The bus and the internet...??

[Hartley]

I just got the cure for weak WiFi signals...a repeater ( of sorts )

With a little technical tinkering and knowing what you are doing you can hang this on a push up pole
to get a better signal in weak area and make it usable.

http://www.wlanparts.com/product/NOC-3220PLUS

High Power stuff. I plan on having about 3 of them one day, with one on a portable pole in the bus, That
way if I find a signal I can boost it to usable levels local to the repeater. The others will be on my secret Wlan
system covering a valley 100% ....( Plans Plans Plans ) 

[HighTechRedneck]

JJRbus .. WiFi at most parks is not that good. We had used it before we got our Datastorm and found it to be frustrating at time and typically had to be at the office to get a strong enough to get on line

A lot of motels and parks think they can just go down to Best Buy and get a single home user grade WiFi access point/router, set it up and advertise WiFi at their location.  To do it right, they need to set up repeaters at various locations throughout the park.

The computer I am using right now is in a different room than my router.  The router and this computer are about 25' apart and there are two standard sheetrock walls to go through and I am showing a signal strength of about 70%.  The neighbor's house is pretty close and I get a reading of only 10-20% from theirs.  It would be pointless even trying to connect at 100' through a tree and one or two RV's.

[JimC]

Back to VCACCESS, The way it was explained to me was that there is no card, The phone acts as your modem hooking you up to the internet. There are no charges by the minute other than using your minutes up.
 
Again the only fee was a monthly or daily one for the internet access plan, and because I have over 1,000 minutes between mine and my wife's phone, I was eligible to just have it set up.

In fact, I took the laptop to Verizon because I am challenged when it comes to these things, and they downloaded the program right there it took about 10 minutes.
 
I was able to access the internet from every location that I tried on the way to Florida and back from Wisconsin, although again at only 100-150 kbs, but more than enough to keep in touch with email and the net.

Jim

[oldmansax]

I connect my Treo to my laptop for service. I have the unlimited data plan on the Treo (from Verizon) and it works pretty well on the East Coast. I can justify the expense because I use it in the business as well. It consistently connects at 170K to 192K. I use PDAnet software instead of Verizon's. After we sell our house, I am planning on installing a dish on the bus for Hughes net or data stream.

One word of caution on using WIFI. The administrator of the WIFI network can see and record your data. Even if it is encrypted, it can be broken. I would NEVER use someone else's network to access anything sensitive (bank transfers, CC payments). In addition, as already stated, a lot of the WIFI operators don't really know what they  are doing & leave their systems open to hackers which leaves the users open to hackers.

Just 'cause I'm paranoid don't meant they are not out to get me....  

[Ross]

Back to VCACCESS, The way it was explained to me was that there is no card, The phone acts as your modem hooking you up to the internet. There are no charges by the minute other than using your minutes up.
 

VCACCESS can use any internet enabled device to connect to the internet.  Some cell phones with a patch cord qualify.  The aircard is another one.  I tried just connecting the cell phone.  Speed was terrible and service was unreliable.  The aircard in the same area is far better and much faster.

The problem with Wifi is that more and more people are starting to secure thier networks.  Every now and then I can find an unsecure network on a back road or a hotel parking lot, but I sure wouldn't rely on it for an internet connection.  I read somewhere that some major metro areas are putting in free city wide WiFi.  If you happen to be near on of these citys, I guess you'de be in good shape.  Maybe it wasn't free.  Could be like the airports where you have to pay for a block of internet time with a CC#.  Either way, it's not a go anywhere internet solution.

Ross

[jjrbus]

 I agree Ross, the WiFi is not the best way to go. I stay out of the boondocks so the Sprint Vision plan works very well for me. I am experimenting with WiFi to see how useful it is. I am hoping it will supplement the cell phone. All I had to buy is an adapter and a 15ft USB cable so it is not a great investment.  This may be the next thing I play with.
                                http://dustydragon.com/wifi.htm

[Sojourner]

Thanks "spinning" Jim for the link.
I will keep that in my file.

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry

[jjrbus]

Here is one more for you Jerry

                 http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html