WiFi

[kroldman]

OK. So how does WiFi work when on the road? If I need to e-mail or check my bank, what do I do? Where do I go

[sundevil6]

Try these sites.

http://www.wififreespot.com/

http://local.google.com/lochp?q=wifi&promo=US-HA-wifi%20finder

http://www.wifinder.com/

[retired and happy]

You also need to consider security, especially when doing banking or bill paying. Check around on this forum for other threads concerning internet security on the road.
_________________
Ken
Judy and our Special Angels
1996 37' Itasca Suncruiser
6x12 cargo trailer
2003 EZGO golf Cart

[kroldman]

What is recommended for security on WiFi?

[Motor31]

Be very careful when you connect that you are actually on the wifi site that the screen says you are on. There are "spoof" sites that look very much like the legitimate one but are piggy backed onto it. You then are tracked as you went through the spoof site to your net destination.

You also cen go to places like Flying J truck stops and get a daily, monthly or yearly wifi account and do your internet there, even in the parking lot.

The chances that you will specifically be targeted are slim but there are lots of folks out who prey on the internet and wifi is an easy way to do it as you come to them to get the connection. No matter what, with wifi you are always on someone elses internet connection and router.
_________________
Mike, Nancy and the Fuzzies
2005 MS 38 RL3
2001 Volvo MH (HDT)
2004 R1150RT (piggyback)
1996 Jeep Cherokee (toad)

[Walthy]

When using the internet it is always good to check security. There is a great site for checking your security if you are somewhat knowledgeable: www.grc.com, which has a free program called Shields Up! that tests your internet connection for holes and lets you know if you are vulnerable. Lots of other information there also, but Steve Gibson (Gibson Research Corporation, GRC) is definitely a geek.

Whenever you are on the internet it can be dangerous, but especially over WiFi. For a home system there are security protocols you can use to keep other people off your WiFi, but these aren't available on public WiFi hotspots.

If you transmit in plain text mode (most internet traffic), you can be intercepted, but on sites liked banks and credit unions, you will see the lock in the lower right corner of your IE browser that means that you are encrypted from your computer to the bank's computer, and no one sees anything but gibberish in between. Also notice that the address starts with the https: instead of the http:, which means you have a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and the bank.

The problem sometimes is that without the https: in the address line people can see your login name and password BEFORE you are actually logged in. So look for the https: and/or the lock in the lower right corner before typing in login names or passwords on sites that are confidential.

This forum, for example, has neither, so your login is in clear text (meaning unencrypted) and can be seen by others who wish to spy. This is a good reason to always at least use different passwords, and even login names if possible, on secure sites so that you don't give away your login name and especially your password at your bank, etc.

We have so many logins to different places that we keep a separate 3x5 card box with a card for each login we use. Keep the box away from the computer, so that if the computer is stolen they don't also steal your passwords. Also avoid saving passwords on your computer for accounts like bank and brokerage accounts and even for credit accounts like online stores and places you use credit cards. Same rules apply here. If they are not https: addresses and show a lock before logging in, don't use them.

Also set your computer to make you log in for each use with a password and also make sure there is a password for the administrator account for Windows. Don't have any guest accounts where no login is required. This makes it at least a little more difficult for a thief to get into your computer if they should steal it. It is still possible to bypass your security, but the average thief is only interested in the cash they can get for your computer, not in your info, although the person who buys the computer might be a little more savvy.

See next post for more.

[Walthy]

There are also programs available that will install on your computer in stealth mode that will phone home to a central database anytime they are connected to the internet. This allows you to report your stolen computer and it can be tracked and reported to the police wherever it turns up. This is especially useful if you have valuable data on your system that you need to retrieve. It also means they can track your travels.

One more security item is to encrypt important data on your computer. This can be done through the operating system or with additional programs. Don't lose the password though, or you will not be able to read the data. Only encrypt what is important, don't go hog wild trying to protect everything, or you'll forget something and find yourself in the unenviable position of having irretrievable data and you'll be as bad off as having someone steal your computer.

Lastly, be sure to back up important stuff, like pictures. Keep them on separate CDs or DVDs and make copies and send them to other family members. CDs and DVDs can also be destroyed or made unreadable by scratches and by heat so be sure to keep them safe. Having just one copy of anything is asking for trouble. I know, because I am terrible about not backing up things and my photos are a mess.

Any suggestions for organizing photos, for example would be appreciated.

Always have an anti-virus program installed and nowadays an anti-spyware program to make sure others are not copying your keystrokes, etc. AVG anti-virus is a great FREE software antivirus. Access the free edition here http://www.grisoft.com/doc/289/lng/us/tpl/tpl01. You can also purchase their regular product very inexpensively. Symantec, McAfee, NOD32 are others names of good anti-virus programs, but they cost money. Webroot Spy Sweeper is the best known anti-spyware program and is what I use. You will be surprised by the things it finds on your first installation. http://www.webroot.com/ is their site and you can run a free test of your system right from that page.

[petpeople]

We are new to the RV world so have many questions about everything. For now, wifi and getting connected. There are campgrounds saying they have wifi but my question is has anyone run into a situation where they had to physically take their laptop nearer to the router location to get connected? Say leaving your motorhome to go to campground office to get the better connection?

[sundevil6]

Some of the Wifi's are just in the office/entertainment area, and some are for part of the park, and some the complete park.

[Walthy]

I just finished a long post and then lost it because of a timeout.

Essentially you can move, get new hardware, or upgrade your antenna. Check out www.streakwave.com for wifi and www.cellantena.com for cellular help. Don't mind all the technical stuff on their web sites, just write or call and explain what you are trying to do. They are both very helpful.

While at our home base we used www.rvaccess.com as our wifi service. We have used Vonage VoIP telephone service as our only phone service for over 3 years.

To help with testing your connection with your computer or even a handheld with wifi capability, check out www.netstumbler.com for free software for testing signal strength and how much interference you have.

Upgrading to a higher gain antenna is the least expensive solution. We finally used a flat panel model mounted above our roof on our RV. It solved all of the various problems we faced. Don't use a 2.4GHz portable phone near your wifi, get a 5.8 GHz or 900 MHz one instead. You may get interference while your microwave is on. You or your neighbors may be causing interference if you have your own wireless installed. The directional antenna and wired ethernet (not wireless) will help here.

The problem is not just receiving the signal, the bigger problem is getting your small signal back to the wifi service. The better antenna helps both of these problems. Your can also increase your power output, but now you are talking real money, and probably not necessary.

With satellite, wifi, and high-speed cellular out there for $60 or less per month, everyone should be able to be connected almost anywhere.

Anaheim is the first US city to go wifi at the end of June 2006. New Orleans, Philadelphia, and many other cities are going there soon unless the cable and phone companies manage to block implementation for obvious $$$ reasons.

[petpeople]

Thanks, everyone. So now I look for a laptop with wireless and internal wireless, then shop for an antenna to pull in a good signal, correct? This will be our first laptop purchase since we have only owned desktops connected to Roadrunner. I do have one other question: our motorhome has 30 amp service. Does anyone know how many amps it would take to recharge a 9 cell lithium battery? Like I said, new to this and during our first trip, we came close to the 30 amp mark.

[sundevil6]

I didn't have to get anything for my laptop to get WiFi. Most now are ready to go. Check with the store before you buy anything. Also, if you're in a campground, just plug in your 'puter and you can run off the regular current. If you use it elsewhere, when you do plug it in, the battery will charge.

[Walthy]

What Sundevil6 said is true. Many laptops these days have wireless built in, as do some handhelds. These work fine most of the time. If you have connection issues, then you probably need the external antenna, etc., and this would require a different card as the laptop's antennas are built into the case and not accessible. It is easy enough to disable the internal wireless connection and use a separate PC card or USB wireless adapter. www.rvaccess.com has a USB solution that uses an Orinoco Gold PC-Card and they modify the case (not pretty, but it works) so you can hook up an external antenna. This USB adapter works with almost any modern computer, including MACs, and not just laptops so it is a great solution, and it doesn't require a separate power supply as it gets its power from the USB port.

I hope that clarifies things. Start as simple as possible and then add what you need to get the job done. I have three different antennas: the internal one in the card (or laptop unit), a small and inexpensive external unit that is somewhat directional, and the flat panel unit that mounts outside the RV above the roof for those times when I'm parked and need the best, most reliable connection when I am working and using our Vonage VoIP phone service.

My laptop is older and doesn't have the built-in wireless, but I would certainly get that as an option if I were buying a new one. Without getting into the details, get the 802.11g version if possible. The 802.11b is older technology, but still very usable and both are compatible.

[Kalon]

Questions for Walthy:

- Can you recommend a source for the flat panel antenna you mounted on your RV roof, and ballpark the cost?
- Do you often find the antenna doesn't help due to a lack of clear line of sight (e.g. from other RVs, trees, etc.)?
- Would it make sense to pull the signal down from this device to a wireless router inside the RV, thus adding a layer of firewall protection, WEP (?), and close range mobility around the RV?
- How do you think the flat panel would compare to: http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/waverv.php

Thanks for your thoughts.

[metras3]

Kalon,

I installed a WiFi antenna from www.radiolabs.com. Radio Labs sells many, many WiFi antennae. They have one for RVs that plugs into the USB ports.
I haven't used it on the road yet, but in my driveway I get WiFi from the people that live around me. 5 more than from inside.
I do not have the source but there are new devices out there that will let you get Internet connectivity while you are moving down the road.
As for firewall, that may be the next project. My RV may be a rolling website before I am done.

Marty