OTR Drivers - How often do you get online?

I use the wifi (wireless internet access thru my laptop's built in wifi card) provided by the truck stops. I have recurring accounts with both Siricomm (available at most Pilots, Loves, and Petros) and Flying J (which is sometimes available at other truck stops, e.g. the T/A in downtown Nashville. See Flying J's website for a complete listing of their hot spots.) The cost for both of these subscriptions runs about $42/mo for unlimited access. When I was OTR I would always TRY to plan my route so I could stop at one of the places I could get wifi. Now that I'm regional, it's a bit more difficult since I'm usually much more busy than I was when OTR, so my internet time has been reduced to maybe once or twice thru the week and a couple times when home (like right now) on the weekend.

I looked into Cingular's wireless internet myself and just decided that keeping my wifi subscriptions would be best for my budget. Not to mention the fact that when I do get to use wifi at the truck stops, I'm connected at a much faster rate. Essentially I'm trading the faster connection and limited availability for less of a monthly expense.

 

Right now the best wireless card is an EVDO card which you can get at your wireless company, ie Alltel, Verizion as well as others i'm sure. There are several others but the EVDO is the best that i've found. I've been using mine for 20 months and love it. I can connect at time at 479kps, which for wireless is premo. The card may be a bit pricey but you get what you pay for.

Beware of free sites that allow you to connect with a std wireless card built into most laptops. These sites are NON-SECURED, so anyone that wants to and knows how can see eveerything you do online.

 

Thanks for the info, sounds pretty easy to get online now, as opposed to when I was out before.

 

You can use your wifi at most truck stops now for a fee, around 4-5 bucks for daily, or 20.00 a month, like at all tas for that price. Some like kwik trip have free as do some rest areas. Its cheaper for me this way. Dont have time every day to get on.
Good luck.

 

I am connected 24/7. Via my Verizon Air Card.


K

 

Most new cell phones can be set up as a wireless modem for your laptop via usb. My current phone is a T-mobile MDA. I used to do it with my old razr as well. Check with your cell provider beforehand to see if your cell phone is compatible but like I said, most new ones are.

I plug it in via usb to my laptop, initiate a program called "modem link" on my phone, go to my connections, right click on the wireless modem tab and click connect and voila, internet anywhere there is a phone signal and super fast with the EVDO connection. The beauty part is you dont have to spend extra on an air card and it all comes in one bill. This is an option if I cant pick up any wireless networks thru my wifi connections.

I pay ~$105 a month for unlimited internet, 1000 minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimted messaging. and thats nationwide coverage.

 

I use Verizon wireless usb modem. IPaid the extra $ for the usb over the pc card because I can use it at home on my desktop making it so that I could cancell the phone line and dialup I had there. That saved me $45 a month. VErizon unlimted is $59 for the aircard and my phone plan is $59 also. Little more than I paid with us cell but they don't offer the air cards. I don't know about cingular but I tried sprint and they ONLY worked on the sprint network (which is VERY limitd) they would not work when roaming. Verizon has us cell tower usage and there aircard works on the us cell network as well as the verizon. The speed is much better on verizon but it still works. I hav't found anywhere it hasn't worked yet

 

Can you be driving and still be using the Verizon Air Card, or Cingular, etc?
For example, surf while the other team driver is driving.

 

yes you can

 

I know I'm an internet junkie but I havn't gone as far as to try it while I'm driving. Mabey tomarrow


I would imagine you might drop it ocasionally just like a cell phone call. It is exactly like a cel phone, You can even conect using a cable puged into you cell phone. It saves you the extra contract on the air card but I know on verizion you will only be able to connect on the VERIZION network if you use the phone instead of the aircard. and that would greatly limit you