Direct TV or Dish Thread Hijack :)

[Slow Rider]

I was following the thread on satellite receivers and had a question that sort of pertains.  I understand getting the sat set up so when you travel you can watch your shows.  But,    since you don't have cable, what do you use for your computer connection at home and when traveling?   I am spoiled silly with cable. I would go zonkers if I had to go back to dial up.  I am on the computer more than I watch tv so I would need a good alternative to make me give up my cable.

So school me please.....

Frank

[Songman]

Personally, I use DUN through my Verizon phone. Verizon doesn't really like you to do it and they tried to block it but if you know how to set it up you can still do it. It is not as fast as my cable at home but it is about 5 times faster than dial-up. And as long as you are on your free weekends and evenings it doesn't cost anything. Other than that it just uses regular minutes.

There are some satellite internet providers but I have never found anything reasonably priced enough to make it worth it to me... as long as I have my Verizon for free anyway! And I am like you... I have to have internet access or I'll implode!

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hay Franklin,

$59.00 a month gets you unlimited internet use via a wireless air card. And it doesn't use up your min's at Verizon.

But, you have to stay off the internet now that you are a bus owner......Get To Work! so we can RIDE.....  Lol

Good Luck
Nick-

[Songman]

Tell me more, Nick. How does an 'air card' work? What is the coverage area? What kind of speed?
I've never heard of that. All the satellite internet things I have heard off were a couple hundred a month or more.

[jjrbus]

When traveling, some days you will be very happy that you have dialup!!!! Better than nothing. On inbetween days you can go to a library or local university and use their computers.
I use sprint Vison with my cell phone, not as fast as an air card but cheap and much faster than cell phone as modem. The cell phone co's and wireless internet are one in the same.
You will get a lot of good options here. The best place to get things like coverage areas is to go to the cell phone websites. At the websites you wil get info on wireless internet also. There are also cell phone users websites. www.sprintusers.com  is one.
There are air cards that plug into your computer there are also USB cards. In my opinion the USB device is better becuse you can put it on an extension cable and move it around, hang it out the window, toss it up on the roof, hang on mirror. Both the air card and USB have antennas in them so the more you can move them the better chance you have of getting a signal!!

[Ncbob]

OK, Frank....let's start first with the satellite thing.  Dish network, if you're traveling around the country...in a word...sucks.  Direct TV is the one. All you have to do is call them and give them the area code your camped in and "bingo"...you got it.

As for the computer....I have a Verizon account, actually it's a cell phone account but I don't use it for phone...it's data only.  I have a modem in my laptop that connects me in 5 seconds and while it's not as fast as cable..it's better than dial up...not as good as DSL..but I can live with it.

Now, as to the amount of time you spend on the computer...enjoys it while you can Bubba...'cause one of these days you're gonna go to TN and get that Bus and your leisure hours are gonna be "OVER!

Welcome again to the wonderful world of being a BusNut 24/7 to keep the family happy!

Bob

[white-eagle]

finally, something i can help with and know about!!!  i've been doing seminars on "staying connected on the road" for over 3 years.

the least expensive method for getting on the internet with something better than dialup is to get a mobile office kit for your cellphone.  a mobile office kit is a cable that plugs into the charger port on the phone with a USB for your computer.  cost is around $40.  also comes with the drivers to enable it to work.  then you sign up for data/broadband service with your provider.  that will set you back somewhere between $40 and $60 for unlimited us.
the aircard thing is ok.  plugs into your notebook pcmcia port.  faster than the mobile office kit (MOK).  the problem is the pcmcia is going down soon as the new slots are pcexpress and new notebooks may not have a pcmcia slot.  monthly cost is $60 unlimited on almost all or all of the wireless companies.
not all cellphones are capable, but from my research, verizon has the overall best connection record, unless you stay on interstates and boondock at the arenas in the cities.  then maybe sprint or at&t.  Alltel, verizon and sprint share same network mode, but that doesn't mean sprint will work everywhere verizon has a tower.
the person who said they just use their minutes up ...  enjoy it while it lasts.  when you change your plan or your phone, that will end.  mine did.

a lot of folks just check email and so on when they are near a wireless hotspot, like a campground, a lot of public libraries, flying j, and others.  high speed, sometimes free.  flying j charges $30 month or $3 a day i think.  campgrounds include it most of the time.  most notebooks today and over the last 2 years, are wifi capable.

The other option is of course, satellite.  same $60 per month, faster speeds, but you have an initial investment of at least $1500 plus installation, which you can do yourself on the used automatic systems.  Satellite is good anywhere, anytime, as long as you can see the southern sky.

need more info, call.  i don't want to make this a commercial.  we do sell satellite and set up wifi networks, we don't sell cellular. 

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Songman,

This is the new Verizon air card that I have now.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=2849&changingCompletedOrder=

It is uses your USB port. All computers have usb ports and you can use this card in any of them. It has a better reception then earlier ones.

It works everywhere I have been and usually Broadban most of the time. Even national access is really good. It's great being mobile!

Good Luck
Nick-

[Songman]

Pretty interesting, Nick. Thanks for sharing it. Since it is near broadband speed it makes it worth researching.

On my last trip cross country back in January, I tried connecting to my Verizon phone with Bluetooth for the first time. I normally just use a USB data cable but my 2 year old dinosaur Dell laptop only has 1 USB port and I had my GPS receiver plugged into it. I had a 4-port USB hub along just in case the Bluetooth didn't work but it worked fine.

So far I have been able to live on free nights and weekends connect time with Verizon, or picking up free wifi hot spots at hotels and restaurants. But I am sure the time will come when I will want something full time and more convenient.

I know that Sean's datastorm thing can be used for tracking. Can it also be used for internet access?

[white-eagle]

DAtastorm's provide internet access via hughesnet or the more expensive idirect.  most folks have the $79  per month RV user plan.  if you use motosat as your ISP also and get the service from a reputable dealer, then you can also get a 5% discount by paying a year in advance.

service is 1.5mb down, 200k up, max.  ave is about 75% of that.  there are also more expensive and larger datastorm systems that will provide higher speeds.

if you spend most of your time on major roads and civilized areas, a cell card or mok with your cell will work just fine unless you really need the higher speeds for VOIP or logging into the corporate network.

i just upgraded my phone to an ENV with a MOK.  we're not in the faster broadband area, so speeds are in the 140K area.  We do have high speed satellite and i get about 1.2mb down, 300k upload on it.

[Jerry32]

Since I had starband satellite at home when I went south I took it with me and set it up in Yuma and other points south.I did use sprint air card for a while and much simpler that the dish but I get my son to pay for the dish so hate to give up the free stuff untill my commodity account runs over Jerry

[Songman]

if you spend most of your time on major roads and civilized areas, a cell card or mok with your cell will work just fine unless you really need the higher speeds for VOIP or logging into the corporate network.

Tom,

Do they actually make something for road use that is fast enough for VOIP? I had though a while back that it would be cool if I could take my Vonage box on the road with me. I have gotten in the habit of taking it to Europe when my wife and I go on vacation. I had it hooked up in an apartment in Paris last year and was calling home for free! And my family in GA was even calling my CA number and it was ringing over there. So on the bus should be easy if there is something with enough speed.

[white-eagle]

i have done voip with our system on Netzero with our account.  We regularly do support by getting into our customer's  systems from wherever we happen to be, which requires faster access as well.

the big problem with voip is not the speed of the satellite, it's the latency while the signal travels up to the satellite and back down.  some voip or other systems don't handle the latency well.  also, it sounds different and so is different to use.

we do have the larger antenna system and higher bandwidth than the normal DataStorm that most RV's have.  Mine was about $8k installed, $160/month.  thank goodness i use it for business and the company pays the bill.

[FloridaCliff]

Heres the latest from JDPowers.

Every one is very close as you can see.......

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2007137

It really comes down to the package YOU want....

Cliff

[prevost82]

I also have a datastorm on my bus and we use Skype to keep in touch with the kids and freinds while on the road. There is a 1 to 2 second latencey (delay) because of the distance traveled to the sat. and back to ground station but once everyone knows that, it works fine, kinda like talking on a radio ("over"). We don't use cell phones because of the high cost and the savings using Skype basically pays from the monthly sat. charges ($68 per month)
Ron