ USB Wireless-G Dish Adapter with good range performance results. A company website link for that product is below:

http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/pro ... ProdID=280

The one disadvantage to this product is that it is directional - you need to point the adaptor towards the wireless hotspot antenna. The tradeoff is that this parabolic directional antenna has good range precisely because it is directional. I believe I paid around $75.00 for this product.

Another product that I have used is the Linksys Model WUSB54GR Wireless USB Adapter, that is non-directional and can be reviewed at the followling factory website link:

http://tinyurl.com/2fo2nh

This Linksys adapter does not have quite the wireless range of the Hawking product but it is non-directional. I believe I paid around $50.00 for this product.

[Ann P]

Hi, let me share my experiences with wifi, it may fit what you're asking about. My Sony Vaio is now 2 years old and has built-in wifi capability. I'm a full-timer and don't have a "home" computer nor a provider, I just use a free Yahoo account. When I go into a Library, coffee shop, cafe, laundrymat- places that advertise free wifi, I usually get a strong signal but you have to consider security concerns in these places. Same with Campgrounds and RV resorts...the best set-up is a park office that gives you a password to go online for a secure network, but you often need to be near their antenna too. I never tried an external wireless adapter like Bill H. mentioned, but I do have a Wilson's trucker antenna for my cell phone, which I don't need very often.

So, after almost 2 years of RVing and searching for "free" wifi , enduring dropped connections in parks plus sometimes having to pay( too much ) for Tengo, and having to find a big enough parking space for the Born Free near libraries and stores,etc....my life changed when I got a Verizon aircard. I got the card free with a $50 rebate , and pay $60 month + tax, and it's totally worth the cost. Even though most commercial parks seem to offer wifi now, even some tiny mom and pop places, my aircard is more reliable and gives me great flexiblity. I no longer have to ask for a site near the park's wifi antenna to get their signal, or worry about too many people on it. I've also been able to boot up with my aircard while parked in Wal-Mart lots, forest service campgrounds that are close to town, and some odd places.

People who boondock or want internet in remote areas use various gadgets to get a signal: routers, amplifiers,etc. (Hemme tech territory) I've heard of a website that I think is called 3gstore where they know all this stuff. Right now, I'm happy with just my card. I have a full-timer friend who used to have a big HughesNet internet satellite dish on his bus, but recently got rid of it for an aircard.

Why not see how well your computer's wifi works, try it out in some local places before you go RVing with it. Then see what kind of parks you stay in and how their wifi works, and how you do with getting your BF into parking lots and such. You also seem like the kind of guy who would enjoy going to Life on Wheels, the educational RV seminars. They do great classes on using internet on the road and so much more.

[jerseypete]

Thank you Ann and Bill, for sharing your knowledge and experience with me, pete

[BornFree_n_Now]

WiFi, when it works, is a gift, although one you should protect yourself when using ~~ two products we use and recommend (no affiliation) are:

• Security Shield 2008 (http://www.pcsecurityshield.com/lp/secu ... Q#features)

• WiTopia’s personalVPN (http://www.witopia.net/)

Without these or similar products your WiFi experience has the real potential to make you an unhappy camper.

When you don’t have WiFI (and even many times when you do) the “aircard approach" seems to work the best for us ~~ in this vein we use and recommend Millenicom (http://www.acun.com/) the reasons we use this product are:

• Unlimited high-speed internet access
• Works over cell towers from coast to coast
• Speeds up to 3.1M/1.8M
• Transferable from computer to computer
• Snap-in USB device works with PC, MAC or Linux
• Competitive rates
• No contract
• No taxes
• Works with laptop or desktop

Cost is 49.99 to setup and 49.99 per month with NO CONTRACT ~~ we use it while we are traveling, and then cancel when we get home with no cancellation fee.

Hope this helps ~~

[RVN4US]

We like Ann have the Verizon Wireless Card, and have found that any where we can dail our Verizon Phone, we can use the the air card which I might add has never failed us. Take your lap top to your local Verizon, they will tell you if your laptop will work, will install and give you any instructions. We are in a federal park 40 miles east of Fort Myes Florida. Good luck in your decision!!!!!!
RVN4US

[Bogiesmom]

We have a 2005 Toshiba Laptop and when on the road we hook it up to our LG phone (2007). Our current Verizon subscription is the National Access Unlimited cell phone svc with the data svc as a add on. It works great whenever we can get access to a tower. Sometimes in South Dakota and like places, there are dead spots. We do have a Wilson Trucker Cell phone antenna and a booster in the rv, which helps in weaker areas. Overall, its been very good service, especially in metropolitan areas. We can't complain at all, and it worked great in September on our 19 day trip to Yellowstone and Helena, MT.
_________________

[harrisgowing]

We also use a 2007 LG cell phone with our 2005 laptop. It has provided very reliable internet connection whenever we have cell phone service. Best of all, the data connection is only $25/month and we cancel it when we are not traveling. The software and other gizmos necessary for the use of the cell phone as a modem cost about $80 at our local Radio Shack and it was very easy to install.

[Ray'n Mary]

Question for Ann and RVN4US: What speeds are you typically getting, in campgrounds?

I recently started using a Millenicom aircard, similar to Verizon's (except that Millenicom does not require a contract). Around home, ie Seattle area, it gets download speeds of about 1,000 kbps. At campgrounds way out in eastern Washington, I get speeds of around 400, which are satisfactory.

All in all, the air card sure beats relying on campgrounds' usually-erratic WiFi systems. In fact, the aircard also works great on my home desktop, so I'm figuring to cancel the Verizon DSL account, for a saving of about $30/mo.

[golferdhm]

I have been using WiFi for years, when available, but often find its signal inadequate. As a backup, you might want to do what I have been doing for the last three years. I maintain a dial up account with PeoplePC which I get for less than $10 a month and often, when in a campground, just go to the campground office to use their phone hookup (if they have one available). In some campgrounds, such as View Point, in Mesa, AZ, where we spend much time in the winter, telephone service is available at the site and for most things I do on the internet, the dial up service is adequate. This, of course, does not help in campgrounds where phone service is not available.

[BornFree_n_Now]

WiFi, when it works, is a gift, although one you should protect yourself when using ~~ two products we use and recommend (no affiliation) are:

• Security Shield 2008 (http://www.pcsecurityshield.com/lp/secu ... Q#features)

• WiTopia’s personalVPN (http://www.witopia.net/)

Without these or similar products your WiFi experience has the real potential to make you an unhappy camper.

Larry,

I got an HP laptop in December, and want to protect it when on WiFi.

Do you know if these two downloadable at no charge, or is there a charge for these?
Do I need both of them?

I am running Windows Vista on my HP, but I do not use the Internet Explorer.
And are they compatible with Mozilla Firefox?

Thank you,
Sam

Sam,

You will need to check the respective sites for their “price of the dayâ€