and another question........

SecondChance · Jul 29, 2001

How does everyone connect to the Internet when they are on the road? I've tried PNV and the AOL 800 number, but there must be other ways?

Has anyone tried or does anyone know anything about "airport cards" or wireless modems?

Wild Bill · Jul 29, 2001

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-29-01 AT 08:53PM (EDT)[/font][p]I've been signed up with Park and views ISP for about 2 years. For $10.00 a month you get unlimited service (Plus the $20.00 a month membership that includes the cable and telephone) while hooked up at a PNV site. Since PNV has been getting their feces reconsolidated it is back to working as it always had. I usually get a good connection speed. I figured that $10.00 a month beats $6.00 an hour for AOL's 800 number. Using the 800 number for an hour and a half a month you could pay for the ISP.

PNV said in a news release recently they are looking to be wireless by the end of the year. (Dont hold your breath...lol) but when their ISP goes wireless you will be able to logon within a half mile of a PNV truckstop. Other wireless coverage as of now just isn't up to snuff. I looked at one that can give you service within 20 miles of a few selected cities. (Mostly in the northeast and California) It will take a while for it to be nationwide. They are coming out with satellite internet but all you can do with that is download to your computer. to upload anything you still need a telephone line. (Kinda beats the purpose of it)

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talltotem · Jul 29, 2001

It's gonna be a while! Wireless internet is like wireless phones - they have to have transmitter towers and you know how long it took to get wireless almost all over the country - a long time. Way I understand it, you can only get wireless internet in those metropolitan areas where the demand is high - like NYC and LA for example. The wireless internet towers and the phone towers would have different frequencies and power requirements. So, guess full wireless will take another 20 years or so. Maybe they'll surprise me and get it done sooner, but I'm not holding my breath!

mikecop · Jul 30, 2001

You might want to check out DirectDuo. It is part of DirectTV, but uses a slightly different satellite dish. This would give you both internet and satallite tv while you are sitting in truck stops. Price may be a discouraging factor, although it is quite a bit less than when I first checked into it about two years ago.

Wild Bill · Jul 30, 2001

Mike,

I seen that at Best buy. The high school kid there couldn't answer any questions about the system. Do you have one? Is it self contained? The last time I looked at one it still required a telephone line for uploading. I have been waiting for this to be worthwhile myself.

Sparky · Jul 30, 2001

Sprint PCS has internet access through their phones for $10 extra/mo. The phone has a limited browser but you can access the text portion of most sites. The first 50 characters of an incoming email will show up on your phone. To read the entire email, you must use the browser to access Yahoo, AOL or wherever your address is. You can also get a kit (cable and software) that plugs into a laptop and uses the phone as a wireless modem. It's slow now (14K) but they claim they will be 240K next year.

If you are off the Sprint network when an email is sent, you are automatically notified as soon as you are in Sprint coverage.

SecondChance · Aug 1, 2001

I have had no success with PNV internet connection. Seems where ever I try its not working at that location (even with the PNV trailer sitting there) Today was my last attempt, twice in like 4 months isn't a very good record. Maybe if they come out with wireless (if and when) it will work better.

Weave · Aug 3, 2001

I have been using Sprint PCS wireless web for two months now and it has been working well for me. With this setup the PCS phone becomes a modem that connects into my laptop's serial port. It doesn't cost any more above the phone, it just burns up airtime. The connection speed is somewhat slow, tops out at 19,600 BPS. BUT... it's great for e-mail and keeping up with my e-bay transactions and the such. It is a bit tricky to get the software to work, but once you get the bugs worked out it is a good feeling to be online as if you are at home. I even dial into the same phone number I do at home.