Getting Online from your RV
Today more and more RV families require Internet access as part of their vacation experience. At first this wouldn't seem to make sense; don't people go RVing to get away from technology? However for RVers hundreds of miles from home the Internet is the easiest way to stay in touch with family (e-mail), keep up with friends (newsgroups, forums), search for local points of interest, bank online, and to find repair parts and local businesses. In fact, a 2004 study by the Michigan Association of Recreational Vehicles and Campgrounds found that 25% of RVers said they accessed the Internet while on the road.
While there are many ways to get online traveling in an RV, the five most common (from cheapest to most expensive) are:
Borrow Access
Pros: Borrow means free and free is good.
Cons: Free is popular -- plan to wait in line. You have to look for free Internet access.
Borrowing Internet access is easy if you're the kind of person who can talk your way into a private club -- or talk your way out of a traffic ticket. Basically, you're asking someone to give you free access to a PC and Internet connection they've already paid for. For example, you could ask the campground manager to use the PC in the office, or you might ask another RV camper if you can come over and "check your mail" on their PC. It isn't easy (and they might say "no") but it is free.
Another source of free Internet access is the local public library (technically, this isn't borrowing since you paid for it with taxes). Stop in at any public library and you're likely to see rows of late-model PCs with high-speed Internet connections. During peak hours, patrons queue up to use these computers -- and get booted off every half an hour -- so plan to show up at the library first thing in the morning. You'll also have to convince the librarian to give you a library card even though you don't live in their town.
If you borrow a PC to get on the Internet, you should already have an AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, NetZero or a similar e-mail account so you can check mail online. Don't ever try to set up someone else's PC to download your e-mail into their computer. For a list of the top 10 free/online e-mail providers, click: email.about.com/cs/freeemailreviews/tp/free_email.htm
If you already have a laptop with a phone modem and are just looking for dial up service, companies like Juno and NetZero offer free basic dial-up access. It's slow - and you have to look at lots of ads - but combined with an online e-mail account it can serve your basic needs. For a list of free Internet access providers on the web click: www.thefreesite.com/Free_Internet_Access
Cell Phone
Pros: Inexpensive if you already own a PC/laptop and the right cell phone. Airtime may already be available on your current cell plan. Can connect while vehicle is moving.
Cons: Low-speed access for basic plans too slow for surfing the net. May not work with your cell phone.
Depending on your current cell phone and plan, you may already have the ability to get on the Internet. For example, Verizon's "America's Choice" plan includes basic data access. Under this plan, Internet access minutes are billed just like a voice cell phone call. To keep your minutes down, just check your e-mail during "unlimited" nights and weekends.
To get started you need a PC/laptop, a newer cell phone, and a connection kit. The kits cost about $50, and include a cable and dialer software. Contact your cellular service provider to verify your phone is capable of Internet access. If it is, you can purchase the connection kit while you're talking to them on the phone.
Setup is simple: you install the software on your PC or laptop, then connect the phone to the PC's USB port. You dial up the Internet using the PC keyboard. Your connection speed will be similar to dial-up -- fine for email, but too slow for heavy web surfing.
To read an informative article about connecting your cell phone to a laptop to access the Internet (for Verizon customers, but still explains the process) click here: www.bmyers.com/public/938.cfm?sd=30
If you aren't happy with your cell phone's connection speed, for $6.95 a month a company called ExpressLink claims they can give you a 5x speed increase. It can also speed up a home PC's dial-up connection. You can try it for free for 15 days here: www.expresslink.biz
Cellular Modem
Pros: Faster than dialup. Can connect while vehicle is moving.
Cons: Need to purchase PC card modem. Extra monthly fee on top of normal cell phone bill.
If you need to upgrade your cell phone to get on the Internet and you already have a laptop, a high-speed alternative is a cellular data modem card. Basically this is a cell phone you plug into your laptop's PC card slot. The cards cost between $50 and $200 depending on discounts and length of contract. Every cellular provider offers a different model so you should take your laptop down to the store before you buy it to verify that it will fit into your laptop's PC card slot. Also, some cellular modem cards generate quite a bit of heat, so check with your laptop's manufacturer to verify that it will not void the warranty.
In addition to the modem you'll need to add high-speed data service to your current cell phone plan. Most cellular providers offer plans around $60 per month depending on the length of the contract. Some programs also offer the ability to suspend service for up to 6 months a year for RV customers. The cell phone companies claim speeds comparable to a DSL line or cable modem, although it depends heavily on how close you are to a cell tower while trying to connect.
WiFi
Pros: High speed for surfing online, free if you have a WiFi enabled PC or laptop.
Cons: You're depending on someone else to get online. Cannot connect while vehicle is moving.
The newest and easiest way to get on the Internet today is WiFi. Basically, WiFi gives you a wireless connection directly to the Internet. To use WiFi, you need a wireless receiver card inside your laptop or PC, and you need to be within a few hundred feet of a WiFi "hotspot" transmitter antenna connected to the Internet. Newer laptops have a built-in WiFi cards, older laptops use a separate PC card with a small antenna. You can also purchase an internal WiFi card for a desktop PC. Connection is simple: you tell your PC to search for an available WiFi network, and if it finds one, you're online.
In the last few years, many campground owners (and coffee shops and airports) have installed free or low-cost WiFi access as a way to draw customers. However, with over 16,000 RV campgrounds in the US there's no way of knowing which ones have free WiFi access. Your options are to call ahead, or you can browse the sites below for a listing of campgrounds offering WiFi access:
- www.rvtravel.com/wifi.html
- hotspots.wirelesstrips.com
- www.wififreespot.com/rv.html
- www.rversonline.org/RVMFHSE.html
- www.rverscomputerhelp.com/wifiplaces.html
- apa.wifivenues.com
- www.koa.com/wireless (KOA campsites only)
As easy as WiFi is to use, you need to be pretty close to the hotspot antenna for best reception. An article that talks about some of the most common questions about using WiFi in RV parks: www.rversonline.org/RVWiFi.html. In addition, the folks at RV Computer Help have a web site loaded with practical information and tips to help anyone trying to purchase or set up an Internet connection for RV travel: www.rverscomputerhelp.com
Internet In Motion combines a cellular modem and WiFi in a package that they say gives you the best of both products. Their "mobile WiFi hotspot" system includes a high-power cellular modem in a box, a roof-mounted cellular antenna and a WiFi transmitter. With this system you get high-speed cellular Internet access anywhere inside or outside your RV while moving or stationary, and you don't have to depend on someone else for a WiFi signal. The package retails for around $2,300 (dealer installation and monthly cellular data service costs not included). You can check them out at major RV shows or go to their website at www.Internetinmotion.net
Satellite Dish Antenna
Pros: High speed for surfing online - just like a cable modem or DSL.
Cons: Most expensive. Depends on direct line-of-sight connection to satellite. Cannot connect while vehicle is moving.
Look at a high-end Class A motor home, and invariably you'll see a dish on top to receive satellite TV. What you may not realize is that the motor home uses the same satellite TV provider you use at home with a roof-mounted dish antenna specifically designed for RVs.
If you don't own a satellite TV, you may not realize that there are only two players in this market: Direcway (Hughes Electronics, DirecPC, DirecTV), and Starband (EchoStar). Each offers a combination of hardware (modem, dish, controller) and software (satellite locator, ISP hosting) to enable you to receive a high-speed Internet connection from a roof-mounted dish antenna using the same frequencies they use for digital TV service. Although dish antennas for satellite TV and high-speed Internet service are slightly different, many of the newer units can be upgraded to pick up both signals at the same time.
Direcway is the original high-speed satellite Internet service (the website shows their dish on Willy Nelson's tour bus). According to their literature, a typical installation (dish, modem, and controller) costs approximately $5,300, and monthly service fees range from $60 to $100 depending on added features. Download speeds vary between 700 and 1,000 kbps, or about the same as a home cable modem. You can read about their products at www.Direcway.com.
Starband is the only competitor to Direcway. They offer packages starting at $1,600 for a manually positioned dish on a tripod to $6,300 for their top-of-the-line rooftop mounted automatic positioning unit. Fees range from $70 per month for 500 kbps to $150 per month for 1,000 kbps download speeds. You can read about Starband at: www.starband.com
Note that if you do a Google search on the phrase "satellite Internet RV" you'll get over a million hits. This is confusing since there are only two companies offering the service. The other web sites are for "resellers".
Resellers come in two flavors: value-added, and commission-only. Both offer either Direcway or Starband service (they are the only consumer companies with satellite access). However, value-added resellers bundle one of the two services with installation and warranty, whereas the commission-only reseller attempts to lure you in with a discount price, then after the sale transfers you to Direcway or Starband and pockets a commission. Ignore the low price offers and steer clear of commission resellers.
Also note that Internet satellite dish systems enable high-speed Internet connections only. If you also want satellite TV, ask the value-added reseller if they offer an add-on TV module for their dish antenna. Not every dish (or reseller) supports dual-use. You will also need to purchase a separate satellite TV subscription service with the provider, adding about $50 to your monthly bill.
Theoretically both Starband and Direcway forbid you to move a satellite dish once it has been professionally installed. However, some resellers offer tripod-based manual units as a cheap alternative. They will even offer to train you to position them. However, if you have trouble and need technical support, you may have a hard time working directly with Starband or Direcway. Setting up a manual dish antenna to point at a satellite in orbit is tricky, in spite of the fact that you occasionally see home dish antennas clamped on the side of parked RVs.
Additional Information
forums are a great place for customers to go to learn about the experiences other RVers have had with Internet connections for their RV. Try here: www.rv.net/forum (go to the "Technology Corner" forum or here www.rvtravel.com/rvforum (go to the "Communicating on the Road" forum)
RVers Guide to Internet Access On the Road by Chuck Woodbury, editor of RVtravel.com and NewRVer.com is an e-book you can purchase for $10.95 online. It covers additional pros and cons of each method to connect to the Internet listed here, plus ideas like setting up web-based e-mail for use at local public libraries. www.rvbookstore.com/wifibook.html