Reader’s Corner
Kathy asks—
How do you set up your computer for internet access in an RV? I don’t want to subscribe to an internet service provider just for this, as trips are spread out and I’d be paying for a service I’m not using all the time.
Got any suggestions? Email us or leave a comment here on the blog.
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Evidently, you do Internet now, so you must have a provider. What you need is a way to connect.
Most RV parks offer free wireless internet. Equip your computer to receive that signal and you can sit in the comfort of your rig and work online. Virtually all parks offer dial-up connections on a phone outlet.
If you use a laptop (I hope), just carry a phone cable, plug in at the clubhouse or somewhere, and log on. Before we got wireless, we carried a list of toll-free dial-up numbers for the places we were going. You can get them online from your internet provider, but not until you GET online.
Good luck to you.
Kathy asked about internet access while on the road–If she were to install a wireless card in her laptop, she could go just about anywhere and pick up a signal from somewhere. A lot of camp grounds offer wireless internet, public librarys, schools etc: There are tons of “hot spots out there”
I have a laptop and use it mainly when I am on the road. Your computer needs to have a wireless card or you can purchase a wireless adapter to plug into a USB port. There are many truck stops who have wireless internet and many, many motels. All you have to do is park in their parking lot, or in the case of a motel, close by and you should be able to connect with their wireless signal. Some motels do have password protected signals but many do not. The truck stops have this to accommodate truck drivers and other travelers.
I use T-mobile.
This requires a Bluetooth enabled cell phone (many), and a Bluetooth adapter on your computer.
It costs $20 per month (above your standard cell-phone talkplan), for UNLIMITED CONNECTION AND DATA!
You can turn it on and off as required by ringing T-mobile customer service (minimum 1 month required)
Not fast (33.3kbs (kilo-bits a second), which is about what dial-up used to be when the Internet started), and if you make or take voice calls whilst connected, your internet connection stops.
OK for email and many web sites (Google and eBay OK but Amazon, Wal-mart and other heavy graphical or ’shop front’ sites pathetically slow.
Google earth works if you are patient.
WORKS COAST TO COAST.
Last year travelled Jacksonville, FL to Santa Barbara, CA via 10/20 and 40. Even worked at Wiiliams south of Grand Canyon!
Instructions on set-up (easy), on T-mobile web site.
Can be a life saver whilst travelling and though slow, is available wherever a cellphone signal can be obtained, is cheap and pretty reliable.
Would like faster, but options are both expensive and in the case of Data satellite, a two year contract is required.
Kathy asks—
How do you set up your computer for internet access in an RV? I don’t want to subscribe to an internet service provider just for this, as trips are spread out and I’d be paying for a service I’m not using all the time.
Kathy, the easiest and lowest cost for unlimted internet access anywhere in the country you have cell phone service (and that is just about everywhere)is through T-Mobile. The cost is just $20.00 extra per month for unlimited internet access and the service is fantastic (Verizon is $59.00 per month). Your Blackberry cell phone is your modem and the only additional cost if you want to go wireles (which I did) is a Bluetooth USB Dongle for a one-time cost of about $39.00 at Radio Shack. T-Mobile can be your internet provider on the road, at home, at work or where ever you are for $240.00 per year. And yes, you can talk on the phone and be on the interent at the same time. You can not beat the price and the service is excellent. I have had the T-Mobile internet service since it became available and am 100% satisified with it.
Carl M.
We use a laptop with a wireless card. Many, many campgrounds offer free wireless internet these days, as do many hotels and truck stops. This is replacing plugging in at the clubhouse with a phone or network cable. When you sign in, ask for the campground’s network name and the password if the network is password protected. Your computer will automatically show all of the wireless networks in the area. The advantage of this over the cell phone idea is that it’s free. The disadvantage is that you are dependent on finding campgrounds or other hotspots that provide the service and are not “on your own.”
Kathy – don’t know who serves your email – but my wife and I use yahoo as we can get our messages whereecer we are. Many campgrounds (like the one where we keep our camper year around) are offering wide area network connections. many many folks at our campground just take there laptops out to a comfy chair and have access to their email and tthe internet.
We use Verizon wireless USB port broadband internet. We just plug a very small receiver (2″ x 1″) into the USB port on either of our laptops and anywhere we get phone service, we get internet and it’s FAST. We do a lot of boondocking in parking lots because of our business which takes us all over the western states and are pretty much full time rv’ers. Without having to stay in an RV park every night ($30 – $50/night) it pays for itself in three days. Cost is $60/mo. and we love it.
Hi, The cheapest and easiest way of getting on the internet is by using a public library. All over North America you will find them, most dont charge, but I did pay $2 for an hour once. There are also internet cafes all over the place, not usually expensive. If you are on the internet at home, then they will often provide service, but you will have to dial up, or find a WiFi service, which are often free in many places. At this moment, I am sitting in a coffee bar in Florida, using their free WiFi, and using my own server,(from Canada) Bell Sympatico, all at no charge.
Hope this helps.Ron
If all you want to do is occasionally check your e-mail or log onto a few web sites I’d look for an open or unsecured wireless & “bootleg”. My laptop will scan for me as I cruise the local neighborhood. There are also programs that can be added to scan for you. neighborhood strip-malls are great as you won’t be questioned or bothered.
Most “Starbucks” offer wireless service at moderate rates if not free that can be obtained daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. I stopped at one “McDonalds” that offered free “WIFI”. Satellite dish is also an option, but is a little costly. Lastly I’d consider a wireless card from a cell phone provider, lastly because it is designed mainly for metropolitan not rural areas & it can be expensive. Best of luck
Barry
I use an iPhone for emails, web browsing and several other widgets and it uses AT&T or a WiFi connection if available.
Dick McCurdy
Hi,
In response to the question posed about internet access in the RV – I use Verizon for both cellphone and internet access. Whenever I’m on the road for an extended period of time, I sign up for VZ Access through Verizon. You use it by connecting your cellphone to your computer (you’re actually using your phone as a modem). I’ve traveled from the east coast to the west coast and have found a few places where I could not get service – but it seems that wherever I can get cellphone service, I can also get internet access. I pay $59.99 per month, but can cancel service at any time and the amount I pay is pro-rated. The best part of this system for me, however, is that there is no contract for the VZ Access service – (I still have to have the cellphone contract). I understand that Sprint offers a similar deal – probably other companies do as well. You can also purchase a plan from Verizon that requires a two year contract – I think that it allows you to download more quickly on your computer, but I can’t see having to pay for a service that you don’t need to use when you’re at home – however it might be an option that people who RV full-time would find useful.
I subscribe to an internet provider with my wireless phone company (Verizon). I use this service when I am home and also when I’m traveling. Verizon has good coverage throughout the US and I have not had any trouble using the internet where ever I go.
I hope this helps.
we use verizon air card have been for over a year having great luck in most places and areas….and it is unlimited usage
John
Aloha, You may try Clear wire .com Or just stop and go to a cyber bar and pick up messages, and email from that spot. Altho I am not a computer whiz, These are some things I can think of, Clear wire or even a Linksy connection with its system ,(no monthly fee) ONE TIME PURCHACE, will allow you to bleed off others , like in a AIRPORT OR PUBLIC place , stop at any best buy or computer storE and explain. The young brains will tell you or direct you to the right choice, With clear wire I am sure in most places you will able to send and receive. I would think that you must have so many things come up on your travels that googleing would be important, Like Parts, writing ahead or plotting things, Have Fun. MY NATURAL CURIOSITY WOULD WANT ME TO LOOK SOME THING UP EVERY TIME i SAW A NEW VIEW OR EXPERIANCE SOME THING , GOOGLE IT.THE AMERICAN BUZZ WORD
Dik Benson Maui
How about your Starbuck’s or T-mobile hotspot coffee shop? Other than that you are going to need to get your own aircard. Look at the bright side you can use anytime you want mobile connection away from home and all your cell phone providers offer one now.
Noreen
I have a laptop and use it mainly when I am on the road. Your computer needs to have a wireless card of you can purchase a wireless adapter to plug into a USB port. There are many truck stops who have wireless internet and many, many motels. All you have to do is park in their parking lot, or in the case of a motel, close by and you should be able to connect with their wireless signal. Some motels do have password protected signals but many do not. The truck stops have this to accommodate truck drivers and other travelers. Good Luck!
I do subscribe to the FlyingJ WIFI. Most laptops and many PCs are WIFI ready. The only thing extra I purchased was an external antena to help the reception. If your PC/Laptop is not WIFI, you can purchase what you need fairly reasonable at places like Radio Shack. Once your set up for WIFI you can find all the free places that provide WIFI for Free. My favorite is Panera Bread. No fees and you can sit in the resturant have lunch, a cup of coffee/tea and surf the WEB. to find free access to the internet try website http://www.technewsworld.com register for free. now you can ask for all the locations by city,state or zip code. I use this in my Job delivering new Motor Homes from manufactoring to dealers in the USA and Canada. I may have been the first person to drive your Motor home. Somepeople use an air card and a cellphone to access the internet. I tried it but found it slow and cost more. It is nice to have someone driving and your surfing the Net down the road.
RVing is alot of fun
Enjoy
Donnieboy
Be sure to park in an RV Park that says they have WiFi service. They will give you a password. Sometimes, libraries provide service. We had a neighbor who had a wireless router closer to our RV, and it was easier and faster to work off his. Some RV parks need an additional router away from the office, as their signal is too weak on the far end of the park. You should not have to pay extra for internet service. Some RV parks have an internet connection in their office or library, and you can plug in there. I prefer WiFi and my laptop in my own unit. Delores Ekberg
Kathy asked about internet service while RVing. We are currently RVing one week each month and one long weekend, hoping to be more full time in the next couple of years. I continue to run my business while on the road, so internet is essential! I use a Verizon air card with great success! The speed is fast, and I have a booster signal that allows access even when my cell phone coverage is low. I’ve been very pleased. The cost is about approximately $70 month.
Vangie Berry
Kathy,
Check with your cell phone provider, I carry a laptop that has the option for an AIR Card. I use Verizon which gives me great service just about anywhere. I slip my air card in and I am on line immediately. I know that Sprint, ATT and a few others also have the air card available. It really is not that expensive, around 50$ per month.
Sheryl Bradbury
I am now using my new iPhone from Apple & AT&T Mobility. The cost is no more than my old service and I have access to everything instantly from anywhere I travel.
Sent from my iPhone Jim Dey
A WIFI hot spot is the best if available as per many of the comments already received. Second best would be to use the back up dial number that your home internet provide may supply for the location you are visiting. Third best is to use a provider called BAMnet that charges no monthly fee and only charges 1 cent per minute for connection time. It is pre paid and automatically decrements your account as you use it. The time has no expiration and can be programmed to automatically add time as required. You can either use a land line and the dial up modem in your computer or you can use a data enabled cell phone with a cable connected to a usb port as the modem. If you use a cell phone it must be capable of data transmission and have a data port. Cables are available as well as the software are available for data capable cell phones.
I just bought a 1984 Winnabego ITASCA and it did not come with a owners manuals and this is my first time at owning a rv does any one have a book of any type that would help me out or can tell me where I can find one. Bonnie
Kathy,
Your concerns as I read it were that you didn’t want to pay for something you wont use all the time. Well, I do know some companies have prepaid wireless cards that plug into your laptop, like Verizon, but I felt it was expensive and the amount you put on the card didn’t go far. After researching the same thing for months with the same concern in mind, we ended up with T-Mobile. They have numerous phones that will serve as a modem for your laptop, you just use a USB cord to connect your phone to your laptop and it syncs automatically. Then you are connected anywhere anytime. By far it was HANDS DOWN THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO GO! Most cell companies were charging $50+ per month for internet added to your monthly contract where T-Mobile is $19.99 UNLIMITED. I fell in love with it when my Windows phone (I bought the Dash and love it) synched with my Outlook and email on my computer as well. Things I’d put into Outlook on my family calendar in my laptop were instantly loaded on my phone for reminder alarms to go off anywhere I go. My phone, internet, and laptop combo organizes our family schedule soooo easily and keeps me on track. I promise, once you are comfortable using your wireless connection with your phone, magically you may find many wonderful new uses for it other than just when you are on an RV trip when you can carry instant world info with you anywhere & anytime. However, the biggest and best bonus with having my family on T-Mobile is not just the internet, it’s the 5-Faves feature and the $9.99 per month unlimited text for all of our phones (I have teenagers). This is the only company I know that gives your 5 most frequently called land line or cell phone connections on absolutely ANY other companies network for you to call 24/7 for FREE without deducting from your monthly plan minutes. For example, my Sister, Mother and 3 best girlfriends are on every network but T-Mobile, but for me, they are all free as if they were all on my network. Best of all, T-Mobile hot spots are at every Starbucks too! Check them out, they are far leading other phone companies in price and options and have not had near enough recognition for how advanced in taking care of the customers they really are.
We may not have found the ideal way, but we got a Sprint (I know Verizon also does it) wireless air card that we used for 5 months last year. It was good for Internet in most of the areas that we went. We placed it on a “vacation” mode for the periods that it would not be in use for a much reduced monthly fee.
At some point, we may want to use satellite dish for our TV and Internet reception. I think those are available. There is also some service called “free air” for free satellite services.
I want to know more too because free wireless internet is not available in all camp grounds, and we want to travel more … up to full time.
Harvey & Connie
Ocala, Florida
I used a cell phone with Verizon and connected it to the internet with a system (from Verizon) named “Mobile Office Kit.” A cable connects the cell phone to a USB port in your computer and a software disc is included in the kit. Only problem was (and I live on a limited income) I had to wait until after 9:00 p.m. or Sat and Sun when this connection did not use up all my airtime.
I found out after purchasing this kit that it is available from the internet, so if you could access the internet from your home – or other land-line internet connections before you take off on a trip – you might find it cheaper. Naturally you want it to be compatable with your cell phone make.
Hope this helps.
I’VE FOUND THAT MOST CAMPGROUNDS PROVIDE INTERNET ACCESS. BUT I DO HAVE A SPRINT WIRELESS CARD THAT WORKS WHEREVER CELL PHONE IS AVAIL. BUT IT NOT CHEAP–$80 A MO.
THE WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS SEEMS TO BE COMPLETELY ISOLATED HOWEVER. SMOKE SIGNALS SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ANSWER THERE.
To Kathy who asks about Internet on the road in an RV. She should have a wi-fi equipped laptop and an Internet provider. Assuming she opts for this least expensive option, she then needs to realize she needs sufficient signal strength where ever she is parked. If she is not already aware, some wi-fi services require (usually minimal) fees; others are free. In either case, she will need an access “key”. Her laptop will tell her what wi-fi nets are in her operating area or, if she is in an RV park, they will tell her theirs.
For my RV, I have an auto-seek satellite dish (which also receives Dish TV), wireless router, and an IP, along with a wi-fi capable laptop. This option would cost from between $3000 and $5000. My area of satellite coverage is the western states from Washington down into Mexico near Acapulco. If I changed my area of travel, I would have to re-program the dish to acquire a different satellite.
Happy Trails!
Marty Seaholm viking4515@hughes.net
We will be travelling in a 48′ Trawler with high hopes of circumnavigating the world.
We are presently cruising the Bahamas then on south to the Caribbean. Could you please advise how we might boost our reception on water for cell phone/ internet.
thx, linda hartman
Hi we own a 40 Itasca suncrusier and had the same problem… We have wireless computers and printer and we do a lot of our business when we get to our destination RV resort.
Last week we made reservations in Florida on the east coast and I had asked the question if cable and WI-if were included in the rate. They told me yes.
well we got there and there was no cable nor WI-if for us to conduct our business on the road.
Luckily two weeks prior to our trip I bought a new cell phone, the verizon lg Voyager which allows me TV, Internet service and navigation and lo and behold we got to our destination by using the cell phones navigation and endined up using my cell phone to check our emails and do our business that way.
The only other choice is to buy a sim card which costs money for the unit,then you have to pay an activation card, and then a monthly service which costs 7 bucks a month with a two year contract.!!!
For us it didn’t pay for most newer RV resort have all the amen ties one needs these days.
So in closing ask, ask and then ask again if the ….RV resort you are traveling to has what you need to conduct whatever business you need to do while on vacation!
good luck, hope this helps!
Bonnie Deavers asked about an owners manual for a 1984 Winnabego ITASCA. We just got our 1st used RV and there was no owner manual with it. We just went on the internet and contacted Winnabego Company and told them our plight with not knowing how to operate some things in it and lo and behold…. Winnabego send us an owner manual for free! It is helpful to know the model and year for it. I think we also contacted their company with an 800 number by phone. What a great and helpful Company. I hope this will help.