Truck Stop Internet Connections (TSIC)

greg334 · Sep 19, 2006

I don't yet have a aircard for my internet connection. I guess I am behind the times but really I think that the price is still a little too high, so I use the truck stop internet access. Oh I have also been using hotels and even Ford dealership connections.

But anyway, here is my latest complaints about TSIC;

Flying J - I paid montly but dropped it when I wasn't out on the road for a month. when I used the 24 hour connection, the connection was dropped after I downloaded my email and started listening to WSB. I used up all my bandwidth.

Pilot - Ok We FedEx people get a discount for SiriComm. I am paying $4.95 or somethign like that for 24 hour access. when I was in Dallas, it was slow - I mean S L O W. Too slow to be acceptable and more like dial up. Of course I called support and the person on the other end said it was because of the people on at the time I was calling after all the standard questions - including do you see the building (I could not get any closer to the antenna - like 30 feet away). I pointed out that this has been all day long for two days. I left and moved down the road to T/A when my time expired. I assumed that it was the site, with ping times of 780MS for yahoo was too much. Now i sit at another pilot and I still have the same problem and this time I am 45 feet from the antenna.

T/A - every T/A I have been to has had a really good connection, so good I have been able to play some online games. I don't like fueling up at a T/A because something always happens, like being sprayed with fuel or like yeaterday having the fuel jocket hassle me about my van in the truck lanes.

Now the best connection i have used on the road has been the one on I 95 in Maryland. fast and free.

OK your thoughts and experiences? and lets try not to have another smart a** comment.

cheri1122 · Sep 19, 2006

Greg, I did the truck stop internet at first, but then found what was Freedomlink, & is now ATT Wifi. I paid $20 per month for unlimited access, at places like McDonald's, UPS Stores, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, and the best part is the phone number you can call 24/7/365, where a person will tell you where to find the Wifi in the city you're in. The service costs just $1.99 per month if you have any other ATT or Cingular service, and the contract is for one year. I am just finishing my year, and have been quite happy with it. In a van, all those places are accessible, and you don't even need to go inside, which I like most.

unorthodoxneon · Sep 23, 2006

I have an internet subscription to the FLYING J i find it to be the best when you are at some locations that arent flying j's you can get internet. At the T/A in Seville i was able to access the internet. I plan on getting the evdo card to have internet just about anywhere.

Lawrence · Sep 24, 2006

Are you guys buying their annual plan or buying month to month?

Lawrence,
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unorthodoxneon · Sep 25, 2006

Currently paying mo2mo

darkunicorn · Sep 25, 2006

I have a verizon air card and love it I have internet connection almost every place even here in Minot, ND which is as close to the middle of no where as you can get!
Itâ€™s a bit slower than when a big city get broad band in big cities which is faster than any truck stop Iâ€™ve been too!
Cost is 59 a month unlimited and trust me I use it a lot! I think cheap compared to having an account at TA, flying J, pilot, and petro even if you do have all those like now stuck with no hrs in a desolate place what then?

Alvin

unorthodoxneon · Sep 26, 2006

I want to go with sprint because there is no bandwith restrictions like the other carriers have. I will be switching as soon as my J account runs up and i start getting my bank account filled with some more $$$

darkunicorn · Sep 26, 2006

I have no bandwith restrictions @ verizon but if you have cell sevice with sprint might be the way to go.
verizon was faster when I first got mine don't think sprint had broadband do they now?

Alvin

dieselphreak2K · Sep 26, 2006

I went with an alltel aircard, as i have had great phone service for years with them. I justified the 60 a month by figuring that I never know which TS I'll be at, if one at all. To buy monthly for all 3, i'd be close to $60 a month anyway. And with a team, you don't always have enough time between loads to sit around a truck stop and do everything. Alltel has been good, KY has some dead spots, and i've never hit a b/w limit. I usually have music downloading 24/7 and my co-driver spends his life on instant messengers.

highway star · Sep 28, 2006

I have an annual subscription to the J. I find the quality of service is very inconsistant. Some locations will always be fine, while others will always be VERY slow. I guess it depends how many people are on, and someone told me the truck stop uses it to upload info to headquarters. When they do that, it completely stops. Then there are the times I'm not at a J for a week. It takes a long time to catch up on all the crying and moaning about Panther when that happens. I have 2 months left on my subscription. I'll probably go to a card after that.

terryandrene · Sep 28, 2006

I recently bought a Dell E1505 with internal wifi. It will only take a Verizon air card that costs $179 to purchase and $80 monthly to use if you do not have verizon cell phone service. The very cheapest verizon cell service is $40 monthly. With verizon cell service, the air car monthly fee is only $60.

My cell service is cingular and neither their card nor sprints card will fit the newer Dell laptops. Caveat emptor.

greg334 · Sep 28, 2006

>My cell service is cingular and neither their card nor
>sprints card will fit the newer Dell laptops. Caveat
>emptor.
Terry,
do you mean the dells do not have that flat thin wide slot (aka PCMCIA Card)?

darkunicorn · Sep 28, 2006

Your dell only has the express card technology? My new Vaio has both but it came with a cingular card built in that was a pain in the @$$ to disable so my verizon card would work. I should of tried the 30 day trail to compare coverage but I opted not to since have to pay for verizon anyway.
Oh yeah btw the new Sony Vaio SZ series is fantastic little notebook!
Had 5 of the Toshiba 17â€ boat ankers over the last year Best Buy honored the lemon policy and put me in a brand new Vaio a few months ago and its out lasted any one of the Toshibaâ€™s smaller but find that it works better that way can sit on dash while using the GPS.

Alvin

macmov · Dec 8, 2006

Just for thought, I stay at more Motels then probably most of you guys, I use a corporate Lodging discount card and that makes it pretty reasonable, I get internet free in most motels. But when on the road I use a data link to my sprint phone and it works pretty well. Cost $35 month. Not bad in my oppinion.

Moot · Dec 8, 2006

Hi everyone my name is Moot. I'm a, a, a, ah newbie to wireless internet. I just bought a Vaio and was hoping to do this wireless internet for free. The prospect of lurking behind McDonalds, motels and coffee shops excited me. I was of the understanding that it was a good place to meet E.O. members, law enforcement officers and street people. Now it sounds like this experience will cost me money. I don't mind sharing a reject McWhatever with someone but I don't want to pay for this.

Can somebody tell me the cheapest way to go. I run solo, in a van so having a connection while moving isn't important. Also my cell phone provider is Cingular. My contract expires at the end of January at which time I plan on returning to Verizon. Please advise. I have been without wireless internet this long so I am in no hurry to commit to some long term plan. Right now I want the cheapest connection possible. Even if it is not the fastest or most reliable. I woud like to get a feel for what is available and sometime in the future commit to a more reliable and expensive form of connection. Help!

Moot · Dec 8, 2006

post script to above post: I have Comcast broaband at home. I downloaded MacAfee protction from Comcast. Okay, my wife did it. Will this protect out on the road. I am totally in the dark with this stuff. I'm having a hard enough time adjusting to a flat, tightly spaced keyboard not to mention all the other notebook technology. I also bought a wireless mouse. It's great at home but I'm not sure how well it will work in the van.