Wi-fi becoming less important at resorts?

[cluemeister]

As recently as last summer I thought wi-fi or in room internet hookup was an important feature to have at a timeshare.

However, now both of our cell phones have bluetooth, and they also can be used as a modem. So when we bring the laptop on vacation this year, we will just hook up wirelessly through one of our cell phones to their digital network (at a pretty decent speed) and get onto the internet.

I know many of you don't bring a computer on vacation, (that's why they call it vacation!), but for us it's nice to have as a way to improve our vacation, i.e. search for a restaurant near a golf course we decided to play at, check reviews for a show that looks interesting.

So for those of you who do bring your computer, are any of you doing this?

 

[JLB]

The couple that joined us for our first Florida week last month brought along their laptop. It connects from anywhere they can get a cell signal.

 

[Makai Guy]

As this topic is not about TUG and it's features, I'm moving it to TUG Lounge.

 

[riverdees05]

A while back someone had a device you could order that would let you use your regular cell phone to connect to the internet. Did anyone save that thread?

 

[AwayWeGo]

Some Cell Phone Plans Charge Extra For That.

A while back someone had a device you could order that would let you use your regular cell phone to connect to the internet. Did anyone save that thread?

Last summer I was following some eBay item that I was either buying or selling, so when I was away on vacation I hooked up a computer to the little gazinch on the side of our cell phone, logged on, checked eBay, logged off, & disconnected.

The next month's bill included a charge of $10 or so for that little foray into wireless Internet via cell phone. It turns out that some plans cover that service & other's don't. Ours doesn't. We can still connect that way any time we want, but when we do it's a la carte -- for regular menu prices.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

 

[RichM]

I have a GPRS card from T-Mobile for my laptop that I use while traveling - it's fun to surf the 'net while my wife's driving. However, once I get to the resort, I would definitely prefer Wi-Fi, especially if there's a good broadband connection behind it like DSL, Cable modem or a T-1. My GPRS maxes at 40Kbps and at our favorite resort, WM Oceanside, I can't even get a T-Mobile signal inside the room. I usually just use dialup. God forbid I get an e-mail with a 1MB+ attachment - it could take minutes to download it.

For me, the cellular modems and mobile phone internet access is good in a pinch, but it won't replace broadband via Wi-Fi.

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[timeos2]

Use the right and most cost effective method

As recently as last summer I thought wi-fi or in room internet hookup was an important feature to have at a timeshare.

However, now both of our cell phones have bluetooth, and they also can be used as a modem. So when we bring the laptop on vacation this year, we will just hook up wirelessly through one of our cell phones to their digital network (at a pretty decent speed) and get onto the internet.

I know many of you don't bring a computer on vacation, (that's why they call it vacation!), but for us it's nice to have as a way to improve our vacation, i.e. search for a restaurant near a golf course we decided to play at, check reviews for a show that looks interesting.

So for those of you who do bring your computer, are any of you doing this?

I have had that capability for a number of years. It was fine for use at an airport or on the road but I've replaced that function with my Treo phone. Using the cell phone for data is slow compared to a high speed / WiFi hook up. I still prefer a Wifi when I'm at a hotel or resort but having options is nice. The newer 3G data streams over cell phones or dedicated PCCards is better but still not WiFi speeds.

 

[irish]

cluemeister,
i will be staying at a resort that only has dial-up connection for the laptop but i do have a bluetooth phone and am interested in how i would connect my laptop to my cell phone to get onto the internet. can you advise??
thanks

 

[mtngal]

I think it partly depends on your cell phone and your cell phone service - I have a Motorola Razr phone and T-Mobile. T-Mobile has a monthly rate with unlimited internet access (my choice) that is in addition to our regular cell service. I had to buy and download a separate program from Motorola to get my computer to properly communicate with the phone (the laptop already had a bluetooth card). It wasn't all that difficult, though time consuming and it helps to read all the directions before trying to hook up - I got frustrated at times.

 

[Kozman]

Cell Phone Use for Internet

I have Verizon and the phone I have has a built-in modem so I can use it in a pinch at 14.4kb by dialing up to a local SBC number. This is very slow, but better than nothing. Verizon has a high speed version of service, but I think it is about $60 per month. I can't see paying this in addition to my home based dsl. So, the answer is yes! Having WiFi is important to me at a resort. However, some resorts charge about $10 per day to hook up. Here again, I would not take advantage of the service at that price unless I had a business justification. Considering the minor cost to provide WiFi, I think it should be free.

 

[Avery]

the only time I need WiFi is when we're away. It's not worth it to me to pay for it via my cellphone, too costly. And I definitely look for places with high speed internet access as being able to work while away makes it possible for me to travel more...

And I really can't believe that the Manhattan Club, which markets itself as a "corporate" destination, just has dialup except for the few public computers in the business center... Maybe with the Hilton Club giving it some competitiion, the MC will get with the times....

 

[cluemeister]

EVDO makes it even better

I use a treo to hook up to the net as well, which clocks at around 120 kbps, almost 3 times as fast as dialup. However, my wife's new phone has PowerVision, (Sprint's EVDO), and in certain markets, such as Vegas and other major cities, we can connect at about 300kbps, about slow dsl speeds but still very fast, especially when you're on vacation. At 300kpbs, we can download a 1 meg file in about 30-40 seconds. With my treo, it takes about 2 and a half minutes. Still very good, and there's no daily wifi charge. I would prefer wifi, but I no longer feel like I have to find a phone jack to hook up to the internet!

Irish - A bluetooth phone is just part of what you need. The bluetooth is just the wireless connection between the computer and the phone. You also need a computer with bluetooth, and a data plan from your cell provider, such as Sprint's Vision, and you need a phone that is capable of performing as a modem. In essence, your computer hooks to your phone through bluetooth, and your phone hooks to the internet through cell towers. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

 

[KenK]

Thanks for the few of you that placed a price on the cell internet service.

As noted, many don't think it is worth the cost, espically since so many wifi connections in hotels and t/Ss are free.

I am happy with the free wireless connections provided by the Marriotts and the Holtons, (including T/S) that we have stayed at.

I need to know more about cost before I would feel the free service might not be as good as the cell costs.

 

[seenett]

I also used to have GPRS with Cingular. It was pretty slick using bluetooth to connect to my PocketPC and surf with Pocket Explorer, but it was never as fast as a true highspeed connection. I have switched to Verizon and their EVDO is mach faster, but still only half as fast a regular highspeed.

Even if you get the unlimited EVDO "PDA" service (which I have with my Samsung i730 - a PocketPC phone), Verizon has disabled the bluetooth function to connect to a bluetooth laptop. I can still use bloothtooth for hands free calling.

However, getting to to OP's original question, Verizon's EVDO PC card is very cool. You don't need a cell phone in this setup at all. It does cost about $60/month though.

 

[geoffb]

The EDVO, EDGE, GPRS and HSDPA technologies are getting faster (HDSPA can be as fast as 700kbps) and will become more common, Lenovo recently announced that ThinkPads could be purchased with Verizon or Cingular data cards built in to the computer at the factory.

The problem is that the carriers are investing mostly in the top 100 markets in the US so coverage is best in urban areas. WiFi hotspots at resorts in more rural areas will be important for a long time.

WiFi also offers better signal penetration in buildings since the APs tend to be within the buildings so WiFi works in interior spaces where mobile phones might not get a signal.

 

[Clark]

I always take my laptop with me, and I use the free version of logmein.com to access my home desktop computer remotely. Since I have large database files to ship back and forth managing my website, I can do that using my "high speed" Roadrunner desktop connection to the internet. And I can use my regular desktop email client to remotely do my email.

On the road, I usually book Fairfield Inns or equivalent, so even the remote access is free and fast. And both the Marriott Grande Ocean and Barony Beach resorts I own are in process of equipping with high speed internet, so that is cool.

But even if I wind up somewhere without free high speed internet, Time Warner has local dial-up numbers all over the country, and I am rarely anywhere that I cant at least use a dial-up number to get attached to my home computer remotely. It's fast enough to be at least usable so I pretty much have free access everywhere using my laptop.

The one precaution I take is I hook a timer to my computer that shuts off the electricity once in the middle of the night while I am gone, forcing a restart of my desktop (I have it set to turn on after a power interruption). I do this just in case my desktop should crash, as a way to ensure that the next day it will have been reset.

It all works out for my use.

 

[RichM]

The one precaution I take is I hook a timer to my computer that shuts off the electricity once in the middle of the night while I am gone, forcing a restart of my desktop (I have it set to turn on after a power interruption).

That's a great idea - I hadn't thought of doing it that way. At work, I have a dial-up remote reboot device for remotely rebooting our Cisco router and SDSL modem in case they lockup.


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[geoffb]

I hope you keep really good backups of the data on that computer.

 

[RonaldCol]

I always take my laptop with me, and I use the free version of logmein.com to access my home desktop computer remotely. Since I have large database files to ship back and forth managing my website, I can do that using my "high speed" Roadrunner desktop connection to the internet. And I can use my regular desktop email client to remotely do my email.

On the road, I usually book Fairfield Inns or equivalent, so even the remote access is free and fast. And both the Marriott Grande Ocean and Barony Beach resorts I own are in process of equipping with high speed internet, so that is cool.

But even if I wind up somewhere without free high speed internet, Time Warner has local dial-up numbers all over the country, and I am rarely anywhere that I cant at least use a dial-up number to get attached to my home computer remotely. It's fast enough to be at least usable so I pretty much have free access everywhere using my laptop.

The one precaution I take is I hook a timer to my computer that shuts off the electricity once in the middle of the night while I am gone, forcing a restart of my desktop (I have it set to turn on after a power interruption). I do this just in case my desktop should crash, as a way to ensure that the next day it will have been reset.

It all works out for my use.

I'm impressed.

I'm someone who've seen a lot, experienced a lot, done a lot, but to impress me is an accomplishment on your part! LOL.

 

[Clark]

I hope you keep really good backups of the data on that computer.

Actually, I copy my important database files to a usb memory key attached to the desktop computer every time I update them.

But it seems to me that a disruption of power to the computer in the middle of the night is highly unlikely to damage data on the hard disk. The more likely problem for me is that the computer will lock up (it is a pc after all) when I am not home to physically restart it. The power timer solves that problem.

But you do make me think now of something to tend to: I have a RAID 1 system that occasionally backs itself up on its own -- I should make sure that isnt trying to happen when the timer is set to power it off!

 

[RichM]

I'd also be worried about any automatic Windows XP updates or any scheduled hard disk defragmentations that might be happening.

I wish I could get one of those networkable power strips that you can telnet into and cycle power on individual outlets. They're really expensive, even on E-bay.


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[Clark]

I'd also be worried about any automatic Windows XP updates or any scheduled hard disk defragmentations that might be happening.

I wish I could get one of those networkable power strips that you can telnet into and cycle power on individual outlets. They're really expensive, even on E-bay.

Well I dont schedule automatic defrags, and my updates are set to middle of the day, so the main thing would be if an automatic antivirus update came at 3am which I suppose could happen. You would think, given that power can always go out at a random time, that the system would be able to cope! who knows.

That networkable power strip I never heard of, sounds interesting. But what's to keep a networkable power strip from crashing an becoming inaccessible? Unlucky happens ---

 

[RichM]

That networkable power strip I never heard of, sounds interesting. But what's to keep a networkable power strip from crashing an becoming inaccessible? Unlucky happens ---

Yes, true, but those simple hardware-based OS devices are usually quite reliable.

Here's a sample item: http://www.servertech.com/products/RemotePowerManagement/PowerTowerXL/

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[Bill4728]

Sorry -- posted in wrong thread