Staying Connected with WiFi…

When you travel with a WiFi equipped notebook computer, you have the possibility of being connected to the internet wherever you find a hotspot. In WiFi “speak”, a hotspot is a location where WiFi access is available. There are two type of WiFi networks that you may encounter — open networks, like the one here at Travelers Rest, and closed networks. Open networks do not require a password and are open to anyone in range. Closed networks require a password, or an account. Password protected networks generally belong to individuals who are protecting their network, and thus their computer, from possible hackers. Networks that require accounts are commercial ventures, and charge a fee for use.

Numerous commercial establishment offer Wifi to their customers, some free and some requiring account access. The trick is finding where they are — and if you have to pay for them. If you are traveling without your RV and staying in hotels, most of the national hotel/motel chains offer in-room WiFi. Surprisingly, the moderate priced hotels generally offer the service for free, while many upscale hotels charge. Last spring, when we traveled cross-country and stayed at Comfort Inns and comparable hotels, we almost always had free WiFi access in our room. In January, when we spent three nights at the Wilderness Lodge in Disney World, we paid considerably more for our room, but Internet access was an additional $9.95 for a twenty-four hour period.

In a few instances, we could not get the WiFi in our room, but we could only go online if we took the laptop to the lobby. We also encountered a few hotels that offered high-speed internet, but not WiFi. In those hotels we had to connect to a wall jack with an ethernet cable. Since many of these hotels offer the connection, but not the cable, we always travel with our own ethernet cable.

More and more RV parks offer some type of high-speed internet access. Woodall’s online campground directory lets you select internet access as a criteria when searching for a campground. As with the hotels, some campground have excellent WiFi access that covers the entire area, and at some you have to bring your laptop to a central location.

What if you can not find a hotel or campground with high-speed internet access? Several web sites offer a WiFi Hotspot Finder search feature. Type in a city name or zip code and the web site will return hotspots in the area. Naturally, you have to preform your searches when you do have internet access. If you have a trip planned ahead of time, it is a good practice to get a list of free WiFi locations along your route, just in case you need them.

Probably the best know and most popular search sites is www.jiwire.com. A JIWIRE search returns a list of locations complete with addresses, links to maps and directions, and if the hotspot is free or, if not, the provider. You can also view an area map showing all the WiFi hotspot locations.

Since we will be in Ocala for RV service next week, I performed a JIWIRE search of Ocala. The website returned a list of twenty-four locations. Scrolling through the list I found four free hotspots, and one of them was a Panera Bread location. Panera Bread offers free WiFi in most of its establishments nationwide. Have a cup of coffee, fresh pastry, and surf the web to your hearts content. To find out if a Panera Bread in a city you are visiting offers WiFi, go to www.panerabread.com/cafes/wifi.php.

Other eating establishments that offer free hotspots are Schlotzskys Deli (www.schlotzskys.com/wireless.html), Atlanta Bread (www.atlantabread.com/wifi). Sapp Bros Travel Centers (in the midwest — www.sappbrostruckstops.com) and Apple Computer (www.apple.com/retail) also offer free hotspots. Found in malls and big cities nationwide, Apple will even let PC users on their WiFi networks.

Barnes & Noble, Borders, Starbucks and McDonalds all offer hotspots, but as of this writing they all charge for internet access. If you do not have an account with the internet provider that services the establishment, you can buy time in small increments, usually for one or two hours. McDonalds sometimes offers internet use coupons to customers, so ask when you place your order. The online rumor mill has it that Starbucks is going to stop charging for internet access, but they have not yet done so.

This is my last column for the 2008 season. I am submitting this on February 29, and on March 3 we are leaving TR for a few weeks to travel to Tucson and a Life on Wheels Conference where I will be presenting classes in digital photography and blogging. I’ll be writing a travel blog, and if you would like to follow our trip, check it out at quinnrv.blogspot.com. I will also be keeping up my photo blog at lsqlenviews.blogspot.com.

Eddie and I wish everyone an excellent spring and summer. See you next season.