Laptop Air Cards

[rgevans871]

I'm considering purchasing an Alltel air card to use with my computer while we travel in our 5th wheel. I'm wondering if it's necessary to have an external antenna to effectively utilize the air card? If you use an external antenna, what kind do you have and how did you mount it?

[AFChap]

External antenna not required unless your rig for some reasons blocks cellular signals ...if your phone works, the air card will work. An external antenna can be helpful if you frequent areas with very weak cell signal. I use my cell phone as a modem (tethered cell phone) with no external antenna and rarely if ever have a problem with too weak/no signal -- but as I said, what you experience will depend on where you travel/park.

[Luv2go]

We have found cell signal most everywhere we have camped lately with no external antenna (We live on the East coast). The exceptions have been at campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Also on the roads in Ohio around Kidron (Amish country).

In most of the places where we did not get cell signal, an external antenna did not help (we have a Wilson Trucker that I mounted on a plate that we put on the roof when we are camped).

The external antenna was not useful enough to be a factor when we picked new phones this year, the ones we got do not have external antenna connectors (we tether them when we need data like AFChap), so the external antenna will not work unless we get one of the amps that are available, which can be a lot of $.

[two2go]

I have used a Verizon USB air card as our exclusive internet service since May. Only a couple of places in the midwest had poor reception and performance. We had internet, but at dial-up speed. Otherwise, it is great. My adapter came with a "Y" USB extension that uses two USB ports on the computer. I think this is to assure full power to the adapter, and it did give me a bit more signal strength in marginal areas. The little built in extension antenna does not seem to help. Also, using a USB extension cable allows me to place the adapter close to a window or move it to maximize signal. Another factor is does Alltel have sufficient coverage where you plan to go?

[wa8yxm]

TO install an external antenna or not is your decision.

I will describe, on line per description 3 "Systems"

1: Just the card with it's attached antenna: Shortest range, most likely to see "NO SIGNAL"

2: Card with external antenna. And see note below: More likely to connect

3A: Wilson 2-way amplifer system, using internal antenna (wireless) to air-card.. Way more likely to connect

3B: WIlson 2-way amplifier system, direct connected (wired) to air card.. MOST LIKELY TO CONNECT! (Greatest range)

NOTE: At the frequencies Cell towers use HEIGHT IS MIGHT

A low power signal at 250 feet, can and, in my life, has, beaten a signal 100 times more powerful at 30 feet.. I know. I held the low power radio in my own hot little hand!

And that was a way lower frequency than cell phones use

[gresults]

I switched over to Sprint MiFi and have been very happy with the service and it allows up to five people to use the same hot spot.

[wa8yxm]

They all allow multiple hot-spot users if you know how to do it.

Back when I first got High Speed. AT&T regs said "Only one computer can be hooked to the modem"

And only one computer WAS hooked to the modem.. A D-link router

The others.. Hooked to the D-Link

Today, with air cards.. You use a Cradlepoint.

One thing I will recommend.. Check the coverage map for the provider you are considering.. I mean.. If I had my choice I"d use the same provider that I use for cell phones.. But they have 3 coverage maps

1: Voice/SMS. Most of the nation is either covered direct or via roaming aggrements
2: Low speed Data... Again, most of the nation
3: High speed date.. They have basically N.O. coverage high speed.no, that's not NO coverage, it's N.O. coverage,, if you are in New Orleans.. They have coverage.

This is improving though.. Last time I looked (Recently) there were a few fly specks of high speed scattered in other areas that were not there the time before.

[AFChap]

Donald

Does the provider treat the MiFi pretty much like they would an aircard as far as having to have a contract, etc is concerned?

[Janshark]

Another question re air cards

I want to get internet when I travel south of the border this winter (I'm Canadian). Is there any company I can get where I don't have to sign a contract? I just want access to it for the 5 months I'm travelling. And I don't want a cell phone either.

Thanks
Jan

[DBOL]

NO CELL PHONE! or you Un-American?


Just Kidding Welcome to the good Old USA and I use AT&T fair some places 3G others

[Wicked Whippets]

Go with the Cradlepoint router! Fantastic tech support, free updates and the little bugger works like a charm!

[gresults]

Yes on the MiFi, I actually upgraded my old aircard to it.

[two2go]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janshark Another question re air cards I want to get internet when I travel south of the border this winter (I'm Canadian). Is there any company I can get where I don't have to sign a contract?

What I did was buy a used air card on eBay (a USB broadband adapter in my case) for less than $40. Buy one for the service you want to use (Verizon, Sprint, other?). Then activate it when you want to start use and specify you want month to month. Verizon required me to call rather than activate via internet. When you already own your card, you are not obligated to a contract.

[BobGed]

Just FYI, here's a post from another forum by a representative of 3Gstore.com.

Its been my job to spend the last few days with the MiFi to do a review for the company I work for, and since I spend a lot of time on RV forums I've prepared this post that specifically addresses the RVer who will very likely be wondering if the MiFi is for them.

There is a LOT of buzz about the "MiFi". Its being sold by Verizon right now, and will be sold by Sprint in June, and like to be sold by AT&T and possibly other carriers, down the road.

What is it? its a tiny battery-powered hotspot that allows customers to have as many as five computers (or other wifi-enabled devices) to access the internet using cellular mobile broadband.

Many of you already have something like an "aircard" or a "USB modem" that attaches to ONE computer and gives it internet access. The MiFi is like that, except its a wifi hotspot that easily allows multiple computers the same internet access, for the same monthly fee. Nothing like it has ever been sold by a cellular carrier before.

Many of you have also bought "cellular routers" like the popular models from Cradlepoint, that allow you to share your aircard or USB modem's connectivity with multiple computers. The MiFi accomplishes the same thing, but the modem is built into (embedded) the MiFi so there is nothing attached making it much more portable.

In my opinion, the combination of Cradlepoint router and separate USB modem or expresscard is the better solution because the MiFi:

• has NO antenna jack to easily allow for high-antenna antennas and direct-connect amp;
• would require a more expensive 'wireless amplifier' to improve cellular signal;
• is tied to ONE carrier and cannot be used with multiple carriers like a cradlepoint router can;
• can only tether via USB cable. it has NO ethernet port;
• cannot tether to one computer and STILL be a WiFi hotspot;
• to allow for longer battery life, it only has about 30ft of WiFi range.
• must be replaced when 4G or other future technology is viable.

Having said all that, there is one group of RVers that I think are great candidates for the Mifi:

• you already own a wireless signal amplifier
• all the equipment you want to get online already has WiFi capability
• you only need a hotspot for
• use while traveling in an RV (not a home) OR
• your need for a hotspot in a home doesn't require more than 30ft wifi range
• you have NO need to tether a computer and still have a WiFi hotspot
• one carrier at a time doesn't bother you
• if you can answer Yes to the last six points, you should be happy with a MiFi

I hope that this post helps some RVers who are contemplating whether or not to get the MiFi.

_________________
the EVDO experts are at http://3gstore.com