Maybe. But we're taking the internet with us, too!
You see, the internet is really just a bunch of tubes... wait, no - that's not what I wanted to say!
We have a couple of options for internet access on the road:
- Find Wi-Fi Hotspots everywhere we go. This is not that out of the question, but the problem is, more and more people have figured out they need to secure their wireless, so we can't just catch a free wave. Starbuck's, Borders, and other businesses use providers like T-Mobile or Boingo and charge per minute or a monthly fee for access. But we hope to be a little more out of the way in campgrounds and on public land, where there may not be Starbuck's around every corner (gasp!!) Lots of RV Parks now have WiFi - many use Tengo Internet, LinkSpot, Link-N-Go, and The Wireless Web, companies that serve mainly RV parks, and there is also RoadConnect that serves many rest stops on highways.
Devices like this one sniff out any hotspots within range and let you know if they are secure or not. MacStumbler, a Freeware/Donationware program for my Mac works much the same, but this way I don't have to use my laptop's batteries to go "wardriving" in the RV! Of course, there are directories , like JiWire, WiFinder, and WiFiFREEspot, and HotSpotHaven, available for public hotspots, but it's so much fun to cruise through a neighborhood looking for a network named "Linksys" or "Belkin"! - Use our cell phones as modems. This would work, but is like dial up - you use your cell phone to dial up an ISP, and it uses your phone's minutes and is slow like dial-up, so screw that! Newer cell phones with a data plan would work similarly to the EVDO card described under the last bullet point, but using that with a data plan equipped phone would be somewhat like using a modem, and not as flexible as we would like, for sharing a connection, for example.
- Get a satellite internet system. This is what a lot of full time RVers who depend on internet access for their livelihoods, or the education of their children, for example, use. You can get internet virtually anywhere with these - unless you are in a cave or a steep canyon with no view of the sky where the satellite is in geosynchronous orbit. MotoSAT DataStorm mobile satellite internet systems even have a service where you can look at a map and find out where the user is! The DataStorm and Magellan dishes have motorized mounts and use GPS to find your assigned satellite, and you are connected through the HughesNet (formerly DirecWay) or Gallileo satellite networks. You could be in the middle of a disaster area, and still be able to connect to the internet with these satellite systems. They work all over the world - we'd probably have no problem getting internet access from Baja to Alaska (with a big enough dish).
So what's the catch? Oh, yeah, they cost several thousand dollars. And you have to be stationary to use them (so your dish can be pointed at your satellite). The systems that automatically locate and focus on your chosen satellite are easiest to use, but also most expensive. There is the option of using a tripod and pointing it to the satellite manually, but this requires certification and is pretty technical, with consequences (like having your service shut off) if you mis-aim. And they are about $80/month for service, once you've installed your system.
But they are SO cool!! "This is Ground Control to Major Tom..." - Get Broadband Wireless (EV-DO or Evolution-Data Optimized) access through Verizon or Sprint. This involves getting a PC card, like the Verizon Wireless v740 EVDO Rev A ExpressCard, which would work in either my Mac or Devin's PC, but only one at a time. Add a wireless router for the card, like the Kyocera KR1 Mobile Wireless Router, and we could both surf using either wireless, or if we wanted to conserve our laptop batteries, connect via ethernet to the router.
This depends on being in range of broadband wireless, which is mostly around larger cities now, but "National Access" or 1xRTT, while slower than Broadband or EV-DO, is available in a much wider area. Since we are already Verizon Wireless customers, we will likely go with Verizon's unlimited broadband plan which will use EVDO when available and 1xRTT when not. To increase our chances of being able to access it, we can also get a New Wilson Dual-Band RV Cell Phone Antenna and a Signal Amplifier (824-894 MHz 1850-1990 MHz) In-building and/or mobile use with soft carrying case.
After the initial investment of a few hundred dollars, it is $59.99/month for the Verizon service with a 2 year contract. This seems like the best option for us, because it is available when in transit (if I need to look up something or make a reservation while Devin is driving), and it is the least expensive for decent internet on the road. The only problem is it won't be available in Mexico. But I've heard a few RV parks there have wireless now...
1 comment:
The new Kyocera KR2 is now shipping. The KR2 replaces the venerable KR1 and improves upon it by using a WiFi N radio and adding an expresscard slot.
Much more info in our full Kyocera KR2 Router Review at http://www.EVDOinfo.com/KR2
Post a Comment