WiFi On The Road IS An Important Tool

i love my verizon aircard it rocks. alot of times its faster then wifi

 

This is correct. I apologize for my earlier statement. The verizon rep was not very forthcoming on what she told me. She said the "unlimited" plan which is what they used to call it but they no longer have, it is limited to 5GB as i found out later when i called them back to find out for sure.

 

As far as costing extra, if you have a blackberry plan (data plan, so you can surf the web) with T-Mobile (sorry, I don't have Verizon) I have unlimited data service.

For Verizon, I would think that it would work, although the number would be different that you would dial. I do believe they limit their data service to 5GB like most of the other carriers.

Check here for the Verizon instructions. I'm not sure if it will be different for the Storm, but I wouldn't think so.

 

Yea, these are sold in truck stops and you can find them online. It's just an external antenna that has a coax that runs into the truck. My Sprint card will connect to one, for instance. Does it offer a reception advantage? I have no idea. My cell signal isn't any different outside my truck than it is inside it.

Now if the antenna offers some type of amplification or power boosting to the signal... that could be interesting. I've seen these on a few websites from just googling "external cell antenna".

 

The problem with WiFi is you have to be at a truckstop that offers WiFi, or at a rest area (very few have this service) in order to use it. If you're at a shipper or receiver, no WiFi, no internet. Same with places out in the sticks. By the time you deal with the slow data rate, the charges, the disconnects because of the big truck that stopped in between you and base antenna, it becomes a situation of why bother?

 

Sorry, glad you pointed that out. I meant cellular booster. I wouldn't waste my time with a Wi-Fi booster.

 

Verizon just came out with a personal Wifi hotspot called the MiFi 2200 . It's available at their website for $100 . Basic charge is $40 a month .

 

A basic google search came up with some interesting stuff. RadioLabs has a good assortment of antenna and boosters for everything from trucks to boats and some claim over a mile range, one even claims 8 miles with clear line of sight. I am looking at one setup that runs about $169 that I can actually use over here in Iraq to help get connected without carrying a laptop all over creation that would also wrok in a truck once I get back. The containers we live in block all signals pretty much but a magnet mount antenna stuck out the door would get a good signal.

I used to use an external antenna on my cell phones but allot of the cells now don't have the connectors for external antenna.

 

Yeah, but they could still USE one!!! At least our T-mobiles could.