Internet - Which should I use?
Three factors will help you determine which form of Internet access is best for you.
- How often you want/need to connect
- Your budget
- Where you travel
How often do you connect?
For RVers who need a dependable, regular (daily) connection no matter where they travel for business purposes, the satellite Internet is a good choice. It works in remote areas when nothing else does, especially if you travel in remote areas of the West. Here trees are not so much of a factor. Depending on the satellite you are on, you might even get a signal in some parts of Alaska.
For RVers who travel in remote areas, there will be pockets where you get no cell or aircard signal. If you stay along the Interstates and metropolitan areas you are more likely to find a good signal. Each cell phone company, though seems to have areas where their service does not work. Aircards are getting better, faster and with a signal available in more places.
If you only check e-mail occasionally, you might not even want a computer. Then checking at public libraries or using Pocketmail could work fine.
How much can you spend?
Budget is a factor too. The satellite Internet equipment is a minimum of $1500 for the tripod-mounted dish, $5000+ for a rooftop mount that automatically locates the signal. If you catch a sale and rebate, aircards or cellular modems could be free or run up to $200. The monthly service for both aircard and satellite Internet cost about $60, though other plans can be more expensive.
Using Wi-Fi can be deceptive. You can often find a free signal, but how much time and fuel are you spending finding it? If you need a subscription for even 24 hours and have to do that very frequently, you could end up paying a lot per month for service. If you only check e-mail two or three times a week when you have a signal, then this is much less expensive.
Where do you travel?
If you like remote areas, you may have difficutly connecting with anything but a satellite Internet dish. Also, check the coverage for the company you are considering for an aircard or modem. Some have holes in their service, not only in remote areas, but in certain states or areas. My sister lives in the L.A. area, north of Pasadena. At her house I have to go outside for my Verizon cell phone to work or stand by certain windows. It works elsewhere in that area.
What's the solution?
No one method of connecting to the Internet works all the time. I need to check e-mail and get on the Web nearly every day. We were in Big Bend for several months in 2005-06 and had no cell phone service. My aircard did not work either. We first got a landline, which got clogged up with users as soon as the kids were home from school. Getting on from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. was iffy. We ended up purchasing a satellite Internet dish, which we loved.
The satellite Internet works great - except when it doesn't. Last year we traveled with satellite Internet. We often used Wi-Fi in RV parks where we stayed if we were here for only one night rather then set up the dish. We would call ahead when we knew about where we'd end up for the night as ask if they had Wi-Fi.
In Maine, we had no signal because of trees and the promised Wi-Fi in the park wasn't operational yet. We used a landline (I still have Earthlink as a backup) at the family cottage and also drove about 15 miles to a coffee shop/bookstore that had free Wi-Fi some mornings. The public library about 10 miles away had a Wi-Fi signal during library hours that I also used a few times. In other parts of our travels, I went into the RV park office and used their dial-up or high-speed modems on a few occasions too.
RVers we know have recently given up their satellite Internet dishes in favor of an aircard! In fact we too have switched to a newer Verizon Aircard because of problems with speed with Hughes. (We understand a new dedicated satellite is supposed to help this situation.) I don’t believe even the new aircards would have worked in our location in Big Bend, however.
I do have to say that the aircard is tiny, even with its modem. George was quite fast setting up the satellite Internet - usually 10-15 minutes - but it is definitely more involved plus you need a place to store the dish and tripod. I'm glad George did it, though I would hold his laptop while he zeroed in on the signal. It is more difficult to find a signal than the satellite TV because you have three parameters to match instead of two.
To come up with the solution that works best for you, weigh all the factors. Choosing an aircard or satellite Internet does involve a two-year commitment when you sign up so think it through before committing.
Should you share your signal?
If you have two computer users, you can use a router to create a Wi-Fi signal in your RV if you use satellite Internet or an aircard. You can create a secure network or unsecured.
If it is secure, you must have a password to log on. If your network is unsecured, anyone within range can log on. An insecured site allows your neighbors share the signal, which you might want to do in an RV park or a rally. There are some disadvantages, though.
- The data you transmit could be hacked into.
- Your signal could slow down if you have too many people on it.
- With satellite Internet, there is a Fair Access Policy that limits the amount of data you can transmit. If you exceed that you can have access cut off for 24 hours. Another user may upload or download large files resulting in loss of access. The Aircard is good for a certain amount of bites/month. If you exceed that you will be charged extra.
We have a secured network and occasionally allow a friend to use it. George then sets up their computer to receive it. We'd rather not risk hackers or too much data usage by others.
Sometimes finding an Internet signal is a challenge but when I remember that when I first hit the road the only place to get online was the public library, I am grateful for how far we've come! Jaimie