Internet access on the road.

[Wrenchtraveller]

I need some help here. How does one get internet access from his Montana. I am thinking of getting a new computer for the Montana and I am not sure what I need and how internet works on the road. Thanks.

[Montana Sky]

I bought a Gateway laptop 2 months ago, it has wireless internet settings that allow me to search for all networks. I have found many states have internet settings in their rest areas, along with many of the Flying J truckstops. So far it does the job for me. Dont forget to check out the campground you are looking into staying at, see if it offers wireless networks in the park.

[JH Sechelt]

Hi Don,

If you buy a new laptop make sure it has 802.11 wireless network capability
That is its own transmitter/receiver.
Now you just need to be near a Wifi transmitter/receiver and windows XP will do the rest.
Some campsites, rest stops and truck stops have it, and some don't. More and more all the time.
You can drive around your neighborhood with your laptop and it will pick up the signal from private homes.
That may not always be a good thing. Some you need a code key to hook up to, most you don't.
The ones that you need a code key are usually a secure site.
We go to BCRV RV park in Burnaby 2 or 3 times a year shopping and you usually pick up 3 or 4 private sites (permanent campers) as well as BCRV's own site.
Also our 2980 is wired for telephone, but it has been so long since we have used one for the internet I don't remember how to hook it up.
With cell phones & wireless networks you would think they would stop wireing RVs for telephones.

Hope this helps
J & D

[harleyrider]

More and more KOA camp grounds are advertizing free wifi also.I`ve never had a problem connecting to the internet on the road.Some you have to pay,some you don`t.

[jrgwdenner]

The Trailer Life directory has added a new section listing campgrounds with WiFi. We were recently at Canyon Lake north of San Antonio and drove into town where the library had an excellent wireless connection and we didn't even have to get out of the truck. You can also check your email outside many of the motels that offer wireless.

The telephone is wired into the Montana because there are some people who stay quite stationary and use their Monty for a home in one place. We had a land line down in the Rio Grande Valley. It saved our cell phone minutes during the day.

Besides wireless you can connect using a cell phone as a modem or get a satellite connection through Direcway or Starband. Wireless is the best.

[richfaa]

Follow the above advise. WIFI is becoming more and more common most everywhere and much of it is "free" but not really as it is included in your CG fee. It is very easy to use.We just look for a CG with WiFi and they are easy to find. You will learn as you go...WWW. howstuffworks.com is a good "simple " place to learn

[Wrenchtraveller]

Thanks for the replies. That is what I was looking for.

[VanMan]

We were at a KOA in Fredericksburg TX last week which had WiFi - fast service right from the RV. We've used WiFi in the newer TX rest areas, Iowa rest areas, some towns now have WiFi right downtown, etc. The last couple of "real" vacations, we used small local libraries. One was $1 per hour, most are free. I'd load my pictures on a "memory stick" (thumb drive) and have even written lengthy emails and the e-mail addresses with word and then "cut and pasted" the verbiage and addresses from the stick.

[patodonn]

Choice One: Laptop with wi-fi capability. Choice 2: Laptop using cell phone and whatever "Mobile Office" software and hardware are required. Choice 3: Laptop via dial-up modem and normal telephone. Choice 4 (only due to expense): satellite connection to the Internet.

[bobgay]

We use a Verizon cell phone and their mobile office kit. It isn't real fast (about like regular dial-up service), but it is adequate for us and works wherever we have digital cell coverage. It uses our alloted minutes just like any other cell phone useage. We use wi-fi when it is available. That's the way to go for sure.

[virgil47]

As you get into this you will undoubtedly run into my pet peeve. Using the directory, we choose a campground that advertises WiFi. We arrive, set up and then open the computer and find that we have to pay $4.95 (or some price) to use the wifi at this campground. The lesson for us was, if the directory doesn't advertise FREE WiFi, we needed to ask when we called for reservations.

Additionally, some of the on line directories lack specificity regarding internet access. Sometimes "internet connection" means wifi and sometimes it means a telephone jack in the office or game room. Again, the lesson for us was, ask. One would assume that as wifi becomes more common that the directories will eventually catch up.

Still learning.

[RADHAZJOE]

Laptop with wifi as recc. above. They said it all. There is a sat. wifi system but it cost over 2000 to install and 80 or above per month. Generic name is VSAT.

[ols1932]

We have a full size desktop computer and a laptop. Both are equipped with Wi-Fi capability which we use whenever possible. But most of the time we use our Verizon phone with the Mobile Office Kit. It may be slower than normal dial-up but we've found it to be satisfactory for us.

Orv

[rickfox]

Virgil,

Sometimes you have to ask the telling question several times and in more than one way. Our last stay in an Arlington, TX CG has educated us about this. When in route we called to check out the Internet connectivity and were told there was FREE WIFI INTERNET ACCESS.

After we arrived and got set up, we realized we indeed were able to access the WIFI setup for the CG but the only thing we could actually do was to prevue the Internet Service Providers main screen! On that screen, we were given various options of how much we had to pay (via. credit card) to gain full access to the Internet. As the prices were excessive, we decided to pass. We also expressed our displeasure at the CG office, but to no avail!

We now also ask if we will be required to give anyone money or a credit card number before we can gain FULL ACCESS to the Internet!

[virgil47]

rickfox,

I think your story takes the 1st prize but I'll add this one just for fun. Last week we were in Owensboro, KY for two nights. Picked out a campground that advertised FREE WIFI. Got there and set up, No WIFI. When we inquired we were told, yes there is free wifi but you have to drive over to the office and sit inside or just outside the office on a picnic table to use it.

Still learning.

[padredw]

Yes I have had the same experience as Virgil and Rick. "Free WIFI" is all over the ball park. In Branson, MO on a recent visit I did have to walk down to the "shop" and sit outside at a picknic table. I was not much bothered by this as there was no advertising of FREE, and the weather was nice.

On a recent visit to the Rio Grande Valley, at a very large RV resort we did have free WIFI in the headquarters building (in a little phone booth sized room). WIFI was available on site, but the charge was about $40.00 per month and no accomodation for daily visitors.

It might be difficult during this transition period, but the Trailer Life Campground Guilde must begin to sort this out so we at least know what to expect.

I have learned to be a bit skeptical of the notation that WIFI is "available".

[melnjoy]

Joy & I use the Sony phone card from Cingular, it is a bit pricey [$80. per month] we have unlimited time and coverage. We have found only a few places that we cannot get on line if we have any signal at all we are on line. Joy is on line most of the time when we are on the road, she can get info on what to see and it also passes the time on long drives.
Mel

[Lstierw]

We have a Gateway and use T-Mobile and have had great results. It is certainly not as fast as Wi-Fi but we are retired and don't really care how fast it is.

[T and J]

Interesting topic!As I sit here reading these posts I am doing so on a new laptop, in a campground in Clinton Tennessee, via a "Free WIFI" system (I certainly hope it's free, I've been on it for about an hour so far)Never used wifi before but am very satisfied so far. Thanks for all of the info'. Like the old saying goes "forewarned is forearmed". With the price of gas and propane going crazy, we don't need any more expensive surprizes!
Terry

[sreigle]

In the past, we used a dialup provider (highstream, in our case) because most private rv parks either had phone service at the site (some did anyhow) or provided a phone line you could use.

Wifi has become so prevalent that we have not dialed highstream since November, 2004. We will soon be dropping highstream but are giving it a few more months to make sure we never need dialup again.

You also can get DirecWay satellite for tv and internet. And others, no doubt.

Internet access on the road has not been a problem for us. At all. Keep in mind, only some state and federal parks have internet access although more and more are adding wifi. In the old days when we had neither wifi nor a phone line we just went into town and used the public library's computers. I think we did this maybe three times in our first 18 months of fulltiming and none since.