wireless internet

[Montana_1683]

I have been seriously thinking about getting a laptop with a wireless internet card. I have a wireless router at home networking computers, we don't have a land line; too expensive to use compared to cell phones. Had a problem with our cable provider when they originally installed cable services to our new home. Orginal installer used an 8-way splitter to activate all the outlets in the house. Should used a 2-way for the computer, used a splitter for all the other cable outlets.

He informed me that he can pick up hot spots in neighbor hoods where wireless routers are used, then access the internet through their routers. I am not sure how many campgrounds provide this service and how easy it is to access if a wireless router is available. I would like to be able to use the internet when traveling away from home and keep in touch with relatives when vacationing. I know that almost all Starbucks coffee shops have this available.

Gary

[BillyRay]

I love it, but as for now most place I go don't have wireless. I boot up the lap top to check different locations, but so far no luck. it's going to be the new big thing for campgrounds ( I think anyway)

[Montana_1683]

Billy Rae

How do you use the laptop when camping if you can't get wireless service?

Gary

[Bob Pasternak]

We've found that most (not all) campgrounds have some sort of modem connection. Sometimes it is just so slow I nearly fall asleep waiting for it on our Compaq Pressario. If one doesn't have wireless, it's still modem compatible. We have wireless on our two desktops at home but decided not to put it in the laptop because it's only used in the RV about 5 or 6 months a year.

[BillyRay]

I don't! that's the problem. I usually get on the net when I go somewhere else. I have talked to the campgrounds that I frequent to see if they would consider installing it. it would be well worth the money!! I've heard you can hook up to a cell phone, but never tried it.

[Montana_70]

I have a laptop with Airport Extreme for wireless routers that I have not tried yet. I currently go wireless by using my T-Mobile phone with "Bluetooth" installed. I also have Bluetooth installed in my computer. My cell phone can connect me to the internet in any area I have a signal. My cell phone just needs to be within thirty feet of my laptop.

So far it's working out very well. I keep my cell phone plugged in to it's charger while online if I'm inside to keep the battery up, because it's my only phone. The phone will ring while connected to let me know I have an incoming call. It will also take a message while I'm connected. T-Mobile charges me $19.95 per month unlimited service for my internet portion. I do not use any minutes on my phone plan.

It's not the speed of cable I was used to, but I do find it a bit faster than the dial up service found at campgrounds.

It took an entire day for T-Mobile techs to get me up and running by matching my phone to my computer while I was on a land line, but they finally accomplished it. I think the service was too new at the time and they were not up to speed on how to make it happen. I have been using this system since July and and so far so good. Especially since I have been constantly on the move.

[Bill and Ann]

I have a Toshiba Satellite with the wireless built-in. I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet, however I understand some campgrounds and Flying J's have the wireless system which lets you access the internet from your unit.

[patodonn]

We have found more and more "wi-fi" locations over the last few months. Most charge you for the use, many don't. Smaller coffee shops, some restaurants have free wi-fi. we have found a few hot-spots by accident hee and there, and used them to get on the INternet. I NEVER do financial or other password required wi-fi access when using an "unknown" site.

Many of the newer campgrounds have wi-fi, the "independents" often have free usage. KOA and similar locations usually charge about $5-$6 per 24 hours.

We get the majority of our Internet access using our Verizon cell phone and its Quick Net access. No cost in minutes after 9PM, about $80 one time for the software and connecting cable to the laptop. Speed is glacial (19Kbps), but it is OK for smaller file downloads and general e-mail. Besides, who is in a hurry at 10PM, sitting in the rig? Verizon has the best coverage nationwide. If I have a big file to send or download, I either wait a day or two for a high speed access or just switch to the Verizon Express Net (?? Mbps- pretty fast), at only 25c/min.

Just be flexible, and use the available options....lots of them are out there..

Best,

[sreigle]

We've used wi-fi in several parks but they're fairly few and far between. More and more are getting wi-fi though so maybe one of these days. We're in a park tonight (overnighting) that just put in wi-fi this week so we get it for free tonight. They'll eventually start charging. All you need is the wireless card. Don't need the router. Vicki and I are online at the same time, each with laptop and card but if it's one you have to 'subscribe' to then it's one at a time can log in. I've yet to find anyone with a wireless connection that I can piggyback on although I do check that. Also I hear Flying J is putting in wi-fi for free use by customers but I haven't checked to see if that's accurate. There's one Texas rest area with wireless (don't know which) and just read they're planning to put that in all their rest areas.

[Dave e Victoria]

I use free wi-fi a lot. There is a site on the internet
http://www.wififreespot.com
that lists most of the free locations. They have one page devoted to campsites. I am sending this note from a Beaner's coffee shop in Lansing MI that I found at this site.
Also, for the record, I tried Flying J and found it unacceptable. It was slow, erratic and they charge for it. Kinko's and Starbucks also charge but I've found them reliable and fast. Also, at Kinko's there is usually a ethernet connection at some of their work stations to connect to their printers. This is a direct connect to the web. I've never been charged for using it but then, I have never asked either.

Using wifi, in my experience (Apple Airport), is very easy. If you are in range the computer will ask if you want to join the network. If it's free, you just say yes. If there is a charge, you are usually routed to a secure website to enroll.

[Northstar]

Well for now it's a hit or miss. But I can see in the very near future that WIFI will be a lot easier to connect to. Happyrving....

[DiananColin]

We use wi-fi in a couple of ways - I'm connected right now through Linkspot at WillowTree resort in South Carolina (incidentally one of the nicest places to relax we have found. Like Bill and Ann our Toshiba laptop has built in wi-fi and it works just great - at home we use the wi-fi connection to link to our own home network of 4 computers - works as fast as a network cable (we would notice the difference as we use cable internet at home).

I must reiterate the comment from Patodon - NEVER use wi-fi for financial information (e.g. on line banking) it is NOT secure!

Where we cannot find wi-fi we have a Sierra card fitted which links automatically to a dedicated cellular data only link. Slower than wi-fi but faster than dialup. If we were US residents my research would indicate T-Mobile has the best solution but being Canadian we cannot access that service so our best access turned out to be the Sierra card accessing Rogers ( and AT&T). Bell Cellular were not a good choice as there seemed to be nobody in their organisation that knew anything about Sierra cards and data only services.

Good luck - this is new technology and is developing all the time but more and more wi-fi sites are opening up - albeit a little slower than I would like to see.

Gimmy2001 hopefully I may have answered you question indirectly as well - wi-fi is dependent on (a very)local sightline to a fixed antenna whereas cellular has a much wider cell that is used.

[sreigle]

Dave and Victoria, thanks for the link. I just downloaded the list of rv parks with free wi-fi and will consult it when planning our stops.

Just yesterday we received in the mail the cable for our Cingular Nokia phone and today I hooked it up for the first time. Works great. The manual says it requires being in a digital area but our phone is not showing 'digital' and I'm online with it as I write this. Speed on analog is abysmal (9.6k) but I'll sure take it over nothing. I just have five windows of IE open at once, one with the list of posts, then I drag a thread link to each of the other four. By the time I finish reading one, the others are waiting for me. Kind of lessens the pain of a very slow connection. I think the digital connection should be around 19.2k.

[Ken Wiseman]

Although WiFi (and in the future WiMAX) are a great service, as many of you have noted, hot spots are not yet standard in campgrounds. When not connecting via WiFi (usually 802.11b), I use the high speed conntection via my Sprint cell phone. This is nearly free unmetered service that approaches 180kbs (nearly 4 times the data rate of a dial-up connection). Anyone with a Sprint cell phone can take advanage of this service as long as they have the "vision" service (usually between 0 and $15 per month). Internet time with vision is unlimited and doesNOT count against the monthly minute allotment. It does of course only work in the Sprint digital network (PCS).

One other point of clarification about security. It is perfectly okay to send secure info via the internet (credit cards info and such) as long as it is your computer has a secure connection with the web host (such as your bank). You can easily tell where you are working on a secure connection by looking for the little lock in the corner of the browser window. If it is in the locked position, your connection is secure and cannot be read by others.
WiFi or cell phone is not inherently less secure than a wired connection. Most password theft is done on the locatal machine (which in this case is your computer) or someplace down steam of your WiFi host. If you are worried about wireless security, then look for WEP enabled access points (hot spots). WEP is a form of wireless security - but really in the woods who is sitting within 100 or so feet of your haacking your internet connection iwth a packet sniffer? In reality, no one so this is not really much of an issue.

[Montana_1152]

I agree with Ken regarding using a WEP'd network if you are worried about security. The vast majority of wireless routers are sold with security features turned off. Most people plug them in, find they work, and go from there. Unfortunately, there systems are open and available for anyone to use their internet service of access their network. I believe this was the type of "hotspots" the installer in the original post was talking about accessing. Please be warned, this type of access is a crime. Unfortunately, some operating systems (like Windows XP) will automatically go out and connect to open networks if allowed to do so. Please be very careful and verify the network you access is the one you intended, and it is done legally.

There are many hackers who spend time at airports or other hotspots without secure connections practicing their craft. Many do not do more than "snif" packets, but there are those who do it to steal personal information. E-mail is a danger area with unsecured wireless networks also. Your user name and password are broadcast in clear text and can be intercepted.

As Ken mentioned, few hackers are going to be out in the woods intercepting your wireless broadcasts, but please be aware the danger exists in unsecured networks and take appropriate precautions.

See this link for some additional information. I am assigned to this task force, and contrary to what I just wrote, I love wireless.
http://www.catchteam.org/wireless%20warning.html

[skyguy]

do a search in the archives for wifi or wireless. Some time back I posted quite a bit of info, and this is a subject that comes up often.

Wifi is available as you travel down the road or through town - just keep your computer on and watch for connections. (Or better, have the NAVIGATOR look for connections - you do the driving!!)

While in a RV park, it REALLY depends on what's in the way of your antenna as to how good a connect you will get. We had great reception in one KOA park, that is until a Class C parked next to us, blocking our line of sight to the transmitter, then reception quit!

I would like to see the TV antenna that most RV's have on the roof incorporate a WIFI antenna into the structure - that would get the wifi reception up away from all the RV's!

[sreigle]

SkyGuy, I'm with you on the antenna idea. In one park we were at the extreme far corner and had a decent signal until the huge class A parked right up close to us. Then we lost the signal pretty much altogether. That park since has reconfigured antennas to reduce or eliminate that particular problem (or so they say).

[8.1al]

Steve,
What cable did you get for your Cingular Nokia? Was that just to hook your computer to it? Do you need anything else?

Thanks,
Charlie

[jerryb]

Steve, I have Cingular with a Motorola, and a usb cable, it has only worked twice in 6 months, but I only try it when I am bored, I would rather use a dial up or drive to a wi-fi location. Are you using minutes or did you get a data package? I have seen instructions for a wi-fi antenna from a pringle can but don't remember where.

[sreigle]

Charlie, I got the cable mentioned in the Nokia manual and I got it from Nokia. I can get you the number but each cable is specific to just a few models. That's all I needed. Since this one connects to the serial port I have to shut down before connecting it for it to be recognized. It then shows up as a modem in Device Manager and on the network connections. So I set up a dialup connection pointing to that modem. You can download software (big big download) to do all kinds of things to/with your phone but I'm not doing that, just using it as a modem.

jerryb, I'm using minutes but have 3500 nights/weekend minutes. If I used this every night I might threaten that limit but am using it only when no other connection is available.

This one is set to not automatically connect for the stated security reasons.