Cheryl, Hawking Tech has been around a long time now and makes great WiFi equipment. The WaveRvII works very well with long range. Nice part is you have a very small card with a four foot cable, USB on one end and other end plugs into WiFi card. Card has a 8" long rubber antenna. This way you can move it around for best sig. level. Hawking system is a card that plugs into laptop and you move the laptop around. We have used the WaveRvII some time now and find it works very well.
Cheryl Yes and no. This is a WiFi card not a air card that works over cell phone tower. Yes, you can work from a car if you drive around the RV park and stay in range of a WiFi system. The air card will work up to 20 miles or more on flat land. I wish we could get it all in one system but not yet.
Thanks John. I got a laptop for Christmas this year and plan on taking it on vacation - mostly just for emailing my mom. Since we only get to go for 4 week this year, I'm trying to decide if I want to go with the booster or just get service through my cell phone. You can sign up for just a month at a time for $29.95.
Hi Cheryl, Nope. What you want for that is either an "in motion" Satellite system (mucho bucks) or a data card for your cell account--or a cell phone you can "tether" to the laptop. QUOTE(Cheryl @ Feb 3 2008, 03:14 PM) [snapback]10131[/snapback] John, Can you get on the net while driving down the road with the Wave?
Hi Cheryl I think a lot depends on where you travel. There has been a lot of criticism of wifi systems on here. We have had much better luck than most. We do have LinkSystem antennas hooked up to both our computers. They will take a poor wifi signal and make it very usable. They are available at Staples for about $50.00 The rest of the time we us our Verizon cell phone hooked to a moblie office. Using mobil office goes agaist our cell time so after 9pm and weekends we are not charged. Right now we are in a park near Ft. Myers Fl. and pay $26 amonth for wifi. It works very well.
So it sounds as if to get the best reception and to be able to use it driving down the interstate, I should get an antenna booster such as the Wave and get some type of cell service. We have Alltel or I can use my son's ATT.
QUOTE QUOTE(John S. @ Nov 17 2007, 02:02 PM) [snapback]9172[/snapback] Love my aircard and even put it on its own wireless router so we can both use it. I have used it running down the road and at rest stops and all over. John, my husband is very interested in how you did the with a wireless router? We have to take turns using the card. Thanks, silvana :huh:
Hi, Goggle for a "cradlepoint" router--it has a slot for the card. QUOTE(Silvana @ Feb 4 2008, 05:50 PM) [snapback]10149[/snapback] John, my husband is very interested in how you did the with a wireless router? We have to take turns using the card. Thanks, silvana :huh:
QUOTE(pianotuna @ Feb 4 2008, 09:12 PM) [snapback]10150[/snapback] Hi, Goggle for a "cradlepoint" router--it has a slot for the card. Thank you pianotuna. He will look that up. Silvana
Hi All, I decided to try an Alfa 500 mw usb wifi external adapter, which I purchased on ebay for $55.00 USD. I'm a little miffed as the card is really only 200 mw and like the WaveRV adds an antenna to supposedly "get to" 500 mw. I've been able to connect in places where my internal wifi card "sees nothing" but I'll definitely be adding the highest gain omni directional antenna I can find. So I'll keep the unit even though the advertising is misleading. It needs two usb ports to work so I'll be looking for two extender usb cables. I plan on installing the high gain antenna externally on my RV.
We have just completed a 3 month trip from Florida to Washington state and back. Being a computer junkie, I paid paticular attention to WiFi. We rarely had to pay for it and choose our campgrounds based on the price plus WiFi. I am sure that the owners had heard this before and were sensitive about having to pay. We boondocked a lot and I was able to get WiFi at least 75 % of the time. I plan on getting an antenna ASAP to improve service and range. I asked a lot of owners about the cost of WiFi and most were quoting a lots less than in this thread. One of the best I had the whole trip (4 bars) was at a campground in Nebraska. I asked the owner about it and told him we had chosen him rather than the other Passport America down the road because of the free WiFi. He indicated that it only cost him $29.95 per month and he had a home type system from cable company and just hung the modem in his window. Now I am sure that the cable company wouldn't approve, but it sure worked for him. We suffered some sever winds and had to stay another day. I did also note that some of the systems (more expensive ones with multiple antennas around the park worked poorly in the winds of the west. We met at least 3 park owners who used to charge and now didn't. All in all, I think WiFi is becoming an expected amenity for even the cheaper parks. I was also thrilled to see how many OPEN sites were available around Wal-Marts and other bood docking sites.
I have traveled all over the US and I have found that wifi service in most rv parks is spotty at best. One need to be parked next to the sending area to get a good signal.
I have just purchased a Wave antenna and will post how it works. It can be used outside and they say you can get WiFi up to a mile. The indoor is less, but still better than just the internet adapter or and add on external adapter. I plan on fixing up a poll system that velco's to the handhold by my exterior door. We are going on a short tirp on Sunday and I hope to have recived the antenna and have it working for the trip. I will report the results.
QUOTE(Lindsay Richards @ May 11 2008, 10:20 AM) [snapback]11460[/snapback] I have just purchased a Wave antenna and will post how it works. It can be used outside and they say you can get WiFi up to a mile. The indoor is less, but still better than just the internet adapter or and add on external adapter. I plan on fixing up a poll system that velco's to the handhold by my exterior door. We are going on a short tirp on Sunday and I hope to have recived the antenna and have it working for the trip. I will report the results. I can't wait to hear how you make out ! I'm dying, trying to make some kind of wi-fi decision.
QUOTE(leok22 @ Sep 17 2007, 01:17 PM) [snapback]8351[/snapback] I work for a WiFi company that services RV resorts throughout the country and I have a few questions for you... 1. What are the top problems you experience with wireless internet systems in RV resorts (i.e. low signal, poor support, too expensive, etc.). 2. Is WiFi a deciding factor when choosing to stay at a park? 3. Would roaming agreements with truckstops be helpful? We have only been doing RV resorts for about a year but we have had good luck so far and would like to know how to make the service better. 01. I won't lie it is nice when a park provides free wifi, we use ours a lot during our trips to check out destinations, entertainment, concerts, sports, eating out...you name it. I don't mind paying for a day or two if we aren't staying long, or cut rate for a week or so. What would be neat is if the providers partnered with the local chamber of commerces. Get the Chamber to foot the bill then they/you can provide links to local businesses through login pages, coupons, etc. We will often comeback from places and our friends will ask, "Did you try this or that place" NO we didn't know about it. But I guess to answer question one, poor/weak signals are problematic. If it's free it doesn't bother me as much. 02. Not really, but if two parks are really similar in amenities and location, yes, wife is a deciding factor 03. I guess you mean hotspots at truckstops? or welcome centers, again nice but to me not neccesary.
Hi all, Just a note about my Alfa 500. I can get a signal on it from inside my RV at a distance of 400 meters. My Antenna arrived and courtesy of either US postal service or Canada Post it has been badly broken. I'm disappointed to say the least.
I can't wait to hear how you make out ! I'm dying, trying to make some kind of wi-fi decision. We leave for our 3 day camping trip on Sunday and looks like UPS will be sitting my antenna on my front steps on Monday. I'll have to get my neighbor to keep it out of the rain. I'll get it set up and post the results. We boondock a lot and I see this a great advantage for us. i have a small (400 watt) inverter and with this antenna, I should be set up for internet anywhere, but in the woods.
QUOTE(JanaBeaty @ May 18 2008, 03:18 PM) [snapback]11519[/snapback] IF YOU ARE CAMPING WHY DO YOU NEED WI FI???? oR YOUR SATELITE? COME ON PEOPLE..... Hi Jana. Ok, maybe if we are "camping" we should "get away from it all." However, there are many people who actually make their permanent home in an RV. They are users of WiFi to keep up with bills and email. ALso, even people who just travel in an RV, well, if one is on extended travel, and travels, oh, 3 months, WiFi helps keep up with bills and email. JJ
