OMG Wi-fi and connected at truck-stops

[pepe4158]

Yeah I a little naive cause I have been in Asia last couple of years, but do ALL truck stops pretty much have wireless internet connections? Well bought two so far, at a Pilot and a TSA. The TSA didnt work :-p , and when I called tech support, I was connected to some lady in the Philippines, (first think I said was, 'damn you sound like my wife with your accent lol' ) so basically out the $5 or so dollars .....hmmm what truck stops have you guys gotten good results with, so far pilot for me, but kinda expensive.

[tootie04]

do you have a cell phone?? best thing to do is get the wireless broadband card from Sprint or someone. Ours cost 59.99 month and I have internet whenever I want.....not just at truck stops....as long as you have a signal for the card.

tootie

[TK THE TRUCKER]

Yeah the wi-fi at the truckstops isn't all that great. In my opinion wireless cards from cell companies is the way to go. I had good luck with Sprints wireless internet service but I dumped them completly when I got sick of dropped call after dropped call with the cell phone service.

[Rev.Vassago]

WiFi is slow, unreliable, and can only be used at the particular truck stop chain that you buy it through. Air cards are a whole lot faster, more reliable, and can be used anywhere you can pull a signal (with Verizon, that is almost anywhere). Air cards cost between $50 and $60 per month, which is about the same as getting a monthly subscription at T/A, Pilot, and Flying J combined.

[tdriver1959]

Air card is the way to go. I have t mobile with the family plan so added another line for 9.99 then had data added for 29.99.
It gives me unlimited Internet when ever I have cell service

[pepe4158]

K All...googled your suggestion....hmmm this is what you meant...right?

http://www.laptopdsl.com/

Quess I just stop by a Sprint store....ugggh this crappy Pilot connection is lagging soooo bad.
yeah my cell phone is an unlocked (the chip I plug in determines the carrier), quad band, so I can use it overseas, so wont do me much good for internet.

If you do get your own authority you will need a wireless air card for your laptop. You will also need a printer/scanner and Efax or something similar to get a fax via email so you can setup your jobs. Your not going to be in a place that has WIFI all the time. I've been in the middle of nowhere with my air card and able to get my next load. Most of the major truckstops can give you advise on a card to buy and how to get going. I've seen many truckstops that sell the card right there on the spot and can get your going. You don't need a cell phone to hook up to this service. You may get it cheaper with a bundle package getting a cell service and air card but not required. An air card has nothing to do with your cell phone with regards to getting hooked up. They are 2 separate pieces of equipment.

[serbie]

I'll throw out the shameless Cingular plug. Same as most here. $59 a month with a phone plan. Works great.

Rev's right, Truck Stop WIFI isn't the way to go, even on their yearly plans. Means you'd be tied to one truck stop chain. Why bother. Besides, to connect through T/S WIFI, you leave your self open to people possibly fishing through your computer.

[pepe4158]

well went with a cingular air-card....hmmm seems kinda slow right now as far as speed, likie packets get lost in the air or something. I didnt get any phone servce with it....did I get ripped or what?

[Red Clay Rambler]

No, you didn't get ripped. The aircard and the phone service are separate services. IF you CHOOSE to get phone service through the same company as the aircard you bought, then your aircard service itself is a little cheaper. If you buy only the aircard service, then it's a little higher. The aircard never COMES WITH phone service automatically, you have to select that arrangement.

How much hassle was the purchase/installation?

[pepe4158]

No, you didn't get ripped. The aircard and the phone service are separate services. The aircard never COMES WITH phone service automatically, you have to select that arrangement.
How much hassle was the purchase/installation?

Thks Red...yeah was wondering cuz the service guy didnt seem to know much more about computers and his own plan then me :-P
Yeah getting it was pretty painless, it was a little over $100 to start up, we plugged the card in my slot and I was good to go, I am kinda mixed about the coverage being good tho, it seems to be sooo slow in some places and losing packets in the air or something, and in other spots a decent service. I think it has something to do with how close you are to a major city as I am doing a lot better the closer in I get to Oklahoma City....60 miles out wasnt doing well, moved closer to 25 miles out and really bringing things in faster it seems.

[GMAN]

Cingular is more like dial up with their speed. Sprint is pretty much like DSL. At least that is what I was told by a rep a while ago. I am sure Cingular will get their speed up before long. Speed can also be affected by how much traffic is on that particular service. You will appreciate having the air card after using WiFi for a while.

[pepe4158]

tHKS G-man for the reply, yeah I've tried to respond to this post numerous times using my crapy cingular connection, just times out usually and loses the packets in the air or something....dunno mixed whether I will keep it. I'm at a TSA right now and paid the $5 to use their which is much faster.
The advantage to the air card being I could be anywhere, but this is soooo ridiculously slow.

[merrick4]

if you bought the latest card and are using the cingular connection manager you might had problems. you have to go to Sierra Wireless website and download their 3G watcher and use that instead of the cingular connection manager. Call up Cingular support and they will walk you through the whole thing. If your service keeps freezing up and you have to disconnect and reconnect a lot then you definitely need to download the 3G watcher.

I have Verizon and happier than a pig in crap. It's been so good I got rid of my DSL at home and use the wireless connection.

[pepe4158]

if you bought the latest card and are using the cingular connection manager you might had problems. you have to go to Sierra Wireless website and download their 3G watcher and use that instead of the cingular connection manager. Call up Cingular support and they will walk you through the whole thing. If your service keeps freezing up and you have to disconnect and reconnect a lot then you definitely need to download the 3G watcher.

Thks Merrick....gonna try your suggestion while I have this TSA connection to hope that does it.

[pepe4158]

OMG thks Maverick.......This 3G watcher R0cks(6min download tho)...now I can surf my favorite por....er ah... religious sites faster!

[Jackrabbit379]

I have Verizon and happier than a pig in crap.

Glad to hear how happy you are. :P

[Bigmon]

[quote="Jackrabbit379"]

I have Verizon and happier than a pig in crap.

Does that come with Monkey Butt.

[quote="Bigmon"]

I have Verizon and happier than a pig in crap.

Does that come with Monkey Butt.

lol....No, that new leather chair I bought took care of that!!