whats the best way to get on the internet while traveling aroung the country?
 

A friend of mine is about to take an extended tour of this country in his RV (a year or more). At this moment he does not own a laptop, cell phone and does not have access to the internet. But that is about to change, all that for the purposes of this trip. So how do you get on the internet while traveling? Hes on a budget (retiring this Friday) so cost has to factor in. He wont be using his cell phone to yak on much, just very occasional calls. He has looked into various schemes
but is completly confused by the info he gets. I told him I'd post on Pelican and get the real scoop.

So what should he do

Connect with a cell phone?
Find internet cafe's alond the way?
Rely on wifi in certain towns and cities?

Will he need an internet provider for any on this.
If so, are there cheap (or free) low end ISP's he could use to keep costs down.

Anyone know of a website he should go to that explains all this?

Lots of questions. I know, but many thanks.

Curt

:)

He can always drive down residential streets with a Wifi locator, but that's a bit shady. I'd recommend the Sprint gadget that goes in the PCMCIA slot of the laptop. High speed internet anywhere there's Sprint coverage.

Richard, That's EXACTLY what I have and have used for the last 3 years.

I get better than DSL and Cable modem speeds anywhere there is Sprint cell service.

I believe there is a special out there, $49./month unlimited useage, and a free card with a 2 year contract.

Another option is a cell phone that runs WM5 Pocket PC edition such as a Treo 700w on Verizon or 8125 on CIngular. Get the unlimited data plan (appx. $20/mo.) and he should be set. These 2 phones are completely different, so he should go look at them. And be sure he checks the USA map for data coverage so that he doesn't have unexpected surprises while traveling.

I've thought about this one, I have Sprint PCS service and I am generally happy w/ the coverage while driving cross-country, (it's always excellent in populated areas).

It sounds like this would eliminate the need for home internet service as well(?)

I had the T-mobile Wi-Fi for a year that works in Starbucks and Kinko's, but it didn't work in airport gates or anywhere else. The Sprint dealio sounds awesome. The retiring fellow could get a cheap cell plan and web service package probably if he doesn't need a lot of phone minutes.

I have had both the Sprint and Verizon cards, and to be honest, have been happier with Verizon, and its cheaper.

Bill

Park next to a Marriott Courtyard hotel every few days...

Although I don't condone it, what actually is the problem is someone is going to broadcast an unsecured signal and you decide to jump on to check email and other business? Seems to me the problem is with the person leaving the signal unsecured and the "danger" of malicous uses gaining acces to their computer. Since I doubt anyone here is of that type, I say fish the free wi-fi market:D

You not going to believe this, but Mcdonalds has a ton of wireless enabled restaurants. They even have a website dedicated to it.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless.html

The actual service is offered by Nintendo, but most are Mcdonalds locations.

During our spring break road trip, I picked up a signal from a truck stop that had nationwide access and a list of hotspots. I paid $5 for a day pass and downloaded their list. We stopped at all of their locations along the way back from Florida to Nebraska. There was one place in Missouri where we picked a random neighborhood and found a connection. For a year, though, go for the sprint card. A lot of truckers I know use it and love it.

most motels and industrial complexes have unregulated wifi

I just bought a Blackberry 7130e phone with Verizon service... for an extra $20 per month, it comes with unlimited email and web service. In fact, just about 30 minutes ago, I connected to the Pelican BBS just to see that it works...and it does.

The screen is small...but from what I understand, it can be connected to a standard laptop and used as a web modem, anywhere, anytime.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1895827,00.asp

I use my Tre650 with T-mobile - $20/month unlimited. I'm glad to hear Cingular dropped the rates, they used to be $45/month. I can also use a bluetooth connector to use my laptop with the Tre650. The connection is actually better when using a secondary device than surfing on the 650.

Yep McDonalds is the best deal - Free wifi, if it is working. Doesn't work everywere. And if it isn't, forget it. T-mobile has unlimited access at the Starbucks, etc for $20/month. Lots of INternet Cafes are around, buy a coffee, free access.

Definitely buy a $10 wifi detector and see if you can get free service around.

If he is doing the RV thing, he can get 2 sat systems. Bluewild and Starband offer mobile dishes. They will only work when stopped. There is another company where it works even when moving, but the connection speed is significantly reduced.

Hey Everyone

Thanks for all the great tips, really appreciatied

One last question.

For any of the schemes mentioned, is an internet service provider needed? Or do you just somehow, get on?

If needed, are there any cheap or free ISP's you would reccomend?

You can tell I'm sure that I have absolutely no experiance with this stuff. I've never connected to a wi-fi spot anywhere and dont know what its like or whats needed.


Thanks again

Curt

I've got Verizon Broadband. The service lets you web surf, but for e-mail and Usenet, you'll need to configure free services or use an ISP. I've got an AT&T acccount that costs $6.95/month for remote access (they were my dial-up provider for years), and I think AOL and others offer similar cheap services for people that aren't tying up a modem.

For free reliable access tell him to visit the town library. They've all got acces these days.

The guys retired, he has the convenience of time.