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WIFI from the Traveling RV

© Barry Houseknecht

We really do have to find a solution to our lack of available Internet connectivity while we are on the road. We do everything on the internet, everything: all of our banking, communications with family and friends, writing for Suite 101, maintain an Amsoil dealership, trying to maintain an Ebay store and auctions, maintaining a very small but growing group at Yahoo called Rvworkers_sharing (stop by and join up), and keeping up with our favorite college the University of Central Florida.

So far Internet access at RV parks has been sparse. In a Bakersfield, Ca park we had Wi-Fi available at the park with a very good signal. At this park there is another hotspot that is open access so we used it free for the week that we were there. They also have instant on phone available at the sites but if you use it for Internet access they charge you a penny per minute. The park we are in now, an SKP park, may be the most beautiful park that we have stayed in also has instant on phones but they don't want you to use it for Internet access during the day. They have a data port but there are no local numbers for the major providers.

Cell phone is not a good option as none really have full coverage. There are a lot of holes in all cell service areas. We have been using Sprint for several years for several reasons but their Internet access is expensive and slow.

RV park Wi-Fi is a great idea but:

1. Few parks have it.

2. Each park, save for two KOA's, have had a different provider.

3. The Wi-Fi never seems to reach my RV with a good signal, thus you have slower speeds. The two KOA parks had the same provider but at both parks we had the same problem, the network was off line more than it was online and at one of the parks I had to go to the office to use the service.

We just went to Coarsegold, Ca a little town near where we are now and found Wi-Fi at a Drive through coffee shop that has some tables outside that you can use while you are on the Internet.

The coffeeshop WIFI service here has three pay plans:

1. By the minute, I don't know the rate but it is rather like a calling card, you buy a block of minutes and pay as you go.

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