Let's Talk More About WiFi.


Troyster

New Member
I understand there are lots of issues with WiFi. I realize you can't please evryone. I know that trees, and ducks and UFO's all interfere with the signal, and no campground can have WiFi everywhere. This is all ok with me. Ten years from now, I believe anyone who doesnt have it will be wondering why they are sitting empty on a holiday weekend, but that is my personal opinion, and neither here nor there.

My latest beef is with the number of places that pretend to offer WiFi, but have little or no understanding of what it really is.

When I call a campground and ask if they have WiFi, and they say "What's that?" that is one of my first clues.

When my wife answered this question with the standard answer "Internet Access" recently, the nice lady said: "Oh yes, we have that, let me get it for you... here its www.camp....(she proceded to give her the web site URL for the campground)...... " At this point my wife was laughing too hard to continue the conversation.

I spent over an hour today, helping a campground manager set up his router and repeater. He had them but they were set up in unlikely positions, and were of little or no value. Now, I am typing this message on that very network. Yesterday, there was no access, although he advertised WiFi.

Recently I had to teach a desk clerk how to reset a modem. I have had to reset, or reboot more modems, routers, and repeaters since going on the road, than I ever did at home or at the office.

I think it is exciting that people are getting on the band-width-wagon. Hopefully, as we progress, we can teach those who are actually trying to keep up with the times all we can to help them, and those who are making a token effort just for the marketing will be left in the dust.

Don't ever give up! :)
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Hey troyster, here I sit using my new laptop with WIFI capabilities. However, I haven't been to the local library to see if I can figure how to use it and set up a g-mail account. If it doesn't work (operator problems) I'll be back with questions. :clown:
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

DL,
Why the library for gmail? I use it to screen our the spam from our mail boxes, but I don't see the library connection? What did I miss?


I suspect that as time goes on, we will see more RV parks with Wifi, but there are a lot of them where it isn't free. Since we spend long periods in locations that are not RV parks, we use a dish and most likely will continue to do so. But I have to admit that when Wifi is free in an RV park, I happily use it and don't bother with the dish. There are also some communities where there is an effort to make it available all over the town. Loveland, Colo. is one that I know has it and Vicksberg, MS has signs as you enter the down-town area that announce "You are entering a free Wifi zone."
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Kirk, The connection with the library is that they have WIFI and I'm not on the road and am currently using a dial up internet and using their e-mail. If I go to the library I will need an e-mail address to try out the WIFI internet connection and I read somewhere gmail was good. Don't know much about WIFI and I'm just winging it. Figure ya'll will set me straight and give me advice as needed as I proceed. I'm currently procrastinating about going to the library because I know I will get frustrated the first time I try to set up my laptop for WIFI. :dead:
 

FordTruck

New Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

I'm responding from Lake Fairfax Park in Northern VA. They have WiFi service through Linkspot, who apparently provide services to a number of campgrounds countrywide.
I too have problems with the staff not knowing enough to help campers. They have 3 locations throughout the park with the transmitters/receivers/repeaters and they do have a pretty good signal and speed (11Mbps).
The way Linkspot works is they give you a box containing a CD, a USB device and an instruction booklet from the company. You download the drivers and Linkspot software and the instructions tell you to connect with the USB device plugged into your computer. At this point, it takes you to their site where you pay for the service (Hourly, Daily, Weekly or Monthly).
The difficulty then begins. What they don't tell you is that if your laptop has a wireless card already, you no longer need to keep the USB device plugged in and you can then just connect to the internet. IF you try to connect with the USB device, you get little or no connectivity. I lost 3 days of work (yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be RV'ing and not working but that's not reality for me) because I was trying to connect with that darned USB device plugged in.

SOMEBODY on the provider side needs to know the questions to ask and correct answers.
 

s.harrington

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

The new "N" series Wifi is supposed to have better range and speed than the "superG" but I don't have it yet. There are also some "super G" PCI and USB devices that have far better capabilities than others. So shop around.
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Hey DL---as I understand, you must be INVITED to set up a Gmail account by someone who already has one! This is what my daughter told me....maybe you know someone who can send you the email invite?

Also...we are at Cedarbrook Campground in Lebanon, OH--they DO have WIFI (FOR FREE!!) all over the park! It's excellent!!!
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Hey Lynn, Thanks for the info. If we get a chance we will drop by and say hello and check out the campground. We are always looking for good campgrounds close to Dayton so we can stop/camp and visit the kids. We normally stay at Wright-Patt AFB, FamCamp, but my Mom is not doing real great right now and my Son is getting married in less than a month so we are staying in a small, small Apt. I think our 30 foot 5'er is as big.

Great name. Lynn is my middle name. Went by it until my kids started calling me DL.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.



DL,
No-one invited us to use gmail, so just go to their site and check it out. They have a good anti-spam program and it is free. On the Wifi, the key is that if you have a laptop that is Wifi ready you can use any link if it is not pass-code protected. If it is, then you have to get that pass from someone. We use a wifi router from our dish so that we don't have to run wires around the motorhome. Ours is encrypted, but if a neighbor asks nicely, I usually let them have the pass-code and use it for a day or so. I have the SSID that my router sends out set to be our motorhome's license plate number so that I can be easily identified.

If you have a Wifi ready laptop, or if you add a Wifi card to yours, you can go to www.netstumblet.com and you can get a program to run on the laptop which will search for Wifi links and it tells you if it is "open" or encrypted. If you find an open link, just log on and have a ball. That is the best way to start to learn about it.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Thanks Kirk. I have a new laptop that is wi-fi ready so I will get started.
 

rvjockey

New Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Kirk - 9/12/2006 8:05 PM



DL,
No-one invited us to use gmail, so just go to their site and check it out. They have a good anti-spam program and it is free. On the Wifi, the key is that if you have a laptop that is Wifi ready you can use any link if it is not pass-code protected. If it is, then you have to get that pass from someone. We use a wifi router from our dish so that we don't have to run wires around the motorhome. Ours is encrypted, but if a neighbor asks nicely, I usually let them have the pass-code and use it for a day or so. I have the SSID that my router sends out set to be our motorhome's license plate number so that I can be easily identified.

If you have a Wifi ready laptop, or if you add a Wifi card to yours, you can go to www.netstumblet.com and you can get a program to run on the laptop which will search for Wifi links and it tells you if it is "open" or encrypted. If you find an open link, just log on and have a ball. That is the best way to start to learn about it.
Good suggestion, Kirk.

It would be a very isolated spot that wouldn't allow you to connect to WIFI. I don't have a laptop, but I know many who do and use open ports all of the time.

There is a big push by many for open access to WIFI by the public. I am not sure that I wouldn't protect my data, but if they are comfortable doing it, more power to 'em.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Since we're on this about WIFI, I'm looking for an 'access point' (just like the card for a laptop and works the same) that has an external antenna connection (for outside antenna), but is sort of like a 'router' where I can wire it into my eithernet network.

The big company Linksys doesn't make one. They have something that has a rubber antenna and plugs into a 120 outlet, but this is not quite close enouth.
 

Al Wells

New Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

I am curious how you managed to get an account to gmail without an invitation. My understanding is, that Google intentionally used the invitation route to reduce the abuse by spammers who love to wreak havoc on open accounts such as hotmail or Yahoo.

An exception is, you can, get an account directly from Google, through their blogger http://www.blogger.com/start or you can enter your mobile phone number at https://www.google.com/accounts/SmsMailSignup1 where you will get an invitation by text message.

The only countries that I am aware of that get create accounts without an invitation or SMS (Short Message Service) http://www.google.ca/sms/howtouse.html, are Australia, New Zealand and Japan, as of August of 2006.

Albert
 

CRose

New Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

I am from the great state of Texas and am proud to announce that Texas DOT has started installing free WiFi at all Texas roadside parks and rest areas. I'm not sure when they will get it all done but their first priority is at the entry point welcome centers. I think that some other states are also planning to do this. In the meantime, come on down and visit. Take advantage of our free WiFi and enjoy our great state, or as we say around here, "Ya'll come on down, Ya Hear!!"
 
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Glad to hear that info about Texas roadsides with free WiFi. That's a real boon.

I hear tell that Portaland OR is planning to put free WiFi in, and I've seen Whataburger with signs out "free WiFi" and even a few independent businesses, so I guess it'll be widespread soon.

I'm really really :dead: REALLY fed up with dial up and am looking to make a change.
My question is, my laptop is an older Toshiba with little memory and running on W98, so if I am in a park that has WiFi, will I be able to use WiFi on this laptop?



:bleh: I want to know all the bare details before I go to the trouble.
 

hamiltonrandy

New Member
RE: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

Forget WiFi go EVDO, Verizon is the best it seems, but either one is great, we can be surfing the net will traveling down the road, and best thing is it is ALWAYS with you! For 49.95 a month it is very reaonable for what you get, just hink you could grip and complain about things here on the forum from almost anywhere!! :)
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

downtherabbithole, Does your Toshiba have a slot for the WiFi card? We have the Toshiba Satellite A45-s120 and it works fine.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Let's Talk More About WiFi.

I finally got to a free WIFI site and have my laptop up and running. I have gmail and I'm ready for the road. Wow, I bought a Garmin GPS too. I don't know how I'll survive with all these modern contraptions. It was only 2 years ago we gave up on land lines using calling cards and switched to Tracfone. Great little device with no contracts and works everywhere. Almost takes the fun out of being free from all the gimmicks and enjoying just RV'ing and traveling. :bleh: :clown:
 
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