Anyone Use Wireless Internet At Their Site

[goofyrabbit]

This will be the first time I will be taking my laptop to the campground. Has anyone used this yet. Is the price and connection good. We are staying on a preferred site. Any info would help.
Thanks

 

[2goofycampers]

we were in loop 300 couldn't get a connection there had to go to the TE porch. it costs $10.00 per 24 hours, so we decided against it. if you go you have to have your key card they ask for the #'s off it and to charge with. alot of folks have been using air cards for their wifi. might want to check into that.

 

[goofyrabbit]

so you were not able to use your computer from your site. What do you mean about air cards? I told you this was all new for me.

 

[clkelley]

There is no wifi from a preferred site. If you want internet at a preferred site, then go to the front desk and check out a cable modem ($175 deposit, credited when you return the unit). It is wired internet and is $10 a day charged to your room(site).

The air card the previous poster referred to is something you can purchase through a wireless carrier such as AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.

There is a piece of hardware you purchase that goes in your laptop, then a service fee of around $60 a month and then you have internet just about anywhere you can get a cell signal.

 

[auntie]

I'm curious air cards..can you get one for say a month..or are they similiar to the phone plans with contracts?





_______________________

 

[clkelley]

I'm curious air cards..can you get one for say a month..or are they similiar to the phone plans with contracts?





_______________________

Similar to a phone plan with a contract.

 

[goofyrabbit]

So if I want to use my lap top I need both the cable connection and 10$ a day and than I also need to have the air card. I have comcast DSL as my server at home and use AOL.
I thought I would just need the cable and that's it, if that's what I understood.

Thanks

 

[2goofycampers]

So if I want to use my lap top I need both the cable connection and 10$ a day and than I also need to have the air card. I have comcast DSL as my server at home and use AOL.
I thought I would just need the cable and that's it, if that's what I understood.

Thanks

to use your lap top you need the rented modem and $10.00 per day. or you have the choice of the air card purchased thru a cell provider. you may want to call your cell provider for more info. it was discussed on a thread I can't find right now, if I do I will repost it. on our next trip we will be doing the air card.

 

[clkelley]

So if I want to use my lap top I need both the cable connection and 10$ a day and than I also need to have the air card. I have comcast DSL as my server at home and use AOL.
I thought I would just need the cable and that's it, if that's what I understood.

Thanks

No you don't need both. It's either/or. If you feel you need internet on the road, it might be a wise investment to get your own aircard and service, then you don't need Disney's at $10 a day.

If you use internet on the road very little, then paying the $10 a day (or every other day) at Disney may be the better deal.

 

[LarryJ]

No you don't need both. It's either/or. If you feel you need internet on the road, it might be a wise investment to get your own aircard and service, then you don't need Disney's at $10 a day.

If you use internet on the road very little, then paying the $10 a day (or every other day) at Disney may be the better deal.

I have had the Verizon wireless air card since May of last year. It's $60/mo and is the only thing I use for the internet. It's like 10x times faster than dial up, but not up to FIOs or DSL. I've used it from the D.C. area to Chicago and down to WDW and have always had good service. It's not designed for things like continuous streaming video, or a lot of music or movie downloads since they just changed their pricing putting a premium if you use over 5GB per month. I don't use it for those three items I quoted and the max I have ever used is 2.4 GB and out of the almost 9 mos I have had it have only gone over 2 GB twice.

My decision was easy since I was paying for a second land line ($30/mo) and $55/mo for my wife's realtor MRIS fees that included free internet and when she retired last year I replaced the $85 cost with the wireless card and since I don't have cable at the house (just DirecTV) that was the best option for me. I now have everything thru Verizon which I have been very happy with and with one landline to the house, 2 cell phones on the family plan and the wireless data internet service I pay just over $155 total for each month. All my long distance is via the cell phone and have the landline mainly for my security system and DirecTV)

Larry

 

[des1954]

This will be the first time I will be taking my laptop to the campground. Has anyone used this yet. Is the price and connection good. We are staying on a preferred site. Any info would help.
Thanks

There are supposedly 3 locations at FtW where WiFi is available: Trail's End, Meadow Trading Post & the Outpost. When we were there in December, DH had to go to the Outpost to use the WiFi because the other 2 locations were down. It was 9.95/24 hours. Login info was numbers from your room-key card. He said speed was okay, but it was real inconvenient to go to any of the 3 sites. At the cost per campsite you would think all sites would include free WiFi. But then, Bob Iger needs that $1.2+ million dollar perk each year.

Hope this helps!
Deb

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

There is another option for people that don't have a continuous need for an air card or don't want to get tied into a monthly service charge/agreement for 2 yrs. Disney is the only place we camp at for any length of time that doesn't offer free wifi so I have studied on this quite a bit. What works for me .... I bought a mobile office kit from Verizon $29-$39 ( if you buy off E-Bay it's about 1/2 that) This gives you usb cord that you tether between your cell phone and the laptop. It is specific to each phone. Your cell phone becomes the modem to connect to the internet. Up until recently this internet connection was free---it only used your cell phone minutes. With proper use ( free evening and weekends ) it was great. However, Verizon has since closed this loophole and you need to purchase a monthly broadband package at $59 for unlimited use. Its about the same cost a month as the air card, but the good thing is, you don't get tied into a 2 yr service agreement. Just call and activate it as needed.

 

[goofyrabbit]

I have AT&T, so I should call them about the mobile office kit or can you get them from any place that sells cell phone accessories. He I go this route I don't need FW landline connection? We are driving down to Florida, can I use this anywhere I want?

Thanks

 

[lisa8200]

Options
1.... Modem rental at Fort Wilderness- Refundable deposit and 10 dollars a day for use. Also only available in a prefered site ( need cable access )

2.... Air Card- These come in a variety of types. we have a USB so it can be used on any computer. Other types are a card that goes in a slot on your laptop ( make sure you get the one that matches your slot ) if you do a google search for air card you should find some info and pics of what they are. Basically, these work off the same principal as a cell phone but is a card etc instead of a phone. Connects to the internet only no dialing. It seems that $60 is common for unlimited internet. It can be used anywhere you have a signal, driving down the road, at home, camping, anywhere.These are linked to a cell provider ( because it's equivelent to an internet only cell phone ).

3.... Use your cell phone as a modem- some phones allow this and some do not. Some carries condone this, and some do not. I would try to make sure this will work with your phone before you buy the cables. I have a cable for my sprint/Nextel phone but, I could never get it to work.


I may have forgotten or not mentioned something but, I think this should be a good breakdown...

GOOD LUCK

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

I believe Verizon is the only cell phone carrier that offers service for cell phone modem connection to a laptop. Anyone get it thru another carrier?

 

[des1954]

I believe Verizon is the only cell phone carrier that offers service for cell phone modem connection to a laptop. Anyone get it thru another carrier?

When we full-timed in our RV from 2002 to 2004, we used the Verizon cell phone modem. Even back then the speed was adequate... much faster than dial-up, but slower than DSL or cable modem. I don't know how much it is now, but back then it was $99/month - unlimited usage. If you knew how much time DH & I spend on the internet, that was a bargain!!

A friend of ours lives in a very rural area where there is no cable or DSL available & got an air card when they first came out. He's a real computer geek & said the speed was much faster than he anticipated.

If we go back to full-time RV'ing (if our house sells) we'll probably get one.

Anyone know if you can set up a network using the air card?

 

[lisa8200]

When we full-timed in our RV from 2002 to 2004, we used the Verizon cell phone modem. Even back then the speed was adequate... much faster than dial-up, but slower than DSL or cable modem. I don't know how much it is now, but back then it was $99/month - unlimited usage. If you knew how much time DH & I spend on the internet, that was a bargain!!

A friend of ours lives in a very rural area where there is no cable or DSL available & got an air card when they first came out. He's a real computer geek & said the speed was much faster than he anticipated.

If we go back to full-time RV'ing (if our house sells) we'll probably get one.

Anyone know if you can set up a network using the air card?

When I first started looking into air cards, I saw a router for them. I don't remember the brand or anything but, I know they exist.The one I saw you put the card in the router intaed of the laptop...

 

[bradisgoofy]

I believe Verizon is the only cell phone carrier that offers service for cell phone modem connection to a laptop. Anyone get it thru another carrier?

I did this for awhile with my Sprint Mogul phone. It was $59.95 per month, unlimited, with no contract.

When I first started looking into air cards, I saw a router for them. I don't remember the brand or anything but, I know they exist.The one I saw you put the card in the router intaed of the laptop...

Yes, you can do a network. Sprint sells a complete setup in their stores or you can get some good deals on the Internet. I have a Sprint USB card with a Cradle Point router.

I would like to point out that most cards only get a high speed in certain areas, not everywhere you get a cell signal. They do work everywhere the carrier has a signal, just not high speed everywhere.

 

[chief19spixi]

We use the Shark Modem Program which teathers the internet connection from our crackberry to our laptop! The connection is not high speed but it is faster then dial up! The program costs a one time fee of $45.00 per computer registerd to use the program!

 

[Disbuf]

I use to use our verizon phone as a modem and it worked fine but slow. Like others have said, when it just came off your minutes, it was an excellent deal. I have since switched to the USB air card and when I am in a broadband area, it is much faster than dial up. I have rented a couple of movies through itunes with it but it takes about 12 hours to download so movie night has to be planned in advance.