by Larry McLemore 11/03
Recently there have been lots of inquiries about wireless internet. I will attempt here to shed some light on the subject. I will try to keep the explanation at a lay persons level, not only for people that are not familiar with wireless internet, but for me also. I have to tell you that the people in the wireless industry love to use complicated terms. As near as I can tell for us Rver's, the only two terms that we really need to know are LAN (Local Area Network) and WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity). If you are like me, then you are not so interested in how these things work, as you might be in how much does it cost and how do I make it go.
Lan or Local Area Network is a way for more then one computer to connect to the internet accessing a signal from a base station. Wi-Fi or Wireless Fidelity is the technology used to bring that signal to you. There are lots of places where you can connect to this service with your laptop, PDA or regular PC, provided they are equipped with a PC Card or Network Adaptor. These devices can be purchased for less then $100. In some cases such as T-Mobile, the adaptor is $50 with a $50 rebate, making it free if you sign up for a one year plan.
Here is how it works and some locations where you can access the internet using wireless. Today there are places such as Starbucks Coffee Houses, Barnes and Noble Book Stores, Border Book Stores, some Campgrounds and many other locations that offer wireless internet.(These locations are called "Hotspots") You are required to sign up for the service, then you can take your laptop into any of these locations and get on the internet, using their wireless signal. You can also get the signal in the parking lot without going inside, say on your regular PC in your motorhome or 5th wheel, provided you are not to far away. None of these services guarantee how far the signal will reach, but it is my understanding that in most cases all you have to do is get close to the building the signal is coming from. Some of these providers encrypt the signal that is why you must sign up for the service. T-Mobile is the one that offers this service for Starbucks and some of the Book Stores. The monthly fee is $29.99 for the service. You can go to the T-Mobile web site (http://locations.hotspot.t-mobile.com/) and search states and cities to see where the locations are that provide an internet connection.
There are also places that you can connect to wireless internet for free. These are lesser known coffee houses and book stores around the nation that do not encrypt the signal. I am sure they would be appreciative if you would purchase something from them, even though it is not required. You can go here www.wififreespot.com, to search an area you might be in. There is also a device that you can purchase that will locate hotspots for you and if the signal is not encrypted, you can connect to the internet using the found signal. I am not condoning this type of connection, I am just saying it is available.
There are other wireless ways to connect to the internet, such as cell phones. This method may be okay for getting your email, but the connection speed is very slow and not good for searching the WWW. Of course the ultimate way for an Rver to connect to the internet is using satellite internet. Now this method was intended for businesses and home owners who are in one location. There are satellite internet dishes that can be permanently attached to your RV and have the capability of searching out a signal for you. These systems are very expensive and may not be for everybody. The so called home or business internet dishes, although not intended for portable uses are being used that way. There are certain requirements that must be met in order to use these. They are affordable and work very well. Using this type of system allows you to get on the internet anywhere you happen to be, making it ideal for Rver's. If you would like further information on these portable systems, you can contact me at my web site, www.rverscomputerhelp.com.
The future is looking good for Rver's and the internet.
Ed Note: We have elsewhere at this site examined issues pertaining to the cost of using wireless connections at RV parks. This is a separate issue, but one that we believe deserves the careful attention of RV parks. When we find some parks charging $5-$8 per night for the same service other parks have found ways to provide for $2-$3 -- or for free -- the cost of wireless offerings of RVparks may soon become a significant factor for many in choosing an RV park.