Manuals, who needs them!
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07-25-2006, 12:18
Post: #3
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Manuals, who needs them!
I have business interests that require a reliable Internet
connection. The three main choices are: 1. WiFi -- catch as catch can with free or charged-for services in many RV parks, certain coffee shops, and a variety of other points. My personal experience was that it wasn't reliably available during my homeward trip after picking up my coach in May. 2. Satellite Internet -- requires several hundred $ of equipment and is fairly expensive. Unless you opt for the thousands $ of equipment with automation, there's a moderate amount of fiddle-faddle to set up and find the satellite. It is available nearly everywhere so long as you can get a view of the southern sky. (Most use the hundreds of dollar version that uses a dish on a tripod that is manually pointed to acquire the satellite link. For thousands $ you can buy automated systems that find the satellite for you. The coach must be stopped to use the Internet. Speed is moderate at 700 kbs. Cost is around $60 per month. See Hughes.net for info.) 3. Broadband wireless via the cell phone system. Verizon (and others) have broadband systems (also about 700 kbs) that use a card in your laptop slot. So long as you get a signal, you're 'on'. If you're out of the broadband territory, then the speeds are much slower (like dial-up). The rate is about $60 per month (discounts may apply if you also have cell phone service). Like any cell service, it can be spotty in out of the way places. You can access the internet in motion. When I last checked, there were two cards, a $50 model that would probably be better for travelers who spend a lot of time in airports and a $150/$200 model that had an external antenna that would probably be more appropriate for use in a Bluebird or other motorhome. 3A. Cell phone dial up. Depending on your plan, you can use a modem through a cell phone for dial up service. Some use their "friends list" to include their dial up access number to avoid/minimize per minute charges. Speed is slow and not likely acceptable to anyone who is a heavy Internet user. There is a list at Yahoo groups for cell- phone Internet users. Apparently there are some means to use cell phones for Internet access that aren't exactly approved by the cell phone service providers (but slip through a loophole in the rules). Subscribe to the list and check their archives for details. In my case, I plan to use choice #3 at first. If I have difficulties and/or find it unsatisfactory, then I'll upgrade to choice #2 with the satellite (but I'd rather not have the hassle of setting up the tripod and pointing the satellite. Pete Masterson aeonix1@... '95 Bluebird Wanderlodge WBDA 4203 El Sobrante, CA On Jul 25, 2006, at 3:28 PM, Gardner Yeaw wrote: > I am still on the hunt for a Bluebird, but I have two in my sites > that are attractive. > > It seems that the most important tool to have in a Bluebird is > internet access. Every few days there is an urgent call for help on > the forum and always there is a quick response from the members, and > usually the problem is diagnosed and the bird is back on the road. > > So when I finally make the plunge, I will add what ever internet > access gives me the best coverage. Celular service seems the best 'on > the road' service, as long as you are near a major highway. Does > anyone have any other suggestions? > > Thanks, > Gardner > Wanabe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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Messages In This Thread |
Manuals, who needs them! - erniecarpet@... - 07-25-2006, 08:27
Manuals, who needs them! - Gardner Yeaw - 07-25-2006, 10:28
Manuals, who needs them! - Pete Masterson - 07-25-2006 12:18
Manuals, who needs them! - Gardner Yeaw - 07-25-2006, 13:02
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