Extra Charges for Cellular Internet

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I get a lot of questions about how much bandwidth usage is typical in one month. If you use an aircard, or tethered cell phone for your broadband Internet access, the contract with your cellular provider probably limits you to 5 Gigabytes of usage. So, how much is that?

First, you need to know that 1 Gigabyte (GB) = roughly 1,000 Mebabytes (MB) (1,024 to be exact)

Here are some numbers just to give you an idea of typical usage. Keep in mind that there is really no such thing as ‘typical’ however. It’s kind of like asking, “How many miles does the typical RVer travel in a month?” You know that can range from 100 miles to 5,000 miles or more!

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Wireless Internet Tips

• The frame of your slides and major structural members may interrupt the line-of-sight Wi-Fi signal.
• The number of computers logged on at one given time will affect the signal strength. Please work off-line, and then connect while the Internet is needed.
• The antenna on your computer must aim itself toward the intended transmitting antenna. Another building, RV or tree may lessen the line-of-sight signal.
• Other RV’ers may be transmitting from their own system and restrict the signal you are trying to receive.
• The best channels for the Wi-Fi systems to work on are channels 1-6&11.
• If you have your own wireless system, you may want to use one of these channels.
• These channels are less likely to interfere with another Wi-Fi system.
• External antennas are available for your wi-fi signal to be received with less chance of low signal. These antennas will also allow you to access more systems or antennas from the same system.
• Atmospheric conditions, storms, water on trees and other conditions can derogate your signal.
• Try placing your laptop on a table outside your RV, aiming your antenna at different directions can give you an ideas as to how powerful the signal is in your area at one given time.

Please e-mail me for clarifications and additional ideas. There is a link on our website to our e-mail address. info@rv101.com OR f.brandeberrysr@att.net

Fred Brandeberry

Internet by Tethered Cell Phone

I’ve written about this before, but I’ve learned more since then, so I’m revisiting the topic. This is a good option for Internet access on the road, especially for part time travelers because it does not require a separate contract. It’s a feature of your cellphone contract and it can be turned on and off at will. My phone is a LG eNV and my service is from Verizon. I believe other providers offer something similar, but I can only speak about Verizon.

What do you need?

1. A qualifying cell phone
2. A qualifying service plan for your phone
3. The ‘Mobile Office Kit’ (USB cable specifically for your phone and software)
   available for Windows and Macintosh
4. See Verizon’s Broadband Access Connect page for more details.  Also the BBAC FAQ page.

How does it work?

It’s a cellular technology, so you need to be within range of a cell tower that your phone can connect to. The ‘range’ is getting better and better though. Sometimes the data signal can connect even when you can’t make a voice call. Dead zones are getting fewer and farther between. You simply plug the cell phone into the computer via the USB cable, then run the VZAccess software. Click Connect, and you’re off and running.

I have found the speed to be very good. It’s not the fastest, and it depends on the vintage of the nearest tower, but I have been pleasantly surprised. If a call comes in on my phone, I can ignore it and stay connected to the Internet. If I pick it up, I lose the Internet connection. It also works just fine while we’re driving down the road. And, I can leave it online all day if I want - minutes are not being counted when using a broadband connection on your cellphone tethered. It’s the amount of data that is transferred that counts, not the minutes.

How much does it cost?

The Verizon plan that goes along with my phone is $60/month (smart phones and blackberries have cheaper plans.) That gives me 5Gigabytes of data transfer which is plenty for ‘normal’ use. Don’t go downloading movies though, or you’ll exceed your limit. At 25 cents per Megabyte for the overage, that would hurt!

The beauty is that you can turn this ‘feature’ off any time you want. So, if I turn it on just for a weekend jaunt, Verizon will prorate my bill, charging approximately $2/day. Be careful with your timing though. I turned it on once toward the end of the month, and didn’t turn it off till after the beginning of the next month. My bill reflected a full $60 for the month that just started. They did issue a credit the following month for the unused portion - not bad.

Data usage is also prorated. If you use it for just a day or two thinking you have 5GB of data transfer available, you could be in trouble. Let’s do the math. 1 day of usage is roughly 1/30th of a month. Divide the $60/mo by 30 and we get $2. 5Gb (roughly 5,000 Megabytes) divided by 30 = 167MB. If you use 1,000 MB, you are 833MB over your prorated allotment! 833MB * .25 and you’ve just incurred a $208 bill for that one day! Now, I haven’t actually seen anyone receive a bill like that, but Verizon’s customer service tells me that is the way it works.

If you have two people who want to use the Internet this way, you can even plug in a router and create your own mini-wifi hotspot.  Then, you need to be doubly aware of your bandwidth limitations!

Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com
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Datastorm Users Rally

I’m writing to you from the 6th annual Datastorm Users Rally, being held at Lazydays Rally Park in Tampa, Florida.  I think attendance at this rally should be required for every owner of a Datastorm Internet Satellite dish!  People who attend this rally get to learn at the feet of the masters! 

In case you don’t know what the Datastorm is, I’ve written about it in past posts.  It is the satellite dish that mounts on the roof of your RV and, with the push of a button, raises and locks onto a satellite to provide you with broadband Internet for the computers in your coach.  Most of the time it is just that simple, push the button and wait a few minutes, but there’s a LOT going on when you push that button, and the more you understand about it, the more successful you’ll be with your system.

The Datastorm rally is primarily about education.  You get to learn from the experts and really understand your system.  The people who came to this rally in Tampa had the opportunity to ask questions of a panel of experts:

From left to right are Tony Arcuri of Datastorm of Florida, Royal Lamb - VP of Motosat, the maker of Datastorm, and Don Bradner - creator of the Datastorm Users Group.  If you’re a Datastorm owner and you can’t make it to a rally like this, you can ask your questions on the forum at the Datastorm users group.  Another feature of Datastorm Users is a map.  Any member can put themselves on the map any time they move to a new location.  It’s a great way to stay in touch, or to see if any other members are nearby. 

Here at the rally, Motosat is presenting many of the sessions, and they set up a live demonstration system to go thru the troubleshooting lessons. The dealers and representatives from Motosat are also on hand to perform service work for anyone at the rally at no charge.  Such a deal!

When you’re traveling in an RV you can develop a very solitary and self-sufficient lifestyle, the groups and rallies are a wonderful way to socialize and learn things of value from others in your situation.

What about you?  What groups do you belong to that have rallies?  What do you learn there?  What other advantages do you see?

Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com

New “Express Upload” Option for Trip Journal Photos

Earlier this year, I wrote about speed vs quality in uploading photos to your online Trip Journal or blog.

Recent upgrades to the MyTripJournal system allow you to upload many more photos, faster, to your online trip journal than before.  In my next few posts, I will discuss the three photo upload options and the pros and cons of each.

The “Express Upload” option can be used by all travelers.  It’s similar to components used by Facebook and MySpace (and made by the same supplier).

With the Express Upload, your photos are converted to a low-resolution JPG to display on a computer screen.  The decreased file size allows them to be uploaded very fast, but they are rarely suitable for good quality prints.  Note that, as with all photo uploads, actual elapsed time will depend on a number of other factors such as your internet connection speed, your ISP’s hardware and load on your host’s servers.

There are two versions of the photo upload component, depending on which web browser you are using.  The fastest is the ActiveX version attached to Microsoft Internet Explorer.  The Java version is compatible with most other browsers, including Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, and also provides excellent upload speeds.

All other factors being equal, some Mac users may find the Java version to be slower than it is for Windows users.   The supplier’s technical staff explain that “performance loss on Mac is given by java script event handlers. It means that if you have a lot of java script code launched from events fired by Image Uploader, it works slower. It is limitation of Mac platform.”   We have done our best to minimize this issue for Mac users and understand that Aurigma is also working to optimize the upload process in Mac.

Next post: Hi-Res Upload option

Dan Parlow

Personal Travel Websites by RV.Net ; Online Travel Journals by MyTripJournal.com ; Explore Good Sam Club Trip Journals ; Woodalls Trip Journals ; Travel Journals by Trailer Life Directory ; Traveling USA Travel Blogs

Pet Travel Photography

One of the coolest and most fun things that people like to do with the advent of digital photography is to upload their travel photos while vacationing and email them back to family and friends. Sort of like a virtual postcard that’s instantaneous and, moreover, convenient. First of all, you don’t have to (a) find a postcard, (b) remember to bring stamps and (c) then have to find a mailbox. Read more

Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi Adapter

Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi Adapter
hField Technologies www.hfield.com
MSRP $79

Do you sometimes have connectivity issues using Wi-Fi hotspots in campgrounds?

WiFi is low-power, two-way radio. Just as with any other radio, a better antenna will give you a better connection. Wi-Fi technology was designed for small offices, home offices and coffee shops. Campgrounds and RV parks present difficult challenges for connecting with many obstructions and reflective surfaces.

The Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi adapter is a better radio and antenna than what is built-in to your computer. With it, you can connect reliably from a much greater distance.

Installation Video: (be patient, it can take a minute for the Play button to appear)

 

FEATURES
The unit combines a high powered Wi-Fi radio with a high gain directional antenna in a four ounce package which can be mounted on a laptop or LCD screen or just set on a table or shelf. A 4’ retractable USB cable connects to both older 1.1 and newer 2.0 ports. It is compatible with 802.11 b and g protocols in the 2.4GHz frequency range (standard Wi-Fi). WEP, WPA and WPA2 security are supported.

Support for Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X are included on the supplied installation CD. Also on the CD is a Window’s Connection Manager program. Support for Linux is available on the website.

PERFORMANCE
I have been using the Wi-Fire adapter for a week in the RV park where we are staying. I tested the Wi-Fire at several distances from the access points. Our site is 200 feet from the tower. I get excellent signal with the Wi-Fire and good signal with my built-in. Browsing experience is about the same with either adapter inside my RV. I see 3 more APs using the Wi-Fire. Testing again at 330 feet, I can still connect with my built-in, but browsing is slower. With the Wi-Fire, signal is good and browsing is fast. In the far corner of the park 460 feet from the tower, I could still connect with my built-in, but browsing was much better with the Wi-Fire. Outside the RV park at over 500 feet, I couldn’t stay connected with my built-in and the Wi-Fire connected and browsing was acceptable.

BEFORE WiFire:

AFTER WiFire

The included Connection Manager software is good and does not interfere with Windows configuration utility, in fact, it works with it.

SUMMARY
Not all WiFi hotspots are the same. When you connect using WiFi, you are not connecting directly to the Internet. You are connecting to an access point which is connected to the Internet. If you are close to access point, your built-in Wi-Fi will work just fine. As you put distance and obstructions between you and the access point, you need a better device to connect reliably. This is where the Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi adapter excels.

The mount is a bit clunky and the antenna fell off a couple of times while I was aiming it. Because the antenna is so directional, it takes more time to get the best signal. The retractable USB cable is easily tangled.
The Wi-Fire adapter is a good affordable solution for better connections at WiFi hotspots.

Jim Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com

Wifi In Motion - Make Your RV An Internet Hot Spot!

Airstream RV Blog #86 - Wifi in Motion from Sean Michael on TheLongLongHoneymoon.com.

As a devout online blogger, an Internet connection is as important to RVing as fresh water, diesel, and smores. More than once we’ve made overnight camping decisions based upon the answer to one crucial question: “Do they have wifi?”

Thankfully, we no longer have to ask that question. Now we have our own wifi. We’ve installed a kit from Wifi in Motion (wifiinmotion.com) in our RV, and so far have enjoyed great results. Here’s how it works… Read more

Listen to Radio Online

Do you have a favorite radio station at home that you miss when you’re on the road? Did you know that you can listen to just about anything you want right from your computer online?

It’s true. Hundreds of radio stations in the US and around the world broadcast over the Internet at the same time that they broadcast over the airways. You can go to the website for your radio station and look for a button, or menu item to ‘Listen Live.’ If you can’t find a website for your radio station, you can browse on over to a Web Radio Directory and look up your station by it’s call letters. Check it out. It puts a smile on your face to listen to the drive time traffic report on your big city home radio station while you’re camped in a wilderness national park!

Or, maybe you don’t care about listening to live radio, but you have a particular show you like. I am a fan of ‘Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me’, a National Public Radio show that broadcasts on Saturday. I might not think of it until the following Tuesday, but that’s no problem. I just go to NPR.org, scroll down until I see their list of programs in the left menu, and click on Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me. Then I have choices. I can listen to last week’s show, or I can listen to a past show. I can also choose to download the show as an .mp3 file and listen to it later, maybe while we’re driving. I’ll either need headphones to be able to hear my computer, or I’ll need a connection to play the computer’s output through the radio. I don’t have a separate .mp3 player, but that would probably be the best option.

Check it out and enjoy! But, don’t get carried away if you’re using your cellular data card, or a Satellite dish as your Internet connection. While you’re listening, those megabytes are streaming thru your connection and counting against your daily or monthly maximums. How many megabytes? Well, that depends on the station and what settings they use. Generally speaking, you can count on 30-60 megabytes per hour. So, do the math and don’t get caught over your limit.

Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com

Cell Phone Internet Hot-Spot

If you’ve been reading my posts about connecting to the Internet as you travel, you know that I love my satellite dish! But, I also am a big advocate of Wi-Fi and of cellular connections to the Internet. If you absolutely, positively need the Internet – you need to use all three methods. When we’re in the forest and the trees block our satellite dish, we’ll use our cell phone tethered to the computer and connect thru Verizon. If the Verizon signal isn’t available, we’ll find a Wi-Fi hotspot somewhere.

The tethered cell phone is a fabulous option for occasional use because it does not involve a separate contract.  Read more

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