Re: Internet on the road

[Alek&Lucia]

Hello,

We now use Datastorm and Verizon aircard to connect to Internet when on the road.
Is anybody using "MiFi" from Verizon. If yes, what is your experience with it ?

Alek

[wayne]

We have been using a Verizon Mifi card for just over a year....it works great!

Jill uses her iPad and i use a Mac book Pro....we have no problems getting online at the same time. Going down the road Jill uses the GPS in her iPad with the Mifi card...she loves it.

Only issue is when we are in Creede, Co for the summer....no signal there so we suspend the service and use the DSL thru the local telephone company.

Hope this helps.

Happy New Year!

[rahangman]

A & L ... I am considering a "tethering" experince trial with AT&T. Thinking that it may be best for us. Just my 2 cents worth. Tired of no/weak Wi-Fi

[aggies09]

Rodger, I just went the tethering route myself to attempt to get rid of one more mobile device (bill). It appears to work well so far.

[rahangman]

Tony, which phone are you using. I currently have a Samsung BlackJack ll but am thinking of updating (3 yrs new) looking at HTC Aria or Samsung Captivate...want something that rings LOUD and has a BIG Clock!

[AprilWhine]

Fuzzy and I both tether our Droid using PDAnet on Verizon. Works great and I have suspended service to our dongle. Only drawback is that you can not go online in a Verizon extended service area, for that I have to go back to the dongle.

Plus side is we no longer go over our 5g per month allowance. He uses about 7g/month on his phone, I'm a piker at only 4g. :)

Cheers,
Sherry

[Alek&Lucia]

Hello,

We now use Datastorm and Verizon aircard to connect to Internet when on the road.
Is anybody using "MiFi" from Verizon. If yes, what is your experience with it ?

Alek

Being more specific, what is better setup: Aircard + Cradlepoint router or "MiFi" ?

Alek

[Jon Wehrenberg]

What language are you all speaking?

[wayne]

LOL Jon!

Alek, know nothing about the Aircard + Cradlepoint router, sorry. Just know that the MiFi suits us perfectly.

[ajducote]

Being more specific, what is better setup: Aircard + Cradlepoint router or "MiFi" ?

Alek


Alek,

I think you find that an aircard connected to an external amp and external antenna will provide service in places where a MiFi might not get a good signal. I use a Wilson direct connect amp witha Wilson trucker antenna and I am amazed at the places we get service. The Cradlepoint router also works great. I am not certain, but I do not believe that the MiFi device has a connection for an external antenna.

[phorner]

So far, I've been very pleased with our Cradlepoint router and Verizon air card. Although we do not have an amplifier or external antenna, I have not had any issues connecting to the internet albeit sometimes at speeds slower than I would have liked.

I'm also looking at the new Verizon 4G air card. Should be a fairly dramatic improvement in speed but their 4G service is not yet fully deployed beyond most major cities and airports according to our local office. They expect 4G service here in Port Saint Lucie sometime during the first quarter of 2011.

[mikedee]

I use an Bury cradle for my Iphone 4, Wilson amp and the antenna that was on the coach from the factory. Amazing difference in the signal strength. Combine the Iphone with an over the ear headset and I get great cell coverage. Note on the Bury, the dock designed for the first Iphone works with the Iphone 4. The Iphone 3 dock did not fit the Iphone 4 and I was please to see the new phone fit fine in the older model I had in the bus.

I can get my email on the phone but we go use air cards to make the laptop's go. We have two both ATT cards and I am happy with the performance. We need two as I often leave Dee in the coach to work while I visit my few remaining clients.

[aggies09]

Rodger, I am using the Blackberry Torch. Rings loud and has a large digital number clock face option.

[Jasper Sanfilippo]

We prefer the Mifi and have not had any issues with connectivity. We bring it everywhere with us in and out of the bus, like the beach, pool, hotels it is just extremely convenient and highly portable. It is also nice that up to 5 people can connect to it.

[garyde]

Some of the terms kicked around are understandable, but it wuld be nice if everyone took a minute to explain the term they are using so as to allow everyone the opportunty to share and understand. The technology for cell phones and cell sites is constantly changing with upgrades and higher upload and down load speeds for cell phone connections. These new changes come with new terms so please take a minute to explain what you have and why. I have a Blackberry cell phone & Internet connetion which I use for e-mail primarily. I can also connect my cell phone to my computer to allow my computer internet connection. This is I believe 'teathering". This is instead of purchasing a Verizon Card. That's as much as I currently know.

[AprilWhine]

Gary, I can demo tethering and dongle both with and without a router at the mini POG if you like. I currently tether a Droid phone and still have my old system, a USB modem (dongle) that can attach to either my computer or a Cradlepoint router to share the connection wirelessly.

Cheers, Sherry

[Jon Wehrenberg]

There you go with the foreign language again.

I freely admit a lack of technical understanding and I am just happy to be able to send an email or post on the forum. My cell phone can only do one thing and that is ring and allow me to talk. No text, camera, voice mail or anything else.

So when terms like droid and tethering and router are thrown around I don't have a clue. What may be an old system to you and others is so far beyond what I have I am lost.

I would like someone to start an explaination of what it takes by citing costs also. I have no laptop, but if connecting while on the road was both fast and cheap I might be tempted, but last time I did anything like that using a Verizon connected laptop at a Verizon store the speeds were so slow it was insane, especially when I considered what they charged for the access. They also wouldn't or couldn't tell me what their limits meant in terms of usage. I have no idea how many gigs or bytes I use here at home so I don't know if I exceed their limit. For us and the occasional trips we can easily ignore the computer for a week or more as we will do next week. I still use Windows XP.

[truk4u]

I'll show you a couple ways to connect while at TGO and will go with you to buy your Laptop and the latest copy of the Lennon Sisters!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'll bet my idol Lawrence didn't text or join Facebook. He got along perfectly fine. Ah one and ah two.......

[aggies09]

Gary you have accurately described tethering as I am using it. It won't work for everybody, but for those of us who just primarily need the ability to access and respond to emails with attached files while on the road it works well.

[AprilWhine]

There you go with the foreign language again.

I freely admit a lack of technical understanding and I am just happy to be able to send an email or post on the forum. My cell phone can only do one thing and that is ring and allow me to talk. No text, camera, voice mail or anything else.

So when terms like droid and tethering and router are thrown around I don't have a clue. What may be an old system to you and others is so far beyond what I have I am lost.

I would like someone to start an explaination of what it takes by citing costs also. I have no laptop, but if connecting while on the road was both fast and cheap I might be tempted, but last time I did anything like that using a Verizon connected laptop at a Verizon store the speeds were so slow it was insane, especially when I considered what they charged for the access. They also wouldn't or couldn't tell me what their limits meant in terms of usage. I have no idea how many gigs or bytes I use here at home so I don't know if I exceed their limit. For us and the occasional trips we can easily ignore the computer for a week or more as we will do next week. I still use Windows XP.

Sorry Jon, you have a valid point that what is clear to one isn't always clear to another.

I'll try to answer you now.

Droid: this refers to any phone running the Google Android system.

There are three major players in the smart phone arena, Droid by Google, Iphone by Apple, and the starter of the trend Blackberry (aka Crackberry :D) All have rabid supporters, all are good, choose the one you prefer. Iphone is currently only offered by ATT.

Tethering is connecting your phone to your computer by either a cable or bluetooth (wireless device system). This option saves you money. For example, I tether my Droid and use PDANet (app) to use my phone's unlimited data allowance. If I were to use an aircard, Verizon limits me to 5g and tells me to BOHICA if I go over. By tethering, I don't have to worry about exceeding my data plan, and also don't have to pay the extra $70 per month for the aircard service.

A router is a way to share you Internet connection. Fuzzy and I used to connect the aircard to a Cradlepoint router to have a private wifi network in our coach. When we bought the Droids, we dropped the aircard and now each do straight tethering to our computers.

An aircard can either plug into the designated slot on your computer, or if it plugs into your USB port it is also called a dongle.

As for service, when we are in a 3G area, we can watch streaming video with no problems. Hence how we were exceeding our data plan. ;)

Ok, did this help? :)

Cheers, Sherry

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Sorry Jon, you have a valid point that what is clear to one isn't always clear to another.

I'll try to answer you now.

Droid: this refers to any phone running the Google Android system.

There are three major players in the smart phone arena, Droid by Google, Iphone by Apple, and the starter of the trend Blackberry (aka Crackberry :D) All have rabid supporters, all are good, choose the one you prefer. Iphone is currently only offered by ATT.

Tethering is connecting your phone to your computer by either a cable or bluetooth (wireless device system). This option saves you money. For example, I tether my Droid and use PDANet (app) to use my phone's unlimited data allowance. If I were to use an aircard, Verizon limits me to 5g and tells me to BOHICA if I go over. By tethering, I don't have to worry about exceeding my data plan, and also don't have to pay the extra $70 per month for the aircard service.

A router is a way to share you Internet connection. Fuzzy and I used to connect the aircard to a Cradlepoint router to have a private wifi network in our coach. When we bought the Droids, we dropped the aircard and now each do straight tethering to our computers.

An aircard can either plug into the designated slot on your computer, or if it plugs into your USB port it is also called a dongle.

As for service, when we are in a 3G area, we can watch streaming video with no problems. Hence how we were exceeding our data plan. ;)

Ok, did this help? :)

Cheers, Sherry

See red highlights. Unknown meaning.

Why would you watch TV over a computer? Isn't that what satellite dishes are for? If you phone has internet capabilities why do you need a computer? What happens if the phone rings when you are watching TV?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Wait a minute......I know the answer to my question about the phone ringing. If you are like most cell phone users you look at who is calling and send them to voice mail.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

This completely clears things up.

http://www.flixxy.com/my-blackberry-is-not-working.htm

[AprilWhine]

Google Android - operating system, like Windows but for phones.

PDANet is an application (app for short) that allows your computer to use the data feature of your phone instead of paying the phone company extra. Main competition is Easy Tether, another app. We use PDANet but I've heard good reviews of Easy Tether too.

BOHICA is Navy slang, stands for bend over here it comes again.

Streaming video is addictive! You have no idea what crazy stuff is out there until you start following links on Youtube. Not just TV. We can also stream movies from Netflix to our home theater.

Our coach came with an in motion satellite system, we haven't bothered to subscribe to service. It's only good for TV, while we can get so much more over the Internet.

Jon, hope this answers your questions, but feel free to ask any others as you think of stuff.

Cheers, Sherry

[AprilWhine]

You are right about the phone ringing. ;) But if I answer it, Internet is suspended to the computer and resumes when I hang up.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If your phone can play movies and put internet on the computer why do buses have satellite dishes and why do people who want to work on their computer have a Verizon card for ???? per month. How much is 5 GB. Comcast won't tell me how much gigs I use on my computer.

Forgot to ask, how much does a phone cost and how much per month?

[AprilWhine]

If your phone can play movies and put internet on the computer why do buses have satellite dishes and why do people who want to work on their computer have a Verizon card for ???? per month. How much is 5 GB. Comcast won't tell me how much gigs I use on my computer.

Forgot to ask, how much does a phone cost and how much per month?

Satellite systems are good everywhere, not just where you can get a cell signal. Better system if you're in the boonies but much more expensive.

Verizon aircard is the same as tethering a smart phone, it's just personal choice. Anything that can be done with an aircard can be done with a tethered phone, including sharing the connection with a router. I am frugal approaching cheap, and am not going to pay for an aircard when I have unlimited data on my Droid.

Five gig is a lot for a casual user, but the fuzzy hubby likes to watch Youtube and subscribes to an amateur photography site both of which are data hogs. We both play Farmville, another data hog, so that's why we were going over the data limit regularly before.

As for how much you can do with 5 gb, here's some examples from a web page I found:

Stuff You Might Do How Much It Uses How Many Times Could You Do It With 300 MB How Many Times You Could Do It With 5GB
Email (no attachment)

3 KB 99,998 1,666,667
Update Facebook Status

25-40 KB 7,500 - 12,000 125,000 - 200,000
Word document

70 KB 4283 71,429
Web page look-up

150 KB 2003 33,333
Low resolution digital image

500 KB 600 10,000
PowerPoint presentation

3 MB 98 1,667
Download a Song (3 minutes)

3 MB 98 1,667
YouTube video (3 minutes)

15 MB 23 333
1 hour of Skype (audio) @ 64kb/s

28 MB 10 178
1 hour of MagicJack @ 128kb/s

56 MB 5 89
1 hour of Skype Video Chat @ 384 kb/s

169 MB 1.5 29
TV show download (30 minutes)

350 MB 0 14
Movie download

700 MB 0 7


But one big gotcha is downloading updates. I've had iTunes updates that were 100mb! Not many of those and you'll be over the limit too.

[AprilWhine]

Oops, forgot to answer your price questions.

The costs for a 4G aircard/modem is now $50 for 5g or $80 for 10g plus $10/g over your plan allowance. Much better and cheaper than the plan I had on my dongle.

Price for a smart phone plan is $40/month plus another $30/month for unlimited data on your phone. If you tether through Verizon instead of buying PDANet, that is an extra $20/month for 2g of data. Personally, I can't understand why anyone would choose that option since PDANet had a one time fee of $20, then uses your phone's unlimited data.

So total for one phone would be $70 plus tax. Our Verizon bill is around $100/month for both our Android phones.

Also, I told you wrong on a previous post: Verizon now has the iPhone too. I personally prefer the Droid but many people swear by iPhones, both are very good.

Cheers, Sherry

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Then what is the deal with tethering? If the cost is as much as an air card what is the advantage. Similarly, I see emails sent from phones all the time. Do those cost $70 a month just to be able to do that as opposed to $40 or so per month?

If I want to get on line when we travel (not sure about that, it's nice to not have phones ring or to feel compelled to get on the computer) I would only do it to get on the POG forum and answer emails. Wouldn't a phone work?

[truk4u]

Sherry,

Keep in mind Jon's current phone has two tin cans and string and he still keep quarters in his little change purse for the occasional pay phone!

[AprilWhine]

Then what is the deal with tethering? If the cost is as much as an air card what is the advantage. Similarly, I see emails sent from phones all the time. Do those cost $70 a month just to be able to do that as opposed to $40 or so per month?

If I want to get on line when we travel (not sure about that, it's nice to not have phones ring or to feel compelled to get on the computer) I would only do it to get on the POG forum and answer emails. Wouldn't a phone work?

Tethering just lets you use your full computer. Yes, you can do most everything through the phone but I'm just not that fast at typing with the chicklet keyboard. Yes, the phones do cost $70/mo as opposed to $50/mo for the aircard but you would probably still need the phone with the aircard for voice calls. So really, you're looking at either phone + aircard = $40 + $50 = $90/mo with 5 g data or a smart phone for $70/mo with unlimited data.

As for using it, one of the handiest things we do is use it to find places to stop. There is an online searchable database for free places to park overnight at Overnight RV Parking (http://www.overnightrvparking.com), I check for spots along our route when Fuzzy decides it's time to stop. If we want a park, I check the RV park review website for locations along the route that aren't dumps. I have both of our phones set up to give weather alerts, so we won't drive into a hazardous weather condition unaware. Course, that didn't help much when the tornado almost got us, but that's another story. :D

[AprilWhine]

Sherry,

Keep in mind Jon's current phone has two tin cans and string and he still keep quarters in his little change purse for the occasional pay phone!

Good, it won't cost him much to upgrade. :D

Fuzzy said to say "even Jim can work the Droid" but I would never say that about him.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Sherry, I don't think Verizon actually has the IPhone yet ? They have the IPad which I have and love it, in fact I can't wait till the new 4G IPhone comes out, but I don't want AT & T service, and will only upgrade my current BlackBerry Storm to the IPhone when it is availalbe @ Verizon.

There is a BIG announcement tomorrow in Vegas from Verizon, but NOBODY know what exactly the announcment is.

I had a special AutoNet Mobile router with an external antenna, put in our bus during the POG IX rally. Boy does it work great. http://www.autonetmobile.com/ Got rid of the Verizon Air Card $ 65.00 month service fee, and once the purchase is made of this router, your monthly is ONLY $ 20.00 a month for WiFi in the bus. And it searches for the best signal for you to use, no matter which service it is. Verizon, AT&T, or anyother provider that offers wireless service.

For more information or to see if I am lying to you or not contact a fellow Pogger, Gary Swaim sales@customcoachconnection.com . Tell him I sent ya !

Gary S.

[AprilWhine]

You are correct about the iPhone Gary, smart money is that it will be announced tomorrow and will be available in early Feb. As for your system, I'm very happy with the Droid tethered with PDANet and am not interested in an unknown alternative. I KNOW my Droid is unlimited data.

Checked the link to Autonet Mobile, it would be great for a light user:


The Service

Not only do we provide the router you need to connect to the internet while in the car, but we also provide the monthly service. Autonet Mobile's patented technology allows for uninterrupted connectivity while the car is in motion. Our router runs over both 3G and 2.5G cellular data networks to give you broadband speed and expansive coverage over the United States. CLICK HERE to see Autonet Mobile's coverage map.

Autonet Mobile has two monthly data plans to accommodate your needs. Our $29 monthly plan includes 1GB of data per month, and our $59 plan includes 5GB of data per month. See our chart below to find out what plan is best for you.

But since Fuzzy and I were having trouble staying under 5gb EACH, it's not for us. Thanks for the alternative though. Jon, this might be a very good option for you.

[Woody]

I used to be a EE but this is all some kind of ASIAN language.

When you get it so Jon can understand this hopefully he can explain it to me.

We are going to do our ultimate circumnav of the US and we must have something that will keep us attached.

All understandable help will be appreciated.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Truk says he can teach me. I'm going to put him to the test.

However, I am sick of technical gizmos having a useful life span somewhat equal to that of a gnat. I have had to replace several items in the last year that were no longer supported because they were old. One constant theme running through this thread is upgrade, upgrade, upgrade.

We might spend 30 to 45 days annually in the coach. I have to look that up. My point is what I need to determine is if the Lewbucks (old POG members know about Lewbucks) spent are worth the hassle of being "connected" and in six months having an outdated system. I remember back in the old days when I got along quite nicely without the internet, a cell phone or even Direct TV. I still can.

[AprilWhine]

Jon, sounds to me like all you really need is a netbook/small laptop that you can take to a local free wifi spot. Take it into McDonald's or Starbucks and check your email on their free wifi and you're done. I'm still using a laptop I bought in 2007, a dinosaur in tech years, and have no problems. You can get many years service out of a netbook.