Hi all,

I've gotten a lot of queries about how I managed to connect to the net while
sitting on top of a hill outside Custer SD.  I guess it's only on the
Vanagon fulltimers list that we've discussed email connections till we're
blue in the face!  Well, my apologies to everyone who has already read a
million emails on the subject - please stop now and hit the delete key!

I connect to the internet through my cellphone.  This involves a
hardware/software item called (by Verizon, at least) a mobile office kit.
It consists of a cable and a piece of software.  Using the software, the
computer is fooled into thinking that your cellphone is a modem, and you
simply dial your ISP.

Various additional details on this:

1.  I have Verizon as my cellphone provider.  They have a plan that has no
roaming charges, so I can call from anywhere in the US for my regular
monthly price.

2.  I have to be very careful about running up my minutes.  I try to never
log in except during my unlimited minutes times - after 9:00 pm and on
weekends.

3.  Verizon sells mobile office kits for around $60 or $70.  I don't know if
other cellphone providers have them.  You have to have the right kit for
your cellphone, too.  My phone is a Samsung, and Verizon didn't have a
mobile office kit for it.  But I found one on e-bay for $10, so that was
pretty good.  If you want this setup, though, and you have not yet gotten a
cellphone and service provider, you might check into the availability of the
mobile office kits before you choose a phone.

4.  The connection says it is 256K, which is faster than my modem.  It is
reasonably fast for email, but very slow for surfing the web for some
reason.  So slow that things regularly time out and the like.  I also have
the hardware for wifi, and when I'm in a place with free wifi access I go
for it.  I'd definitely go for both the wifi card and the cellphone
connection.

5.  Verizon says they work anywhere, but I've found that they don't.  In
particular, I haven't been able to get through in some areas that only have
Cellular One.  Verizon recommends that you regularly dial *228, and then
push 2, to download more stuff that helps with roaming connections.  It
hasn't helped.  I have to call them and find out why I could only connect
when on top of a Black Hill, and not in the towns, which all had Cellular
One service.

I hope that's enough info!

Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

****************************************************************:::-----Orig
inal Message-----
:::From: alan sinclair [mailto:anadem@gmail.com]
:::Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 12:00 PM
:::To: jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU
:::Subject: net connections? (was: Help wanted!!!! here we go again - power
:::problems in Custer, SD)
:::
:::Hi Joy
:::
:::apologies that i have no help to offer, but do have a question ...
:::hope you've escaped from Custer ok though!
:::
:::In your vanagon list post you wrote:
:::"Now it wouldn't get above 2000 rpm or around 25 mph.  I made it to
:::the top of the hill (pretty steep) and pulled over, where I am now
:::making coffee and waiting ..."
:::
:::what kind of internet connection do you have from Matilda?  or do you
:::write wherever you are and then send the email later?
:::
:::thanks, and good luck
:::Alan
:::Santa Cruz CA