Internet connection on the road

[bitingmidge]

For the entire month of March, we'll be camped beside a river or a lake on a route that'll take us down the Darling, to SA back along the Vic Coast to Gippsland then across the high country to the South Coast of NSW before heading north. (If there's anyone on this route that want's a sail in a PDRacer, give me a hoy and I'll see what I can do! :2tsup: )

So much for the travelogue.

From time to time I will need to stay in touch with the office, and upload reasonably large photo files (for backup), so will need sporadic internet access.

I have seriously considered changing permanently to a Bigpond G3 mobile account, which would give me broadband whereever there is a mobile phone service, but the ongoing monthly cost is a bit much for the time being.

The option I'm thinking of is using Telstra's Hotspots (which happen to be in pretty much every one of the Famous Scottish hamburger chain's outlets - even though I'm rather not fond of that particular product I'll buy a 30c icecream and log on :D ), cost =roughly 20c per minute....so say $6.00 every third day, $60 for the month... not too bad probably.

Are there any other alternatives?

Cheers,

P

[DavidG]

Scan around and see if there are any open wireless networks. :roll:

[Cliff Rogers]

...I have seriously considered changing permanently to a Bigpond G3 mobile account, which would give me broadband whereever there is a mobile phone service, but the ongoing monthly cost is a bit much for the time being.

The option I'm thinking of is using Telstra's Hotspots (which happen to be in pretty much every one of the Famous Scottish hamburger chain's outlets - even though I'm rather not fond of that particular product I'll buy a 30c icecream and log on :D ), cost =roughly 20c per minute....so say $6.00 every third day, $60 for the month... not too bad probably......

Both of those options get VERY thin on the ground once you leave the big smoke. :(

[Grunt]

Internet cafes?

[bitingmidge]

Both of those options get VERY thin on the ground once you leave the big smoke. :(

Cliff, as far as I can make out, where there's a Macca's there's a hotspot!

Cheers,

P

[Grunt]

Yes, but think of your arteries!

[Sturdee]

Scan around and see if there are any open wireless networks. :roll:

Try scanning outside any pokies place in Vic. They all have wireless networks with internet access for their machines and most are open networks.


Peter.

[bitingmidge]

Interesting. Thanks Peter, why would they be open networks? :?

There are plenty of places in Europe and the US where wireless networks are available for free, are they just being generous?

We were once, in the days when very few people outside the Mac community had a wireless connection we set up a free base station in one of our shops. Actually it was for my use, but anyone could log on. I think as soon as a few more people do that, the Telstra hotspot robbery will subside!

BTW, if one has a need for a hotspot, Bigpond users get to log on for $5.00 including the first fifteen minutes, but Telstra Mobile customers pay a .25c connection fee and .25c per minute, saving $1.00!:oo:

Cheers,

P

[journeyman Mick]

Midge,
go darkside and get a few of these for keeping in touch.:D

Mick

[Sturdee]

Interesting. Thanks Peter, why would they be open networks? :?


Don't know, as I don't have a wireless computer, but a few month ago a mate was showing of his new notebook computer whilst we were at a licensed pokie venue.

He took it outside (didn't want to take the risk inside :D ) and without problems he logged onto the internet, and he claimed that most of the pokies places are the same.

Just park in the carpark and log on.


Peter.

[Cliff Rogers]

Cliff, as far as I can make out, where there's a Macca's there's a hotspot!

Cheers,

P

I didn't say there wasn't..... what I said was...
"Both of those options get VERY thin on the ground once you leave the big smoke"

It is possible to drive 2000 Kms on Qld highways & not see a Macca's. :cool:

You will find FAQ'n Macca wrappers strewn 100s of Kms out in the bush but you won't find the restaraunt or it's hotspot. :D

You can also drive for 100s of Kms west of the Great Divide without any mobile reception of any type let alone G3 or NextG. :(

[scooter]

Cliff, as far as I can make out, where there's a Macca's there's a hotspot!

Cheers,

P


Gloria Jean's coffee shops too I think.

[Big Shed]

I'm sure there is one of those at Bourke:oo:

[Shedhand]

I have a bells and whistles HP nc8000 notebook. I'm going to get a Bigpond Wireless card to use on my road trip. I'll just try at each place I stop for Inet access and if I can't get on then no big deal. There's always another town. I also have a wig and silly glasses so I can park in a Maccrap carpark incognito. Wouldn't go near Gloria Jeans either. Australian franchise holder is one of the mad Hillsong fundamentalist mob...

[dadpad]

No hotspots and lots of places you cant get any mobile coveage around here. Drop in to my place and upload if you like midge.

[journeyman Mick]

..................You can also drive for 100s of Kms west of the Great Divide without any mobile reception of any type let alone G3 or NextG.............(

Hell, you can drive 5 minutes from here on Highway 1 and not have any reception.

Mick

[Grunt]

I can walk from one room to the next and not get reception.

Actually, it's worse than that. I get reception in one corner of the house. Walk 3 metres to the centre and no reception. :(

I've looked at the Next G coverage map, all around me is red (good reception) except for 2 squares of pink (marginal) right where I live. I'd have to sign up for 2 years to see if I can actually use it.

[glock40sw]

G'day.
If you google WIFI LOCATIONS, it will take you to a site where you enter the name of the town and it will list the open wifi sites.
I have it bookmarked at home, but am at work now.
If you need it, give me a cooee.

[namtrak]

Drive past my house

[bitingmidge]

Thanks namtrak, I'll be the silver suki with two yellow boats on the trailer doing blockies every third day! :D

Trevor, thanks for the WIFI locations tip, I'll sift through later. It looks as though for my purposes the maccas trick will be easiest though.

Cheers,

P

[ratchet]

I am an Optus cable user

but,

I use telstra when travelling

I have a wireless laptop and use it at McDonalds, more and more outlets are coming on line

I connect to the internet at Mcdonalds for free , then to telstra and using a prepaid phone card connect to the webmail for optus and download my mail

It is very slow , but OK for mail without attachments , tell you friends no attachments while we are travelling

sending photo's would be slow

because of speed or other reasons I cannot find out about it will not send some mail , get one of those messages that I cannot understand . But then send it to another address with the same ISP and it goes ???

would like to get a wireless card and be able to use like a prepaid phone card , maybe in time

The wireless card you use to connect to McDonalds is different to the wireless card for Optus or Telstra , this why you get into the hot spot where you can look at the internet , but for mail need to sign onto Telstra etc. I think the wireless cards for telstra and optus are specific to themselves , ie not to each other etc

hope this helps