Tere and I are looking into satellite internet/tv service since we may be about to spend more time on the road and in different locations. We'll be spending time in Tennessee at a fixed location but not living in the Barth, then we'll be on the road some, living in the Barth for a night or two, and then we'll be spending time in the Charlotte NC area, sometimes sleeping in the Barth, sometimes not. So we want a system that can provide both tv and internet service and is mobile. Any of you folks have some advice? Cost is always a factor, but our experience with ISP's is that service is huge. I'm tired of trying to communicate with people from a different culture with accents so heavy that I can't understand them.
Jim

Jim:

An excellent post. I sure have a lot to learn in this area.

We selected EARTHLINK several years back because the support came from the U.S.. Note the previous sentance is in the past tense. If someone knows of an ISP that has American tech support I would like to change to them. Please let us know.

On the boat we purchased a "high power" antena for the computer wireless hook up but have never found it to work any better than the "ariport" cards that come in the Lap Tops. If you are using a desk top inside the Barth maybe the external antena would be helpful but we, after putting the money out, don't think this is the case. Sometimes when anchored off a hotel we can connect but most of the time we now just go ashore and find an internet cafe, I guess you could park the Barth in front of a cafe if you do not have a lap top.

If all your connections are done at internet cafes you do not need an ISP. There are any number of hosting services for email and many even include space for a web site that cost $60.00 a year. You can use your own domain so your email would go to Jim@tereandjim.com or tere@tereandjim.com for instance and you can keep this domain as long as you register it, the registration is only a few dollars a year.

On the lap tops that go and connect on wireless at the cafes we do have a firewall, Evidence Eleminator to fully clean up any advertising that ends up on the computer, an adware sniffer program and naturally virus software. At the moment we are using products from PANDA but I think with XP Pro we will move to the microsoft suite this year, it intergrates into the UI better.

I like PANDA virus and related software, IOLO (for maintenance to keep the compter runing fast), and Evidence Eleminator to get rid of the nasty registry level adware. I use Power Quest drive Image to make back ups of the hard drive, if I have some adware or a virus that just will not go away I restore from a back up and then use Evidence Eleminator to clean up the rest of the disk. If you back up your email file you can do a full restore in 30 minutes. I do disk images once a week, it takes two CDs and 15 minutes.

We use XP Pro, not the home version; it works better for multiple network hookups.

I have no experience with satalite for T.V. or the internet.


Timothy

We bought a King Dome for the bus and use Direct TV. Monthly cost depends on what program package you want. When we have trees blocking our site we have a portable dish we set up. As for internet we use our cell phone with verizon mobile office. No isp, no extra monthly charge and no use of your minutes if you only use it from 9 pm to 6 am weekdays and 9pm friday to 6 am monday. In a place with no cell coverage or on an extended network that will allow calls but not internet? We go the the library and use their computers. Sometimes may be a little inconvienent but has never been a major problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadow man:

In a place with no cell coverage or on an extended network that will allow calls but not internet?

Ed, are there any maps that would show those areas? At least in the Southwest.

Cell phone coverage maps are the commercial equivalent of a politician's campaign promises - worthless.

We too have had a similar situation, Internet is required for us during our travels. I looked at satelite and WiFi (the Starbucks type) and did a lot of survey of various services offered.

I signed up for a 60 day trial with Sprint with a wireless card that plugs into a laptop and uses EV-DO cellphone technology. Cost is $60/ month and we could/do use it at home.

We found this to be VERY good, speed is approaching DSL and the coverage is excellent! We have had only a few places along the CA coast where coverage was spotty. It can get slow in fringe areas, but still acceptable. I have added a Kyocera router now which I can plug the wireless card into and it becomes a "wireless hot spot" so any computer in range with WiFi capability has access, slows down abit with more on line but still OK.

Will not work for us in Canada or Mexico because the roaming charges are out of sight!

Wireless cards are available from the big three, Cingular, Verizon and Sprint. I choose Sprint because I have had it with Cingular, customer service sucks! Verizon reportedly discourages big downloads but is ahead of Sprint with expanding the EV-DO coverage (higher speed version of CDMA technology)BUT and this is important to us, Sprint customer service is GREAT!!! Always helpful and responsive!.

By the way, there is an add for fulltime online service in many of the RV magazines and what they offer for $1500-$2000 is exactly what we have for just the cost of the router ($250) the wireless card is free for a two year contract.

Satelite TV hasn't been addressed yet, we are not big TV watchers so this is at the end of the prioity list!

HTH

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Cell phone coverage maps are the commercial equivalent of a politician's campaign promises - worthless.

HERE is a site that shows promise.

Interesting site Bill. Right now we are about 300 ft north of the one at Fall City Wa.